SHADE’S EMBRACE

OLIVIA RILEY

Copyright © 2023 Olivia Riley

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing by the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, locales and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, places or events are purely coincidental.

Cover by Olivia Riley

Stock Photos: Depositphoto

https://oliviarileyauthor.com

SHADE’S EMBRACE : A DARK ALIEN ROMANCE

For content warnings, please check the author’s website: https://oliviarileyauthor.com/shades-embrace/

CONTENTS

Before the Fall

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Epilogue

Bonus Epilogue

Books and Series by Olivia Riley

About the Author

BEFORE THE FALL

The deepest dark Madelyn ever knew surrounded her like a cocoon, its silent weight crushing. There were no stars to see, no lights save for those along the windowpane and across her dashboard. Her eyes fixed on the map over the dash, and she felt her heart sink and her stomach twist.

She was flying through the blackness of space, alone in a pod that was taking her in the wrong direction.

The cruise ship was gone, and there was no going back. The hull had torn down the middle, one half separating from the other, quickly growing distant. She had watched the disaster from the pod as it slowly faded away. By some miracle, she had found an escape but to what end?

Because—from what Maddie could tell on the map—the pod was taking her to a place outside the protected systems. A place where her fate might be far worse than being blown out of a ship into deep space. At least that was a quick, merciful death.

The Shadow Cleave was no place for the likes of her. Humans didn't tread within that territory. Not unless they wanted to be made to suffer at the hands of criminals, slave traders, and killers.

Monsters.

But the tracking program meant to take her to the nearest safe station was broken. So the alternative was the nearest place where she could even have a chance to survive. If it had oxygen and water, it was deemed suitable enough until help could come to fetch her.

There were few places in the Shadow Cleave with even those essential needs. And the closest was the moon planet Seriph.

She should just expel herself from the pod. Just end it now. But hope still clawed at her. She'd made it this far. Maybe she would be able to hide.

Maddie laughed silently at the thought, her eyes stinging. She was truly descending into a nightmare.

Maybe she could hide from the aliens who called that place home. But for how long?

And if she landed within the city itself, she was as good as dead. If the citizens didn't find her right away, their most lethal crimelord would.

Axaria Shade would.

Space wouldn't be the 'deepest dark' she'd come to know.

CHAPTER ONE

MADDIE

The moon was a dark orb floating around a dead planet, which was shaded in a deep red from the ember glow of light from the sun a long way away. The only other light came from the city—Blues, greens, and oranges spreading across the vast nothingness of one moon side.

As Maddie's pod hit the atmosphere, it began to glow a soft yellow. She could see the city below, growing closer as she descended. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as the pod began to shake, a loud hissing coming from the back thrusters followed by a dull grinding noise as the pod's jets came to life, slowing her fall.

Lights began to blink on and off, and a bell-like sound started to ring out, indicating something was wrong. Maddie's eyes flew open to stare at the dash. The thrusters weren't activating their full power. She was going to crash and seal her fate before anyone could rip her from the pod. Maybe it was for the best.

Heart hammering in her chest, she tried a few of the controls, but they were locked on to land. She attempted to use the manual drive and found she could still steer but only to turn one way or another. She could glide, but not far. The only forward direction was down but at least she could choose now where she landed. As if that made her feel any better. Below, the ground was getting closer, and the cities' details were coming into view. Black towers with sharp tops stretched upward, and domed hubs sat below them, interlinking pathways for transports to move through. She passed by them until the city opened into smaller buildings clustered together then into glowing fields amongst jagged terrain just at the city's edge. She had no time to be grateful that she wouldn't be crashing into the city center as she turned the pod northward, dropping faster.

Searching wildly, Maddie spotted a clearing—or what she hoped to be one. It was dark with few buildings. The lights, set in rows, made her think of a landing strip. She steered toward it, hoping it was exactly that. The lights grew brighter the closer she got, the pod appearing to move in slow motion while accelerating at the same time.

As the ground came to meet her, Maddie braced for impact, her body tensing so hard her jaw hurt. She surged forward, nearly out of her seat as the pod came down hard, rattling and grinding against the ground, crashing into unknown objects outside that Maddie could hardly make out in the thick dust and smoke. The pod skidded across the ground, hitting something on its side before finally slowing to a grinding halt.

For several seconds, Maddie didn’t move. Hands clenched at her sides, breathless, her eyes peered across the windowpane which was now cracked along one corner. A light flashed at her, but she ignored it as, with a shaky hand, she grabbed hold of the stabilizer mask beside her and tugged it over her head. Seriph might have an atmosphere for her to survive, but its oxygen levels would be different than the ship, and she would need time to slowly balance out unless she wanted to walk around feeling hungover or high for the next hour.

With the mask fully secure and providing her air, Maddie reached across and opened the pod door. There was a soft pop and hiss as the glass slid open, and wisps of smoke seeped inside.

Carefully, she climbed out, sliding down one side of the pod and almost losing her footing as her legs almost gave out. Though she stood firm, she couldn't stop the trembling in her body from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. By whatever gods, she had made it out with hardly a scratch despite the rough landing.

The pod was in shambles. Smoke billowed from its back, one thruster burned to a crisp, another broken. Its metal sides were blackened and bent. It was a wonder it hadn't fallen apart in its descent let alone when it had landed.

Maddie looked around. Where had she landed exactly? She had caught a glimpse of the small outposts and stations along the city edge and the glowing fields that must have been energy farms, but where she was now, she couldn't guess. What she thought had been a landing strip was something else entirely. There were several long, cylindrical buildings on each side of her and a large triangular building at one corner. Her pod had landed within the center of some small field where large tanks sat in rows. Or they did until her pod had sliced through them. Now more than a few of those tanks were either on their sides or split open, spewing a bright pink liquid from their shells. The liquid pooled around the back of the pod and was slowly seeping toward her. It smelled strangely like burnt wood.

Maddie cursed as the sickly pink liquid spread along the bottom of the pod, making it pop and spark, a small fire crackling underneath. She drew back in fear that it might explode. Whatever the liquid was, it fueled the fire, making the smoke grow, flying higher. Someone must have seen the crash, and if they hadn't, they certainly would see the smoke. She should go.

As she swerved around, she froze, air catching in her lungs. An unbroken tank lay a few feet away, and on its side was a symbol—what looked like a red, thorny spiral—with one word underneath. She couldn't read the word, but she didn't have to. She'd seen the symbol before—back home on the news networks about insidious cargo found on unlicensed trade ships—and knew what the word said.

Shadowfell.

A small whimpering hiss escaped through her lips. Of all the places she could have landed...why on his property?

Maddie turned back to look at the devastation she had caused. This was Shadowfell-owned material, and she had just destroyed it. So much for lying low and hoping the owner wouldn't know about her existence.

Something whooshed past her from above, and she caught a glimpse of a small drone.

Time to go.

With no plan of where she was going or how she'd find her way off the dark planet, Maddie raced away from the pod and out of the facility, into the dark.

CHAPTER TWO

SHADE

"It was a mistake."

The rynecore trembled as he said it. His beady black eyes, nearly covered over by his scaly yellow brow, stared back at Shade with the all too familiar look of fear. He had the sense to be terrified at least.

Shade sat back, claws out, one finger digging marks into the arm of his chair, looking as calm as he could but making sure the rynecore could see the sharp red tips of his talons. The beady eyes glanced down at them then back up, the rynecore's mouth tightening.

"A mistake is unintentional," Shade remarked. "But you were caught in my territory selling unmarked viluum." Shade tilted his head curiously. "How does one do that by mistake?"

The rynecore shook his head as if he didn't know the answer. His scales seemed to shake as he did it, the color changing from yellow to dark orange. "I…I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I hadn't realized I'd gone too far off my usual path is all."

"And you didn't think to check the map." Shade's gaze drew over to the other rynecore, a smaller one beside the first. "Or your partner had no clue either?"

"We didn't know...didn't realize."

Shade tapped his claws on the arm with impatience. "Do you think I'm an idiot? You lie to my face."

"We swear we didn't—"

Shade silenced him with one glaring look. The rynecore choked back his words and dropped his head. Shade's men stood around them, their hands itching for their blades.

"The viluum will be mine now as will the credits you made selling it. I should probably kill one of you as a warning..."

They didn't say a word to that, no surprise. Shade couldn't help smiling. The rynecore and their gang looked tough, but he knew they were cowards. They ran around thinking themselves above the city's rules—his rules—but they would learn all too quickly. They thought they could hide, but nothing escaped him.

"I'll let you plead as to which one lives if you like, or you can fight it out amongst yourselves. I don't care either way..." Shade fell silent, his dark eyes flickering over to the door which slid open, revealing Mika, his second, a tall, bulky specimen with skin like stone and just as durable. The armor he wore was overkill, to say the least. Mika didn't look down at the rynecore as he approached and leaned down.

"There's been an incident at one of the energy deposits," he growled in Shade's ear.

Shade's eyes shot up at him, and he frowned. He could only imagine who would have the stupidity to mess with one of his deposits. "What kind of incident?"

"You should see for yourself."

Shade's eyes narrowed on him. There was something about Mika's expression that concerned him. He wasn't afraid. No, hardly. Mika didn't scare easily. But it was something else. He seemed apprehensive. Dare he say even...excited?

"What the hell has you all riled up, Mika?" Shade said, his mouth tightening. "How angry am I going to get? Is it the Blue Breeds again?" He swore if it was those furry bastards trying to sneak into his holdings, he'd slaughter the lot of them.

Mika shook his head and—more concerning—smiled. "Not the Blue Breeds. Better."

Shade hated that tone and that grin. Because whenever Mika fixed him with that expression, Shade knew there was serious trouble. And Mika loved to see Shade go off.

"Pull up the feeds," Shade ordered. He waved at the rynecore. "And get them out of my sight. Take care of them somewhere else."

His men did as they were told. The rynecore disappeared, and from the opposite wall, a screen brightened, showing the feeds from the targeted energy deposit, his property right on the edge of the city.

There was smoke and fire at its center. Several tanks lay on their sides, spewing the liquid energy source into the ground. Amongst them was a ship, or what looked to be, though it was small—too small to be a smuggler's vehicle—and looked nothing like the city transports. In fact, it appeared outer-world, though he couldn't tell from where through the fire.

Someone from outside the city had crashed into millions of credits worth of fuel and left their ship to burn.

Shade's gaze narrowed. "Turn back fifty clicks."

The feed rewound then stopped and started again. Now, the deposit looked as it did before the crash, the tanks sitting in rows like giant metal soldiers. Everything was quiet until a bright light appeared, and the small ship came barreling down, cutting straight through the yard of tanks before halting, smoke catching underneath its hull.

So it was an outworlder, not just an outsider of the city itself. They had come from somewhere, perhaps even beyond the Shadow Cleave. And they had carelessly landed on Seriph unreported. Either they were dropped here on purpose, or their ship failed its course. Either way, they cost him. Likely nothing could be done about it now. The ship was in shambles, and whoever was inside must be dead.

"Send a team out to clean the mess," Shade growled at Mika in annoyance. "Retrieve what you can. Hopefully, we can figure out whose vessel it is and act accordingly."

"No need," Mika replied. "We know whose it is."

"Oh?"

Mika gestured back to the screen. Shade watched then grew still as he saw the ship's door open. From it stepped out a small being on two legs with its head and face covered by some kind of metal and glass mask. It would have been difficult to identify the species were it not for the suit they wore and how the clothing fit their body. The way they were built told him enough, but the galactic symbol on their chest confirmed everything he needed to know.

A human.

Shade's claws slowly curled, digging into his seat. Humans didn't come to this city. They were practically forbidden from doing so by their superiors lest they wished to be ripped apart or traded as food or for sex. Either they were an enemy or they were a rare, highly sought-after delicacy. No one had seen a human in this city in years. They were warned to never come near the Shadow Cleave itself, and yet, this lone human had landed here of all places.

He watched the human fumble out of the ship and look around before running out of sight. They had destroyed his property and left their ship to smolder. Shade had his own opinions of humans, and they weren't fuzzy, warm feelings. He would find them and show them his own kind of welcome. The way he saw it, the human crashed on his territory, so they were his to take. They belonged to him now, and they would pay.

"Send a message out to all underling gangs along the edge to bring the human to me if found. Then gather a team. We are going out." Shade rose from his seat and started for the door. "I want this human tonight."

CHAPTER THREE

MADDIE

She ran until her legs grew sore and her lungs burned. From outside the crash site, Maddie found no forests for coverage or even much grass. The earth was made up of dark soil and sharp rocks, making for uneasy ground to cover on foot. Several times, she almost fell or tripped over the crevices and cracks. She could see nothing save for the lights from the city which she kept parallel to as she traveled. Though she tried to distance herself from the metropolis, the dark vastness beyond it made her hesitant to venture farther from the lights. She could hear noises and knew she was not the only living creature roaming nearby. Eventually, she was forced to draw closer to the lights and the city in order to find shelter.

Slowing now to catch her breath, Maddie hunkered behind a broken piece of wall to rest a moment and scout her surroundings. The buildings closest were wide with large doors, like warehouses. As light from a transport far above zoomed overhead, she waited till it passed before making her way over to one of the warehouses, jumping over metal pipes and weaving around scraps of machine parts littering the ground as if the place were a junkyard. The building looked dark and empty, and she could only hope she could hide there if only for a moment to figure out a plan of action. As she was running, she reminded herself that whenever the emergency pods landed, they sent out a distress signal. Hopefully, hers wasn’t broken in the fall and had gone out in time before the pod burned completely. If it had, it meant she just needed to wait for help to arrive. If she could lay low long enough, she might just make it out without anyone finding her.

Quickly and quietly, Maddie snuck inside. It was dark within save for the glow of a few headlights from outside casting through skylights above. Trash littered the ground, and she figured she must be in one of the more abandoned parts of the city. She assumed then that she would be alone until she heard the sound of low voices coming from nearby. There were others after all.

Crouching low, she crept closer to the voices, wanting to have sight of those who were close. Making her way over to the opposite side of the building, she slipped down a short passage connecting the building with another. At the end, she peered into a large, open room lit up by soft orange light. Within, several figures sat at a table or moved about the room. Maddie kept in the shadows by the doorway as she watched them. Some of the aliens, she recognized, especially the ashora, who were native to the Shadow Cleave, a pale, tall, and slender race that reminded her of dark elves or even vampires, hairless and sharp-faced with black eyes. They creeped her out, even from just the pictures she had seen. The others were less recognizable. A few had canine-like features with coarse fur, and the rest looked like they had skin similar to a snake with slender blue stripes along their neck and short, stubby horns along their head, their bright green eyes flashing in the low light.

They didn't look like a welcoming bunch, but she might just be making assumptions. Friendly or not, she still didn't want to be seen. Slowly, she stepped away and started back the way she came. Following along one wall, she found a door leading outside. She bolted out into a yard and was about to climb up over a broken fence when a sound from close by made her freeze. Drones were flying past, low to the ground, their lights beaming down as if searching.

Cursing, Maddie shifted away from the fence as she watched the drones draw closer. Something hit her backside, and a pair of hands gripped her shoulders. A tight yelp escaped her as she was whirled around.

The dog-like alien barked at her in a language she didn't understand. She slapped at him as he took hold of her waist and hauled her back into the warehouse.

The aliens all stood around her in a half circle, staring down at her like she was some kind of strange mythical creature. Some likely had never seen a human in their life, but a few recognized what she was. They were conversing in their native city tongue, one she still couldn't decipher. A few reached out at her and tried to remove her mask, but she refused, smacking their hands away. She probably didn't need the stabilizer anymore, but for whatever reason, she didn't want them to see her face, afraid it might make them react even more curiously than they already were. The last thing she needed was for them to start pulling her hair or touching her skin.

One of the ashora, a male she presumed, with an impossibly slender torso that was wrapped in a tight black material like leather came forward, his oil-black eyes fixated on her. He drew up his hand cautiously, and she was about to slap it away when she noticed he was holding something. She saw in his hand there were two tiny silvery metal pieces along with a small metal band. The ashora took one of the tiny metal pieces up and gestured to his ear.

They were offering her jewelry? That didn't make sense. Still, not wanting to anger them, Maddie allowed the ashora to place the metal pieces in her hand. She stared down at them curiously until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up, and the ashora was gesturing to her neck and ears. He wanted her to put them on.

Maddie looked down at the pieces again, confused. She took up one of the earrings and lifted her mask a few inches to clasp it to her ear.

"Other. Other one."

Maddie stiffened, her eyes shooting up to the ashora. Did she just understand him?

Carefully, she placed the other earring on, and the aliens around her yelped with satisfaction.

"Good, good now the neckpiece. Go on."

Maddie stared at them, bewildered, then took the thin metal band and stretched it around her neck until it clung around her throat like a small choker.

"Now, speak," ordered the ashora.

"He…hello?"

The aliens cheered as if she just won some sort of game.

"You can understand now, yes?" said the ashora.

Maddie's mouth dropped open a little, and she caught herself nodding. "I…yes."

"And we can understand you."

Maddie looked over them as they bowed their heads and made small little noises in agreement.

"It has been a long time since I've seen a human," hissed one of the snake-skinned aliens, his blue throat glowing. "Did you escape a smuggler's ship?"

Maddie shook her head. "No, I..." She wasn't sure how much she wanted to tell them. It was bad enough now that she was seen but also found. The city would definitely know of her whereabouts. So much for lying low. "I crashed..." was all she cared to answer.

"Ah, bad place for a human to crash," cooed another ashora. This one she was sure was female, her features sharper and slenderer than the males’.

Maddie nodded. "I need help. A ship might come, but I don't know for sure, nor do I know when. If I could maybe get to a shipping port, I could barter out with a trader. Could you take me?"

She half expected them to laugh. What reason did they have to help her? But to her astonishment, they only looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves. The female ashora knelt beside her and fixed her dark gaze on Maddie’s.

“Of course, little human. This is no place for you. We should take you right away, yes?" Her eyes were sympathetic, her hand resting on Maddie's leg with the lightest touch that was cold even through the suit.

Maddie almost sighed with relief. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Can we go now?"

The ashora tilted her head and then rose. "Yes. But we must be very careful. Don't want anyone to find you."

Maddie shook her head. "No, definitely not."

The ashora didn't smile, but her eyes told Maddie enough. "We go."

They slipped away from her to prepare themselves to leave, keeping close enough to watch her but far enough away to talk without her hearing. She watched a few enter and exit the building and then, without warning, they were pulling her up to leave. Quickly, Maddie was taken out of the warehouse and onto a transport sitting just outside, with several of the other aliens including the ashora walking beside her. The vehicle took off as soon as they all jumped inside. The transport moved low to the ground, passing by a sector of warehouses and abandoned junkyards. Maddie watched them pass, her heart racing. She might actually make it out of Seriph before anyone (besides those around her) would even learn she was here.

Her eyes drew away from the buildings and over to those seated across and beside her. The aliens said nothing as they studied her intently. When her gaze met with that of the female ashora, the alien's mouth tightened as if to smile. Her pale lips drew back to reveal sharp, black teeth.

"Where did you come from?" came a voice beside her.

Maddie blinked and turned to the voice. The snake-like alien was staring back at her, his slit-like pupils widening.

Maddie didn't know how to answer at first, still so shocked by everything that had happened and where she was now. She licked her lips, thinking about how much to tell them, then answered with, "I came from a cruiser ship near the edge of the Shadow Cleave. There was...an accident." She didn't care to go into details about it with them. Still, the incident was clear in her mind. The break of the warp thrusters, the explosion of the carbon filters, the consuming fire after, and then the breaking of the ship. It happened so fast.

"A human-owned space cruiser?"

Maddie nodded. "I was forced to escape in an emergency pod, but its map system was faulty, and it brought me here instead of to a safe zone." She looked around at them, apologetic even in her honesty.

"A ship traveling so close to the Shadow Cleave takes great risk in doing so," said the ashora, tilting her head as she gazed at Maddie curiously. "Where was this ship going?"

"It takes people around the matira systems, stopping at several lived-in worlds, then back to its base. It's just a standard space cruiser meant for sightseeing."

"You were sightseeing?" she asked.

Maddie shook her head. "No, not exactly. I worked on the ship."

"Ah, a copilot?"

Maddie smirked. "No, more the entertainment sector. I was...am a dancer."

That got a few of them to lift their heads.

"Oh, how interesting," hissed the snake-like alien.

Maddie caught a few with tight expressions. She wasn't sure if they really thought it was interesting or if they were just being polite. Their eyes lingered on her, however, making her shiver. She moved in her seat, hands clasped at her sides.

They sat silent until the transporter began to slow then came to a stop, thumping softly back on the ground.

The team of aliens hopped out, and Maddie found herself being pulled up by the snake and directed out of the vehicle. The building they had landed beside was a dark, windowless square with a domed top, its exterior the texture of sleek, dark metal. Maddie looked up at the looming shape with a frown.

"This is a ship port?" she asked the ashora as the snake guided her toward a set of doors.

The ashora looked back at her. "A private ship dock. You would not do well in the public ones. The security there would hardly let you go. This is better."

Maddie was hesitant to move, but the snake man grabbed her arm and pulled her along urgently. They moved through the door with the ashora leading into a pitch-dark passage. Maddie tried to jerk her arm away from the alien and protest that she was capable of walking without his guidance when they burst through a doorway and into a brightly lit chamber.

The first thing she saw was a ship, and she almost cried out with relief. But as she took in the rest of the room, her heart dropped. Around the ship, neatly stacked on each other, were long metal crates with narrow holes drilled into them. From them, she could hear the banging and small cries of whatever—or whoever—was inside them.

The snake man pulled her around to a set of aliens she'd never seen before with brunt lizard faces and bright red throats that swelled like a frog’s, their brown and yellow eyes looking across at them from the table they stood around.

"Endia," called the largest of the lizards to the ashora. He stepped closer to greet her. "Back again for another trade? Your last was mediocre, to say the least."

"A bad batch. But this time, we have the very best to offer.” Endia grabbed hold of Maddie’s other arm in a vice grip, making her cry out. Maddie jerked and tried to pull away, but the ashora only gripped harder, making her buckle.

"You bitch," Maddie hissed through her teeth. She felt a kick to her side that knocked the wind out of her, making her gag.

The big lizard's muddy eyes shifted down to her. "What have you got?"

"Human."

The lizard's gullet expanded. "Let me see."

Endia almost ripped Maddie's arm from her socket as she pulled her to her feet. Maddie fought, even going for a hit to the ashora's face before she was promptly blocked then grabbed on all sides to keep her in place.

The lizard got close, its eyes narrowing. Its breath was rank, like rotting fruit. Even through the mask, she could smell it.

"Take that face cover off. I want to see it fully," he said.

A hand reached out to rip off her mask, and Maddie struggled again, moving her head away, kicking at whoever she could reach. They grappled with her, lifting her off her feet, trying to pry the mask off when the sound of a distant roar stopped them. As she pulled at them, they dropped her on the hard floor. Unable to steady herself in time, she felt the sharp pain splice up her ankle. She curled into herself as the aliens drew away.

"What's that?"

"Someone is coming."

The roar grew louder, then the doors flew open with a bang before gunfire consumed all other noise around her. Maddie curled further into herself, covering her head with her arms, her eyes shut tight as flashes of orange and red popped and cracked around her. There were angry, animalistic cries before the shots finally ceased, and when Maddie finally dared to peek, she saw most of the aliens splayed around her, either unconscious or dead judging by their limp bodies.

Maddie lifted her head farther and saw Endia—still alive but bleeding in several places—being dragged by someone in full head and body armor made of some thin, silvery-black metal. There were several others in the same getup around her, with guns and blades in hand. On their chests was a symbol—a red, thorny spiral.

Oh no.

Blood running cold at the sight, Maddie sat frozen. Then she almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of a single venom-dipped voice nearby.

"Bring her to me."

Maddie thought they meant her before she saw Endia being dragged over to a set of doors at the back. From there, a figure stood tall and menacing. The helm they wore was tipped back to reveal their face. Endia looked up and screamed. Maddie almost joined her.

It was a man—Maddie knew that enough from his masculine features at least. But the rest of him was like a living nightmare. She thought she might turn to stone just by his eyes alone, a deep liquid black, blacker than the deepest space. Only the dim slits of his pupils showed any semblance of sight. He had hair across his head that was like silver flames, white in some places and shiny, like blades. The skin she could see was a deep gray-blue, however, it was thin. Very thin. Almost translucent. She could practically see the shadow of his skull and the blue-black veins that spread across his temple, along his cheekbones, and down his throat. His nose was nothing but two slits, the bridge a set of ridges connecting a deep brow. His ears, sharp like the ashora's, sat close to his head. Unlike the other aliens, who at least reminded Maddie of some known creature, this man had no resemblance in reality. He might come from some hell dimension. And when he smiled down at Endia, baring sharp silver fangs, Maddie knew he was the most terrifying thing she ever saw.

Axaria Shade, the shadowmaker and crimelord of Seriph, was as horrifying in sight as the stories that were whispered about him. And Maddie knew he'd come looking for her. It was too much of a coincidence that he would show up now and find her here out of a whim. He'd known she'd wrecked his territory with her ship, and in response, he'd gone hunting.

His eyes did not yet wander over to her but leered down at Endia instead. He took out a dark blade from his waist and kept it firmly at his side. Endia made a soft whimper as she was pulled off the floor to face him, her body tense as she tried to shift away from the point of his knife.

"I believe you have something I've been looking for," Shade said, head cocked as he studied her.

Endia shook, her mouth set in a hard line. "What's that?"

"I think you know."

Maddie watched them, her body too frozen by the sight of him to move. But as they spoke, she dared to slowly peer around her. The other men were watching Shade as well, as if waiting on his command alone. Carefully, she started to inch away, hoping they wouldn't see.

"Xia Shade...I swear I didn't know you were—"

"Looking for the human?" he said, his face looming closer to Endia's.

Maddie stilled again at his words before continuing to shift away. Behind her was the other door. If she could just make it out, maybe she could break for it and find somewhere to hide...

"The message went out to all underlings. The human was to be given to me." He tapped his blade on his chest.

"I must've missed it."

"Yes. Too bad for your friends. They might have been spared if you hadn't."

"It was a mistake."

Shade's mouth widened, his face twisting into something awful. "I've had far too many mistakes from others tonight," he hissed. "You were very adamant about getting the human out into the flesh trade, weren't you? Didn't even hesitate to get them here and on the next trafficking ship."

"I had a deal with the barjia to bring good bodies to trade. I couldn't refuse," Endia admitted.

"Are those within these metal holdings good bodies you've found?"

"More or less."

"I see." Shade backed away, then turned from her toward one of the large metal crates. He unlatched the lock from the door and gripped the handle. "You've made more than one mistake. Bring her."

Endia yelped and flailed as two men dragged her over to the crate. Shade flung open the door, and the men shoved Endia inside before closing the door and locking it. From the crate came the enraged screams and wails of those caged within, the crate shaking from the sudden movement. Maddie didn't need to guess what those trapped inside were doing to Endia out of sheer revenge. She hardly thought about it. Instead, she took that moment to leap up in an attempt to race for the other door while the men were occupied.

As she stood, however, pain shot up her ankle. She stumbled first, then—fighting through the pain—rushed for the door. As she slapped her palms against it, a set of arms wrapped around her and hauled her back. Shrieking, Maddie kicked out her legs and tried to twist out of the tight hold but to no avail. Flinging her around, the man holding her brought her back, dropping her down at Shade's feet.

Shade stared down at her much in the same way he had looked at Endia. A simmering rage worked behind his deep gaze, mixed with a sliver of curiosity. Maddie's eyes dropped to the blade in his hand then back up to his horrifying face. A whimper much like the one Endia had made escaped her throat. She could see the silver pinpoints of his fangs as his lip curled ever so slightly at the corners.

"So, little human. You thought you could run away and hide." Shade tilted his head back as he studied her. "You left your ship on my land, did you know? It burned away more than half of my resources."

Maddie licked her lips, glad he couldn't see her full face—and the terror there—behind the mask. "I didn't know," she whispered.

"What was that?"

"I didn't know it was your property until I crashed. It was an accident."

"And do you usually run away from accidents to let someone else deal with it?"

"No, but..."

"But?"

Maddie lowered her eyes. "But once I knew it was yours...I was afraid to stay. So I fled."

"Afraid of the consequences? Or of me?"

"Both." Maddie's voice broke, her legs trembling.

"I see. So you know of me." A low, quiet laugh startled her. "I didn't think I was so famous among the human population."

"More like infamous." Dammit, why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? She looked up timidly and saw him nod as if in agreement.

"Yes, that would make more sense. And you knew coming here was dangerous. And yet, here you are."

"It was a mistake."

The blade twisted in his hand. Maddie shut her eyes, cursing herself. This was it, then. She was dead. She hadn’t even made it a night on Seriph, and she was going to be cut down by the monster boss himself.

"Too bad," came his hushed reply. "Take your mask off. Now. I want to see who I am meant to make pay for their mistake."

She knew it was no use arguing. With trembling hands, she grabbed the underside of the mask and carefully lifted it away. Her burgundy hair fell across her shoulders as she pulled it back and let the mask fall to the ground with a clang.

She didn't look up at him right away but instead at his feet which shifted back, his posture changing. As her gaze rose, she saw he no longer bent forward to tower over her but stood straight, his body rigid. He had grown quiet, and when their eyes finally locked, she could hardly keep his gaze before she had to look away, heat rising in her face.

She waited for his blade to come down, to slice her throat. Tears sprang at the corners of her eyes, more angry and afraid than sad. She shut her eyes, ready for the sharp cut and then the rush of blood, wondering how it had come to this.

But the cut never came. Instead, she heard him shift away, and when she opened her eyes, watched as he placed his knife back into his sheath.

“Bring her. Enforcers will start arriving soon.” He started to turn from her, to head out the doors. Maddie watched, blinking back her confusion.

“I don’t understand,” she blurted aloud.

Shade stopped and looked back at her. He watched her for a long moment before stepping back over. He gestured for one of his men to lift her. As she stood, his hand reached out, and he tipped back her chin with one sharp finger.

"You think I'd kill you?" he said quietly, his eyes boring into hers so deeply she couldn't possibly look away. His head tilted, face drawing close to hers, making Maddie tense. "No. You will pay for the damage you've caused...but some other way." His finger drew downward to trace her neck. "This is my city. And you're mine now, little human."

CHAPTER FOUR

SHADE

He watched the human closely as she sat opposite him. He could tell she was nervous—afraid still—which was to be expected. She thought he meant to kill her probably, but that was far from the case. There was no doubt that, when he'd first gone looking, murder had been on his mind. He had already been in a foul mood after the rynecore, and seeing the destruction of his property had certainly put him over the edge. He had been ready to hunt the human down and make them so afraid they stopped breathing. But then he got a true look at them.

Truthfully, he hadn’t known what to expect, nor had he cared at the time. Male, female, youth, elder. Such things wouldn’t have spared them. He’d seen his share of humans of all types throughout the years, and he always held indifference, even more times aggression—violence—given the circumstance and the human.

Because, with his kind, they weren't on good terms.

Hell, if he were being honest, they hated each other's guts. The humans had good reason. His kind—the sidonion—nearly wiped out a whole city of them back in the blade wars. And took many as prisoners, servants, and food if they had the taste for it. And the humans had gotten hold of a few of them in turn and worked horrendous experiments. Just the thought alone made the spinefibers along his back rise and the heat of anger burn in his night-black heart.

He too had once been a prisoner of theirs—for a very short time—and they didn't so much as touch him without sacrificing a limb. He'd been a commander back then but no more. Those days were long gone when he'd escaped and then disappeared to Seriph.

The transport in which they found themselves flew through the thickening city, taking him and his little prize back to his home—The Hive. He stared at her still, unable to draw his gaze away.

Because what he saw before him and what was happening to his body in response, astonished and bewildered him. He could hardly move, even speak. Few things had ever put him in such a state, yet this little human before him had managed to do so. Just the striking cast of her steel-blue eyes was making him burn. And not with anger. That much, he could tell.

Unlike him, she was attempting to avoid his gaze. It was...cute. That was not a word he ever used, but it was true. He didn't think in such a way of humans, ever. Ugly, annoying, sure. Careless, weak, absolutely. But not cute. And certainly not beautiful.

She stared out the window beside her, her bright eyes searching, looking for some sort of rescue, he'd bet. But there was none. Her hand shook as she brushed a lock of dark hair from her eyes. Yes, she was very nervous. Poor thing. She couldn't look at him. Usually, that sort of response was normal to him, even expected. But he found he wanted her to face him.

Still, he couldn't find any words. So, he kept watching instead, his eyes lingering over every part of her body as if he'd never seen a human in his life.

Perhaps it was best to wait. His men sat around him now, watching her as well. Curious too, he'd bet. It made him want her to himself before they spoke again.

As The Hive came into view, his transport began to drop, landing in an open shipyard. As soon as it touched the ground and began to power down, Shade jumped out and waited for the human to follow. She gripped the door as she attempted to step down. When she jumped, she stumbled forward, and Shade caught her firmly. She was so small compared to him, but she was firm and warm under his grasp. Surprise filled her eyes before she drew back from his touch.

"Follow me," Shade ordered and started for a set of black doors to the left side of the yard, leading into a large building made of black limenite, fortified and nearly unbreakable. He didn't bother to look back to see if she obeyed. His men would see that she did. The doors opened as he approached. Without hesitation, he entered the dark passage beyond, lit only by dim-red bulbs. To the opposite end was another door where more of his men stood guard. They stepped aside as he passed, and as the doors opened, heavy beats and strobing lights assaulted his senses. The Hive wasn't just his home and fortress but his playground, where others came to indulge as well. The club was well packed tonight, like every other. His staff stopped and greeted him as they moved about, from security to entertainers to drink carriers. Shade paused to look over the vast chamber, gazing across the crowd. From above were several stories with balconies looking over the open hexagonal dance floor. Liquid dispensaries sat at two sides, each seat taken by various occupants. And the back was a stage where a few of his dancers made their rounds. Everything looked in order and—satisfied—he continued onward toward the back elevators past the stage. The clubbers separated as he passed, and he didn’t so much as look at them. He only cared to return to some private room with the human.

A set of shouts and jeers went up above the music, and Shade halted. He turned to see that many of his clientele had spotted the human with him. His men kept them at bay though many were curious, with arms outstretched, trying to touch. The human cowered from their hands, her eyes wide with what he could assume to be awe and terror. Her face had grown paler as her gaze turned wild, looking all around her at the various Seriph folk, so different from her. He wondered if she saw actual people or only monsters.

