Her Alien Farmhand

Blind Date with an Alien

Honey Phillips

Copyright © 2021 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover by Covers by Combs

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

Chapter 1

Meg heard the all-too-familiar dying gasp of the pump just as she was about to leave the barn. Damn, not again. With a weary sigh, she went to inspect the ancient piece of equipment. As she suspected, the much-mended belt had failed yet again. This time, she didn’t think she would be able to put it back together again. Which meant another trip to town, and another hit to her dwindling savings. Her shoulders slumped as she finally left the barn.

Her dog Prince trotted over to meet her, and she managed a smile as she bent to pet his silky black fur. Most of the animals on Cresca were genetic mixtures, crossbred with the native animals to help them adapt to the new planet, but both Prince and his sister Lady were true descendants of the original Earth animals. She gave him one last scratch behind his ears, then straightened.

“Patrol, Prince,” she told him, and he immediately headed for the pastures. The night air already carried the chill of the upcoming cold season, but she paused for a moment to take a look around the small homestead.

Five years. Five years since her parents’ unexpected death had forced her to leave her studies and return home. Five years since she’d discovered that her worthless brother had sold off all of the newer equipment - along with anything else of value - and cleaned out the small savings account. His goodbye note had been short and to the point.

Sorry, sis, but I’m not spending the rest of my life on this backwater planet. If you want my advice – which you never have before – you’ll sell off the property and get the hell out of here.

Best of luck, Chuck

Sell off the property? The property that her grandparents had worked so hard to buy in order to escape an overcrowded and polluted Earth? The property her parents had worked so hard to make successful?

Never.

Instead, she had gritted her teeth and done the best she could to keep it running. Unfortunately, she thought as she looked around, her best wasn’t good enough. Every year another piece of equipment broke, she lost a few more animals, and everything decayed just a little bit more. Not to mention the continuous string of bad luck that had been haunting her for the last few months. The most frustrating part was that she knew the farm could be successful. It had been before and it could be again, but she couldn’t do it by herself. If Chuck had stayed around - and if he hadn’t sold all the newer equipment - the two of them could have managed.

A distant howl sounded from the wooded slopes behind the barn, and she shivered from more than the cold. She cast another quick look at the pastures, but her small herd of sheep were already huddling together in their wooden shelters, and they didn’t seem unduly disturbed by the sound. She saw Prince pause, his ears perked, but then he trotted off along the fence line.

As she hurried into the house and added some logs to the old-fashioned wood stove – the modern stove had failed two years ago – she thought about the trip to town she would have to make and the small amount of credits she had left. Her visit would coincide with the Crescan New Year. Traditionally, workers looking for new contracts would put themselves up for bid on New Year’s Day. The pickings would be slim this year, just as they had been for the past two years ever since the discovery of Vaekest crystals on Tuknis, the second planet in their system, had sent every able-bodied worker off to seek their fortune. Perhaps she should try and hire someone.

Not that she’d had much luck with contract workers in the past. They were either lazy, or incompetent, or worse of all, they assumed that a job on the farm meant a place in her bed. She had decided it wasn’t worth the credits, but now she had to accept the fact that she needed help. Her savings should be just enough to hire someone for the season – assuming she could find someone. Maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to let her keep going for another year. If nothing else, it was worth a shot.

With a determined nod, she cranked up the old-style communicator and called her friend Billie. As much as it grated her pride, the cost of a hotel in town during the New Year’s celebration would put far too large a dent in her wallet. Billie squealed ecstatically and urged her to come for a longer stay.

“We can go shopping while you’re here. The stores are nowhere near as good as the ones in Port Cantor, of course, but one or two of them have some cute things.”

“Billie, I’m not there to shop. I just need to buy some parts.” She hesitated. “And I was thinking of bidding in the contract auction.”

“Ooh.” She could almost hear her friend wrinkling her nose over the communicator. “Papa says there isn’t anyone worth hiring anymore.”

“I know, but I have to try. I need help.”

“I could come help you!”

The thought of her cute, perky little friend mucking out the barn almost made her laugh, but she managed to keep her voice solemn.

“Thank you, Billie. But I don’t really think it’s your line of work. And besides, your father needs you.”

Billie’s mother had died when she was in her teens, and she had taken over running the house for her widowed father. He had insisted that she finish her education, but he’d been happy to have her home again afterwards.

“You’re probably right. But I’m willing to come if you change your mind.”

A lump appeared in her throat. She had no doubt her friend meant what she said, and it made her feel a little less alone.

“I know you would, and I really appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“I can hardly wait. Bye!”

The cabin felt even more silent than usual once Meg ended the call. She wandered out onto the front porch, shivering as the icy breeze swept over her skin. Lady poked her head out of the barn, then trotted over to join her. Somehow her dogs always seemed to know when she needed company.

Despite the cold, she lingered on the porch looking out into the night. The mountains rose up behind the barn, the wooded lower slopes growing increasingly barren as they approached the peaks. A dusting of snow already covered the top of the mountains. The pastures spread out in front of the barn, silvery in the moonlight. The midnight velvet of a sky sprinkled with millions of stars arched over the peaceful scene. In spite of all the work, she loved moments like these.

Another howl echoed from higher in the mountains, and next to her, Lady went on alert, her ears pricked and her head tilted.

“It’s all right, girl. I’m sure it’s just the adyani.”

The adyani were one of the few native predators on Cresca, but they tended to keep to the high mountain ranges, and were rarely seen – or heard – this far down. She couldn’t remember the last time she had heard them twice in one night.

The warm glow of light from inside the cabin suddenly seemed far more appealing than standing outside in the cold. She urged Lady inside, and started making a list of everything she needed to accomplish while she was in town.

“A blind date?” Meg stared at Billie in shock. “Why on earth did you do that?”

“Oh, I just thought it would be fun,” Billie said airily as she fluttered around the guest room, making sure that everything was ready for Meg.

Billie’s family had been one of the first families to settle on Cresca, and their house was located in the oldest part of town. A big, imposing stone house, it was lavishly decorated in a way that made Meg feel both envious and suffocated. One set of shimmering silk curtains would have been wonderful. Having two sets layered over each other seemed excessive. But right now she was more concerned about Billie’s outrageous proposal than her decorating choices.

“I don’t want to go on a blind date. I’m tired,” she protested.

She had started the three hour trip into town as soon as it became light enough to see, and then spent several hours first locating the belt for the pump, as well as running all her other errands. By the time she’d arrived at Billie’s house in midafternoon, she had been looking forward to sitting down for a quiet evening with her old friend.

Billie gave her an innocent look from her big, blue eyes. “But it’s New Year’s Eve. You were going to stay up to midnight anyway, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t. It’s just another night.”

“Oh, Meg. What’s happened to you?” Billie sank down on the mattress next to her. “Don’t you remember when we used to go out and have fun?”

“That was a long time ago,” she snapped. “Things have changed for me.”

The hurt look on her friend’s face made her soften her tone. “I do remember, and we always had a wonderful time. I guess I’m just not that much fun anymore.”

“You could be. You just have to be willing to take a chance.”

Take a chance? She bit back another impatient response, and tried to change the subject.

“And what about you? I thought we were spending the evening together?”

“We will.”

“You mean you have a date too?”

Billie giggled. “Not exactly. The bartender is really cute, but Papa would never approve of me going on a date with him. Of course, if I just happen to be there…”

Meg laughed. “You haven’t changed.”

“You’d be surprised.” A shadow darted across Billie’s face so quickly, Meg wasn’t sure she had really seen it. “But I still want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” she protested automatically, then sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to do something different for one night. But a blind date? Really? Who did you have in mind?”

“Oh, you’ll love him. He’s the latest junior partner in my father’s practice.”

Meg did her best not to roll her eyes. Billie’s father was a lawyer, and he was constantly trying to attract a junior partner. Most of them didn’t even make it six months before they were hightailing it back to the city. Riverton might be the largest town in the territory, but it was a lot smaller than Port Cantor, or even the regional capital, and it didn’t take long for most young lawyers to figure out that they stood a better chance of making a name for themselves somewhere else.

“Doesn’t he sound perfect?” Billie asked, and Meg realized she hadn’t been paying attention while Billie expounded on her date’s virtues.

“Um, sure. I just hope he’s not expecting someone who looks like you.”

It wasn’t just that Billie was petite and curvy and bubbly, her hands were soft and manicured and she was always beautifully dressed.

“He’s expecting my gorgeous friend,” Billie said firmly, shaking her head when Meg snorted. “You are gorgeous, you just need a little… attention. Now come with me.”

Chapter 2

By the time nightfall rolled around, Meg had been primped and polished within an inch of her life. She barely recognized herself when she looked in the mirror. The dark red gown accentuated her slender curves and floated gracefully around her calves. Billie had arranged her long brown hair in an elaborate updo that somehow managed to look artfully casual at the same time. After an extended argument, Meg had even let her apply a little makeup and now her ordinary brown eyes looked dark and mysterious.

“See? Gorgeous,” Billie said triumphantly as she finished her own preparations. She was wearing a dress in her favorite shade of blue with layers of translucent fabric that gave teasing glimpses of her curvy figure.

“I think you’re a miracle worker.”

“Oh pish. It’s easy when you have such a great canvas.” Despite her dismissal of Meg’s compliment, Billie looked pleased. “Are you ready?”

“I think -”

“Wilhelmina!” Billie’s father roared from downstairs. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Uh oh,” Billie giggled. “I think he just found the bill for the clothes I ordered from Port Cantor. Listen, it’s going to take me a little while to get him calmed down, and I don’t want you to be late for your date. You go ahead.”

Meg stared at her in dismay. The thought of walking into the restaurant by herself made her stomach churn. “I can’t do that.”

“Sure you can. You look beautiful.” Billie glanced at the clock. “He’s probably already waiting for you. Remember, red shirt. Go on now.”

Only her reluctance to keep the poor male Billie had shanghaied into the date waiting made her give a reluctant nod.

“But you’ll be there soon, right?”

Billie waved an airy hand. “Just as soon as I get Papa calmed down.”

“Wilhelmina!” The second roar was even louder, and both women jumped.

“I’ve got to go. Have fun!”

Billie vanished before Meg could make any further arguments. The fact that she knew she looked presentable helped bolster her courage. Grabbing the heavy embroidered shawl that matched her dress, she wrapped it around her shoulders and headed downstairs. As she passed Billie’s father’s study, she could hear his stern voice lecturing her friend, and she shook her head. Although she was quite sure that Billie could bring him around, it did sound like it was going to take a while.

Even in this quiet part of town, the streets were already beginning to fill with people and it grew steadily busier as she made her way towards the riverbank. The meeting place that Billie had chosen was a large restaurant overlooking the water. She had been there before with Billie and it had been quiet, decorous, and elegant. Tonight, it had changed completely.

The space was crowded with revelers, waiters darting through the throng carrying trays of drinks with astonishing dexterity. She pushed her way through with far less grace, heading for the outside terrace where she was supposed to be meeting her date hoping that it would be quieter. Her hope was in vain. If anything, it was even busier with people looking for choice spots to watch the fireworks that would occur at midnight.

Red shirt? She looked around desperately until she found a faded red shirt stretched across the broad shoulders of the biggest man she had ever seen. Despite the crush of people, he’d managed to find a small space by himself at the railing surrounding the terrace. Even though he was standing alone, she could tell that he stood a head taller than most of the other men, with a physique to match that impressive height. He certainly didn’t look like any lawyer she’d ever seen. Although all she could see was his back, the impressive muscles, perfect ass, and thick, strong thighs created an unexpected flutter of arousal.

Don’t be so shallow, she ordered herself as she went to join him. His personality is what matters.

But when she put a tentative hand on his arm and felt the hard muscles beneath his warm skin, the last thing she was thinking about was his personality. She looked up - way up - to see startlingly bright green eyes looking down at her. His face was too rugged to be called handsome - heavy brows over those intense eyes, a strong blade of a nose, and an unexpectedly sensual mouth - but he took her breath away nonetheless.

“Hi,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “I’m Meg. Your date,” she added, when he just stared at her.

“My date?” His voice was a deep rumble that stroked over her skin like velvet. Her nipples tightened beneath the thin silk of the gown.

“Yes. I mean, if you are…” Fuck, what was his name? Something unusual that started with an R...

“I’m Roardon.”

That must be it. She smiled up at him.

“Yes, that’s it.”

“And you’re here for me?”

He sounded so shocked that the small amount of self-confidence brought on by the dress and makeup began to fade.

She forced another smile, and started to turn away. “I’m sorry if I wasn’t what you were expecting. I’ll leave-”

“No!” An enormous hand grabbed her arm, but his touch was exquisitely gentle. “Please don’t go. It’s just… you’re so beautiful.”

She knew she was blushing, like the innocent schoolgirl she hadn’t been for a long time now, but she did her best to ignore it.

“Thank you.”

He was still looking down at her, and for a moment, it was as if all of the noise and all of the surrounding people disappeared and they were alone in the moonlight. She started to sway towards him, oddly expectant, but then he shook his head and dropped his gaze.

“Would you, um, like a drink?”

His words sounded stilted, and her mouth felt just as stiff when she responded. “Yes, please.”

Despite the crush, he had no trouble flagging down a waiter. As they waited for him to return, Roardon made room for her at the railing so she could look out over the water. The reflection of the small white lights strung around the terrace twinkled on the surface of the water. It looked deceptively peaceful, but she knew that the water ran fast and deep.

He stood next to her, their bodies not quite touching although she could feel the heat emanating from his big body, and once again she had the feeling that they were enclosed in their own private bubble of space. The returning waiter broke the not uncomfortable silence.

Roardon handed her a glass, then tilted his head curiously.

“Do you live here in town, Meg?”

“No, I -” She broke off abruptly. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk about the farm and her problems. “You know what? Let’s not talk about the past. Let’s just enjoy the present.”

Did a flash of relief cross his face? She wasn’t quite sure, but he nodded and raised his glass.

“The present. And perhaps the future, given the turn of the year.”

“Just the present,” she said firmly. The future was just as dangerous.

They touched glasses and drank, but he only took a small sip, his eyes on her face.

“You don’t drink?”

“Not often. I need to stay in control.”

It was a strange way of putting it, but she had seen enough men who couldn’t control their drinking that she didn’t press him.

“What would you like to do now? Go inside?” Despite the offer, he didn’t look particularly enthusiastic about the idea. Neither was she, for that matter.

“Why don’t we go for a walk? Find somewhere quiet to watch the fireworks?” The suggestion popped out before she had a chance to consider it.

“I would like that,” he said solemnly and put down his still full glass before placing a big, warm hand on her back to guide her back inside.

The trip back through the restaurant was much easier with Roardon leading the way. It wasn’t just because of his size. There was a quiet power to the way he moved which seemed to make other people simply melt away from his path.

She had hoped it would be quieter once they left the restaurant, but there was a band playing in the marketplace and it seemed as if every settler in the territory had come into town for the celebration.

“I’m not sure this is much better,” she muttered as a pair of drunken men staggered towards her.

Before they could slam into her, Roardon placed himself in their path. One of them knocked against him – to no apparent effect – and muttered a curse and stumbled off again.

“Perhaps we should go a little further upstream.” Roardon bent down and murmured in her ear. The warm brush of his breath sent a pleasant little shiver down her spine.

“Okay. That is – what about Billie? Should I leave a message?”

“Billie?”

A sinking feeling filled her at his puzzled look.

“Billie Edwards? Don’t you work for her father?”

He shook his head, still looking puzzled. Oh, Lord, she’d ended up with the wrong man. No wonder he’d seemed so surprised when she’d come up to him. She opened her mouth to tell him what had happened, but as she did another man in a red shirt pushed past them into the restaurant. Unlike Roardon’s faded cotton, his shirt was tailored red silk and he had the pale, pursed look of someone who spent most of his life inside. Was that her actual date? He hadn’t even given her a second look.

Roardon was still watching her with those startling green eyes, his big body shielding her from the crowd. Billie had said to take a chance, and she’d much rather take a chance with him than a scrawny lawyer - a very late lawyer.

“Never mind. I like your idea about getting out of this crowd.”

He hesitated, an almost bashful look on his face.

“I have a room in a boarding house further down the river. It’s nothing special, but it has a good view of the water. You are safe with me,” he added quickly.

If it had been anyone else, she wouldn’t even have considered it, but she believed him. And the idea of being alone with him caused a little tremor of excitement to ripple through her body. Take a chance, Billie had said, and just for tonight, just with Roardon, she was going to take that chance.

“All right.” She tucked her hand in his arm and smiled up at him. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 3

Roardon’s inner beast growled in triumph as Meg placed her small hand on his arm, but he did his best to suppress it. He couldn’t believe that she was touching him so willingly. Most females were intimidated by his size, even if they didn’t immediately realize his other differences.

Although he had come to Riverton seeking work, he hadn’t intended to participate in the New Year’s Eve celebration. Loneliness had driven him out onto the streets to join the revelers. But being surrounded by happy strangers had only made him more conscious of being alone. He had just decided to give up on the experiment and return to his rooms when Meg approached him.

He still wasn’t entirely sure why she had, but when he turned to see her smiling up at him and their eyes met, something locked in place between the two of them.

Mate, his inner beast had growled, but he immediately dismissed the idea. There was no mate in his future. No female of his mother’s people, the Vultor, would ever consider him as a mate, and humans did not have mating bonds. It would be foolish to assume that one would ever feel that way about him – especially if she knew the truth about him.

Thanks to his father’s heritage, he could usually pass for human - as long as no one was looking too closely. Right now, the fact that it was evening and that they were surrounded by the noisy crowd helped to maintain the illusion. As they wandered further away from the crowd, he kept a firm grip on his Vultor side.

Their path led them past the section of riverfront mainly devoted to trade. There were still people around but the strings of lights and market stalls were replaced by warehouses and loading docks.

Meg looked up at him and laughed. “Not exactly the most festive area.”

“Would you like to return to the town square?”

“No – that is, is it much further?”

“Just around the next bend.”

Her fingers tightened on his arm. “Then what are we waiting for?”

As they continued down the street, two drunken men stumbled out of one of the alleys. He hoped they would simply pass them by, but instead they headed directly for the two of them.

“Hey, pretty lady,” one of them slurred.

Roardon’s beast growled at the way the men were looking at Meg. He didn’t like it either, but he did his best to ignore them and keep walking.

“Don’t be like that,” the other man demanded with the belligerence brought on by too much alcohol. “We just want to talk.”

“And get a New Year’s kiss,” the first insisted.

“Well you’re not getting one from me,” Meg said tartly.

“Ooh. So you’re the uppity type,” the belligerent one sneered. “We know how to take care of that, don’t we, Bill?”

