RITA AND THE RAIDER

A SCIFI ALIEN ROMANCE (ALIEN ABDUCTION BOOK 18)

HONEY PHILLIPS

Copyright © 2023 by Honey Phillips

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

Disclaimer

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

Cover by Maria Spada Book Cover Design

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

Iam undoubtedly a fool, Worvak thought as he followed the slave trader down one dark narrow alley and into another. He briefly considered the possibility of an ambush, then decided the space was simply too small to support it. His shoulders brushed against both walls. When it finally opened to a slightly wider space, the sides were lined with wire cages containing a variety of pathetic-looking specimens. He let his eyes drift casually over them as he compiled an inventory in his head—several endangered species, two sentient beings, and a rare gensar plant that would soon die from the wrong soil and lack of light.

He found their plight disturbing, but his assignment was simple: go in, identify any illegal animals, plants, or beings, and then leave and hand the information over to the Imperial Fleet so they could carry out an effective raid. It was a dangerous job, and he could argue that it was an important job, but it wasn’t what he had envisioned when he agreed to the assignment—hence the foolishness.

Ever since his partner Boxtar had mated with a human female the previous year, he’d found himself growing increasingly restless. It was not specifically because of her—she was a nice enough female and she made Boxtar very happy—but she had helped them discover that their island contained valuable ore. The raids they had conducted in previous years were no longer necessary to supply the island, and that lack of purpose led to his restlessness.

During their last trip to the city of Almadin to gather some final supplies before the winter seas became impassable, Commander Trogar had approached him. The main representative of the Imperial Fleet on Maskah, he had a reputation as a fair and honorable male. He had asked Worvak to consider doing some undercover work. The goal was to stamp out the illegal slave rings, especially those dealing in stolen females.

He was not an impulsive male. He liked to consider his choices, weigh the options, and then decide. This time he had shocked himself, and likely Trogar as well, by agreeing immediately. There had been some justification for the speed. In a few weeks, they would be unable to travel between Almadin and Sekala, their island home. And if he were going to take this type of assignment, the winter season was the perfect opportunity.

But while he wouldn’t go as far as to say that Trogar had misled him, he had certainly implied that he would be doing something more than following seedy little merchants into back alleys and creating lists of endangered animals. The merchant gave him a hopeful look, rubbing his hands together.

“Is there anything that catches your eye, Lord V’bal?”

The name always made him smile inside. He had deliberately chosen a name belonging to the families he most disliked on his home planet of Harka.

“They are all rather… ordinary. Perhaps another time.”

“Wait! There is something else. Something very rare. Very expensive.”

He shrugged, even though for the first time he felt a spark of interest.

“Perhaps.”

He deliberately let some of the gold in his waist pouch click together.

“Technically, the product belongs to my brother, but he can’t decide what to do with it. It can be a little… challenging, but I’m sure that a male of your size will have no difficulty.”

He was definitely interested now, but he masked it with a casual nod.

They threaded through an additional set of alleyways before coming to a halt in front of a building that looked like it had once been used to store vehicles. The merchant looked around nervously again, then unlocked double locks before pushing the door open to reveal a murky interior.

“After you.”

He shook his head. He had no intention of walking into an ambush.

“No, after you.”

Since the male didn’t hesitate, he decided that his concern was probably unnecessary and followed him into the dim interior, although his hand remained on the knife concealed in his belt. The place was primarily empty except for some old supplies—used paint cans, an assortment of broken tools, and piles of rags, and he frowned at the merchant.

“This is why you brought me here? To see this collection of junk?”

“Oh no, your Lordship. I brought you to see her.”

His eyes finally adjusted enough to see the female figure chained in the far corner—naked, filthy, and clearly human. He had enough information. He should return to the Fleet immediately and send them in. But then the female looked up and he found himself staring into a pale, dirty face surrounded by a wild tangle of dark hair. Beneath the dirt she was clearly attractive, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. Blue eyes met his, bright, terrified, and fiercely defiant, and he realized in that moment that he would not be leaving her behind.

CHAPTER TWO

Four weeks earlier…

“ARE you sure you don’t want to change your mind?” Sara asked, her eyes twinkling as she watched Rita tidy up her classroom.

She laughed and shook her head.

“No, thank you. I have my spring break all planned out.”

Her friend rolled her eyes.

“You’d really rather spend the week working on your kitchen instead of enjoying some sun and fun with me and Tammy? Aren’t you interested in a little adventure?”

“Absolutely not. Working on my own home is adventure enough for me.”

Sara sighed but gave her a warm smile.

“I’ll be happy to give you a hand—after we get back. Enjoy your painting.”

“I will,” she said truthfully as Sara hugged her and left.

She knew her friend didn’t understand her enthusiasm, but her mother had been in the military and after a lifetime of changing locations whenever her mother got restless, spending time in her own home was far more appealing than another trip. Especially a week spent getting sunburned and watching as men flocked around her friends.

She took one more look around the classroom to make sure that everything was neat and tidy before picking up her tote and leaving. The small house she’d purchased with her inheritance from her mother was an easy walk, and she found herself smiling as she walked along the familiar streets, exchanging greetings with her neighbors. This was exactly what she had envisioned when she set out to create a new life for herself—a cozy town where everyone knew her and where she knew everyone, and a house that she could live in for the rest of her life.

As she walked up the steps of the old 1920s bungalow, she couldn’t help wondering what her mother would have thought. No, that wasn’t entirely accurate—she knew that her mother wouldn’t have been impressed. Sgt. Maj. Leslie Warren had never had much use for small towns or permanent homes. The two of them could not have been more different, in everything from looks to personality. Her mother had been tall, athletic, and outgoing, whereas Rita was short, clumsy, and shy. She had loved her mother very much and she knew that her mother had loved her, but that love hadn’t extended to understanding how difficult it had been for Rita to move so frequently. Would she have been happy that Rita finally had the home she’d always wanted?

Once inside, she changed clothes and went to inspect her preparations. The cabinets had already been cleared out, and tomorrow she would give them a final sanding, then apply the first coat of primer. The paint was already waiting—a soft white that would be the beginning of the cottage kitchen of her dreams. When she had everything in place, she put on her sneakers and went next door.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Alvarez. Is Max ready for his walk?”

Max came charging over to meet her, dancing around her excitedly, and they both laughed. He was a golden retriever with a sweet personality and boundless energy. He was totally the wrong dog for her delicate, elderly neighbor, but Mrs. Alvarez’s son had given him to her and she was determined to keep him. Rita took him for a walk every afternoon to help work off some of his excess energy.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Mrs. Alvarez asked, as she did every day.

“Not at all. You know I like some fresh air after being in the classroom all day.”

“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind, I’m sure Max would love a walk. And I have some brownies for you when you get back.”

“You spoil me,” she protested.

“You deserve to be spoiled,” Mrs. Alvarez said firmly. “You need a nice young man who will take care of you.”

“Oh, I’m just fine on my own,” she said cheerfully, and attached Max’s leash before her neighbor got started.

It wasn’t that she was opposed to love and romance, but it was yet another area where she was the opposite of her mother. Her mother had liked men, but she hadn’t liked commitment. She did her best to keep her boyfriends away from her daughter, but that didn’t mean that Rita hadn’t been aware of the succession of men. The idea appalled her. All she wanted was a nice, quiet family man who was happy to mow the lawn on Saturdays and to spend the weekend working around the house or watching a game on television while she read. Not that she’d encountered such a man yet, but there was still plenty of time.

The park where she walked Max was unusually deserted, and she realized it was later than usual. She’d spent longer than she had intended getting everything ready for tomorrow. The late afternoon sun slanted through the trees, and the quiet was almost eerie. Even Max stayed close to her side rather than tugging at the leash.

“What’s the matter, Maxie?” A cool breeze drifted across her neck, unusually cold for this time of year and she shivered. “Why don’t we go back? I’ll throw the ball for you in the backyard instead.”

An unpleasant stench wafted past her as she started to turn back, and Max suddenly started barking and yanking on the leash. She tightened her grip on it, but there was a sudden sharp pain in her neck and the world started to whirl around her. The sound of Max’s barking followed her into the darkness.

CHAPTER THREE

Rita tried not to flinch when the door to her latest prison slammed open. She refused to give these bastards the satisfaction of knowing how terrified she was. She deliberately kept her head down, her body still, but then she heard Garza’s voice. He was the brother of the male who had been her most recent purchaser, but he was far less sadistic than his brother. He remembered to throw some food in her direction, and although he leered at her as all the alien males did, he hadn’t touched her.

Then she realized he was speaking to someone about purchasing her, and she couldn’t prevent herself from looking up. Her horrified glance took in the massive warrior accompanying Garza. He was huge, with dark bronze skin and terrifying ridges of what she assumed was natural armor covering his head. His eyes glowed green and catlike in the dimness while his sleeveless vest revealed arms thick with muscle. A variety of jewel encrusted weapons hung from his belt but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe that their adornment made them any less deadly.

But no matter how terrifying she found him, no matter how little chance she would stand against him, she was enough of her mother’s daughter not to reveal her fear. She lifted her chin defiantly and did her best to glare at him, even though she was afraid her luck had finally run out—although perhaps luck was not the most appropriate choice of words.

At some point after she’d lost consciousness in the park, she had awakened to find herself confined to a small cell. Two men were standing on the other side of the metal bars. No, not men, she realized with horror. They looked similar to primitive humans with low foreheads, thick brows, and a heavy pelt of hair covering their bodies, but she was quite sure they were not human.

One of them was examining an injury on his arm and scowling at the other.

“You should have let me shoot that creature. He bit me.”

Maxie, she thought, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of her silly, brave companion.

“You know the captain would have your balls if you left an unexplained corpse behind. A disappearance is one thing. Dead bodies with unexplained injuries are another.”

She had no difficulty understanding what either of them were saying, but beneath their words, she heard another set of low growling noises. They must have fitted her with some type of translator.

The injured male turned and scowled at her.

“You better hope you fetch a good price, or I’ll be seeking payment another way.”

He grabbed his crotch, his meaning horrifyingly clear, but the other male gave him a rough shove.

“No, you won’t. She’s untouched, or close enough to pass. Leave the merchandise alone.”

Her heart sank even further as the two males disappeared, the injured one still complaining. Merchandise?

She wanted to call after them, to demand an explanation, but she’d learned a long time ago that demanding answers was rarely successful.

She realized for the first time that her clothes had been removed, replaced by a plain white garment that simply fastened at the top of each shoulder and on either side of her waist. The thin material left very little to the imagination, and combined with the male’s comments, she had a sickening feeling exactly why she had become merchandise.

They thought she was untouched? She would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so terrifying.

She had lost her virginity when she was sixteen to a man named Carter, a soldier friend of her mother’s. He’d been the first man to pay attention to her, and he’d seemed so kind. He was confident as well, unlike the hesitant boys her own age. She had flowered under his attention, and when he wanted more, she didn’t want to deny him. Her first time had been… uncomfortable, but she believed his praise, desperate for his approval.

But the approval hadn’t lasted. His kindness faded, replaced by peremptory demands that she satisfy his needs. Then one night her mother had returned unexpectedly and found them together, Rita crying because he’d berated her when she refused to let him take pictures of her naked.

He’d attempted to laugh it off, but her mother had drawn her side arm and marched him out of their small base apartment. Rita never saw him again, and a week later they were on their way to another post. Her mother had assured her that he would never bother her again. Then she sighed.

“He wasn’t an honorable man. Someone like you, someone… trusting needs to find a man worthy of that trust.”

“How would I know?” she’d asked bitterly.

“An honorable man won’t break his word. He’ll never try and force you to do something you don’t want to do. And he will never try and hide your relationship.”

Carter had done all of those things.

Although she eventually moved on, the experience scarred her. She had never really been able to trust another man. The fact that even the nicest one eventually grew annoyed by her refusal to sleep with him only added to her conviction that they were not to be trusted. But if she had known that her lack of experience would make her a desirable subject for sale, she would have fucked her way through the past few years.

As it turned out, her almost virginity proved irrelevant at first. Her first owner had been a terrifying insectoid male. But despite his rigid shell and intimidating mandibles, he had proven as fastidious as the prissiest old lady. Clearly unfamiliar with humans, he had tried to feed her some regurgitated pulp and she had thrown up all over him. He’d been shocked and disgusted—and immediately ordered one of his servants to arrange for her sale.

He had obeyed, selling her to a tall white-skinned male with long white hair and an almost ethereal appearance. Unlike the insect, his intentions had been perfectly clear, and he had ordered her to present herself for his cock. When she refused he tried to force her, but despite his height, he had surprisingly little strength and she’d remembered enough of her mother’s training to fight him off, scratching his face in the process. He’d been horrified by the injury, turning even paler at the sight of his own blood, and once again she’d been sold.

That was when she’d ended up in Rasact’s hands. He wasn’t tall, but he was strong and brutal. She had no doubt that he would have raped her, but the pedigree that had accompanied her throughout her sales made him hesitate. Thankfully he was enough of a businessman to realize that her supposed virginal status would add to her value. His estimation of that value hadn’t led to him taking care of her. He’d stripped off the by now bedraggled white shift and shoved her into this dark shed. She obviously wasn’t the first person to have been concealed here, she realized as he fastened one end of the manacle chained to the wall around her ankle.

Despite the succession of sales and the horrifying conditions, so far she was still relatively untouched, but she suspected that wouldn’t last much longer. This new male wouldn’t be put off by bodily fluids or scratches. She was afraid that her supposed virginity would be a challenge rather than a reason for caution, but she still refused to give in to fear.

CHAPTER FOUR

“I’ll take her,” Worvak announced. “How much?”

It was the worst of all possible bargaining techniques, but he didn’t care. He was determined to get her out of this place.

Garza tittered nervously. “I am afraid I don’t know the exact amount. As I mentioned she belongs to my brother, and he is away on business right now. Looking for another purchaser,” he added hastily, clearly trying to drive up the theoretical price.

“When will he return?”

“A day, perhaps two, depending on the success of his endeavor.”

“I am unwilling to wait that long. I want her now.”

His voice came out harsh and impatient, and he saw the spike in fear in the female’s eyes, even though she still refused to look away from them. He did not want to cause her distress, but neither would he leave here without her. He raised the pouch full of coins and jingled it meaningfully.

“I am willing to offer all of this for her. But right now. No delays.”

Garza hesitated, clearly torn.

“My brother…”

“Is irrelevant. You are the one currently in possession of the merchandise, and you are the one I am dealing with.”

Garza’s antennae quivered as he stared at the pouch full of coins. Credits were far more common, but coins were not only still valuable, they were untraceable.

“My brother will never forgive me,” he muttered. “But perhaps…” He darted a nervous look back over his shoulder, then leaned closer. “Perhaps you could make it look as though you knocked me out. Then he couldn’t blame me.”

“So you could accuse me of stealing your slave?” he asked dryly. “I do not believe that would be acceptable.”

“Oh, but he couldn’t accuse you. His own possession is somewhat… irregular. He could not pursue you through legal channels.”

“Very well,” he agreed. “I accept your proposition.”

He knocked Garza to the ground with one well-placed blow. The male’s head slammed against the floor with a resounding crack, but the incident did not disturb him. Garza was still breathing and the additional injury would add veracity to his story, although he suspected Garza’s brother would not be fooled.

He bent over the male, then cursed when he realized he had not been carrying the keys to the manacles chaining the female to the wall. No matter. He would adapt.

She still hadn’t spoken, staring at him with those terrified but defiant eyes, but there was no time to reassure her. He had no faith in Garza’s tale of his brother’s activities. He bent over the chain, swearing under his breath at the swollen red flesh beneath the tight cuff. He shifted the manacle as gently as he could, but she winced as he brushed against the injured flesh. How could any species have skin so soft and delicate? Did they have no natural defenses at all? He had intended to strike the cuff free, but he didn’t see any way to accomplish the task without causing her additional pain.

Her eyes widened as he pulled out a knife with a long, thin blade.

“Hold still,” he ordered, and even though her mouth trembled, she obeyed. He inserted the tip of the knife in the lock and, after a few frustrating seconds, managed to release it. The tip of the knife broke off in the process. It had been a valuable and effective weapon and he felt a faint pang of regret at its destruction, but he had achieved his purpose. She was free.

He pulled her to her feet, barely remembering in time to soften his grip so as not to cause her further pain. Fuck, her skin was soft, silky beneath the dirt. Despite his attempts to be careful, her legs trembled as she rose and she stumbled, falling against him. He had known she was female, of course, but his attention had been focused on her eyes. In her huddled position against the wall he hadn’t realized just how perfectly she was made, but the sweet curves of the body now resting against his were impossible to ignore. His tachs began to stiffen, and it took a surprising amount of discipline to ignore them and step back once she was steady on her feet.

Small, ridiculously blunt teeth closed over a plump lower lip as she stared up at him. He did his best not to look any lower, not to study the soft curves that had felt so enticing pressed against his much harder body. She needed clothing, he decided, stripping off his vest and dropping it over her head. It was far too big, and the neckline plunged down between those impractical, tempting breasts, but it did help shield her from his far too avid gaze.