Humans he knew stuck to their cities, rarely leaving their coveted worlds to interact with others. Whether that was because they were arrogant or scared, he couldn't say for sure, but he suspected both.

Expecting his men to keep the clientele at bay, he continued onward till he reached the elevator. From there, they went up several levels then down another passage into one of his personal workrooms. As the doors opened, Mika stood inside to greet him, his back now to the console displaying several feeds of the building.

"Wow, that didn't take as long as I expected," he said with a grin. "Did you get the human or did you just—" His eyes popped as the human in question came into view. "Shit, it's really here." He came over, getting close to the human, tugging her hair and pulling at her suit. The human made a little noise, then batted his hand away. Mika's smile widened. "I haven't seen one of them in ages. And this one looks in good condition. Real good. You're not planning to kill it, I hope."

The human's eyes glanced over at him, wanting to know the answer.

"No. But she will pay for the damages to my supply."

"A female." Mika turned to her, his eyes lighting up. "I suspected as much. Too delicate looking for a male." His hand reached again, and this time, Shade caught it.

"Yes. Now go. Make sure the perimeter is secure."

Mika glanced at the human, then back at him, and dropped his arm, nodding his head in understanding. "Of course, boss. Don't have too much fun." He started for the door with the rest of Shade's men in tow, finally leaving him alone.

As the door shut and the quiet set in, Shade glanced back at the human and noticed her eyes drop. As he watched her, he moved over to the chair by the console and took a seat. She was still very tense, her hands locked in front of her, her head bowed as if ready for a scolding. Shade leaned back in his seat, his claws slipping out just enough to catch the fabric along the chair’s arms.

He felt that need again to have her look at him, but her eyes were glued to the shiny black floor. This time, he was too impatient to wait. "Look at me," he commanded.

She didn't obey right away, but eventually, her eyes drew up to his and remained there, locked with his own. Heat simmered in his lower belly as he caught the fiery defiance in that gaze. She was still afraid, yes, but she was also angry. She wanted to fight him, but she was smart enough to know she wouldn't win.

A smile tugged at his lips. Now was the time for answers. "Why did you come here?"

Her head tilted up, her chest rising and falling. She licked her lips before she opened her mouth and said, "I didn't mean to."

Shade cocked his head. "Oh? You're saying you accidentally crashed onto Seriph?"

"Yes."

He tapped his claws on his chair. Her eyes shot down to them, widening, before returning to his face. "Tell me," he said.

She shifted, nervously. "I...I worked on a cruiser. The Atlantia. It travels around several systems."

"An entertainment vessel, correct?" He'd heard of them before.

She nodded. "There was a horrible accident. The ship...was lost. I only managed to escape in time. My pod brought me here as it was the closest place I might survive. It malfunctioned, and I couldn't land properly, which is why I crashed into your property."

Shade's eyes narrowed. "I see."

Her eyes lit up, and she grew bold enough to take a step closer to him. "So, you understand it really was an accident. I don't want to cause trouble. I just want to get home. If you could just get me on a trade ship, I could pay you for the damages after I get back. I could transfer credits over and..."

She went silent at the look he gave her. Not unlike the one he had given to the rynecore.

"No," he said in a soft, grating voice. "Accident or not, I will not let you go. I told you back at the warehouse, didn't I? You will pay for your mistake. You will remain here until I deem your payment complete."

She shifted on her feet. “I have no way to transfer money from here.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Besides, your government’s money isn’t worth anything here.” Shade reclined in his seat. “We will have to think of something else.”

She looked around her as if thinking about what that could possibly be, then she turned back to him. She let out a deep breath, “ I’ll work it off then.”

Shade hummed. “There’s an idea.”

“You could put me to work at the place I damaged. I can help repair it.”

His mouth curled to one side as he tapped at the arm of his seat. As if he would let her be that far from him. She’d make a run for it as soon as she was able.

“No,” he said. “You’ll work here.”

Her eyes grew angry again, her mouth deepening into a frown. "In this place? I'll be eaten alive before anything can be settled."

Shade couldn't help smirking at that. "Possibly, but not by those below. I will see to your safety. All of my workers are well protected. There is only one you will need to fear of such a possibility here, and he sits before you."

Her expression told him she understood that well.

"So, with that settled," he continued, "tell me what you did on this vessel, and perhaps we can find something that fits here."

She fidgeted again on her feet, biting her bottom lip. The gesture made him dig his claws into the arm of his seat. It was so strange and quite fascinating, to see the reaction she pulled from him. He'd been with many others before, of all different kinds, but never a human, mainly because of the loathing he'd felt and because they weren't exactly common in Seriph. But for the first time, this little human before him made him want a taste. He was very tempted. But business came first, and he needed to place her in his care now before others started looking.

"I was just a cleaner, maintenance of the ship," she said squarely.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

He studied her for a long moment. Her suit was baggy, with several patches on each of her arms and a set of lights across the collar. It was a flight suit, nothing more. Judging by her story, he doubted she had time to change into some other attire, unless… “ Where were you at the time the ship went down?" he asked.

She gave him a curious look. "I was walking back to my unit after a shift change."

"I see." His eyes lingered over her again. "Take off your suit."

She stiffened. "Why would I—"

"That's just a mere flight suit, is it not? You'll need something more proper to wear if you are to work for me."

She hesitated, and it was almost enough to give her away.

"You do have other clothes underneath, I take it? After all, you didn't have time to change, unless you're about to tell me you had a moment to strip naked before the ship fell, which I doubt."

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

"So. Take it off. Now."

She didn't move, and he knew then she was hiding something. He leapt from his chair and moved toward her. "Then I'll do it myself."

"No!" She put her hand out to stop him. She lowered her hand, then clasped it to the zipper of her suit. "Wait."

"I don't like waiting, you'll find," he said, baring his teeth.

Her throat bobbed, then she closed her eyes tight. "Fine."

With shaky fingers, she undid the clasps of her suit, then carefully slid the zipper down. Shade's eyes followed her hand as it slid downward. When she had it unzipped all the way, she paused before letting the suit fall from her shoulders to slide down her legs.

Shade took in every inch of her. The spinefibers along his back and neck stood on end, almost making him shiver.

"I may not be very accustomed to human fashion, but something deep down tells me that attire is not appropriate for the job of a cleaner, would you agree?" he said in a quiet, almost seething voice.

Her body straightened as she cast her eyes down to hide the fire in her gaze. "No...it's not," she whispered.

She wore what he could only assume was some kind of entertainment attire. A slip of clothing covered her chest, stomach, and lower regions. Her thighs were bare, showing long, smooth limbs. The clothing in question was a creamy white with shiny gems coating the chest and hips.

He moved closer and heard her catch her breath in a soft gasp, surprised by his quick movement. She went rigid as he moved to circle her.

"Then you are not a cleaner, are you?"

She shook her head.

"What, then?"

"I'm—a dancer," she choked out. "I was a dancer on the ship."

"Then that makes much more sense." He came around to face her. "But you lied. Is it because you loathe the idea of entertaining those you deem below you?"

"What? I...no. No, that's not it."

"Then why?"

"I don't want to be seen at all."

Shade drifted around to her side, then stopped again at her back. Carefully, he brought up his hand and lightly brushed the locks of dark hair from her shoulder. Her skin rose in tiny bumps, and she shivered at his touch. Her hair was soft and silky, and he liked the feel. Closer now than before, he noticed the sweet scent that came off her, mixed with the metallic tang of fear.

"You can't hide, my little human. You know that."

"I'm not your little human."

He froze in surprise at her sudden feistiness. "What's your name?"

"Madelyn."

He drew around again to face her. "Madelyn. You will dance for me. That will be your payment." He stepped away and sat back in his chair. "But you will have to prove yourself still for the floor. I need to see what you can do." He rested his chin on his knuckles. "Show me."

She didn't move. He wasn't sure if it was out of fear or rebellion or both. He waited anyway, and when she could see he wasn't playing around, she looked about her as if searching for something. Her eyes fixed on a set of thick metal wires hanging off the ceiling to one side.

"What are those for?"

Strange thing to ask. Still, he answered. "They were used for tying up those I needed to interrogate."

She looked back at him with such a look of disgust he couldn't help laughing. She started for them, her gait slow and careful, as if she were afraid to trip on her own two feet. When she reached the wires, she took a pair in each hand, both almost as thick as her forearms.

For a moment, she stood there, as if trying to force herself to move. Then, with little effort, she lifted herself, climbing up midway before wrapping each wire around her arms. She swung, lifting her legs and then arching her back. She did a series of poses as she swung on the wires before sliding down to almost touch the ground. She loosened one rope and gripped the other in one hand as she slowly revolved with one leg bent and the other outstretched behind her.

She circled and bent and sometimes even flipped upside down. Her lithe body showed impressive flexibility and dexterity that he'd never encountered in one such as she.

It was an odd dance if you could even call it that. He had expected her to move in front of him in some way, with her feet firmly on the ground. But this sort of rope dance was intriguing if not beautiful. At least, she made it beautiful. And the way she arched and twisted was still seductive in every way. Heat burned through him at the sight as he watched her in quiet fascination.

When she finished, she dropped down lightly, her skin shiny from small beads of sweat, yet she hardly looked breathless.

"Impressive," he said at last. "Though I wouldn't call that much of a dance."

"It's not usually done with these," she pointed to the wires, "but with silks. We call it aerial dancing. I can do other types of dances but...this is my specialty."

"I see." Shade released his claws from his lap, unaware he had been tightly gripping his legs. He slid them back into place. "It will do." He stood, hitting a button on the console. A second later, a pair of his men stepped through the door.

"Take her to the show quarters," he said.

"Wait."

He glanced back around at her. She stepped away from the ropes, moving closer to him, and stopped a few feet away. "Please let me just contact someone. I will stay, I will pay my debt. But please let me tell someone I am here, so when the time comes, I will have a way off."

"I wouldn't worry about it." He closed the distance between them. He lifted his hand once more to trace the side of her face with one clawed finger, brushing away a lock of hair. "In time, if you are a good girl and don't try to escape, as I'm sure you've already contemplated, we shall see. For now, worry only about what you owe me." His mouth widened, showing her his silver smile. "Please me, and I may be generous."

CHAPTER FIVE

MADDIE

Shade's men escorted her away from the chamber, leading Maddie down a flight of stairs and through to another side of the club. The place was huge, and from what she could see as she walked along, there were many more rooms in The Hive than just the main floor. On one floor which they moved quickly along, she saw a room leading into a bar lit blue all around, and from each corner, she could see alien folk inside glass tanks. They looked like evil mermaids, women with fish scales for skin, white eyes like a wraith, and gills along their necks. They were floating about inside their large tanks doing slow circles and flips, smiling out at customers.

The club-goers in question were all strange and unique—and sometimes scary. A few even resembled humans (mostly the ashora, though they looked more elven), and the rest looked like beasts or creatures from worlds she'd never care to step on. Scales, fur, tentacles, sharp red eyes, and shiny black talons overwhelmed her on every side. There was one who sat beside the balcony and had the face and body of a spider, their webs sticking to the table and chair. They hissed at her as she passed, and Maddie had to choke down a scream. The place was a monster's retreat, and she felt like a piece of bait being strung along, ready to be devoured. Eyes watched her from afar and some even tried to touch her, but Shade's men made sure to stop them.

Eventually, they left the main areas of the club to enter into a quiet, more private part of the facility. There were still aliens moving about, but their attire and the way they carried themselves told Maddie they were not customers but workers. She followed on down another passage until they came to a rounded black door that opened as they approached. Maddie stopped just a little way past the door, hearing it slide and click shut behind her.

The room was wide with a round, domed top. The lights were low, but Maddie could see others lounging and conversing on long seats, some sitting at a series of booths with dark mirrors along one wall–what looked like vanities. They all wore various pieces of clothing, some adorned with jewels or shiny, thick belts like leather. Heads turned her way to stare, a few meeting to talk in low whispers. Maddie tried to not make any eye contact, knowing it was a universal sign of wanting trouble if you locked eyes for too long. She gathered most of those in jeweled or leather-like clothing were female judging by their more slender features, though she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure. A group of ashora talked nearby, and they looked much like Endia had. Hairless, pale as snow, with deep black eyes, targeted right at her.

"So, he wasn't joking. He really did catch a human?"

Maddie turned toward the voice and saw another ashora, this one older, her skin turned gray. She wore a black robe with swirling red designs along the sleeves and back. She looked straight at Maddie with a scrutinizing glare.

"He wants her ready for tonight. For the third showing," said one of the men.

The old ashora crossed her arms. "That's only a few hours away. He really likes to work me to death, doesn't he? The bastard. He could at least come down every once in a while and make the updates I asked for, with all the work I put in."

"You'll get them in time, Shenra, but right now, Shade says this human is the main priority."

"Of course.” Shenra threw up her hands. “Fine, then. She'll be ready just like the good boss asks. Now get out. I have a lot to do."

The men left without a word. Maddie stood there as Shenra looked her over. She came around and circled her, plucking at her hair and her clothing.

"We will have to wash you first. You smell like something burned. And you have soot on your face. Get into an accident, did you? Don't tell me. I don't have time to care." She took hold of Maddie's arm firmly and began to pull her away. "When we're through, throw your clothes out."

"Hold on." Maddie shook her hand away. "Why can't I wear what I have? It's perfectly fine for—"

Shenra stopped to frown at her. "It's not fine for here. Or anywhere in Seriph, human. You wear what fits this place. And this is not it."

Maddie glanced around at what the others were wearing. Strips of thin fabric, tight, leather-like clothing that hugged their figures. No pure and shiny here but dark, seductive, and baring more skin than her own uniform.

"Come on, I don't have time. You'll explain your act to me while we get you ready, eh?" She took hold of Maddie's arm again and pulled her toward another door opposite, opening to a long passage. Maddie let her, taking in everything she saw, including where the doors and windows were located. Shade wasn't wrong—the idea of finding an escape was still on her mind even now. But she couldn't do anything yet. Not with Shenra watching. She suspected the woman was some kind of club manager or head. As she drew Maddie away from the main chamber and into another, the ashora barked orders at others as they passed, and the workers obeyed without protest.

Shenra brought Maddie into a smaller, emptier room consisting of several medium-sized, square-shaped pools. Steam rose from each, indicating they were baths.

"Take off your clothes and get in. Don't make me ask twice," Shenra warned when she saw Maddie was about to protest. She walked over to one wall and pressed a set of buttons until the bath before her began to foam and bubble. "The bath cleans all. Just dip your hair under and soak for several clicks. I will be back after." She left without another word, leaving Maddie alone.

Maddie looked down at the tub, tempted by its warmth and a strong need to bathe. She was coated in soot, dirt, and sweat. She could try to fight her way out, but she knew there were guards all around. Better to wait. And better to feel clean again.

Slowly, she took off her clothes and stepped into the bath. Shade popped into her head as she sat down. Her heart was only just starting to slow after it had been racing just a few moments before when Shade had gotten so close. She could practically feel the heat coming from him. He was truly terrifying. His silver fangs close to her face and his red-tipped claws, just barely brushing against her skin, made her shiver. She'd see his eyes when she closed her own, so dark, wicked, and inhuman. The way he stared at her made her heart jump and her stomach twist.

She knew he hated humans, yet he'd kept her alive. He could have just killed her, but he wanted her here instead. Maybe only to play with her.

She stared at the wall across and wished she didn't feel so damn afraid. But there was little else she could feel at that moment. She needed a plan of escape. But she’d already seen how fortified the place was. And she didn't want to even contemplate what he'd do to her if she were caught.

For now, she would have to play by his rules. She'd dance as he wanted, keep out of trouble, and try not to think about why he touched her or got so close. As if he wanted more from her than what was said.

Because that would be impossible. So, it could only mean he was toying with her after all. Maybe because he liked seeing her scared.

She had a feeling she would find out more soon enough.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves, making herself believe she could survive this, that she could survive him.

Help is coming. It has to. Just wait it out, Maddie, and you'll make it through this. Just do as he wants and dance. Dance and smile like your damn life depends on it. She repeated this over and over in her mind, then took another deep breath and dunked underneath the water.

"Human hair is such a pain. It just knots and—look—gets everywhere!" The ashora tugged at Maddie's hair as she protested to another who was working on cleaning Maddie's nails. The pair were told by Shenra to, "Fix her up and make her decent for the stage," only to complain the whole way. Earlier, when she had left the bath, Shenra had come to her about her act, and Maddie had given her an idea of it just like she had Shade. She tried to describe how she would dangle from long but sturdy fabric which was secured somehow to the ceiling. They didn't have silk (nor did they know what that was), but Shenra was sure she could find a substitute. She had left as soon as she had ordered the pair to work on getting Maddie ready for the stage.

Maddie's heart was racing again. She always got a little nervous before any act, but this time was obviously different. She feared she might choke more easily when she saw the hundreds of alien eyes staring at her. And she still hadn't mentioned to anyone about the injury she'd gotten from Endia in the warehouse. Her ankle was still a little swollen, and though she could pretend enough to walk fine, she still felt the sharp pain every time she did. Which meant bending it wrong could leave it even worse.

She could tell someone, but she had a feeling now was too late. They weren't going to stop the show, and she didn't expect them to care as long as she could dance properly. So, she would have to endure.

Once the ashora finished pinning Maddie's hair in an intricate braid, she started on her makeup while her partner stopped trimming her nails in order to take out Maddie's new uniform. They had her wrapped in a robe similar to Shenra’s, and when they finally deemed her presentable in their eyes, they handed over the thin fabric and told her to dress.

Maddie could already tell just by studying the clothing that it was hardly a uniform and more strips of fabric that would cling to the right areas. She'd be practically naked, and even as a dancer who had worn her share of provocative attire to shows, this was crossing the line. She wasn't an exotic dancer, even if some considered aerials and silk dance to be seductive. She respected those who did the more erotic sort of dance, but it was not her kind of work. And the implication was there. They didn't care so much about her performance more than they wanted to give their clientele a fine look at the rare human few eyes had ever seen.

Dropping the uniform, Maddie started for the door of the small changing room they had placed her in and almost knocked into Shenra who appeared around the corner.

"Why aren't you dressed?" she asked, clearly irritated. "You're going on in several moments. You can't be late."

"I won't wear that." Maddie pointed to the clothing in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Shenra's eyes drifted down to it and then back up to her. Her black eyes glittered, and a slight smirk played on her lips. "So be it." She started to turn away as if it meant little to her.

"Wait, where is my old uniform?" Maddie asked, stopping her.

Shenra looked back. "It's gone. Trashed. And I'm afraid I have nothing more to offer you in terms of clothing. But if you really are set on not wearing it, well..." She shrugged. "You can always go with nothing at all. That will be sure to delight everyone involved, which, I might add, is the biggest crowd we've had in six cycles. The city wants to see the little human, and they'll love to see all of you the most."

Maddie's face heated. "I want to talk to Shade."

"You can't."

Maddie gritted her teeth. This was bullshit but she knew if she refused to dance it would only make matters worse.

Still, she said, "I won't do it,"

Shenra turned to face her. "Fine, I’ll tell Shade you refused.”

“Go ahead,” she said, calling the woman’s bluff.

“And you’ll have to go out there yourself and tell them you're not dancing and why.”

“What?” Maddie said.

“Those are the rules.”

“Whose rules?”

“Mine. And I'll have men drag you out bare and all if I have to. Whether you dance or not. So which would you prefer?” Shenra said. “Keep your dignity intact or be humiliated. Your choice."

She was already being humiliated so what did it matter? But damn Shenra if she wasn't right about wanting to keep some dignity intact.

Maddie stood there staring Shenra down, but the old ashora wouldn't budge. Her anger fell into defeat.

"Fine." Maddie turned and picked the uniform back up. "I'd rather have something than nothing."

"Good thinking." Shenra turned away. "Now get dressed quickly. You've already wasted enough time."

Maddie stood just behind the stage, feeling like she might get sick. Heart hammering in her chest, she stared out at the many hundreds—if not thousands—of eyes fixated on the stage. Just as Shenra had assured, there was a pair of long pieces of red cloth secured to a metal bar that reminded Maddie of the metal fixtures used for lighting stages on her old ship. The cloth looked strong enough, even if it wasn't the usual kind she performed with.

The space was lit up for all to see, making the shadows seem darker beyond. The crowds were packed all the way to the front, shoulder to shoulder, eyes burning bright, sharp teeth shining. They hollered and barked and hissed, impatient to get a glimpse of her. Maddie couldn't move, her body frozen on the spot. It wasn't just the stage fright that kept her in place but the idea of being so vulnerable.

And worse, she realized she'd never told Shenra what kind of music to play—or they might not play any at all. She had no cue to go on. She would have to improvise the whole thing.

As the lights dimmed into a softer shade of grayish-blue, someone from behind her nudged her forward.

"Go. Go on! Don't lose it on me now!" Shenra hissed nearby.

Another nudge and Maddie stumbled forward. She caught herself and, taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way on stage, keeping her eyes latched on to the twin pairs of cloth. The crowd cheered and yelled louder as she approached. She grabbed both pieces firmly, her knuckles going white.

She refused to look any of the club-goers in the eye. Her face heated thinking about how bare she felt. The uniform clung to her body in strips of black fabric, like a spider's web covering her from collarbone down to her wrists and ankles. Even with the appearance of her being fully covered, she was not, as the fabric was thin, mostly see-through. When she'd looked at herself in the dark mirror, she could see almost everything as if the uniform was made to show off her body and her figure rather than keep it hidden. It took all her will to leave the changing room, covering her chest with her arms as if that might help.

Now, she was beyond the care of being practically naked. All she could think about was getting through the performance without freezing up—and freaking out.

A slow beat started to boom all across the chamber, not completely like human music but not totally unfamiliar either. There were no vocals which was fine by her. Thinking of her routine back on the ship, she chose one act in particular from a few years ago that she thought might fit and wasn't too strenuous. The song that she'd used for the act also had a slow beat.

Taking another deep breath, Maddie lifted herself. Then, using her legs and arms, began to climb her way up the no-silk ropes. As she climbed near to the top, she did her first few positions, spreading her legs then curling into herself before wrapping the no-silks around her ankles to hang upside down. As she worked through each set, she hummed the song she remembered from her routine. She knew Shade must be watching somewhere nearby and, funny enough, she envisioned him the whole time, as she softly sang the lyrics from that song.

You don't own me. No...no. You don't own me.

With new energy, springing into her like fire, Maddie swung and flipped with little effort, feeling as always like she was weightless, floating above all. It made her feel more powerful in a place that kept her powerless.

The people's hollering and barking grew quieter as she zoned out, taking herself away from the club and into her own little world, where she was alone, dancing to her own music.

Eventually, her routine came to an end, and she did the last stunt, wrapping the no-silk around her in such a way that, as she fell back—unraveling herself—she dropped then quickly stopped short just before hitting the ground, the cloth catching her where it was still wrapped around her ankles.

The crowd grew so loud that they snapped her out of her little dream and slammed her back into reality. Gasping, she quickly reached up to take hold of the cloth, unwrapped her ankles, then set herself down firmly with her feet on the ground.

As she steadied herself, her head lifted and this time focused in on the clubbers. They drew closer, some even beginning to claw up the stage.

Usually, at the end of a performance, she smiled and bowed. But now, she could only stand there frozen again, eyes wide, body tense as she saw the aliens reaching for her. Terror gripped her insides as she took in the hoard.

Like a wave, they gathered closer to the front. Those closest to the stage finally climbed up. Shade's men came out of the shadows and blocked their way, but they couldn't handle them all. A few got past, and as they reached for her, Maddie backed away.

"So lovely, come here, come here!" some of them shouted. Strange faces of reptiles, dogs, and dark elves. One grabbed her arm while others got tangled in her hair. Maddie tried to bat them away, a scream tearing up her throat.

There was a spark of chaos before the crowds parted. Shade's men grabbed the rest of the clubbers who'd snuck past them as Shade himself came onto the stage.

"Enough," he growled. His voice carried somehow through some unseen device. It boomed across the club like a shockwave, and in an instant, there was silence.

The people in unison cowered before him as if he were a dark god that had teleported into their presence and threatened to end them. They backed away, and those who had come onto the stage escorted themselves off as Shade's men followed.

Shade observed the seriphons carefully, holding their complete attention before his hand rose, and he signaled to one of his men.

Before Maddie could think, she was being pulled toward him and made to stand before the menacing alien who never took his wicked eyes away from those staring back up at him. His hand drew up toward her and encircled the back of her neck firmly, making her body instantly tense. He carefully drew her close to him, forcing her to look out at the crowd.

"I have given you all a chance at seeing this gift, and this is how you act," he hissed. "You know the rules. None of my workers are to be touched." As he said it, the crowd backed away, and Maddie flinched in his grasp, his hand keeping her steady. One of his fingers gently caressed the back of her nape, brushing her with the tip of one claw, making her shiver. "I think this will be her one and last dance since you can't seem to control yourselves."

The crowd moaned and cried, begging him to let her stay. Shade watched them, showing no real remorse for the decision. Maddie shifted her gaze up toward him and thought she even caught the slightest curling of his mouth.

Shade waited for the pleas to die out before he spoke again. "I will forgive you just this once. But if you cannot control yourselves, she will disappear for good."

Maddie looked back at him again, her stomach twisting. What the hell did that mean?

The seriphons seemed to understand this. They barked and cheered their praise, thankful for his forgiveness. They moved again like a wave toward the stage, the fear now gone and replaced with pulsing excitement as the lights dimmed and music began to play.

Still gripping her firmly, Shade moved her around to face him. "Look at me," he said in a cool, almost calming voice. Maddie found it hard to disobey, his eyes so easy to fall into and become lost in the darkness. His sliver pupils raked over her as if searching for something, and she shivered again at his stare.

The air felt tight around them, like a string being pulled, until he released his hand from her and waved another man over, the stoney one named Mika. "Make sure she gets back to Shenra safely," he ordered without taking his gaze from her. "Make sure the woman checks her over thoroughly before bringing her to me."

Mika said something in response, but Maddie didn't hear it. She held Shade's gaze, standing her ground until she felt herself being pulled away, taken off the stage, and out of sight.

CHAPTER SIX

MADDIE

"First night and already a torn uniform." Shenra tsked, plucking at the tear on Maddie's shoulder. "I should have figured you'd make things difficult."

"It wasn't my fault I got attacked on stage," Maddie snapped.

"Maybe not. But you could certainly use some lessons in defense, eh?" The old ashora dropped her hand and sighed. “Take it off, then, so I can fix it. We'll get you something new to wear before you go to Shade."

"Why?"

The ashora looked at her, unblinking. "Why what?"

"Why must I go? I've done my job, haven't I?"

The ashora smiled, revealing her black teeth, then laughed. "Your work isn't done until the bloodsun rises, silly human."

"Don't you people sleep?"

"Sure we do, just not like you." Shenra swirled around toward a thin black cabinet and opened it wide, revealing other garments. "The night is our kingdom and our time to work and play. So it will be yours too."

Maddie had no response for that since she figured any excuse that meant she was tired wasn't going to fly. She'd crashed her pod, ran away from aliens, then been forced to dance, but a human's will meant little to them. She was feeling the exhaustion coming on quickly, but the night wasn't over.

Shenra offered her a dress made of the same material as the long no-silks she had used to dance with and in the same deep red. There was a leather-like sash for her waist where, from the mid-section, two thin pieces of the fabric hung front and back, barely covering the slip of no-silk underwear underneath while exposing her thighs. Her breasts were also only covered by two pieces of red cloth falling in a V to her stomach. It covered a little more than the uniform she had danced in but not by much.

As she slipped on a pair of leather-like sandals, they rebraided her hair, which had gotten unraveled by one alien's hand, and fixed her makeup, which had smeared from sweat. Shenra then offered a silver-lined cup filled with a dark green liquid.

"Drink," she ordered.

Maddie took the cup and sniffed but didn't drink. "What is it?"

"I'd hardly expect you to recognize its name. Just know it will revitalize you."

Maddie arched a brow but was still hesitant. Shenra sighed then took hold of the drink and forced it to Maddie's lips.

"It will keep you from falling asleep, so you don't go passing out while entertaining Shade and his guests."

The liquid hit Maddie's tongue like minty fire. She let a little slide down her throat before she gagged and turned her head away. Shenra tried to make her drink more, but she refused.

"Can't say I didn't try," Shenra said, placing the cup down on the vanity before them.

"I have to dance again?" Maddie choked, wiping her mouth.

"Maybe, if they ask. Or Shade just wants your company. Who can say? It's not my business why he wants you specifically." Shenra took hold of the old uniform and made for the door, calling to someone in the main room. One of Shade's men appeared. "She's ready." She didn't so much as look back or say goodnight as she disappeared, leaving Maddie with the guard who looked like a mangy wolf.

The guard silently led Maddie out of the dressing rooms, through the show quarters, and back into The Hive's main floors. The club was still packed as they swept down one balcony side, and she could see down into the main dance floor. He took her down toward the front of the building until they came to a private door guarded by two other men. They let them pass only to reveal a stairway leading up to a floor above. The guard climbed the steps two at a time but Maddie kept her pace slow. At the top was a short hallway leading to another door. As they approached, the guard stopped beside the door as it opened. Maddie almost walked into a pair of workers—one female ashora and a snake-like alien with yellow eyes she’d learned were called nilgani. They wore tight-fit outfits made of leather-like scraps. They eyed her up and giggled as they passed, speaking too softly for her to hear. Once they disappeared out of sight, Maddie stood at the opening to peer inside.

It was a lounge, smaller than the others she’d seen and clearly more private. On the right was a small bar, and to the left was a wide windowpane looking out on the club below. To the back were a few private booths, currently empty. The walls were swathed in thick curtains except for the window. Beside the window was a long, marble, black table where several people, including Shade, sat. Some workers sat on the laps of those she assumed were Shade's guests. The workers caressed them, whispering in their ears as the men drank from their cups. A few smoked from silver pipes, wisps of blue smoke wafting in the air. Shade, of course, sat at the head of the table, no girl straddling his thighs, but he leaned back, legs parted as if one had, perhaps one of those who had left.

Maddie tried to hide the heat rising up her neck and face at the thought as she stood at the door. Someone was speaking to Shade, and he seemed to be listening intently until his eyes shifted over to her.

"Go on, girl," a voice beside her said. Maddie looked over at the mangy guard dog who growled softly.

Hissing through her teeth, she cautiously made her way inside and over to where Shade and the others sat.

Most of his guests were ashora, only they had their faces painted in a skull-like shape. The paint, coupled with their pointed ears, reminded her more of a cat's skull than a human's. A few members of some lizard race were there as well, with pale gray skin and red eyes. They watched her intently as she approached, their gaze making her skin crawl.

"I thought maybe you had been playing a trick, Shade. But I see I was wrong," said one of the ashora at the opposite end of the table. "She is real. Haven't seen a human in Seriph in a long time."

"Only seen them in the market a few times," replied one of the lizards. "Is that where you found this one?"

Shade didn't take his eyes off her as a smile played on his lips. "Maybe she'd like to tell you herself." His claws were out, curling from his fingertips as they tapped lightly on the table.

Maddie watched those claws for a moment as if transfixed before glancing up at the others. She licked her lips and swallowed and then said, "I crashed here."

A few of them laughed low, though she couldn't see what was so funny about it.

"How unlucky for you," said the ashora, laughing. "And how fortunate for us." He looked to Shade, grinning as he brought a pipe to his lips. “Where did you catch her? No surprise you would find her first.”

“She crashed on one of my energy deposits.” Shade’s head tilted back, and she caught a wicked spark in his gaze. "She fled the scene, but I found her with ease not far into the city."

One of the ashora reached out for her, and Maddie quickly flinched back from his grasp. They laughed again.

"Jumpy little thing," said the ashora at the end of the table. He was taller and lankier than the others, so she assumed he was the head of whatever gang they were in. He took a slow drag from his pipe as he eyed her carefully then let the blue smoke trail upward from his thin lips. "Come on, human, sit and join us."

Maddie didn't move. Her eyes searched around the table. There were no empty chairs. The only places to sit were at the bar, but the chairs there looked welded to the floor. She could try to sit on the table, but it was covered with food and drinks and whatever drug they filled their pipes with. She had a suspicion she knew just where they expected her to sit—on one of their laps—but she wasn't going to succumb to that so easily, so instead, she took a seat right on the floor where she'd been standing.

They laughed even louder.

"Oh, she's perfect, Shade," the head ashora laughed. "I like them stubborn. Or maybe she's simple-minded. Both traits are good in pets."

Maddie's knuckles went white as she drew her knees up and clenched her fists. White hot anger rose, ready to burst. "I'm not simpleminded, and I am not his pet."

Their eyes widened at that, yet they continued to laugh. A few looked over at Shade to see his response. Maddie was curious too. She met his gaze and saw he didn't laugh like the others; he merely smiled down at her as if greatly amused. She wanted to wipe that smirk clean off him.

"It's true," he said after a moment. "She's not my pet. But she is working for me now, to pay off the damage her ship caused."

"That’s very generous of you," replied the head ashora. "You've killed for lesser offenses to your territory."

"I have but I saw that she'd be of more use to me alive."

"A smart decision."

Conversation about their territories continued, swaying focus from her temporarily. Maddie sat on the cool floor waiting to be dismissed, hoping they'd lost interest. She could hear the bumping of the music from the floors below and wondered if she'd ever get any sleep or if her nerves were too wound up now for such a possibility. She was hungry too. She eyed the food on the table, wondering if any of it was even edible to her.

As if feeling watched, she glanced over to see Shade studying her again as the others talked amongst themselves. Feeling small and childlike under his glare, she felt herself tense up again, drawing her knees tighter into her chest as she hugged them. Even as nervous as she was, she refused to break his stare, giving him a defiant look right back.

"Your ass is going to get real sore sitting there like that, girl," said the head ashora, noticing her again. "Why don't you come sit here instead?" He grinned as he tapped his hand on his lap.

Just as she expected. She shook her head, not moving an inch. "I'm fine right here."

"Don't be so timid, pet."

"I'm not a pet."

"All right, no need to get defensive." The ashora smirked. "Do you have a name?"

"Madelyn."

"Medalon?"

"No. Just...Maddie."

"Just Maddie. Humans have weird ass names."

Maddie clenched her jaw as they laughed again.