Roardon didn’t wait for Bill to answer. He tucked Meg behind him and turned to face them.

“That’s enough. Be on your way.”

The note of command in his voice was enough to make them pause, staring blearily at him through red rimmed eyes. For a moment, he thought they would listen, but then the belligerent one glared at him.

“Why should we listen to you? If you ain’t willing to share, we’ll just take the pretty lady with us.”

“That’s never going to happen.”

He could hear the growl in his voice. Bill’s eyes widened as the threat Roardon presented seemed to penetrate the man’s drunken haze.

“Maybe he’s right, Stu.”

Bill tugged on his friend’s sleeve, but Stu was too far gone to back down. Roardon fought back a sigh, even though his beast was already anticipating the fight. This was not how he wanted the evening to go. He certainly didn’t want Meg to see him lose control.

“Leave,” he ordered again, putting the full power of his beast into his voice.

Bill took a step back, and even Stu seemed to hesitate before he puffed up his chest and staggered forward. He was a big man, not as big as Roardon, but big enough that he was probably used to winning most of his fights. He wasn’t going to win this one.

Keeping his beast under tight control, Roardon waited until Stu threw the first punch. He caught the man’s fist in midair, yanking it down and using it for leverage as he delivered a punch of his own straight to the man’s jaw. Stu collapsed to the ground. Bill looked from his friend to Roardon, then turned and took off at a run. Roardon wasn’t surprised. Human friendship was no more enduring than human mating.

He took a deep breath, trying to force the adrenaline caused by the fight to subside, then turned to Meg. She was staring at Stu’s limp body, and his heart sank. Had he frightened her? He was just about to offer to return her to the center of town when she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

“That was amazing. I wish I could knock out assholes with one punch.”

Her words were so unexpected that he started laughing, and she smiled up at him.

“You should do that more often.”

“Knock out assholes?”

“No,” she said softly. “Laugh.”

Before he could think of a response, she tucked her hand in his arm again. This time she stepped closer to him, and he could feel the soft warmth of her body against his side. The arousal that had been simmering in his body since the first time he’d seen her swept over him, the lingering aftereffect of the fight only adding to it. His cock pressed painfully against his pants.

Claim her, his beast growled, but he forced it down and concentrated on walking instead. Perhaps a little too determinedly, because Meg tugged on his arm again.

“Slow down,” she said breathlessly. “We still have plenty of time until midnight.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

The endearment popped out before he could prevent it, but she didn’t seem offended.

“It’s fine. I just can’t walk as fast as you.”

She gave his arm a little squeeze, her breasts brushing against his arm in the process - which did nothing to help him bring his arousal under control. He wanted to snatch her up into his arms and carry her back to his den. Rooms, he recommended himself. I do not have a den. The fact that he was even thinking in such terms worried him, but not enough that he would choose to let go of the woman at his side.

Silence fell between the two of them, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. Instead, there was an air of expectation. Don’t be foolish, he reminded himself as they reached the boardinghouse. We’re coming here to watch the fireworks, nothing more.

But despite the reminder, his beast purred with satisfaction as they climbed up the stairs and entered his rooms. She was in his territory now.

He had to force himself not to protest as she let go of his arm and wandered across to the tall windows looking out over the river. Because of the way the river curved, they were almost directly across from the town square now. The open view was the main reason he had chosen these rooms. He liked being able to see his surroundings and to know that he wasn’t trapped.

“This is perfect. We’ll be able to see everything.” Meg turned back and smiled at him. “Is that why you chose it?”

“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just prefer the outskirts of town.”

“It’s certainly more peaceful.” She looked around his room, then playfully shook her finger at him. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

He didn’t – he knew only too well what would happen if he drank too much and lost control of his beast. Her comment confused him, but then he realized she was looking at a small bottle of sparkling wine on the dresser.

“My landlady must have left that. She seemed upset that I didn’t intend to join in the celebrations. Would you like some?”

“Why not? I’m doing whatever I want tonight.”

He opened the bottle and poured the golden bubbles into the single glass, then handed it to her.

“Thank you.” She raised her glass to him, then took a sip. “Why weren’t you coming to the celebration?”

“I’m not a big fan of crowds.”

Her lips quirked. “I’d never have guessed. You certainly ended up in the biggest one around. What made you change your mind?”

He didn’t want to admit that loneliness had driven him out into the streets. Instead, he shrugged and walked over to the windows, throwing them open to the night and the view across the river. “Will this be too cold?”

“No, it’s fine.”

She came to join him, standing just as close as she had while they were walking. His cock jerked, straining against his pants, but he did his best to ignore it. Then she smiled up at him.

“And I’m sure you’ll keep me warm.”

The words were flirtatious, but her tone was uncertain. Did she think he would not respond? Surely such a beautiful woman did not expect to be rejected. Greatly daring, he put his arm tentatively around her shoulders. She did not object. Instead, she snuggled closer.

Desire – need – washed over him as his beast growled triumphantly. He fought to maintain his usual control, even as his pulse thundered in his ears.

“Oh look. It started.”

Meg’s breathless exclamation made him realize that the distant thunder of fireworks was mingling with his pounding heart. She leaned a little further out over the thin metal railing outside the windows, and his grip on her immediately tightened. Once again, she didn’t object, and this time, he caught the scent of her arousal. Shock rendered him blind to the colors lighting up the night sky over the river. His whole being was focused on her – on the way her eyes sparkled, dark and mysterious in the reflected glow. On the warmth of her slender body against his side. On the way her lips were still parted from excitement as the show finally ended and she turned to him. On the way her breasts thrust against his chest as she looked up at him.

“It’s a new year. You’re supposed to start it with a kiss.”

Once again she sounded breathless and almost uncertain, but he could no more have refused her than he could have stopped breathing. He bent his head, watching carefully for any sign that she had changed her mind, and lightly brushed his lips across hers. Fuck. The sweetness of her lips intoxicated him.

More, his beast growled, but he forced himself to raise his head. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up at him. She licked her lips, then smiled.

“I think the new year deserves a little bit more than that.”

Her hands slid up over his shoulders and she tugged his head back down towards her. Their lips touched again, harder this time, but he was still clinging to the threads of his control when she slipped her tongue into his mouth. Desire roared over him again, and this time he had no hope of holding it back.

He pulled her against his body as he devoured her mouth, seeking every last trace of her sweetness. She molded herself against him, the stiff little peaks of her nipples pressing against his chest and the softness of her stomach cradling his aching erection. He kept one hand on her head, holding her in place for his kiss, as he reached down and grabbed the sweet curve of her ass, pressing her even more closely against him. He was so lost in the kiss, and in her, that it took him a moment to realize she was pushing against his chest. He immediately lifted his head but when he tried to step back, she clung to his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“I’m not. That was definitely a much better way to celebrate the new year.”

“Yes.”

Such an inadequate word, but he was too busy fighting for control to be eloquent.

“I – I want to stay with you. Tonight.” Her blunt little human teeth closed over her lower lip. “Just tonight. No past. No future.”

No future? His beast growled its disapproval, but he understood what she was saying. This was a moment out of time. He could not claim her.

He did his best to remember that as he bent down and kissed her again. As he slipped the dress from her shoulders and revealed her body, slender and perfect in the moonlight. As he carried her to the bed and worshipped her with his mouth, careful to prevent his sharp teeth from damaging her silky skin. As he slid into her impossibly tight little cunt. Her eyes widened, but she urged him on, rising to meet him as he worked his way deeper.

The need to claim her beat against the wall of his control, his fangs threatening to emerge and the base of his cock throbbing with the primal urge to swell and lock them together. Somehow he managed to restrain himself, even when her body milked him in tight little pulses. Even when his own climax swept over him in long, shuddering waves.

Even without his knot, they remained locked together in each other’s arms as their breathing slowed. When he raised his head, she was smiling at him.

“And that was an even better way to celebrate.”

“The night isn’t over yet,” he murmured, and bent to kiss her again. If this was all the time they had together, he intended to wring every last drop of pleasure from it before he returned to his lonely life once more.

Chapter 4

Meg woke with a start, conscious that she was surrounded by a huge, warm body. Roardon. Oh good Lord, what had she done?

No, she told herself firmly. No recriminations. I knew what I was doing.

But now it was time to put this little adventure - no matter how enjoyable - behind her and return to her real life of hard work and a failing farm. The main question was if she could escape without waking him. He was hanging on to her like she was his favorite stuffed animal. Moving as slowly as she could, she lifted his arm from around her waist and started to slide out from under it. The movement made her ass brush across his cock, every inch as large and erect as it had been the previous night, and for a moment she was tempted to linger. But the very real ache between her legs and - more importantly - the thought of facing him kept her going.

He started to move restlessly as soon as she was free, and she quickly slid one of the discarded pillows under his arm. As she pushed it closer, his head turned towards her hand and she froze. Instead of waking, he took a deep breath, as if he were sniffing her hand. His face relaxed and his breathing settled back into the slow rhythm of sleep.

She threw her dress back over her head, picked up her shoes and her shawl, and tiptoed to the door. But as she reached for the door handle, she hesitated, looking back over her shoulder. She didn’t want to leave him. She wanted to stay and find out about the shadows behind those brilliant eyes, to receive more of those hungry, overwhelming kisses, to curl into his big, warm body and forget about the homestead and everything else.

But she couldn’t forget. She had responsibilities and no matter how tempted she was to remain, he couldn’t be more than a temporary distraction. With a whispered sigh, she left him.

Between the early hour and the previous night’s revelry, the streets were almost deserted. She still felt overwhelmingly conspicuous in her red dress, and she slipped into Billie’s back garden with a sigh of relief. The back door of the house was locked, so she ended up resorting to one of their teenage tricks, tossing pebbles at Billie’s window until her friend finally poked her head out.

“Meg! What on earth are you doing down there?”

“The back door is locked.”

“I’ll be right down.”

A moment later, the door opened and Billie let her in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Sorry about that. I left it open, but Papa must have locked it again. You’ve been out all night?”

“Yes.” She hurried up the backstairs, hoping that Billie’s father was still asleep.

“With Reegan?” Billie giggled. “I wouldn’t have thought he had it in him.”

Reegan - that was the name. Close enough, she supposed as she dragged Billie into the guest room.

“Not Reegan, as it turned out. I met someone else.”

“Really?” Billie bounced over to the bed with an expectant look. “Tell me all about it.”

She suddenly realized that she didn’t want to tell Billie about her night. She knew her friend would be excited for her, but what had happened felt too… special to share. She also knew that Billie would have a lot of questions she couldn’t answer. Turning to the mirror, she let down the tangled remains of her updo and started brushing out her hair.

“Reegan was late so I started talking to another man. It just kind of happened from there.”

“You took a chance after all. Good for you.” Billie’s face softened. “And you had a good time?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

“No. He was just passing through.”

At least, he must have been. For the briefest moment she allowed herself the fantasy that he was staying in town. That when she started coming to the market in the spring, she would turn a corner and run into him again.

“I see.”

Billie’s quiet comment made her realize that she had stopped brushing her hair and was gazing off into the distance like some lovesick teenager. She applied the brush with extra force, yanking it ruthlessly through the tangles.

“What about you and your bartender? Did your father let you out in time to meet him?”

“No, but it worked out for the best.”

To her surprise, Billie didn’t add any other details, and Meg gave her a speculative glance. Was that a hint of pink on her friend’s cheeks? Perhaps Billie had had her own adventure. Rather than ask any more questions, she quickly tied her hair back in its usual braid and reached for her everyday clothes.

“I’m going to have to get back to the farm as soon as the auction is over. Thank you for letting me stay, and for the dress, and well, everything.”

Billie hugged her fiercely. “I’m glad we could spend the time together. I know you’re always busy on market days, but maybe we can work something out.”

“I’d like that,” she said sincerely. “And who knows? If I can find a good worker at the auction, I might even be able to get back sooner.”

When she entered the auction house several hours later, her optimism started to fade. There were more than a dozen other bidders present, and she knew enough of them to know they had far deeper pockets than she did. Hopefully, they were looking for more specialized workers - all she needed was a strong back and a willingness to work.

The bidders’ seats were arranged in a semi-circle around a central area, each with an electronic keypad for entering a bid. It was the same venue used for livestock auctions but at least they’d covered the dirt floor with a temporary stage. As each worker came out onto the stage, their work experience appeared on the screen in front of each buyer.

Her hope that the other bidders were looking for experience quickly faded. The first worker was a boy barely out of his teens, but even the opening bid was beyond her means. The second worker was Drew Fuller. He had worked for her - very briefly - until she fired him for being lazy, incompetent, and more interested in her body than her sheep. His reputation since he’d left her hadn’t improved, but he stood there smirking at the bidders. His confidence proved justified - he went for double the price of the youngster.

The rancher sitting next to her snorted, obviously sharing her poor opinion of Drew.

“I’ll cut my own hay if that’s the best they have to offer. I’d end up doing it anyway, but at least I wouldn’t have to pay him as well.”

The next few options weren’t any better, and they were still far too expensive. She was just resigning herself to carrying on alone, when a mutter of excitement filled the room. She looked up to see the next worker.

Roardon.

Her heart skipped a beat, then two. What was he doing here? The man next to her gave a disgusted snort.

“They really are scraping the bottom of the barrel now. He’s a Vultor. No one’s going to bid on him.”

A Vultor? What the hell was a Vultor? She brought up the screen with his information. The warning was marked in red at the top of his application.

NOT HUMAN.

“He’s an alien?” she whispered to the older man.

“Yeah, not sure why he even bothered to put himself up.”

An alien? She’d slept with an alien? Everyone knew they existed, of course, but other than visiting the space ports in order to trade, they rarely interacted with the human colonies. The name of his species rang a very faint bell somewhere in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t remember the details.

It still didn’t seem possible that he wasn’t human, and she studied him more closely. Sure, he was bigger and stronger than any man she’d met before, but was there more than that? His head was down, but she remembered those vivid green eyes and his unusually sharp teeth. Under the bright lights of the stage, his skin seemed to ripple, just a little, but it was not… human. A shiver ran down her spine.

The auctioneer spoke again, praising Roardon’s strength, even as he lowered the starting bid again. She could afford him - just - but could she have him working for her after what had happened between them? And knowing that he was an alien?

If it had been anyone else, she wouldn’t even have considered the idea, but Roardon wasn’t standing there arrogantly. He looked - not defeated exactly, but rather as if he already knew he wouldn’t be chosen. And for some reason, that decided her. She pressed the button entering her bid.

The auctioneer looked shocked, but he tried to raise the offer. No one else responded and he quickly announced the sale closed.

“That’s all for this year. Collect your workers at the rear entrance,” he said, trying to usher Roardon off the stage.

But Roardon wasn’t moving, and the auctioneer had about as much chance of moving him as a fly of moving an elephant. Her blind date raised his head at last, searching the audience, even though he shouldn’t have been able to see them behind the privacy panes. Yet, somehow, his gaze landed directly on her. She couldn’t read the expression on his face, but her body started to tingle in response to the intensity in his eyes. At last, he inclined his head, then turned and headed for the exit with the auctioneer dancing along behind him.

“You bought his contract?” The ranchers sitting next to her were staring at her as if she’d grown another head.

“I need the help.”

“But he’s not human.”

“Then maybe he’ll work harder than the last human workers I had,” she said tartly, hoping her cheeks weren’t burning.

“But you don’t understand.” The older man lowered his voice. “There are stories.”

“What kind of stories?”

The two ranchers looked at each other.

“Livestock going missing,” one volunteered.

“I haven’t heard anything like that,” she said defiantly, but his words triggered more of her memory. The Vultor weren’t native to Cresca, but they had colonies here as well - far away from the human settlements.

“I heard an entire family went missing,” his partner added. “Maybe more than one. Up north a ways.”

“Because of a Vultor?”

“That’s what I heard.”

She thought of the way Roardon had defended her, the exquisite gentleness with which he’d touched her, and shook her head.

“I don’t believe it. Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’m going to get my employee.”

Chapter 5

Despite Meg’s attempt to appear confident, her hands trembled as she approached the rear entrance. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Roardon waiting for her, as big and imposing as he’d been last night. He was even wearing the same faded red shirt, but now she was intimately acquainted with the impressive muscles beneath the faded cotton. He watched her, his face set in an unreadable mask, as she completed the paperwork with the auctioneer.

Most of the other workers had already left, but unfortunately, Drew was still lounging against the wall of the auction house.

“Well, if it isn’t frigid Meg,” he drawled.

Roardon’s body stiffened, and he turned his head slowly in Drew’s direction. Maybe it was due to what she had just heard, but there was something undeniably predatory in the movement. Drew actually paled for a moment before he recovered his usual self-confidence.

“What are you looking at, animal?”

Roardon ignored the insult, his intense green eyes focused on the smaller man.

“You do not speak to her.”

His voice was a low growl, and a flash of fear crossed Drew’s face before he sneered at Roardon.

“I’ll say wherever the hell I want. Whatcha gonna do about it?”

Roardon took another step towards him, and Meg quickly placed her hand on his arm.

“He’s not going to do anything. You’re not worth the effort it would take to wash the blood off his hands.” Roardon made a choking sound, but she ignored him. “And he has work to do. Something I know you’re not familiar with.”

Without waiting for a response, she tugged Roardon after her as she set off to where she’d left the wagon. Drew yelled something after them. She couldn’t make out the exact words, but from the way Roardon stiffened, it was undoubtedly something obscene.

“I don’t mind washing blood off my hands,” he said.

“That’s… sweet, but unnecessary. I couldn’t care less about what he thinks. Or what he says.”

“I don’t like him talking about you that way.”

“That was obvious.” As soon as they were out of sight of the entrance, she stopped, removing her hand from his arm. “I think we need to talk.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my… heritage.”

“That wasn’t what I wanted to talk about. It doesn’t matter to me.” She shrugged. “I’m not going to pay any attention to a bunch of wild rumors. I understand there’s a lot of prejudice in a place like this.”

An odd look crossed his face, but he didn’t say anything.

“Why are you here?” she demanded.

“Because I need a job.”

She believed him, and yet, she had a feeling he was holding something back.

“Not because of me?”

“I didn’t know that you would be here. We didn’t discuss the future, remember?”

The warmth of his smile caused a flash of remembered excitement, but she sternly ignored it.

“I just need to make sure you understand that you are going to be working for me as a farm hand. Just as a farm hand. What happened last night isn’t going to happen again.”

However much I would enjoy it. The farm had to come first.

“I understand,” he said gravely.

He didn’t even seem disappointed, and she fought back the urge to scowl at him.

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled. This way.”

She led him to the waiting area and this time it was his turn to stop abruptly at the sight of the wagon and team.

“You don’t have a speeder?”