Unfortunately, the sight of her in his clothing, even though it was only his borrowed finery, aroused his possessive instincts. Mine. The thought floated into his brain, but he immediately dismissed it. His mission was to take her to safety, not to claim her for himself.

She clutched at the heavy fabric, then gave him a tentative smile.

“Thank you.”

Even her voice was soft—low, sweet, and somehow soothing.

“You will come with me,” he said brusquely.

She bit her lip again, then nodded.

As they turned to leave, he threw the pouch of coins down next to Garza, and she gave a startled look.

“Why did you do that?”

“We had an agreement,” he said, and headed for the door.

CHAPTER FIVE

The big warrior didn’t even look back to see if Rita was following him. For a brief instant she considered running, but where would she go? No one she’d encountered so far gave her any hope that she might stumble on a kind stranger. Garza had told the warrior that her sale had been illegal, but what were her chances of encountering a law officer?

But this male had been gentle when he released her. He’d even put clothes on her rather than stripping them away. What’s more, he’d kept his agreement with Garza even though there was no one to enforce it. A man of honor. That thought decided it, and she hurried after him.

He’d used his right hand to work on the lock so she assumed he was right-handed and reached for his left hand. He looked down and frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure I don’t lose you,” she said quietly. “Your weapons hand is still free.”

“I can use either hand,” he said gruffly, but he didn’t force her to release him.

Instead, a big, rough hand curled around hers, making her feel oddly safe. She had no real reason to trust him even if he had clothed her, but she remembered the pouch of coins and let herself believe.

“What’s your name?”

“Worvak.” He hesitated, and he appeared to be debating with himself before he continued, “And you are?”

“I’m Rita. I’m human.”

“Yes, I know.”

Her mouth dropped open. He did? How? Before she could ask any more questions, he started walking, his pace fast enough that she almost had to run to keep up. The stone-paved alley was hard beneath her bare feet and she didn’t even want to think about what she was stepping in, but she didn’t complain. It was still better than that wretched shed.

He wound his way confidently through the maze of alleys, then came to a halt in the shadow of a building. She could hear sounds up ahead—the cries of vendors and the bustle of a market square—but he frowned down at her rather than proceeding.

“You will attract attention.”

“I’ll keep my head down,” she promised.

“No one will be looking at your head,” he said dryly, his gaze dropping down to her all too visible cleavage.

She blushed and grabbed the sides of the opening, holding them together with her free hand, but he shook his head.

“That will not make you less desirable.”

The heat in her cheeks increased. There was something about the way he said it—gruffly, perhaps even reluctantly, but as if it were an indisputable fact. Somehow it felt different than the leering lust that she had encountered so far.

“You need a cloak. In the meantime…” He reached into his belt and pulled out a length of fine chain. “I will use this to fasten you to me.”

He was going to chain her again? So much for her choice to hold his hand. The very fact that he had such a thing made her wonder if she had been mistaken about him after all. Her expression must have given away her feelings, because he raised their still joined hands.

“This is not sufficient. The chain will indicate… ownership and establish that you are under my protection. It is for your safety.”

The hard face didn’t soften, but he waited until she nodded reluctantly before fastening a loop of the chain around her wrist and attaching the other end to his belt. He lifted the manacled wrist, running what she now realized was a claw tipped finger beneath the chain to test the fit.

“A cuff would be better—it would be less likely to cause damage. You must not pull on the chain.” He scowled as he stroked that big finger back and forth across her wrist. “Your skin is far too delicate. It is most impractical.”

The warmth of his finger was oddly soothing, and she had the oddest urge to cry. It was the gentlest touch that she’d received since she’d been taken.

“I won’t pull on the chain,” she promised, and her words seem to release him from where he was still staring down at her wrist.

“See that you do not,” he said gruffly. “Stay close to me.”

He led her out from behind the building and around the corner of the alley into the marketplace. The cacophony of noise and color and scent threatened to overwhelm her after the last month of being confined in a succession of dark enclosed spaces. Three- and four-story buildings painted in a mind-boggling array of vivid colors surrounded a central square filled with multicolored stalls and tents. A wide variety of aliens were hawking their wares, or making purchases, or simply chatting with their neighbors. Their skin ranged from pale pink to midnight blue, the texture varying from scales to feathers, but she didn’t see anyone else like Worvak.

Despite the variety, Rasact’s species was most prevalent, their antennae waving wildly above their heads as they bargained for everything from what looked like dried fish to multicolored bubbles filled with smoke. The smell of fried food and the heavy fragrance of some type of incense filled the air.

She was still trying to take it all in when Worvak nodded decisively and headed down the first row stalls. Despite the crowd, he moved almost as rapidly as he had in the alley. She wasn’t surprised that after a quick look in his direction, most people moved out of his way, but once again she struggled to keep up with him. When he paused to let a large red-furred beast cross in front of them, she reached over and hooked her fingers in his belt to relieve the strain on her wrist.

“I can’t walk as fast as you do, especially not barefoot,” she said when he jerked and clamped his hand on her wrist.

He looked down at her bruised, dirty feet and gave a distinct growl.

“I should have realized that your feet were equally fragile,” he said gruffly. “I will attend to the matter.”

It wasn’t exactly an apology, but his concern was obvious.

He hesitated. “I would carry you, but it would be… unsuitable in this place. Can you manage a little longer?”

“Of course,” she said softly. “But it would be easier if you walked a little more slowly.”

He nodded abruptly, then dropped a big hand on the shoulder closest to his side in a possessive grip. Once again she found his touch oddly comforting.

“Get your fucking slave out of my way!” a male yelled from behind them, and Worvak’s hand tightened briefly, holding her in place as he turned to glare over his shoulder.

There was a startled gasp, followed by a hasty apology.

“I’m sorry, your Lordship. I didn’t realize…”

“Watch your mouth, or the next time you make such a mistake, it will be your last,” he growled, ignoring another twittered apology as he resumed walking.

“Lordship?” she asked softly. “You’re a lord?”

“In this role, yes.”

Role? Numerous questions rushed through her mind, but as he’d said previously, this wasn’t the place for them. She took a firmer grip on his belt, the back of her hand brushing against the hard muscles of his side, his warm skin a surprising source of comfort as she followed him deeper into the market.

CHAPTER SIX

Fuck. This was not good. When the fool behind him had insulted his female, he’d felt the first stirrings of battle rage threatening to descend over him. He should not be feeling this protective over a ridiculously fragile human female, especially one he would be turning over to the Fleet.

As they continued towards the stall he had identified, he kept his hand on her shoulder, careful to temper his grip so as not to damage her delicate skin. Her hand was still tucked in his belt, the soft press of her hand unexpectedly arousing. Once again his tachs stirred, but he ignored them as they reached the clothing stall.

The Tsanan merchant hurried over, his antennae twitching eagerly as he observed the expensive weaponry adorning Worvak’s belt.

“I desire a cloak and footwear for my fem—my slave.”

The merchant gave him an uncertain look, and his antennae drooped.

“I humbly apologize, your Lordship, but all of my merchandise is made of the finest fabrics. I’m not sure it would be suitable—”

“I wish her to be clothed in garments that reflect my status.”

“Ah, I see.” The merchant twittered conspiratorially, running an assessing gaze over Rita. “I am sure that once she is clean and suitably dressed, she will be most attractive. Such an exotic creature.”

“I do not believe I requested your opinion,” he said coldly, and the merchant immediately stepped back, raising his hands apologetically.

“Yes, of course, my Lord. Does your Lordship have a preference as to color?”

He suddenly wished he could ask Rita what she would prefer, but a slave owner would not care about his slave’s opinion.

“Blue,” he decided, as she looked up at him with those remarkable blue eyes. From the quick smile that curved her lips, he thought he had made the right decision.

The merchant hurried away, returning almost immediately with a choice of three garments—a heavy blue brocade with a subtle flower pattern, a lighter blue silk shot through with golden thread, and an almost translucent midnight blue. All of them would suit her, and he nodded decisively.

“I will take them all.”

The merchant beamed at him. “Of course, my Lord. Would you like me to choose footwear to complement your choices?”

“Yes.”

The merchant bent down to examine Rita’s bare feet and tutted disapprovingly before his antennae twitched apologetically.

“Forgive me, my Lord, but perhaps some internal footwear would also be appropriate? To protect the material until your slave has a chance to cleanse herself?”

He felt the slight betraying flex of her hand against the side, and when he looked down, the attractive pink had tinted her cheeks again. But despite her embarrassment, the merchant was right.

“Very well.”

Once again the merchant scurried away, returning with a pair of short fur-lined boots dyed a dark blue, a pair of embroidered slippers, and a pair of frivolous high-heeled sandals. The boots would be most practical, but once again he found himself nodding.

“They are acceptable.”

The merchant’s smile was so wide that both sets of teeth showed as he added several pairs of stockings, also ranging from heavy to sheer to the stack of purchases. Before Worvak could complete the purchase, the merchant cleared his throat tentatively.

“Did you wish any clothing for her to wear under the cloaks? Of course, it is quite understandable if you would rather keep her naked,” he hurried on, clearly afraid that he was offending Worvak. “Many males prefer that their slaves are accessible to them at all times.”

Accessible. An entirely dishonorable image flashed through his mind—of sliding his hand beneath one of those pretty new cloaks and finding only that impossibly soft skin—but he immediately rejected it. She was not here for his pleasure.

“Bring me some gowns,” he growled.

“Of course, my Lord.”

The merchant returned with five gowns, but by this time he was impatient with the process and he could feel her slight body trembling against him.

“Include those as well,” he ordered, not even bothering to look at them.

“Of course, my Lord. Where shall I have them sent?”

He started to give the address of the accommodation he had been using, then changed his mind. It was possible that Garza was aware of that address and it would be foolish to return.

“I will take them with me.”

He plucked the heaviest cloak out of the pile along with the boots and a pair of stockings and handed them to her.

“Cover yourself,” he ordered.

“Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord.”

She said the words as meekly and perfectly as any well-trained slave, but when he looked down at her, her eyes sparkled with an appealing combination of gratitude and defiance. She might have been playing the part for the merchant’s benefit, but it was clearly only a part.

The merchant’s antennae flicked again, but he rapidly wrapped the remaining purchases in brightly colored paper and tied a ribbon around them.

“If you will forgive me, my Lord,” the merchant said as he handed over the package. “It occurs to me that perhaps you are in need of accommodations? My brother-in-law was telling me only a short time ago that he has an unexpected vacancy at his inn. It may not be as elegant as your usual lodgings,” he added hastily. “But it is clean and safe, and with the market in town, it may be difficult to find other rooms.”

Rita’s hand jerked again. She had returned it to his belt as soon as she was dressed. He suspected she was concerned about the mention of lodging, but he needed to make arrangements to contact his connection in the Fleet and a private room would be preferable.

“Very well. Give me the directions.”

“Yes, my Lord. Leave the market through the east gate, then take the second street on the right, and enter the first court to the left. It’s called the Blue Island—you can’t miss it. I will call my brother-in-law and let him know that you are on your way.”

“Thank you. Now, how much for these articles?”

As expected, the first price the merchant suggested was outrageous. He scowled, and the male immediately reduced it by half. He could undoubtedly have bargained him down further, but the constant swirl of the crowd around them was making him uncomfortable. What if Garza had regained consciousness or been discovered? Despite the small male’s assurances that his brother would not pursue the matter, he assumed someone would come after them. He needed to get Rita to a less public location as soon as possible.

He accepted the second price and automatically reached for his coin pouch before remembering that he no longer possessed it. He debated using one of his personal credit chits, but those could be traced back to him. Instead, he unclipped one of the ornamental badges from his belt. Its value far exceeded the worth of the clothing, and the merchant’s antennae twitched greedily.

“I prefer to keep this transaction… discreet. This will cover the cost of the clothing as well as food and accommodation. Will that be acceptable to both you and your brother-in-law?”

“Oh, yes, my Lord,” the merchant said, already reaching for the badge. “Most acceptable.”

“If I find that I have been misled as to the suitability of his establishment, I will return,” he added warningly.

The merchant gulped nervously, but he still took the badge. “I am sure you will be pleased.”

“Very well.”

He picked up the bundle of clothing and put a possessive hand on Rita’s shoulder once more. He knew it would be more appropriate to have his slave carry the parcel, but he didn’t want to tax her fragile strength, especially when he would soon be alone with her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Rita sighed with pleasure as hot water cascaded down over her head. How long had it been since she’d been clean? During her time on the ship with her original abductors, she had to make do with a quick rinse from the water supply. Her first owner—the insect alien—had ordered her to be cleaned, but that had meant she was subjected to a stinging spray of some kind of antiseptic liquid. It had left her skin red and sore but had not caused any lasting damage.

Her second owner hadn’t kept her long enough to care about cleanliness, and the shed where Rasact had kept her certainly didn’t have any bathing facilities. But this—this was a real shower with a seemingly unlimited supply of hot water as she washed herself from head to foot not once, but twice, trying to eliminate not only the grime of her captivity but also the memory of all those eyes and hands on her body.

When she finally felt as clean as she could be, she wrapped a big linen towel around herself and went to investigate the row of bottles on the small wooden vanity. One of them held a sweet-smelling cream and she smoothed that over her skin as well, even her bruised and still aching feet, although she avoided the wound the manacle had left on her ankle. She’d cleaned it as well as she could in the shower, but the skin was still red and torn.

She gave it a worried look as she pulled one of her new dresses over her head. It was a simple pale blue dress with a set of ribbons that tied beneath her breasts and a hem that ended just above her knees. The material was deliciously soft, and although the neck dipped low enough to reveal the upper swell of her breasts, she felt more covered than she had been since she was taken. She ran a comb through her hair until all the tangles were gone, then left it down around her shoulders as she took a deep breath and went to rejoin Worvak.

The inn that the clothing merchant had sent them to was much better than he’d made it sound—a tidy little establishment tucked away down a side street and lush with greenery. His brother-in-law had been waiting eagerly for them, and quickly led them to what he assured them was the best room in the inn. The large room on the upper level had wooden floors and walls painted in an unusually restrained shade of pale green. At one end of the room, two large comfortable chairs were arranged around a table in front of a big window looking out into the courtyard of the inn. A big bed draped with white linen occupied the center of the space. One bed, she had noted, peeking at it from under her eyelashes as the host talked to Worvak.

Double doors at the far end of the room opened into a big bathroom with a large shower and an even larger tub. The tub had tempted her, but she needed the cleansing power of the shower first. Worvak had seen her longing glance and offered her the package of clothing. She’d grabbed the first dress she found and fled to the safety of the bathroom. There was no lock on the door, and she could only hope her trust in Worvak had not been misplaced as she pulled his shirt back over her head and slipped under the water.

He hadn’t followed her and now she found him standing at one of the windows in the main room, scowling out at the fading daylight, his big body blocking out what little light remained. He was still shirtless and she could see the thick ridge that ran down the center of that broad, muscular back, protecting his spine. The ridged plates on his chest protected his heart and lungs, and she wondered what kind of harsh environment his people had endured to evolve such natural defenses. Everything about him was designed for combat.

He didn’t turn around when she entered, but she saw the hand he had on the window frame tighten.

“I did not know what you would like, but I have ordered a selection of food,” he said, gesturing at the table, and her stomach rumbled hungrily.

“As long as it’s not regurgitated insects, I’m sure it will be fine.”

His hand tightened even more. “A Scraak? You were with a Scraak?”

“I don’t know. He had a dark green shell with two sets of arms and these long mandibles he was always clicking.”

“I was not aware that the Scraak had any sexual interest in human females.”

“He didn’t, thank goodness. I think he was going to put me on display, but I threw up all over him and he was so disgusted he got rid of me.”

He finally turned towards her, a frown on his hard face, and stopped abruptly. Gold flickered in those vivid green eyes as they traveled down over her body.

“You look… different.”

She couldn’t help laughing.

“I hope so. I must have washed off five pounds of dirt. It feels so nice to be clean. And to have clothes again.”

“Now I understand the clothing merchant’s hesitation,” he muttered half under his breath.

“I don’t understand.”

“If you were truly my slave, I would never cover such beauty with clothing. But you are not my slave,” he added as her heart skipped a beat.

“I’m not? Why did you purchase me?”

He frowned and gestured at the table.

“You should eat.”

“Will you join me? I don’t want to eat alone.”

He hesitated, then nodded and came to join her, guiding her to the table with a big warm hand on her back, the type of old-fashioned courtesy that no one on Earth practiced anymore. He even seated her, and she couldn’t help giving him an astonished look. He shrugged.

“Five years of etiquette lessons. My mother insisted.”

“That was nice of her.”

He nodded. “She pointed out correctly that a civilized façade will often lull an enemy into easing their guard.”

“Is that what you’re doing to me?” she asked, looking up to where he was still standing over her. “Getting me to let down my guard?”

“No,” he said shortly, and went to take his own seat.

The food on the table looked and smelled delicious and at his suggestion, she started with some small cubes of a fruity gelatin-like substance, giving him an expectant look.