"Maddie," the ashora said seriously, then appeared to think. "Madd...ie. It suits you. Maddie the mad girl."

Maddie's face went red, but she clamped her mouth shut. Just let them have their fun, she thought.

"Come on, mad girl, get up."

Maddie didn't move an inch. "No."

One of the ashora leapt from his chair and went to bend down to drag her up when one word from Shade stopped him.

"Sit."

The ashora froze, then slowly sat back in his chair.

"There's no need for her to be a rude bitch for nothing, Shade. Make her get up. She looks stupid."

As if he had all the time in the world and was not in the least bit worried about their sudden temper, Shade took up his drink and savored it before setting it back down. "You don't make her do anything. You compromise."

The head ashora scoffed. "Please."

Shade's smile returned. "You doubt me, but you of all people should know I can be persuasive, Kronos."

Kronos didn't look like he could argue that. "But she'll do whatever you say."

"Maybe out of intimidation." Shade shrugged. "But I don't need to scare her more than she already is. My workers stay, not because of their fear for me but because of what I can give them."

Kronos arched his hairless brow in interest. Maddie looked over at Shade, just as curious too.

“What?” Kronos said, “More than the insane amount of credits you already offer them?”

“Sometimes, yes.”

Maddie wondered what he thought he could possibly give her in return for her compliance.

Shade turned back to her and, as if hearing her thoughts, said, "You can sit there, and no one will touch you." His eyes shifted warningly to the other ashora before moving back to her. "But it would please me if you came to me."

Maddie frowned. She remembered their conversation about if she pleased him, he might consider letting her contact someone...that he might be generous. But she had to play nice.

Still, Maddie didn't move from her spot. She could say no. He wasn't going to make her because he didn't need to. The bastard knew he might be able to sway her.

But screw him if he thought it would be that easy.

Shade's smile widened when she sat still on the floor. "If you come to me," he said calmly, "I will cut some of the debt you owe. And every half-span of time you stay by my side, I will cut double."

Maddie now sat there in shock. Was he serious?

Kronos whistled. "That's quite a bargain. But will she take the bait?"

By Shade’s expression, she knew he was serious. But why would he want that? "If I sit with you," she said quietly. "And that's all?"

"That's all. "

She felt sure it was some sort of trap. Still, the offer was too tempting. "How can I trust your word? I don't even know how much I owe."

Shade seemed to think that over. "We never did discuss the exact price, did we?" He moved his hand along the table and tapped on the surface. In response, a blue holographic image of the city appeared before them. With a wave of his hand, he moved it away and instead brought up what looked like sets of data filled with hundreds of names and numbers. With his fingers typing effortlessly along the table surface, a name and number were finally brought up.

Madelyn 50,000,000 credits

Maddie saw the number, and her heart sank. Something told her it would take many nights to finish that amount off, no matter how well-paid the workers were.

"And since you did one show and would have been credited the same amount as other dancers..." Shade's fingers clicked around again, and the number changed.

Madelyn 49, 982,000 credits

Great.

The gang laughed as they saw the number.

"Looks like we're going to get to see a lot of you for a while, mad girl."

Maddie gave Kronos a vicious glare, but it only made him laugh harder. She wished she had a stunner gun so she could shoot every one of them, quieting them for good.

She looked back at Shade and wondered if he was really serious about his offer or if he was just playing with her. His expression made it hard for her to tell. Still, as much as she hated to consider it, she was tempted. Shade scared her, yes, but there was something about him that made her believe he wasn't tricking her. He wasn't the type to lie. A murderous, violent, criminal, sure, but not a liar. He was a man of his word.

Maddie's eyes fell from the group, looking down at her now clean-cut nails and lotioned skin. Down to the slip of a dress exposing her bare legs. She'd be calling this place home for a long time. Or she could just sit like he asked, a seemingly innocent offer, and cut even a little off. It wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it? Even if it felt like the devil was asking for a sliver of her soul despite something so simple.

They waited for her answer, but when she didn't give any, Shade steered the conversation somewhere else, talking about tradeships and the price of something called metadryn. She had a feeling he wasn't going to make the offer to her again, and the longer she waited, the harder it might become.

Closing her eyes, she felt her nails digging into her skin and relaxed. One time. She'd do it this one time just to get the amount lowered, even a little, even if she wanted to prove him wrong instead.

Slowly, she unbent her legs, then rose. A few glanced at her but said nothing, expecting that she was probably a coward and would move off over to the bar to sit in silence. Instead, she took a step forward, and that got the rest quiet.

Heart hammering, she moved closer to Shade's side. He glanced up at her and tilted his head.

"Okay," she murmured.

"What was that?" he asked.

Her face heated. "I'll sit with you."

He didn't smile. He did lean back, his legs parting slightly as if he expected her to sit on his lap. Maddie didn’t move, only stared at the large alien mass sitting in the chair. He wore blue-black attire, like a soldier's uniform with sturdy armor pads at his shins and upper arms, as if he were semi-ready for a fight at all times. The twisted insignia of Shadowfell was on his left breast. The uniform fit him nicely and she wished it didn't.

Heart fluttering, she found herself frozen. Their eyes met and she caught a spark of hope in his gaze. But when she didn’t move, the spark was gone and he glanced at the alien beside him. “Move,” he ordered.

The reptilian looked peeved but did as he was told, reluctantly relinquishing his seat.

She sat down and shifted a little, still nervous to be so close—to almost be touching—this terrifying alien. Her body was rigid, and she dared not look back to meet his eyes. His hand, which had been resting on the arm of his seat, reached out and moved the chair a little closer.

The others watched, curious and maybe even envious. Maddie didn't pay them much attention, her focus sharpened on Shade.

As he leaned into her, she felt his breath on her shoulder and then on her throat. "It's all right, you can relax," he whispered, sending shivers down her spine. "Look..." His other hand reached across the table and tapped on the surface where a glowing pad could be seen. The image of her name and debt shrank down in size, and he slid his hand to move the data closer in front of them. He tapped on the surface pad again, and the debt number changed. 49,982,000 to 49,961,000. He tapped a final time, and the numbers slowly descended.

Oddly enough, seeing her debt being marginally sliced away relaxed her, even if only a little.

"See?" Shade said in a low voice. "I mean what I say. And it will not rise...unless you break something else of mine."

The others laughed softly. Kronos clapped his hands, impressed.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Shade." Kronos raised his glass, then drank it down, setting the empty cup in front of him. "Maybe I could learn a thing or two. But then, I'm not a patient man like you. I think I would rather just do it the easy way." He grinned with his nasty black teeth at Maddie, and she looked back at him in disgust. "Maybe you'll have her well and trained before that debt is even halfway gone."

She could feel Shade smiling beside her. His talons teased the surface of the table, grazing gently. "Like I had you trained before I'd even paid you in full, Kronos?"

Kronos' smile was wiped away as if he had been smacked. Maddie had to keep the smirk from growing on her face. Serves you right, asshole.

Kronos reclined back and shrugged the comment off. "I think we are gonna call it a night if it's all the same to you. Have a load of shipments to still place for the metadryn before the bloodsun rises."

"I think that is wise."

The gang rose with Kronos and they—along with the rest of the workers—followed him out of the lounge. Kronos looked back at her with his own vicious glance before he disappeared out the door.

Maddie would have sighed in relief at their departure, but now she was alone with Shade.

His fingers tapped lazily before her. She watched them in fascination.

Feeling the tension building again, Maddie tried to fill the silence. "Who were those men?"

"The valeskull gang. Contractors. I hire them for specific trades along the city and sometimes as spies. By now, they work solely for me."

"Don't most? You own practically the whole city."

She felt his breath close to her ear as he laughed. "Not the whole city, but many major parts, yes."

His hand moved across the black surface. Her eyes followed, and her breath hitched as she felt his other hand, which had been resting on the back of her chair, trail along her back, his sharp fingers tracing from one shoulder to the other. As she sat up straight, she saw his claws retract and realized she could see the bones of his hands.

"Do you own the enforcement officers of the city too?" she asked, trying not to think about his hands.

"Some, yes. Why? You don't need to talk to one of them, do you?"

Maddie pursed her lips as she felt his fingers circle her lightly, wondering if or when she might feel the slice of his talons. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

Maddie closed her eyes. He had to know, didn't he? "You hate humans."

He stilled. "You think I am toying with you?"

"Yes," Maddie blurted. Her body shook a little. "I know you hate us. I know our kind have both done awful things. But please, I had nothing to do with the wars. I was too young to be involved. You want to take your hate and revenge out on one of us. I get this feels like a good time to do it."

She could feel his body tense beside her. "You think I'm keeping you close to me because I hate you?"

She dared to turn her head and look back at him. Their eyes locked, and she felt frozen as if in the presence of a deadly viper.

He stared back at her for a long moment, eyes narrowed. Then his hand slowly reached up to brush a lock of her hair back from her shoulder. "I do hate humans." His hand came back to lightly trace his fingers along her throat. "I've killed many, it's true. I've envisioned killing more. When I heard you'd come crashing down from the sky, I thought you'd be another mark on my list." His hand cupped her throat gently as his face drew closer to hers. "But you surprised me. And I don't surprise easily."

Maddie stared back at him, hardly breathing. "I don't understand."

"A part of me doesn't understand it yet either. But I'm willing to try." He leaned in farther, and his lips almost touched hers. "You looked so lovely on that stage. Just as lovely as that first moment you danced for me."

Maddie inhaled sharply as his other hand drew down her thigh. A liquid warmth began to stir deep in her core, a feeling that shocked her as much as his touch. His hand moved up her leg now, and her breath hitched as the warmth stirred lower.

When his hand reached the highest point of her thigh, she had to keep herself from parting her legs. She felt the lightest prick of his claws as he squeezed gently. Her heart flipped, tilting her head back from his so that she could study his expression.

She licked her lips, her mouth and throat dry. "You expect me to believe I’ve suddenly made you…curious?"

He looked at her as if it was obvious. "Is that so impossible?."

Yes. The very idea was crazy in itself. He wanted her like that? Despite his hate for her kind? It was insane. He had to be messing with her.

"You could have anyone here," she said. "And you wouldn't even have to ask."

"True."

Maddie frowned. "So, why...?"

“I don't want just anyone."

"You want a human."

His hand stilled, and his head tipped back, searching her face as if the statement confused him. "I've never wanted one until now. You, strange as you are, have made me want to know what it's like. Yes, I have grown incredibly curious these last few hours." His mouth widened in an odd smile. She could see the points of his fangs grazing his bottom lip. "I'm a scientist in a way. I like to discover new things. It's how I made my way here. And I'd like to know—to explore—what makes your body react to mine. And how my body takes to yours. I want to see you dance in other ways while in my embrace." His hand moved again, then stilled. "I want to know. And I think you do too."

Maddie again let her face get close to his, parting her lips as if to draw him in. "What makes you think I do? What makes you think I'd ever want you to touch me?" She said in a low voice.

His eyes glanced at her mouth and his smile turned to a grin, baring his silver fangs. "I think you secretly like what I have to give. I can hear it in your heart."

"That's just fear," Maddie whispered.

"I think not," he said. "But maybe I am wrong. Say no, then, and convince me."

Maddie stared back at him, and his eyes never left her. She still didn’t believe him. He wanted to hurt her, that was all. He’d caught her and now he wanted to play with his food.

Anger rose in her but she didn’t let it show. No, she wouldn’t believe him. And she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of toying with her more. Two could play that game.

For a moment her anger overcame her fear and, unflinching, she turned her body toward him, placing both her hands lightly on his thighs. "What would you do to me?"

The wicked fire that sparked in his glare should have told her enough. He reclined back, his eyes falling to her hands, watching them sharply. "I have a few ideas in mind," he said in a low growl.

Maddie leaned in toward him. "Such as?"

His intense gaze drifted back up to her. "Putting you over the table would be a start. Then I'd explore every inch of your body until I knew how to make you sing too."

The image his words produced made her neck and face burn. Made the heat between her thighs turn into a sharp ache. She forced herself to ignore her body's disturbed reaction. She didn’t like how easily it came. She rose a little in her seat, her hands drifting up his legs so that she could bring her lips close to his ear.

“Well, when you put it like that,” she said softly, almost grazing his skin, her heart hammering in her chest. “I guess my answer will have to be…” her throat tightened, her body tensing, bracing for his violent response. “No.”

She flinched away from him expecting for a second he might lash out, and dropped back in her chair. The fear flooded her again, expecting him to grab her.

He didn’t move, but his gaze did indeed change, darkening, his claws out again, now gripping the side of his chair. Yet his smirk remained.

“Careful how you play,” Shade said in a husky voice. Maddie sat rigid in her seat as Shade rose from his. His lip curled even more to one side. She could see he wasn’t so convinced, but he didn’t try to challenge her.

“I don’t mind a feisty woman and I can be a patient man.”

“You’ll have to use all that patience up then,” Maddie’s hands gripped her chair tight. “I won’t break for someone like you.”

Shade’s eyes narrowed. “Someone like me?”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t care for the taste of non-humans?”

Maddie’s eyes flitted away from his, her jaw clenching. “More the taste of murderous psychopaths.”

“Is that what you think I am?”

“I know that’s what you are.”

He laughed. “You know me so well. All those stories the humans cooked up.”

“The bodies are enough evidence.”

He leaned down, placing one hand on the table and another on her chair, closing her in. “Then I guess I am a monster inside and out. But who made the monster, hm?” He tilted his head.

Maddie didn’t say a word. She’d heard rumors about where he’d come from. About the experiments he’d endured. But she didn’t know how true they were.

“Besides,” his eyes drifted down her face and neck. One hand rose to her face, fingers tracing her jawline and her lips. “Whatever you might think, your body betrays you. I think deep down you are just as curious as me. So say what you will,” his face drew closer to hers and she felt his teeth graze her ear, “ I don’t believe you.”

A hiss of breath escaped her as he teased her before drawing back completely. Before she could say another word the door to the lounge opened. One of Shade’s men entered, a nilgani with piercing orange eyes.

He glanced at her briefly before addressing Shade. “The shipment from Nyphrax is here.”

Shade hardly noticed him, his eyes still set on Maddie. She dared gaze back at him and held his stare before he finally backed away and turned to his man. “Take her back to Shenra. Then meet me at the shipyard.”

Maddie took that as her cue to go. She rose from her seat and passed by him, stopping at the door.

“I…can’t dance again. Not tonight, I'm exhausted, I could fall…” She was beginning to grow tired again so she wasn’t lying. She just wanted to rest.

“You won’t. The bloodsun rises soon. Shenra will take care of you now while I'm gone.” He smirked at her as he met her by the door. “But don’t worry, I won’t be far away.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

MADDIE

Maddie sat on the small bed staring at the door opposite, her eyelids growing heavier by the minute. She’d hardly laid eyes on the rest of the room, even so much as glancing out the tiny window behind her. There wasn’t much to it anyway, which was fine by her, just a small dome-shaped room with smooth black-stone walls, a single orange light at the top. There was the bed and a small table beside it and to her right was an alcove where a bathroom lay. The bath and dressing rooms were made public. She was surprised she’d been given a room at all, thinking she’d just find a couch somewhere to rest on, but Shenra informed her all full-time staff were given their own rooms if they so choose. Some had apartments nearby instead but others did utilize the rooms as they wished.

As soon as Shenra had placed her in the room, Maddie had locked the door, checking it several times to make sure it stayed that way. After the situation with Endia she didn’t think she could ever trust anyone again. She couldn’t bring herself to sleep yet because she was sure she’d wake up being dragged away by someone else looking to make a trade on her if they could. That thought made her more aware of the strange circumstance that she was in. By all realistic purposes, she should be dead, or on the market somewhere. But Shade had spared her and somehow with that, he gave her a chance to survive. Assuming he didn’t change his mind.

After refusing him as she had, she was surprised he didn’t. In fact, she was surprised he hadn’t just taken her right then and there. No one would have stopped him.

The thought of him doing so and fulfilling that need made her shiver and burn all at once.

When she was sure no one was going to come flying through the door at her, she slowly turned toward the window no bigger than her head. She watched the city and its people pass by on the streets below. It was still dark, but she could see the sliver of red light beginning to bloom in the distance.

The blood dawn, they called it, was approaching.

Transports flew low above the seriphons who took up the streets. They weaved through markets and stalls that lined the sides of buildings. There was a light mist blanketing over everything, but she could see well enough the blue, red, and green lights of the skyscrapers in the distance. Shade's building wasn't the tallest or biggest, judging by what she could see several miles off, but his was one of the largest in the location that it was in, and so she could see over a small portion of Seriph and the tops of the smaller buildings below. The city was not bright or clean-cut or decorated with loud colors like the human cities she'd been to. It looked like the buildings were meshed together from older parts to make new ones. She could even see the "scars” or black lines that cut through them. Some buildings were ancient, almost Gothic in nature while those connected to them were dark and menacing despite their neon lights, like some cyberpunk nightmare. She thought of the old folktales of the underworld and imagined this was what a city would look like if constructed there. And Shade was Hades, their god.

She heard the door slide open, breaking her thoughts. She turned with arms raised as if ready for a fight. When she looked over, however, she saw another of Shade's workers pulling a cart in her direction. It took her a moment to realize it was an ashora only he was less pale, more bluish-gray in color, and he was much shorter than the rest, his dark blue uniform hugging his small frame. His onyx-black eyes caught hers as he brought the cart over to the table by the bed. He took several covered trays off the cart, setting them on the tabletop before moving over to a canteen and pouring liquid into a cup.

Curious, Maddie leaned toward the table and lifted one of the trays to see within. It was food. She knew that, at least, by the aroma drifting in the air. It looked like some kind of seared meat. She lifted another and found small pearl-colored eggs and, in another, blood-red fruit.

"Are these safe for me to eat?"

The ashora glanced over at her before setting down the cup and canteen. "Should be. Never heard one complain."

"A human?"

"Right."

Assuming he'd ever encountered one. Guess she'd have to take a chance. The food smelled good at least—like various spices—and she was starving. She took some of each on a small plate also set aside for her as well as some triangular pieces of bread wrapped in a small basket. She carefully took a bite of the meat and found it to be a little too salty but not totally unpleasant.

As she slowly savored the meat, she glanced over and caught the ashora staring. Swallowing, she said, "You've never actually met a human, have you?"

He blinked. "I've seen them from afar. Never interacted before." His eyes glanced down, then back up. "You have nice skin."

She nearly choked on another bite of meat at the compliment. "Ah...thanks."

He nodded as if satisfied.

"What is your name?"

He blinked again at her. "Remi"

"Thank you for the food, Remi."

"I didn't make it. I just brought it." He turned from her and picked up the cup from the table, then turned back to offer it to her.

She took it hesitantly, looking down into the cup's contents. She sniffed it but could smell no minty or fiery odor.

"It's water."

She looked up at him in surprise, then took a sip and was relieved to find him right. She swallowed the rest, and before she could place it on the table, Remi swiped it from her to pour her some more.

"When you’re done, you can just leave everything on the table and I'll clean up," he said, setting the cup in front of her. He stood there waiting as if expecting an answer.

Maddie stared at him, then cleared her throat. "Thank you."

"There's a call button on the wall should you need anything in the night. I'm not usually here when Shade is gone but an exception was made."

Maddie couldn't help wondering so asked, "You don't cater to his other workers even when he's not around?"

"I serve only him and whoever he asks," Remi said matter-of-factly. "Though the others are offered food, they serve themselves." He rolled his small bony shoulders in a sort of shrug. "Guess he likes you. But I can't blame him. It's the skin."

Not sure whether to be creeped out, Maddie watched the odd ashora turn away and disappear, leaving her alone again in the empty unit. She let out a deep breath before forcing herself to try more of the food.

Guess he likes you...

Her stomach flipped as she thought back to less than an hour ago. Her mouth turned dry, and she took another long drag of water. She set the cup down and caught herself staring at the cityscape once more.

None of it made sense to her but, no matter how she tried to deny it, Shade really had been interested. She could tell herself it was just some ploy. But it was hard to believe he could hate her kind so much he was willing to touch one the way he had her. And he certainly hadn’t been shy about what he wanted.

But why her?

She cursed softly, shaking her head as she took another bite of food. What did it matter? She wasn’t seriously considering doing anything with him. There were people willing to pay billions of credits for Shade's head, especially for his role in the blade wars. He was a dangerous criminal, a murderer, a terror to her kind.

Whatever you might think, your body betrays you…deep down you are just as curious as me.

His voice whispered in her mind, the wicked accusation. She shook it off with a scowl, pushing her food away.

No, she couldn’t let him get to her. She just needed to work off the debt and find a way to escape. To keep her focus solely on getting out of this underworld and away from him. And avoid him in the process if even possible.

As she took up her cup again, Maddie suddenly tensed, remembering the look on his face as he had watched her beside the table after she’d refused him. He'd looked feral. Hungry. But maybe it had been her imagination. Because there was no way she, a human, could have tempted the great Axaria Shade that easily.

She set the cup down and pushed herself further up the bed. Shade had been right about one thing, she needed to be very careful how she played with him. Tonight might have already been too far. She was still stunned that she’d made it out of that lounge unscathed.

If there was one thing to come out of that situation, it was that she did have some power, as small as it might be. He wasn’t willing to take from her what he wanted. Yet. And in the end, if she tread carefully, she might just make it out unbroken and unbent.

And then she could say she’d survived against the ruthless Shade.

CHAPTER EIGHT

MADDIE

She noticed two things once she woke up. The first was the food she’d left on the table was gone and had been replaced with a single black box. She stared at it suspiciously but didn’t yet move to open it.

The second was that she had missed the light of day. Already, dusk had come, and the night was fast approaching. She had slept the day away in her exhaustion.

Before she could even remove herself from the bed, the door opposite opened, and Remi entered, pushing in a cart with more food to offer. He placed it beside the bed and filled her drink without a word.

"What’s with the box?" she asked when staring at him didn't move him to even say hello.

“A gift,” he replied.

She glanced back at the box. “From him?”

“Who else?”

Now her curiosity was overpowering her suspicion. She reached over and slowly opened the lid, expecting maybe a spider to come jumping out at her. She threw it open and then grew still as she stared down at the contents.

And she thought only human men were prone to sentimental gestures when pursuing a woman. But this was definitely not something she expected from Shade.

She reached out and touched the dark jewels. Black and purple diamonds shimmered back at her, strung together on a long, intricate chain necklace, like a spider’s web. It was beyond beautiful.

"After your meal, Shade requests your presence."

I'm sure, she thought. She closed the box with a snap. "What time is it?"

"Sundown."

"I mean the exact time."

"Two quarters till full sun fade."

Right, they didn't exactly hold time the same way here.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"All day."

She sighed and pulled away the covers, noticing she was still in her dress from last night. She rose from the bed and started toward the bathroom.

"I'll be outside if you need me," Remi said behind her. She heard the bedroom door slide shut a second later.

She stepped lightly into the bathroom, wishing it had a shower for her to wash in instead of having to use the public baths.

When she was done washing the sleep from her eyes, she found a robe and wrapped herself in it before sitting back on her bed. She savored every bit of the food Remi brought even if—in her opinion—it wasn't as good as her food back home on the ship. As she ate, she watched the red planet rise over the horizon, watching the city lights change. When she felt she'd prolonged going to meet Shade long enough, she stacked the plates and headed for the door. When it slid open, she found two ashora waiting for her.

"Took you long enough," one said.

She recognized the same two who had fixed her up the previous night. They pulled her out of the unit and led her to the dressing rooms, one holding a bag, the other a uniform. "Come, come we don't have all night," said the other, pushing her into a chair.

They fixed her hair and face as they did the night before, then tried to undress her but were unsuccessful when she swatted their hands away, arguing she was capable of doing it herself. They flung the uniform at her and told her to dress. The attire she was given was more like a bikini held together with black, leather-like straps and tiny silver chains. Noting that at least her private areas were covered better this time, she turned from the mirror before her and went to leave when Shenra popped up in front of the door, the black box in her hand.

“Didn’t care for Shade’s gift?” The old ashora said as she walked inside.

Maddie glanced at the box. “It was unnecessary.”

“Oh, really?” Shenra nodded to the other two. One ashora took hold of Maddie’s shoulders, making her face the mirror. The other took out the necklace and came behind Maddie, clasping it around her neck. The top of the necklace clung to her like a choker while the connected chains dangled across her collarbone. Just as she feared, the jewels made her stand out more than she already cared to. They really did look…

“Stunning,” Shenra commented. She drew closer, clasping Maddie’s shoulder, fixing her gaze on Maddie’s from the mirror. “And, word of advice, being in Shade’s good graces is a very rare and lucky thing. And in your case, it should be impossible. But he sees something in you. Your best chance of surviving this place is with him. Maybe act a little more grateful.”

Maddie almost bit her tongue. She felt far from grateful so why act it? She didn’t want jewels, she wanted a damn one-way ticket out of this place.

“I just want to pay off what I owe and get the hell out of here,” Maddie shrugged out of Shenra’s grip and headed for the door.

“You sure that’s all?” Shenra said behind her. Maddie stopped and looked back at her confused, catching the amusing spark in Shenra’s eye. “I think there might be a little something more.”

Maddie scowled, turning away. “I don’t know what you're talking about.” Before Shenra could say anything else, she turned out of the dressing room and headed for the front feeling a simmering heat begin to rise in her chest. Great, now she’d probably be in a foul mood the rest of the night.

She made her way to the main room and found one of Shade's men waiting for her.

Without a word, she followed him out of the worker quarters and down to the club. Already, the place was packed, and workers were doing their rounds. He took her around to a private section on the second level where she assumed only VIP members could hang out, judging by the more personable space. Inside the balconied section was a round table with seats that looked out over the stage. Sitting at the center was Shade along with other members of his crew. Women in tight attire similar to hers sat beside them, some on their laps, others to the side offering drinks. They laughed and talked, then turned quiet as she approached.

"Slept well?" Shade didn't smile, but there was amusement in his gaze.

"It was fine," she replied.

He nodded, his nightmare eyes drifting down her body, the amusement replaced with that subtle hunger. His gaze paused on the necklace and a smirk played on his lips, satisfaction now lingering with the hunger. The others watched her too, a few of them giggling like there was a secret joke between them.

Maddie crossed her arms, refusing to meet their eyes. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did."

She took a step toward him, thinking to sit by him as he had so wanted last night. But he put up his hand instead to halt her.

"You are to dance again, on the stage come full nighttide."

Maddie frowned. "After what happened last night?"

His lip twitched on one side. She noticed that the blue and black veins that webbed around the sides of his skull, under his jaw, and down his throat throbbed. "Yes, but you needn't worry about another incident such as that," he said in a low voice as if the memory irked him. "They know now not to touch you."

Maddie thought of his actions last night and how he had controlled the crowd. There had been a taste of a threat in his words, but what that threat was, she couldn't guess. Now, she was curious. "And what would happen if one of them did?"

His mouth widened as his eyes narrowed. "They will know my wrath."

Maddie shook her head. "You would seriously kill them for it?"

He let out a short hiss of breath as he took up a silver pipe off the table and lit it. "No, perhaps not to that extreme. But they would regret it."

"What if I touched them?"

The question was made to challenge. Shade made a good effort not to appear affected despite looking tense. He sucked in the smoke from his pipe, then blew it out with ease through the slits of his nostrils.

"Is that what you would like?"

The way he said it made her shiver. No, she didn't want to touch them. But she didn't want to say so either. She wanted to see what he would do. Did he think he was the only one with a claim to her?

"Maybe," she answered instead.

He took another drag and blew it out slowly before setting his pipe down. The others around him remained quiet, observing the conversation with tight interest.

"If you wish to try it, then go ahead and see."

In other words, it likely meant something bad.

Maddie tried to pretend it didn't matter. She rolled her shoulders in a shrug. She knew she was playing with something more dangerous than fire, but she was done feeling afraid of him or the others.

"Enjoy the show." She forced a sweet smile, then turned away, not allowing him to respond.

Shade's guard followed her down to the show quarters where she found Shenra waiting for her.

"You'll be on soon." She shoved a cup into Maddie's hands and waited for her to drink the awful-tasting concoction that would give her energy through the night. She said little else after, going off to ready the stage for her next. Maddie didn't care. The fear she'd held last night was slipping away, replaced with something more with a bite.

The crowd was as big if not larger than the night before. This time, however, she could sense they were more reluctant to reach for her, heeding Shade's warning. But the energy was still the same.

The no-silks that hung from above were black this time. To each side, on opposite ends of the stage, were silver chains dangling. As she walked toward the long strips of cloth, she glanced over at those closest to the stage. There was a mass of different aliens from ashora to nilgani, and newer ones, some with fins and others with dragonfly wings. It was a sea of strange people and creatures, all who had come to watch her. As she took up the no-silks in each hand, she wondered how much Shade charged them.

Her eyes flitted one last time over the crowd, waiting for the music to begin. She caught eyes with a blue and green reptilian man with several horns on his head and a black throat. He was large, taking up a good portion of one side with his bulk. He watched her with bright orange eyes, unmoving, unlike the others. He looked transfixed.

The music started. Another slow, seductive beat. Maddie drew her eyes away and began to climb.

She swung up, wrapping the no-silks about her arms before doing a little flip. The crowd shrieked with glee. She decided on another old routine, similar to the first but with some improvisation. Every twist and bend got a reaction from the seriphons but she focused little on them. She knew Shade watched sharply and possessively from above. She thought of his arrogance and the look of satisfaction he had in seeing her with the necklace, believing now he had her in his claws. A white-hot heat settled in her as she swung, flipping herself upside down.

She caught a glimpse of the reptilian man again and saw he still hadn't moved. He looked at her so fondly it was almost sad. It occurred to her that this might be his first time seeing a human. Others pushed around him to get a better view, elbowing his sides, but he hardly flinched.

A small, rebellious idea slipped into her head. She flipped back up and slid down the no-silks, touching the ground with just the balls of her feet. Her injured foot was still healing, the pain hardly noticeable as she dangled for a moment before planting down. She slowly walked across the stage with the no-silks slipping through her hands until she came to the very edge and stopped.

The aliens must have remembered Shade's threat. Despite how close she was, they dared not reach out to so much as brush a finger or talon against her. But she tempted them badly enough. She dropped to her knees and arched her back, flipping her hair, knowing it was likely to get a rise out of a good portion of them. She crawled across the edge, seducing them as she laid on her side, then her back, arching. She relished the thought of Shade above burning with jealousy at the sight. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? To entertain? This is what got the crowd going.

And the seriphons were becoming more excited, their growls and barks growing wilder. She crawled again, this time over to the bulky reptile who watched her with obvious fascination, as if he'd never seen a creature quite like her. She drew up to kneel before him and could see the spark of excitement in his eyes when she lifted her hand toward him.

Just a small touch, like petting an animal. She'd probably be punished, but defying Shade felt more exciting than she cared to admit. She hesitated only for a second before letting her fingers brush across the side of his scaly face.

There was a little hiss, like a gasp from those around her, and the reptile's pupils shrank into two pinpoints, his nostrils flaring.

Confused, Maddie went to draw her hand back, but the reptilian man was quick. He snatched her wrist and pulled her to him.

She fought away from him, but he was way stronger than her. Thick drool dripped down his jaw as he opened his mouth, revealing a long blue tongue. He pulled her closer, his hot breath on her face, making her gag. His tongue slipped out, and he licked along her collarbone and up her throat, hot saliva sticking to her skin. Maddie groaned in disgust. She tried to wrench out of his grip, but he still held her wrist tight.

There was chaos, much like the night before. The wave of seriphons drew away as Shade's men pushed through the crowd to pry the reptile off her. She pulled her hand away but he reached for her again, this time for her throat. His claws hooked onto the chains of her necklace, yanking her back to him. As Shade’s men swarmed him, Maddie tugged away and, in doing so, the necklace tore from his grip, shattering into dozens of shimmering pieces. Maddie scuffled back on the stage when a pair of hands hauled her up.

Before she knew what was happening, she was being dragged off the stage and into the back. She was led into the work quarters, past the main room, and into the baths. They stripped her, then dunked her into the water.

"Fool of a girl," Shenra said beside the bath. "I hope you're happy with your idiotic little ploy."

Maddie crossed her arms as she soaked in the water. "I didn't think he'd actually attack me!"

"Do you know nothing? Uugari are practically walking bags of meat with no good sense. Beasts who find even shiny objects fascinating. You're lucky he didn't bite you, or you'd be dead right now from the poison."

Maddie looked away, embarrassed. "I didn't know."

Shenra scoffed, walking across the room. "But you certainly got your way, didn't you? Shade is furious. Hurry up and clean, so we can dress you before bringing you to him."

Maddie didn't say a word, though her heart was pounding. Still trying to calm down from the attack while also anticipating what Shade was going to do. Would he lock her up? Force her to dance till her feet and hands bled? She could only imagine. She took some soap and scrubbed herself clean. When she was done, the ashora workers did the rest. She was given a different dress, this one entirely black with a small belt tied around her waist.

Hurriedly, they pushed her out of the working rooms and through the club until they led her into a large room with several control panels and monitors along the wall, showing various parts of the city.

Maddie froze in place as she saw the reptilian man on his knees at the center of the room. Shade's men were around him, blades drawn.

"What..." Maddie started.

"Good, you've finally come."

Maddie looked over and saw Shade sitting back in a seat to one wall, his second, Mika, standing by him as if they had just been talking. His eyes burned into her, a silent fury. "You're just in time for a real show, eh?" he said. "Take a seat and enjoy."

Maddie didn't move from her spot. Her mouth felt dry as her eyes shot back over to the reptile who she could already see had several gashes in his skin.

"Come, don't be shy with me now. You certainly weren't while on the stage," Shade said matter-of-factly. His claws, she noted, were fully extended, gripping the seat.

"I don't understand." And she meant it. She fully expected that the uugari would be gone, kicked out while she was left to deal with Shade's wrath. But it appeared she was way wrong.

Shade tilted his head. "Don't you? You must have some clue." When she didn't respond, Shade leapt from his seat. He took hold of her waist and lifted her before planting her in his now empty chair. He was so swift in his movement that she hardly had time to act. Before she could even open her mouth, he drew out his blade and walked over to the uugari, who had one eye swollen shut.

The uugari squirmed in his binds, his hands tied behind his back. One word from Shade and his men held his head firmly in place. Another wrenched his mouth open, and Shade grabbed the reptile's tongue, yanking it out so that it was fully extended before him. His blade rested against the skin, and Maddie cried out, jumping from the chair, stilling his hand.