“No, I don’t,” she snapped. Not one that worked anyway.

“I meant no offense,” he said quietly. “But sometimes animals react… poorly to my presence.”

She sighed, rubbing her neck. They were not off to a good start.

“Pat and Prim are very calm. I raised them both. Come and meet them.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

He hesitated, then slowly followed her.

Pat and Prim were horse crosses, big animals designed for heavy work on a farm planet, but they had never been anything but gentle with her.

“Get behind me,” he ordered. “In case they panic.”

“I will do nothing of the kind.”

Both animals started to react as they approached, raising and lowering their feet, although they remained in place. Pat shook his head, and she could see a shiver dance across Prim’s skin.

“Hush, now. It’s all right. This is Roardon. He’s coming to the farm with us.”

“I could walk,” Roardon suggested in his deep voice, and both animals tossed their heads.

“Don’t be silly. It’s a three hour trip, even in the wagon.”

“I suspect I’m faster than the horses.”

Somehow she didn’t doubt it, but that wasn’t the point. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of sugar cubes.

“Here. Place one of these on the palm of your hand and offer it to Pat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said, as confidently as possible.

He obeyed her instructions, slowly holding out his hand. Pat tossed his head again, but she could see him eyeing the treat out of the corner of his eye. Roardon stood absolutely still, waiting patiently, and at last the horse grabbed the sugar cube.

“I can’t believe he took it,” he murmured.

“He likes his sweets, don’t you, boy?” She gave the horse an affectionate stroke. “Now, Prim. She’ll be easier - she doesn’t like to be left out.”

Prim did take the sugar cube even more quickly, and Meg gave him a triumphant grin. “See? Now climb aboard.”

He shook his head and obeyed, the wagon creaking beneath his weight. Both horses looked over their shoulders at him, but when she flicked the reins, they started up readily enough.

“I’m shocked that it worked,” he said.

“It helped that you didn’t move and waited for them to come to you.”

“My father taught me patience in the hunt.” His deep voice sounded strained.

“Is hunting part of Vultor tradition?”

“My father was human. My mother was Vultor.”

“So you’re part of both worlds?” Why did she suspect that hadn’t made his life any easier?

“No. I’m not part of either.”

She had no idea how to respond so she concentrated on guiding the horses out of the town and north onto the road home. As the wagon jolted along the road, she was very conscious of his big, warm body so close to hers. The memory of the previous night flitted through her mind again, but she did her best to push it aside.

They wound slowly through the valley, and he kept his head up, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. It was pretty country – neat patches of well-groomed fields interspersed with tidy little farm houses – and everything looked neat and prosperous. From what she understood, Earth had looked like this once, before pollution and overcrowding had irrevocably ruined much of the surface. She knew that there were differences, but she had been born here and the bluish leaves on the trees and the deep purple of the soil were familiar to her.

Hopefully he won’t be too disappointed when we reach my farm, she thought, then frowned. His disappointment didn’t matter. He was coming to the farm to work, nothing more.

“Have you been to this part of Cresca before?” The question came out before she remembered their agreement not to discuss the past. Or did that still hold?

“I have been… close by,” he said after a long hesitation.

“I only asked because you seem very interested.”

“It is my job to protect you.”

A small jolt of warmth went through her – it had been a long time since there had been anyone to watch out for her – but it was swiftly followed by annoyance.

“I didn’t hire you as a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. Besides, do you really expect any danger here?” She gestured at the peaceful farmland.

He turned to look at her, those amazing green eyes deep and intense even in the sunlight.

“There is danger everywhere. We must always be prepared.”

Despite the warmth of the pale winter sun, a shiver ran down her spine. She found herself remembering the night she came out of the barn, but that she shook her head and dismissed it.

“I assure you, there is no danger here.” She patted the holster of her gun. “And if there was, I am perfectly capable of handling it.”

His stern face actually softened as he followed the movement. He looked more amused than convinced, but he nodded his head respectfully.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Why did that annoy her? Because you want him to call you sweetheart again, a traitorous voice whispered, but she firmly pushed the thought aside.

Her annoyance gradually slipped away as they continued the journey, and the silence between them settled into something that felt oddly comfortable. The cold breeze chilled her face as they grew closer to the mountains, but the sun was shining and she allowed herself a little cautious optimism. She already knew Roardon was strong, and she was willing to believe that he was a hard worker. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to start turning things around.

The flat farmlands gradually turned to rolling hills. The already sparse farms became even further and fewer between as they approached the mountains.

“How far are we going?”

The deep rumble of Roardon’s voice made her jump after the long silence.

“All the way to the mountains. My farm is on the lower slopes.”

Did he tense? She wasn’t entirely sure, but his face seemed to be set in more rigid lines.

“Why there?”

His voice was carefully neutral, but she felt an implied criticism in the question.

“That’s not your concern,” she snapped, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired of people telling me to give up on the farm.”

“That is not what I said.”

“No, I know it’s not.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “It’s just usually the way it starts – why are you so far out? How can you make a living out there? Why don’t you sell the farm and move to town?”

His answering smile completely transformed the rugged face, and she remembered how he had smiled at her the previous night.

“I would never recommend moving to town,” he assured her. “But the mountains can be… dangerous.”

She was about to deny his statement, but then she remembered the unsettling things that had happened recently. She shrugged instead.

“Maybe, but my grandfather chose this land. I suspect that after all those years being crammed amongst all the other people back on Earth, he wanted to get as far away from everyone as he could. And it has potential. When my parents were alive, the place was thriving.”

He hesitated, and she could see the question hovering on the tip of his tongue. The fact that he didn’t immediately start pressing for additional answers encouraged her to talk.

“They were killed in an accident, coming back from town. I was at school and my brother was supposed to be looking after things, but by the time I got back, he’d sold off anything of value and left the planet.”

A low rumbling noise that sounded almost like a growl escaped from him.

“He is an unworthy male.”

“I can’t say I disagree with you, but I know he was never happy here.”

“Then why did he not leave? I know it can be hard to leave your home, but sometimes, it’s the only way.”

From the distant look on his face, she suspected that he might be talking about more than just her brother.

She sighed. “Hard was never Chuck’s first choice. I think it was easier just to complain than to make any changes. But after my parents died, he saw an easy way out, and he took it.”

“Leaving you to carry on?”

“Yes, although I think he probably thought I would sell and move on.”

“But you won’t?”

“I can’t,” she said fiercely. “My grandfather worked himself to death to save the money for this land. He only lived for a short time after they arrived. My grandmother kept going, but I remember that she always had a sadness about her. And my parents too – they worked just as hard. How could I ignore all that and just give it up?”

“Would they want you to stay, knowing that you were unhappy?”

Unhappy? She’d been working so hard for so long she hadn’t even really thought about happiness. But even amongst the never-ending work, there had been moments of happiness. Watching the two moons rise over the mountains. Reading by the fire on a snowy night. The spring lambs discovering the pastures. The scent of winter apples piled in the storage shed.

“The farm doesn’t make me unhappy,” she said slowly. “I grew up there, and there are many things about it that I love.”

“I see.” He looked off into the distance, his face unreadable, then turned to her and smiled again. “Then we’ll have to make sure that you can stay.”

But despite the smile and the assurance, she couldn’t help but notice how much tenser he became as the road - barely more than a narrow track now - started to climb. The forest began to surround the track, and his eyes constantly scanned the trees. He kept his head up, his nostrils flaring as if he were scenting the breeze. She took a few cautious sniffs of her own, but all she could smell was the minty pine scent of the trees and the rich loam of the earth.

Maybe he’s just naturally cautious, she thought, but she still urged the horses to move a little faster.

Chapter 6

Roardon’s skin prickled with awareness as they entered the trees, his beast uncomfortable with the unnaturally silent woods. Something was wrong here, even though he caught no scent of danger on the breeze. He’d heard rumors about these mountains and had intended to stay far away from them. But now he had Meg to protect.

He took his eyes off the forest long enough to sneak a quick look at her. As stunning as she had looked last night in dark red silk, like a beautiful vision, he almost preferred the way she looked now. Dressed in simple pants and a shirt, a thick coat wrapped around her slender body, she looked more real, more approachable.

Not that I can approach her, he reminded himself for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. When he had woken and found her gone, his beast had howled with frustration, determined to hunt her down and claim her. He’d been outside and ready to start the search before his more rational side had a chance to overrule his instincts. As the many confusing scents of the human town surrounded him, he had remembered who - and what - he was. He was not a fit mate for a beautiful, fragile human.

Perhaps it was for the best that she had left while he slept. He didn’t know that he would have been capable of letting her go if he had been awake. Ignoring his beast’s demand to search for her, he returned to the boarding house and packed his meager belongings. Attending the contract auction had been the reason he was in Riverton to begin with, even though he had little expectation of being picked. But he had been truthful when he told Meg that he needed a job. Not because he needed the credits, but because he needed the distraction. Left to his own devices, he tended to brood, and brooding made his beast restless. Hard physical labor helped to calm him.

When he’d filled out the work application at the auction house, he’d been tempted to lie. Because of his mixed heritage, it was almost possible for him to pass as human. People knew that he was different, and instinctively tended to keep away from him, although they didn’t necessarily know why. But it would be clear enough to anyone who was truly looking at him, especially under the bright lights of the auction house, and with a sigh, he checked off the box for Vultor.

As soon as he submitted the application, he saw the assistant take a step back from the counter. He had been enthusiastic about Roardon’s size and strength before – now the usual suspicion crossed his face. Roardon suspected that he would prefer to refuse him a place, but the laws on Cresca prevented him from doing so. The fact that only a few other workers were waiting for the auction made it impossible for him to claim that they were fully booked.

As he suspected there were no immediate bids for his services. He had already started contemplating his next move – to search for Meg, his beast insisted – when the sale buzzer sounded. Awareness prickled across his skin, and somehow he knew who had just purchased his contract. He knew she was out there with the waiting bidders.

He hadn’t expected the brisk, efficient female who had met him outside the auction house. Nothing about her demeanor suggested that she had spent most of the previous night in his arms. As soon as they were outside, she had made it quite clear that she would not be returning to them. He had been disappointed, but not surprised.

Despite her warning, his beast purred with satisfaction as he climbed into the wagon. Now she was his. His employer, he firmly reminded himself. But that still meant that she was his responsibility to protect and something about this forest had all his senses on alert. He hadn’t been in this section of Cresca during his two years on the planet. The forested mountains reminded him of his home world of Remas, but there he had been familiar with the predators. Although most of them walked on two legs, he thought grimly.

The track continued over a gap between two smaller peaks and then Meg brought the wagon to a halt overlooking a small valley. A log cabin, along with a rustic barn and an assortment of outbuildings, nestled against the base of the mountains on the far side of the valley. Sheep grazed peacefully in the meadows in front of the cabin. The trees that covered the rest of the valley floor had an orderly look, and he decided they must be some kind of fruit tree.

“This is it. My home.”

He could hear the mixture of pride and worry in her voice.

“It looks very prosperous,” he said sincerely, and she snorted.

“It was once. I intend to make sure it is again. In spite of my damn brother.”

Before he could comment, she urged the team to start up again. As they drew closer to the farm, he began to see the signs of neglect. Several of the fence posts around the pasture were leaning and on the verge of falling. A piece of machinery had been abandoned amongst the trees, and another one was in pieces next to the barn. The barn had several loose boards and desperately needed a coat of paint.

She stopped the wagon outside the barn. He climbed down, and automatically turned to reach for her. She looked down at him, and for a second he was sure that she was going to reject his assistance. Then she leaned forward and placed her hands on his shoulders, and let him swing her to the ground. His hands tightened briefly on her waist, remembering the way he had held her the previous night, but he forced himself to let her go.

As he did, two dogs came racing towards them, barking excitedly. Fuck. The horses were one thing – although he had been surprised that Meg calmed them so quickly, he had worked with horses before and they usually learned to accept him. Dogs, on the other hand, had no doubt that he was a predator.

Their eager welcome stopped as soon as they caught his scent. Their ears flattened as their hackles went up, and they growled. An answering growl escaped his own lips as he automatically placed himself between Meg and the threat they presented.

“What are you doing?”

He had her trapped between his body and the wagon, safe from attack. She tried to push him out of the way, but he ignored her. The dogs were separating, preparing to attack from each flank, and his claws automatically extended as he started to crouch. His beast was dangerously close to the surface, intent on protecting Meg.

“Stop it. All of you,” Meg demanded.

He heard her, but he couldn’t respond. Not when she was threatened.

“Dammit.”

A small hand slipped around his waist and grabbed his cock. His body reacted instantly, his aggression turning to arousal and breaking his focus on the two dogs.

“That’s better.” She squeezed his now firmly erect cock. “Do I have your attention?”

“Yes.” The word still came out as a growl, but his beast was no longer in control.

“That’s Prince and Lady. Like Pat and Prim, I raised them. Let me introduce you to them.”

“That’s not a good idea. Dogs do not like me.”

“Too bad. They are as much a part of this farm as I am. All of you will have to learn to live with each other. Now let me pass.”

When he hesitated, she squeezed his cock again, harder this time.

“I’m not sure that that is the most effective way to get me to move,” he said dryly, but he stepped far enough away from the wagon that she could move around him.

“But it certainly got your attention.”

Her cheeks had turned pink again as she came to his side, but more intriguingly, he caught the scent of her arousal. More, his beast urged, and for the briefest moment, he considered pulling her into his arms and kissing her until she melted as deliciously she had the previous night. No. She had made her position clear, and he would not touch her unless she asked him.

“It’s all right, Prince and Lady. This is Roardon. He’s going to be helping us around here.”

Meg started to walk towards the dogs. They had stopped growling, but their hackles were still up and he knew it would take very little for them to attack. Even though his rational mind knew that they were not a threat to her, it took all of his self-control to remain where he was and not step in front of her again.

When she reached them, some of their earlier enthusiasm returned. Although they kept a wary eye on him, they responded eagerly as she patted them. Not that he could blame them. He wanted her hands on him just as much.

“Now,” she told him as she straightened back up. “Let’s make the introductions. Heel.”

Both dogs fell in place next to her as she came back towards him. As soon as she came close to him, their hackles went back up and he heard Lady growl. This time he retained enough control not to respond, and Meg quickly corrected the dog. To his utter shock, she brought them within a few feet of him.

“Roardon, this is Prince and Lady,” she said, as formally as if she were introducing him to other humans.

“I am pleased to meet you.”

At the sound of his voice, Prince shivered and Lady made a sound low in her throat. Although it went against his instincts, he crouched down to their level and extended a hand as he had done to the horses. He didn’t really expect a response, but first Lady, and then Prince came close enough to give it a cautious sniff before returning to Meg’s side.

“There, you see?” She grinned at him, and for the first time that day, she looked as carefree as she had the night before. “Now you’re all friends.”

He suspected it was no more than an uneasy truce, but he was willing to accept it. He nodded.

“Where should I put my things? And what would you like me to do first?”

She darted a quick glance at the cabin, then straightened her shoulders. Her grin was replaced by a much less genuine smile.

“There’s a room for you in the barn. I’ll show you as soon as we stable the horses.”

She showed him how to remove the harnesses and lead the horses into the barn. They still eyed him suspiciously, but they tolerated his presence as he helped Meg rub them down, then give them food and water.

Leaving them munching contentedly, she led him up into the loft. Calling it a room was somewhat of an exaggeration. Only a thin partition separated it from the bales of hay stored in the rest of the space, and he could tell with one glance that the bed would be too small for him. But he’d had worse. He even had a shower - although it would only take one side of his body at a time.

“I haven’t been up here in a while.” Meg looked uncomfortable as she surveyed the small space. “I didn’t realize that board was missing, and it looks like something’s been at the bedding. Maybe…”

“This is fine,” he assured her as he dropped his bag on the wooden bench at the foot of the bed. It was probably best for both of them to maintain some distance between them. “Now I think you mentioned something about a pump?”

The distraction worked. She sighed and headed for the stairs.

“I’m afraid so. Just keep your fingers crossed that the new belt does the trick.”

Chapter 7

At least Roardon showed some initiative, Meg thought as he followed her back down the stairs and, without waiting for her instructions, went to the wagon to pick up the belt for the pump. That put him way ahead of her last temporary worker. She had sometimes suspected that Matt was incapable of tying his own shoes without explicit instructions.

The fact that Roardon hadn’t complained about the admittedly meager living quarters also earned him some additional points. She did her best to push aside her feeling of guilt about putting him in the loft room. The space was dry and warm enough, even if it wasn’t fancy. Based on what she had seen on his application, he’d had a long string of other temporary jobs. He must be used to this kind of basic accommodation.

Or was he? A nagging voice reminded her of the room they had shared last night. It had been simple enough, but it had been big and clean and the bed had been large enough to accommodate him. To accommodate both of them, she thought, her cheeks flushing.

Dammit. She had to forget about what happened between them.

But as he came back to join her, she couldn’t help remembering his face in the moonlight and the way he had looked at her – as if she was the best thing he had ever seen. It was just an illusion, she reminded herself. An illusion brought about by a fancy dress and makeup. It wasn’t her.

And yet, she couldn’t help thinking it was something more. There was a connection between them that had been there since the first moment their eyes met. He was even looking at her the same way now, despite her work clothes

He handed her the belt, then followed her to the machine shed that ran along one side of the barn. The pump was still in pieces from her last attempt to fix it. She took the new belt and tried to wrestle it into place, but it stubbornly refused to fit over the shaft. The old one had been so stretched out that it had been easy to replace. This was a lot more difficult.

“Would you like my assistance?” he asked, after watching her struggle for several minutes.

The fact that he had asked was another point in his favor. Most of the men she knew would simply have insisted on taking over. And although she would have preferred to do it herself, she had hired him for this exact purpose – to help her. She nodded, and handed him the belt.

“It needs to stretch between –”

There was no need to continue. He obviously had been around this type of machinery before and had already started fitting it in place before she finished speaking. The ease with which he stretched the heavy rubber made her give a wistful sigh. She was a strong woman – strength brought about by necessity – but there was no denying his superior musculature. Watching the way those muscles rippled as he worked was simply an enjoyable side benefit.

Once the belt was back in place, the two of them reassembled the remaining pieces of the pump before she turned to the on switch.

“Keep your fingers crossed,” she muttered, and pressed the switch.

There was a seemingly endless pause, and then the machine hitched. A low rumble started, followed by another, and within a few minutes it had settled down into the familiar rocking rhythm. She gave him a triumphant smile.

“We did it!”

“You did it,” he said, but he was smiling as well.

“You made it a lot easier,” she admitted. The fact that he was so reluctant to take any credit made it easier to give him some.

They stood there smiling at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat and looked away.