“I am working for the Imperial Fleet,” he said abruptly. “It is my job to identify unlawful trade practices, including illegal slavery.”

Her appetite suddenly failed her.

“You said illegal slavery. Does that mean there is legal slavery?”

He nodded. “The Empire permits certain types of slavery, and there are laws in place to protect those slaves. The taking of human females for use as sexual partners is not one of the permitted activities.”

“That’s how you knew I was human? I’m not the first?”

“Unfortunately not. My former commander is mated to a female who was stolen, along with two of her companions.”

Her heart sank again. Mate? Was that just a fancy word for slave? The terminology didn’t change the reality that they had been taken and sold to alien males.

“Where are these women?”

“Two of them are on Maskah. The third resides with her mate on Lapont during the winter season.”

“I see. And this Imperial Fleet you’re taking me to—what will they do with me? Will they take me back to Earth?”

He shook his head. “All travel to primitive planets is forbidden. You should eat more.”

Her appetite still hadn’t returned, but he was right. She needed to keep up her strength. This time she chose a small cup of liquid and found it contained a delicious, meaty broth.

“So what is the Fleet going to do with me? Make me mate someone?”

“Of course not. You will be taken to a sanctuary planet where slavery is not permitted.”

Another move. And this time she would be moving to an entirely different planet. Yet another place where she wouldn’t know anyone. She looked at the big warrior across the table from her—the only person she did know in this strange new world. He had fed her and clothed her and seemed inclined to protect her. He hadn’t hurt her in any way or put a hand on her, even though she had seen the hunger on his face.

“In that case,” she said calmly. “I’d rather belong to you. I’ll be your mate.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Very few things surprised Worvak. He tended to assume the worst of others, and he was most often correct. But Rita had succeeded where so many others had failed, simply by announcing that she would be his mate.

Yes. His tachs hardened in instant approval, demanding that he claim her immediately. He forced himself to calm, looking at her across the table as she calmly nibbled on a piece of tostar. Did she even understand what she had offered?

“What do you mean by mate?” he asked, his voice a low growl.

“Isn’t that the term you use for a permanent slave? You said your friend had purchased a human mate and that her friends had been purchased as well.”

His hearts sank.

“I said nothing about a purchase. All three females chose to be with their mates.”

“Because they couldn’t go home.”

She said it more as a statement than a question, but he answered it anyway.

“No. In all three cases there is a genuine commitment between them.”

“I see.”

She nibbled on another piece of tostar, but she did not appear to be convinced.

“If you assumed that being intimate was the equivalent of being a slave, why did you choose me?”

She studied him from those clear blue eyes.

“You’ve treated me well, and I believe you to be an honorable male. I don’t know what this sanctuary planet would be like.” Her blunt little teeth closed over her lower lip again. “I don’t like change. I like having my own place.”

“I cannot provide a secure life for you. As soon as I complete this assignment, I will be given another.”

Assuming they did not decide to punish him for disobeying orders.

“I see.” Long lashes swept down over her eyes, concealing her thoughts.

“But if you do not wish to go to a sanctuary planet, perhaps you would prefer that I take you to my partner and his mate. They live a quiet life on Maskah.” Now at least.

“And you will take me there?”

“Yes,” he promised recklessly, even though it would mean failing to notify the Fleet about the hidden market—or her.

“Will you visit?”

“It was always my intention to do so,” he said truthfully.

Knowing she was there would certainly encourage his visits even more.

“All right.” She yawned and stretched, the movement drawing his attention to her magnificent breasts. “Now that’s decided, I’d like to get some sleep if that’s okay?”

“Of course. You may have the bed.”

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“The floor will suit me.”

“You can’t sleep on the floor.”

She thought him so weak?

“I have had far worse beds,” he said stiffly.

“Don’t be silly. We can share the bed.”

His damn tachs jerked again.

“Perhaps,” he said.

She yawned again and rose to her feet, but he noticed her wince when she put her foot down.

“Is something wrong?”

“My ankle still hurts where I was chained.”

“Sit back down,” he ordered. “I will examine it.”

“That’s not necessary—” she began, but he cut her off by picking her up and putting her back in the chair.

For the briefest instant she was pressed against him as she had been earlier, and once again his body reacted to those soft curves. Ignoring it yet again, he kneeled in front of her and lifted her ankle. Fuck, it was tiny. He could easily wrap his hand around the fragile bones. He did just that, holding her in place as he examined the wound. The red gash was an obscenity on her pale flesh, and the darker red streaks radiating out from the mark worried him.

“I am afraid it may be infected.”

She sighed. “I thought it might be. Do you have any medicine? For humans, I mean.”

“I carry very few medical supplies.”

Harkan anatomy was extremely resilient—he had two sets of most vital organs along with the ridged lamella covering the more vulnerable areas of his skin. He rarely needed medical attention.

If she had been a warrior, he would simply have slashed open the wound, drained the infection, and then cauterized it, but he couldn’t imagine putting a knife to that pale flesh.

“There is one thing that might help,” he said slowly.

She looked at his face, and then nodded. “All right.”

Her trust honored him, and he carefully placed his other hand around the soft curve of her calf and raised her ankle towards his mouth.

“Our systems have a natural resistance to toxins,” he explained. “This should help cleanse the wound.”

He was sure her tongue was smooth and soft, but his was not and he did his best to be gentle as he very slowly licked the wound, but she still jumped. He stopped immediately.

“Am I hurting you?”

“On, no. It just feels… strange.”

“Then I will proceed.”

He realized immediately that his assumption was correct—a bitter tang overlaid what he was sure was the natural sweetness of her blood and he carefully bathed the wound, trying to draw out every trace of infection. She never complained, although she flinched a few times. When he could no longer detect any trace of infection, he soothed the wound with long, slow strokes of his tongue, wrapping around her ankle and even up the soft curve of her calf.

“Oh,” she murmured softly, her fragrance deepening with… arousal?

He had the sudden, almost overwhelming urge to move higher, to travel up that sweetly curved calf to those luscious thighs and explore the fragrant depths between them. No. He jerked back so quickly that she gave him a startled look.

“I have done what I can to eliminate the infection.”

“That’s wonderful. Thank you.”

Her cheeks were flushed that delicious shade of pink again, and the stiff peaks of her nipples were visible beneath the thin fabric of her gown. Were they as sensitive as the rest of her flesh? I will never know, he reminded himself as he rose to his feet and extended a hand to help her rise. She didn’t immediately let go of his hand, but smiled up at him.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

“I did not want your injuries to slow our travels,” he said gruffly, but she smiled, seemingly undeterred by his harshness.

“I didn’t just mean that. I meant everything—getting me away from Rasact, clothing me, feeding me. Thank you.”

To his utter astonishment, she rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her impossibly soft lips against his. He knew what a kiss was, of course—he had even seen Boxtar and his mate exchange kisses before, but he had never expected to be the recipient of one. The surge of need roaring through his body from that one simple touch was so intense that he froze.

A Harkan mating was a fierce affair, a battle to subdue a potential mate. But there would be no battle with her. How easy it would be to throw her down over the bed and bury at least one of his tachs in that sweet, tight little body. She wouldn’t be able to resist or even fight back. She had no armor guarding her delicious cunt or hard plates shielding those luscious breasts.

But no matter how far he had strayed from his origins, his honor would never permit such an act. He remained frozen in place as she smiled again and limped over to the big bed and slipped beneath the sheets.

“I meant what I said. You’re welcome to share the bed with me. I trust you.”

Her eyes closed, and she was asleep within seconds. He dimmed the lights then returned to his chair, staring out into the night. The lights of the city gleamed all around them, and he could hear the distant sound of voices and laughter, but it all seemed very distant from the intimacy of the small space containing just the two of them. He liked it, he decided. It had been a long time since he’d had that feeling of closeness, no matter how temporary.

He glanced back over at the bed and the small figure so alone under the covers, almost unbearably tempted to join her. Then she whimpered in her sleep, and he stopped arguing with himself and he went to her.

“I will protect you,” he murmured softly, running a cautious hand through the fine silk of her hair. Unexpectedly gratified when she settled under his touch, he lay down next to her. To his shock, she rolled over and snuggled against him, her soft curves pressed against his body. His tachs were so hard they threatened to tear through the thick leather of his pants, but she was right—he would never betray her trust.

I should have the discipline to withstand any temptation, he decided, but the cruel pleasure of her body against his kept him awake long into the night.

He was still awake when he heard sounds from the courtyard below and recognized Garza’s voice. They had been found.

CHAPTER NINE

Rita awoke with a start, Worvak’s big body covering hers and pressing her down into the mattress, his hand over her mouth. Despite the attraction she felt for him, this is not what she wanted—not how she wanted it to be between them. She tried to raise her hands to push him away, but he was so big he had her completely trapped beneath them. His head dipped down, those surprisingly sensual lips against her ear.

“You must be quiet. We have been discovered.”

It took a moment for the words to penetrate, but she immediately stopped struggling, her panic replaced by an entirely different kind of fear. The thought of being captured, of being thrust back into the dark to await an unknown fate, seemed even worse after this time with him. As soon as she calmed, he removed his hand from her mouth, although he remained on top of her. She pressed her lips against his ear to whisper back.

“What are we going to do?”

He shuddered, and she felt the ridiculously large bulge of his erection flex against her stomach. He was erect?

“I will kill them all,” he growled.

“Is that the only alternative? The more bodies you leave behind, the more people will be after us.”

He hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod.

“Perhaps you are right. Put on your cloak and boots. Quietly.”

She nodded, and when he raised his head, his lips pressed against hers for the briefest second. As soon as he stood, she almost missed the weight of his body on hers. Once she got over her initial panic, she actually enjoyed having him there. Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself as she slipped out of bed to follow his orders. She couldn’t help a pang of regret as she looked at the other clothing he’d bought for her. It had been nice to have a change of wardrobe, however briefly. She had just pulled her cloak around her shoulders when Worvak returned to her side, bending down to whisper in her ear again.

“I believe we can make it through the bathroom window onto the roof. Are you ready?”

She gulped and nodded. Height had never been her thing, and she only hoped her lack of athletic ability wouldn’t be a problem. As it turned out, she didn’t need to worry. Worvak climbed through first, then wedged his big body in the opening. He was perched at an awkward angle, but it didn’t seem to faze him as he reached down and picked her up, then lifted her easily through the window and up onto the fortunately flat roof. She scrambled out of the way, and a moment later he followed her, the muscles in his arms bulging as he climbed up to join her. Once he was on the roof, he reached back down and pushed the window closed.

“They won’t think to look up at first. They will eventually, but this should buy us some time. Come with me.”

She bit her lip and nodded, automatically reaching for his belt. His skin twitched beneath her hand, but he didn’t protest as they hurried across the rooftop. All the buildings in this section of town were connected, although the levels of their roofs varied, and their passage was not as difficult as she’d expected. Twice he had to lift her to a higher roof, and once he had to suspend her from his hands, letting her dangle over the roof below until she finally got the courage to let go and drop the last few inches.

“Good girl,” he said approvingly as he dropped down next to her and they set off again.

They reached the edge of their section without any outcry from behind. An alley stretched between them in the next group of buildings. He looked to the distance between them consideringly, then shook his head.

“It is too far. We will go down instead.”

By this time they were three stories above the ground and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she looked down at the ground, so far, far below.

“We can climb down,” he announced, and she gave him a horrified look.

“I don’t think I can.”

“No, you are too frail,” he agreed, but although she could have taken his words as an insult, the look on his face as he studied her was far from disapproving.

That green gaze was as heated as it had been earlier when he’d been kneeling in front of her licking her wound—and not just her wound. When that long, ridged tongue had moved up onto her calf, she’d had a momentary vision of that sensuous touch moving higher—up over her thighs and perhaps even between her legs. She’d never had oral sex, so she had nothing to compare it to, but if his tongue felt that good just licking her ankle, she suspected it would feel even more wonderful in a more sensitive area.

“I will carry you,” he announced, bringing her back to the present.

“Carry me?” She gave the drop down to the street another horrified look. “What if you drop me?”

An offended look covered his face. “You doubt my strength?”

“No, it’s not that—it’s just… It’s just a long way.”

He peered down again and shrugged.

“Even a fall from here would not cause life-threatening injuries.”

“Maybe not for you,” she said tartly, and he suddenly grinned, sharp white teeth flashing in the moonlight.

It was the first time she had seen him smile, the expression startlingly attractive on that normally grim face.

“I will not let you come to harm, little female,” he vowed, and she believed him.

“All right. How are we going to do this?”

He frowned. “If I carry you in front of me, I might accidentally scrape your delicate skin against the building. Do you think you can hold onto my back?”

“I think so,” she said a little doubtfully.

“Good.”

He turned and presented his back to her, but it was a long way up. She put her hands on the rigid plates of his shoulders and tried to jump up onto his back, but he was simply too tall. She slid back down, the sensation of her breasts rubbing against his back sending a little spark of excitement through her despite the situation.

“I will bend down,” he said, his voice unusually hoarse.

Once he did, mounting his back proved much easier. After she wrapped her arms around his neck, she circled his waist with her legs. He grunted as her feet encountered a very large, very hard bulge. Did he have armor down there as well? If so, it must be extraordinarily thick given the size of the bulge.

He didn’t comment—just adjusted her feet so they were higher on his stomach, then stepped to the edge of the roof.

“Hold on,” he ordered, and swung over the edge.

She closed her eyes, said a silent prayer, and obeyed.

CHAPTER TEN

The climb was challenging, but Worvak had no doubts about his ability to complete it safely—despite the distraction of the female clinging to his back. His body didn’t seem to care that she was undoubtedly too frail to mate. His initial attraction only continued to intensify, along with an alarming sense of possessiveness. Even if she had been able to withstand his attentions, she wanted a settled home. How could he provide her with that? He hadn’t had a permanent home since leaving Harka to join the Imperial forces as soon as he was old enough to make the choice.

Life on Harka was fierce, brutal, and competitive, but that had not been what drove him away. Rather it had been the endless restrictions and boundaries of their very rigidly controlled lives. Life in the Imperial Fleet had turned out to have some of the same restrictions, but there had been enough variety to help quell his restless spirit.

At his family’s insistence, he had eventually returned home to be mated. He had no interest in the female, but the contract between their families had been established when he was a child and honor demanded that he fulfill it. But then word had reached him that Boxtar had been falsely imprisoned on Folsom. Not only was Boxtar his friend, but he also owed him a life debt after the other male had saved him from a sniper’s weapon. His life had changed his life once again.

He refused to go through with the mating ceremony, even though his father immediately disowned him, and he broke the vows he’d made to the Fleet in order to rescue Boxtar. He had no real regrets about his choice. Boxtar had saved his life, and his honor belonged to his friend, not a faceless Emperor. Even when they had ended up on Maskah to avoid Imperial detection and turned to raiding in order to support themselves and the other members of their band rejected by Imperial laws, he did not consider that he’d compromised his honor.

But to pursue a female when he could not provide for her? That would be a betrayal of his honor.

A grateful sigh escaped her lips when he reached the ground—a sigh he not only heard but felt as her breasts moved against his back. His unruly tachs jerked yet again. He had been raised to believe that a warrior should have absolute control over all parts of his body, but this female made it impossible. Because she’s my mate. He did his best to ignore the voice in his head as he bent down so she could slide off his back.

He turned automatically as he straightened, but she hadn’t moved away and their bodies were almost touching. She looked up at him, her eyes shining even in the dimness of the alley, and those soft lips parted.

“We made it.”

“Did you doubt me?”

“No. You’ve never failed me, Worvak.”

She smiled up at him and he couldn’t resist. He kissed her. Those pretty lips parted under his, and then her soft little tongue slipped shyly into his mouth, her sweet taste flooding his mouth. Fuck. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, demanding more. She didn’t resist, didn’t fight him. Instead, she gave a small sigh and snuggled closer, those ridiculously soft curves molding against his body as she surrendered to his kiss.

Her willing submission intoxicated him, even as he drew her closer. He did his best to gentle his grip, to honor her surrender, even though his instincts demanded he take more. And still she didn’t fight him, yielding deliciously to his kiss and clinging to him as he yanked her up his body until the warmth of her sweet little cunt rested directly over his aching tachs.

She gasped again as her legs once more circled his waist, far more satisfactorily this time. She squirmed against him as the heady scent of her arousal filled his head and he was seconds away from freeing his erections and taking what was his when a furious voice came from behind him.

“Get your hands off my fucking slave, you thieving bastard.”

Fuck. He’d been so lost in her sweetness that he hadn’t heard the approaching enemy. He dropped her to her feet and whirled around, automatically shoving her behind him.

A Tsanan male, almost certainly Garza’s brother, stood at the entrance to the alley, his weapon already drawn. This was no anxious merchant, but an opponent clearly familiar with weaponry.

“She is not your slave,” he growled, his hand dropping to his belt.

“I fucking paid for her.” The male’s eyes narrowed. “Give her to me and I’ll let you live. And she’d better still be fucking intact or I’ll take the loss of value out of your ugly skin.”