"Wait!" She choked out.

"I told you," he hissed. "I told you to try and see, but I didn't honestly think you had it in you." He laughed low. "And you didn't believe me either. I thought by now you understood who I am." He bared his teeth. "I don't make idle threats." His blade moved, and she cried out once more to still him.

"Please. Please, I'm sorry. Don't hurt him. It was my mistake."

"Oh? You would forgive him then?"

"Yes."

"That's cute. But it doesn't matter. Because of your actions, he has gone against my warning. And none would disrespect my wishes without paying the price."

"Then let me pay it." Maddie stepped over to him, getting as close as she dared. Shade grew still, his eyes fixed solely on her. "I'll do whatever you ask," she said softly. "I'll keep to our deal and won't touch another." Heart fluttering, she dared touch him, putting her hand on his arm.

Shade didn't move at first. He merely watched her. Then, slowly, he dropped his hands but did not sheath his blade.

"Show me then," he demanded quietly.

She stared up at him as he waited. Waited for her to show him what she would do to keep him from maiming the uugari for what he’d done.

Maddie released his arm, her hand drifting upwards till it stopped at the center of his chest. Heat rising along her skin, she brought her body against his, feeling his heat through his uniform.

Before she lost all nerve, she rose on her toes and cautiously brushed her lips against the underside of his jaw. She kissed the corner of his mouth, then down his neck, hoping he understood it as a sign of affection and not something else.

His upper lip peeled back, showing the points of his silver fangs, and his hand cupped the nape of her neck, fisting some of her hair, keeping her in place.

He pulled her closer, and she saw the dark hunger in his eyes before he drew her face to his and kissed her fully. She let him in, feeling his teeth graze her bottom lip. His kiss was surprisingly needful as if he’d craved it for a long time.

Before she let herself sink into him, he quickly tore himself away, releasing her. His eyes were now a dark storm and she wasn’t sure if he was now somehow more pissed off. Still, as hard as it was, she kept her gaze locked on his.

He blinked and the storm was gone. He straightened and tilted his head up as he studied her. "You play a dangerous game with me, Madelyn." He sheathed his blade, then moved her away from the uugari and his men. Mika passed by them without Shade glancing his way. Shade only looked at her. "I'll spare his tongue for your word."

"You have it."

"You will not test me again."

"I won't."

His eyes narrowed on her. "Then we have another agreement. Mika, finish with our guest."

Maddie glanced over Shade's shoulder in time to see Mika throw out his arm in one violent swing, sending his fist straight into the uugari's face. The uugari's jaw snapped to one side, and several of his sharp teeth spilled out of his mouth. His whole body swung and would have hit the ground if not for Shade's men keeping him in place.

Maddie opened her mouth to protest but then caught Shade's eyes. He said he'd spare his tongue but that was all. He hadn't mentioned that he'd let the poor bastard go unscathed.

"Now, we have an understanding," he said, almost purring, his hands drifting over her ribs. "And, I can’t deny, I like your methods of persuasion." He gave her a wicked smile as his eyes lingered back to her lips. "I hope it’s only the beginning."

CHAPTER NINE

MADDIE

She slept longer than she expected to, waking up just as the red sun was beginning to sink below the highest point of towers in the distance. Not long after her incident with Shade, she’d been sent back to her room to spend the remainder of the night. And she gladly did so, passing out almost as soon as her head touched her pillow. Now, it was darkening and soon The Hive would be busy, and she would have to take the stage again. See all those faces staring at her, their hands reaching out for her. Funny how she slept deeply, peacefully with no disturbed dreams, only to wake up in the nightmare instead.

Before she could even step out of bed, the door opened and Remi waltzed in with hardly a glance or good morning. He took the plates of food left on the table and replaced them with new ones. He refilled her water cup and then turned to leave only to stop before the door and look back at her.

“Shenra wants to see you, to discuss tonight,” he said.

Want was a strong word. More likely she needed to get her ready again to perform. After her stunt last night, Maddie was surprised she was even allowed to set foot back on the stage. “And Shade?” Maddie asked, trying to ignore the little jolt in her heart as an image of him from last night sprang into her mind.

He gave her a curious look. “What about him?”

“He hasn’t asked for me?”

Remi tilted his head in a sort of shrug. “No.” He turned away, pushing his cart along with him.

Maddie watched the door close behind him, thinking she should be relieved. She picked at the food on her plate but ate little, finding her appetite almost nonexistent. Shade might not ask for her now but surely he would later after she danced, just like the night before. Especially after what she’d done. She’d purposefully fanned the fire this time and she didn’t like to think too hard as to why.

If curiosity could kill…

She took her cup and brought it to her lips. As the water touched her skin, her mind immediately flew back to Shade, his tongue flicking against her, his teeth teasing her bottom lip.

She tensed, swallowing before setting the cup aside, her hand shaking a little. Heat crawled up her neck and face and pooled low between her thighs at the memory.

She hadn’t allowed herself to think about it last night, but now she was stunned by what had happened. What really shouldn’t have happened. But she had let it. She could tell herself, again and again, it was just to save that reptile’s hide, but she’d be fooling herself. Beyond how terrifying he was, Shade had something about him that drew her to him like a star drawn to a black hole. Soon she wouldn’t be able to escape his pull. She couldn’t let that happen again for the sake of her sanity.

When she finished with what little food she could muster down and washed her face quickly in the bathroom, she headed out of the unit, down the hall toward the dressing room. There she found Shenra helping a dozen other performers ready for a new night. Few looked in her direction as Maddie made her way over to the old ashora who was fixing another’s strap across their chest.

“There you are,” she said, hardly glancing at her. “I was wondering if you’d ever wake or if I would have to drag you out.”

Maddie crossed her arms. “I think I got dragged around enough last night.”

Shenra only nodded her head as she readjusted another strap on the dancer’s leg. “Find yourself an outfit in the clothes nook and get ready.”

Maddie dropped her arms and turned for the nook, curious that she was allowed to pick her outfit this time, but not complaining in the slightest. She flitted around until she found an outfit to her liking—a leather-like top piece and a pair of tight-fitting leggings sporting a criss-cross design on the sides that showed only a sliver of skin. Finding also a pair of slip-on shoes in her size she left the nook satisfied she was ready to take on the stage yet again. No more mishaps this time, and if an alien tried to touch her again she wouldn’t hesitate to kick them where it counted. If she had to tap into some animal instincts, she would.

Shenra was still fixing up the others when Maddie returned. She peered at her briefly, not making a comment about her attire but certainly not looking approving either. When she finished helping the rest, she instructed Maddie to follow her.

“Shivra and Denia won’t be able to fix you up tonight, so you’ll just have to work something out for yourself,” she said as they walked down one hall, passing by several more workers. “I trust you can manage. Once you've figured yourself out you’ll follow the guard waiting at the entrance to these quarters.”

It was pretty early still, the sun was hardly down. Yet, she was to go on so soon? Did Shade want her on now to avoid the crowds from before? That didn’t seem like him. Even if those first two times were a disaster by her account. She’d think he would want to still take advantage of the seriphon’s curiosity to see her. “There won’t be much of a crowd at this time,” she said aloud. “Is Shade suddenly worried he won’t be able to control his clientele like before?”

Shenra didn’t look back at her as they entered the front room with the vanities along one wall. “Shade has no worries about that at all,” she replied. “And neither will you tonight.”

As they stopped beside one empty vanity, Maddie looked back at her confused. “I’m not going on?”

Shenra started to rearrange the cosmetics on the table. “You won’t be working the main floor tonight, no.”

“Then where–”

“You’ll be in one of the private rooms tonight.”

Maddie tensed. “Private?”

Shenra stopped to look back at her. “A private session with one of The Hive’s top clientele. It’s already been arranged.” She pulled back the vanity chair, indicating for Maddie to sit. Maddie did so hesitantly.

When Maddie heard “private session”, she immediately thought of the kind of dancing that she didn’t do. “I won’t touch them,” she said firmly.

“You certainly learned your lesson there didn’t you,” Shenra said with a smirk. “No, you won’t have to touch them. Just entertain.”

Maddie nodded her head. “That I can do at least.”

Shenra dipped her head in a shrug as if that comment was arguable considering the last two nights. “ Just fix yourself up as best as you can. There will be a guard waiting outside.”

Shenra was gone before Maddie could say another word. Left alone, she turned toward the dark mirror before her, a mirror that somehow brought her into focus while anyone behind her became blurry the farther away they were. Her eyes drifted down to the cosmetics and she picked those familiar to her, ones Shivra and Denia had used on her before.

She carefully applied the makeup to her face, trying to focus and not dwell on the uncertainty festering in her. Shenra didn’t tell her how long she had before she needed to leave so she deliberately took her time, trying her best to copy the look the two ashora had given her the last two nights.

As she worked on one eyelid, she suddenly became aware of someone sitting at the vanity beside her. She glanced over and caught eyes with another ashora, this one giant. She—or possibly he—was towering and, though they were still very slender around the midsection, their build was larger than other ashora she’d seen, and bigger-boned. Their skin was grayer too, with a sheen of blue. On their shoulders Maddie noticed something slithering, like a snake or a tentacle, she wasn’t sure which. Whatever it was, it wrapped itself around the ashora, but they didn’t seem to notice or mind.

The ashora smiled at her as they took out a salve from a container and dabbed the ointment on their lips. “Work not to your liking here, human?” they said slyly. “Or does your kind always look like they ate the bad side of an eelmite?”

Maddie looked at them in surprise. She had no idea what an eelmite was but she assumed the ashora thought she looked irritated. Which she was. She turned back to the mirror, continuing to apply the makeup to her eye. “I’m not exactly thrilled to be here. Seeing how the last two nights went.”

“Yes, I saw what happened,” they replied, looking unsympathetic. “Wildly amusing.”

Maddie let out a short bitter laugh. “Yeah, I’m sure it was for everyone who saw.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” the ashora said, now dabbing below their eyes. “Shade didn’t look very amused. Quite the opposite, really.”

Maddie paused for a moment, remembering how upset Shade had been after she’d been attacked. She finished placing shadow on her right eye and moved on to the left.

“Not that he wouldn’t be upset if any of us were attacked like you were,” the ashora continued, “but he was especially furious with you. He looked ready to murder anyone in his way. Mika had to stop him from jumping down from the balcony to get to you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so…”

Maddie tried to pretend like she didn’t care, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help asking, “Look so what?”

The ashora again smirked at her. “So possessive."

Maddie glanced at them, wondering if they were serious. “Possessive?”

“Yes, like a male ready to tear apart any threat to his female sort of possessiveness. You humans understand that, don’t you?”

Oh, she understood really well.

“I’m sure you saw wrong,” Maddie countered. “Shade was just angry.”

They made a dismissive gesture as if what she thought meant little. “Think what you like. But if I were you, I would be taking full advantage of such an opportunity.”

I’m so sure, Maddie thought as she finished shading her other eye and moved to put some colorful gloss on her lips. “Why don’t you ask him then.”

The ashora laughed. “He’s had plenty of my kind.” They paused and turned to Maddie. “I heard about how you destroyed one of his energy deposits. That sort of debt is unimaginable. The time it would take for you to even pay that back…”

“Trust me, I’m aware.”

“Are you?”

Maddie tried not to look at them. “I plan on paying it back. No matter if it takes me months.”

The ashora laughed again. “Try years. But you know, with Shade, he is always willing to negotiate if it is worth it to him. And with you, well,” they dipped their hands in oil and dabbed it along their neck. Maddie caught the scent of something fresh and earthy like rain. “I’ll bet he would be willing to negotiate almost anything for you.”

As much as she wished she could be unaffected by that claim, her heart flipped as she remembered how he had cut some of her debt before. Just to have her sit by him. There was no denying, if she wanted to she could do more than just dance for him. Much more.

Heat tickled the back of her neck at the idea.

“It would probably be good if you did,” the ashora continued as if reading her thoughts. “The others haven’t been too thrilled about the recent competition for attention. Best if you tried to pay off what you could quickly.” They put away each container and rose. “Otherwise I would be careful, human. You have protection now but some might be willing to bear Shade’s wrath if it means disposing of the one who keeps all the attention. Jealousy can sometimes be much greater than fear.”

They turned and disappeared, leaving Maddie to sit quietly, mulling over their words. Now she would have to watch her back around the workers too. She never wanted to take the spotlight from anyone, especially here, but so far that seemed inevitable.

Maybe the ashora was right. She could go to Shade now and make some other deal. She would rather dance for him alone than for whatever client she was having to go to now.

Thinking it over while she finished her makeup, she didn’t notice the guard walking toward her until his blurry image became clear inside the mirror.

“Time to go,” the nilgani hissed, their bright green eyes cutting knives into her back. Maddie knew there was no more stalling. She rose and followed him out.

He started to take her the usual route toward the main floor until they slipped into an elevator, taking it up to the fourth. As they walked the balcony side passage she looked down to see the dance floor below and saw it starting to grow in number with a few dancers already taking the stage. Her gaze flitted upward and she slowed to a stop when she caught sight of Shade on the opposite balcony, down on the third floor. He was in a group with several of his men around him. A few others within the group had the painted faces of the valeskull gang.

As if realizing he was being watched, Shade turned his head and looked up, locking eyes with her. He stilled just like she did, his gaze darkening, mouth curling to one side in a wickedly smug expression. Maddie stared back at him, unable to look away. Only when she felt a light tug on her arm did she flinch and drag her eyes back to the guard.

“We need to keep moving,” the nilgani informed.

She blinked at him, stepping back. “I want to talk to Shade.” She didn’t know what she was thinking, only that she had a sudden need to speak with him. She turned back to the third balcony as if hoping to catch his gaze again and show him she expected to be seen, only to find him gone, disappeared out of sight with the rest of the group.

“You can speak with him after. The client is waiting,” he said, turning impatient.

“They can wait a little longer.”

The nilgani got close, making sure to grab her attention. “You might not care, but this is an elite member of The Hive. If you're saying you refuse, know that Shade will not take it too kindly that you will not work as you agreed.” The nilgani looked around as if making sure there weren’t others close by then turned back to her. “And you won’t be looked upon kindly by the other workers either if you refuse.”

Maddie’s brow knitted in confusion. “Why? Why should they care?”

“This client pays triple along with generous donations to those he asks for specifically. Many would gladly take your place. To refuse would be an insult to many.”

Great. And the last thing she needed was to be looked at worse than she already was. “All right,” she said, exhaling deeply. She let the guard continue onward.

They walked along the passage until they passed through another set of doors, taking them into a VIP section of the club. Private rooms and lounges took up most of the fourth level, the music from the main floor quieting into a low thumping against the walls. Workers and those they served passed by, dressed in slick-looking suits and shimmering accessories that glowed blue and silver in the low light. They made her feel underdressed and somehow that made her feel more exposed. They glanced her way, whispering as they slipped by like ghosts. She tried to ignore them as the nilgani guard moved down to the end of one passageway. He stopped at a door, placing his hand on the surface, unlocking it. The door slid open and he moved aside to allow Maddie to enter.

She stepped inside without a thought, hearing the nilgani move inside with her. The room was dark except for the center where lights fell across a small platform. Above the platform appeared to be a chandelier. Instead of crystals hanging down from the metal fixture, there were a pair of no-silks. It looked simple but appeared effective. As she started up the platform, she caught movement in the shadows at the corner of her eye.

A collective hiss buzzed in her ears and she stopped to look around. She froze when she noticed a pair of red eyes watching her. There were several other pairs glowing in the dark but the red ones caught her attention first.

“Facininating,” a low, raspy voice came from those eyes. “I thought Shade had deceived me. But you are real, aren’t you? And much more lovely than described.” The eyes moved, a great hulking shadow coming toward her. She tensed up at the sight, goosebumps spreading over her skin. He came into the light and she had to stifle a gasp.

Compared to Shade he looked completely different but was just as intimidating. His skin was a dark gray and looked rough like leather. Black horns curled around his head, and between them, long ink-black hair fell down his back. He had a low brow and a nose that reminded her of a bat, with slender pointed ears and fangs that curled around his bottom lip. He looked so bat-like in fact, she was surprised when she didn’t see a pair of wings unfurling from his back.

He smiled at her, his teeth white as pearls, fangs so long and sharp they made her shiver at the sight.

“What’s your name?” he asked as he stopped just at the edge of the platform.

“Madelyn,” she choked out.

“Madelyn,” he said slowly, almost like he was singing it. His eyes drifted over her, making her feel naked despite how covered she was. “I heard your dance is quite special”—his eyes drifted to the no-silks then back to her—“My name is Valince.” He reached out to her. Before she could react, he took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently. His hand encased hers and she knew he could probably crush it if he so desired. “I haven't seen a human like you. The ones that usually get caught are a more unsavory sort of type. Rough-looking, though not always unpleasant. But you are something else entirely. Shade is very lucky.”

She didn’t know what to say. She went with a “thank you” even if it felt awkward to say it.

His smile widened and it made her stomach turn. “I’d like to know how you ended up here, but my friends behind me came to see a show, not to watch me talk. I’m very excited to see what you can do, Madelyn.” He finally let go of her hand and walked back, disappearing into the shadows.

Maddie stood there, finding it hard to move. She glanced over by the door and saw the nilgani guard still standing there. Somehow that brought her a little relief. She made herself turn and take up the no-silks. Somewhere in the dark, music began to play and, clinging to the fabric tight, she took a deep breath and climbed.

CHAPTER TEN

SHADE

Shade stood close to the monitors watching. He could see every single corner of his domain, every floor, every room that wasn’t his own private quarters or those his workers used personally. He could also see around his other territories outside The Hive. From the storage units on the west bank to the energy deposits to the east, one still undergoing renovation. He could observe it all to his desire, but there was only one monitor in particular that had his full and complete attention.

She moved slowly, almost carefully, turning with languid movements from one position to the next as she hung above the stage. He could tell she was much more reserved with her dance this time. As if trying not to provoke those watching her in the shadows. His eyes narrowed at the sight. He couldn’t blame her. Valince was one of those special few who could put even the most hardened seriphon outcast on edge. Even sidonions had to respect him. Shade did so cautiously, knowing being allied to the drakin was a smart decision, business or otherwise. Valince had his own personal power and influence in the city, and trade with him was good. Still, Shade kept a close eye on him from a distance, knowing such a pact was an extremely fragile one. Even if the drakin was always good on his word.

He could almost say they were friends. But he couldn’t deny, he had been very reluctant at first to allow him a private session with Madelyn. Payment wasn’t an issue—it never was with Valince—but for the first time, he almost said no. He knew—rarity that she was—Madelyn would be popular, and he wasn’t surprised someone like Valince would come looking to see her for himself.

He’d made a point to watch him very closely, making sure one of his men was there as well, in case Valince got it in his head to get a little too friendly. He’d watched as Madelyn took the stage, as Valince introduced himself, taking her hand. He could clearly see the tension in her but she had nothing to worry about as far as he was concerned. Valince wouldn’t dare try anything. Not in his home. Not without knowing Shade would slit his throat without hesitation.

He heard voices behind him grow quieter as his men finished their meeting and talked casually to one another. Heavy footsteps walked towards him and he knew, by his scent, that Mika had come to stand beside him to watch as well.

“Bold of you to let a scheming cold blood like Valince near the human like that,” he said. “Especially after the incident with the uugari. That heart-eater is way smarter and more deadly with an equal appetite for pretty things.”

With arms crossed, Shade bent his head as he studied Madelyn, now upside down, arching her back seductively. “To refuse him would be an insult. And the last thing I need is tension between me and the drakin undercity prince. But he is smart enough to know he can’t do anything in my home without suffering consequences.”

“I’d just be careful. He gets a taste of her, and he might like it enough to—”

Shade gave him a cold glare, cutting him quiet. He turned back to the monitor, feeling a sort of angry heat stirring up his chest. “Do you think I enjoy it?”

“No.” Mika laughed. “In fact, you look more on edge than I've seen you since the outercity raids. Maybe you should take the human off schedule to ease your mind.”

“No,” he said in a low voice. “We have a deal and it must be done.”

Mika rumbled beside him. “You know she probably won’t stop being messed with. Some just won’t learn.”

He knew that was true. Ever since the incident with the uugari he felt especially…protective. He cared for all his workers and knew Madelyn was much more vulnerable. The more times he saw someone reach for her, the more he found just how much he really didn’t like others touching her. Even so much as looking at her for too long made him want to cut an eye out or two. He was beyond understanding his feelings or avoiding them, but he still needed her to work, to show their deal was serious. He couldn’t keep her behind closed doors as if he was keeping a treasure locked away. That only put her in more danger of being taken from him.

“The energy deposit is coming along at least,” Mika said, gesturing to another monitor.

Shade glanced over and saw some of his engineers, along with a few drones, working to fix what had been broken. “And the ship?”

“It mostly burnt away,” Mika answered. “ Had a few of our scouts search around what was left but none mentioned finding anything indicating a signal had been put out. Still, it's hard to believe it didn’t have some mechanism for doing so.”

Shade agreed. Even as broken as the ship might be, he doubted there hadn’t been some kind of emergency system that would have put out a call for help. “Make sure to keep watch of any transmissions,” Shade ordered.

“You’ll know right away. If someone does come for her…”

“We will deal accordingly,” Shade said.

“And if they don’t, you are planning to keep her right? Even after she pays?”

Shade didn’t respond at first. He looked back at Madelyn on the feed, watching her twirl slowly while hugging her knees close. The position reminded him of prey caught in a web, waiting to be devoured. He felt a low heat stir in his gut, a sharp ache that made his muscles tight.

Mika turned his body to face him when he didn’t answer. “You're not honestly thinking of letting her go.”

Shade watched her for a long moment then glanced back at Mika. “She will be here for some time, I imagine. And you know I can be very persuasive.” He couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe she will grow to like it here.”

Mika barked out a laugh. “Yeah, right. Good luck with that.” He shook his head, eyeing him suspiciously.

Shade frowned, turning back to the feed. “We’ll see.”

“I’d be careful, Shade. Going soft for one of them…remember what her kind did to you.”

He hadn’t nor would he ever forget.

When he said no more, Mika left with the others, leaving him in the room alone. Shade watched Madelyn finish her dance, watching her flip before catching herself and then gently touching the ground. "Maybe you've come to ruin me after all,” he whispered. “But I'll bring you down with me before you do."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

MADDIE

Shade didn’t ask for her after her dance or at any other point that night. She should’ve felt relieved, but she wasn’t. She made herself believe it was because she had expected to talk to him and not because of any other reason that she dared consider. The guard who took her back to the worker level told her there was no possibility of Shade being seen, claiming he had other matters to deal with.

“He’s got more important things to address than making bargains with a human,” the nilgani hissed. “He’ll see you when he’s ready.”

Before she could get a word out, he’d turned away and left her at the door. Anger simmered in her blood as she stalked back to her room.

She didn’t sleep well, an anxious sort of feeling stirring in her gut. She watched the sun come up and rise over the towers before she heard her door slide open and looked over to see Remi with his tray.

He gave her a sort of curious look before setting bowls aside but didn’t make any comment. She ate a little and washed up before forcing herself out of the unit to find Shenra.

“You are on drink service tonight,” Shenra said to her without so much as a hello. “There is a uniform ready in the nook.”

Maddie gave her a surprised look. “I’m not dancing at all?”

“No, you're not. Now, go get ready.”

She didn’t stick around to ask why. It wasn’t like she could play a diva and demand she would only dance for work. Besides, any work that brought down her payment was better than nothing. She couldn’t waste a night.

And admittedly, she was partially relieved. Her body still wasn’t fully recovered from the stress of the crash. And, with the strange hours, she felt more tired especially after she danced. The only issue she really saw with having to serve drinks was that her foot had been starting to ache. When she had checked it last night, she’d noticed the smattering of bruises around her ankle. Clearly, the strain of twisting it was worse than she thought, and walking on her foot the past few nights hadn’t helped it to heal.

She could still walk fine so she didn’t bother mentioning it to Shenra. She put on the uniform as asked—a simple short-cut black dress that hugged her body with a thick, leather-like belt. She tugged on a pair of sandals and readied herself the same way she did last night, only leaving her hair down in hopes it would make it harder for someone to pull on it if they tried. She didn’t know whose bright idea it was to have her amongst the crowd when she could barely be in front of them without getting assaulted but she imagined Shade had made it clear what would happen if someone tried to touch her again.

“You won’t be working the main floor,” Shenra pointed out when Maddie cared to mention how risky it felt (and how nervous it did make her regardless of Shade’s supposed protection). “You’ll be working in one of the lounges. With careful eyes watching.”

“Shade will be watching?” She didn’t know why she cared, but she’d figured he’d be too busy to take notice of her.

Shenra smirked. The twinkle in her eye made Maddie uneasy. “No. But there will be someone. One of his men as usual.”

“I guess I won’t have a chance to talk to him tonight, will I?” Maddie said, annoyed.

“You wanted to see him?” she asked, looking curious.

“Just to talk about our arrangement,” Maddie couldn’t look Shenra in the eye, but she caught her smile widening.

“I’m sure something can be worked out when Shade is free. But tonight he has important business with a special shipment coming in. I don't think he’ll find much time to hear your complaints.”

“Not complaints,” Maddie assured. “I just…need to ask him something.”

Shenra’s eyes widened. “Oh?”

She waited for an answer. Maddie chewed on her lip, unable—or unwilling—to give it. “It’s…nothing. Nevermind.” Maddie slipped past her, heading for the door.

After following a guard to the specific lounge—a domed room with blue lights lining the walls—she was given instructions on how to deliver drinks. Long ago she’d worked as a waitress so it wasn’t hard for her to navigate her way around and take drinks to their thirsty owners. Alien eyes bore into her, saying few words save for a hiss or a growl. The other workers ignored her and that was just fine by her.

Time passed mercifully fast, as she was kept busy with orders. Only a few clients had to be put to check by the guard nearby for trying to grope or pet her. The rest must have seen what happened to the uugari and hardly looked her way.

As the night wore down, the lounge grew bare and soon she was no longer needed there. The guard who had been watching her the whole night—one of the wolf-like aliens called a kyrwori, she learned—came to take her back. It had been an uneventful night but, with her track record maybe that was a good thing. Still, she wished she had gotten a chance to speak with Shade after all. Even as they made their way back to the worker level she couldn’t help looking for him, hoping to spot him again in passing, only this time she would try to keep his attention and make it known somehow she wished to see him.

The main floor below still had a tight crowd. As they walked along the balcony, she caught the sight of a group dressed in black armor and her heart leapt thinking one was Shade. They swept through the crowd and, like a pack of wolves, they circled a giant of an alien with a grotesque face and quickly immobilized him, dragging him out of sight. Maddie realized then it was just a small team of Shade’s guards kicking the alien out for some offense, maybe theft or something else entirely. Disappointment dug into her deeper than she cared to admit.

Still fixed on the crowd, she didn’t notice the kyrwori had stopped mid-stride, almost making her knock into him. Confused, she glanced around him and saw another of Shade’s men judging by the armor. A very tall, lanky ashora with a slender face, had gotten in his way.

The ashora said something to her guard that she didn’t catch. The kyrwori glanced over at her curiously and then nodded.

“This way,” he growled at her and began to follow the ashora toward one of the elevators. Hesitant, Maddie followed as well.

“Where are we going?” she asked when they stepped into the elevator and she saw the ashora press the pad to a private floor instead of the worker level.

“Shade wants to see you,” was all the ashora commented.

Her heart leapt again. She tensed up uncontrollably, uncertain if it was fear at the sudden news or something else. She’d wonder why he wanted to see her now so close to the blood dawn but it didn’t matter really. Maybe Shenra had communicated to him after all and he’d found a moment to listen.

As they made their way downward in silence, she turned over what she planned on exactly saying to him. She imagined how he might answer—probably coldly, annoyed that she wanted to make more demands or exasperated by her presence at all. She couldn’t back out now though, and wouldn’t let him intimidate her if she could help it. She wouldn’t let herself appear afraid.

The doors slid open and a misty wind sprayed against her face, revealing that they had come to the ground floor of what looked to be a small, outside dock. It was dark save for the blue lights of surrounding buildings. She could see the shadows of crates stacked on each other but no movement whatsoever. The place looked empty.

Before she could even open her mouth to ask where they were, the ashora moved, striking the kyrwori across the head with some unseen weapon.

The wolf crumbled to the ground like a puppet, dead or unconscious she had no way of knowing. Maddie backed a step as the ashora then turned to her.

No. No, not again.

She whirled around and reached for the elevator pad but the ashora was too quick. He grabbed her before she could slam her palm on the screen, picking her up off her feet and wrenching her out of the elevator, kicking the kyrwori aside as he did. He flung her to the ground outside and hit his fist on the elevator pad, forcing the doors closed and sending the elevator—and the kyrwori inside—to some unseen level. Maddie scrambled away and let out a piercing scream in hopes someone would hear. The ashora turned on her and swung out his arm, clocking her right across the face. The strike sent her toward the ground, the side of her head scraping across the pavement. Her vision went black momentarily then she saw stars as the ashora pulled her up by her arm and threw her across his shoulder. Everything was swimming and she could hardly open her mouth except to let out a pained groan.

The ashora moved quickly in the dark. Maddie thought she heard the sounds of shouting nearby but could hardly lift her head to see. There were the pops and white flashes of gunfire as the ashora climbed up one side of a wall and leapt onto what might be the roof of another section of building. He flew across, the wind roaring in her ears, and the gunfire and shouts grew more distant. The light faded as he slipped into another building. Still reeling from the hit, she tried to struggle in his grip but found it futile.

At some point, the ashora slowed and she heard the dull roaring of an engine. Her eyes fluttered to see the outline of a sleek transport hovering just a little above the ground. The ashora threw her inside of it. She tried to lift herself but was promptly pushed back down. Her arms were twisted back as her hands were tied. Her stomach lurched as the transport moved and she could hardly keep herself from crying out as she felt it lift off and take her away.

She barely remembered the ride. Or of being carried somewhere unseen in the dark. The towering ashora had put a bag over her head, with an odor that stung her nose and made her even more disoriented. She saw nothing, heard nothing, only felt herself being carried until, suddenly, the ashora slipped her off his shoulder and sat her on what felt like a soft cushion. Maddie slumped in the seat and, when the bag was removed from her head, she winced at the bright light washing over her. Her head throbbed, a sharp pain to her senses as voices began speaking around her.

“What happened to her face? I told you to be careful,” snapped a low, raspy voice. One that sounded awfully familiar.

“She screamed and gave me away. I did as you asked, I got her here in one piece,” replied her abductor.

She blinked several times till her vision was no longer blurry, the walls were no longer moving, and the people were no longer just shapes. The first thing her gaze locked on was a pair of deep red eyes.

Valince’s smile when he came into her view was both sinister and terrible. “Hello, pet,” he purred. He reclined in a seat opposite her, his hungry glare making her shudder. He made a gesture and the ashora, untieing her hands, moved her closer to sit by his feet. She noticed others around him, mostly a couple standing behind his seat, large lizard-like aliens like the ones that Endia had tried to sell her to several nights ago. A few others were sitting nearby, dressed in glowing silver and clean-cut uniforms like what the elitists wear, some she recognized from the night before.

Valince leaned down, reaching out a hand to touch her, and she pulled away in response. He laughed.

“I’m sorry Jesri was forced to hurt you. But I’m sure it’s nothing you're not used to by now.”

She licked her lips and tasted blood. “Shade never hurt me.”

The statement was even a surprise to her own ears. But it was true, even when he could have.

Valince’s eyes widened. “Really? Well, that’s good then. I wouldn’t like to see what he’d do to a pretty thing like you, fragile as you look. ”

Maddie’s mouth twisted. “Fuck you.”

His head tilted as if he didn’t understand. His smile widened as he drew closer. “Listen, I know you are afraid. But you shouldn’t be. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, you are better with me than with that sidonion beast.”

“I find that hard to believe, “ she said through gritted teeth.

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “No one told you, did they? Then again, why would they? They answer to Shade alone. Why warn the poor human?”

Maddie looked around confused. First at those watching her, then around the room, a large space with a high-vaulted ceiling made of some dark metal, and a floor that looked like it was made of black ice. She suddenly noticed the sound of water nearby and saw a pool with a statue at its center, a hulking mass that looked like the same species as Valince, raising some kind of sword at face level.

“Know what?” she said, turning back.

He shook his head as if disappointed. “Your days were numbered with him. There were bets on how long you’d make it before he would eventually kill you. He hates humans as much as any sidonion, I imagine. Everyone knows the rumors about what your kind did.”

Maddie’s throat tightened. She knew it all as well. “It doesn’t matter. We made a deal,” she whispered.

“And what was it? That you’d go free after you paid him for destroying his property? Yes, I know about that too. You can’t possibly believe it though. You’d be stupid to.”

She closed her eyes and, despite herself, let out a sad little laugh. “Is this you trying to convince me that I have a better chance to be free with you? That you would make a better offer? You, who just had your guy abduct me?” She tried not to sound bitter but she was. Damn these righteous bastards.

“I don’t hold a grudge against your kind. You are too valuable here to be under someone like Shade. I can’t promise freedom, I won’t lie to you about that. But I can promise you a decent life if you do as told. And away from the danger of death. Because that is all Shade would give. He might have spared you on some whim, but it's nothing but a game for him. Why kill the human when he can break them slowly instead? How much more fun would that be? Make them think they are safe, that they have some equal ground in the word of a deal,” he leaned forward again, speaking low, “make them think they somehow triggered his curiosity.”

Maddie went still, her eyes locked with his, a shiver running down her spine.

“But it would be a lie,” he continued softly. “A terrible lie. He’s just looking for another way to torture a poor human like yourself.” He lifted his hand to brush a lock of hair from her face. “To get back at what they did to him. Humiliate you to dance, dangle you in front of a bunch of monsters like bait, then swallow you up just when you think you have a chance.”

His face drew closer until his mouth was nearly on hers. She pulled her face away at the last second and felt his tongue slide across her cheek. She could feel herself shaking but she wasn’t sure if it was from fear or anger or both.

She felt his breath on her face as he laughed before straightening in his chair. “So you really ought to forget about him and your deal. And you needn’t worry about him finding you. The city is vast, even he knows there’s no point. He’ll be furious that he didn’t get his chance to break you, but Shade doesn’t care enough about a single human to risk his men and waste his time. Not more than he already has. He’ll fester over his financial loss then move on. You're safe from him now, do you understand? Now, we can move ahead.”