“Do you want to show me around? Or is there something you would like me to start working on?”

She looked out through the open barn doors. The early winter sunset was already starting to tint the sky in shades of amber.

“There’s not much daylight left, but I’ll show you around and then you can get settled in.” She hesitated, then added, “We can sort out your list of tasks over supper.”

“You want me to eat with you?”

He looked shocked, and she wondered why. It wasn’t that uncommon for farm hands to share meals with their employers.

“Well, yes. I did specify that the job included room and board. That means meals.”

Of course, she hadn’t invited all of her previous workers into the house with her. Several of them had received their meals on a tray in the barn. But Roardon was different. She found she liked the idea of sharing a meal with him. But don’t get used to it, she reminded herself. This is just a temporary situation.

“I’m not going to wait on you,” she added tartly.

“Yes, ma’am.” His voice was respectful enough, but she could see a smile on his face.

“Then that’s settled. Let’s start the tour while we still have some daylight left.”

She led him back outside, past the chicken coop, and over to the row of outbuildings. The first was built into the slope of the hill and used to store the apple harvest. Unlike in prior years, it was less than half full.

“Have you already sold most of your harvest?” he asked, obviously picking up on how empty it appeared.

She sighed. “I’m afraid not. The machine I use to pick apples died early in the season. I did the best I could manually, but I just didn’t have time to gather all of them. I’m afraid about half of this year’s fruit is still lying under the trees.”

“You’re just leaving them there? Aren’t they still usable?”

She bit back the impulse to give him a sharp response. “Yes, they’re usable. If I had the manpower to gather them and if I had the machinery to process them.”

“What could you do with them?”

He appeared genuinely curious, and she pushed aside her irritation. It wasn’t his fault that all of her machinery was on its last legs. Her wretched brother had made sure of that.

“I could make apple butter or other types of preserves. I could also dry some of them.” She relaxed enough to smile at him. “But of course my favorite way to use them is to make apple cider. Or at least it used to be my favorite.”

“Let me guess. Your cider press is broken?”

Once again his expression was sympathetic rather than mocking, and she nodded ruefully.

“I’m afraid so. I have a small hand press and I’ve been doing what I can in the evenings, but it’s not enough for commercial purposes. I told you that the place was not as prosperous as it appears.”

“But I think you were right about the potential,” he said slowly as they left the storage shed. “You have the sheep as well. Do you raise them for meat?”

“Not really. I do have to cull an occasional animal, of course, but I primarily raise them for wool and for their milk. I use the milk to make cheese and butter.”

She led him into the cheese rooms next. It was one of her favorite places on the farm, and it always gave her a feeling of satisfaction to see the neat rounds of cheese aging on the wooden shelves that her father had made. Roardon studied them thoughtfully.

“Don’t you need to make regular trips to town to sell these?”

“No. That’s one of the nice things about cheese. It only gets better as it ages. During the spring and summer, I do go in about once a month to sell fresh butter and cheese, but none of the ewes are producing right now. What you see here will wait until spring before I take it to market.”

The last of the outbuildings was the shearing shed, closed down for the year. She had sold the last of the fleeces at the autumn market, keeping only a few for her own use.

“Do you produce yarn as well?” he asked, looking around curiously.

“Not for commercial purposes. I spin some yarn for personal projects - or at least I do when I have time.” Back when her parents were alive, she had enjoyed the creative process of spinning and dying the yarn, but she rarely had the time for it anymore.

“And that’s it,” she said as they stepped back out into the evening air and she closed the door behind them. “I won’t take you to the orchard right now, but you can see it in the morning.”

As they walked back towards the barn, she gave him a questioning look. “I need to check on the sheep and make sure that their food and water are still well supplied. Do you want to come with me – or are they going to have a problem with you as well?”

He shrugged. “I have worked with sheep before. They are… not the most intelligent of animals. They tend to respond to me the same way I imagine they respond to your dogs. If you do not object, I’ll go with you. I would like to see the pastures.”

“All right. This way.”

The gate to the top pasture was on the far side of the barn, and as they reached it, Prince came trotting up. She noticed that he still stayed on the other side of her, away from Roardon, but even though his ears were alert, his earlier aggression had disappeared. Roardon shook his head.

“You certainly have a way with your animals. It usually takes them much longer to adapt to me. If they do it all.”

“I’m sorry.” She put a sympathetic hand on his arm. “I can’t imagine not having Prince and Lady around. They’ve been with me through everything.”

“There have been many times when I would have appreciated that type of companionship.”

There was that lonely note in his voice again. As if he had been alone so long that he really didn’t remember anything else.

“Where is your family?” she asked.

She could actually feel his muscles tighten beneath her hand. “I have no family.”

Without waiting for her response, he turned to open the gate, then stood aside to let her enter. She walked silently through the opening, but her heart ached. Even though she had been alone since her parents’ death, she treasured the memory of the time they had spent together. She suspected that Roardon did not have those same happy memories.

Each pasture had a three-sided wooden shelter, and the sheep in the first pasture were already gathered there. As Roardon had predicted, they moved away from him, but as if he was herding them rather than because they were afraid. At this time of year, they were still primarily feeding on grass so the feed bins were almost full, but she showed him how to pull down the hay stored overhead to top them up. The water came from a stream further up the slope behind the farm, so it was simply a matter of making sure that it was still flowing freely, and that no foreign material had gotten trapped in there.

Leaving the first shelter behind, they walked in amiable silence to the second pasture. The sun was behind the mountain now and the field looked dark and mysterious in the dimness. Unlike in the first pasture, the sheep hadn’t gathered in the shelter. They were at the far side of the field, moving about restlessly, and making more noise than usual.

“That’s odd. They don’t usually stay in the open once it gets dark. I wonder if there is something wrong with the shelter.”

She sent Prince off to herd them together while they investigated. Halfway to the shelter, Roardon suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt.

“Wait here.” His voice had turned low and growly again.

“Why? What is it?”

“I can detect the scent of blood.”

Even though he spoke quietly, the words seemed to hang in the evening air, and she shivered.

“Do you think a predator got into the pasture?”

“I don’t know. If it did, it’s not here anymore. The scent is old. But please, wait here while I check.”

For the first time since they’d stopped, he looked down at her. His eyes flashed green, reflecting the distant light from the barn, and her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t imagined it. She had seen his eyes glow last night in his room. She felt him tense, and realized he must have seen the shock on her face.

“I know I am different,” he said stiffly. “But you do not need to be afraid of me.”

Hopefully the gathering dusk was enough to hide the blush once again darkening her cheeks.

“I know that.” And she did. No matter how different he might be, she didn’t believe that he ever intended her any harm.

He gave her arm a quick, gentle squeeze, and headed for the shelter. She wanted to go with him, but he had asked her not to go, and somehow she suspected that whatever waited in the shed was not something she really wanted to see.

He returned almost immediately, but even in the dimness, she could see the grim look on his face. Her heart skipped a beat.

“What is it?”

“I’m afraid that one of the sheep has been slaughtered. It was not done… neatly. Do you have a shovel?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will dispose of the remains and clean up as best I can. Will the sheep return after it’s clear?”

“They should, once you move the body.” She nodded at Prince who was still keeping the small group of sheep at the bottom of the field in a tight little flock. “He can herd them back this way once it’s ready. I’ll go get the shovels and help you.”

“No, sweetheart. Let me do this. You don’t need to see it.”

Was it really so bad? And was she being a coward by listening to him? She couldn’t decide, and in the end, she took the easier path and nodded.

“All right. The shovels are in the tool room in the barn. If you will take care of that, I’ll go ahead and start supper.” She managed to smile. “I suspect the first thing on your list is going to be making sure the pasture fences are secure.”

“I agree. Do you want me to start checking them tonight?”

“It’s going to be completely dark soon. Might as well wait until the morning.”

Once again, he seemed to hesitate, then said quietly, “I can see quite well in the dark.”

Remembering the green glow of his eyes, his admission didn’t really surprise her, but she shook her head anyway. “No, it’s been a long day. Prince will keep guard tonight, and we can tackle it in the morning.”

“Very well.” He put his hand on her arm and together they walked back towards the lights of the barn and the comforting glow of the cabin.

Chapter 8

Roardon watched carefully until Meg was safely inside the cabin before returning to the barn to gather the shovel and a tarp. The uneasiness which had haunted him since they first approached the mountains had returned in full force. The peacefulness of the valley had helped calm his initial apprehension, and he had almost convinced himself that he had overreacted. Until he found the body.

Thank the gods that Meg had not followed him into the shed. Whoever had killed the sheep had not merely slaughtered it – they had torn it into pieces. And although it was difficult to tell given the amount of damage, he was almost positive that it hadn’t been eaten. This wasn’t the work of an ordinary predator. It was almost as if it had been intended as a warning. But a warning to Meg? Why?

That question continued to bother him as he set about the grim task of cleaning up the remains. Was she in danger? His beast growled, and his claws threatened to emerge at the thought of something threatening her, but he forced his anger back down. He was here now, and he would protect her, but the best way to do that would be to find out why it was occurring. He tried to remember the rumors he had heard about these mountains, but unfortunately, it had been not long after his arrival on Cresca. Hopefully, the memory would come to him.

He finished shoveling the remains onto the tarp, then washed everything down before finally spreading a layer of clean straw over the ground. When he emerged from the shelter, he whistled for Prince, surprisingly gratified when the dog began herding the sheep back to the shelter. They entered docilely enough, then Prince laid down outside the shelter, his head up and his ears alert.

“Good job, boy.”

The dog’s tail actually flicked back and forth once, and he smiled.

Leaving the dog to keep watch, he carried the tarp and its contents outside the pasture and then a little way up the slope of the mountain, before burying it. He was oddly tempted to leave a grave marker, not as a memory of the sheep, but as a warning for whoever had done this. He was halfway back to the cabin before he realized the significance of what he was thinking. There was an intelligence behind the action. And there was only one predator race currently on Cresca.

No. Even though he had serious problems with the Vultor and the way they lived their lives, this was not the sort of action one of them would have taken. Their brutality was fast and explicit. They didn’t play games.

He paused to wash his hands and arms in the trough outside the barn before approaching the cabin. A soft glow shone from the windows and he caught a glimpse of Meg moving around inside. The spike of longing that went through him almost brought him to his knees. He had never known a true home. After his mother’s death, his father had been so devastated that he’d been unable to remain in one place. Roardon’s childhood had consisted of frequent moves as his father wandered from one short term job to another. It was hardly any wonder that after his father died, he had continued the same lifestyle.

But now, looking up at the cabin and knowing that Meg waited inside, he wished that things could be different.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he was halfway up the steps before he caught the scent. Someone had been here. Someone not human. The scent grew stronger on the porch itself, and to his disgust, he realized that the unknown visitor had urinated along the base of the wall. Was it simply an indication of contempt? Or had he been marking his territory? The thought that it could be a claim caused his claws to spring free again.

Never, his beast growled. For once he was in complete agreement. He would never let whoever had done this lay claim to his female.

The remembrance that she was not his female came a moment later, but he dismissed it. There was danger here – danger and madness - and he would protect her. He wrinkled his nose and took another sniff, but he still didn’t recognize the scent. He didn’t think it was Vultor, although it was somewhat reminiscent of his species.

He was still trying to identify it, when Meg threw the door open and smiled at him.

“Are you just going to stand outside all night?” She looked around the porch, frowning. “Why have you been out here so long?”

“Just getting the lay of the land,” he said truthfully, if not comprehensively.

“Well you can do that in the morning. When it’s daylight, and warmer.”

She shivered, and he realized how much the temperature had dropped now that night had fallen. She shouldn’t be out here in the cold air. He quickly put his arm around her shoulders, and urged her back into the cabin.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Once again the endearment escaped without any conscious intent.

It wasn’t until they were inside that he realized how presumptuous he must have appeared. He started to apologize again, but she had already moved over to an old-fashioned wood stove. Her cheeks were pink, but she hadn’t objected, and somehow that made him feel even warmer than the heat of the cabin.

“I didn’t have time to fix anything fancy,” she said, ladling a thick stew into two big bowls.

“It smells delicious.”

The pink in her cheeks deepened as she waved him to a seat at the scuffed wooden table.

“I enjoy cooking, and sometimes it’s easier to cook for two. When I’m by myself, I tend to just grab whatever is fastest.”

The stew tasted as delicious as it had smelled. He devoured it eagerly, and didn’t refuse when she offered him a second helping. He also didn’t refuse when she offered him biscuits and apple butter for dessert. When he finally pushed aside his clean plate, he gave her a thoughtful look.

“Did you make that from your apples?”

“Yes, that was last year’s crop.”

“Then I’ll have to see about collecting more apples for you this year.” He smiled at her across the table. “I wouldn’t want you to run out.”

She laughed as she gathered up the dishes. “If you keep eating like you did tonight, I can see how that might become a possibility.”

“Did I eat too much?”

“Not at all. I’m just teasing you. I like to see people enjoying my food. You know, it’s funny. That was one of the things I missed the most when I was away at school – sitting down as a family to eat dinner.” She stared out the window over the sink into the darkness, and he went to join her.

“I know you miss them, but I’m glad you have those memories. I’ll take care of these.”

“I didn’t hire you to wash dishes.”

“Consider it a bonus.”

She shook her head, but let him finish cleaning up while she brewed a small pan of mulled cider. Once he was finished, he joined her in front of the fire.

They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their cider, and then she looked over at him.

“What did you do with it?”

He didn’t pretend not to understand. “I buried it up the hill a little way. I didn’t want to attract any other predators.”

“Is that what you think it was? I know there are adyani up in the mountains, but I’ve never even seen one.” She frowned, looking into the fire.

“What is it?”

“I thought I heard one a few times recently. The last time was right before I came to town. Do you think they are after the sheep?”

He hesitated, trying to choose the right words. “Whatever it was, it didn’t appear to be after food.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean it didn’t eat the sheep?”

“As far as I can tell it was a senseless killing.”

He didn’t add his own suspicions that have been intended as a warning.

“I wonder if it was some kind of madness. I’ve heard of things like that back on Earth, although as far as I know, it’s never happened here before.” She gave him a hopeful look. “But none of the other sheep were harmed, so maybe it’s moved on.”

“Maybe so.” But he doubted it. Whatever had done that had some other purpose in mind. “But I still intend to work on repairing fences first thing in the morning. That is, unless there’s something else you would rather I do,” he added quickly.

“No, I agree with you.” She studied him curiously. “You seem to be familiar with the pump. Have you worked on machinery before?”

“I’ve done a little bit of everything. But my father was a mechanic.” He saw the question on her face, even though she didn’t ask him anything, and he sighed. “He was… restless. We moved from job to job.”

“Is that what you are?” she asked softly. “Restless?”

“Not really. It’s more that I’ve never found a place where I felt truly comfortable. Even the Vultor despise me.”

“Why would they do that?” she asked indignantly.

“Because my blood is tainted.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t really bother me.” Any longer. “I was never comfortable with their lifestyle.”

“You lived with them?”

“For a short time, after my father died.” He had been desperate for a connection, for somewhere to belong. Unfortunately, it hadn’t taken him long to realize that his place was not amongst the Vultor. He hadn’t even attempted to reach out to his father’s family. They had disowned him for marrying an “animal.”

“I’m sorry, Roardon. I guess we both know what it’s like not to have a family.”

And yet being here with her felt like one. He didn’t say it out loud, but perhaps she read the expression on his face because she jumped to her feet, brushing down her pants rather than look at him.

“I think it’s time for bed.” Her cheeks turned that delightful shade of pink again. “I mean life starts early on the farm,” she added quickly.

“Of course.” He rose to his feet and headed for the door. She followed him and they both reached for the handle at the same time. Their fingers touched and a spark of excitement raced through his veins. She snatched her hand back as quickly as if she had been shocked, but he caught the faint hint of her arousal.

“Good night, Roardon.”

“Good night, Meg.”

As he started to open the door, she put her hand on his arm. “Thank you for everything you did today.”

She rose up on her tiptoes and quickly pressed her lips to his, moving away before he had a chance to react.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Her cheeks were pink and her voice breathless, but she refused to look at him.

Claim her, his beast demanded, but he forced it down and went silently out into the night.

Chapter 9

Now why did I do that, Meg asked herself as she closed the door firmly behind Roardon. After I was so insistent that this was going to be a strictly business relationship, I had to go and kiss him.

So many different things had factored into the impulse. She was truly grateful for everything he had done. She shuddered as she thought about walking into the shelter and seeing the slaughtered body of one of her sheep. But it had been more than gratitude. The more he let slip about his life, the more she sympathized with him. As he had said before, he was in between two different worlds, but neither one of them seemed to want him.

Still thinking about him, she wandered around the cabin, gradually turning out the lights. She banked the fire in the wood stove and made sure the screen was in place in front of the fire before heading upstairs.

She still slept in her childhood bedroom in the loft over the living room. Somehow she hadn’t quite been able to take over her parents’ larger bedroom. Usually the familiar surroundings of her room comforted her, but tonight she felt unusually restless. It wasn’t just because of the events of the afternoon. Instead she found herself remembering the previous night. Remembering the way Roardon had touched her.

How long had it been since she had been with a man? Of course she had dated while she was in college. Even after she’d returned to the farm, she had gone on an occasional date – usually at Billie’s insistence. But as the situation on the farm grew worse, she had spent less time in town. And more than that, she had no interest in empty conversation and meaningless flirting.

She knew she was being cynical about the dating process. Most relationships started with casual dating, but somehow she had lost her taste for it. She actually preferred what had happened the previous night – the intensity, the heated desire, the need. Their bodies had spoken far more eloquently than any words.

She stripped off her clothes and pulled on her favorite nightgown, almost threadbare now, but still soft and comfortable. Usually it helped her relax, but tonight the softness against her aching nipples only made her more conscious of the low hum of arousal in her blood. The desire she had suppressed for the past few years had come roaring back. She found herself wandering over to the window to look over at the barn where the source of her desire was sleeping.

Or more accurately, not sleeping, she amended as she watched Roardon appear in the door of the barn. Even though all she could see was his silhouette, his broad shoulders and narrow hips were outlined against the light, and another surge of remembered desire swept through her. She found herself raising her hand to her breasts, trying to relieve the throbbing ache. And then she caught a flash of green and realized he was looking right at her.

She started to move away from the window, but then she paused as a wicked idea occurred to her. Still looking at that dark outline, she caressed her breasts more deliberately, her thumbs brushing back-and-forth across her nipples the same way he had touched her. It wasn’t quite enough. As gentle as he had been, his touch was firmer. She squeezed her nipples between her fingers. Yes, like that.

But despite the pleasure of her own touch, it was nowhere near as satisfying as it had been when he touched her. She needed more.