Even if he had believed him—he didn’t—he would never allow this bastard to take Rita. Before the male could react, he drew his knife in one quick motion, flipped it, and sent it flying. It sank into his throat, blood gushing into the air, but he hadn’t severed the spinal cord and the male’s fingers convulsed on his weapon as he fell.

Fuck. The sound echoed in the narrow alley and would be sure to bring the rest of his males. If he had been on his own, he would have been delighted to eliminate every one of them, but her safety was more important than the joy of battle. They had to leave. Now.

He turned to grab Rita’s hand and found her staring at him, her eyes huge in her pale face, and he swore again. She was too innocent to have been exposed to such violence.

“There will be others,” he said.

She gave a shaky nod, but she remained frozen in place. He didn’t have time to soothe her fears. He snatched her up in his arms, threw her over his shoulder, and ran.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Rita swayed dizzily, the hard plates over Worvak’s shoulders digging into her stomach as he raced through a warren of dark alleys. She automatically reached for his belt in an attempt to stabilize her position, her mind still struggling with the previous few minutes. Even though she’d been scared during their initial flight, she hadn’t been truly terrified until Rasact appeared.

Not only was he going to drag her back to the hell she’d endured, he was going to shoot Worvak. His intentions were quite clear despite his offer to let him go. She’d wanted to tell Worvak not to believe him, but he’d acted before she had a chance, moving so smoothly and rapidly that Rasact was dead on the ground before she’d processed the fact that he’d moved.

Shock had held her motionless, her own reactions far slower, and once again he’d moved with unbelievable speed, throwing her over his shoulder as he took off. Despite the uncomfortable position, she knew he was moving much faster than she could manage running next to him so she didn’t demand he put her down. Instead, she tightened her grip on his belt and remained silent.

Although it was long past midnight, voices still echoed in the nearby streets as well as raucous music and drunken laughter. The alleys he wove through were quieter, although they grew increasingly narrow and dirty. The few people they passed were little more than ragged bundles slumped against the wall, drugged or drunk.

The sounds of pursuit vanished, and she prayed it was because they’d escaped their pursuers, not because they were still silently following them. Worvak turned abruptly into an even smaller alley, then ducked through an arched opening into a tiny but surprisingly clean courtyard and pounded on a door.

She heard it open, followed by a gravelly male voice.

“Worvak. Been a while.”

The tone was definitely not friendly, and her fists tightened on his belt.

“I need your assistance,” Worvak said, clearly uncomfortable with the request.

“If you’re looking for a priest for your mating ceremony, he’s three streets over.”

She actually felt that hard body tense even more at the words mating ceremony. Was the thought so unpleasant?

“Do not be ridiculous, Klev.”

Ridiculous?

“My—this female is being pursued by slavers.”

Klev gave a long, drawn out sigh.

“Then I suppose you’d better come in.”

Worvak ducked to carry her through a low doorway, then finally placed her back on her feet. She swayed dizzily, and he pulled her against his side. Her hand went back to his belt as she took a couple of slow, deep breaths until her head finally stopped pounding enough to look around.

They were in a crowded entry hall, the walls covered with so many things that she had to look away and focus on their host.

An alien male stood staring at her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Based on the deep voice she’d expected someone bigger, but he wasn’t even her height—a short, stocky male with a crest of white feathers and large black eyes blinking at her from behind a pair of multi-lensed glasses.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Klev asked, and once again Worvak tensed.

“This is Rita. She was stolen from Earth and sold.”

“And you rescued her?”

There was an odd note in Klev’s voice, but this time Worvak only shrugged.

“I was undercover for the Fleet.”

“Really? Where are they now?”

The disapproving tone made her bristle.

“I told Worvak I didn’t want him to turn me over to them. He’s taking me to a friend of his instead.”

“Indeed.” Klev’s eyes blinked at her again, looking at where she was still clutching Worvak’s belt, and then he shrugged. “Come in.”

He led the way into the most cluttered living area she’d ever seen. Books and scrolls covered almost every surface, interspersed with bits of pottery and odd-looking rocks and some small figurines. He perched in a well-worn wingback chair and gestured at a small, equally worn couch. It was so small that she ended up pressed against Worvak’s side, but she didn’t mind, taking comfort in that big, warm body.

“Who did you steal her from?” Klev asked.

“Rasact. But he’s dead now.”

Klev shook his head. “That won’t stop the rest of the gang from coming after you.”

“I lost them.”

“For tonight, maybe. They won’t stop looking.”

“They are that devoted to Rasact?”

“No—they are that devoted to profit.” Klev blinked at her. “Human, isn’t she? Makes her valuable these days, especially with the Emperor clamping down on illegal slaves, and she’s a pretty little thing.”

Worvak growled.

“Rita is not a thing, and no one is going to sell her.”

“Then you’d better get her off the planet as soon as possible. Although they’ll be watching the port. Safer to call in the Fleet,” Klev added thoughtfully.

“We will discuss it.”

They would?

The other male shrugged.

“You can stay here tonight while you make your plans. Only for tonight. You remember where the spare room is?”

“First door on the right at the top of the stairs.”

“Yes. Now go on. I have work to do and you’ve caused enough disturbance for one evening.”

Worvak rose, pulling her along with him.

“Thank you, Klev. I hope I do not bring trouble to your house.”

The old male suddenly grinned, revealing disturbingly sharp teeth.

“Certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Go on with you now. And keep it down.”

She blushed as the meaning of his words hit her, but Worvak was already leading her out of the room.

“Thank you,” she called back to Klev, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

They climbed a set of steep winding stairs and emerged on a small landing. The door on the right opened into a compact, but surprisingly neat room, white-washed walls glowing in the light of a small lamp. Just like in the inn, there was only one bed, but this was considerably smaller, barely large enough for Worvak, let alone the two of them—unless she slept on top of him.

The warmth in her cheeks increased at the thought—and the knowledge that she wouldn’t mind at all—but she looked up to find him frowning at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s right. You would be safest in the hands of the Fleet.”

“No!” She grabbed his arm. “You promised to take me to Maskah, and I know you wouldn’t break a promise.”

“You are not afraid to remain with me?”

“Of course not. Why would I be?”

“You should not have been exposed to the earlier violence.”

Oh. She shuddered as she remembered that great spurt of blood glistening in the moonlight. His face darkened as he tried to take a step back, and she realized he had misunderstood. She tightened her grip on his arm, although she couldn’t even have made him pause if he hadn’t allowed it.

“I don’t think you understand. I mean, I don’t like violence. I don’t think anyone really does.” She ignored his skeptical expression and hurried on. “But I know you did it to protect me. You saved me again, Worvak. Please don’t send me away.”

He stared down at her, his indecision clear on that normally stoic face. But if words weren’t enough, maybe there was another way she could convince him to let her stay with him. She pressed closer, close enough to feel the warmth of his chest against her tingling nipples, and licked her lips in what she hoped was a provocative manner.

“Please, Worvak. Let me stay with you.”

He groaned as that massive cock flexed against her stomach, and then he kissed her.

CHAPTER TWELVE

As soon as Worvak kissed Rita he was lost again, despite his conflicted feelings. He was relieved that she wasn’t afraid of him, but his conscience still argued that she would be safer with the Fleet. But the Fleet was not perfect—after all, it had been a military officer who had falsely condemned Boxtar to prison. Perhaps she would be better off with him. Forever.

He pushed aside the sudden longing and concentrated on the present. She tasted so sweet and fit so perfectly against him that his tachs throbbed in eager anticipation. And she still wasn’t fighting him, still not resisting his touch. Instead, she was urging him on, as enthusiastic in her response as she’d been earlier, and once again the vision of throwing her down over the bed and taking her flitted through his mind.

Claim her.

No. His honor would not permit him to take such an action when he did not intend to remain with her. Amongst the Harkan that would have been less of a consideration—mates frequently separated, sometimes for extended periods—but Harkan females were also warriors and capable of defending themselves. Rita was not. She needed a mate who would remain at her side.

The thought of that unknown male sent a surge of possessive rage through his body and his kiss hardened. She quivered delightfully and he cupped one of those soft, impractical breasts, tugging on the stiff little peak. Stiff but still wonderfully responsive to his touch as he tightened his grip. The heady sweetness of her arousal filled his head, and he picked her up, carrying her over to the bed.

Only the years of discipline prevented him from throwing her down and sinking one of his tachs into that soft, soft body. The knowledge that she wouldn’t fight—couldn’t fight—sent another wave of arousal through his body, but it also reminded him to be gentle. He fisted his fingers in the hem of her gown, gritting his teeth as he slowly pulled it upwards. Triumph filled him as she raised her hands to help him remove it.

The brief glimpse he’d had of her naked body in the dim shed had not prepared him for the vision that stood before him. Her pale skin gleamed in the lamplight, small rosy nipples capping those lush breasts, the gentle swell of her stomach leading to rounded hips and softly curved thighs…

He suddenly frowned and took a closer look at her stomach. She blushed and put her hands over it, but he gently pushed them aside. Her skin was not as pale and smooth here as elsewhere. Instead, it was reddened and slightly abraded.

“Why is your skin red?”

“I think it’s because your skin is harder over your shoulders.”

“I injured you?” he asked, horrified.

“I know it was just because we needed to get away from Rasact’s gang. It doesn’t hurt.”

Despite her assurance, when he brushed a very careful finger over one of the reddened sections, she winced. How could he have done such a thing?

“Stop it,” she said, grabbing his hand when he tried to step back. “You did the right thing—I could never have run that fast.”

“But I injured you.”

“You saved me from being enslaved again.”

“I will never permit that to happen.”

“I know.” She took his hand and placed it over her stomach. “You see? It’s fine.”

“It is not fine. It is inflamed.”

Her cheeks turned pink again as she gave him a look he couldn’t read.

“My ankle was inflamed too, until you licked it. Maybe that would help?”

Fuck yes.

He immediately dropped to his knees in front of her, gently curving his hands around her soft waist to hold her in place as he licked a long stripe across the small swell of her stomach. They both shuddered. Her skin was silkier here than on her legs, quivering beneath his tongue as he continued the long, slow strokes.

As the redness faded, the scent of her arousal increased. Despite the plates covering his shoulders he could feel her grip tightening as she clung to him. He dipped lower, to the edge of the soft dark curls that were all that protected her femininity. Curls instead of armor—how impractical and how delightful.

His height made the position awkward, so he urged her back onto the bed, then parted her legs to reveal folds so pink and delicate he was almost afraid to touch her. There was no thick membrane for a male to fight his way through. There were no hard ridges shielding her pleasure center.

He very carefully ran his tongue between those tempting pink folds, half-expecting to find some hidden defense. Instead, only wet, silky flesh awaited him. At the very top of her slit a small red nub peeked out from beneath its hood, protected simply by more fragile skin. He gave it the lightest possible touch and she gasped, the intoxicating scent of her arousal increasing. So small and delicate—and accessible. So impossibly receptive to his touch.

He concentrated there, gripping those lush hips to keep her in place as he licked back and forth over the swollen nub until her body convulsed, jerking so hard that she almost threw him off. He gentled his touch, doing his best to ignore his aching tachs as he tested her small entrance. Fuck, she was tight. So tight that he could barely insert the tip of his finger despite the slickness easing his way.

Rasact’s words suddenly came back to him. In the moment, all that had mattered was protecting her, but he remembered them now. He’d said she was intact.

“Are you a virgin?” he demanded.

Her eyes fluttered open, still dazed with pleasure.

“What?”

“Rasact said you were intact.”

Her mouth twisted.

“He was wrong, but since it stopped him from… you know, I didn’t correct him.”

“But he thought you were?”

She bit her lip and looked away from him.

“I don’t have a lot of experience.”

The news filled him with both triumph and despair. He hated the thought of another male touching her, but her lack of experience meant she would be even less likely to accept his tachs.

Ignoring his throbbing tachs yet again, he joined her on the bed, settling her half on top of him so they could both fit in the small space.

“You should rest now. Tomorrow I will figure out how to get you off this planet.”

“But what about…”

Her fingers skated down to brush across his tachs with the most delicate, tormenting touch. How could such gentle pressure be so impossibly arousing?

Regretfully, he caught her hand and lifted it up onto his chest instead.

“Sleep,” he ordered as he reached over and turned off the lamp.

Despite his command, she remained awake, her fingers moving across his chest almost as tantalizingly as they had brushed against his tachs.

“What did Klev mean about a mating ceremony?” she asked suddenly. “We have something called a wedding where people exchange vows to spend their life together. Is it the same thing?”

“It varies from race to race. Sometimes there is only a physical symbol of a mating, such as a mating bite.” His tachs throbbed almost uncontrollably at the thought. “Sometimes there is a ceremony, and sometimes both. The Sardorans exchange vows and the female receives the male’s mark on her back. In my case, there was a long, formal ceremony that included our families.”

Her body froze.

“In your case? You’re mated?”

“No,” he said shortly.

“But you were going to be?”

“Yes.”

“Did you… love her?”

“Love is not frequently a part of Harkan matings.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“No, I didn’t love her. I found her… attractive when we were younger, but the mating contract was ordained by my family, not by me.”

“Attractive?” Her voice quivered. “I suppose I don’t look much like a Harkan female.”

“No. They are as tall as our males, their skin protected by similar armor. They are well-equipped for the mating battle.”

“B… battle?”

“A male must best the female to prove his worth. She proves her worth by the strength of her resistance.”

She was so quiet that he didn’t realize that water was leaking from her eyes until he felt the dampness against his chest.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

How could I be such an idiot?

Tears started to slip down Rita’s cheeks despite her best attempts to stop them. She had made the same mistake with Worvak that she’d made with Carter all those years ago. She hadn’t resisted him–hadn’t wanted to resist him–and now he would think less of her. How long until his kindness turned to cruelty? And this time there would be no one to stop him.

As soon as he realized she was crying, he rolled them over so she was tucked beneath him as he frowned down at her.

“What is wrong?”

“N… nothing.”

“Do not lie to me, little female. It is not honorable behavior.”

Honor? A choked sob escaped before she forced it back.

“I didn’t know.”

“What didn’t you know?”

“That I was supposed to resist. To try and fight you off.”

His frown deepened.

“You could not fight me. You would only injure yourself.”

“I know that. I just didn’t know that you would think less of me.”

“Why would you…” He paused, clearly replaying their previous conversation, and then his expression softened. “I do not think less of you, little female. I find the fact that you are so receptive to my touch delightful.”

“Really?”

His hips flexed against her, the huge bulge of his cock clearly evident. Oh.

“Extremely delightful. Now sleep.”

He returned to their former position with her body resting half on top of his. The plates covering his chest were firm beneath her face, but a comforting warmth radiated from him and his arm around her shoulders made her feel safe. With a sigh, she obeyed.

When she woke she was alone and she almost panicked, terrified that he had betrayed her despite his words, but then she heard the sound of water. A door she hadn’t noticed last night stood slightly open, the sound of water coming from behind it, and she relaxed. He must be taking a shower.

Maybe he needs someone to wash his back?

The tantalizing thought popped into her head, and she felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. Did she have the nerve to join him? If he’d meant what he said last night, she thought he’d like it.

Biting her lip, she climbed out of bed, sternly resisting the urge to pull her dress back on. She wasn’t used to being naked in front of anyone, but there was no point in getting dressed if she was just going to get in the shower. She quietly pushed the door further open, and her mouth went dry.

Water streamed down over that sculpted bronze body, dancing off the ridged plates that covered his chest and formed a central line down his abdomen to his cock… Oh my God. Not one cock, but two. No wonder he seemed so abnormally large. The top one was smaller, although both of them had the same ridges along the top. He was fisting the much larger lower one, pulling on it with hard, fast strokes as it gleamed under the bathroom lights.

His eyes were closed, his face tight as he worked himself, muscles flexing in those big, powerful arms. She didn’t think she made any noise but his eyes suddenly flew open, that burning green gaze turning gold as he fixed it on her.

“Rita,” he groaned, and came in long, long streaks of pearly golden fluid.

Her courage suddenly deserted her. She muttered an apology and fled, closing the door behind her before she pressed her hands to her now burning cheeks. How could she have just stood there and watched him like that? And why did she want to do it again? Only this time, she wanted to be the one touching him.

She heard the water shut off and quickly tugged her dress back over her head. He emerged a few seconds later, pants on, chest bare and gleaming as he strode over to the chair and pulled his vest back on. He didn’t even look embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

“Are you, little female?” His eyes dropped to her chest, and she realized her stiff nipples were clearly visible beneath the dress. “You seemed to enjoy it.”

“I shouldn’t have spied on you.”

“You have my permission to look at me whenever you wish.”

He used a gentle finger to close her open mouth, brushed a kiss across her lips, and took her hand.

“I have been considering our options. We will have breakfast with Klev and ask his opinion.”

“You trust him?” she asked, surprised.

Worvak didn’t seem the type to trust many people and, based on their conversation the previous night, it didn’t seem as if they had seen each other in many years.

“With my life. He was my tutor once, back on Harka, and we kept in touch until I… chose exile.”

Exile?