She didn’t know what to say, or to think. But she knew, as harsh as the truth sounded, she didn’t trust him regardless.

“We won’t stay long, I’ll have you moved somewhere better. Likely my son’s house, just on the edge of the city. I think he’ll like you.” His eyes drew away from her face and traveled down her body. “Let’s first start by forgoing the clothes. I always thought Shade could do much better for himself if his workers performed without them.” As he said it, the ashora came around and lifted her then started pulling at her dress.

Maddie cried out and fought in his grasp, wrenching his hands away before elbowing him. The others around her laughed, only Valince looked unamused.

“You can stop making this harder for yourself. I don’t want to harm you but, unlike Shade, I won’t tolerate disobedience.”

“Fuck you,” she spat in his face.

The rage that twisted his expression was so astounding and sudden that it made her gasp. Teeth bared, he reached out and yanked her to him by her hair, almost ripping it from her head. His hands tightened on her in a painful grip, making her cry out. He pulled her to his lap and as she struggled, he gripped the front of her dress, tearing it down the middle. Exposed from the waist up, he went to grab her breast but her rage heated in her blood and, without a single thought, she swung her arm out and struck him across the face almost in the same way the ashora had struck her.

Unlike her, Valince didn’t fall back. But he did look stunned. There was the sound of a low hiss from those around her. The lizards standing behind him looked ready to pounce on her but he put out his hand to stop them. He flung her away and she fell against the ashora.

He wiped at his mouth and stared down at the blood smeared on his hand and then smiled that terrible smile. “You know, admittedly, I liked you better when you were hanging off the ground. Let’s remedy that.”

The ashora pulled her back. “Where?” he asked as she writhed in his grasp. Valince told him where and how and, the next she knew, she was being dragged toward the pool. Panic set in as she kicked and swung while the ashora tied her arms and, with the help of others, strung her up on the hand of the statue raising his sword. Now he also had her dangling by a single rope, hanging above the water by her wrists.

She shouted and cursed to no avail as Valince and his goons watched her swing, laughing to themselves.

“Maybe hanging for a night will give you a better perspective, pet,” he laughed. Before she could call him a ‘pig’ or some other name, she heard a whirring noise above her and felt the first few drops of cold water. She looked up and saw the rainy night sky as a pane of glass slid back to let the rain fall into the pool and on top of her. She gasped as the cold water slid down her back, soaking her to the bone. She lost the will to shout as she grew breathless, trembling.

She wanted to cry now, wondering how anyone, alien or otherwise, could be such a cruel monster. And she was surrounded by them. The city was hell and the demons played their wicked games. And there was no one coming to save her. No one.

She let out a soft whimper, her eyes stinging. The others were ignoring her now, even Valince who had turned away to talk to someone else. She wanted to shut them out, to just drift away, but her eyes caught movement behind a pillar to one side. In the shadows, she saw someone watching.

She stared at them and they stared back at her, and for a moment she didn’t feel the cold.

She recognized the painted face first, the skull-shaped face, then who was behind it.

Kronos, the leader of the valeskull gang, watched her, his expression unreadable. His gaze stayed on her as he broke from the pillar and stepped toward Valince. Only when he got to Valince’s side did he break his stare.

Valince didn’t appear to be alarmed he was there. A few words were exchanged then Kronos slipped away, with one last glance back at her, before disappearing out of sight.

CHAPTER TWELVE

MADDIE

Each raindrop felt like shards of ice cascading down her body. Her skin grew numb, her bones frozen. Her arms and shoulders ached with the tension. She had tried a couple of times to pull herself up and attempt to take hold of the rope with her legs but found it slippery and so cold it hurt to touch. Each time she tried she’d hear laughter from the others. They’d hiss and jeer at her and talk about her like she was hardly there. A few times one of them would come to pull her leg and lift her at an angle, letting her go to swing like a pendulum.

Valince didn’t laugh as much though he sat close by watching her. Despite what he’d done, he looked like he’d lost the amusement in it. He looked dissatisfied. As if he expected her to break quicker. She was glad that she hadn’t. A few times she caught herself losing consciousness but she shook herself out of it each time, forcing herself to stay awake. Because if she fell asleep, she worried about where she would wake up next.

Eventually, food was brought and her mouth watered at the smell. At that point, she was nothing more than an ornament in the background, something nice to look at while they ate.

She was never going to give in to him, she decided. No matter how he hurt her or humiliated her. She’d fight him at every turn. He could keep her hung up for all her days and she refused to give him an inch.

She would have said the same for Shade if he had chosen to imprison her instead of letting her work for him. Funny how, out of everyone she’d encountered so far in this hellish world, he had shown her a sliver of mercy. Too bad she believed everything Valince had said. Shade might have given her that one chance, but what was a human like her worth to him? Nothing.

That thought hit her harder than she cared to admit. Dread and hopelessness that had been knocking on the door to her heart now started seeping through, creeping in. Strangely, she only felt numb, angered by it. Though fresh tears threatened to fall, she knew they’d do her no good. Flight hadn’t worked for her, and neither had begging. There was only one way now.

She caught one of the aliens—a nilgani—saying something about human flesh and its taste. “It's best if rare, I heard. And cut thinly then steeped in blood.”

“Why not have a taste Valince and see for yourself?”

Valince said something she didn’t hear. She saw the nilgani get up to walk toward her, a glass in one hand and a knife in the other. She pretended to not see him, to be unconscious. When he trudged through the water and stood before her, she could see his face was at the perfect height. Before he could set his knife on her, she kicked out her legs as fast and as hard as she could, hitting him square in the face, knocking him off his feet and into the water.

They all stood up, a few laughed while others came toward her. The nilgani burst from the water, sputtering, blood pouring from his nose.

“You little—” enraged, he went for his knife and started for her. Valince roared for him to stop but the snake didn’t seem to hear him. Nothing was going to stop him, he was going to kill her, she could see the decision in his eyes.

One more step and thrust of his hand and he would have stabbed her in the gut. Only, before he could, the ground shook, catching him off balance, making him fall back into the water.

The others went still, looking stupefied and confused as if uncertain of what they had just felt. Another shake confirmed they hadn’t imagined it and Valince was the first to move.

“Get to the doors, now!” He ordered his men. They ran toward the main door opposite while Valince disappeared into another room, coming back a second later with a weapon that took both hands to hold, some kind of gun. His elitist friends hid for cover. Even the nilgani, forgetting his rage, rushed out of the pool to run and hide.

Valince aimed for the door, ready to fire at anyone who came through even if it was his own men. The booms grew louder and pieces of ceiling fell. There were shouts and screams coming from outside, and Maddie swore for a second she thought she felt the air warm up. Lifting her head, she looked up to the open ceiling above and saw a ship hovering, a dark ominous shape in the night.

The door trembled. Valince was so focused on it he didn’t see the men drop down from the open roof. Only a shout from one of his men gave the dark figures in the pool away. Before Valince could swing his gun around, they fired on him. And just as he dodged and attempted to take cover, the doors blew open.

The heat of the explosion rushed over her and the bright light made her blind for a moment. She tried to turn her head away, tried to hide behind her arm. Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear shouts and more gunfire until, eventually, both died down and there was only the ringing. When that faded, she dared open her eyes and look over.

A soft whimper of surprise escaped her and relief flooded her veins. But only for a moment.

Shade stood where the door had once been, but he wasn’t alone. With his men surrounding the area, Shade had someone in his grasp. He was holding them close with a blade to their throat. They looked just like Valince at first, only smaller with shorter horns.

Valince looked back at them, stunned. “Shade,” he hissed. “What are you—”

“Don’t mind if I intrude on your party do you, Valince?” Shade said with such casual indifference despite the murderous glint in his eyes. “We have a problem, you see, and it's urgent we talk.” Shade slipped into the room, keeping his grip tight on the younger-looking Valince.

Valince kept his gun aimed at him. “Where did you—?”

“Find your son?” Shade interrupt. “Funny enough, he was enjoying some of the best entertainment The Hive has to offer. You really should keep an eye on where your kin indulges themselves before you steal what is mine.”

Shade’s words cut so sharp even Valince seemed to flinch. Shade pressed his blade closer to the son’s neck, making the young alien hiss with pain.

Valince looked enraged, his face twisting, teeth bared. Then he appeared to calm a bit, even lowering his weapon. “Shade, we can talk this over. I didn’t think it would mean so much if the human went missing. She can hardly mean anything to you. You’ll rage on her eventually, killing her, spoiling her for everyone.”

Shade didn’t seem to like that answer. “No, you didn’t think at all,” he growled. “And your assumptions mean very little.”

“Your right I should have negotiated with you first,” Valince said. “I’ll buy her then. Name any price.”

Maddie waited, her heart sinking. He could very well ask for the price that she owed him, the insane amount for the damage she had caused to his property. And Valince might just accept.

Shade smiled. “She’s not for sale.”

“Please, everything has a price.”

“Not her.”

Valince looked vexed by his answer. “A trade then,” he offered. “Anything. Even…the southeast territories, by the sliver.”

That got Shade quiet. It had to have been something he’d asked for before judging by his hesitation.

Still, he said, “No.”

Valince hissed with irritation. “You’ve wanted that territory forever. We both know the human is barely worth that.”

“My answer is no. Now, I’ve killed a good number of your men already and I plan to do more, much more just for your disrespect, Valince. Should we add your son to the list as well?”

Valince growled and dropped his gun. “Take her then.”

Shade kept the blade to the son’s throat for a moment longer as if he was contemplating otherwise. Then he lowered the blade and shoved the son toward his father.

“I suggest you find somewhere else to hide for a while, Valince. As you said, I might just lose my temper, and kill on a whim. But it won’t be her, it will be you. And I’ve already caught your hired kidnapper. Mika is stringing him up outside as we speak, letting my men bat him around for fun.” He pointed the blade in Valince's direction. “Do not mess with me again, or it will be you next. Do we understand? This is my only warning.”

Valince let out a nervous laugh. “All this over a human? Come, Shade, we have been such good allies. Don’t let the filthy little—”

Shade didn’t let him finish that sentence. His blade sliced across Valince’s open mouth, splitting it open until a half smile formed across his face. Valince screeched in pain, bucking away before screeching again in rage. Dark blood gushed from his open mouth as he tried to cover it up with his hand.

“Get them out of here,” Shade commanded. His men took hold of Valince and his son and shoved them out the gaping hole that had once been a door.

Sirens far away began to blare, growing closer. “Enforcers,” one of his men stated.

Shade didn’t look concerned. He turned and made for her, a dark shadow passing over him as he approached. He slipped into the pool toward her, knife in hand.

Maddie was too frozen to speak, but she watched him carefully behind her wet hair. There was that storm in his eyes, a silent murderous glare, but she didn’t think it was meant for her this time. She hoped it wasn’t.

Without pause, he wrapped an arm around her, pressing her against him. Then he lifted her before he raised his other hand to cut her from the rope. She almost bent back before he took her still-tied arms and placed them over his head, encircling his neck. He pressed her close again and she could feel his heat through the armor. Despite the warmth, she was shaking.

“It wasn’t my fault this time,” she said with a shudder. “It wasn’t…my fault.” Maybe she was delirious, but she wanted him to know, she didn’t plan on any of it. She hadn’t tried to escape and let herself get caught.

“I know,” he said. “But you do have a knack for trouble. A human trait it seems.”

She scoffed, noticing his hand still on the small of her back, rubbing gently. Her heart leapt at the touch even now. Still, she groaned, the painful ache in her arms setting in. She wanted to collapse there, even against him. She let her head fall slightly, her hair getting in her eyes.

Shade’s fingers calmly brushed her hair away from her face as if he’d done it many times before. She slowly looked back at him, wondering if he was going to kiss her again. His eyes lingered over her face but appeared more agitated than entranced.

Without a word, he drew one hand under her legs and lifted her, cradling her before stepping out of the pool and heading for the door.

He carried her onto a transport, keeping her on his lap as they made their way through the city. He was silent the whole way, and she found it more and more disturbing the longer they flew. She thought he was taking her back to The Hive until the transport dropped down to an unknown building close to where Shade had first found her. This building looked less sketchy and cleaner than the rest. It even had a little courtyard with electric trees. He carried her inside and it was then she realized she was at some kind of doctor. Not a public one, judging by how few people were around, but a private one. The alien Shade greeted as Maliec was an amphibious-looking man with golden eyes like a frog. He and a handful of nurses took Maddie into a room and examined her, sealing up her cuts and healing broken tissue. They gave her a sickly sweet drink that brought back the warmth in her body and revitalized her just like Shenra’s drink would each night. They had her rest awhile to get the drink’s full effects and to make sure there was nothing else they missed, no inner injuries, or strange anomalies that might cause lasting issues.

After lying down for a half hour, the door to her little room slid open and Shade stepped inside. She was surprised that he had waited and that he looked even more upset than he had before. He carefully sat down beside her without a word, his claws out, ready to rip into the chair. Something told her that he was angry at her this time but she couldn’t figure out why.

Before she could ask what his problem was, Maliec strolled into the room with a thin tablet in hand.

“Tell me again, what you told me in the other room, Maliec,” Shade said, his voice icy.

Maliec glanced at her nervously then back at Shade, his throat bulging out like a balloon before shriveling back in. “No serious injuries, only some minor scrapes, and bruises to the head and face. The body chilled considerably, with the danger of going below the rate of what is normal for a human by our records. Good thing you got her out when you did.”

“And the rest,” Shade said, staring her down. Maddie found it hard to look at him as if she was already in trouble, but unsure what for.

Maliec continued cautiously. “We found a rather minor but concerning tear in her ankle that hasn’t had the proper time to heal. Seems to have happened several days ago. If left unchecked could have injured the leg further, becoming a more serious problem.”

Maddie tensed, trying to keep her expression blank, but heat rose up her neck and face.

“We healed the muscle and took care of the bruising,” Maliec continued, checking his tablet.

“Thank you, Maliec,” Shade said.

The doctor made a strange purring noise. He turned for the door and left them alone.

“I don’t suppose you were planning on telling me about that?”

Maddie looked over at him, catching his impossibly dark gaze. “I didn’t think you’d be that concerned. I figured no one would.”

“If one of my workers is sick or injured I demand to know. One fall and you could be in surgery with a metal fix. I don’t imagine it's easy to dance with a stiff leg, do you?” he said rather coldly despite his concern.

“No, it wouldn’t.”

“And if you can’t dance, you can’t pay back what is owed. “

She looked away from him, feeling embarrassed, and strangely hurt. “Guess not.”

“And the others will think you in the way. They’ll wonder why I keep you around.”

“Why would you, right?” She tried to keep the emotion from her voice but it was burning up her throat. “Why didn’t you just sell me to Valince then? Ask for what I am owed? It would save you a lot.”

His eyes narrowed as his talons tapped his knee. “Is that what you would have liked? To be with him?”

“No.”

She said it a little too quickly, but it was obvious that there was no way she’d rather be with Valince. In fact, she couldn’t think of anyone better now than Shade.

Shade reached over and placed one hand under her chin to keep her facing him. Making her meet his eyes. He watched her for a long moment as if searching, or perhaps waiting for something. She felt his thumb brush over her chin and then her bottom lip in a slow, intimate caress.

“You are too much trouble…but I can’t let you go.”

He released her and rose, leaving her to turn those words over for another half hour before he returned to take her back to The Hive.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MADDIE

She knew she was dreaming because she was back on the ship, and there was no way that was possible. Even in her unconscious sleep, she knew that wasn’t possible. She’d seen it crumble apart, burn away to nothing, and disappear into the darkness of space. Yet, there she was back on her stage, familiar human faces looking up at her. They smiled and cheered, their clapping like the sound of rain on a rooftop. Her heart swelled at their praise. She grinned back, bowing as she did after every performance. Only after she bowed and straightened did she realize the faces had changed. They twisted and bent until they were no longer human but altogether alien. Their smiles widened into impossible features, their clapping now a roar in her ears, their cheers now shrieks and howls of delight.

Her body froze up, panic setting in, her legs straining, ready to run. But it was just a dream so why bother? They couldn’t hurt her here. Somehow that made her feel better. She relaxed and, when she took a step toward them and bowed again, she found she felt just as she did before. Proud.

Nothing scared her, why should it? They loved her just as much. She could touch them now and there would be no pain.

She went to step off the stage toward the crowd, but as she did so, they disappeared into smoke, melding into shadows.

A wave of darkness drew around her, embraced her until she turned some way and saw the light of the stage. Now the silks she always danced with were gone and only a single chain link remained.

She stepped over and pulled on the chain, hearing the sharp chime of metal. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she whirled around to see one lone figure remaining, sitting just beyond the light.

She knew it was Shade by his outline. He sat reclined in his seat watching her, a billow of smoke floating over him.

Maddie turned back to the chain, letting her hands grip it tight, feeling the heat of his gaze at her back. Her heart raced knowing he watched her every move. She climbed up the chain until she was several feet off the ground. Then she struck a pose, arching her body, lifting her head back.

She circled and bent, showing him how lithe and flexible she could be, pushing her body beyond its limit, wanting him to see all of her from every angle as she moved seductively along the chain, curling and weaving, wrapping the chain around her until she dangled upside down, baiting him.

She unraveled herself, dropping back to the ground, and started to move toward him, her fingertips tingling for the urge to touch…

Something wrapped around her wrist, making her halt in her tracks. She looked over and saw the chain had somehow curled itself around her wrist. Before she could move, another chain came from the dark and took hold of her other arm. Together they pulled her back to the stage. She looked at Shade in surprise and saw he was no longer alone. A beautiful ashora woman who looked a lot like Endia had pulled herself onto his lap and had taken his full attention. Maddie watched his hands slide across her back and then down to her hips, clenching them tightly. The woman arched her back and moaned as he undressed her, his mouth moving on her neck, biting her shoulder. Her hands moved on him in turn, and Maddie saw him hiss with pleasure as the ashora touched him between his thighs. What control Maddie thought she had over the dream was gone. She couldn’t look away, she could only watch as Shade unbuckled his pants, letting them slide down enough to free himself before lifting the ashora in that perfect position. He moved on her with a desperate need, a feral claiming that left Maddie struggling to get free at the sight. Her own body ached till it hurt and she too felt desperate for some release. She caught herself moaning, bitter that she couldn’t so much as touch herself. But she didn’t want only that, she wanted what the ashora had. She wanted to know the feel of his hands.

Wanted to know how his body would react to hers.

There was a distant scream of pleasure and Maddie’s body ached so bad it throbbed. In a gasp of breath, the dream faded, leaving her body only hot and empty, twisting around her bedsheets. Breathless, she rolled to her side, feeling the slick of sweat across her back. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw someone standing at the foot of her bed, and recognized it was Remi.

She sat up with a start, a curse slipping from her lips. “Were you watching me?” she asked accusingly.

“Only briefly,” Remi said. “You were whimpering. And moaning. Calling out Shade’s name.”

Her face flushed instantly. Remi didn’t seem to notice her embarrassment as he placed a tray of food and a cup of water on the table.

“It was just a dream,” Maddie said half-heartedly, trying not to press her legs together where the ache still lingered.

“Could have fooled me,” he said before turning for the door and disappearing out of sight.

Maddie sighed, brushing a hand over her eyes. Out the window, the bloodsun was only just beginning to rise. Trying to put the dream out of her mind, she ate what Remi had brought, then washed up and put on the clothes they’d given her at the medical hub last night. She went searching for Shenra but didn’t find her in the usual places. She didn’t want to go wandering The Hive at such an early hour so she asked the guard at the door of the show quarters where Shenra might be.

The guard didn’t answer, only gestured for her to follow. He took her to one of the elevators, pressing for one of the floors above. They rode in silence and, when the door opened, she saw just beyond a small passage, a set of dark glass doors. The guard stopped at the doors, which slowly slid open, and gestured inside. Maddie peered around and saw it was some kind of green room encased in thick dark glass like the doors. There were lounge chairs among twisted plants and green orb lights that hung from the ceiling like little planets. Inside, Shenra was talking with someone who looked similar to Remi. The only difference was they had a clipped ear that looked like something had bitten it. The small ashora saw her and bowed his head to Shenra before disappearing. Shenra pulled up the sleeves of her robe before turning to address her.

“So the little human has returned in one piece. That’s quite the miracle I must say.” Shenra’s gaze fell down Maddie’s body and back up to her face, looking for—Maddie assumed—any lasting marks. “I honestly expected your body to be found badly used before Shade could find you.”

“Thankfully Valince believed he’d have all the time in the world.” Maddie crossed her arms. “I think he expected my compliance also. He thought…he assumed I’d be safer with him than here with Shade.”

Shenra dipped her head in a shrug. “It’s not surprising he would think that. Many, after all, wonder why Shade took you in. It was very unlike him. I, however, could see the business reasons why. Some think he’s just playing a game, wanting to toy with you more than anything. Of course, that seemed unlikely when he became adamant about rescuing you despite all the incredible risks. How much trouble you caused…”

Maddie’s eyes fell to the emerald carpet at her feet, remembering what Shade had said to her last night at the medical hub. “I get it, I'm a pain in his ass. He must really feel I owe him now. I expect I’ll be here working that debt for a long time. Now, all I can worry about is if something happens and I can’t. I’m sure if I had been found badly used and broken by Valince, I wouldn’t be back here at all, I'd be…discarded.”

Shenra paused. “What makes you think that?”

Maddie glanced back up at her. “If I can’t work then I’ll be in the way, and people will wonder why he keeps me around. That’s what he said. If I can’t pay him back then I am useless, and he’ll just put me out of my misery and take the loss, it's as simple as that.”

Shenra smirked. “Is it?

Maddie shrugged. “What else is there?

“You think after all the trouble he went through to hunt you down, that he would just kill you? Brightburn gods, girl,” Shenra scoffed. “If people wonder why he keeps you around it’s because they will think he is giving you special treatment. They’ll see you as a weakness. It’s why he kept himself from murdering Valince that very night. To kill an ally for a human? She must be very special indeed. And that only makes you more of a target.”

Maddie shook her head. “Why would he care?”

“Isn’t that a question.” Shenra moved away from her to pick out the dead leaves of a large carnivorous plant close by. “Maybe that’s something you should ask him, hm?”

Maddie started to play with the ends of her hair nervously, wondering if she should, but unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

“You know, “Shenra continued, checking each plant as she moved along the room. “Shade is more than what he seems. To humans, he is merely a monster and will never be anything more, so it’s no surprise you expect him to act the part. After all, monsters don’t have feelings except for maybe rage and lust. Monsters don’t care. They might as well be soulless beasts for all it matters. No one ever considers that at one time they were hardly ever what others claimed them to be. That they were not born a monster but were made.” She stopped and turned back to Maddie, fixing her with a piercing gaze. “Wounds create monsters. The pain hardens them. Sometimes it makes them sick. But what no one bothers to realize is that they will do anything to heal those wounds even if they leave scars.” Shenra crumbled the dead leaves in her hand until they fell like dust onto the floor. “Shade is wounded. And I suspect he knows it very well, unlike others. He doesn’t expect to find someone who can relieve that sort of pain or heal those wounds. Certainly not from those that made them in the first place. So he acts his part. But don’t think for a moment he doesn’t feel a thing. Or that he doesn’t care.”

Maddie sat back in her room watching the sunset from her little window. Watched the lights bloom to life across the city. She wouldn’t be dancing tonight, nor would she be serving drinks. Shenra made it known before she left the green room that she was off for the night.

“Only tonight,” Shenra explained. “Wait in your room to be called upon.”

She did so until she became restless. Not wanting to appear even more strange to the others than she already was, she didn’t go wandering but didn’t want to stay in her room either. She bathed just for the sake of it then headed to the dressing room. Even if she wasn’t going to be out on the floor, she felt compelled to dress herself—putting on the same dress from her first night, the red no-silk and the leather-like waist belt. The restlessness wouldn’t leave her, in fact, it only grew worse as the night began. She put on the makeup she’d used before and let her hair fall across her shoulders as she studied herself in the dark mirror.

A figure revealed itself in the mirror, one of Shade’s men.

He didn’t have to say a word and she knew. In a way, her instincts told her Shade would ask for her which brought on the restless need to prepare herself in the first place. And even if he hadn’t, she was sure she would have gone looking.

Her pulse throbbed in her ears as she slowly rose and followed the guard out into the club. She hardly noticed the people around her as she weaved through them, taking the elevator up to a familiar floor and then climbing the stairs to Shade's private lounge.

The room looked as it had that first night and, just as before, there were Shade’s guests, some she recognized and some she didn’t. A kind of holographic game was spread across the tabletop along with drinks that women served while keeping them company.

Shade was in his usual spot at the head of the table. When they locked eyes she approached, trying not to feel too relieved that none of the women entertaining them currently occupied his lap. Despite his cold gaze, he gave her that sly smile as she stopped before him.

“Well look who made it back,” called a familiar voice. Maddie glanced over and saw Kronos in his usual spot, grinning at her. “The mad girl got a lucky break.”

“I’m guessing I have you to thank for that also,” Maddie said.

Kronos sucked on his pipe and blew blue smoke in her direction. “If you want to thank me I’m most willing.” The glint in his eyes implied enough. “I can’t lie though, I was half tempted to watch you hang there just a little longer.” His eyes drew down her body, stopping on her breasts. “The sight alone was…” He seemed to shudder. “I’d pay to see it again really.” He started to laugh then quieted when Shade looked over at him with that cold stare and tight smile, his claws tapping on the table impatiently. Kronos flinched but recovered quickly, reclining back. “Anyway, it was my duty to inform Shade.”

“Or you offered Shade the information for a price,” Maddie countered. “You work for Valince too. I saw you talking with him.”

“That’s a lie,” Kronos hissed. “I don’t work for that scum-sucker. He only thinks so.”

“No, just whoever transfers the most credits to your account. You're nothing more than a ghoul who’ll kiss his own ass if someone paid you enough.”

Kronos leapt from his seat. One venomous warning from Shade kept him from taking a step toward her.

“She needs to be put in her place, Shade,” he said, sitting slowly back in his seat. “I’ve seen people’s tongues cut out for less.”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Shade replied. He gave her an amused glance as if he were actually proud of her.

Kronos took one more drag from his pipe before setting it down. “I bet she would bend over for anyone if they had a ship. Wouldn’t you?”

“Kronos, if I have to hear another word slip from your mouth I might just cut your tongue out instead.” Shade said it lightly but Kronos grew still as if assuming he was serious. Shade brought his attention back to her. “So,” his smile grew wider, “I heard you wanted to see me.” Maddie caught her breath at his intense, curious stare. “Something else you wanted to talk to me about? Something not to your liking?” He sounded sarcastic, but something in his gaze told her he was interested to know.

“I…” Great. Now, after what had happened, she didn’t know exactly what to say to him. She shuffled on her feet, thinking, then said, “I don’t care for private sessions.”

Kronos made a noise and Shade fixed him with a warning glare before turning back to her. “I can imagine, after Valince, it’s given you a bad taste. But there's good money to be made there.” He tilted his head at her. “And since it seems troublesome for you to dance in front of a crowd…”

“I don’t care for that either.” She glanced at his hands, her heart pounding, ready to hear his cold reply.

“So you don’t wish to dance at all?”

“It’s not that.” She glanced back up, his gaze keeping her in place as he watched her.

“You have something else in mind?”

She didn’t know how to say it without feeling foolish or somehow childish. She decided to try and play it off as such anyway. Smiling, she shrugged. “Honestly, I was hoping I could sit with you again, seeing as I was given no job tonight. I bet I can entertain you just as well as the others.”

She expected him to laugh in her face and say no. What right did she have to ask him to pay her again just to sit and keep him company? He had plenty of other women for that, and many would do it without asking to be paid in turn.

But he didn’t want just any woman or so he said…so maybe?

The side of his mouth twitched as he grazed a taloned finger across his lips. “Entertain me?”

One woman who sat on the other side of the table giggled. The others looked at Maddie like she was a joke. Kronos looked like he wanted to say something but he took a swig of his drink instead.

Despite what they might think, Maddie stood her ground. “Yes,” she said firmly. She took a step toward him and leaned on the table, making sure he saw only her and her bare hips through the split of her dress, and the shape of her breasts as she leaned toward him. “And I think you’ll like me to,” she said softly, “…for curiosity's sake.”

His smile slipped. The cold glint of his gaze turned at once into a dark fire as his nostrils flared and his pupils dilated.

The others laughed.

“I’m sure there’s nothing curious about you, soft skin,” another woman said.

“At least you don’t have to pay for my company, Shade,” Kronos finally burst out. “And I can entertain better. Better than a shrinking little—”

“I do have to pay for it, actually,” Shade interrupted, in an icy tone. He looked tense, his talons now fully extended, digging into his thighs. He didn’t look away from Maddie as he addressed them all. “And right now I’m finding the company lacking.”

“Shade—”

“Get out.” He finally tore his gaze from hers to look back at them. “All of you.”

They didn’t argue. Only Kronos hesitated, being sure to finish off his drink first, his eyes burning into her back before he finally walked out, leaving them alone.

They didn’t say a word for a moment as Shade poured himself a drink and sipped it before offering some to her. She shook her head and he set it aside.

“Was that a ploy to just get my attention?” he asked. “Because I’ll bite…you have it.”

She leaned off the table, suddenly finding it hard to look at him, afraid of what he might see. “I meant what I said,” she whispered.

He watched her with all the precision of an apex predator. “Then come sit.”

She hesitated, only to give her nerves a moment for what she was about to do. Carefully, she came around to him and, instead of sitting in the chair beside him like last time, she dared to slide herself onto his lap.

If Shade was surprised, he didn’t show it. Instantly, he leaned back to allow her a better position, taking hold of her waist in one smooth motion. She settled herself against him, already feeling his warmth seeping through his light-armored uniform and into her.

He pressed his chest against her back, a hiss of breath tickling her throat. “This is a start,” he said against her ear. Maddie watched his hands travel across her thighs, then along her waist and stomach as if he had been desperate to touch her. And she didn’t stop him nor did she feel compelled to. She was entranced by his hands, even the sharp talons that threatened to cut her dress to pieces with the lightest touch. She licked her lips as her mouth went dry, her mind spinning but she refused to catch any singular thought and examine it deeply. Instead, she let herself feel. Feel the fire simmering low, heating her blood. The thrill of the danger that was all of him. Something she could no longer ignore. Even though a part of her was still stunned to feel it.

“Shade…”

His hand slipped up to her heart. She could almost hear his grin against her ear and felt the light graze of his teeth. “You're scared to death, poor thing. Your heart is racing. Are you really sure this is what you want?”

She took a deep breath, letting her head almost fall back against him as his other hand began to dip lower. “I’m not scared.”

“Mm, I think you're still a little bit. But it’s not just fear anymore is it?” He bit her shoulder and she nearly let out a moan.

It pained her to say it. “No.”

“No,” he repeated. The hand on her heart shifted, squeezing her breast gently before moving up to her throat where he held her firmly. Even she caught the eager excitement in his voice. As if he’d finally gotten the new toy he always wanted and was itching to break it. “But I'll ask again, are you sure?”

She had a feeling if she answered with what he wanted, there was no going back. Shade wasn’t the type to be played with as he mentioned many times before. And she knew now she couldn’t fool him.

“Say it, Madelyn,” he said almost desperately. “Be mine.”

She let out a shaky breath, knowing her answer but feeling overwhelmed all the same. His heat consumed her, dissolving all thoughts. She licked her lips and swallowed, closing her eyes as if that would somehow hide her confession.

“Yes.”

His hand loosened on her throat and she took that moment in his stunned silence to rise from his lap. She shivered as the chill of the room touched her skin, Shade’s heat already leaving her. She walked over to the window looking out over the club, watching the people dance and sing the night away. She looked back at him, finding a shadow over his features, and she wondered how someone so warm could look so cold.

“Say it again,” he said.

She leaned her back against the window, feeling the cool pane of glass against her skin. “I’m sure.”

He was very still, so still he almost didn’t look real. “I will stop the private sessions. They will now only be for me. What time you spend by my side will be worth more than whatever soul-eating elitist will pay.”

He was trying to make a deal with her as if he expected that’s what she really wanted. She didn’t say a word otherwise. Instead, she shifted on her feet, playing with the fabric of her dress. She pulled off the glass and, biting her lip, turned to face him fully. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SHADE

He didn't answer her right away. He merely watched her by the glass, the flash of reds and green from the club moving over her body. For a brief moment, he thought he might not have heard her correctly, her voice so soft. But her eyes, fierce as they were, told him enough. And he knew she was truly giving in to him.

With just that thought alone, he felt the rush of his blood warming.

"Come here," he growled. He could feel the itch of his patience thinning. He badly wanted to unravel her, to take what she was willing to offer. But he knew he must be careful in his advances so as not to scare her off and lose this chance.

She didn’t move right away which was not unexpected. She was still wary of him, but she was curious whether she liked to admit it or not. He felt her pulse quicken at his touch. The smell of fear barely lingered with the flowery scent that was hers alone. It hardened him to the brink of pain, but he forced himself to remain calm and collected. It still shocked him how she made his body react, this human woman, and it shocked him how much he enjoyed it. He felt he would be content just to have her by him if that was all she would give him. But the temptation for more was also great, and he hungered for it.

As she came to stand by his side, he could see she was ready to sit on his lap again. He reached with one hand and placed it on her hip, but instead of moving her onto him, he pushed his chair back, then led her to sit before him on the edge of the table. She fixed him with a confused look and so he responded accordingly. "Remove your dress."

The way her body tensed was no surprise. He'd heard humans were much more reluctant to show their naked skin than most other species. He'd seen them bare before when they'd been sold on the market, but he'd hardly noticed then. Now, his focus was tight and centered on her, waiting in anticipation.

When he thought she might change her mind after all, her hand reached up to the strap of her dress, and she let it slide off her shoulder. She did the same for the other, and the thin cloth that had covered her chest dropped down her arms to hang loosely at her sides.

Shade took her in, even if it was only part of her. Her body looked soft, warm, and inviting. He wondered if he'd ever been with one who looked so delicate on the outside and yet was so fierce on the inside. The ashora had similar skin, but theirs was more smooth and cold—icy even. But Madelyn was the very opposite. He imagined what it would be like to feel her underneath him, and the pain between his thighs heightened.