With her eyes still fixed on his silhouette, she raised her gown until she could slip her hand underneath to find the dampness between her thighs. The slickness that met her fingers was due as much to his presence as it was to her own touch, and she continued watching him as she gently circled her swollen clit. He had touched her here as well, with his hand and then with his mouth. She remembered the delicate scrape of his teeth against the sensitive flesh. At the time she had been too lost in sensation to think about it, but now she understood why his teeth had seemed so sharp. Not that he had hurt her, of course, but they had added a frisson of excitement to his caress.

Her fingers sped up as she remembered, moving faster as she summoned up the memory of him entering her. He was big, so big she had been afraid she wouldn’t be able to take him. But he had been slow and patient and remorseless as he worked his way deeper and deeper into her body until she was stretched open around him. Then his thumb had swept across her clit, oddly sharp as well, and she had exploded into her climax, shuddering helplessly as he thrust into her over and over before his own climax had overtaken him.

“Roardon,” she gasped as the memory of that climax triggered another.

He took two long strides away from the barn, almost as if he had heard her call his name, before he stopped. She could see the gleam of his eyes and knew that he was staring up at her, even as her body shivered through the aftereffects of her climax. Had he heard her? Would he come to her? She wanted to call out to him again, but before she could make up her mind, he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

She stared out the window until the cold creeping through the glass finally drove her to her bed. He still hadn’t returned. As she snuggled down under the covers, she found herself wrapping her arms around one of her pillows. It was a poor substitute for Roardon. Had he been just as disappointed when he woke up and found himself holding only a pillow?

What was he doing out there in the dark? Despite her curiosity, she wasn’t really worried about him. With his size and strength and his ability to see, she suspected he could take care of himself. Although she couldn’t help wishing that he could be here to take care of her instead.

That was my decision, she reminded herself. But even though she tried to remember all of the excellent reasons behind that decision, she still fell asleep feeling alone.

The first thing she did the next morning was to look out her window and see if there was any sign of Roardon. She didn’t see him, but the barn door was shut and the lights were off so he must have returned at some point. She headed down to make breakfast with a smile on her face.

Her supplies were getting low, but she had enough to put together a decent breakfast. She would need to gather eggs later that morning.

Once everything was ready, she went to get him. The barn was silent and he didn’t respond when she called his name. She climbed up to the loft and saw to her dismay that it didn’t look as if the bed had been slept in. Where was he? Had he left after all?

She didn’t really think that he would abandon her, but she didn’t know where he could be. She went back outside to check in the pastures, and met him coming around the barn with a bag of tools. It wasn’t until the moment when their eyes met, that the memory of how wantonly she had behaved the previous night swept over her. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, but she did her best to act as if nothing had happened.

“There you are. I was just looking for you.”

“You only have to call for me.” His eyes were still fixed on her face. “I have excellent hearing.”

Oh Lord. The implication was all too clear, but she kept the smile plastered on her face as she gestured towards the house.

“Breakfast is ready.”

He placed his tools back in the toolshed, then followed her silently into the house. He ate equally silently, aside from a quick remark praising her cooking.

“Where were you?” she asked again, determined to break the silence.

“I went for a… walk. Then I decided to get an early start on the repairs to the fencing. I just finished with the first pasture, and I’ll start on the second one after breakfast.”

She stared at him in shock. “That’s a lot of fence. Just how early did you start?”

He met her eyes again. “I couldn’t sleep so I decided to begin last night.”

Crap. She sighed.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I did last night.”

He studied her face. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I told you that this was strictly a business arrangement, and then I… flaunted myself in front of you.” Her cheeks were burning but she refused to look away from him. “I shouldn’t have done it, and I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t mind. I was honored that you trusted me enough to let me see you.” For the first time, he smiled. “And I’m afraid the reason I couldn’t sleep was much more pedestrian. I do not exactly fit in that bed.”

“Which makes another reason I should apologize. I should have realized it would be too small.” Before she had a chance to second-guess herself, she blurted out, “Why don’t you move into the cabin? Not to sleep with me,” she added hastily. “But the bedroom down here has a big bed and you would be more comfortable there.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Was she? Yes. Their business relationship was growing more complicated by the minute, but she wanted him here.

“Yes, I do. You will be more comfortable, and… it will make me feel safer having you in the house.”

“Very well.”

He smiled at her, and once again time seemed to stand still as they looked at each other. She finally shook her head and started to reach for the dishes.

“I do that, remember?” he asked as he stood. “It’s my bonus.”

“I think it’s supposed to work the other way – I’m the one that’s supposed to give you a bonus.”

“I think you did that last night,” he said softly into her ear as he bent over to pick up her plate.

A confusing mixture of pleasure and embarrassment swept over her, and she knew that she was blushing again.

“I’m going to gather eggs,” she said with as much dignity as she could manage, and hastily left the kitchen.

The rest of the day passed quietly, with no unpleasant events to interrupt the usual round of tasks. The work was as hard as always, but even when she was most tired, standing up to stretch her aching back after gathering more apples, there was a comfort in knowing that Roardon was there and that he was working just as hard.

By the time night fell, he had finished repairing the fence around the second pasture as well, and he gave her a satisfied smile as he came in for supper.

“That should keep out any four-legged predators.”

She tilts her head. “Four-legged? Is there another kind?”

“I hope not,” he said quickly, but she had already guessed what he meant.

“You mean you think a person might be behind it? Why would someone do that? For that matter, why would anyone even be this far out?”

“There isn’t any reason anyone should be out here.”

Unless they were specifically after her or her property. The unspoken words hung in the air between them, and he gave her a reassuring smile.

“I am probably just being paranoid. It is most likely that it was a stray adyani.”

She wanted to believe him, but…

“That wasn’t the first thing that has happened that didn’t make any sense,” she said slowly. “Even though I know the machinery is old, more of it has failed over the past few months than I would expect. And there have been other things. One morning I found the door to the hen house open and three of my hens had disappeared. I assumed that I hadn’t latched the door properly, but I’m usually so careful about it.”

“You think these things are related?”

“I don’t know. At the time they all seem to be random, unlucky events. But what if they’re not? And what if it’s escalating?”

She half expected him to dismiss her concerns, but instead he frowned.

“When did it start?”

“I’m not really sure. I’m not even sure that anything started. It could really just be random bad luck.”

“Just for the moment, assume that it’s not random. What was the first thing you remember happening that seemed unusual?”

“I’m not sure. I think maybe it was after the last autumn market. I had kept three fleeces that I was going to use for wool, but when I went to get them, one of them had fallen into the mud.” And not just any mud, the dark purple mud that caused a permanent stain. “The fleece was useless. I assumed that the wind had knocked it free, but even at the time, I thought it was strange.”

“The autumn market? Do you remember anything unusual happening there? Did you see anyone acting oddly?”

She shook her head. “No, it just seemed like a normal market. But the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that that’s when this latest string of bad luck started.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s a new year now. Time for the bad luck to be over.”

“I agree,” she said as she went to the stove. But despite her confident air, she was very glad that he would be sleeping in the cabin tonight.

Chapter 10

Roardon did his best to distract Meg as they ate supper. He knew she was still concerned about the string of unfortunate events that had occurred. He was as well, but he didn’t want her dwelling on it. Instead he asked her questions about which projects to tackle next and more about the farm in general. Even though it was obvious that she had struggled, he was impressed by how much she had managed to keep running on her own. When he said as much, she shook her head and gave him a rueful smile.

“It really wasn’t intentional. I tried to hire workers, especially at first, but I was never very successful. And then after we heard about the discovery of crystals on Tuknis, my choices were even more limited.”

“Limited enough to hire that asshole?” he asked, remembering the unworthy male at the auction house.

“I’m afraid so, although he didn’t last very long. He seemed to think that I was one of the benefits of the job.”

The growl escaped before he could control it, and she gave him a startled look.

“Did he hurt you?” he demanded.

She shook her head again. “No. I suspect he might have tried to force the matter, but I managed to dissuade him.”

This time he managed to catch the growl before it escaped, despite his growing anger.

“He tried to force you?”

If he had laid a hand on her, he was a dead man.

“Not really. For one thing, he’s cocky enough to think that any female should just fall into his arms.” She grinned at him. “And for another, I wore my gun the entire time he was here - the very short time he was here.”

“You should not have been in that position. I wish I had been here to protect you.”

She gave him an exasperated look. “The point of that story was to let you know that I can look out for myself.” Then her face softened and she reached over and put her hand on top of his. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

He couldn’t formulate a response. He was too focused on trying to keep himself and his beast under control. The touch of her skin against his aroused all of the need he’d been trying so hard to suppress.

When he had watched her the night before as she pleasured herself, he had barely managed to control his beast. It had demanded that he claim her, and he had actually started to approach the cabin before he managed to regain control. Instead he had taken to the woods. He had told Meg that he had gone for a walk, but he hadn’t walked, he had run, letting his beast have full reign. He rarely had the opportunity to allow both parts of his nature to be free, and despite his frustrated desire, he had enjoyed the run through the forest in the cold night air.

He’d never strayed too far from the cabin - from Meg - but allowing himself the freedom to run had calmed his beast. The human side of him was not so easily satisfied, so he had focused on repairing the fence to distract himself. He had thought he was in control, but even this simple connection awakened the desire simmering beneath his skin.

She was still looking at his hand, her thumb stroking back-and-forth against his skin. He wanted nothing more than to turn his hand over and grasp hers. To pull her into his lap and kiss her until she forgot all her worries. Instead, he reluctantly withdrew his hand and began clearing the dishes.

“Once I’m done with these, I’ll make a trip out to the barn.”

Her delicate brows drew together. “The barn? Why? I thought you’d already locked everything up.”

“I have, but I was going to use the facilities there.”

“I do have indoor plumbing,” she said tartly.

How could he explain that sharing a bathroom filled with her scent would increase his feelings of possessiveness?

“I did not want to impose.”

“Don’t be silly. I invited you to stay in the house – that means you get to use the bedroom and the bathroom. I’ll show you around as soon as you’re through cleaning up.”

The back of the cabin consisted of three rooms opening off a small hallway. On one side was the bedroom he would be using. The bed was much larger and looked far more comfortable than the bunk in the barn, but he couldn’t help wishing that she would be there to share it with him. Next to it was a surprisingly spacious bathroom, and on the other side was a smaller bedroom.

Meg opened the door to show it to him, and then wandered in, running her hand across a colorful knitted blanket neatly folded at the end of the bed.

“This was my grandmother’s room. Every time I come in here, it feels as if she’s still here. She used to sit on that rocking chair by the window and knit.”

“Did she teach you to knit?”

“Yes, sitting right there on the stool next to her. It still makes me feel close to her every time I start a new project.”

She turned and gave him a somewhat tremulous smile. “Now why don’t you go and take a shower? I’ll work on that list of machinery you wanted and we can talk about it afterwards.”

He nodded and left her, but as soon as he was standing under the stream of hot water, he found himself remembering the previous night. He could still see her standing in front of the window, the light shining through her thin gown and revealing her slender feminine curves.

His cock stiffened at the memory, and he gave it a hard stroke. He didn’t want the touch of his own hand, but perhaps taking care of his erection would help him suppress his desire for her. He stroked himself again, remembering how she had touched herself the same way he had touched her during their first night together. Had she been remembering that, remembering him? His hand sped up as he pictured the two of them together.

Had she been watching him in return? He knew she had been thinking of him because she had called out his name. The sound of her voice crying his name seemed to echo in his ears, and he erupted in a short, hard climax. An unsatisfactory climax. He sighed as he rinsed away the remains and dried himself. But perhaps it would be enough to keep his arousal under control, he thought hopefully as he pulled on a pair of loose pants.

That hope was immediately proven false when he returned to the living room and saw Meg. She was curled on the rug in front of the fire, gently petting Lady. His beast purred with approval at the sight of those long fingers gliding through the dark fur. Her hands would feel just as good stroking him.

She had changed while he was in the shower, and now she was wearing a soft blue robe. It covered her completely, and yet it was obviously intended as nightwear. Somehow that added to the intimacy of the moment. He could imagine her wearing just such a robe before she came to join him in their shared bed. The thought made his cock stiffen once more, and he hastily took a seat next to her, hoping to hide his erection. Lady made a disgruntled noise and went to curl up in her basket.

Meg smiled at him and handed him the list. He did his best to focus on it rather than the warm sweet-smelling presence of the female at his side. When he started to ask her about one of the items, she leaned over to look at what he was indicating. As she did, her breasts brushed against his arm, and they both froze. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and her lips parted.

Kiss her, his beast urged.

“I want to kiss you,” he growled, giving in to the desire.

“I want that too. But…”

Her hand came up to stop him as he bent towards her.

“But what, sweetheart?”

She bit her lip. “But the farm has to come first. I’m afraid that if something goes wrong between us, you’ll leave. And I need you here.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. We have a contract, remember?”

“That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t leave. You wouldn’t be the first.” Her lips trembled. “No one ever seems to stay with me.”

He suspected she was talking about more than just her temporary workers.

“I’m not going to leave. No matter what happens - or what doesn’t happen - between us. You can trust me, sweetheart.”

“I do trust you. Even though it’s only been a short time, I feel as if I know you.”

She doesn’t know all of you, an inner voice warned, but he chose to ignore it. However she was still biting her lip, an uncertain look on her face, and he wasn’t going to press her. Instead, he turned back to the list, trying to focus on it again.

“Yes,” she said suddenly.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I want you to kiss me.”

The list fluttered to the ground as he bent his head to hers. He did his best to keep the kiss gentle and undemanding, despite the urgency running through his body, but Meg wouldn’t let him. She made an impatient noise, and tried to pull him closer. He growled and lifted her into his arms, settling her back down over his lap so that she was straddling him, her sweet little cunt resting against his erection.

He kissed her hungrily, his hand sliding beneath the soft warmth of her robe to the even softer warmth of her skin beneath it. He cupped the slight mound of her breast and stroked his thumb across her nipple. When she gasped into his mouth, he lifted his head and gently pushed aside the robe. She was naked beneath it, her slender body glowing in the firelight.

“No gown tonight?”

Her cheeks turned pink, but she met his gaze steadily. “I think I wanted this to happen. And I didn’t want anything between us.”

“I’m glad.”

He stroked his thumbs across her nipples again, watching them harden at his touch. She arched into his touch as he tightened his grip, rolling the stiff little peaks between his fingers. His thumbs tingled and he suddenly wished he could let his claws emerge, that he could use them to add to her pleasure. He had dared to do so in the dark of his rooms but they would be too apparent in the firelight.

She rolled her hips impatiently, rocking herself against his erection. He quickly shoved his pants out of the way, groaning as her sweet, damp heat caressed his cock. Desire rushed over him and he lifted her again, then lowered her onto his cock. Despite her eagerness, her body needed time to adjust and he forced himself to take his time, to work his way gently into that slick, tight channel. When he was as deep inside her as he could go, she looked up at him, her eyes wide and dark.

“Roardon,” she whispered.

His cock jerked so hard he was afraid he was going to come right then. Instead, he managed to wrestle his body back under control. His cock still embedded in her, he lowered her back against his legs so he could see - and touch - every part of her. Her swollen little clit peeked out from between her delicate folds.

“Touch yourself,” he demanded as he circled the tempting little nub. “The way you did last night.”

Her cheeks flamed pink, but she obeyed, lifting her hands to her breasts. Her fingers tightened on her nipples and she gasped.

“Good girl,” he growled, and pressed down on her clit.

Her back arched as she came, her cunt gripping him so tightly that it was almost painful. His knot threatened to expand, but he clenched his teeth and forced it back down, rocking gently into the waves of her climax.

As her body softened, she smiled up at him.

“That was amazing. But what about you?”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re only getting started,” he promised.

Chapter 11

Once again, Meg woke up in Roardon’s arms. After making love to her again by the fire, he had picked her up and carried her into the big bedroom. And at some point during the night, she had stopped thinking of it as her parents’ bedroom. It became theirs.

In spite of that, there was a small part of her that was almost tempted to run away again. This time, it wasn’t because she was afraid of facing him. This time it was because she wanted him to stay with her too much. Even though he had promised to stay and help with the farm, it hadn’t been a promise of forever.

Oh Lord, why am I thinking about forever? She knew better than anyone that things didn’t last forever. For right now, all she needed to do was enjoy the fact that he was here. She snuck a quick glance at the window. There were chores to do, but perhaps the chores could wait just a little while longer.

She ran her fingers down his chest over his broad chest and the ridged muscles of his abdomen and found his cock already hard and ready for her. Mmm. She wrapped her fingers around the thick length as far as she could and stroked gently up and down. He stirred a little, but he didn’t wake.

Well, I did keep him pretty busy last night, she thought with a satisfied smile. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t explore. She slowly pulled back the covers until she could see all of him. He looked human enough - mostly - although much larger than a human man. There was a thick ridge along the top of his cock. That must be what had felt so wonderful sliding into her. He also had a wide band of darker skin around the base of his cock that felt thicker and harder than the velvety skin covering the rest of his shaft. It seemed to swell as she ran her fingers across it, and he shifted in his sleep.

Leaving that to explore later, she pressed a small kiss against his shaft, and then another. It wasn’t until she swiped her tongue across the broad head that he finally awoke.

“What –”

She ignored the startled question and licked him again. Mmm. She could taste the two of them, and the erotic thought made her clit pulse with excitement. She took another lick, just as he buried his fingers in her hair. She looked up and smiled at him.

“Good morning.”

His face was still relaxed from sleep, but his green eyes were as brilliant as ever.

“A very good morning,” he agreed. “What are you doing, sweetheart?”

“I thought that was obvious. I’m waking you up.”

Without waiting for him to answer, she returned to her previous task. This time she closed her mouth over him. He was so big that he made her jaw ache a little, but it was worth it to hear him groan. His fingers tightened in her hair, giving her an unexpected thrill. She took him deeper, and deeper still, until she reached her hand, still fastened around his shaft. A long sucking withdrawal, and then she slid her mouth back down over him. The second time was easier, and encouraged by his groans of excitement, she worked him deeper into her mouth until she could feel him against her throat. She hummed and swallowed, and his hips jerked as he exploded in her mouth. She swallowed him down eagerly, capturing the last drop with the tip of her tongue before she looked up at him and smiled again.

“Are you awake now?”

“I may never sleep again.”

“But then I wouldn’t get to wake you up.”

“In that case, I shall attempt to return to sleep immediately.”

She laughed and sat up. “As much as I would enjoy repeating the experience, there are chores to be done. And you’re on the clock, remember?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, but he reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Is it my turn to say good morning?”

Despite the temptation, she shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Work starts early on the farm. But perhaps you can tell me good night instead.”

“I shall look forward to it.”