Before she could ask, he urged her out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Worvak had to bite back a smug smile as he led the way down to Klev’s kitchen. He had finally decided to take himself in hand when, despite his years of training and discipline, he was unable to control his tachs. Having Rita sleeping on top of him, her soft body stirring restlessly in her sleep, her sweet breath fanning across his chest and the lingering taste of her arousal on his tongue, had been an agonizing pleasure.

When the sky began to lighten, he slipped away to try and relieve the ache. He’d left the door ajar so he could hear her if she cried out in her sleep. He hadn’t anticipated that she would come looking for him. He’d been envisioning her as he stroked himself, running his thumb along the sensitive underside of his upper tach as he pulled on his primary one, but it hadn’t been enough. He’d been about to give up when he opened his eyes and saw her staring at him, eyes wide, mouth in a perfect circle, and her pretty nipples red and erect. His climax had overtaken him immediately, unable to look away from her as his seed erupted in long, explosive pulses.

Even after she fled, the scent of her arousal lingered in the air. She had liked watching him. If he had invited her to join him, he suspected she would have agreed. At the thought of her in the shower with him, her soft hands dancing over his body, his tachs instantly stiffened again. His efforts had been useless—or perhaps not.

She had seen him—all of him—and she had been aroused rather than frightened. It would take time, especially given her essentially untouched status, but he thought she could accept him. Except he did not have time. He was taking her to Maskah and leaving her. He was scowling when they entered the kitchen, and Klev raised a feathery white brow.

“Not enough sleep—or too much?”

Rita blushed, and his scowl darkened.

“Your comments are not wanted, old male.”

“No harm meant. I apologize, my dear.”

Klev pointedly addressed Rita, and she smiled at him. Worvak discovered that he did not like her smiling at another male, even one as old as Klev. He stepped between them as he guided her to the table. She didn’t seem to notice what he was doing, but Klev gave him a knowing look once they were seated.

The kitchen was as full of objects as the rest of the house, but here they were food related—cooking equipment, cookbooks, and pots of herbs among the myriad other things. Despite that, it was a comfortable space, and the big wooden table reminded him of the one Klev had possessed back when he had been teaching on Harka.

“Is this the same table?” he asked as Klev pushed a basket of sweet rolls over to Rita.

“Of course it is. Don’t believe in getting rid of things just because they aren’t new anymore.”

He sighed as the old male gave him a meaningful look.

“That was not the reason, and you know it. There was no need for you to share my dishonor.”

Klev snorted.

“Damn Harkans and their honor. Not that I think you behaved dishonorably. Your friend needed you. That wretched female certainly did not.”

Rita’s eyes flicked to his face, the question obvious, but this was not the time to discuss it.

“Perhaps not,” he admitted. “And now I am the one who is requesting your help.”

The words threatened to stick in his throat. If he had been alone, he never would have asked, but he needed to get Rita away from this planet as soon as possible. He suspected that Klev also knew why he had forced himself to ask because he didn’t make him suffer. He just nodded.

“What do you want me to do?”

A wave of gratitude washed over him. There were very few people he trusted, but Klev had always been one of them and he was thankful that trust had not been misplaced.

“I have a vessel waiting for me at the port. It is not registered under the name I have been using here, but it’s possible that it can be traced back to me.”

“Not many Harkans on Tsano,” Klev agreed.

“I rescued Rita from an illegal slave trader. I was assured that the illicit nature of the transaction meant he would not pursue her. However, it did not prevent him. The fact that he was so open about it makes me believe that he had higher level contacts, possibly at the government level. If that is true, they may refuse my flight plan and forbid me to leave.”

Klev tilted his head.

“What’s his name again?”

“His name was Rasact.”

The old male sighed. “You always did choose to poke your nose into the most aggressive sikla nest you could find. I thought I recognized the name last night. He was very well connected indeed—he was Governor Purla’s chief lackey. I suspect you’re right about being refused permission.”

“Which is why I wish to use your codes.”

“Of course you do,” Klev grumbled. “Just leave me here to deal with the consequences.”

“You could come with us,” he suggested.

“Nah. This is my home. I’m not leaving it.”

Rita reached across and patted Klev’s hand while he fought back the urge to snatch it away. He was the only one she should be touching.

“I hate moving too,” she said softly. “When I bought my house back on Earth, I was sure I was never going to leave it.

And now it was lost to her forever. The least he could do was make sure she had a comfortable home on Maskah.

“Unfortunately, the older I get, the more I realize that change is often forced upon us. Sometimes for the better,” Klev said, giving him a meaningful look that he chose to ignore.

“If you seriously believe you will be at risk, then I will find an alternate plan.”

“One that will involve glorious battle?” Klev shook his head. “I’ll be fine. And I can always plead age and insanity.”

He snorted. “I have never met anyone more sane.”

“Flattery, flattery.”

Despite his protests the old male looked inordinately pleased, but Worvak was only being truthful. Klev had been one of the few people on Harka who had helped him see that not everything was as black and white as his culture taught–that there could be shades of grey.

“We should leave soon,” he said, surprisingly reluctant. Although he had kept track of Klev over the years, he hadn’t realized just how much he had missed the old male until this visit.

“I agree, but give me a minute. Wrap up those sweet rolls to take with you,” he told Rita as he left the room.

“Should I?” she asked softly. “They’re really good, but he doesn’t look like he has much money.”

“He would be insulted if you didn’t. And don’t let appearances fool you. He had sufficient wealth to last for three lifetimes.”

She laughed and wrapped the cloth napkin around the rolls as Klev returned with two packages. The smaller one he handed to him.

“These are my codes, plus some additional codes that may prove useful.” He handed the second package to Rita. “And this is for you, my dear. I had some female clothing put aside. It may be a little out of fashion now, but most females appreciate a change of clothing.”

“Thank you so much.”

She beamed and kissed Klev’s downy white cheek, and he couldn’t prevent the growl that escaped. She looked startled, but Klev only grinned, shook his head, and sent them on their way.

“What a sweet male,” she said as he began leading her through the still quiet morning alleys.

“I also bought you clothing,” he growled and she came to an abrupt halt.

“I know you did—and I told you then how much I appreciated it.” She smiled up at him and put her hands around his neck. “You don’t need to be jealous.”

“I am not jealous,” he protested, then winced. The statement felt too much like a lie for his honor. “Perhaps I am slightly… envious.”

“You don’t need to be,” she said softly. “I’d rather be with you than anyone else. Even without clothes.”

“If you are without clothes, then you had best be with me,” he growled, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

She smiled, so pretty in the morning light that he had no choice but to kiss her. She responded as delightfully as always, but he reluctantly lifted his head and resumed their trip.

I’d rather be with you. Her words echoed in his head, their warmth accompanying him all the way to the spaceport. They slipped quietly onto the landing field, still quiet at this hour, then walked rapidly to where his ship waited. It was an older model, but well-maintained inside and out. He had his hand on the release for the landing ramp, when a figure appeared at one end of the gap between his ship and the next, then another and another.

His first impulse was to reach for his sword, but he had Rita to consider. He grabbed her hand, preparing to throw her over his shoulder and run, but when he turned, three more strangers blocked that end of the gap as well.

They were trapped.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Rita fought back a sob as she realized they were pinned between two groups of Tsanan males. Her heart pounded as they closed in, but Worvak didn’t seem the least concerned.

“What are we going to do?” she whispered.

“I will kill them all,” he said calmly.

“But you’re outnumbered.”

“But not out-skilled. Do not worry, little female. While I have always assumed I will die in glorious battle, today is not that day.”

He thrust her behind him and whirled around, his sword removing the closest male’s head with one shockingly smooth stroke. The others yelled and closed in. The fight was fast, brutal, and deadly. She had seen soldiers fight often enough to recognize the skill involved, and Worvak was clearly superior to all of his opponents. But there were so many of them—until another one dropped. And then another. One of the other males landed a blow and a gash appeared on Worvak’s arm. She gasped, but he didn’t even seem to notice it in his relentless advances.

He was down to two opponents when a hand suddenly clamped down painfully on her arm.

“Gotcha, you fucking runaway.” A Tsanan glared down at her, his antennae flicking angrily. A male she thought she recognized from seeing him with Rasact. “You’d better hope your price is going to cover all the damage he’s doing to my males.”

He started to drag her away and some remnant of the self-defense lessons her mother had tried to teach her finally resurfaced. She thrust her elbow as hard as she could into his stomach and stomped on his foot with her boots. He yelled, and Worvak whirled to face them. His remaining opponent took advantage of the move to plunge a knife deep into his side, just below where his chest plates ended.

She cried out, but Worvak didn’t even flinch, using his elbow far more effectively than she’d used hers to send the male crashing to the ground. A second later he was at her side, yanking her away from the Tsanan and slashing his throat. Blood splashed across her and she gasped.

Worvak turned to her, his face triumphant, and then suddenly staggered.

“What’s wrong?”

He pressed his hand to his side where the last male had stabbed him.

“I think the blade was poisoned.” He looked distinctly paler, but he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, little female. I am very hard to kill. But we need to leave now.”

Despite his reassurance, he didn’t object when she tucked herself under his uninjured side and he was definitely leaning on her by the time they made it up the ramp and into the ship. He directed her to the control room, collapsing into the pilot’s chair silently but obviously painfully.

“Sit down and fasten your harness,” he ordered, but the command was far less assertive than usual.

She bit her lip, but obeyed as he started running through some kind of pre-flight check. He was moving far more slowly and she actually saw his hand shake as he began manipulating the controls. The ship rose into the air smoothly enough, there was a brief exchange with some type of control tower where he used Klev’s credentials, and then they took off. The sky outside turned to darkness filled with stars surprisingly quickly, even without the heavy pressure she’d seen in the movies.

“Autopilot,” Worvak whispered, distracting her from her awestruck gazing at the stars.

She looked over in time to see him slump back.

Damn. Damn. Damn. Now what was she going to do?

Assuming that he’d meant the ship was on course for their destination, the next step was to get him into bed and then look for any kind of medical kit.

Not that I’d know anything in it, she thought doubtfully, then quickly dismissed the negative thought. Surely things like bandages were the same in any culture. In the meantime, how to get him into a bed?

There was no way she could carry him, but when she tried putting his arm over her shoulders, his eyes flickered open. Their usual bright green was cloudy and dim, but he still seemed to recognize her.

“I need you to stand up,” she said urgently. “Can you do that for me?”

“Do… anything… for you,” he said, his voice slow and labored.

Her heart skipped a beat, but now was not the time. She pushed with her shoulder, he gripped the arm of the chair, and somehow they managed to get him to his feet. He staggered through the door, leaning on her heavily. Behind the control room was a compact lounge with a tiny galley and dining area. She cast a longing look at the couch as she struggled to keep him upright, but it was too small for him. Sighing, she kept moving, hoping the door on the far wall led into a bedroom.

It did, the small room containing a large bed that almost filled the entire space and she half-pushed, half-fell with him onto it. He landed partially on top of her and she had to squirm her way out from underneath him. He growled when she wiggled beneath him, his mouth closing over her neck, the sharp fangs pricking her skin.

“Be still, little female.”

She froze, the seemingly ever-present bulge of his erection pressing between her legs. If she hadn’t been so worried about him she might have enjoyed the pressure, but as soon as his mouth softened and his breathing deepened, she started moving again. Despite her attempts to be cautious, the same thing happened when she was almost free, his mouth going back to her neck. Once again she froze and waited until he fell asleep again before finally climbing free.

What was that about, she wondered. Maybe it’s a dominance thing.

But right now, tending to him was more important than his odd behavior. She searched through the adjoining tiny bathroom and found a very, very minimal medical kit—bandages, thread, scissors, a very long, sharp needle, and something that looked horrifyingly like a blow torch. Under no circumstances whatsoever could she see burning him, so she put it aside and carried the rest back into the bedroom.

He’d rolled over while she was gone, which made her task a little easier. She used the scissors to cut away his vest and reveal the wound. The actual wound didn’t look too bad—the gash was only about three inches long—but the surrounding area was puffy and inflamed. Dammit. Hadn’t he said he was impervious to poison?

Maybe it just takes time, she told herself, trying to take the fact that there weren’t any antiseptics in the medical kit as a hopeful sign. In the meantime, at least she could try and clean the wound. She returned to the bathroom and gathered up some towels, squirting soap on one end of a wet one.

As soon as she touched the area around the wound, he groaned and his eyes shot open. They were still dim, but once again he seemed to recognize her.

“Safe?” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

“Yes. We’re away from Tsano, and you set the autopilot.”

“Good.”

“I’m going to clean your wound.”

A big shoulder moved, and for a second he looked his usual self.

“It will heal.”

“It will heal better if it’s clean. Can you hold still for me?”

He nodded and did just that, even though she could tell that he was in pain. A fine sheen of perspiration covered his skin, but he never flinched. When the wound was as clean as she could make it, she started to place a bandage over it, but he shook his head.

“Air… better.”

His voice was fading again, and she used another one of the towels to gently bathe away the sweat. When she reached the bottom of his stomach, just above the waistband of his pants, she saw his cocks move beneath them. She was briefly tempted to open the fastening and inspect them more closely, then blushed and quickly pushed away the thought.

His eyes had closed while she worked and he seemed to be asleep. Deciding it was probably the best thing for him right now, she left him sleeping and went to see if she could figure out the equipment in the galley.

When she returned, carrying a cup of what she hoped was broth, her lustful curiosity was satisfied. Somehow he’d started to struggle out of his pants, although they were still halfway down his thighs. But they were low enough for her to see clearly that both cocks were magnificently, gloriously erect.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Worvak swam in and out of consciousness. He could feel the poison trying to invade his system, and his temperature increased in response, trying to burn it out. The temperature increase started to bring his mating heat, driven by Rita’s constant presence.

She was always at his side, bathing him, urging him to drink, and worrying about him. At one point he regained consciousness long enough to see her face clearly. She was pale and tired, obviously exhausted, and he frowned. She should not be straining herself on his behalf.

“You must sleep.” His voice sounded far too shaky to belong to him.

“I have been sleeping.”

“I told you not to lie to me, little female.”

That sounded more like his usual self, and he grabbed her hand, tugging her down on the bed next to his uninjured side despite his limited strength. For a moment she tensed and he thought she might try and escape. His mating heat flared.

Claim her.

He pushed it into submission, but he also put his arm around her to keep her at his side where she belonged.

“I’m fine,” she argued.

“Sleep,” he ordered, and with a tiny sigh, she obeyed.

He followed, and when he woke sometime later, he felt better. Her presence had helped. She was awake, but she hadn’t left him. Instead, she was staring down at his tachs. They were, of course, erect, and they flexed under her gaze.

“You may touch them,” he said, and she jumped, then gave him an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be perving over a sick male.”

“It helps.”

“What helps? Me staring at you?” she asked skeptically.

“Your presence. Your touch. The mating heat enhances the healing heat.”

“Mating heat?”

His hearts ached at the uncertainty on her face. He should not have said anything when he did not have the ability to give her what she wanted. But allowing her to satisfy her curiosity was safe enough.

“Touch me,” he urged, taking her hand and placing it firmly over his upper tach.

Her fingers could close around that one and after a startled moment, she did just that, tentatively exploring the hard ridges of the upper part and the silky underside.

“It’s not as hard as the ridges on your chest. Can you feel this?”

She traced her blunt little fingernails down the ridged side, and he almost came just from that touch.

“Oh, yes.”

“So it’s more sensitive too.”

She repeated the gesture, scratching a little harder while her thumb stroked the more sensitive underside, and he shuddered. She immediately stopped and gave him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—”

“Again,” he demanded.

She bit her lip, but then she obeyed, varying her strokes to see what he preferred. He preferred all of it, but he let her explore. She leaned closer, studying him as she moved to the lower, larger tach. She couldn’t circle that one with her hand, but she could touch both the base and the top at the same time, sending ripples of pleasure down his spine. But then she fastened her soft little mouth around his upper tach and sucked.

He exploded, just as he had in the shower, helpless to stop the seed flooding from his body and splattering on her chest as she tried to swallow what she could. When the pulses finally stopped, she gave him a last gentle suck, then released his tach and gave him an anxious look.

“Was that all right?”

“Perfect,” he assured her, his voice hoarse.

“Are you sure? You’re still weak.”

“If you did that every day, I would not care if I ever grew stronger.”

She finally smiled.

“Somehow I doubt that, but I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did too.” She looked down with a rueful smile. “Although it’s a little messy. How do Harkan women cope with two ejaculations at once?”

He couldn’t help it—he shuddered, and she gave him a startled look.

“What?”

“I would never allow a Harkan female’s fangs near my tachs. They might cause permanent damage.”

“They would bite you?” She looked horrified, then bent back down and pressed a sweetly erotic kiss to the tip of each tach. “I would never do that.”

“I know, my little female. As for the mess, next time you should be naked.”

She looked startled, then laughed as a wave of exhaustion swept over him. The sweet sound followed him into sleep.

He woke to a burning heat, both fevers racing through his system. The mating fire burned the strongest. She was next to him, as naked as he had suggested, and the feel of her body against his sent even more fire flooding through him.