He didn't say another word as she hesitated to go further, likely trying to keep her courage. Without dropping her gaze, she unclasped the sash around her waist and let that fall to the ground. Then she untied the under piece between her legs and let that too slide down to the floor.

Now, with her dress bundled at her waist, the long ends only covered that last bit of her at her thighs. Her chest rose and fell as he could hear her heart thumping faster, her skin now shiny from a thin layer of sweat. His eyes fed on her like a starving animal. His words caught in his throat as he found it hard to move. His claws extended to grip the sides of his chair, keeping him from leaping up and feasting on her with more than his gaze.

"Now," he finally spoke in a low, grating voice, "touch yourself."

This made her freeze up, her eyes widening slightly. "You want me to...?"

"I want you to show me. Show me what makes you aroused and in need."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned at him as if expecting him to be joking.

"I have been with many kinds. But humans weren't one of them. I admit I know little of what drives your race to mate or to love. I want to know now. I want you to show me so that I alone can give you that pleasure that no other man can give." He saw the skin along her neck and face redden, her gaze falling. He leaned in, forcing her to lock eyes with him. "And once I know and understand, I will master that pleasure until you beg it only from me."

He saw her jaw tighten, her eyes flickering with an emotion he couldn't yet identify, but he was sure he’d stunned her in some way. He grinned back at her knowingly.

"If it's too much, we can end here and—"

"No."

He stilled as she shifted before him, then slowly opened her thighs apart. It appeared she wasn't keen on backing down now, when she'd made it this far, and that suited him just fine. He reclined back, and his claws gripped the arms of his chair tighter as she drew back the ends of her dress and revealed to him all of her.

With a trembling hand, she reached down and touched the sensitive skin at her center, careful and uncertain at first, as if timid or embarrassed. He followed her movements, studying how and where she moved and what made her flinch and writhe before him. The bumps he noticed before on her flesh rose, and he badly wanted to trace a finger over them as she traced her fingers over herself now.

"Don't hold back," he said as he saw her waver. "Show me. Teach me."

Her face reddened again, but she didn't allow her hand to slow. She swirled her fingers around the core and then dipped her fingers inside herself. Her scent nearly overpowered him, and it took all his will not to lean in and taste her.

No, not yet. There would be time enough for his turn. He needed to see what made her lose herself, and how far her pleasure could reach. He had to know.

Her breath quickened, and he could feel the heat coming off her in waves. Her head tilted back, and she arched before him, and the sight was beyond beautiful.

He might not take her yet, but the need to touch her was too great. He unlatched his hand from the arm of his seat and gripped her thigh, his claws pricking her skin.

She tensed, a little gasp escaping her, and her hand stilled. Her eyes drew down to where he gripped her. The claw of his thumb traced down her thigh. It wouldn't take a whole lot to break the skin.

Shade tipped his head. "Does my touch scare you too much to continue? Pity. We will have to remedy that."

"It doesn't scare me," she said, breathless.

"No?" He let his thumb feather over her skin in a back-and-forth motion. "Or...is it something else?" He let his claws press a little harder, testing her. To his surprise, a small moan slipped from between her lips.

He felt her shiver before her hand began to move again. He didn't retract his claws or draw his fingers from her legs as he watched. As she squirmed, another moan rising in her throat, he pressed into her skin, knowing full well he could tear her easily if he wished for it.

The heat in her was rising, he could feel it. He could sense the tension building.

"You've never been touched by a nonhuman, have you?"

She shook her head.

"But you will know. I will show you. Teach you as you have taught me." By the brightburn gods, he could see the slick from her on her fingers. Whatever natural oil or wet heat she possessed was dripping down her hand. Her fingers moved effortlessly now, building the heat. He imagined what she must feel like, that heat engulfing him, and it made him harden even more. The bumps on her skin rose, and he traced them with his claws, moving his hands farther up.

There was a sudden, drastic change in her, that came like a storm. Her body shuddered and bent, and a louder moan tore from her throat as she clamped her lips together as if to stifle it. She arched back on the table until she was almost laying on top of it. Her body throbbed and pulsed before him, another beautiful sight.

Something changed in him also. A wild sort of feeling grew inside like a slow bomb going off, catching him off guard. A low growl thundered in his chest as he continued to grip her, ready to bring her to him. He prided himself in his control, but at this moment, it was slipping. He leapt out of his seat and bent over her, teeth bared as if in pain.

Madelyn hardly flinched. She lay there as if still coming down from the high that she had given herself. Her eyes, wide and bright and full of fire, looked up at him, and he thought he might lose full control and take her right there.

There was a loud knock at the door before it slid open, and Mika waltzed inside.

"Shade, Belaris wants to see you at the—oh."

Shade twisted around and fixed him with a seething glare. He drew himself off Madelyn and up to his full height.

"I caught you at a bad time, huh?"

"Get out before I put you out," Shade snarled.

Mika lifted his hands in defense before he promptly turned around and left. The door shut behind him, and the silence returned. Shade looked down at Madelyn, his breath coming in drags, still angered by Mika's interruption and by the control he almost lost. No one made him lose it like this, no one.

He took hold of Madelyn's arms and pulled her gently up into a sitting position.

"Put your dress back on." He forced himself not to look at her as he said it, afraid of losing himself again, and he could feel her nervousness now returned. He let her dress, then he went over to the door and, as it slid open, beckoned one of his men to him.

"See that she goes straight to my unit and nowhere else."

When the guard bowed his head, he closed the door and turned back to find Madelyn now dressed and standing by the table. Her skin was still flushed and her eyes were bright.

"Is that…all then?" she asked.

Far from it, he thought. But for tonight... "Yes. Tonight, that will be all."

He could see she was tired (or dare he even say disappointed?). She stared at some of the empty plates on the table, and he wondered if she was hungry too. He felt anger again, now at himself for not thinking of her wellbeing. She was his to take care of, and he'd make sure she was given everything she needed. He'd make sure she was well fed before the dawn came.

"Follow my guard out. He will take you to my rooms, and you'll find everything you need there."

She stepped away from the table and toward him. When there was only a foot between them, she stopped as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Before she could move past him, he drew his hand up, brushing his fingers through a lock of her hair then a little down the side of her throat, the act nonchalant, as if he'd done it many times. Her fiery gaze locked with his, but she didn't turn from him though she easily could have.

"If you haven't regretted your decision yet, you'll see me soon. I have a lot to memorize in your body." He smiled. "But I'll need practice soon. Until then, rest. Tomorrow, we will learn so much more."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MADDIE

Standing beside a window that took up one whole side of the room, Maddie watched the city below pulsing with life. Compared to the view from her unit there was much more to be seen than ever before. Shade’s quarters—like a penthouse at the top of a highrise—had many large open areas with windows though she suspected no one could see within the way she could see out. The rooms were spacious, full of sleek black furniture and dark, marbled floors. The lights were dimmed, casting along mostly bare walls. Something told her he didn’t spend much time up in his rooms, too busy with everything happening down below, maybe only using the space to sleep, bathe, and…

Her heart leapt, her eyes glancing back at the door. But there was only silence. She let out a slow breath and turned back to the cityscape.

She’d been restless again ever since the guard had left her. Thinking Shade would change his mind and come stalking through that door. And anything that happened after could not be undone.

But he hadn’t. Several hours have passed now, she could even see a little red in the distance, growing brighter. Remi had already come and gone, bringing her so much food she could hardly finish half of it. He’d given her a curious look when he’d left. In fact, she’d almost say he’d looked nervous, or shocked to find her there as if it was a rare thing for anyone to be inside Shade’s quarters, especially when he wasn’t there.

She was feeling sort of shocked and nervous about it too really. Shade wanted her here but he hadn’t wanted to finish what they started. She remembered the look in his eyes after she had broken apart in front of him, how feral he’d looked. She thought there was no way he’d be able to stop himself from taking her right there, but he hadn’t. He’d even appeared almost angry after, and that made her feel…admittedly insecure. As if she’d done something wrong.

You did do something wrong, her consciousness whispered. A very bad thing. You let him see you like that. You let him have that part of you. You gave in to Axaria Shade.

She tried to wave the thought away. It didn’t mean anything, she was sure. She’d just been in a weak, vulnerable moment.

You gave in…and you liked it.

So she’d given into some dark feelings. So what? It wouldn’t be the first time anyone had done that. And she didn’t have to do it again. It meant nothing, really…

What will the others think? I’ll tell you…they’ll think you're rotten. Stop while you're ahead.

Now the guilt swarmed her, even as the temptation remained, confusing and frustrating her. She began to pace back and forth along the window, like a caged animal. But she knew she could walk out of his rooms if she really wanted to, she could go back to her unit, stop this now, go back to just being another dancer, pay off her debt, negotiate her departure, and be done with it.

It was all very clear and logical. The rest…the rest were just messy feelings that she didn’t even understand.

After a long time pacing, she grew tired and found a lounge chair to rest on. She decided she’d stay, only so that she could talk again with Shade about helping her get off world. Surely, he would keep to his word once she’d paid what was owed. And what happened between that time, would stay on Seriph.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SHADE

He watched her closely, noting each fall and rise of her chest, how her brow furrowed and her lips parted slightly in her sleep as she floated through some dream. He wished he could see it.

Unmoving, he stood beside the longseat where she was now curled up. The bloodsun had risen, covering the sky in a deep red. The beams of color from a skylight above drifted down on her, embracing her in its warm glow.

He was jealous of the light.

He'd only returned to his unit a few moments ago. He had gone straight to his bedroom to bathe but also in hopes to see Madelyn lying there on his bed. He had been anticipating the sight ever since she'd left him in the lower lounge and was thoroughly disappointed when he didn't find her there upon entering. He searched for her after, only to find her in one of the rooms where she had decided to make her bed instead.

His mouth curled slightly. She was determined to defy his expectations. He'd be a liar if he said he didn't think it was cute.

A soft sigh escaped between her teeth as her head drifted to one side. A lock of hair fell down her face, and he bent to brush it carefully away. Still, she did not wake.

He straightened, unable to tear his eyes away as if too transfixed. It still amazed him that she could hold his attention. No other being had possessed him now as she did. And after last night, he didn't think anyone else ever could. The image of her still racked his brain and would do so for many long nights.

It was a dangerous thing, someone having such power over him. And a human woman at that. How it was possible still vexed him.

But he could hardly bring himself to care now. He had her, and she was willing to give him those small pieces of herself. Soon, he would have it all, and nothing else would matter.

Because he had a plan. Even when he had been meeting with Mika and his men, going over his various properties, making sure all trades were taken care of and any opposers or territory breakers were dealt with; even when he had checked over every part of The Hive and made sure everything was in working order, that the clients were satisfied and his workers happy, a plan had been turning slowly in his mind, set forth in motion as soon as Madelyn had left him to return to his unit for the night.

He would cut her debt to him every day that she stayed by his side, and he had a feeling she would be willing to remain in that position even if it meant no longer performing. The debt would disappear quickly if that were the case, even if he wasn't as generous as he was. And that was well and fine because, if he could make her want him as he wanted her, to mold and twist her desires to match his own, he could convince her to stay. Stay right here with him in Seriph by his side.

He was always a gambler. And he rarely lost a bet.

She stirred in her sleep, breaking his thoughts. As if sprung into action by her movement, he carefully picked her up off the longseat, keeping her close to him. He held her for a moment, relishing in her warmth and how light she felt in his arms before moving her out of the front room and back into his bedroom.

He set her on his bed, then turned over to the window and brought down the screen, allowing the room to be dimmed as the sun rose. He moved back over to the bed and shrugged out of his uniform. Standing beside the bed, he leaned down and brushed his fingers over Madelyn's cheek, his thumb tracing the softness of her lips.

"I’ll have you with me,” he whispered. “No matter what it takes." He turned away and left her to sleep.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

MADDIE

When she woke up she realized she’d been moved out of one room and into Shade’s bedroom. It was spacious and dark just like the others within his domain. She was alone but knew Shade must have found her. Wherever he'd gone now was a mystery.

Before she could even remove herself from the large bed, the door opposite opened, and Remi entered, pushing in his cart. He placed it beside the bed and filled her drink cup without a word.

“Where is he?” she asked.

“Down below,” he replied.

Of course. And she hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with him again last night, unable to wait up for him. She would have to remedy that.

She threw off the covers, noticing she was still in the dress from the night before. Thankful Shade had that decency at least, she reached over and took the cup, taking generous sips of cool water. As she set the cup down she caught Remi watching her with a strange expression.

“What?”

“Do you like it here?” he asked.

Her brows furrowed at his odd question. “Why do you ask?”

He tilted his head as he studied her. “You seem…less afraid.”

She opened her mouth then closed it, then said, “I guess I…feel less afraid.” She looked down at her feet dangling off the bed. “But I don’t know if I would say I like it here. I’m just…maybe I’m starting to get comfortable with it.” Now that she didn’t feel entirely threatened.

“Comfortable?” he said curiously.

She glanced back at him and shrugged, laughing quietly. “As any human could be in this place at least.”

“So you want to stay?”

She frowned. “I didn’t say that.”

He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded as if coming to some silent conclusion. “Don’t get too comfortable then.”

He said it casually, with no tone of threat. Before she could answer, he was leaving.

“Wait, Remi.” She got up to follow him, wanting to understand what he meant. She tried to catch him down the hall as he turned the corner. When she got to the entrance of Shade’s quarters she found he’d disappeared. “Remi?” She went for the door and as it opened, two ashora stood out in the hall. She recognized them as the pair that had fixed her up before. Shivra and Denia.

“Come on, girl, no time to waste,” Denia said, a long piece of clothing draped over her arm.

“He’s waiting,” said Shivra, carrying a leather-like bag.

They stepped inside and pulled her back in with them.

She had assumed she’d be performing again by the way they had prepared her. Pulling half her hair into intricate braids along her head, leaving the rest to fall down her back. Darkening her eyes and lips with makeup just like the many times before. The dress was by far the most extravagant thing they had her wear and didn’t seem made to be danced in. Thin, dark blue cloth hugged her body, covering her chest and neck but leaving her back and arms bare. The only piece of jewelry, besides those given to her by Endia and her gang to communicate with, was a gemmed choker with a single diamond chain that rested between her breasts. On its end was the Shadowfell symbol, Shade’s symbol, encased in silver.

Once she slipped on her shoes, she allowed herself to glance at her reflection in the dark window. For the first time, she thought she looked like she might belong, another seriphon melding with the rest. Even if her soft skin and shiny hair gave her away.

She left the rooms, following the guard waiting for her. When he led her down to the lower levels, she wondered how the hell she was going to dance. Only when he took her away from the main floor and out to the shipyard where she had first entered The Hive did she realize she wasn’t taking the stage after all.

There Shade was waiting, alone beside a single transport, smaller than the others she’d been in before. This one looked different, sleeker, made perhaps for racing. Shade himself looked different, wearing a clean-cut black uniform with the Shadowfell symbol on the left breast and silver cuffs. He looked powerful, seductive even. He waited for her by the transport until she came and stopped by his side.

“Where are we going?” she asked, eyeing the vehicle curiously.

“A special event,” he said, his eyes trailing down her dress, his fingers skimming the fabric of her skirt as if examining it and finding it to his liking. His eyes drew back up and stopped on the Shadowfell symbol between her breasts and they narrowed in satisfaction.

“Will I be dancing?”

“No.” His fingers traced along the back of her neck, gently taking a lock of her hair in his fingers. “We won’t stay long. I merely have business with those attending.” His hand dropped as his gaze locked with hers. “I don’t want to waste my night there when I have far better things I’d like to do.”

Her heart jumped, remembering last night. His leer told her enough, a smirk playing on his lips. He moved for the transport, the doors opening upward like wings. “Get in.”

She got in the passenger side, slipping into the warm seat, letting the door fall and close, locking her in.

With fluid movements, Shade entered the driver’s side. Once locked in and secured, the transport purred into life and hovered just a few feet off the ground. Shade warned her to hold on if she must. Then, with one pull of the accelerator, the transport launched into the air and took off at such an insane speed it made her stomach drop, her body pushing back into the seat. As they broke from the shipyard, Shade turned sharply before rising again above the majority of the city. When Maddie let out a little gasp as the transport dropped slightly, she heard Shade laugh softly beside her. She couldn’t help laughing too, a nervous giggle as she clung to her seat.

As they raced across the sky, she looked out from the window, taking in the sight, breathtaking as it was.

“I never thought Seriph was so vast,” she said. “Some of the buildings…they look old too.”

“They are very old,” Shade said. “Some of them are ancient. Seriph was built on top of a kingdom once ruled by a powerful god-like race. Some say they still live here deep down in the lowest parts of the underground. But it's just a myth.”

“I wonder what they were like. I wonder what they would think of their city now.”

“I think they would be glad to see its advancement.”

There was so much more to the city than she could have imagined. She doubted any of her kind ever saw this part of it either, which she found sad. She hated to think of the fate they’d been given. They too might be buried now deep below, only forgotten. That thought made her shudder. She reminded herself how lucky she was to still be alive to witness Seriph almost in its entirety.

In no time at all, Shade began to descend on a different portion of the city, an area split by a long, deep crevice in the earth. Bridges connected the fissure like a web, creating paths to buildings that hugged both sides, their balconies hanging over the edge. Shade descended on one of the largest buildings with a wide balcony, big enough to land his vehicle among others.

As he powered down and Maddie stepped out, she gazed up at the structure. It looked older than the rest, a wider-set building unlike the tall towers nearby, with a glass dome at its center. It reminded her of a museum or maybe a temple. She stared at the dark stone and golden inlay of the outside as Shade came around to her. He took her hand in his and led her toward the front. She didn’t hesitate to follow, her eyes drifting over the groups of people, swathed in beautiful clothes like hers, who stood nearby and watched them, their eyes wide with shock. Many that had been talking by the front doors grew quiet as they passed, some backing away from Shade as if he were a venomous snake that might poison them if they got too close.

It appeared those at the event hadn’t expected to see him, and Maddie started to wonder if he had been invited at all.

As they made their way inside, Maddie hardly had time to take in the breathtaking interior of black-marbled floors and gold-covered walls as they raced down a hallway and entered the central room with the domed glass ceiling. The open room was filled with people, mostly ashora, but also nilgani, kyrwori, and—to her stunned terror—a pair of the same race as Valince, the bat-like people with deep red eyes and flat noses she learned were called drakin.

Thankfully, Shade stopped just a few feet from the doorway otherwise Maddie wouldn’t have taken another step further.

The crowd parted, conversation dying in a whisper as their eyes drew toward him and filled with sharp unease. Out of the crowd, a very tall ashora stepped in front of them, her eyes cold as Shade’s, set within a sharply beautiful face, her body lean and graceful, draped in black and covered head to toe in gold and silver-white gems. Behind her, the drakin drew closer.

“Shade,” she purred, smiling. “What a surprise. Don’t recall you being invited, but it is always good to see you.”

Shade smiled back, his hand squeezing Maddie’s gently before releasing it. “Lamia. It’s been a long time. ”

“It has,” she tilted her head, glancing over at Maddie. “You brought your little human too, how nice. Did you bring her as a sacrifice?”

Maddie tensed as Shade’s smile grew wider. “Afraid not,” he said. “I’m here to settle a problem with them, actually.” He gestured to the drakin behind her. One of them—who looked like Valince only shorter with a larger physique—bared his fangs and stepped forward.

“You have some nerve coming here, Shade,” he growled. “What you did to Valince—”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat and to you as well, Kirigor,” Shade said. “In fact, that’s why I’m here.”

From the crowd, several familiar faces appeared. Maddie recognized them as Shade’s men along with his second, Mika, who slipped out of the shadows. They stood amongst the crowd, and Kirigor glanced at them angrily. The other male with him stood close by with men that were clearly in his control.

Maddie stood in front of the doorway feeling like a bomb was about to go off, knowing any moment a fight was going to break out, one that some might not get out of alive. She looked to Shade who didn’t appear concerned. He stepped toward Kirigor who didn’t move.

“Shade, you dare bring one of your problems to my doorstep,” Lamia snapped. “On a night like this.”

“It couldn’t be helped,” Shade said. “Not when those who dare threaten me and my people hide like insects after being challenged. I learned of their plan only today,” he dipped his head and Maddie could imagine the heat in his gaze, “to try and harm what is mine. So it must happen here and now. I enact sigori.”

A few in the crowd began whispering excitedly. Maddie thought she heard the words “Rite of blood.”

Lamia brushed a finger across her lip thoughtfully. “You always did make things more interesting, Shade, I can’t deny that at least.” She turned to Kirigor. “You accept this challenge? Or do you run?”

Kirigor seemed to think it over and then said, “I accept.”

The crowd moved to the walls as Shade's men made space in the center, blocking them in a circle. Mika came forward and offered Shade a dark blade like the one Maddie saw him carry in their first encounter. Kirigor took a similar blade offered.

Maddie shook her head. Was this really happening? Did Shade bring her to a damn knife fight?

She took a step forward and one of the men blocked her way. “Shade,” she called to him. Shade looked back at her and then gestured to Mika. His second came to her and took hold of her arm. She wrenched it away. “What the hell is this?”

“Shade harmed Valince, Kirigor’s brother, and in turn, we learned Kirigor was planning on getting revenge,” Mika explained. “There’s blood that wants to be spilled so sigori means to finish it now. Whoever wins is no longer threatened. Whoever loses dies.”

Maddie froze. “What?”

Mika smiled. “Kirigor is an amazing fighter. This should be good. Come on.” He pulled her again toward the safety of the doorway and Maddie let him, too stunned to fight him.

“What if Shade loses?” she asked as he kept by her side.

“Then I guess I’ll have to take over.”

She couldn’t believe his casualness. She watched as Shade and Kirigor circled one another. When Lamia signaled, the fight began.

Their pace quickened and Maddie watched, unable to look away, waiting for the first strike to see who would deal it. A few attempts were made and each time they were dodged. Shade moved quickly and silently, agile like a cat, while his opponent put more force into his strikes, hoping one would catch. They appeared to be equally matched, and she was entranced by the way they moved like two powerful predators. Only when Kirigor got the first hit—slicing Shade’s thigh—did Maddie have to look away.

“I can’t do this,” she said to Mika, “this is insane.” She turned to walk out and wait outside, knowing she wouldn’t be able to leave. She couldn’t watch Shade just die in front of her, all sense of security gone. Her heart felt like lead in her chest, her stomach twisting.

Mika took her arm again and pulled her back. Before she could protest, he said, “You must stay.”

“Why?”

“You are the sole reason he is here in the first place.”

She stilled in surprise. “You can’t expect me to believe that.”

“It was you they threatened the most. They wanted you. I won’t go into detail about what they planned to do to you but it wasn’t nice, I’ll tell you that. And it would have been slow. It was enough to put Shade over. It’s why he brought you to witness.” Mika grabbed her shoulders gently. “Here on Seriph, it is an honor, so that you may watch him fight for your sake.”

She didn’t know what to say. Slowly, she turned back to the fight, wondering why Shade would risk it for her. She could only accept that it was his pride he was truly fighting for, not her. Still, she made herself stay and watch.

Kirigor had the upper hand again but Shade was on the defense, dodging his attacks. Then his movements changed. He moved slower than before, as if he wanted Kirigor to hit him. When Kirigor swung his arm out, cuffing Shade’s ear, Shade dipped down and then shot forward. His blade went up and Kirigor parried it with his arm.

In one swift movement, Shade dropped the blade and then caught it in his other hand. While taking hold of Kerrigor’s arm, he slipped the blade into Kirigor’s ribs. The man roared as Shade brought the blade out. Kirigor’s knife sliced across Shade’s brow as Shade leapt away. He was grinning ear to ear, despite the blood running down his face. He hissed at Kirigor, taunting him and Kirigor took the bait. He lunged and Shade slid out of the way, catching Kirigor in the back of the knee. The drakin stumbled and swirled around. He swung again, but this time Shade caught his arm and pulled. As Kirigor fell, Shade sent his blade right into his eye, deep enough for Maddie to watch the man die before he could even hit the ground.

Some hollered in praise, others cried out in rage. Maddie stood there watching the blood spread over the ground as Shade stepped over the body, triumphant. He wiped his blade on his pant leg as he turned to Lamia.

Lamia bowed to him, a smirk on her lips. “At least I can count on a good show from you, Shade.” She stepped closer to him, intimately close, her face an inch from his. She said something Maddie couldn’t hear and Shade seemed to hesitate before answering. Lamia’s smile slipped a little, and she glanced at Maddie wide-eyed. Maddie dared not look away as the woman backed a step, tilting her head in a shrug before turning away, calling for her servants to clean up the blood. “Do come by sometime if you change your mind, Shade,” she called as she disappeared into the crowd.

The male that had been at Kirigor’s side—along with several others—moved on Shade and his men but didn’t dare attack. Mika tugged on her arm.

“Come on, I’ll walk you outside.”

Maddie couldn’t speak, her mind reeling from this event she hadn’t been prepared to witness. She was too shocked to even know what to really feel, except maybe a stir of relief.

As they waited by the transport, she looked back, waiting for Shade to exit while also studying the temple-like building and its location. It wasn’t a temple at all, but a house. And this one, she assumed, belonged to the beautiful ashora inside.

“Who is Lamia?” she asked.

“An elite, born and raised here. One of the wealthiest heirs,” Mika said. “And Shade’s old flame. He once worked for her father in the beginning, before he made his own here. Once he parted ways, their alliance faltered. Now they are more rivals than anything, though I know Lamia wouldn’t mind if Shade partnered with her.”

“Why doesn’t he?”

“They have their differences.” Mika, who had also been watching for Shade, looked back at her. “And he’s found himself in pursuit of a star, so he no longer wants a flame.”

She didn’t have time to wonder what he meant. Shade, with the rest of his men, returned. He had cleaned up the blood on himself, the cut on his brow only just a small mark. As he approached, he switched places with Mika. His second left with the other men in a separate transport while Shade stayed beside her.

Maddie watched them leave then turned to Shade. “That was…”

“Exciting?” he said. “Enthralling?”

“Not…what I was expecting.”

He grinned, bringing himself closer. “It’s admittedly fun to shock you. Humans are so easily unsettled.”

“You just killed a man, and I was made to watch, I think I have a right to be.”

His grin dissolved into a tight smile. “A man who would have done worse to you. And I refuse to let a threat go. Not after what they did. What they planned to do.” He placed a finger under her chin, tipping her head up to have her look at him. “No one is going to harm you now.”

She looked at him in quiet wonder, then whispered, “What about you? Who will protect me from you?”

His gaze searched her face. “You have me there,” he said in a low voice. He drew his mouth close to her ear. “But if anyone tries protecting you from me, I’ll be waiting to challenge them too.”

He laughed low, making her shiver. He moved his mouth close to hers. “Now I want a reward for my victory. Will you give it to me?”

She couldn’t bring herself to move away from him. Slowly she pressed herself against him as he clamped his hand firmly around her jaw, then brought his mouth down on hers. He coaxed her with his tongue, claiming her as his hands gripped her. She returned in favor then bit his bottom lip, making him hiss softly before pulling away.

His eyes dilated, and what she thought might anger him only seemed to make him in need of more.

His hand on her jaw fell to her throat which he caressed gently. "Now, I think it's time we pick up where we left off last night, don't you?" he said, almost purring. His other hand drifted over her back, his talons trailing down her spine. "I've learned much since then, but now I must practice." He gave her a wicked smile. "And I can teach you a thing or two."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

MADDIE

Shade flew back to The Hive in record time, taking her up to the top level. To his private floor. Inside, he brought her into the room with the long midnight-black table situated next to the wide window overlooking the city. Little bowls of flames lit the tabletop, showing off an array of different foods and drinks that someone—she suspected Remi—had thoughtfully placed along with plates and utensils.

Shade crossed the room and sat himself in a leatherbound seat at the head of the table. With a playful stare, he gestured for her to approach. "Come sit."

She moved around the table and lowered herself into a seat next to him. She eyed the food but found she had little appetite for the exotic choices.

"Not hungry?" Shade asked when she didn't move to fill her plate.

She glanced over at him and shook her head. "Not really."

"Pity. I had a special treat brought for you, but if you're not hungry enough..."

She studied him, wondering if he was toying with her, but his expression didn't change. "What is it?"

"See for yourself." He slid over a small, covered plate. Maddie looked down at it curiously. She lifted the lid an inch. When she saw nothing moving, she lifted it all the way and let the lid drop.

Her brows knitted. "Is that...cake?"

"A human dessert if I am correct."

"It was a small red velvet cake with creamy frosting. They had ones like it along with all other assortments of cake back on the ship. "How...?"

His lip curled. "I have my ways. And I thought you'd enjoy something familiar."

Maddie stared back at the cake and could already feel herself salivating. She hadn't had cake since her friend Helen's birthday on the ship. She envisioned eating it would not only be sweet but comforting, bringing memories of the times on the ship when everything had been so good, before it had gone down, and she'd lost everything.

Before she could move to pick up a utensil and take a bite, Shade slid the cake back over to him.

"I was going to let you enjoy this on your own, but I think, after all the trouble you’ve caused, it's only fair you work for it."

Maddie licked her lips. "What do you want me to do?"

His expression and the way he sat back, parting his legs slightly, told her enough. She moved off her seat and onto his lap without protest, allowing him to encircle his arms about her. His heat settled through her, and she couldn’t help liking how nice it felt.

His hands moved over her, possessively, brushing across her stomach and thighs. Without warning, he unlatched the top of her dress then pulled it down, exposing her chest. His hands then wandered over her breasts, kneading and caressing—exploring. A low hum settled in him, vibrating across her back, and he seemed satisfied for the moment. He stilled one hand under her left breast as if to feel her heart race. She could feel the throbbing of her pulse in her head and between her thighs as his breath touched her ear.

"Now, that's better," he whispered. He reached with his other hand over the table and, with one claw extended, tore a piece of the cake, keeping it firmly between his fingers. He brought it to her lips and—fixing him with a playful glare—she took it without protest, tasting the sickly sweet frosting with the rich cake between his fingertips.

It pained her how good it was. She had to stifle a moan of relief and joy at the taste.

"Like it? I figured as much. You humans have a sort of addiction to sweeteners, don't you?" Shade observed aloud. "I've never cared for anything sweet myself, but you might prove me wrong." His hand at her breast slid down her ribs and stomach, then fell between her thighs, pressing the thin fabric of her dress against her. Maddie tensed, inhaling sharply as his thumb brushed over her center, making her want to clench her thighs from the sensitive touch. She licked her lips and swallowed.

"Have you tried human food before?" she asked.

His hand slowly circled her as he thought it over. "Yes. Many years go." His voice turned low, almost grating. "I didn't much like it then. But considering the circumstances I was in, I didn't expect to be given the finest meals."

"Why is that?" Maddie asked, her breath quickening.

"I was imprisoned then."

Maddie didn't look at him, though she could guess what his eyes would hold. The hate there burned at her back. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as his hand stopped only briefly so as to slide underneath her dress. His movements mimicked the same as her fingers had the night before, making her shudder, heat pooling low.

"When you were captured after the blade wars," she said, shaking.

"That's right. So, you know about it?"

"I had heard about it many years ago," she said in a near whisper. "Long after your disappearance. The prison had been destroyed and hundreds were killed. The soldiers said it had been the worst sight they ever saw."

"It had been a sloppy escape but effective enough."

Maddie closed her eyes, her heart hammering in her chest, both now from his hand and the little fear that still stirred in her.

He circled around her once more before she felt two of his fingers dip into her. Thankfully, he knew not to extend his claws unless he wanted to hurt her. She shuddered as he slowly pulled his fingers out from her, then slid them back in.

"I heard they did awful things to the prisoners too," she said, trying desperately to keep her composure.

"Yes," he said with a hint of venom.

"Did they hurt you?"

"Not enough to break me."

A moan slipped from her throat, her head tipping back. "I'm sorry."

"Are you? You don't think I deserved it?"

"No one deserves to be tortured."

"I disagree. But it depends on what kind of torture." He slid his fingers out again and brought his hand out from underneath her dress. Maddie watched as he tasted her and saw his eyes darken like a storm. "So, I do like sweet after all," he said, so low she almost didn't hear him.

Before she could respond, Shade took hold of her, rising from his seat. He swiped away the contents of the table, letting them crash on the ground, before setting her atop the smooth surface. He ripped away the bottom of her dress and the slip of underwear that hardly covered her. Maddie didn't dare move. Despite how tense he made her, her body ached, desperately wanting him to finish what he’d started. She shouldn't want this from him. From a man who killed and hurt so freely. Who'd harmed her kind without a thought. He should want to take her life too, but it appeared he intended to keep it. That thought alone should have made her stop him. But, as it was impossible for him to want her at all, it was just as insane to admit that she didn't want him to stop.

He gripped her hips firmly, looking ready to devour every bit of her, but Maddie planted her palms against his chest to halt him.

She wanted to say something along the lines of "take what you want, just don't hurt me" but felt the words might mean little to him. It was there on the tip of her tongue but refused to spill from her lips. She locked eyes with him instead, hoping maybe in them he would see she was pleading silently, and he might understand. The words meant more than just physically but emotionally, now that she felt more vulnerable than she ever had on any stage being watched by hundreds of eyes. His alone made her falter.

He watched her for a long moment, waiting, and in the end, Maddie gave in, letting her hands drop. Holding her gaze, he gently placed his hand around her neck and coaxed her to lay back on the cool surface of the table. Maddie closed her eyes, holding her breath, wondering if his hand would start to tighten.

"Say my name," he said softly.

Holding on to his arm, she took a slow breath. "Shade."

"No,” he growled. "My real name."

Maddie knew no one called him by it save maybe those closest to him. Yet, he wanted her to. She looked up at him, licked her lips, and said it in a breath. “Axaria.”

Shade closed his eyes. His hand at her throat squeezed only a little before releasing her, letting his fingers slide down the center of her breasts to her stomach, the feel of his claws trailing lightly across her skin like a set of blades.

“I’m going to take a lot from you tonight, Madelyn, and it is not in my nature to be patient once the fire spreads. If you have second thoughts, you should voice them now." He opened his eyes to glare back at her. "Otherwise, I expect you to do as I ask."

Maddie stared back at him, knowing she could back out right then and there, and he would allow it.

She stilled for a moment, then slowly nodded her head. Heart thumping, she tried not to think about the fact she'd never been with an alien, let alone a sidonion, and what a difference that might make. She was grateful she’d had her shots at the very least.