He still didn’t let her go. Instead, he kissed her, slowly and thoroughly until she was tempted to forget about everything except remaining in his arms. This time, he was the one to stop. He lifted her out of bed and put her on her feet with the easy strength that never failed to impress her.

“As you said, there’s work to be done.”

She laughed, and went to get dressed.

After breakfast, he took the dogs and went to inspect the fencing around the third pasture. Even though she wasn’t currently using it, it would be nice to have the option of using it in rotation with the other two. She went to gather the eggs and take care of the chickens. Just as she closed the door of their enclosure behind her, they started to squawk. A chill ran down her spine and she was suddenly sure there was something behind her. She turned.

One of the adyani stood next to the barn, its eyes on her. Her heart started pounding, even though she did her best to not to show her fear. She had never seen one up close before. The animal looked like a cross between a wolf and a goat. It had thick shaggy fur and vicious fangs, but it also had the agile body and cloven hooves suited to its mountain environment - its normal mountain environment. What was it doing here?

It lifted its head, sniffing the air, and she realized that its head was level with her waist. Was it after her, or was it after the chickens? She couldn’t afford to lose them, but it would be better than being eaten. She slowly lowered her hand to her waist, then swore silently. She wasn’t wearing her gun. Although she had worn it for her trip to town, she had gotten out of the habit of wearing it around the farm while she was here on her own.

The adyani took another step towards her, its eyes glowing, and now she was sure it was focused on her and not the chickens.

Should she yell for Roardon? Or would the loud cry cause it to attack? She decided to start more quietly.

“Stop right there,” she ordered, just as she would have instructed one of the dogs.

It cocked its head when she spoke, but it didn’t attack. She straightened her shoulders, trying to appear as confident as possible.

“Go home now.” She spoke louder this time, doing her best to infuse her voice with authority, but this time it backfired. The adyani growled and took another step towards her

Dammit. She put her hand slowly behind her, searching for something, anything, she could use to defend herself. Could she pull one of the boards away from the fence enclosing the chicken coop? Unfortunately Roardon had mended this fence as well and the boards were firmly in place.

The adyani was still watching her, but at least it wasn’t attacking. She took a cautious step to the left, her fingers fumbling for the catch to the gate. Maybe she could get back inside the enclosure, and the fence would deter it. Unfortunately, the fence, while sturdy, wasn’t designed to prevent an attack from such a large animal. But maybe it would buy her some time, time enough to call for Roardon. However as soon as she moved, so did the adyani, prowling another step in her direction. To hell with this. Time to start calling for help.

But just as she opened her mouth, another growl sounded, louder and much more vicious. Her startled glance flew to the adyani, and then she breathed a sigh of relief as Roardon appeared. Something about him looked different, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. He wasn’t looking at her, he was completely focused on the adyani.

The adyani turned away from her, its attention drawn to Roardon instead.

“As soon as it attacks, you run,” he ordered, his voice a low growl. “The barn is closest. Lock the door behind you.”

“But what about you?”

“I can take care of myself.”

The adyani was growling continuously now, a low rumble of sound that sent an atavistic chill down her spine as it advanced on Roardon. He didn’t even flinch.

“Now!” he yelled just as the adyani charged. Instead of running away, Roardon leapt towards it, but that was all she had time to see before she took off for the barn. She had no intention of locking herself inside, but she needed a weapon and it was the closest place to find one.

More snarling and growling erupted behind her, but she didn’t want to waste time looking back. She raced through the barn doors, looking for something to use as a weapon and saw the axe that Roardon had been using to chop wood. She grabbed it, and dashed back outside. The adyani was on the ground with Roardon crouched over it, his back to her.

“What happened? Are you all right?”

“Stay there,” he ordered, his voice thick and strange sounding. “I’m fine.”

Startled, she came to a halt. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes, but I need a bucket of water. Can you get that for me?”

Water? Was he injured after all? She bit her lip, fighting the urge to go to him, then went and drew a bucket of water. She brought it over to where he was still crouched next to the adyani. The dead adyani, she saw now. Somehow, he had managed to slit his throat, even though she didn’t remember seeing him carrying a weapon.

“Please put the bucket down and go back to the barn.”

He sounded more like himself now, but he still wouldn’t look at her.

“Roardon, what is it? Are you hurt and just not telling me?”

“No. I have a few scratches, but that’s all. Please, Meg.”

She hesitated, then did as he said. But once she was inside the barn, she pressed her face against a crack in the door so that she could see what was happening. He reached out and grabbed the bucket, then plunged his hand into it. His hand and arm were red with blood, and her breath caught. He had been injured after all. She was about to race back to his side, when he drew his hand out of the water. It was clean and uninjured. It hadn’t been his blood. But how? How could an unarmed man, even one as big and strong as Roardon, defeat one of the adyani without a weapon?

She watched in silence as he washed his hands and arms then his face before standing. He immediately turned to look at the barn, and she had the uneasy feeling that he knew she’d been watching.

“You can come out now, sweetheart.”

She pushed open the door and went to join him. His face and arms were clean and damp, but she could see traces of blood on his shirt.

“Are you going to tell me what happened? And how you defeated it?”

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “You know that I am half Vultor. This…” He gestured at the dead animal. “This is because of my Vultor half. I can call on that side of me when necessary.”

“What does that mean?”

He sighed again and extended his hand. As she watched, long, dark claws sprang out from his fingertips. She took an instinctive step back, and he looked even more defeated.

“I understand if you would like me to leave now,” he said quietly.

His offer penetrated her stupor, and she frowned at him. “Leave? What are you talking about?”

“I know that this part of me is not easy for humans to accept.”

“That doesn’t mean I want you to leave.” Despite her shock, she was sure about that. “And last night you promised me you would stay. Have you forgotten?”

His brilliant green gaze fastened on her face. “Of course not. I don’t want to leave. I just thought that you would want me to go.”

“No.” No matter what else, she was sure about that. She reached out and took his hand, carefully avoiding the frightening looking claws. “I want you to stay.”

Chapter 12

Roardon looked down at Meg’s hand, so small compared to his, but he knew the strength in those work roughened fingers. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had seen him in his shifted form, let alone touched him.

His father had tried, helping him through his first shift when he reached puberty, but Roardon had quickly realized how uncomfortable it made him. After the first few times, he never transformed in front of his father. But now Meg was seeing him, not only seeing but accepting.

Mate, his beast insisted, but he refused to allow himself to hope.

Without releasing him, she used her other hand to poke cautiously at his claws.

“I can’t believe you can hide these. Are there other changes?” She looked up at him, and then her face turned pink. “That first night… Was that your teeth?”

If he had been able to blush, he suspected that his face would be pink as well.

“It seemed to enhance your pleasure.”

“Yes, it did. Are there other changes?”

“Yes,” he said shortly. He was grateful that she had accepted his claws and his fangs, but he had no intention of showing her his full shifted form.

She looks thoughtful, but she didn’t press him for further details.

“Are all Vultor like you?”

“More or less, although they look less human in their unshifted form.”

“And no one knows about this?”

“The Vultor do not believe in sharing their secrets with outsiders.”

She cradled his hand in hers, and he suspected she was remembering some of his previous comments.

“Did they share them with you?” she asked softly.

He shook his head. “I was far too human for them.”

Even though his father had warned him, he had hoped to find kinship with them after the death of his father. But the three months he had spent in one of their settlements have been more than enough to convince him that he would never belong among the Vultor. He had gone back to the only life he had ever known – wandering from job to job.

“Well, I accept you.”

His throat threatened to close. All he could do was grip her hand with his and hope she understood how much that meant.

She returned his grip, but her gaze drifted past him to the body of the dead adyani.

“I’ve never heard of the adyani attacking a homestead before. I mean there are stories, of course, but they are usually about travelers in the mountains. Although…” She frowned thoughtfully.

“Although what?”

“I’m not sure it’s related, but some men at the auction were talking about livestock going missing. I think they even said that some settlers had gone missing. In the mountain valleys north of here.” She hesitated, an uncertain look on her face, and he guessed what she was about to say. “I’m afraid that they blamed it on the Vultor. But maybe it was the adyani all along.”

“I suppose it’s possible,” he said slowly. “The Vultor can be vicious, but they have always chosen to avoid humans. It does make me wonder what could be driving the adyani into attacking.” He shuddered as he remembered turning the corner of the barn and seeing her cornered by the vicious animal. He tugged on her hand, and she came willingly into his arms. “I was so afraid for you.”

“I was afraid for me too. I was just about to start hollering for you when you showed up.” Her arms tightened around his waist, as she gave him a rueful smile. “I guess I need to start wearing my gun again.”

He hated the idea that she would not feel safe on her own property, but he nodded in agreement. Until they knew what was going on, it would be the safest path.

“Why don’t you go and put it on now? I need to bury this body. And then…”

“And then what?”

“I think I should try tracking it – to see where it came from. And if there are others.”

“You can do that?”

“I have an excellent sense of smell as well.”

She hugged him again. “I’m glad you can find some positive things about your heritage.”

Her words took him by surprise, but perhaps she was correct. He took his enhanced senses and his increased strength for granted, but although they were an indicator that he was no longer human, they had also served him well. And if they would help them protect Meg, he could only be grateful.

“Go get your gun,” he urged. “But first…”

He bent his head and kissed her, delighting in her enthusiastic response. She kissed him as eagerly as she had before she found out about his differences. Encouraged by her receptiveness, he cupped her ass in one big hand and let his claws emerge just a little, just enough for her to feel. To his delight, he caught the sweet scent of her arousal and she pressed closer to him before he finally, reluctantly, let her go.

“I can see we have some more exploring to do. And I have some more questions. But they can wait until tonight.”

She smiled up at him and then headed for the cabin, leaving him with an aching cock and a hopeful heart.

Meg quickly buckled the familiar weight of her holster around her waist and walked back out onto the porch. Roardon had already gathered another tarp from the barn and was rolling the dead adyani onto it. Despite the animal’s size, Roardon didn’t seem to struggle with its weight, and she took a moment to admire the way his muscles rippled across his back.

She had never suspected that he could physically change form, but the knowledge didn’t bother her. She was still quite sure that he would never hurt her. If anything, he tended to be a little too gentle. She needed to convince him that she wasn’t as delicate as he seemed to think.

She was also quite sure that there were more changes that he wasn’t willing to discuss. How far did they go? And did it really matter to her?

She remembered some of the other rumors she had heard about the Vultor over the years. Although she couldn’t remember any stories about them changing form, she had certainly heard enough about their animalistic tendencies and she suspected the changes were part of that. But even if he had been one hundred percent Vultor, she didn’t care.

By the time she rejoined him, he was slinging the tarp over his shoulder, and picking up a shovel.

“Where are you going to bury it?”

“In the woods, I think. Next to where I buried the sheep.”

The same thought had occurred to her. “You think that it was responsible?”

“I’m not positive, but it would certainly be capable of that much damage.” He shuddered. “I can’t bear to think of what it might have done to you. Maybe I should stay close after all.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, patting her gun. “I’ve been alone out here for a long time. I know how to take care of myself.” Although confronting the adyani had never been something to worry about before.

“I know you can, sweetheart. All right then, I’ll bury it and head up the mountains in that direction. I won’t go too far.”

“I’ll be fine. You take as long as you need to take.”

She could see the conflict on his face, but he finally nodded. “I’ll go as far as I can and still make it back by nightfall.”

She had no objection to that plan. Even though she had assured him that she was fine – and she was – she would rather have him here with her when darkness fell. “Okay then. I’ll see you in time for supper. And after supper explorations.”

He made a sound that was an odd cross between a laugh and a growl, and bent his head and kissed her quickly.

“I won’t be late for either of those,” he promised her, and headed off into the woods behind the barn.

She watched him go, fighting back the sense of unease that crawled down her spine. She suddenly felt as if she was being watched, but when she looked around, nothing seemed out of place. Damn. This was no time to be getting skittish. She patted her gun, and went off to check on the sheep.

She filled the feed bins with fresh hay, then left Lady to patrol while she took Prince to the orchard with her. She was determined to recover more of the fallen apples. Prince frisked along in front of her merrily enough, until they reached the area in front of the barn. His hackles went up and he growled as he trotted over to where the body of the adyani had been.

She could only be thankful that neither the dogs had been with her when it appeared. She knew they would have done their best to protect her, but she suspected they would have been no match for the much larger beast. Prince paced back and forth around the spot until she finally called him away. Even when they reached the orchard, he prowled restlessly around her, his ears alert. She didn’t try to get him to settle down. If there were any more of the adyani around, he might provide an additional warning.

By the time she had transported several more loads of apples to the storage shed, the sun had long passed its peak, and her stomach was reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She decided she would grab a quick bite and put a pot of beans on the back of the stove to bake slowly while she continued her afternoon chores. She was thinking about what she could use to flavor the beans when Prince came to an abrupt halt. He growled, his gaze fastened on the porch of the cabin.

A strange male occupied the porch, lounging in her rocking chair as casually as if he owned the place.

The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she looked at him. He was wearing the same type of clothes any rancher would wear, but he was no rancher. Coarse dark hair surrounded a face with a broad nose that jutted forward over an equally prominent mouth to form a muzzle. The tips of his ears were pointed, and even from here she could see the white gleam of his fangs. A Vultor.

Chapter 13

Meg froze, uncertain of what to do. She had no reason to welcome the stranger, especially one who had arrived unannounced, but what if he was here in connection with Roardon? She knew the male was watching her, an amused expression on that strange face, and she did her best to appear unconcerned as she took another step towards the porch. Prince kept pace with her, his whole body tense.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“No polite greeting?” He had a deep, mocking voice that sent a chill down her spine. Prince growled quietly, and the stranger laughed. “What a protective little mutt.”

“If you only came here to insult my dog, you can be on your way.”

“How protective you are… of an animal.”

She had an uneasy feeling that he was referring to more than just Prince, but she lifted her chin and repeated the question. “Why are you here?”

“I suppose I should admire a woman who gets right down to business.”

His gaze swept down over her body, blatantly assessing her, but she refused to react. Instead, she put her hand deliberately on her gun.

“I’m not going to repeat myself a third time.”

He threw up his hands in mock surrender. “No need for violence. I am here on legitimate business.”

“Which is?”

“I want to purchase your homestead.”

What? Despite the mocking voice, he seemed completely serious.

“It’s not for sale.”

Everything about him felt wrong. Even if she had been facing total ruin, she would never have sold her homestead to him.

“You haven’t even heard my offer yet,” he said, his voice gently chiding.

“I don’t care what you have to offer. My farm is not for sale.”

For a brief instant, anger crossed his face, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived. He shook his head in mock sadness.

“I don’t really believe you are in a position to bargain.”

“Then you believe incorrectly. I have no intention of selling the farm to anyone. And especially not to you.”

This time he couldn’t conceal the anger as he rose with a snarl. Prince started to bark, and she saw claws spring from the stranger’s fingertips.

“Quiet, Prince,” she ordered harshly, concerned for her pet’s safety.

Prince obeyed, although he continued to growl quietly.

“I’m impressed. Do all your animals obey so well?”

The stranger strolled down off the porch towards her, but she refused to flinch. She put a restraining hand on Prince’s head, hoping that he would continue to obey her. The male didn’t even glance at the dog as he shook his head again.

“Why are you clinging so hard to this place? You’re never going to make it successful on your own.”

“I’m not on my own,” she said defiantly, and he laughed. The sound sent a chill down her back.

“If you think that halfbreed is going to save you, you’re wrong. I want this farm and I intend to get it.”

She stared at him as she put the pieces together.

“You’re the one, aren’t you? The one that’s been causing all the damage?”

His face twisted into a horrible parody of a smile.

“Oh, I think you’ll find that came from somewhere a little closer to home.” He ran his eyes down over her body again. “But if you’re so determined to stay, I might have some use for you – if you think you can handle me.”

“I have no intention of handling you. I’d rather touch a rabid skunk.”

His mockery vanished as a snarl transformed his features. Prince sprang forward before she could stop him, but the stranger swatted him aside without taking his eyes off of her. Anger roared through her as her dog hit the porch steps and went limp.

“How dare you? Get off my farm. Now!”

He ignored her order, grabbing her shirt and hauling her towards him with terrifying strength. His still extended claws dug into her flesh as he forced his mouth down over hers. One of his fangs cut her lip, but she ignored it as she tried desperately to think of an escape. She let her body go limp and unresisting, hoping to distract him. It worked - he laughed and raised his head.

“See? I believe you could be trained after all.”

“No, I can’t be.”

Having taken advantage of his distraction long enough to draw her weapon, she jammed the muzzle of the gun against his groin. He snarled again, but she pressed the gun harder against him as she drew back the trigger.

“You can’t get it away from me before I shoot you.”

For a moment she thought he was going to try anyway, but then he wiped his expression clean and took a step back.

“It appears that our initial meeting will not be as productive as I had hoped.”

“What a shame. Now go.”

“For now. But this is not the end.”

He took another step back, then swept her a mocking bow before he started down the road.

She wanted to make sure he left, but she had to know if Prince was all right. She tried to keep an eye on him as she hurried over to the bottom of the steps, but the sight of her dog’s limp body made her collapse to her knees next to him. When she looked up again, the stranger was gone.

Where the hell had he come from? She hadn’t seen any sign of a wagon or even a speeder. The thought that he might still be out there made her skin crawl, but taking care of Prince was more important. She discovered a gash at the base of his skull where he’d collided with the porch step, but even though he wasn’t moving, he was breathing steadily. She ran her hands gently over the rest of his body, checking for more injuries, and he whimpered. Then his eyes opened and he looked up at her, and she took a shaky breath.

“You’re such a brave boy, Prince. Thank you for trying to protect me.”

He licked her hand in response to her words, then staggered rather unevenly to his feet. She helped him up the steps and into his basket by the fireplace, then cleaned and examined his wound. To her relief, it didn’t appear that it would need stitches. She was still petting him when the door flew open and Roardon appeared.

His face was taut with anger as he strode over to the fireplace, and she could see his fangs as he growled at her.

“Are you all right? Where is he?”

She burst into tears as the events of the day finally caught up with her. Roardon growled again, even as he knelt down next to her and pulled her into his arms, running his hands anxiously over her body.

“Where are you hurt?”

“I’m not hurt.” He didn’t seem to hear her, still frantically checking her body. “Roardon, really. I’m all right.”

“I can smell blood.”

He found the marks on her chest where the stranger had scratched her with his claws, and he growled so loudly that Prince flinched.

“Stop it. It’s just a scratch. You’re scaring Prince.”

He took a deep breath, but that only seemed to make him angrier. “I can smell him on you. What did he do?”

“He tried to kiss me,” she admitted.