He rolled over her and kissed her. She made a sleepy noise against his mouth, then kissed him back, soft and sweet and passionate. She didn’t resist, didn’t fight, only clung to him as he licked his way down past the tempting curve of her neck to those magnificent breasts. He groaned as his mouth closed over an equally tempting nipple—stiff against his tongue but so responsive, so easy to lick and kiss and suck deeper into his mouth.

His world was going up in flames as her hips flexed beneath his. Was she trying to escape? His fangs scraped delicately across her nipple in warning, but her arms only tightened around his neck as her legs came up to circle his waist. His upper tach slid between those impossibly soft, wet folds, pressing against her little pleasure spot as his lower tach lodged at the impossibly small entrance to her body.

He tried to think, tried to fight through the heat turning his vision gold with desire. There was a reason he shouldn’t be doing this, but he couldn’t remember it. Then she kissed his neck, those tiny, blunt little teeth nipping at his skin.

“Yes,” she whispered, and flames consumed him.

He drove deep into the hottest, wettest, silkiest grip he could have imagined, his tachs immediately erupting as his mouth found her neck, his fangs descending into her tender flesh as her sweet blood flooded his mouth.

Mated.

Claimed.

Mine.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Oh, fuck.

Rita’s body struggled to adjust, overwhelmed by sensation. She felt impossibly full, stretched beyond her limits, but the hard press of his upper cock against her clit and the flood of liquid heat had sent an intense climax thundering through her. The bite on her neck burned, but in an oddly erotic way that made her feel achy and needy.

Worvak raised his head, his green eyes now tinged with gold. His expression was sheer possessive pride, but a moment later it turned to horror.

“What have I done? I have betrayed your trust and my honor.”

“You did nothing of the sort,” she assured him.

She tightened her legs around his waist, then moaned as his cock shifted inside her, rubbing against a part of her that sent arousal streaking through her system. Her channel clenched instinctively, but even though she was too full to tighten any further, he obviously felt the movement and echoed her groan.

“I should not have—”

“I wanted you to. I said yes, Worvak.”

Despite his doubts, his hips began to move in tiny little flexes that caused more of those sparks of desire. The burning stretch started to fade, replaced by more of that aching need. The gold glow in his eyes began to intensify.

“I need you,” he growled, as his head dropped back to her neck.

He licked the place where he had bitten her and it felt like a live wire straight to her clit. Her back arched, seeking more of that excitement and his upper cock rubbed against her still swollen clit. He was hard again, she realized, but then he started to withdraw, those amazing ridges dragging across her channel as her body clung to him. All rational thought disappeared, replaced only by need.

He drove back in and she rose to meet him. His pace increased, his thrusts coming harder and faster until all she could do was cling to him. He gripped her ass, holding her in place as his hips pistoned his cock deep inside her and his mouth moved frantically across her neck. Another sting at her neck morphed immediately into overwhelming pleasure, her body convulsing wildly as the cock inside her grew impossibly harder, then flooded her insides while his upper cock bathed her pulsing clit in the same liquid heat.

He shuddered and collapsed, remembering to move just far enough away not to smother her with that huge body before he fell asleep, his cock still deep inside her. She wrapped her arms around him protectively and fell asleep—sticky, sore, and very, very satisfied.

She woke to a soft, wet pressure surrounding her clit and shivered, desire already flooding her system. When she looked down, Worvak’s head was between her legs. His eyes, once again green, were focused on her face, and he abandoned her clit as soon as he saw she was awake. She almost protested, but he looked so worried she didn’t have the heart.

“I am sorry I did not ask your permission, but I did not want you to wake in pain.”

“Pain?”

She frowned and tried to move. Oh. There was a definite ache deep inside, along with a sensitivity that was not exactly pain, but an awareness.

“I am truly sorry, my little female. The mating heat overtook me, and I was not disciplined enough to resist.”

“Mating heat? You mentioned that before. Does that mean you were… excited? Sexually, I mean.”

“Yes.” He hesitated. “But it is more than that. I desire to have you as my mate, and in my illness that was all I knew.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered their previous conversation. He wanted her that much?

“You said that for your people, mating requires a ceremony,” she said cautiously.

“I do not believe that is what I said. We practice a mating ceremony for official purposes, but all that is required is the commitment.” His eyes flicked to her neck, briefly flashing gold. “And the mating bite,” he added.

Her hand flew to her neck, the skin sensitive beneath her touch, but it wasn’t soreness. Instead, her nipples tightened and her clit throbbed.

“You mean, we’re mated?”

His eyes flickered gold once more as he hesitated again.

“Not officially.”

“Unofficially?” she asked softly.

“I gave you a mating bite. You did not give me one.”

“Do you want me to?”

“You want a way of life that I am not sure I can give you. I told you that I am no longer a member of the Fleet. I did not leave on good terms. My family disowned me, but I was brought up to be a warrior. I know no other life. Until recently, Boxtar and I were raiders, stealing from caravans of Sleestik merchants to supply our males. I enjoyed the hunt. I even took this assignment because I did not want to spend a peaceful winter in our village. Do you understand?”

“Much more than you realize.” Her mouth threatened to tremble. “My mother was a… warrior as well. She liked excitement and new challenges, and we moved frequently. She was never satisfied with a single man either.”

His eyes flared gold as he yanked her down the bed towards him.

“No, you do not understand. I may be restless. I may enjoy a challenge and I may appreciate the glories of battle like your parent, but I want no other female. I will never want another female.”

The spark of hope was so bright it was almost painful.

“Really?”

“A mated male has no interest in another female.” His eyes focused on her neck again. “And you are my mate, little female. Do not doubt it.”

She believed him—but that certainty didn’t alter his previous words. Would she have left her cozy house to travel the universe? The answer was undoubtedly no. But if she had known it would lead her to Worvak, she wasn’t as certain. The way she felt with him was different than she’d ever felt with anyone, and ever since he’d plucked her out of that dark shed, she’d felt safe with him. But was that enough?

“I don’t doubt you,” she said softly. “But maybe we should stop worrying about mating and just enjoy our time together.”

He trailed his thumb over the mating bite, but he didn’t argue.

“How would you like to enjoy yourself?”

She lifted her hips in silent invitation, but he shook his head.

“You are not yet ready.”

He slid her back up the bed and returned to his previous place between her thighs. His tongue flicked across her clit, soothing and arousing at the same time. He dipped lower, slipping his tongue inside her channel. Damn, even his tongue was thick, the ridges along the top as arousing as those on his cock. Her body responded immediately but the ache didn’t immediately vanish and he began sliding his tongue in and out, going deeper with each stroke until the ache was gone and all that was left was excitement.

“Now I’m ready,” she insisted, and he shook his head, smiling.

“My eager little female. I think perhaps we will pursue a less strenuous option.”

She gave him a puzzled look, but then he adjusted his position and slid his secondary cock into her. Even his secondary cock was as large as a human penis and she gasped as he entered her, stretching her still swollen tissues. His primary cock slid between her butt cheeks, spreading them with an oddly arousing pressure and the upper ridges teased her bottom hole.

“You never fight me,” he said, his eyes glowing.

“I don’t want to fight you.”

He bent to kiss her, his thumb slipping between their bodies and finding her swollen clit. He circled it gently as he slid smoothly in and out, gradually increasing the speed and force until her clit was caught between the pressure of his thumb and the hard ridges inside her channel, and then he squeezed. Her vision blurred as she flew into a climax that rolled on and on until he once again filled her with pulses of liquid heat.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Although thoughts of the future continued to trouble Worvak, he did his best to follow Rita’s suggestion and enjoy the present. It was almost too easy. The more time they spent together, the harder it became to imagine his life without her. Without her sweet body nestled against his when he fell asleep and when he woke. Without the way she accepted him so willingly into her body, still impossibly tight but able to take all of him without strain.

And it was more than the time they spent in each other’s arms. He simply liked being with her, whether they were talking or sitting together in comfortable silence. He enjoyed cooking with her, reluctantly adding vegetables to what she insisted were meals with too much meat - as if such a thing were possible. He enjoyed teaching her their written language, those pretty little teeth firmly grasping her lower lips as she concentrated. She was a good student, determined to learn.

Somewhat more reluctantly, she let him convince her to learn some self-defense techniques. She picked it up more rapidly than he expected, and she eventually confessed that her warrior mother had also tried to teach her.

“Then all you need is practice,” he said firmly, and she sighed.

“I just don’t enjoy the idea of hurting someone.”

“The idea is to prevent someone from hurting you. Now try that move again.”

She gave a big, fake yawn.

“I’m awfully sleepy. Wouldn’t you rather go to bed? I want to practice my other lessons.”

His tachs twitched. She was determined to try and get both of his tachs in her mouth at the same time. Given their respective physical dimensions, he thought it an impossible ambition, but he was more than willing to let her try. But not now.

“A warrior is disciplined. He does not neglect his or her duty for pleasure.”

“But I’m not a warrior.”

“No, my little female—which is why you must practice. Again.”

She sighed and obeyed, but he could tell her heart wasn’t in it. She started teasing him, trailing her fingers “accidentally” across his tachs, or his ass, or his chest, or even the sensitive curve of his ear, and he finally decided that he had been disciplined enough for one day and carried her off to bed.

Only two things disturbed his contentment. One was the thought of what would happen when they reached Maskah. The other was a lingering weakness he couldn’t shake. He didn’t think that anyone else would notice, but he knew his body inside and out and he was not restored to his usual strength. He increased his training exercises, but the weakness remained.

He was thinking about it the next day when she put aside her tablet and came to join him, settling easily into his lap without any force on his part. Those willing gestures of affection were another thing he suspected he would have difficulty living without.

“How much longer do we have?” she murmured.

“The autopilot said another two days of ship time when I checked this morning,” he admitted reluctantly, then frowned.

He’d been enjoying their time together so much that he hadn’t paid much attention to the passage of time, but now that he thought about it, their trip was taking longer than he would have expected.

“I should check it again.”

She followed him into the control room, her eyes widening when he started swearing.

“What is it?”

“I am a fool. Every day I have been making sure we were on course and checking all of the relevant data—fuel, life support, food. There was just one thing I didn’t check—our actual destination.”

“What do you mean?”

“We are not headed for Maskah. We are headed for Harka—and we will arrive tomorrow.” he growled, forcing himself not to beat his fist uselessly against the console. “I have not returned in many years, but it’s still programmed into the autopilot.”

“Are you forbidden to return?”

“No. I have been disowned by my family, but there is nothing to prevent me from returning except a lack of desire.”

“Hmm. Do they have medical centers on Harka?”

“Only a few. I told you that we are difficult to kill.”

She rolled her eyes.

“That doesn’t mean you might not need other kinds of treatment. Maybe one of your doctors could help you.”

“Help me?”

“You haven’t regained your full strength, have you?”

His face must have reflected his astonishment, because she smiled and came to perch on his knee.

“I noticed. I notice everything about you.”

His hearts ached at the sweetness of her words.

“I did not realize.”

“I think we should land and make an appointment with one of your doctors.”

“Perhaps,” he said reluctantly, the thought of admitting such a weakness horrifying him. “But you must remain on the ship.”

“Why? Do Harkans dislike humans that much?”

“Because every warrior who sees you will want to claim you for himself,” he growled, but she only laughed.

“Don’t be silly. There’s nothing special about me. And besides,” she stroked a finger over the scar left by his mating bite. “This is your claim on me, remember?”

The thought gave him some consolation, and he nodded.

“Good. Then I will go with you. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

Her prediction did not come true.

From the moment they entered Harkan airspace the next day, he was on edge. No matter how many times he calmed his breathing, he could feel his tension increasing. It didn’t help that when he announced his arrival and requested landing clearance, there was an extended pause.

“Worvak? Is that really you?”

He bit back a groan. The voice belonged to Ramont, at one time one of his closest friends, but the first to turn his back on him when he had rejected his mating ceremony and gone after Boxtar.

“Yes,” he said stiffly. “We wish to refuel and attend to some personal matters.”

“We?” Ramont sounded even more astonished.

“My mate is with me,” he announced defiantly, and Rita smiled at him, obviously not bothered by the claim.

“I did not hear it proclaimed.”

“She is not Harkan.”

Another shocked pause.

“I apologize. Of course you can land—use slot Alpha Three on the second field. And Worvak?”

“Yes?”

“It is good to hear your voice.”

Ramont closed the channel before he could respond.

“It doesn’t seem like everyone hates you,” Rita said dryly. “I’ll go and get my cloak.”

“Are you sure you do not wish to remain on the ship?”

“Absolutely positive.”

She gave him a cheery wave, then disappeared as he brought the ship in for a landing. She came to meet him at the landing ramp, looking far too pretty for his state of mind. Her eyes sparkled, and her dark hair curled softly around her face. The cloak couldn’t completely conceal the sweet curves of her body, clad in a long white gown adorned with gold trim. It was one of the ones Klev had given her and it suited her perfectly, even though it was rather formal for the occasion.

Somehow, he wasn’t surprised to find Ramont waiting for him at the bottom of the landing ramp. He was surprised when the other male grasped his forearm in a familiar grip.

“It is good to see you, Worvak,” he said gruffly, before his eyes traveled to Rita. “This is your mate?”

He growled at the astonishment in the other male’s voice.

“My apologies. I meant no disrespect. Greetings, Lady D’san.”

She gave him an astonished look as he glared at Ramont.

“You know I no longer possess that title.”

Ramont looked down.

“Your mother reinstated you after your father died.”

He had known of his father’s death; he had not known of his mother’s actions.

“She did not contact me.”

“She is a very stubborn female,” Ramont said ruefully, and he had to admit that he was right. He had never known his mother to change her mind before.

“There is something else you should know,” his former friend added. “I am now mated to Sacar.”

His former chosen had mated Ramont?

“After you left, our clans negotiated a new agreement and I was chosen.” Ramont sighed as he looked down at Rita, now holding Worvak’s hand. “You definitely made the better choice.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It wasn’t until Ramont continued his explanation that Rita realized the significance of the name Sacar—she was the female he had intended to mate. She couldn’t help being relieved that she was now mated to someone else, even if that someone didn’t seem particularly happy about it.

Ramont led them to a waiting vehicle—a car hovering a few feet off the ground.

“If you will permit me, I will escort you to your mother’s house.” When Worvak frowned, he sighed. “I contacted her as soon as you requested permission to land. She wishes to see you.”

“I do not know—”

“We’d love to visit her,” she interrupted.

Despite her issues with her own mother, she would have given a great deal to see her once more. She didn’t want Worvak to suffer the same regret.

He nodded reluctantly and lifted her into the hovercar. Neither male had any problem climbing into the elevated vehicle, and she sighed. It would have been nice to have been tall enough to manage on her own. Then again, she never regretted having Worvak touch her.

The street they drove down was wide and sparsely populated. Walled mansions lined each side, the heavy walls grim and forbidding, none of them softened by vegetation.

“Why aren’t there any plants?” she asked, and both males gave her identical astonished looks.

“They would provide cover for an enemy to approach,” Worvak explained, his face set once more in the harsh lines she had seen originally.

“What about friends?”

The two males exchanged another glance.

“Some of our families form strategic alliances,” Ramont said eventually.

“No wonder you left,” she murmured softly to Worvak and his arm tightened around her.

Ramont turned into a driveway in front of the most impressive mansion she had seen yet. After a muffled exchange with a communication device, a massive gate swung open and they drove through into a smaller space as the gate closed behind them. Neither male seemed concerned that they were now trapped.

“Biological, mechanical, and infrared scans,” Worvak said, looking up at the walls with an odd look on his face.

The inner gate finally opened, and they passed through into a circular driveway in front of a massive house. It was grand, but it was not beautiful. It projected the same harsh lines as the outer walls. A few plants finally appeared, but they were all cropped close to the ground and planted in rigid lines.

The doors opened, and a Harkan female appeared. The resemblance to Worvak was quite obvious, and it was clear that this was his mother. She hadn’t been quite sure what to expect, but Worvak’s mention of fighting for dominance in mating made more sense now. The female was as tall as Worvak with strongly muscled arms revealed by her plain leather pants and vest.

For a moment Rita thought she would approach, but she remained in the doorway, her eyes watching avidly as Worvak climbed out of the car. He ignored her as he turned to lift Rita out of the car, and she nudged him.

“Go and talk to her.”

“Not without you.”

She suspected that would not go well, but perhaps he wanted her with him. She nodded and tucked her hand in his belt as they climbed the steps and Ramont drove the vehicle away.

“Mother,” Worvak said, his voice cold.

“Son.”

The two of them were impossibly awkward, and she nudged him again. His mother’s eyes finally focused on her, and a brow ridge rose.

“You have acquired a human slave?”

“No,” he growled. “She is my mate.”

“A human? You rejected Sacar for a human?”

“Yes,” he said defiantly. “Nothing you say or do will change that.”

To Rita’s surprise, his mother only nodded.

“I have no intention of trying to change that. I am… pleased that you have returned.”

“I have not returned. This is a temporary visit only.”

Rita had enough familiarity with Worvak’s expressions to recognize the flash of sorrow on the female’s face, but his mother only nodded.