Shade studied her for a moment longer before he took hold of her thighs and spread her out. He lowered himself, his head bent, hovering between her thighs. He whispered something she couldn't hear, and she felt his warm breath against her, making goosebumps rise over her skin. Maddie inhaled deeply, bracing herself when she felt his tongue slide across her center. Unprepared for the heat of it as well as the feel of several slick ridges gliding across her clit, Maddie shuddered violently, a moan tearing from her throat that she couldn't contain. Her back arched, and her knees bent as he slid over her again. He gripped her legs, keeping them in place as she writhed against him.

She cursed aloud and—curiosity getting the better of her—lifted her head to see his purple and black tongue circling her. She could see the set of ridges along the center of his tongue, brushing over her. Her breath quickened into little gasps as he pulled from her waves of heat.

"Shade..."

Before she could say more, he dipped into her, hitting some deep spot. She cried out and bucked, throwing her head back. She felt like she was being pulled apart, her body tightening. She planted her back on the table and, frantic, sought his head, gripping his hair. Another cry broke from her as the waves of pleasure washed over her and her body shook. He didn't let up even as she came, and sometime after, the feeling became almost too intense for her to bear.

When she couldn't take any more, Shade finally lifted his head as he licked his lips and fangs. The storm in his eyes was in full rage, but he appeared to brace himself, as if to savor the moment, allowing himself to stay calm. He rose slowly and took hold of her arms, pulling her up with him.

"You taste so, so sweet." His hand caught her jaw, and he brought his mouth down on hers. His tongue flicked against her lips, and she let him in, feeling the prick of his teeth on her lips. He broke from her, still holding her firmly. "But I need more." His mouth widened into a cat-like grin. "I want you to experience what you've been missing..." His thumb, with the claw partially extended, trailed across her lip, the brush reminding her of the tip of a knife. "...with another kind."

He led her out of the dining room, straight to the bedroom. There was no going back with Shade pulling her down the hall, impatient to continue what they had started. Maddie let him take her there with no thought of pulling back or stopping. Honestly, she was still reeling from the moment in the other room, her body still throbbing, her mind unable to hold a thought to what was happening and what she was doing. When she could think clearly, she told herself it was just for the thrill, her curiosity getting the better of her, nothing more. But her body betrayed that thought in every single way.

The door to the bedroom opened at his touch and closed shut right behind her as she was pulled inside.

The room was dim, with a warm orange light spilling from the open bathroom door and the ceiling glowing a soft blue. The bed, a dark slab to one side, was made up from a few hours ago. Shade stood her beside the bed's edge, then took a step back.

"Take off the rest," he ordered.

Maddie did as he asked, slipping off her thin black sandals.

"Now come and take off my clothes."

She sauntered forward and lifted her hands—still shaking a little, she noticed—to the collar of his uniform. She unlatched the front, revealing his bare chest. She stood frozen, her eyes wide.

His body was sleek and hard, a dark blue-gray like the rest of him. Just like his face, where she could see the outline of his skull, she could see the silhouette of his ribs along with the black shape of his heart, pumping deep and slow. Strangely, she could see no other organs; only thin blue and black veins colored the thin outer layer of his skin.

She took him in, unable to speak. He was so different from her. So strange, and alien, and...

He stood waiting for her to take off the rest. She swallowed and unclasped his pants, then slid them down.

She stepped back, almost flinching when her eyes took in his bottom half. Well, it was no surprise he wasn't hung like a human either. She shouldn't be shocked, but she was, even if she didn't really know what to expect. His cock extended out from a hardened base, curving up slightly and it too had that almost translucent layer of skin with tiny veins along the muscular, bulging, shaft. The head was pointed like an arrow with two prongs, reminding her of a forked tongue. It looked like a weapon more than a sexual organ, and she had a feeling he knew how to wield it well.

He took off his shoes and chucked away the pants, then reached out for her and took her hand, setting it on his lower stomach. "Touch me, explore as you like. I'll teach you what makes me feel good."

Maddie hesitated before moving her hand across his stomach then his hip. He was smooth and warm with a few places that were set in a row of hard bumps like ridges, mainly across his outer thighs and along the sides of his chest. She touched the place where she could see his heart beating and could feel it against her palm. Transfixed, she let her hand fall again down his stomach where a trail of bumps led down to the base of his thighs. When her fingers traced along him, she noticed a set of small, silver spines on his back shoulders rise, like the hairs rising on the back of some animal.

Maddie stilled her hand again before she braved to let her fingers touch the "weapon" between his thighs. As she encircled her fingers around him, she heard a soft hiss of breath escape him. A natural sort of oil was secreting from him, wetting her hand, making him slick and ready.

"Slide your hand along me. Do you feel the small knots there?"

Maddie swallowed, letting her hand move against him, feeling a row of tiny ridges. "Yes."

"They are very sensitive, like the one you hold at your center but not quite the same. The twin tips at the head are also sensitive. I feel the most pleasure when they are touched. Friction can do the trick, but even the right touch will make me come."

Heat rose in her face at his bluntness, but she had to give him credit for being firm about what worked. And if he could get off to just a touch, he might be satisfied quicker.

Shade smiled down at her, his eyes now sparking with amusement as if he read her thoughts. "Don't shy on me now."

Putting aside her slight embarrassment, Maddie let her hand slide along him, letting her fingers explore.

The spines on his back rose farther, and his face twisted with pained pleasure. "Yes, like that, good girl."

She let her thumb brush over his twin tips and watched him shiver. The image was more satisfying than she cared to admit, as if she held some small power over him after all. She traced her fingers along him some more, kneading and circling, watching him come apart in her hand.

"Now you understand," he said in a breath. "The lesson is quick. But I have a feeling it won't take much when we are entangled for me to..." He trailed off when she continued to knead the sensitive parts. His cock throbbed in her hand, and a low groan escaped him as white, hot seed spilled onto her hand.

Shade growled as she released him and drew back. She couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face, coupled with the small feeling of victory that he was as powerless against her moves as she was of his.

He must have seen the smug look on her face. His mouth widened as a shadow passed over his eyes. "You are a quick learner, I'll give you that. But don't think I'm finished with you. Not even a little."

Maddie bit her lip. Her eyes glanced down the length of him and saw he was still rock-solid. "I take it you're not the one-and-done type of guy, huh?" she whispered, trying to make light of it.

He smiled, and the wicked look in his eyes told her enough. "Get on the bed," he demanded.

Maddie thought it best not to test him, so she didn't hesitate in doing so. She sat on the edge and started to push herself up the bed as if to get away when he came forward and took her ankles to drag her back. He bent her legs up, hugging them to her chest, before mounting on top of her.

Maddie grew tense, her breath catching. Without thought, her hands came up to press at his chest.

Shade stilled. He glared down at her, almost in warning. "Madelyn..."

"I've never been with...anyone who wasn't human," she said, wanting him to understand.

His gaze softened. He released some of his weight off her. He reached out and brushed his hand along the side of her face as if to comfort. "You don't need to fear. True, I can't know if it will hurt or not. I've never been with a human, myself. But we will learn together." His eyes narrowed, and his lip curled. "And sate our curiosity."

The tips of his cock brushed against her center, and Maddie felt the goosebumps rise again on her arms and legs. "Maybe," she whispered, not wanting to admit it to him fully.

He grinned. "You can't tell me you aren't dying to know how I feel inside you. And I know I've been dying for this moment since I saw you."

She looked up at him, shocked at the sudden admission. But his expression told her little, didn't show any other trace of emotion about what he'd just told her. He raised his hips and pressed against her, and Maddie let her hands fall, clutching at his arms instead. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled with a hiss as he slid into her, slow and deep. She could feel every knot that slipped along her, making the heat rise quickly again between her thighs.

Shade groaned softly. He buried deep into her until he could go no farther. He pulled back slowly, then slid slowly in. He kept slow and steady, watching her face, seeing how she might react.

Maddie readied for pain or some other unpleasant sensation but found none. It didn't feel human. It was different in every way. It felt forbidden and twisted, and she couldn’t believe how good it felt.

She tried to hide how he was making her feel, but she must have been doing a poor job because now it was his turn to look victorious.

"See how well we fit together?" he purred. "How your body reacts to mine? It's just as I'd suspected and hoped. We are different, and yet we join so perfectly." He thrust a little harder and a little faster. Maddie moaned, her fingers digging into his arms. She whimpered as her body betrayed her again, burning faster. She was tightening again already, unable to control the heat that now ran wild.

"Say I'm right, Madelyn," Shade growled.

She clenched her jaw even as another moan rose in her throat. Shade growled low again, baring his teeth. He slipped out from her and flipped her onto her knees, pulling her to him, to the edge of the bed. Legs spread, she was pinned beneath him as he took her again, burying himself till his hard base rubbed against her center. His hips rose and fell as he grabbed hold of her hair, wrapping it in his fist. Arching, Maddie gasped. He didn't slow then, and the pressure was excruciating. She heard herself crying out his name as the waves of heat rocked her, flooding her senses. She could feel him spilling in her, a low snarl tearing from his mouth. Her body pulsed with his, and it nearly pained her to realize that they were in tune and that he was right.

He continued even after her climax had subsided, coming once more before he finally freed himself from her. Breathless, Maddie sank to her stomach. Shade lay on top of her, keeping off his full weight so as not to crush her. His arms engulfed her as if to shield her.

She couldn't be sure how long they laid there, but she was aware of Shade's embrace, how close he held her, and how strangely tender it was.

Before she could try to understand his sudden tenderness, he was off her, his heat dissolving from her fast. She didn't like the cold, empty air. She turned her body to look at him and caught his eyes, but he said nothing, and she could read nothing in his face.

He turned from her and headed for the bathroom. Inside, she saw him start the jets in the bath. When he returned, she sat up on the bed.

"Let's clean. I'll send for new clothes while we do."

Maddie frowned, noticing his sudden aloofness. He offered his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up, standing her before him. He stared at her as if searching for something he was desperate to find. Again, she thought he might kiss her, but he pulled away and led her to the bath instead.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

MADDIE

Maddie dipped back, letting herself suspend for a moment as the no-silk turned her slowly above the stage. Unlike the main stage with hundreds of eyes on her, she now worked on a smaller platform in a dimly lit lounge with only a few dozen watching. Shade had finally decided to let her back out on the floor again, but having her work in the main club was becoming too much of a risk, with the possibility of some rogue clientele becoming too tempted to heed his warnings. So, he’d placed her in one of the VIP areas instead, where the customers were smaller in number but made up the most wealthy and elite of the city.

She couldn't say she minded. Unlike the main club where chaos reigned, willed by the massive crowd, here, the seriphons gathered and drank at small tables as they watched her from afar. Though there were still plenty of eyes on her, no one bothered her.

The only real negative was she felt isolated, just like she had with the private session as if she had to be placed away from others because she made them act poorly. Shade didn't voice it, but she still felt she was being punished despite others saying she was extremely lucky in her circumstance. It might be that she felt ignored, dancing on some backroom stage when she was used to performing at larger venues on the ship, but she reminded herself to be grateful. Being ignored was better than being targeted.

Maybe the real problem was she didn't like who was ignoring her.

For the dozenth time, as she twisted around, she caught sight of Shade sitting nearby with a host of others. She didn't know who they were but could tell by their clothes and the shiny tech they wore that they were elites. He talked and drank with them, smiling, letting the men fill his cup and letting the women touch his arms, not once looking her way. He hadn't said a word in fact since he had left her in his bed at twilight. When he had entered the lounge some hours later, he'd gone to the table–lit now by deep blue lanterns like the rest of the room, with a canteen already placed for them in the center–and greeted the group before taking a seat offered. Now, for the last hour, he’d sat there, looking at no one but them, smiling and leaning in every so often to whisper something to one of the pretty nilgani or ashora women.

She watched him until he was out of her line of sight as the no-silk twisted around. With a sigh, she climbed up and dipped, creating another pose.

It was silly of her to care, anyway. There was nothing in their situation that said he had to be attentive to her always. But for the past few nights, he had seemed more inclined to keep her at a distance when outside his unit. He hadn't called for her to sit with him at private meetings, instead keeping her in the VIP rooms and lounges for the wealthy's entertainment.

It was like night and day with him outside his private rooms compared to within. He was like a fanatic worshiping his goddess behind closed doors, but outside, he seemed colder, more aloof, treating her like any other of his workers. He treated his workers well, and for that alone, she should be grateful. She should be thankful she was treated well at all, that she was surviving each night and in his good graces.

But it wasn't enough.

And that worried her. She didn't like how she was anticipating his arrival every night in his rooms, didn't like how her heart raced whenever he entered a room or sent a sharp pain in her chest when she saw him with others while hardly looking her way. She swore she was never the jealous type, but like many other thoughts and emotions she never expected to feel, Shade brought out the darkest ones in her.

And that was trouble. She knew whatever he was making her feel, it wasn't good. But for all her efforts, she couldn't stop any of it.

So, here she hung for all to watch, wishing she could drop down that instant and walk over to him and climb on his lap, touching him and grinding against him until he couldn't stand it, until he was forced to move them to somewhere no eyes watched.

Heat burned up her neck and face where her imagination went next, and she found herself flipping upward to set herself down on the balls of her feet. She stared over at the group, hoping he had some alien sixth sense that told him he was being watched and would look back at her.

When he didn't, she went back to climbing up the twins of no-silk. This time, she did a series of flips and poses, what she considered her more elaborate, pulling herself up to the fullest height and wrapping herself in such a way that when she dropped back to fall, she caught herself just before hitting the ground, swinging upside down with her feet tied to the no-silk.

There was light applause, and Maddie couldn't help smiling as she would on the ship after a show. She quickly righted herself to see the crowd, knowing Shade must be watching her now. As she looked around, her smile dropped. The table was empty, and as her eyes drifted over, she saw the tail-end of Shade and the others leaving the lounge.

Disappointment and frustration rushed through her. She dropped her arms and turned away, gripping the no-silk in tight fists. She stood for a moment, taking a few needed breaths, then forced herself to climb back up to start again, trying to push away the bitter ache.

"You're done for the night," said the bartender, a nilgani male with skin like a viper. "Check in with Shenra."

Maddie dropped down to the stage, her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The lounge was much more empty now, but the bar would stay open through the rest of the night. Disappointment cut through her again when Shade didn't call for her, and the blood dawn was coming soon. She walked off the stage, and one of Shade's men was there, ready to escort her. He took her back to the working quarters where several other entertainers were already sitting at their vanities, taking off clothes and decompressing for the night. A few glanced her way, none giving her so much as a nod in greeting.

Maddie found an empty vanity and took a seat. She glanced at herself in the dark mirror and saw the disheartened look still lingering in her features. Maybe she'd tell Shenra that she needed to see Shade and talk over the terms of her work; find out how much she had paid off in the last few nights and what more she could do tonight. It was a sore excuse but better than sitting and waiting around, watching eyes wandering in her direction and hearing whispers of "human" over her shoulder.

She started to clean the makeup off her face with a thin rag—deciding she'd take a bath first before talking to Shenra—when she heard the words "hey, human" somewhere beside her. She looked over and saw a petite-looking ashora and a much bulkier, muscular nilgani eyeing her. The female ashora was wiping blue paint off her eyelids while the nilgani leaned against the vanity beside her, putting lotion on her dark green hands and arms.

"Yes?" Maddie asked.

"You're not usually down here at this time of night, are you?" the ashora asked. She glanced at her before returning to her reflection in the mirror. "Are you sick or something? Or is Shade not interested in playing with his new toy tonight?"

The nilgani hissed with laughter, and the ashora smiled. Not wanting them to see her reaction, Maddie looked away at her reflection, continuing to wipe her face.

"Maybe I don't want to see him."

The ashora snorted. "As if he would allow that. I'm sure you know by now how persuasive he is."

Maddie didn't say a word, and the ashora shifted around in her seat. "Let me guess, he promised you a way off here right? Or some extra credits? Or help paying off a debt?"

Maddie kept her composure, but inside, her heart leapt in her chest. "What does it matter?"

The ashora shrugged and turned back to the mirror. "It's just his way with any woman reluctant to have him, which is admittedly rare. Most around here don't need convincing—he helps so many of us already. But it's no surprise a human would need a little coaxing." She wiped at her other eye, smearing the blue. "It is interesting how easy it was for him to get you into his claws though. You like the thought of another kind atop you?"

Maddie's hand curled around the rag. "You don't know what I like, and you have no business assuming otherwise."

Her black lip curled to one side. "Hit a mark, did I? Don't feel so embarrassed about it, anyway. You're not the first, nor the last. That goes for Shade as well."

Maddie stilled. Her head turned toward the ashora. "What does that mean?"

The ashora wiped the rest of her eyeshadow paint away and started to remove a set of black rubies around her neck. "I mean don't get too comfortable with being the favorite. His attention waxes and wanes like the red planet above. Once he's gotten what he likes, he'll find a new plaything. At least those tempted with more than his bed will get what they want in the end. Shade keeps to his promises." The ashora sighed as she dropped her set of rubies on the vanity. "It is too bad, though. I would have liked to have another chance. But a pretty blue nilgani caught his eye, and I've been ignored since." She turned to her nilgani friend. "Wasn't she related to you, Narcasa?"

"Yes, distantly," Narcasa replied, putting the lotion now on her throat and chest. "She was very vain too. Didn't take it too well when Shade replaced her with a rougon, of all kinds."

The ashora looked back at Maddie with a spark in her gaze. "Well, he couldn't help himself, could he? He likes trying new things. Which is probably why he had to have a taste of you, didn't he? Shocking, considering his past with your kind, but Shade is mysterious like that. Who knows what will get the man off?"

Maddie felt her body tense and her stomach twist, but she refused to let them think it mattered to her. This time, it was her turn to smile, even if it wasn't as genuine as she'd have liked. "You act as if this should break my poor heart. But it doesn't. I'm getting out of here. We've made a deal, and by the time he's done with me...I'll be long gone, anyway."

"You really think so?"

Maddie looked back at her with a frown. "You said yourself he keeps his promises."

The ashora tilted her head. "Well, maybe I spoke too willingly. He keeps them for us. Those of the city who call Seriph home. But for those with whom he has some bad blood? Especially humans? It's hard to say. He might try to keep you as long as he can. You have driven business these past few nights. It’d be hard for him to part with such a tempting prospect. Who knows, once he sets you aside, he might try to get in on the flesh market. Sell you off to the highest bidder."

This time, she couldn't hide her reaction. "He wouldn't do that," she said softly. Even she wasn't convinced by her own words, her blood turning cold at the mere thought.

The ashora shrugged again, beginning to unclasp the straps of her uniform. "No one can say. He might have negotiated just out of the need to get you to comply with his wants. But once he tires of you, who knows what might change his mind?"

Maddie shook her head, not daring to believe it.

"Believe what you want, little human. But when has a seriphon's word ever worked in your favor?"

Maddie sat at the vanity for a long while, even after the pair left for the night. She tried not to let the doubt overtake her reason, but it was a useless effort. She thought back to when she had first crashed, back to Endia and how the woman and her clan had betrayed her. Could she still trust Shade, or was she setting herself up for another failure?

"There you are." Shenra came up behind her, and their eyes met. "You look awfully drained, girl. What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

Shenra didn't seem convinced, but she let it go. "Well, when you're finished cleaning up, Shade wants to see you."

Maddie pursed her lips, letting her eyes drop. Of course, now he asked for her when she was suddenly reluctant to see him.

She cleaned up and put on less extravagant attire, a pair of black leggings with a glowing red criss-cross design along the thighs and a tight-fitting long-sleeve top to match, then found a soft pair of slip-on shoes that fit her snugly. When she was ready, one of Shade's guards escorted her out as usual.

The club was surprisingly busy despite the night nearing its end. Shade's guard was forced to weave through throngs of people. Most parted out of the way, though some still got a little too close for her liking.

As they were about to cross over to one end of the floor, the crowd changed. They began to push and shove as a series of roars and cries went up, echoing across the entire level. In the fray, Maddie was separated from the guard. In the confusion, she realized a fight had broken loose. Fists and talons and teeth took over her vision as bodies collided.

As she tried to put her arm up to shield an incoming blow, fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her out of the mass of people.

She let the hand drag her away until she was out of the others’ reach. She looked around and saw a small, hooded figure pulling her into a darkened corridor leading to storage rooms. They stopped, and before Maddie could say a word, the figure lifted their hood.

At first, she thought it was Remi. But it wasn't. The ashora merely looked like him only with lighter skin and a scar that ran down one side of his cheek.

"We don't have a lot of time," the ashora said.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

The ashora looked around to make sure no one was watching, then turned back to her. "Gema." He patted his chest. "Listen, you want out of here, right?"

Maddie stilled, staring down at him, stunned by the sudden question. "I..."

"Course you do." Gema took a step closer. "Listen, we can help. When the time comes, trust us." He fished for something in his pocket and handed it to her. Before she could respond, he was sneaking back into the crowd and disappearing out of sight.

Well, that was strange.

Maddie didn't have time to check the object in her hand as she saw the guard spot her from afar and start straight for her. She placed the small object in an inner pocket as he approached.

"Are you hurt?" the tall kyrwori asked. She could see the concern in his wolf-like eyes, knowing if she was, he would have Shade to answer to.

Maddie shook her head and allowed him to take her back through the crowd as the fight dispersed.

They went through the same passage toward the shipyard. When the door slid open to the area beyond, she saw Shade talking with Mika next to a large carrier ship. Several of his men were loading supplies as the guard led her over to him.

Shade turned his head toward her, and the way he looked at her in that moment with such a hungry gaze made Maddie's heart race, betraying her. She hated how it raced and how much she liked that look in his midnight eyes. Even now, she was forgetting the way he had ignored her hours ago or the conversation she had in the worker quarters. Still, she chose to keep those moments close at the back of her mind. No matter what he made her feel, she needed to be cautious. Her trust was on the edge of a knife, ready to tip at the first sign of betrayal.

He said a few words to Mika who left promptly to ready the ship, taking the guard with him, leaving them alone at last.

Maddie glanced at the ship and then back at him. "Are you leaving?"

"Only for a few hours," he replied. "I knew you would be going to bed soon."

She shifted on her feet. "And you wanted to see me?"

A smirk grew on his lips. "Yes...did you think otherwise?"

"I figured you were too busy tonight for the likes of me."

Shade moved in closer, his head tilting to the side as he studied her face. "I was busy. But that had nothing to do with you. Trust that if I could have found a way out of my obligations, we would not be standing here but lying in my bed."

Heat rose in her face, but the tension didn't leave her. "You did seem pretty occupied by your guests. I hope they liked my performance at the very least. If they saw any of it at all."

"If they didn't, I did, and it was just as hard to not pull you from that stage. But I needed you there for the time. The kind of guests I entertained tonight have kept humans before, and they would have liked to have you if I had offered."

"And you didn't?"

Shade's eyes narrowed. His hand reached up as he traced his fingers along the side of her face. "I forbade talk of the mere idea." His voice was soft and venomous. "No one gets to have you."

It was there in the air, the words. He didn't say them, but she knew.

No one but me.

And, as crazy as it was, she didn't know whether to be ecstatic by that unspoken declaration or absolutely terrified.

His hand traced her jaw and fell gently to her throat, cupping it possessively. "I should be back by sunbreak if not a little later. Wait for me in my rooms."

Maddie frowned. She didn't want to sleep or be alone. Not like some wraith waiting for him, stalking his rooms.

"Where are you going?"

For a moment, she thought he might not answer her. His hand slipped from her throat as he looked out over the courtyard.

"I need to take supplies to a set of territories, east within the city."

Maddie's mouth twisted. "An energy deposit?"

Shade gave her a dark yet amused sort of look. "No. It's for... people who live there."

Maddie almost rolled her eyes. "Drugs."

"No, medicine and food among other things."

Maddie stared back at him, shocked. "You're...helping them?"

Shade tipped his head back as he eyed her, as if to say 'Is it so surprising?'

It was. But she didn't say it.

"I want to come with you."

For the first time, she thought he looked surprised. Again, his hesitation made her heart sink, and she expected him to say no.

"It's a dangerous area..." He smiled. "Is it that hard to be away from me?"

Maddie crossed her arms. "I want to see what you do." And she meant it. She wanted to understand him now more than ever. Now, when she was so uncertain of everything.

He watched her for a long moment, then dipped his head. "All right. But know I intend to keep you right by my side."

"I know. I don't plan to run."

"Good. Because as much as I'd enjoy hunting you again, I need to do this." He grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her close. "Now, kiss me and say you'll be good."

She tried to hide her smirk but was unsuccessful. She rose on her feet and kissed him, whispering that she would be good against his lips.

"Then stay close to me," he said against hers, wrapping an arm about her and pulling her toward the ship.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MADDIE

She sat close beside him as they flew past several tall buildings, starting to make their descent on a darker patch of the city where fewer lights shined in the fading night. Maddie could see they were entering a more vacant area, not as run down as the junkyards at the edge of the city but nowhere as nice as other places she’d seen. The buildings were not as closely packed together and that was only because some were missing. Only some of the foundations could still be seen.

They landed in one of the open spaces next to several older-looking buildings, only five to ten stories tall. Some of the windows were shut in and the sides were a little scuffed up but mostly looked well intact like they had been renovated.

As soon as the transport powered down, Shade’s men began to unload the cargo from the back while Shade brought her out into the open yard. From the buildings, people of all ages and types began to appear, some looking down on them from windows, others coming outside to stand close by, and a few even helping Shade’s men take the cargo over to a set of warehouses nearby. Only one came toward Shade, an older-looking kyrwori with gray, matted hair, wearing what looked like an old soldier's uniform. He stopped before Shade and dipped his head, his chin touching his chest, hand resting on Shade’s shoulder. Shade did the same before they stepped back to face each other.

“I didn’t expect you for another night or so,” said the kyrwori.

“I had planned to come sooner, actually, but was delayed by other matters,” Shade replied.

The kyrwori looked over at her curiously. “I can see.” His nose flared as if sniffing the air. “You caught yourself a human.”

She glanced up at Shade and saw the playful look in his eyes before he said, “she fell from the sky onto one of my energy farms. Destroyed a major portion of it with her ship.”

The kyrwori’s ears perked up in surprise. “That she is not dead is astounding. Is her punishment then to follow you around, forced to look at your horrifying face every day?”

Maddie’s eyes widened. She looked at Shade nervously but saw he wore a grin and laughed softly. But it was not a laugh that held a warning, it was genuine. “No better than everyone here having to look upon your ugly maw every day, Kreyton.”

The man barked with a laugh. “It’s true, Lyri complains about it every time she wakes up.”

Maddie relaxed as the pair began to move toward the warehouse, Shade extending his arm for her to follow.

“This is Madelyn. She stays with me now until the mess with the farm is settled. She is a beautiful dancer and performs at The Hive.”

“I thought you had some bad blood with the humans.”

“I do. But Madelyn…is an exception.”

Kreyton gazed at her again with that curious stare. “You convinced him somehow, did you?”

Maddie shrugged. “Somehow.”

Kreyton nodded, his eyes drifting over her before turning away. “I can see it couldn’t have been hard for you to.”

Shade stopped him before they entered one of the warehouses. “Mika has told me there was a possible attack several nights ago. Intruders breaking into the grounds…”

Kreyton dipped his head. “Blue Breeds. We caught one, but they got away when a group of them came and a fight broke out. We held them off, but they’re like scavengers, they’ll be back.”

Shade’s expression darkened and Maddie could see the cold anger rising in him. “I’ll make sure to send extra security then. They have been caught a few times in my other territories as well. Planned attacks. They’ve been increasingly driving me to act. If I could find their little den, I would put them out for good.”

“If we hear anything we will inform you right away.”

Maddie gathered they were talking about another gang in the city brave enough to mess with Shade. She thought the people in this place would have been a part of Shade’s group too, just living outside The Hive but, as she looked around, she could tell they were only ordinary citizens. Those not adorned in glowing jewels or finery like the elites. They were the lower folk of the city but they were not in rags nor did they wear Shade’s signature mark. Kids rushed by them, laughing, and groups gathered together to talk. There were whole families she noticed, and the section of buildings was a community. One Shade clearly cared for.

Shade and Kreyton walked into the warehouse and Maddie followed. Inside was stacked now with crates filled with supplies. Drones hovered in and out, and guards stood by the doors. Shade let her roam as long as she was in sight of him. She weaved around boxes, watching men unpack them. The food and medicine, wrapped in bags, were given to those waiting while whatever was left was stored away.

There were other supplies, clothes, tools, and—not surprisingly—weapons for those who were there to protect the families. Shade provided them with essential needs, and the people didn’t fear him but saw him as another member. He talked with what she assumed were the heads of the community, and there was no exchange of credits or trades. The members didn’t appear to give him anything in return except their gratitude.

When everything was accounted for and Kreyton had moved off to sort out the distribution of supplies, Shade came back to her.

“Again, not what you were expecting, was it?”

A smile tugged at her lips. “No. But a far better surprise than the last.”

Shade tilted his head in a shrug. “But not nearly as exciting.”

Her smile slipped a little as she crossed her arms. “They don’t work for you at all, do they?”

“Some of the men offer to. But mostly, no.”

Maddie nodded her head as if satisfied. “That’s…really kind of you to help them.”

He shrugged again as if it was of little consequence. He circled around her, lazily brushing his fingers across her back. “I was one of them, long ago, living with my family of outcasts back on the sidonion homeworld. I was a thief for most of my childhood but it was the only way we didn’t starve. That was until I became a fighter for the legion, then a commander, and my brothers and sisters never had to worry about that ever again.” He stopped to face her. “Many of them are gone now, died in the war, but I remember what it was like. These people are outcasts too. But they have no one. And it is a small price for me to pay.”

“Are they the only ones?”

“Far from it, but I can only help those in my territories. Many of them have sworn alliances with others and would not ask for my help.”

“Like those sworn to Valince?” she said, frowning.

“And the like, yes.”

“Like, Lamia?”

“Yes, like her too,” he said in a low voice. “They control them but I have no need to control those here. I have no need to force them to fight for me. But it is good to have them on my side regardless.”

“Sometimes fear isn’t the way.”

He smiled. “No, it’s not. And what good that would do me. Kreyton would never cower to me. And I respect him for it. He too understands the life of an outcast.”

Maddie stepped back from him. “I’m an outcast here.”

He paused, watching her. “You are.” He brought himself closer, his hand brushing her arm tenderly. “But you aren’t alone.”

Voices nearby broke the tension between them. Shade grabbed her hand and led her out of the warehouse, away from the voices. They slipped into another building across the way. Inside, they passed a greenhouse, filled with various plants and small trees with dark fruit growing on the stems. He led her toward the back where no voices could be heard.

Through a set of doors he brought her into a large, high-ceilinged workroom. Along both sides were rows of transport parts, from engines to controls to the very bodies, gutted from the inside. Several parts were hung by thick chains, mostly the engines so that they could be easily worked on. In the center of the room, spare chains dangled from metal beams where a skylight looked down on them.

Maddie looked around the room wonderingly. She walked along each row, curious about what they were doing, aware that Shade was watching her from where he stood. She pretended to study the machines, consciously making her way around until she found herself at the center, looking up toward the skylight. She grabbed hold of a pair of chains and looked back at Shade who had also moved, drawing closer to her.

Slowly he circled her, his fingers brushing along the few other chains as he continued to watch her. “Your family…were they on the ship when it went down?”

She looked back at him, curious by his sudden interest. She shook her head slowly. “Just a few coworkers…friends.” Her hands on the chains tightened. “My mother is on a terraformed world called Aradis. Retired, with my stepfather. My father…left when I was young.” Thinking about it now suddenly made her sad. Reaching up, she lifted herself, climbing a few feet off the ground. The chains stung her palms but she ignored the pain. She leaned back and curled her leg around another chain before tipping her head and letting herself swing. “My mother was a dancer too,” she remarked. “Popular among our elite. Though she preferred dancing on the ground than in the air.” She curled her other leg around a different chain and tipped back until she was almost upside down. “She taught me a lot, until I learned silks. She wanted me to be perfect but I really only wanted to be happy. I loved watching her though, on the stage.” She slowly rose. Wrapping the chains further around her calves, she bent one leg and stretched out the other, letting herself dip forward to look down at him. “One of my favorite performances of hers was based on a story she told me as a child called ‘The Monkey and the Cobra’. The cobra used its serpent’s dance to lure the monkey. But when the monkey saw it was about to be eaten, it distracted the snake with its own dance. It danced and danced until its feet bled, knowing as soon as it stopped entertaining the snake, it would be devoured.” Maddie moved again, maneuvering her body along the chains, arching her back then curling into herself as she hung above him.

“What happened then?” Shade said in a low, quiet voice, staring up at her as if hypnotized.

Maddie glanced at him before positioning herself again, lifting herself so that he couldn’t see her expression. In the tale, the monkey danced until the snake fell asleep and then ran away to freedom. But Maddie didn’t tell him this version. Instead, she said, “The monkey grew so exhausted it could no longer stand. It fell asleep and the snake…” She squeezed the chains. Bringing her knees up, she fell back and let herself hang upside down. In that time, Shade had moved closer. His face now tilted up toward hers. He wound his fingers in her hair, his lips parting to reveal his silver fangs. She stared at them—at him–still amazed, and whispered, “the snake consumed every bit.”

The wicked little smile that appeared on Shade’s lips made her heart jolt. She moved quickly, righting herself and unwrapping her legs. She slid down and touched the ground with her toes, still holding on to the chains, when she felt Shade move, pressing himself against her back, his arm wrapping around her waist, keeping her in place.

Maddie let out a little gasp as she felt his teeth graze against her ear. “The serpent truly couldn’t help himself,” he breathed. “ He was starving.” His hand caressed her body, moving up her rib cage, along her breasts then up her arm. When he got to her hands, still clutching at the chains, he wrapped the metal around them so she was kept in place. She didn’t try to stop him. Even as her heart raced, she wanted to see what he would do. She wanted his touch even if it stung.

When she was fixed in place, with her toes barely touching the ground, Shade came around to face her. His expression darkened as his gaze fell over her. He reached out and slowly lifted her shirt, bringing it over her head till it was wrapped around her arms. Then he moved downward, slipping off her shoes and then peeling her pants down, tugging them off her feet.

She hung naked before him, the cool air and his heated glare making her shiver. He reached out again, this time with his claws out. He caressed her, talons trailing over her skin, making her shiver even more.