His muscles were like iron bars beneath her hands, and she could see how hard he was trying to restrain himself.

“But I’m fine. Really. He might not have been willing to listen to my words, but he was forced to listen to my gun.” She managed a shaky smile. “I told you I could take care of myself.”

“I should never have left you.”

He kept running his hands over her, as if to reassure himself that she was still with him, but he no longer seemed quite as panicked.

“You couldn’t know that he was going to show up. And the adyani seemed like the most immediate threat. Did you manage to track it?”

He shook his head.

“I found signs that seemed to indicate it had been stalking the farm, but I lost the trail at a patch of wild dimeti. It has a strong scent that masks all other scents,” he added at her confused look. “But I don’t like it. Either it was smart enough to know that, or someone trained it.”

“I’ll give you three guesses as to the chief suspect. He practically admitted that he was the one responsible. He wants to buy the farm.”

He nodded, but he barely seemed to be listening. He stroked her chest, tracing the smooth skin next to her injuries over and over again.

“Roardon, what is it?”

“I can smell him all over you. It’s driving my Vultor instincts crazy.”

She peeked over at Prince, but he was curled in his basket, his eyes closed. Deciding it would be safe to leave him, she turned back to Roardon. “Then there’s a simple solution. I’ll just go wash it off of me.”

She had barely finished speaking before he grunted his approval and rose to his feet with her still in his arms, striding towards the bathroom.

“I can take a shower by myself.”

“Yes,” he agreed, but he didn’t put her down.

He carried her into the bathroom, stripped off both their clothes, and then followed her into the shower. She certainly didn’t mind sharing the shower with them, but she could see the lines of strain on his face, even as he carefully washed her wounds.

“Roardon, what is it? You can’t be this upset just because of his scent.”

“Oh, I’m angry, but my beast – my Vultor side - is enraged. I am having a hard time keeping him under control.” Even as he spoke, his skin seemed to ripple the way it had that morning in the auction house. “The thought that another male tried to claim you, to take you as his mate…”

The words disappeared in a harsh growl.

“I don’t really think that’s what he had in mind, but what can I do to help?”

“Allow me to claim you as my mate,” he burst out immediately.

Her heart skipped a beat. This seemed so important to him. It wasn’t as if he had proposed, but…

“What does that mean? To claim me?”

“When I am inside you, my knot will swell and lock us together.” He took her hand and ran it along the band of darker flesh around the base of his cock. “Here.”

He hesitated, then added, “And while we are locked together, I will bite you.”

That shouldn’t have sounded as exciting as it did, but her nipples tightened, and she felt a slow pulse of desire between her legs. His nostrils flared.

“The idea arouses you,” he said slowly. “You are not disgusted? Or frightened?”

“No,” she whispered.

Once again he snatched her up, carrying her out of the shower and straight into the bedroom where he deposited her wet, naked body on the bed.

“I keep telling you I can walk,” she scolded him, but her voice was breathless with excitement.

“Takes too long,” he growled.

And then he was kissing her. She had thought his kisses hungry before, but now he was devouring her. His hands stroked across her body, finding her taut nipples and dipping into the slick heat between her legs. He licked away the small remnant of blood from her mouth, then thoroughly licked each wound left by the stranger’s claws. All the while his urgency - and her own - kept building. When he finally fitted his cock to her entrance, she was just as desperate for him to enter her.

“Yes, Roardon, yes.”

He filled her in one long hard thrust, and a sudden, unexpected climax swept over her. He didn’t stop. He kept thrusting into her, harder and harder, prolonging her orgasm with each forceful stroke until she felt the hot rush of his climax. As he started to fill her with his seed, she felt his knot expanding, stretching her impossibly as their bodies locked together. Her body shook, the intensity of the sensation hovering on the knife edge between pleasure and pain as he lowered his mouth to her neck.

“I claim you as my mate. You are mine.”

His fangs sank into her flesh. A brief flash of pain was followed by a rush of desire, and her climax rolled over her like a tidal wave. Her channel tried to clamp down on him, but she was already completely full. The pressure only added to her pleasure as she convulsed around him. He held her even tighter, his body shaking. She felt him licking the place where he had bitten her, each swipe of his tongue sending another shiver of pleasure over her. When he finally lifted his head from her neck, his face was more at peace than she had ever seen it. She raised her hand and touched his cheek.

“I guess that helped.”

He smiled at her, the warmth in his eyes making her chest ache.

“You’re mine now, sweetheart.”

She liked the sound of that. But did he mean forever? She didn’t want to spoil the moment by asking, so she tentatively tried to move her hips.

“How long will you stay like this?”

She tried to squeeze the thick knot of muscle inside her, and he groaned.

“For quite a while if you keep doing that. But I’m not really sure. I’ve never mated before.”

He smiled at her again, and the question hovered on the tip of her tongue. But then he bent his head and kissed her and talking didn’t seem to matter anymore.

Chapter 14

Roardon woke with Meg tucked securely in his arms.

Mate, his beast purred, more at peace and more satisfied than it had ever been. His human side was not quite as content. The previous evening had been the best evening of his life. Not just because of the mating, but because of the time they had spent together. When they finally left the bed, she had prepared a quick supper, and they had eaten in front of the fire, feeding Prince choice morsels, drinking cider and laughing. She told him more stories about her family, especially her grandmother, and he found himself digging through his own memories for some of the happier times to share with her. And beneath it all was the delight that she was his.

When the conversation died down, he had carried her off to bed and made love to her again, no longer needing to worry about restraining himself. When his knot locked them together, they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. He had slipped out of her during the night, and fetched a warm cloth to take care of her, uneasily aware that her pretty folds were pink and swollen. But she had only given him a sleepy smile, then snuggled back into his arms and gone peacefully back to sleep.

He had slept as well, but with the new day, new worries began to assault him. He had been so desperate for her, and so focused on trying to rein in his beast, that he didn’t think he had truly explained to her what they had done. The mating bond was for life. He would never want another female. He knew that it wasn’t supposed to work the same way for humans, but his father had never seemed interested in another woman after his mother’s death. What if it did work the same way? What if he had trapped her into a life bond without her full consent?

In addition to his feelings of guilt about their mating, he was also still worried about the Vultor who had visited her the previous day. He had caught the male’s scent when he was still some distance from the cabin, and an instinctive repulsion had swept over him. He couldn’t remember ever experiencing that reaction to another Vultor before, but perhaps it was knowing that he was so close to Meg.

His beast had roared with anger, and as he raced back towards the cabin, it had taken all of his concentration to avoid shifting. And then he had seen her delicate skin marked by another male’s claws…

The memory roused his beast but he managed to suppress it, concerned about waking Meg. Yesterday had been a long and difficult day for her, and he had kept her up most of the night. Regretfully, he slipped out of the bed and left her sleeping.

Prince raised his head as he entered the main room, and he went to check on the dog’s injury. It was already showing signs of healing, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was all too aware of how much damage an enraged Vultor could do. The dog had been very lucky.

Prince climbed out of his basket and headed for the door. Roardon opened it for him and watched carefully to make sure that the dog didn’t have any problem climbing down the stairs, but Prince trotted over to the barn happily enough.

He would like to have made breakfast for Meg, but he had never really learned how to cook. As much as he hated to leave her, he needed to make sure that everything was safe and secure. After a minute’s thought, he set out her tea things, and put a kettle of water on the back of the stove to simmer. At least she would know he had thought about her if she awoke before he got back.

Nothing on the farm seemed out of place. The sheep were already grazing peacefully in their pastures. He noticed that the first pasture was developing some bare patches. Making a note to suggest to Meg that they move the sheep to the third pasture, he continued his rounds. Everything appeared normal. He ended his survey at the apple shed, noticing how many more apples she had managed to gather the previous day. The broken cider press leaned against one of the walls, and it gave him an idea. He might not be able to cook for her, but there were other ways to take care of her.

An hour later, dirty but triumphant, he returned to the cabin just as she stumbled sleepily out of the bedroom. Her hair was in a wild tangle, her eyes heavy with sleep, but she looked beautiful. He wished he could just pick her up and carry her back to bed, especially when she walked straight across the room and snuggled into his arms. Instead, he carried her over to the big chair by the window, content to sit there and hold her as she yawned.

“I can’t even remember the last time I slept that late. You should have woken me,” she said, her voice still husky from sleep.

“I wanted to let you sleep. I’m afraid I haven’t been letting you get too much rest.”

She gave him a sleepy smile. “I don’t mind.”

They sat in silence for several minutes before she yawned and asked him why he’d been out.

“I wanted to check on the farm. Everything seems fine this morning.”

He hated the way her body tensed.

“I suppose that means the Vultor hasn’t been back. I wish I believed he was gone for good.”

“Perhaps he is,” he suggested, even though he didn’t think so either.

She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. He seems very focused on this farm.”

“He’s not going to get it. He can’t make you sell it to him.”

“No, I suppose you’re right. But I have the sinking suspicion that he’s not going to give up that easily.”

“Then we’ll just have to discourage him,” he said firmly. “Now why don’t we have breakfast? After that I have something to show you.”

“Does your surprise have anything to do with why you’re so dirty?”

He laughed. “Perhaps. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?” He lifted her to her feet. “But I’ll go clean up while you’re cooking.”

“All right,” she agreed as she headed to the kitchen area. She came to a halt as she saw her tea things neatly laid out and waiting for her. When she turned back towards him her eyes were suspiciously bright. “Did you do this?”

He shrugged uncomfortably. “I would have cooked breakfast, but I don’t really know how. Perhaps you could teach me?”

“I could do that.” She smiled at him. “I like the idea of us cooking together.”

As he went to clean up, his uneasy conscience reminded him that he had not yet addressed the subject of their mating. Perhaps he would give it a few days, he decided. If she continued to be as content as she seemed this morning, he would feel more comfortable telling her.

And what if she’s not, his conscience prodded him. Then I will do whatever it takes to make her happy.

That resolve carried him through the next few days. There were no further disturbances. No attacks on the sheep. No more failed machinery. And while he didn’t relax his guard, he began to hope that perhaps the Vultor had been more bark than bite.

Meg was delighted by his repair of the cider press – and showed him her delight so thoroughly that they both overslept the next day. She was determined to put it to use immediately, and they spent several days gathering the remaining apples, putting them through the press, and bottling the resulting juice.

But despite his happiness, his conscience continued to bother him. He found himself waking early almost each day, haunted by dreams that he couldn’t quite remember. He took to going out for an early morning run in his shifted form, just to calm his growing anxiety. But each time he left, he made sure to leave something behind so that she would know he had been thinking of her when she awoke – a spray of colorful leaves or a winter blooming flower - each of them left next to her tea tray.

And then, a week after the stranger had visited he returned from his run and discovered that Meg was gone.

Chapter 15

The cold penetrated Meg’s consciousness first. She tried to reach for a blanket, and discovered that her arms wouldn’t move. Her shoulders ached – everything ached – and she forced her eyes open. Where the hell was she? Instead of her familiar cabin, she was in a dimly lit cave. She could see daylight through the narrow entrance, but it was filtered through heavy undergrowth and very little penetrated into the cave. A small fire flickering against the opposite wall provided some additional light, but the heat didn’t reach her. She tried to move again, and that was when she realized that she was tied to a boulder, her wrists bound together.

“How did I end up here?” she muttered, trying to remember as she tugged uselessly at the ropes binding her.

As usual, she had woken up alone. Roardon had already left on one of his early-morning patrols but when she walked out into the kitchen area, her tea set was waiting as usual. This morning he had left her an apple, polished to a shiny red.

“He drugged you.” A voice came from the shadows of the back of the cave, and she jumped. She thought she was alone.

“Who drugged me? How?”

But even as she asked the question, she remembered that she had started eating the apple. It was the last thing she remembered. Someone had come into the cabin while she slept and left it.

“Who drugged me?” she asked again, shivering.

“Metifo.”

There was something oddly familiar about the voice, and she strained her eyes, trying to see into the darkness.

“Who are you?”

He didn’t answer, but he finally moved close enough that she could see him.

“Chuck?” she whispered.

Her brother had changed so much she could hardly recognize him. His hair was long and unkempt, a scraggly beard covering the lower half of his face. He’d been good looking once. He wasn’t anymore. He had inherited their father’s height, but now he was so painfully thin that he looked more like a walking skeleton than a man.

“What happened to you?”

He shook his head. “You should have sold the place, like I told you.”

“Indeed.” The Vultor who had visited her the previous week followed Chuck out of the darkness at the back of the cave. “Your brother assured me that you would. Unfortunately, his promises are as worthless as he is.”

“I tried, Metifo.” Her brother cowered away from the Vultor. “I didn’t think she’d hold out this long. And I didn’t know she’d find help.”

“Ah, yes. The halfbreed.” Metifo’s sneer grew even more pronounced. “I will agree that his presence was… unexpected.”

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Why do you want the farm so much?”

“Because I’m tired of living like this,” Metifo snarled, his urbane demeanor completely disappearing. She shivered as she realized his control was slipping.

“There must be lots of other places you could choose.”

“Not as well suited as your place. I have no intention of living amongst the human prey.” He tried to put his civilized mask back on, but she could see the cracks in it now.

“Humans aren’t prey.”

“Of course they are. They are inferior to Vultor in every way. And your farm – your former farm – will be the perfect base from which to start reminding them of that. I’m going to wipe them out of this valley.”

She gave him a horrified look. “You can’t do that.”

“Can’t I? Tell me - how many settlers are left in these mountains?”

She suddenly remembered what the ranchers had said about families disappearing. Was he the one responsible? Bile rose in her throat, but she refused to let him see that she was afraid. She lifted her chin and glared at him.

“You’re not going to succeed.”

“No? Who’s going to stop me?”

He was suddenly right in front of her, moving with the same startling speed she had seen from Roardon. His face was only inches away from hers, and she watched in horror as it started to change. Fine, dark hair began to emerge from his skin, spreading out from his hairline. His features became more animalistic as fangs dropped from his gums.

“You humans don’t stand a chance against me,” he snarled. “You’d be better off thinking of a reason for me to keep you around.”

There was a rending noise, and she felt a sudden draft of cold air on her chest, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of looking down.

“Never,” she spat.

He laughed, and ice slithered down her spine at the edge of insanity in the sound.

“You think you’re too good for me? You should praise your gods that a Vultor is even willing to touch you.”

His mouth opened, revealing a full set of pointed teeth, and for a horrible moment, she thought he was going to bite her. Instead, he swiped his tongue down her neck, then spat on the ground.

“The halfbreed mated you?” He spat again, then gave her a grin that could only be described as evil. “Too bad you’re never going to see him again.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing. Yet.” He shrugged and his face started to return to its prior appearance. “He’s probably running away. From what I’ve heard, that’s what he always does.”

“He’d never leave me,” she responded automatically, but she heard the truth in her words. Of course he wouldn’t. How could she have ever doubted it.

“Then I hope he shows up here. I may even let him live long enough to watch me fuck you. That mating bond will just make it hurt that much more.”

“Wait a minute.” Chuck finally spoke up. “You can’t do that – she’s my sister. This is just to get her to sign over the farm.”

“I can do whatever I want. You have no say in the matter.”

“But –”

Metifo turned with an angry growl and smacked Chuck across the face. Her brother went flying, slamming into the cave wall, and landing in a dazed heap. Meg watched in horror as blood trickled from his mouth.

“You sold yourself to me, remember?” Metifo sneered. “I own you and I can do anything I want to you. And to your sister. You’d better remember that.”

There was a low whimper from the darkness of the back of the cave, and Metifo raised his head.

“Ah. The pups are awake. Time to feed them.”

As he disappeared into the darkness, she watched Chuck struggle to his feet.

“Are you all right?”

He gave a hollow laugh. “I haven’t been all right for a very long time.”

“What did he mean? You sold yourself to him?”

“I was in debt to some very bad people. He offered me a way out.” Another terrible imitation of a laugh. “What was it Grandma used to say? Out of the frying pan into the fire? I had no idea. And it’s gotten worse since his pack kicked him out.”

She looked around the cave again. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could see a pile of blankets against one wall and some rudimentary cooking supplies next to the fire.

“You’re living here?”

He wouldn’t look at her. “Sometimes.”

Her heart ached for him. “We have to get out of here. Both of us.”

“How? He’s strong, even in this form.” Chuck shuddered. “And you don’t want to see him in the other form.”

“Roardon is coming for me, I know he is. He’ll help you get away as well.” She tried moving her wrists again. Were the ropes loosening? “Why don’t you cut me free? And we’ll both make a run for it.”

Chuck only shook his head, moving further away from her. “I can’t.”

He started to follow Metifo into the darkness, then stopped. He didn’t turn to look back at her, but his head bowed.

“Try not to fight him. He’s… not as bad when you don’t.”

And then he too was gone.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until a tear dripped down onto the exposed skin of her chest. She had never really been close to Chuck, and she had spent a lot of time over the past five years being angry with him, but she never would have wanted such a fate to befall him.

Where are you, Roardon? I need you.

She peered through the cave opening, but even though she couldn’t see anything except the restless bushes, she refused to give up hope. She knew he would come for her.

I just hope he makes it in time, she thought as she returned to trying to loosen the ropes around her wrists.

Roardon searched desperately through the cabin, calling Meg’s name, even though he was already sure she wasn’t present. He tried the barn and the workshops and even the orchard, but there was no sign of her. How could he have been foolish enough to leave her, even for a second?

Someone must have taken her, but where? He searched for any sign of her on the road leading away from the farm, but there was nothing recent. He couldn’t find any trace of her along the edge of the slope leading up into the mountains either, only the minty scent of the dimeti.

The dimeti!

The plant didn’t grow around here, which meant that someone was using it to disguise their own scent - and he had a terrible suspicion he knew exactly who was using it. His beast roared with frustration and he felt himself start to shift. This time he didn’t even try to control it. He was stronger and faster in his shifted form and his senses were even more acute. He would take any advantage he could, if it meant that he might be able to find Meg sooner.

The scent of the dimeti was the only clue he had, but he prayed it would be enough. He took off running.

Chapter 16

At least the cold helped to numb her wrists, Meg thought grimly as she continued to try and free herself from her bonds. She was so focused on her efforts that it took her a moment to realize that Chuck had returned. She gave him a pleading look, afraid that he would tell Metifo, but he only sighed and slumped down against the wall next to her.

“He’s feeding the pups. It’s a big litter - it takes a while.”

“What kind of pups?” she asked, even though she had a terrible suspicion she already knew.

“Adyani.” Chuck shivered. “He thinks he has them under his control, but I don’t trust them.”

Remembering the one who had attacked her, she tended to agree with him. They lapsed into silence.

“Where did you go, Chuck? What happened to you?”