“I see. How long will you stay?”

“A day or two only. I wish to consult a medical practitioner.”

“You are ill?”

Did her face actually pale? Rita decided she might like his mother after all.

“No, but I was poisoned and some of the side effects seem to be lingering.”

“I will contact Medic Tarla and ask if he can see you.”

“Today if possible.”

Rita suspected that the slight release of breath might have been a sigh in another female, but his mother only nodded.

“Would you prefer to stay in your old room or one of the guest suites?”

“My room would be fine.”

For the first time, his mother actually smiled.

“You will find it much the same. I will contact the medic while you get settled.”

He nodded and she moved briskly away.

“She misses you,” she said softly.

“Perhaps, especially now that my father is gone. But I cannot return, no matter how she wishes I would.” Some of the tension that had stiffened his body finally eased as he smiled down at her. “Would you like to see my room?”

“Of course. Does it have a bed?” she teased, and he almost stumbled as they climbed the very tall stairs.

“Yes, it has a bed, my little mate.”

“That’s good. I thought maybe you all slept on the floor to prove how tough you were.”

“It is a hard bed,” he admitted with a smile. “But I will ensure that you are comfortable. That is—do you mind spending the night here? We could return to the ship.”

“Your mother would be very disappointed. I don’t mind, although I wish I’d brought my other dress.”

“I will take care of it.”

They had reached the top of the stairs, and he led her down a long corridor to a set of doors at the end.

“My room.”

In some ways it was exactly what she had expected—walls paneled in dark wood, with trophies and displays of weaponry everywhere—but in other ways it was quite different. A diorama of stars hung from the ceiling, still twinkling after all these years. A large bookcase was filled with well-worn books, and a collection of pretty polished stones covered the table at the foot of the bed—the very big bed.

“Did you always sleep in a bed this big?” she asked, trying to imagine a small Worvak tucked under the covers.

“As soon as I was moved from the nursery. I was two.”

“Were you happy here?”

“At first, yes. But as I told you, I grew increasingly restless as I grew older.”

If this was his idea of a home, she could understand his resistance to one. But her desire for one was just as rooted in her past. Did it really matter? Or was being with him what really mattered? As soon as she put it that way, the answer was clear.

She turned to him, smiling.

“I’ve been thinking—”

Before she could continue, a knock on the door was followed by his mother’s quick entrance.

“I just spoke to the medic. He has time to see you this afternoon if you come right away. I could take you,” she added tentatively.

“Very well.” He gave her a quick glance. “Will you wait here?”

“You don’t want me to come?”

“I would prefer you remain here, safe and protected.”

She suspected it was more because he didn’t want to discuss his weakness in front of her, so she didn’t insist.

“I’ll stay here like a good little mate.”

He smiled and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. She caught the look of shock on his mother’s face before she composed herself and hurried him out the door. At least the other female hadn’t seemed outraged, just surprised.

She wandered over to the bookcase, and picked up one of his books to read. Nearly an hour passed as she struggled with it, but her language lessons simply hadn’t progressed far enough to allow her to truly enjoy it. She put it down and wandered aimlessly around the room, suddenly feeling as restless as Worvak must have been once. She had just picked up a beautiful jeweled knife from one of the weapons displays when the door slammed open.

She whirled around to find an obviously furious Harkan female glaring at her.

“So it’s true. He did pick a human slut over me.”

“You must be Sacar,” she said as calmly as possible, trying to keep her voice from trembling, and a flash of triumph crossed the female’s face.

“He told you about me.”

“No, it was your mate Ramont who mentioned your name.”

The female scowled at her, then her eyes found the mark on Rita’s neck.

“He gave you a mating bite? You couldn’t possibly have provided a worthy battle.”

“I didn’t fight him. I wanted him to bite me.”

Technically she hadn’t actually known he would do it, but she wouldn’t have stopped him.

The female’s face contorted with rage.

“That is not the way it is done.”

“It’s the way we did it. And we both liked it,” she added with a reminiscent smile.

She immediately realized the smile was a mistake as the female stalked towards her.

“It was a mistake. A mistake that can be easily remedied. Will you try and fight me, human slut, when I rip his mark off your neck?”

She was so scared she could barely breathe, her hand trembling on the knife she still held. It wasn’t much of a weapon—too fragile to do any real damage to the heavy plating that covered the female’s body—but it was all she had.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I will fight you.”

Sacar sneered and swung at her, but misjudged the difference in their heights and missed. Rita knew she wouldn’t make the same mistake again, and backed away, hoping she could maneuver towards the door. It was a slim hope at best, especially knowing how quickly a Harkan could move, but she did her best to back in that direction. Sacar charged at her, but once again she miscalculated her reach and Rita managed to dart to one side.

The other female’s failure only infuriated her, her eyes turning red as she glared at Rita. She raised the knife, hoping to scare Sacar into backing away but the female only gave a scornful laugh.

“That won’t stop me.”

She charged at Rita, and Rita ducked down, hoping to slip beneath her. Her feet tangled in the carpet and she fell just as Sacar reached her. The other female tripped over her and landed on top of her, her body jerking. It wasn’t until Rita felt the rush of dampness covering her hand that she realized Sacar had fallen on the knife.

She sobbed and tried frantically to crawl out from under the other female but she was too heavy. She pushed desperately, and then Worvak was there, pulling her out from under Sacar as he frantically ran his hands over her.

“Where are you hurt? Tell me.”

“I’m not hurt,” she sobbed. “It’s her blood. I think… I think I killed her.”

“Good,” he said immediately. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?”

“N… no.” The tears just wouldn’t stop falling. “But I thought I was going to die without telling you that I love you.”

His face softened as he pulled her closer.

“I love you too, my little mate.”

And then she had to stop crying because he was kissing her.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Are you sure you didn’t want to stay any longer?” Rita asked, giving him an anxious glance as Harka disappeared behind them.

“I have been ready to leave for the past three days.”

He would have left after that first horrible day, but his main concern had been caring for his mate. The next morning his mother calmly informed him that she had made plans to reintroduce him to his family and their allies.

“It doesn’t matter if they remember me, Mother. I am not planning on taking the title.”

She waved her hand, as stubborn as ever.

“I know you say that now, but you never know what might happen. It wouldn’t hurt just to familiarize yourself with everyone again.”

He would still have refused, but the tiniest hint of pleading in her glance made him reconsider. He already knew that Rita would think he should stay. His female was softening him, but he did not mind the knowledge as much as he might have anticipated.

“If I agree, Rita will accompany me as my mate,” he said firmly.

“Of course. She is a considerable prize.”

“She is not a prize,” he growled. “She is my mate.”

“I know. I was just congratulating you on your choice.”

He knew it was as close as his mother would ever come to admitting that she had made a mistake trying to match him to Sacar, so he sighed and accepted it.

Harkan social gatherings were not relaxing affairs. Everyone was considering potential allies and potential enemies and trying to improve their position in the rigidly stratified Harkan society. As his mother had predicted, more than one male gave him an envious glance as Rita floated happily through an event, clinging to his arm and giving him adoring glances.

“It is not necessary to be quite so enthusiastic,” he told her after one particularly long and tiring event.

“What do you mean?”

She gave him a wide-eyed innocent look, and he flicked her nose affectionately.

“You know exactly what I mean. I know you love me—I do not care if anyone else knows.”

“I care. They need to know that you are loved and appreciated and they were wrong to reject you.”

How could he argue? He kissed her and carried her off to bed instead, reveling in his full strength. The medic had informed him that it would have returned in time anyway, but he’d given him an injection to speed up the process and it had worked almost immediately.

To his surprise, Rita also got along well with most of the Harkan females. They respected her defeat of Sacar, even though she was the first to admit that it had been mostly luck.

“Skill creates luck,” he heard his cousin Warma tell her. “With your size, you must take advantage of every opportunity.”

“That’s what Worvak tells me.”

“He is correct, although I would never tell him so. You would not have defeated Sacar any other way.” His cousin shrugged. “But she will not be missed. I suspect even her mate is relieved, but then they were never proper mates.”

“What do you mean, proper mates?”

“There was no mate bond.”

Rita’s hand went to her mating bite.

“What creates the bond?”

“The bites help, as does the act of consummation, but it requires more than those things—it requires a true heart bond, and I am not sure that Sacar even had a heart.”

He groaned silently, but they moved away before he could interrupt and steer the conversation in a different direction. However, he wasn’t surprised when Rita brought the subject up later that night. They were curled in his bed, both limp and relaxed after an extremely passionate session.

“What’s the act of consummation?”

Damn Warma.

“It is the act of sexual intercourse,” he said truthfully, if not completely.

“Why do I get the feeling that there is more to it than that?”

He sighed, but he was unwilling to lie to her.

“The act of consummation is when the female accepts the male’s primary tach in her cunt and his upper tach in her ass. It signifies her complete surrender. But many couples never perform it,” he added quickly.

“Don’t you want to do it?”

In spite of his best efforts to control them, his tachs flexed eagerly. The thought of her total submission, of being entirely enclosed in her sweet body, was almost unbearably exciting.

“It would be… enjoyable,” he said carefully. “But I am afraid that you are too small.”

“Maybe not. Humans do something similar, although it would be with two men.”

“No other man will ever approach you,” he roared.

She laughed and patted his chest.

“Of course not. But maybe… maybe we could try.”

His unruly tachs flexed again.

“Not without a great deal of training.”

“That sounds like a lot more fun than your other training,” she teased, and he was unable to resist.

He flipped her over and licked her and teased her and very gently probed her tiny bottom hole. By the end of that session, she had accepted his entire finger, climaxing with a wailing cry as he pumped his finger slowly in and out of her tight little ass.

He was thinking of that training now as they left Harka behind. As soon as he engaged the autopilot—and confirmed that it was indeed headed for Maskah this time—he could carry her off to the bedroom and resume it. She went off to make some tea, but before he could follow her, his communication screen pinged.

That was odd. Communication during transit was difficult and expensive. He sighed and pressed accept.

The screen opened to reveal an Elginar male, his stern pale blue face framed with white braids.

“I am Tanaca,” he announced.

No other introduction was necessary. Anyone who had served with the Imperial Forces knew the Emperor’s spymaster. He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.

“I understand you are in possession of a human female.”

Both his hearts skipped a beat. Was Tanaca going to demand he return Rita?

Never.

“You are mistaken.”

“Rarely,” the other male said, not so much arrogantly as confidently. “I am looking for a human female. Small, dark hair, blue eyes. A trifle overweight.”

Overweight? His female was perfect. He barely stopped himself from growling.

“Why?” he asked, realizing too late that he should simply have denied all knowledge.

“It is a… request.” For the first time the cool gaze faltered.

“From the Emperor?”

As far as he knew, Emperor Karthajin was the only one who gave orders to Tanaca.

“No. From a… friend.”

That shocked him even more. According to rumor, Tanaca did not have friends. At best he had useful acquaintances. He crossed his arms and glared at the screen.

“I do not know any such female.”

Tanaca sighed.

“Of course you would deny it. No doubt she has you firmly under her spell by now.”

The spymaster sounded oddly regretful.

“If you should… encounter such a female,” he said dryly. “Tell her that Sara wishes to speak to her.”

Tanaca signed off before he could ask any more questions.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“What’s wrong?” Rita demanded, and Worvak winced.

She knew he wanted to say it was nothing, but his sense of honor would never permit him to lie to her. And she knew something was wrong. She had seen the gold sparks in his eyes when they were in the control room and had happily anticipated another of his training sessions.

Instead, he had disappeared into his actual training room, running through his exercises until his muscles gleamed. She’d let him be until he finally returned to her. He had assumed his stoic warrior face which only convinced her that something was bothering him.

“I had a communication,” he admitted and her heart skipped a beat.

“What about? About my… status?”

“I do not believe so, but it was a puzzling conversation. Tanaca contacted me. He is senior advisor to Emperor Karthajin.”

“Why did he contact you?”

“I think he was looking for you. In fact, I believe he already knew you were here.”

Her pulse was racing so fast that she felt dizzy. He growled and pulled her down into his lap.

“Calm, my little female. I will never let him take you.”

“Why would he want to take me?” she whispered, her lips numb.

“He did not say he would take you. He said he is looking for you for a friend. Someone named Sara.”

Sara? Her Sara?

“That’s impossible.”

He frowned. “So you do know this person?”

“There is a Sara who teaches at the same school,” she said slowly, trying to think. “But how can she be out here?”

“We do not have to respond, but perhaps it would ease your mind to ask?”

“Yes. I have to know if it’s her.”

“Very well.” He sighed. “I will make the arrangements.”

She paced back and forth while he returned to the control room, too anxious to sit still. Time stretched interminably before he returned, giving her a worried look.

“There is another human female on the communication screen. She is tall, with hair the color of fire.”

Her eyes started to fill with tears.

“That’s her.”

“Do you wish me to accompany you?”

“I… No, I want to talk to her by myself.”

He gave her a penetrating look, but didn’t object.

“The screen is open.”

She peeked cautiously into the control room, then the tears that had been gathering began falling in earnest as she recognized her friend. Tears sparkled on Sara’s cheeks as well, but she gave Rita her usual cheerful smile.

“Rita! I’m so happy to see you. We’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“It really is you,” she whispered, wiping her cheeks. “I don’t understand. What happened? Why are you here?”

“It’s… complicated,” her friend said. “You disappeared and we tried to find you—”

“We?”

“Me and Tammy. But then we were taken, and then we were rescued, and then Tammy disappeared, and… Like I said, complicated.”

“But you’re all right? Safe?”

Sara suddenly giggled, sounding so much like her normal self that more tears sprang to Rita’s eyes.

“If I were any safer, I’d be wrapped in cotton wool. These alien males are ridiculous.”

Interesting. What alien male was so protective with Sara? She couldn’t imagine her fiery friend putting up with it for long.

“We’re going to a planet called Maskah. Can you come and join us?” she asked eagerly. “I would ask Worvak to bring me to you, but he’s kind of in disgrace.”

Sara laughed again. “He’s a bad boy? My cautious, home-loving friend is involved with a bad boy?”

“He’s not bad at all. He’s strong and honorable and brave, and I love him,” she said quietly, and Sara’s face immediately softened.

“I’m so happy for you. But it does make it a little difficult to get together right now. We’re still trying to find Tammy.”

“You don’t seem that worried about her.”

“Even though I want to find her, I know she’s with another ridiculous male who won’t let anything happen to her. And in the meantime I’m working on a… special project.”

“What kind of project?”

Her friend waved an airy hand, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“A very entertaining one. But as soon as we get that settled, I’ll find a way to meet up with you, I promise.”

“You’re sure you’re all right?” she asked again.

“Of course I am. And I’m sure things are going to work out perfectly. Eventually.” The briefest shadow of doubt crossed Sara’s face before she grinned again. “We’ll talk again soon. Say hi to your not-so-bad boy for me and tell him he’d better be good to you or he’ll have to answer to me.”

“He will be,” she promised. “Good luck with your project.”

The screen closed, but she was still staring at it when Worvak came to find her.

He took one look at her face and carried her off to the bedroom, holding her against him as she cried.

“You do not have to speak to her again,” he said firmly when her tears finally ceased.

“It’s not that. I want to talk to her and see her again. It’s just…” Her mouth trembled. “It’s my fault.”

“What is your fault?”

“The fact that she’s here, that both of them are here.”

“It is most certainly not your fault.”

“But it is. She said they came looking for me. I’m sure that’s why they were taken.”

“Then it is the fault of their abductors. Would you not have looked for them if the situation was reversed?”

“Of course.”

“Did she appear distressed?”

“No, not really, but she’s good at hiding her feelings. I do think she’s worried about Tammy—she said she’d disappeared after they were rescued. She said it was complicated,” she added with a sigh.

“Is there anything you can do? Or I can do to assist?”

“I don’t think so. She didn’t ask for any help, and she said she’s working on some kind of special project.”

“Then perhaps you should accept that?”

“I suppose.”

She sighed again, but smiled up at his beloved face, his concern for her so easy to read now.

“I love you, Worvak.”

“I love you too, my little mate.”

He kissed her, slowly and patiently despite the desire she knew was rising in his body, and her heart overflowed.

“I think it’s time,” she whispered.

“Time?”

“Time for the act of consummation.”

The golden tide covered his eyes, but he hesitated.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Enough training. Time for the real thing.”

He kissed her again, but this time he didn’t hide his hunger as well and her own arousal began to climb in response. His mouth traveled down to her neck, licking her mating bite with that wonderfully rough tongue and sending sparks of lightning to her rapidly swelling clit, before moving on to her breasts. His mouth was rougher, more impatient than usual, and she squirmed eagerly.

“Patience, little mate,” he ordered, but the rough tone revealed his own excitement.

As he tugged on her breasts with a demanding mouth, his fingers dipped between her legs, teasing her clit and using her slickness to coat first her pussy, then her ass. Despite the training, the first entry always shocked her, but the slight burn quickly turned to pleasure as he circled her swollen nub with his thumb. She arched against his hand and he pushed deeper, pressing harder against her needy clit until a short, intense climax swept over her.