His hand stopped at her left breast, his thumb tracing just above her nipple. She felt the brief, sharp pain as his claw broke the skin, a shallow cut that still made her inhale sharply. He leaned in and licked away the beads of blood, then brought his hot mouth down, sucking gently. A soft moan caught in her throat, and she almost bit her lip.

He lifted his head and looked satisfied at her reaction. Abruptly, he stopped teasing her and brought himself against her, his hand fisting in her hair. She let out a gasp as he tugged her head back, his grip tight. Then his lips were on hers and the two touches were a paradox, for his hand was tight with possessive, angry dominance, but his mouth moved on her in a slow, lover's touch, not the brutal kiss she expected. As he coaxed her mouth open, each stroke of his tongue sent an ache tugging between her legs.

When he pulled his head away, she felt his other hand slip down between her legs. Two of his fingers, with the talons sheathed, slid into her center, making her inhale sharply.

He stroked her slowly as he watched her, keeping her in place by her hair as she squirmed.

“Tell me how badly you want this,” he said, his fangs poking out from his upper lip. “Tell me, Madelyn, that you want me.”

She did want him, but she was afraid to say it. Afraid to admit it out loud as if the sin would be fully marked on her forever if she did.

His fingers pulled the heat from her as he waited for her answer. “You like what I do to you. You like what I have to give. Your curiosity has been sated more than once but you want more, don’t you?”

She moaned, unable to stop herself, her back arching. He let go of her hair to grab her thigh, lifting her leg.

“You want to feel me buried in you, consuming you,” he whispered eagerly.

The ache was growing unbearable. The torture of his fingers made her nod in desperation. “Yes,” she said in a whisper.

Her words triggered him into action. He unlatched the front of his pants and let his cock break free. He slid his fingers from her so that he could press the tip of his head to her center. He dipped into her slowly before pulling out, then lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist before sliding in deep.

Every knot sliding against her pulled her tighter and tighter, making her gasp. How she melded to him was so right yet so wrong, but she wanted it all the same. She wanted to come around his alien cock and feel his heat filling her and consuming her. And that thought almost severed her moral sanity.

As he claimed her where she hung, she lifted her head back and let him in, knowing once again she was his. His hands gripped her possessively as he moved against her with powerful thrusts, and she couldn’t help watching him as he watched her. His lip curled into a snarl as his eyes dilated, his muscles tightening, as he drove into her, whispering in some language she couldn’t understand, but what sounded like dark promises. Her only response was the soft whimpers that vibrated in her throat.

As she felt herself clenching around him, she knew she’d truly given in, and let his claws fully sink into her.

When she came, she choked out his name almost in a sob.

As she broke apart, Shade’s expression changed, hard for her to understand, but it almost looked pained. She felt his heat spill into her and watched as his eyes went from that pained look to something else she couldn’t describe.

The look twisted her insides as she trembled before him. He let out one soft groan before sliding out of her, releasing her. She hung, breathless as he pressed his still erect cock back in his pants. He still held that stare as he reached out and gently cupped her throat, placing his taloned thumb below her chin to tip her head back.

She thought she heard him say her name. But the roar of a ship drowned it out. Her eyes peered up at the skylight above and saw the ship pass in the fading night miles above them. She felt his thumb trace down her throat as his seed trailed down her legs. She thought she heard him whisper something else (or maybe it had been in her head, his voice whispering to her even there) and she shivered again.

“You can’t fight this hunger, little human. You can’t fight me.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SHADE

The blood dawn came and went. The deep orange sun floated across the horizon until it began to sink again, quickly bringing the long night.

Shade's eyes opened a slit, his nostrils flaring as he smelled Madelyn's flowery scent. Her head rested on his arm, her soft, warm body curling into his as they lay on the bed. She slept deeply, he noticed, her lips moving as she talked in a dream. He knew it would be hard to wake her even if he moved.

He'd returned with Madelyn from the eastern territories only a little after the dawn's end, taking her back to his unit above The Hive once everything was settled with the ship’s cargo. He'd been uncertain about whether he should have brought her with him, but in the end, he was glad for it. Watching her step off the ship and see the buildings, see the people around them—those who had no home outside the Shadow Cleave but were not accustomed to the city's hardened lifestyle and were just trying to survive—was worth the risk of bringing her outside the safety of The Hive. He had been like them once, when he was a fledgling, before he was thrown in the military and trained with the most lethal soldiers then rose to the rank of commander. He knew and understood the hardship, and he couldn't leave them.

Seeing Madelyn among them, her face bright with hope, moved him more than he dared admit. When she looked at him, the fiery glow in her eyes appeared to change. No longer gazing at him in challenge but with an intensity to match his own. Having her by his side at that moment felt right. Felt like fate.

When all was done, and the supplies were spread among the people, he felt that urgency to have her, not bothering to leave the property until he did. He found a place for them, just as the blood dawn spread across the sky, taking what he couldn't have enough of, relishing in the sound of his name on her lips as he drove her to ecstasy. They left not long after he was satisfied. But the satisfaction was short-lived once they returned to his home.

He joined her in sleep sometime later, when he'd left her exhausted. He was still hungry for more, but he wouldn't disturb her sleep. He knew he'd have more when the time came.

He watched her now, his arm drawing her closer. He'd thought over his plans last night before he fell asleep, and he confirmed his decision again as he gazed at her—what he planned for Madelyn. He was very sure now he could convince her. He felt very close.

A soft buzzing from his transceiver went off, disturbing his thoughts and the sweet silence. Baring his teeth, he slipped out from Madelyn's embrace to take the call.

"What?" he growled.

"I know you didn't want to be disturbed with your woman," said Mika. "But we have a serious situation."

Shade turned over to sit on the edge of the bed. "What is it?"

"One of our carrier ships was supposed to be en route to the high sector, but it never made it. Sent some drones out and found our transporters shot to shit and the ship stolen. You can guess by who."

The receiver tightened in his grip. "The fucking Blue Breeds?"

"Looks like it."

Shade bared his teeth. "Fine. I'll be down."

"There's one other thing...we caught a signal on the main feed. It came from a ship just a few spans outside Seriph's orbit. It was human."

Shade straightened, his body growing rigid. "Did you translate the signal?"

"Yeah..."

"And?"

"It's exactly what you expected. They are here for her."

Shade leaned forward, his head bent. He knew it would come to this. He’d just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. Now, there would need to be some negotiations made.

He ended the call, forcing himself not to throw the transceiver at the wall. He was going to kill the Blue Breeds, every single one. Then...he was going to have to tell Madelyn everything.

He turned and glanced over at her, thinking he must have woken her, but she was still sound asleep. He reached out and traced his fingers over her before leaning down to nuzzle her neck.

He rose, then dressed quickly, clipping his blades to his thighs, knowing blood was going to be spilled this night. And he was going to enjoy the sight.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

MADDIE

She woke and found Shade gone. And it was night again already. Groaning, she sat up and looked out the window at the city, noticing a sliver of sunlight still in the distance. The days were shorter here than on other planets. It was a wonder how the moon planet thrived in such darkness.

At least she got to see some daylight yesterday, though it was dimmer than Earth's or other civilian systems’. It was beautiful, though, all the reds and oranges. So much so that she didn't mind the dimness.

As she sat up, she remembered more of yesterday and her time with Shade. She was glad to have seen more of the city. A different side. Something she really needed after being in The Hive and seeing much of the same clientele every night.

Seeing the people Shade aided made her hopeful there was more to the place than corruption and crime. There were people trying to thrive, aliens who greeted her and smiled at her despite what she was. And none who were looking to make a meal of her or sell her off. It was honestly a relief. And it made her want to know more about the city. To explore its many wonders.

Maybe Shade would show her...

A tiny ache jabbed in her chest, remembering she still couldn't be sure what his intentions were no matter how...attentive he had been, especially after last night, with his words and the look on his face after he’d finished with her. She got dressed quickly in her leggings and shirt from yesterday, preparing to go in search of Shade. As much as she didn't want to think about it, she knew it was time she stopped stalling, stopped fearing what might be inevitable, and talked with him about their situation. About what his plans were, so she at least knew what to expect. Because right now, she might be expecting too much.

The door to the bedroom slid open just as Maddie moved toward it. In the doorway, Remi stood, and she realized he wasn't alone.

"Hey, what—"

The other figure was Remi's size with their face hidden until they threw back their hood.

Maddie froze. "Gema?"

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Maddie's brows knit in confusion. "Ready to go?"

"We're here to help. To take you out of here. The human ship is waiting."

Maddie didn't move. "What? How—"

"Didn't you get the hint when I gave you the transmitter piece?" he said.

She blinked at him. Then she remembered the object he'd given that she’d stuck in an inner pocket in her pants. She fished it out and held it in her palm.

It was a small, slender box no bigger than a flash drive. She flipped it in her hands and saw on one side the insignia of her pod ship. The one she had crashed and burned.

"Where did you get this?" she whispered.

"It was taken from the wreckage when scavengers came. Not all was lost. The transmitter was still working when it was found," Gema explained.

Remi walked up to her. "No more time to explain. Shade will catch on to our plan. And the sleeper agent I gave to the guard outside won't last."

Maddie squeezed the transmitter piece in her hand, then glanced back at them. "You said a human ship is waiting. How do you know?"

"The signal came in not a few hours ago," Remi replied. He took out a small spherical orb and pressed on it. It lit up and before them was a small hologram of Seriph with an Earth-grade ship in orbit. Then the signal began to play.

"This is a galactic ranger ship. A rescue pod has been sent and will remain for seven hours until a human identification code is placed. Any Earth civilians must be taken to the pod."

Maddie knew this was the rescue ship sent in response to her pod crashing, the SOS signal automatically placed as soon as she landed and continued to send until the transmitter had likely crapped out. They really had come. Even when she thought they never would, not to the Shadow Cleave and certainly not to Seriph. But they had. They wouldn't dare land, but they had sent a pod. And now they were waiting for her.

Maddie's hand shook. This was all happening so fast. She had little time to think.

She looked back around at the bed where only a few hours ago, she and Shade had been lying together. "I...I want to talk to Shade. At least tell him they are here. And then..."

Gema made a sound, and Maddie turned back to them.

"You really don't want to do that."

Maddie frowned. "I still owe him. Maybe...maybe we can work something out."

"He already knows about the ship. He's known for some time," Remi said. "I overheard from his second when they spoke."

She shook her head, not wanting to believe it. "No..."

"He wasn't going to tell you. Everyone knows he doesn't plan to give you up," Gema argued. "He'll sell you off or work you to death once he's done with you."

Maddie remembered the conversation with the ashora and nilgani the night before. Her blood turned cold at the memory.

They said the signal came in a few hours ago. It made sense that Shade would have known. And he hadn't stuck around to tell her.

You can’t fight me…You can’t escape me.

It all came crashing down, what she had desperately hoped to not be true. He really was going to keep her here, without negotiation, without any choice. And if that were true, the rest she was warned about could be true too.

She felt sick and light-headed just at the thought of him selling her off. With that wicked smile on his face. His cruelest game might just be coming to fruition. His ultimate revenge against her and her kind.

"Where is he?" she said, hardly hearing her own voice.

"Shade? He's gone. Gone to take care of another matter," Gema said.

"See for yourself." Remi's sphere changed, and suddenly, she was seeing a holographic image of what looked to be a bird's eye view of a city dock. On it, Shade and his men were fighting—no, slaughtering—a group of blue aliens with curved horns. Their blades cut through them with ease. Even as the aliens were cut down, Shade continued his assault. The blood was so thick it splashed at their feet.

And suddenly, it felt like she was waking from a dream. Right back into a nightmare. How could she ignore the warnings? And forget the violence, the death, the terror. All that was a part of who Shade was. How could she allow herself to feel anything for him? Especially now, when everything screamed for her to see who he really was. And told her to run.

She closed her eyes, her throat tightening. "I'll go," she said, her voice breaking.

They didn't waste time even looking relieved. Remi tugged at her arm, and Maddie allowed him to pull her out of the room, through the unit, and out into the passage, where a lone guard slumped against the wall.

It wasn't until they made it to the elevator at the end that she hesitated.

"Why are you doing this?"

They looked back at her, and she could see the impatience in their eyes.

"We told you, we want to help," Gema said, smacking the button for the elevator.

Maddie crossed her arms and took a step back. "No one here wants to help me."

They looked at each other, then Remi glanced back at her and with a shrug of indifference said, "We were going to make a trade at first. Then we got hold of the ship, and sent a message showing them where you were. Said you were a prisoner, and if we help get you out...they are going to give us a large credit sum in exchange."

"Unregistered credits," Gema corrected. "So they can't be traced back to us. Or a share of it taken away by the bastards who run this city."

The elevator door opened, and the pair stepped in. Maddie paused before ultimately choosing to follow. She couldn't believe they were helping her out of the goodness of their hearts. But she could believe without a doubt they'd do it in exchange for a lump sum of money. It was the seriphons’ nature.

She didn't care, really, in the end. At that moment, she just wanted to get as far away as possible. To finally get out of this dark, violent city for good. It was for the best. And as for Shade...she wouldn't allow herself to think of him. Even when she felt the sinking pain in her heart, like his blade was stuck right through her chest.

He'd haunt her dreams for a long time. But she could at least say she’d survived.

The elevator dropped, then halted, bringing them to an unfamiliar passage. Maddie soon realized it was a worker passage, leading to a connected warehouse. They slipped by, Maddie noticing several other guards slumped over as the ashora pair had made a predetermined path to the transporter that sat just outside. She hopped aboard, and before she could strap in, Gema was already in the driver's seat, steering the vehicle out of the bay and rising above the buildings. She got one last glance back at The Hive through the misty fog before it was out of sight for good.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SHADE

Blood dripped from his blade, splattering at his feet and on the corpse that lay before him. It wasn't the last Blue Breed in the city by far. But the group of them that had taken his carrier ship and killed his transporters were nothing more than husks of flesh on the wet ground. In his blind fury, he'd even broken off a few of their horns, throwing them across the ground carelessly. It was a low blow, but they had disrespected him long enough, and it was time they knew not to fuck with him.

"Just checked the area. A couple were caught running, but we got to them in time," Mika said beside him.

Shade glared down at the lifeless Blue Breed like a scientist observing a cut-up specimen. "Bring them."

Mika waved his hand, and several of Shade's men dragged over two Blue Breeds. One was roughed up already, with a cut-up eye. The other was younger and likely a recruit. His yellow eyes stared up at him, his blue fur rising along his arms as he grew tense.

He was afraid. That was good.

They knelt before him, the roughed-up one leaning forward as if barely able to keep himself straight.

"You know who I am," Shade started. "And you know what I'm capable of. Yet, your gang delights in pissing me off. And that ends here. Consider this me being reasonable." Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed the younger one's horn and took his blade to it.

When he was done, the Blue Breed was unconscious, his horns flung away with the rest.

He ordered his men to tie them and set them beside their fallen brethren, leaving them to be found by someone else. Then he ordered them to burn the rest of the broken carrier and the exposed, contaminated supplies within, making sure no one else took what was left.

As Shade watched the carrier burn, Mika came to him after receiving a call. His usual look of excitement was gone, replaced by a grim expression. Which meant it was very bad. Bad enough that even he was wary of Shade's reaction.

"What is it?" Shade hissed when Mika wouldn't spit it out.

"She's gone. She was taken by a couple of ashora who'd slipped past the guards and escaped on a transport not long ago."

Shade didn't move. He didn't even look over to meet his second's eyes. His rage transformed into something that scared even him.

"Send the drone and find them." He spoke softly, trying to keep a measure of calm.

"No need," Mika said. "They were spotted near the edge of the city. They are going for the rescue pod."

Shade looked over at him, thinking maybe he'd heard him wrong. He would have asked why the ashora took her and whether she had gone willingly. But he didn't have time for that.

He turned and started for their transport, not bothering to give orders. His men followed without question. They didn't need to be told where they were headed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

MADDIE

The transport dropped down only a few yards away from the pod. Maddie could see its pulsing light through the thinning fog. Gema powered down the vehicle before he and Remi jumped out and Maddie followed.

"They've already transferred a quarter ration," Gema said, looking over a small tech pad. "We should move quickly."

Maddie started for the pod, looking nowhere but toward it, as if it were a beacon in the dark, afraid if she glanced back, she wouldn't be able to move farther. The pain—like an imaginary blade in her chest—felt like it was sinking deeper and, for a moment, felt less like a knife and more like claws digging into her, trying to keep her from leaving.

Tears stung her eyes from the pain, but she refused to stop. It had to be this way. She should have never trusted anyone, never given herself away, and let her walls break. Let him break them. Seriph was a harsh and unforgiving place where she didn't belong. She was making the right decision. The smart one. Shade never cared for her, nor would he ever, and it was incredibly stupid of her to think otherwise. Even he had made it clear, in his hatred of humans, that it wasn't possible.

She should be happy that she was free of him at last.

"Brightburn gods, you are slow, human. Come on!" Gema called from several feet ahead.

As she moved to quicken her pace, she caught movement at the corner of her eye. Shadows stalked around her, growing closer through the fog.

Gema had looked back to call to her again when he let out a bark of surprise. He stumbled back, and so did Remi. Confused, Maddie went running toward them, when a tight grip pulled her back, making her cry out.

"Hello again, mad girl. Leaving us so soon?" Kronos pulled at her again, nearly ripping her arm from its socket. He and his gang appeared out of the fog to greet them, several ashora and uugari with their faces painted like skulls.

She struggled in his grip, but he only tightened it as he forced her to face him. "I heard a certain pissed-off crimelord is looking for you. I wonder what he'll reward me with when I give you up. Or maybe..." He lifted a blade to her face. "I'll tell him you got caught by some nasty folk who were looking to put you on the market. I tried to stop them, but they'd already cut you up for your parts. Too bad."

"Fuck you," Maddie whispered.

He hit her square in the jaw, cutting her lip. "Maybe just an eye. Or a leg. Something I know will sell for a decent price. Shade won't mind, I'm sure, as long as you're still alive. Then he can sell the rest. Just a little something for catching you. I'll ask him to let me watch as he puts you out too, that'll be a treat."

Maddie screamed as he twirled her around. She saw Remi and Gema among the group forced to sit on the ground, looking dejected and nervous.

The group started to laugh as if it were all a game. They whooped and barked as Kronos forced her to her knees, putting his blade to her arm.

As he started to dig into her skin, something whooshed passed Maddie's head, hitting Kronos in the chest. He gasped in pain and fell back, releasing her.

The gang leapt into motion, their shouts and shrieks piercing her ears. As she dropped, she caught herself with her hands. There was fighting around her, and through the mass of bodies, she could see Remi and Gema fleeing. Her mind went to the very same idea while she was still free and the aliens were distracted. She couldn't see much in the dark, or who the valeskull gang was fighting with, nor did she care much. She crawled out of the way, then pushed off her feet and rushed for the pod.

Tears blurred her vision, and her legs ached as she ran. The pod lay upright like a rocketship instead of laying on its back like the one she'd landed on Seriph in. When she made it to the doorside, there was a wide window where she could see within. She pulled down the latch and fell inside as the pod door slid open.

Maddie crumpled on the seat, whimpering. A red-hot rage began to stir in her now that she was away from Kronos and his gang. Those unbelievable assholes. She hoped whoever they were fighting was messing them up good. At least she was in the pod now, and they couldn't get to her.

She turned around and closed the door, hearing the lock click, then she put her identification code into the control panel. The pod began to power up, the flares firing.

She froze as something beyond the glass caught her eye. One by one, the valeskull members were dropping. Taken out by men wielding blades, in familiar dark armor with a twisted insignia.

Maddie stared at them and saw one break from the rest. He approached the pod and stepped into the light of the ship.

She caught her breath in her lungs as she watched Shade beyond the glass, looking back at her with a storm in his gaze.

With a shaking hand, she pressed a button on the console and licked her lips, tasting blood. "It was never going to work...I was never supposed to be here."

Shade placed his hands on both sides of the door and leaned in. "I firmly disagree."

She let out a hiss of breath that was meant to be a laugh but sounded more like a sob. "I wanted to believe I could trust you. I really did. I was even idiotic to think you were anything but a bad man."

Shade tipped his head back. "I am who I am and nothing more. I do what I must to keep what I have in this place and to protect it by all means possible."

"Even to kill."

His eyes brightened. "I kill because others would see me or those I care for dead. I killed today because other bad men stole what was mine and killed those under my care. That is unforgivable. I killed again just now because someone I care for deeply was being threatened and taken from me. I don't pretend to be a good man. I am only what every world has taught me to be. To survive and to rise above the darkness. I will do what I must against those who would see me fall and break everything that is mine. Or take what I love."

Maddie shook her head, her mouth twisting. "Even now, you lie to my face. You don't care."

The brightness in his eyes faded. His shoulders dropped, and he looked pained. "I'm not lying, Madelyn."

"It doesn't matter, anyway. You've lost, Axaria." A tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped it angrily away. "You got enough of me, didn't you? You got to have more than you know. But I won't let you take more." She went to start the launch sequence, her fingers fumbling over the keyboard.

"Please, don't do this, Madelyn."

Maddie stilled, afraid to look back at him. There was a slow agony in his voice that she couldn't ignore. "What are you gonna do?" she whispered. "Will you tear the door off? Will you force me out? Drag me back to The Hive screaming? Is that what you want?"

"No."

She gazed back in surprise. His pained expression hadn't changed.

"I could force you out. I know that." He released his hands and took a step back. "But I also know if I were to do that, I'd never have you again. Not all of you. I'd have your body as I had before but not you, and I refuse not to have it all. So, I'm not going to force you out of this ship. But understand, if you leave now, I will follow. I will leave this place and search for however long it takes until I find you and convince you to stay."

She looked at him as if he were insane. And she knew he was. "You can't..."

"I can. And I will. Because when I saw you, I knew you were meant for me and only me. That you would be the mate I never thought to look for. I knew it then, even if I refused to see it, and I know it now when I see it as the truth. So, if you leave, I must go too until I prove to you that you are meant to be by my side always."

She had no words. The pod was close to launching, and yet her fingers stilled on the keys. She could see he meant every word.

"But I know you feel the same, Madelyn. I’ve felt and seen it. You can lie to yourself but not to me. Don't end my world. Save it. Stay."

Maddie closed her eyes, letting the rest of her tears fall. She could never hide from him or lose him no matter how far and long she ran. But she didn't want to play a game of cat and mouse. And, ultimately, she didn't want to hide either. It wasn't him she fought, she knew, it was what she didn't want to accept.

For all his darkness, she had come to love him.

Maddie opened her eyes, then pressed the launch button. A countdown started, and with one swift movement, she pulled the emergency lever to the door. It slid open, and she stepped out, allowing Shade to grab hold of her and pull her away from the pod.

The pod's flares grew and brightened until the ship was hovering in place. It rose, slowly at first, until it took off in a flash and was far gone, a distant flame in the night.

As it disappeared, Shade brought her into his arms and held her, a slow breath escaping him. They remained there for a long while before he pulled her gently from him so that he could meet her eyes. His clawed fingers traced the side of her jaw, lovingly.

She trembled in his touch, shocked by what she had just done, traces of tears still falling down her face, falling into his hands.

“Shade…” she said slowly. “Please.”

Despite what she had just done, she was still afraid. Afraid in this last moment he was going to turn on her, show his rage in that cold stare she'd seen on him before. She shook in his arms but his expression never changed.

“This wasn’t how I wanted this to happen,” he said. “But what is done is done. And there is only one thing left now. To keep you from fearing for your life. From fearing me.” His hands squeezed her shoulders. “But I need you to trust me now, Madelyn. Now that you will stay.”

She closed her eyes and fresh tears spilled over. “Now that I must. If it’s the death of me.”

He lifted her chin, making her look up at him. “It won’t be.” He took her hand. “Follow me.”

She let him take her away from the pod site and back to his ship. She moved like a zombie, letting Shade guide her. Letting him take her back. Turning away from her last hope of escape.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

SHADE

.

He brought Madelyn back to The Hive with his men, to allow Mika to take control of everything until his return. Without waiting, he transferred Madelyn to his personal transport. When she was secure, he took off, out of his territory, to the western territories at the city's edge.

Madelyn didn’t speak. She hardly moved, still in shock, he gathered, by her sudden decision to stay. To stay with him.

He would let that sink in with time, but for now, he needed to seal her trust. And the only way to do that was to see Ambaris.

He had wanted to wait until after they had talked to meet with him, but it was too late now. Ambaris was the only one who could mend this uncertainty. And Shade would demand that he did, even if it took all night to convince him.

As the lights of the city became sparse, he began to descend.

Ambaris lived on the edge of the city's west side, in the lower levels as he preferred it for his privacy. Shade was one of only a dozen or so people who knew he was even here, and only one of a small few who knew where he lived.

As they came to the end of the higher levels, they descended the lower, down into a wide, but deep crevice in the earth. From here the buildings were older, less well-kept. Save for one which hung on the edge of the dark just like Lamia’s did at the south end of the sliver.

Shade landed on the balcony and powered the transport down. He came around to Madelyn’s door and lifted her out. Her face was still wet with tears but her crying had stopped. Her eyes saw through him but she curled into him without complaint.

He carried her to the front doors, ornate and too large for any good reason. And when he looked up at the drone that hovered above, he waited until the doors opened.

He took her through the circular, marble-laid foyer, past another set of doors into an arched passageway, leading into a large study. There a figure sat by a holographic image of a world—his homeworld—floating at the center.

The figure turned their gaze to Shade, their eyes as deep and dark as his own.

“Axaria…” Ambaris glanced down at Maddie and leapt from his chair. “What in all hell—”

“Ambaris…it’s been a while.” He set Maddie down beside him as she stared back at Ambaris wide-eyed, her face a little pale. Her reaction wasn’t unexpected.

The elder sidonion looked back at her just as wide-eyed, frozen in place. “Why have you come with…” That. He didn’t voice the word but his leer said enough. He remembered the blade wars well and though it had been many years ago now since the wars had ended, the wound was still fresh.

“I don’t ask this lightly of you, Ambaris,” Shade said carefully. “But that favor you owe…I ask for it now.”

It took a quarter span of the night to finally convince Ambaris to do what Shade asked of him. He was beside himself, still set in the old ways, still feeling the loathsome bitterness of the war which Shade couldn’t fault him for. Humans were the enemy plain and simple, so what Shade asked of him was beyond insane in his old eyes. Impossible.

“Perform the rites, Ambaris,” Shade said. “Owe me this and I will never ask anything of you again.”

Ambaris sneered at him in annoyance. “Has being imprisoned by them made you soft?” he hissed, dragging a faded blue-black hand through his gray hair. “Brightburn gods, if I had known this would be what you asked in return for my safe passage here, I might have reconsidered.”

That he found unlikely. Ambaris never voiced it but his exile from their homeworld was a sharp, painful blow. And assassins waiting at every port for his arrival only salted the wound. The price one paid for siding with the wrong people within the court and angering a queen.

His only chance was here on Seriph, where Shade ruled in some fashion and could see to his safety.

And this was the price.

When he made that fact clear to him, Ambaris let out a deep sigh and slumped into his chair. Madelyn sat nearby, watching them with tight unease. Ambaris looked to her now and shook his head.

“You know I’d heard rumors you had secured yourself one of them but I hadn’t actually thought…” He shook his head again. “You are absolutely sure of this, Axaria?”

“I am.”

Shade caught his frail talons slipping from his fingers to clutch at his chair before retracting.

“Alright,” he said after a long pause. His gaze locked on him with fiery contempt. “But don’t ask anything of me ever again.”

Shade agreed. With that finally settled, he returned to Madelyn who sat rigidly waiting. Now he had to convince her.

He offered his hand and she took it, her mouth set in a tight frown. “What are you going to do?”

The question was laced with fear and he was impatient to wipe it away. “You’ve chosen to stay with me,” he said softly. “And so you will. No more debts, no more uncertainty.”

She hesitated, still unsure of his motives.

Carefully, he pulled her to him, resting his forehead on hers so she saw only him. “Trust me in this, Madelyn, and you will never have to fear the possibility of my indifference, or my betrayal ever again.”

She studied him, searching his face for any sign of untruth in his words, but he showed none. She let him lead her across the room to Ambaris, keeping her hands in his.

Ambaris glanced at her and then back at him before rising from his chair and unsheathing the blade he wore underneath his thin robes. “By the name of your house…”

Shade took the blade Ambaris offered and set it into Madelyn’s hand. He knelt before her and guided her hand to set the blade against his throat. Madelyn tried to jerk her hand away but he kept her in place.

She gasped. “Shade, what—”

“Recite the oath to your intended mate, Axaria,” Ambaris commanded.

Madelyn looked at him like he had just hit her across the face. Shade couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at his lips as he recited the oath.

“I will honor her, I will protect her with my life. If she should perish, I will follow her in death. For my life is tied with hers alone.”

“By the blood of your house…” Ambaris said.

Guiding her hand, he nicked the skin with the blade. A thick trail of blood fell down his neck. Madelyn gasped again as he released her hand and the blade fell to the ground with a clang.

“By the sign of your house…” Ambaris then turned to Madelyn. “Well, girl, do you accept him and his word or would you see him die?”

Madelyn looked at him speechless.

Ambaris looked at her with loathing, expecting her to let him bleed out. But Shade believed otherwise. He looked to Madelyn, waiting, the blood beginning to soak his uniform.

He saw it then, the change in her. Fear of him dissolved from her expression. Replaced with fear for his life.

She reached out and placed a hand over the wound, trying to seal it with her own flesh. “I accept,” she whispered.

He was in danger of blacking out as his heart swelled to its fullest by her words.

“Draw the mark then,” Ambaris said in a distant voice.

Shade took some of his blood on his fingers and drew the mark of his house, the spiral, on Madelyn’s own throat. Once they returned to their home and settled in, they would mark both of their skin permanently with the symbol. But for now, this would do.

“Bound in blood, the tie is made. And I stand witness before it,” Ambaris finished, his shoulders slumped as if exhausted. He snapped his fingers and a pair of hooded figures came out of the shadows, his servants. “Mend him,” he ordered.

They did so quickly, washing the blood from him and sealing the wound. Madelyn’s eyes never left his as his blood dried on her neck. When they were finished, he stood and tugged her to him.

"Let's go home," he said, and a wide smile grew on his face. "My little queen." He kissed her hard, licking the blood from her cut lip. She fell again into his embrace and took all he had to offer. And when he was finished, he led her away, out into the night, back into the dark.

EPILOGUE

MADDIE

Three months later…

She hung upside down, her legs curled around the bottom of the ring. She carefully lifted one leg and positioned it outward, striking a pose before righting herself. “Remember your balance at its center," she remarked as she turned back to those around her.

The other women pulled themselves up onto their own hanging rings, copying the pose she’d just shown them. Maddie dropped from her ring and walked among them, unbending legs and testing their balance. “Good,” she remarked.

The lyra, like silks, was popular here just as it had been back at her old home, and now she had a class full of eager students willing to learn.

The practice rooms were a gift from Axaria. They encompassed several studios and one large open space with several dozen lyra and no-silks hanging above the high ceiling. Maddie never imagined she’d become a teacher, but she found the job immensely rewarding. And the women—some who had been wary of her presence from the beginning—now took her class and looked to her for guidance.

As she helped a young woman reset herself, she glanced at the door and saw Shenra there, waiting.

“Good work, keep practicing and I will return,” she called to them. She turned for the door and followed Shenra back toward the front, to the main entrance room, passing by her old unit which was now occupied by someone new, and the dressing rooms which she no longer shared now that she had her own. They didn’t say a word until she entered the room full of vanities and checked herself in the mirror, fixing her dark lipstick.

“How late am I?” she asked, unconcerned.

Shenra watched her through the mirror with her arms crossed. “Magira is taking her sweet time again, thinking extra time on the floor will get her more notice. But her usual fans have already left so she’s just playing this out for nothing. She should be getting off now. I swear if she didn’t have favorites I’d put her in the lower lounges and be done with it.”

“She’s a good dancer even if she’s a little hard-headed,” Maddie stated.

“And a stubborn ass,” Shenra remarked. “She hates the thought that you volunteer your act once a week just to entertain.”

Maddie smiled. “That’s because I actually enjoy it.”

“I remember when that was hard to believe in your case. Seems long ago now.”

Before Maddie could respond, the doors opened behind them and Magira walked through. The petite ashora eyed her before walking over and sitting at a vanity next to her.

“I suppose they are well warmed up for you now,” she said smoothly.

Maddie didn’t look over as she smirked at herself in the mirror. She lifted her hair off her shoulder, letting it fall down her back. She glanced at the red spiral on her neck—a twin to the one also on Axaria’s—and her smile widened. “Thanks, Magira,” she said sweetly. She didn’t wait to hear her remark. With Shenra following beside her and two of her guards not far behind to watch from a distance, she left the show quarters and headed straight for the stage.

The crowd howled when she appeared. She took the no-silks in her hand. As the music played, she didn’t hesitate. Climbing up to the tippy top, she started her dance…

When she finished with her signature fall, letting the no-silks catch her by the ankles before she could hit the ground, the crowd roared and she untied herself before setting back on her feet. She grinned and bowed. They reached for her and she stepped to the front of the stage, unafraid of their hands.

They reached but only brushed at her feet, no more. A gesture of respect and praise. Because they too saw the mark on her throat and they understood.

As she bowed again, she looked up toward one window in particular and, in its darkness, saw the silhouette of a figure, watching. With her guards beside her, she walked into the crowd and they parted to let her pass.

She took the elevator up and then climbed the stairs to her and Axaria’s private lounge. As the doors opened, she saw the new leader of the valeskull gang—Maros—sitting nearby, but she hardly greeted him or Mika who smirked at her. She went to the window where Axaria stood and she leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around him like a wild thing before kissing him deeply. He grinned, and the words he whispered against her lips, words only for her, made her shiver.

“Never stop dancing, my beautiful little monster.”

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BOOKS AND SERIES BY OLIVIA RILEY

Dark World Mates

Heart’s Prisoner

Dark’s Savior

Shadow’s Chosen

Heart’s Keeper

Vrisha Warriors

Xora

Axrel

Vrexus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia Riley loves the frightening possibilities of deep space, where dark heroes and brave heroines reside. She loves creature-feature films and gaming.

Website: oliviarileyauthor.com

Facebook Page: OliviaRileySFR

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Shade’s Embrace : A Dark Alien Romance

Contents

Before the Fall

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Epilogue

Bonus Epilogue

Books and Series by Olivia Riley

About the Author