“I left Cresca and went looking for adventure.” His voice was absolutely flat. “Only it turned out that the money I… took didn’t go as far as I thought it would. Nothing I tried really seemed to work out so I moved around a lot. Had a lot of different jobs. One of them was on a freighter that stopped here.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Two years.”

“You’ve been here for two years? Why didn’t you come back to the farm?”

“I didn’t think you would be happy to see me.”

“No, probably not,” she admitted. “But you’re my brother. I wouldn’t have turned you away.”

“I wish I had come back to the farm. Instead, I got further and further into debt and finally fell into Metifo’s claws.”

The despair in his voice broke her heart, but what could she say? They sat in silence as she returned to her efforts on the ropes. He didn’t try and stop her, but she suspected it was because he knew her efforts would be fruitless.

“It’s my fault,” Chuck blurted out suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“He saw me watching you. At the last autumn market.” He shifted uncomfortably. “He doesn’t like being around humans so he makes me do the purchasing. But he watches.”

“I didn’t see you there.” Even in his debilitated state, she thought she would have recognized him.

“I didn’t want you to see me. But I saw you. And then he made me tell him about the farm. That’s when it all started.”

“You were the one behind all the bad luck I’ve been having?”

He nodded miserably. “I thought if things got bad enough, you’d give up and agree to sell him the farm. I should have remembered how hard you fight for what you want.”

“I don’t know - it might have worked. I was getting pretty desperate. If I hadn’t found Roardon, I’m not sure how much longer I would have lasted.”

“Is he… good to you?”

“Roardon? Yes, he is. I love him.”

The words came out so easily that it took her a moment to realize that she’d never actually said them out loud before. Of course, she loved him. Why hadn’t she had the courage to tell him? Because she’d been waiting for him to promise her that he’d never leave? And now she might never see him again. Tears threatened, but she refused to let them fall.

No! She was going to see him again and she was going to tell him.

Roardon let his beast follow the scent of the dimeti up the mountain. Twice he thought he lost it, but each time he was able to pick it up again. He eventually found himself on a small shelf of rock, looking down over the valley below. The farmstead was clearly visible and from the thickness of the scent, he suspected that someone had lingered here frequently, watching.

Not far from the ledge, the trail seemed to dead end at the base of a cliff. A thick tangle of trees and bushes obscured the rock face, but there was no sign of Meg. He sniffed the air again, extending all his senses, and this time he caught the hint of her scent, almost hidden beneath the dimeti. She was here. But there were other scents as well, and his lip drew back in a silent snarl. Adyani, human, and the Vultor who had hurt her.

His beast wanted to charge into the bushes, searching for her, but he forced it back under control. He didn’t want to take a chance that the bastard might hurt her if he startled him - and he didn’t want her seeing him like this. He shifted back to his human form as he cautiously edged closer to the source of the scents and finally saw a cave entrance concealed in the bushes. She must be in there.

Protect, his beast snarled, demanding to take over, but he refused to let it. Not even when he worked his way close enough to see inside the cave and saw her tied to a boulder. Her face was pale, her shirt ripped, and her arms were pulled back at a painful angle, but she appeared otherwise unhurt. Thank the gods.

A scrawny human male slumped next to her, but Roardon immediately dismissed him, sure he was no threat. He was more concerned about the Vultor. Although his repulsive scent had grown stronger, there was no sign of him. Enough of the dimeti remained that he couldn’t tell how recently the male had been here.

His beast growled, impatient with Roardon’s caution, and he stopped fighting it. He had to get her away from here. He slipped silently through the cave entrance just as she looked up. Her face lit up with relief but she didn’t speak, jerking her head at the back of the cave. It went back much further than he had realized, and he could hear faint whimpering noises. The adyani. Was she warning him not to rouse them?

He crossed swiftly to her side, startling the human male. His mouth opened, but then he looked at Meg, and closed it again, slumping back down. Good. He wasn’t going to interfere.

Roardon reached behind Meg, breathing in her familiar scent with a sigh of relief as he sliced through the ropes with his claws. Her arms fell free and she clung to him as he started to lift her to her feet.

A slow clapping noise made him whirl around, instinctively thrusting her behind him. The Vultor stalked towards him. Fuck. He’d been in the back of the cave all along.

“The gallant hero rides to the rescue. She said you would, but I had my doubts.”

“She’s my mate.”

“Mate?” the Vultor sneered. “Halfbreeds don’t have mates. Have you even shown her your true form?”

That barb struck home, and the Vultor bared his teeth triumphantly.

“I thought not. Don’t worry. I’ll show her what a true Vultor looks like when I fuck her.”

He growled, his beast pushing at his skin. “Never.”

“Metifo, please. Just let her go.” The human came to his side, his voice pleading. “We can find somewhere else.”

“Shut up. Put the ropes back around your sister’s wrists,” Metifo ordered, not looking away from Roardon.

Sister? This was the worthless male who had deserted her? He shot a quick glance at him, and saw the male’s shoulders slump before he reached for Meg. Roardon growled, but she squeezed his hand before extending her wrists to her brother.

“You can’t have her,” he growled, focusing on Metifo again.

“No? Who’s going to stop me?”

Metifo threw back his head and laughed, a laugh that turned into a howl as he shifted. Roardon heard Meg give a shocked gasp, and his chest ached. He didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t fight Metifo in his human form. He was going to have to shift as well. She would see his Vultor side and he would lose her forever.

Despair filled him as he let his beast free.

Chapter 17

Meg prayed she wasn’t wrong about her brother as she offered him her wrists. He did loop the rope around them, but he didn’t fasten it. Keeping a wary eye on Metifo, he started to push her towards the cave entrance. She had no intention of leaving Roardon, and looked back at him as a howl echoed through the cave. She saw his shoulders slump, and then he… changed.

Roardon was replaced by a creature out of a nightmare. Thick fur covered his body, making him look even larger than normal. His claws extended from his hands – but they didn’t look quite like hands anymore. His face had changed as well, his mouth and nose more prominent, and his fangs had grown. A shiver ran down her spine, but then she looked at his eyes, still startlingly green and familiar. He was still Roardon and she knew to the depths of her soul that he would never hurt her.

He gave her a quick, despairing glance, and then she heard him growl as he focused on Metifo again.

“My mate.” His voice was deeper, harsher, but it was still his voice.

“My prey.”

Metifo had shifted as well, and in the flickering firelight, he looked even larger than Roardon. Did the fact that he was completely Vultor give him an advantage? She couldn’t tell as the two of them flew at each other. Snarls echoed through the cave as they fought, claws and fangs flashing. She had never seen anything so brutal.

Chuck tried to urge her towards the cave entrance again, but she refused to go.

“I’m not leaving him,” she said fiercely.

“If he loses it will be too late.”

“He won’t lose.”

Would he? Both males were bleeding, but it seemed as if Roardon’s slightly smaller body was at a disadvantage. A horrified cry escaped her mouth as she saw Metifo pin Roardon against the rock, his mouth aiming for Roardon’s neck. He was trying to rip his throat out.

“Fuck,” Chuck muttered, then left her side.

He picked up a rock and raised it over Metifo’s head. Metifo ducked out of the way at the last moment, turning on Chuck with a growl. Just as he had earlier, he slammed him against the wall, but this time Chuck didn’t get up.

“No!” she cried.

She wanted to go to him, but the distraction had given Roardon a chance to recover. He launched himself at Metifo again, claws fully extended. He caught the Vultor in the act of turning and his claws sank deep into Metifo’s neck. Blood gushed from the wound as an almost comical look of surprise crossed Metifo’s face. He staggered towards Roardon, but it was too late. His body collapsed to the ground, jerked once, and went still.

Roardon roared with triumph, then strode towards her. As he reached her, he came to a sudden halt and even in this form, she could see the question in his eyes.

“Roardon,” she whispered, and launched herself into his arms.

He kissed her frantically, and even though his mouth felt… different in this form, he was still Roardon and she kissed him back just as urgently. The arms holding her so close were as strong and protective as ever, and she clung to him when he finally raised his head.

Before he could say anything, a howl sounded from the rear of the cave. Metifo had only mentioned pups, but that was an adult cry.

“The adyani,” she whispered to Roardon.

He didn’t stop to ask questions. He picked her up, tucking her against his broad furry chest, and headed for the entrance. He had almost reached it when she tugged on his arm.

“Wait a minute. What about Chuck?”

He growled, but he turned to check the spot where Chuck’s body had been lying. Her brother was no longer there.

“What happened to him?”

Roardon didn’t bother to answer. Instead he took off down the slope, moving with incredible speed and agility. He held her firmly in his grip, and she relaxed against him as she thought about Chuck. Was he all right? He must be if he’d been able to leave, but she hadn’t seen him go. Had it been after the fight?

She decided that it must have been. That he had realized that Metifo was dead and he was free. She chose to believe that he didn’t wait for her because he knew she was safe with Roardon. She suspected that he was also too embarrassed to face her.

They reached the farm much quicker than she anticipated, but instead of carrying her to the cabin, Roardon stalked into the first building they reached, the apple shed. She gave him a startled look as he let her slide to the ground.

“Mate,” he growled. His chest heaved in great shuddering breaths, but she knew it wasn’t because he was winded from the run. “Need.”

Oh. Despite the urgency so clearly written on that strange face, he didn’t make a move towards her. She looked into his eyes, into that familiar green gaze, and nodded.

“Yes.”

A second later, she was bent over a bale of hay. She heard fabric rip and then her clothes disappeared, leaving her exposed to the cold air until the warmth of his body surrounded her. His hand skimmed down her back and over her butt. She felt a faint prickle of his claws and quivered with anticipation as he parted her legs. His tongue swept the length of her slit, and she was suddenly, achingly aroused. She tried to push back against him, but his hands tightened, holding her in place as he licked her, thoroughly, ruthlessly, until she shuddered into a climax.

She was still gasping when he started to enter her. He felt even bigger this way, stretching her open in one hard thrust. Her body fought to adjust to his size but he didn’t wait. He lifted her higher so that her feet no longer touched the ground, his hands tightening on her hips as he thrust into her. When he bent down over her, she could feel the warm, heavy weight of his body, feel his soft fur brushing against her bare back as he nuzzled at her neck.

Another climax rushed towards her and she clenched her hands in the straw, trying to hold on. She tried desperately to thrust back against him, urging him on as he moved faster, harder, until he buried himself completely. A hot rush of seed filled her as his knot expanded. Her vision turned white as her own climax roared over her. She felt the sharp sting of his teeth on her neck followed by a second wave of arousal as the world spun dizzily around her.

He collapsed down over her, panting heavily, and it took her a long, dazed moment to realize that she no longer felt fur against her back. All she could feel was Roardon’s familiar warmth. She turned her head to look at him, and he was his usual self again.

“Welcome back.”

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, and she suspected that if they had not been locked together, he would have pulled away from her. “I shouldn’t have done that. But after losing you, and then the fight…” He shuddered. “I lost control.”

“No, you didn’t. You asked for my permission, and I gave it to you. I know you would have stopped if I asked you to.”

“Do you really think so?”

He didn’t seem very certain, but she nodded firmly.

“Yes, I do.”

His body relaxed a little. “I never wanted you to see me that way.”

“I already suspected that you hadn’t shown me all the changes.”

“You weren’t afraid of me?”

“Of course not. I know you would never hurt me.” She put her hand on his cheek. “You love me, Roardon.”

“Of course I do. We are mated.”

A wave of satisfaction washed over her.

“You never told me that being mated meant that you loved me.”

Guilt was clearly written on his face. “I know. I was afraid to tell you. The mating bond is for life. At least it is for a Vultor, even a half breed one. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me, and I didn’t know if it would be the same for a human.”

“I don’t know about other humans, but it is for me. I love you, Roardon, and I will for the rest of my life.”

He shuddered, and his hips jerked forward in a sudden compulsive movement. She had thought she was completely drained, but her clit pulsed with a corresponding excitement. His eyes grew even more brilliant.

“We should get married as well. My human side would like that. Would you?”

She smiled at him, giddy with happiness. “I think I’d like that very much.”

“Good. We will go to town this afternoon.”

“I think it’s a little bit late in the day for that. But I have a better idea.”

“What’s that?”

His knot had finally begun to shrink, at least enough that she could move, and she rocked her hips back against him. “I suggest we get a head start on our honeymoon.”

“Isn’t that supposed to come after the wedding?”

She shrugged. “I think we’re making our own rules.”

“If that’s what my mate wants, then that’s what my mate shall have.”

He slid his hand underneath her body and found her hardened nipples. He squeezed the taut little peaks, sending a streak of electricity straight to her swollen clit and she rocked back against him again.

“Since we are getting an early start on our honeymoon, I’m going to take my time,” he warned, a dark promise in his voice.

He kept his promise. The sun was setting behind the mountain in brilliant shades of gold and purple by the time he carried her out of the apple shed. A soft golden glow covered the pastures and highlighted the branches of the apple trees.

Her home had never looked more beautiful. Their home, she amended, smiling up at him. And neither one of them would ever be alone again.

Epilogue

One year later…

Meg woke up alone. For once Roardon’s big body wasn’t wrapped around hers. She blinked at the window but it was still fully dark outside. Had he gotten restless and gone off for a run in his shifted form? She couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that. Even though the danger had long since passed, he rarely left her. But then she heard the low rumble of his voice from their son’s room, and she smiled.

Pulling her old blue robe around her shoulders, she padded across the hallway to Charlie’s room. They had converted her grandmother’s room into the nursery, and she liked to think that the older woman’s loving spirit surrounded him.

After some discussion, they had agreed to name their son after her brother. In spite of everything that had happened, in the end, he had done his best to save her. Roardon had returned to look for him the following day, but he had gone. They hadn’t seen or heard from him since, but wherever he was, she hoped he’d found some peace.

The adyani had also been gone, their cages destroyed. They had ravaged Metifo’s body as well, but their vengeance had stopped there. She hadn’t heard them howling since that night and could only be grateful that they had returned to their high mountain home.

Her husband was sitting in the rocking chair by the nursery window, Lady curled at his feet. He hadn’t turned on the lights, but even in the semi darkness, she could see he had their son cradled against his shoulder. He looked up when she appeared in the doorway, and she saw the reflective gleam of his eyes.

“Here you are,” she said teasingly. “I thought you’d left me.”

“You know that will never happen.”

“I know.”

At the sound of her voice, their son’s head turned in her direction, and her breath caught. His eyes gleamed with the same familiar green light.

“You see it, don’t you?” Roardon said softly. “I had hoped that he would escape my heritage.”

The fact that she accepted both sides of him had helped him become more at peace with himself, but she knew he still wrestled with the two halves of his ancestry.

“Why should he? It’s part of him. I’m happy that he will be stronger. That he will be able to protect those who are weaker than he is. That someday he will make a wonderful husband.”

Even in the dimness, she saw his shoulders relax, and then the brief white flash of his smile.

“You always seem to know the right thing to say.”

“I’m only telling the truth.” She smiled at him. “Now why don’t you put our son back in his bed? Then you can spend a little time showing me what a wonderful husband you are.”

He rose with the rapid, powerful movement that always made her heart beat a little faster, and gently placed Charlie back in his crib. Lady watched critically, then settled down again at the foot of the crib. One or other of her dogs was always with her son.

“Sometimes I suspect they think he’s really their pup,” she told Reardon as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her back across the hall.

He laughed. “I think you’re right.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, he picked her up and carried her the short distance to the bed.

“I’ve always loved this robe,” he growled, even as he pushed it down over her shoulders.

“I’ve noticed.”

He tugged it open, then paused to look at her naked body in the light from the window. “You’re so beautiful, sweetheart.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I think you might be a little prejudiced.”

“Not in the least. Every part of you is beautiful, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Just look at these perfect little nipples.”

He let his claws extend, then delicately teased the little buds. She loved the fact that he didn’t try and hide that side of him anymore - and the way he used it to enhance her pleasure. Still teasing one nipple, he bent down and drew the other into his mouth, letting his fangs scrape the sensitive peak. A streak of excitement raced through her body and she arched her hips impatiently.

“More,” she demanded.

“Not until I finish proving how beautiful you are.”

“I believe you.”

“Are you sure?”

He bit down a little harder and her body quivered, already on the verge of climax.

“I’m sure,” she said quickly.

“I don’t think you are.” Green eyes glinted down at her. “I think I’m going to have to prove it to you - one perfect inch at a time.”

And he proceeded to do just that.

A very long time later, Roardon’s beast purred with contentment as Meg snuggled contentedly in his arms, his knot still locking them together.

“Do you know what tomorrow is?” she asked sleepily.

“Of course. It’s New Year’s Eve. The anniversary of our first meeting.” He smiled down at her. “The night everything changed.”

“It certainly did. I never thought my blind date would end up like this.”

“The wrong blind date,” he said dryly.

She had long ago told him about the misunderstanding. That hadn’t stopped him from giving Reegan threatening looks whenever they saw him in town. He hated the thought that she might have ended up with another male.

“But the wrong blind date turned out to be the right one after all.”

“Yes, it did. We should do something to celebrate.”

“I think we just did,” she muttered, and he laughed.

“Now you’re just challenging me. We can talk about it tomorrow.”

She closed her eyes again but he knew her busy mind was still working.

“I also think we should get another harvester,” she murmured a short time later.

“Go to sleep, sweetheart. Charlie will be awake again soon.”

She grumbled, but her breathing slowed as she finally let herself sleep.

Sleep did not come as quickly to him. He held her close as he thought about their plans for the future. She was right about the harvester, he decided. Thanks to their hard work, the farm was prospering again. It might even be time to take on an additional worker, although his beast hated the idea of another male in their territory. Still, that was a problem for another day.

Tonight his mate slept peacefully in his arms, and he could look forward to a new year full of hope and full of love.

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading Her Alien Farmhand! I’ve been contemplating the idea of an alien shifter for a while now and this story turned out to be the perfect opportunity. Roardon and Meg are a great match!

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As always, I have to thank my readers for encouraging me to keep exploring all the wonderful possibilities of science fiction romance. I couldn’t do it without you!

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

* * *

Up next is my new series - Folsom Planet Blues!

A dangerous prison planet - with even more dangerous males!

You may have read the first story as part of the Alien Embrace anthology, but this is the expanded version, complete with even more steamy goodness!

One minute Amanda is crying over a Hallmark movie and binging chocolate. The next she is being offered as a prize to the winner of a brutal contest in an alien prison. And the biggest, scariest alien of them all just won her...

Click here to order Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast!

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Other Titles

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Folsom Planet Blues

Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

with Bex McLynn

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

A Home for the Alien Warrior

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Anthologies

Pets in Space 6

Claimed Among the Stars

About the Author

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

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