He growled and flipped her onto her stomach with his usual easy strength, sliding a pillow beneath her hips to raise her ass to the perfect height.

“Are you ready?” he asked again, voice strained.

“Yes,” she said, and wiggled her ass at him. “Consummate our mating.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Desire coursed through Worvak so swiftly that he felt almost dizzy as he looked down at his mate, positioned so perfectly, so willingly, for his possession. He had pictured her in this position since their very first night in the inn, and now her happy submission made his hearts ache and his tachs throb with almost equal intensity.

He stroked a hand down the silky softness of her back and the sweet curve of her ass, parting her cheeks to admire the tiny entrance, still glistening from her climax. Her delicate folds also glistened, pink and ready and he slid his primary tach between them, relishing her soft sigh as she thrust back against him. His secondary tach nestled between those luscious ass cheeks, already quivering with eagerness. He rocked back and forth, reminding himself to be patient, but his eager little female did not want patience.

She wiggled her ass impatiently, the pale flesh dancing lasciviously as she smiled back at him over her shoulder.

“Now, my love.”

How could he resist? He positioned his tachs, then very slowly pushed forward. Her body quivered as each head breached a tiny entrance and he reached beneath her, gently stroking the swollen nub as he fought the urge to thrust. Never had his warrior’s discipline been so tested. Her body relaxed the tiniest fraction, and he pushed forward again. Fuck. He had never felt anything as hot, as tight, as perfect. He had barely entered her and he already felt as if she surrounded him completely.

Those blunt teeth were fastened on her lip as she looked back at him again, but she nodded and he worked his way another careful inch deeper. She cried out, and then he felt her channel convulse around him, bathing him in a fresh rush of liquid heat as the pulses echoed in her narrow back channel. His hips jerked forward another inch, aided by the increased wetness.

Slowly, he reminded himself, but then she pushed back against him and all hope of restraint was lost. He thrust forward, burying himself completely in her sweet body as his climax roared over him, and he filled her in a long, draining rush of heat that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul before collapsing forward and burying his head in her neck.

When his senses finally began to return, he realized she was still closing around him in sweet little pulses.

“Rita?”

“Mmm?” Her voice sounded lazy, almost drugged.

“Are you all right?”

“I have never been better.”

She tightened around him again and he groaned, this time recognizing a deliberate act. He had been convinced his body was completely drained, but his tachs responded to the tight little squeeze, beginning to harden again.

“We should wait,” he said, “and give your body time to recover.”

“You can lick me all you want later.” She giggled when his tachs pulsed. “But right now, I just want to enjoy our consummation for a little longer.”

“For as long as you want,” he promised, and licked slowly across her mating bite.

She shivered, and he began to move, determined to keep his promise.

THE REST of the trip passed with remarkable speed. After their consummation she was, as he had feared, sore and swollen, but his tongue quickly soothed the inflamed tissues. He had thought they were close on the trip to Harka, but now he could hardly bear to be separated from her, and she seemed to feel the same way, reaching across the table to hold his hand while she studied, or crawling into his lap while he read. He could have spent weeks, months, traveling with her, but then Maskah appeared on the view screen as their voyage came to an end.

She sat with him in the control room, curled in his lap once again as they approached.

“That’s the spaceport,” he pointed out. “And the Eastern Sea. Our island is down there in that patch of white.”

“Is it snow?”

“No, just clouds. It will be summer when we land and we can easily sail to the island. I will build you the house of your dreams,” he promised.

Her eyes filled with tears.

“We don’t have to stay there. If you want to travel, we can travel. There’s a saying from our mating ceremonies on Earth—whither thou goest, I will go—and now I know it’s true.”

“I do not think I will need to go,” he said slowly. “How can I grow restless when I have everything I want right here in my arms?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

He had no doubt at all that he had finally found what he had been searching for all his life without realizing it—this small female curled so trustingly in his arms. His perfect mate.

SATISFACTION CONTINUED to fill Worvak as he requested a landing slot. Despite the restlessness that had driven him away from Maskah, he was surprisingly happy to be returning. He was looking forward to seeing Boxtar, and to introducing Rita to their island. The climate encouraged a variety of plants, and he suspected she would appreciate the variety.

She would enjoy meeting Boxtar’s mate, he decided, and… He frowned as he considered the other inhabitants of the island. All of them had found disfavor in the eyes of the Empire. They were outcasts at best, and outright criminals at worse. Of course, Boxtar had established a basic set of rules, but would they be enough to protect his mate?

“What’s wrong?” Rita asked.

“I was thinking about my house on Sekala. Originally I shared a residence with Boxtar, but after he was mated I decided to create a place of my own. However, I do not believe it will be suitable for you.”

“Why on Earth not?”

“It is not secure. The wall around it could be easily breached.”

Blue eyes studied him thoughtfully.

“Do you expect someone to try and breach the walls?”

“I do not want to take any chances with your safety.”

“And I appreciate that very much, but… I don’t want to live behind big stone walls and not have a garden just because you fear—are concerned about an attack.”

“But—”

She put a gentle finger over his lips.

“All the defenses on Harka didn’t prevent Sacar from attacking me.”

“For which I will never forgive myself.”

The thought of his failure, of how close he had come to losing her, still haunted him.

“It was not your fault,” she said firmly. “My point is that if someone is determined, they find a way. I know you want to protect me—and I want to be protected—but I don’t want to end up in another prison. Do you understand?”

He considered her words, then nodded reluctantly. His instincts were to lock her away where she would be safe, but although the conditions would be better, would it really be that different than the wretched shed on Tsano?

“Perhaps we could compromise. I will tell you what I wish to do to protect you, but I will listen to your objections.”

“If by ‘listen,’ you mean you won’t do the things I feel strongly about, then I’m willing to accept that.”

She laughed at his expression and kissed him, and he decided that perhaps compromise wouldn’t be that bad.

The landing approval came through, and he dropped the vessel smoothly onto the landing fields. Between Klev’s gift and his mother’s efforts, Rita’s wardrobe had expanded considerably. He picked up the luggage that his mother had also provided, then lowered the landing ramp.

When they descended, he found Trogar waiting for them. The Kaisarian male did not look happy.

“Commander Trogar,” he said formally, instinctively tucking Rita behind him. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Trogar’s eyes flicked to Rita, and Worvak bit back a growl. He did not trust the assessing look in the other male’s eyes.

“Any business you have is with me,” he growled, stepping in front of Trogar and blocking his view.

Trogar sighed.

“Yes, I suppose you are right.”

The other male flicked his hand, and it took Worvak a second too long to realize it was a signal. A sharp sting pierced his neck, perfectly placed to penetrate the vulnerable spot below his ear. The world began to spin immediately, but he did his best to remain upright as he turned to Rita.

“Autopilot,” he gasped. “Harka… Mother…”

He caught a glimpse of her terrified face as his knees gave out. His last thought was that he’d failed her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Rita watched in horror as Worvak sank to the ground still reaching for her, his big body unnaturally still. She understood he wanted her to take the ship and go, but she couldn’t leave him. Instead, she rushed over and dropped to her knees at his side, searching desperately for a pulse.

There! Slow, much too slow, but strong and steady.

The sound of approaching footsteps made her tear her attention away from him long enough to assess the threat.

The male who had greeted him—Trogar—was coming towards them. He was almost the spitting image of the devil, with red skin, dark hair, and short ebony horns. She had absolutely no doubt he was responsible. She pulled out the knife she’d started wearing after her encounter with Sacar and pointed it at him.

“Don’t you dare come any closer. What did you do to him?”

Her voice didn’t tremble—it came out fierce and hard. Worvak would be proud of me, she thought, and that thought did threaten her composure.

The male sighed.

“It is merely a tranquilizer. I need to talk to you. And to him.”

“Then why the fuck didn’t you just ask?”

He raised a sardonic eyebrow, looking even more devilish.

“Do you think he would have permitted it?”

She hated to admit it, but he had a point. She couldn’t see Worvak agreeing to her going off with another male. But that didn’t justify what he had done.

“Maybe not, but I sure as hell don’t want to talk to you after what you’ve done to my mate.”

“Mate?” Trogar nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose that might explain it. Will you come with me?”

Although it was posed as a question, she was quite certain she wasn’t going to have a choice. That didn’t mean she would make it easy for him.

“I’m not leaving my mate.”

“Oh, he’s coming too.”

He waved a hand, and four men in matching uniforms marched over to join them. They were carrying some type of portable stretcher, and they rolled Worvak onto it as she glared at them.

“Shall we?” Trogar asked.

She bit her lip, but one little knife wasn’t going to stop four soldiers and she was damned if she was going to lose Worvak now. She nodded, then glared at him when he offered her his arm. He looked amused, but gestured ahead of him instead, and she hurried after the stretcher.

A FIERY SPIKE pounded into Worvak’s head, making it difficult to think, but he knew something was wrong.

“Rita!”

His eyes flew open as he tried to stumble to his feet, but the chain attached to his wrist wouldn’t let him stand. Chain? His blurred vision cleared enough for him to realize that he was alone in a small white cell.

Where was his mate?

Horror filled him at the thought that she might once again be trapped and helpless. How could he have failed her so badly? He’d made the fatal mistake of assuming they were safe. Hadn’t it been drilled in to him since he was a child that nowhere was safe? That a warrior must always be prepared for danger?

A small window high on the wall revealed a glimpse of Maskah’s sky. Trogar! That fucking bastard had betrayed him, and he would pay. But first he was going to find his mate.

The chain attached to his wrist was thick steel, the other end firmly anchored into the wall of the cell, but this was Maskah. He knew their construction techniques were questionable at best, and the blocks making up the outer wall of the cell were composed from the local soil. They would crumble.

He preferred to keep his claws short, and they were even shorter now in order to avoid injuring his mate, but they were sharp and hard. Grimly, he set to work on the blocks surrounding the anchor of the chain.

The connection was beginning to loosen when he heard approaching footsteps. He quickly swung around, positioning himself so that his body hid the signs of his efforts. The door opened and Trogar entered, regarding him thoughtfully.

“Where is my mate?” he demanded immediately. “If you have laid one finger on her body, caused her one moment of distress, I will make you suffer more than you can possibly imagine before you die.”

Trogar sighed.

“There is no need for histrionics. She is safe enough.”

“Where is she?”

“In my office.”

A new possibility occurred to him, and he growled.

“You cannot have her. She belongs to me.”

“Indeed. I understand you purchased her.” Trogar’s voice turned ice cold. “Did you decide you wanted a human slave of your own?”

“Of course not. I purchased her in order to free her.”

“Those were not your instructions. Why didn’t you call in the Fleet?”

Trogar’s face and voice were still icy.

“Because she was in distress. I could not leave her there.”

“So instead you took it upon yourself to buy her, to force her to run away with you, to kill her previous owner—and a number of his males—and to take her to your own homeworld?”

Put like that, it didn’t sound… ideal, but he could not regret a moment of it. He crossed his arms and glared at the other male.

“Yes.”

“Even if you wanted to free her from a difficult situation, why did you not contact your connection? Why did you not turn her over to them?”

Trogar’s gaze was unusually penetrating, but he didn’t flinch.

“Because she did not want me to.”

“Really?” The other male’s voice was clearly skeptical. “She preferred to go on the run with an unknown Harkan male, subject to considerable dangers, rather than accept the protection of Imperial forces?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t want to be taken to a sanctuary planet. I promised to bring her to Maskah instead.”

“With several detours along the way,” Trogar said dryly.

The other male was right, of course, but he simply stared at him, waiting for the next question. He tugged on the chain behind his back and felt it give a little.

Trogar sighed. “I had high hopes for this assignment. I believed you to be an honorable male, one unlikely to give in to temptation. But these human females…”

“I am an honorable male. Now return my mate to me,” he growled.

“In here?” Trogar raised a brow. “You disobeyed orders and—no matter how good your motives—purchased a slave. You could be here for a long time.”

The threat made him hesitate. He had no doubt that he could escape, but he wasn’t sure how long it would take and the circumstances could be treacherous. Neither did he want her confined to a cell again. As much as his hearts protested, he wouldn’t do that to her.

“No,” he said finally. “Ask Boxtar to look after her.”

His friend was the only one he trusted with his mate.

“Another criminal?”

Since their raids on the desert merchants were not exactly legal, he couldn’t argue. He hesitated a moment, then surprised himself.

“Then let her take my vessel to Harka. My mother Zenna—Lady D’san—will care for her.”

It wasn’t a perfect solution, and he had no doubt that the two females would disagree, but he believed his mother would protect her and Rita would be free until he could come for her—which would be as soon as he could escape from this cell.

“You would let her leave the planet rather than share your confinement?” Trogar asked slowly.

“Of course. She was not treated well. She does not deserve to be locked away.”

The commander suddenly grinned and Worvak frowned at him. He found nothing humorous about the prospect of not seeing his mate for an unknown time.

“She told me you would let her go rather than see her imprisoned. I did not believe her.”

“She told you?”

“Most emphatically. Come, I will reunite you with your mate.”

Trogar came over to release him, and Worvak silently held up the chain he had pulled free from the wall as they talked. The other male shook his head, but he smiled as he released the cuff.

“I will make a note to confine you in a metal cell next time.”

“There will not be a next time,” he growled as they walked down the cell block. “There should not have been a this time.”

“Perhaps. But human females are under my legal protection. You have to admit the circumstances were… suspicious. I needed the opportunity to speak to her alone and without your influence. To confirm that she was here of her own free will.”

He sighed. The commander had a point. If someone had been as watchful earlier, Rita would have been spared a great deal of misery.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

Trogar shot him a surprised look, then shook his head.

“You really were perfect for the job. What a shame you found your mate so quickly.”

“I disagree.”

Trogar laughed again as he opened the door to the jail, and then Rita was in his arms, her cheeks wet with tears. He put his arms around her protectively as he glared at the other male.

“You made her cry.”

“No, he didn’t,” she sniffed. “He’s an idiot, but I think he meant well.”

“Then why are you weeping?”

“Because he made me take a completely unnecessary medical scan—but not only did it show him I wasn’t injured, it revealed that I’m pregnant! Isn’t that wonderful?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Rita actually thought her big, strong mate would faint at the news.

“That is… not possible.”

“Apparently it’s entirely possible. Aren’t you pleased?”

“Pleased? I am overjoyed.” He gave her a panicked look. “But you should not be on your feet. Was the trip too much for you? Are you too hot? Or too cold? Do you require food?”

This could be a problem.

She stopped his stream of questions by leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I’m fine,” she said softly. “Just as I was on the ship, and on Harka, and everywhere since we’ve been together.”

“The ship,” he muttered. “So that is why…”

“Why what?”

“Why I felt the need to be so close to you. My instincts knew, even if we did not, that you needed to be cherished. Harkans have a strong biological need to protect their child.”

Definitely a problem. The thought of an even more protective Worvak was both comforting and a little worrying.

“And human females have a strong biological need to prepare for child birth by being active and maintaining their physical strength,” she said firmly.

“I foresee some interesting discussions ahead,” Trogar said, and she jumped. She’d forgotten he was there. “However, I suspect I know who will prevail.”

The look he gave her was full of admiration and she blushed. Worvak immediately stepped between them, and she reached over and tucked her fingers in his belt to remind him that she was with him.

“If you intend to travel to Sekala, there is a boat leaving tonight,” Trogar continued, unperturbed by Worvak’s glare.

“We will be on it,” he snapped. “Unless you have any more foolish ideas.”

“Not currently. You are free to go.”

Worvak wrapped her cloak around her, retrieved her luggage, and marched her firmly out of the building.

The glimpses she had of Almadin revealed a fascinating combination of ancient desert city and advanced technology. Worn stucco buildings were covered with floating neon signs, and a hovering cart held a primitive charcoal stove. It reminded her a little of the market on Tsano, but this time she was less overwhelmed and more confident in Worvak’s protection.

“Can’t we stop and look around a little?” she asked as he hurried her by a display of colorful plants.

“Not this time. We can return in the future if you wish, but right now I want you safe on our island as quickly as possible.”

His body was still tense, his face hard, and she didn’t argue.

“All right.”

A pair of huge green warriors with enormous tusks passed them and he tensed even more, but they only gave her a curious glance before moving on. Orcs? The variety of aliens continued to surprise her. I suppose gargoyles and sea monsters are next, she thought with a smile as they finally emerged on a long wharf.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he headed for a wooden ship with two colorful furled sails.

“Good. Captain Utaz is still loading.”

Captain Utaz was yet another species—a tall and thin male with long curled ringlets of dark purple, glistening with scented oil. He greeted Worvak cordially and didn’t ask any questions as he showed them to a small cabin with a built-in bed in the stern of the ship. Through the row of windows above the bed, she could see the bustle of activity on the wharf.

“Can we go back up on deck and watch until we set sail?”

“I would prefer you did not.”

“Why not?”

He sank down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap, curving a big hand over her stomach.

“I am still… struggling with this. I am delighted,” he added quickly, “but the thought of you on deck, exposed to so many possible dangers, worried me.”

Deciding to pick her battles, she didn’t argue, snuggling into his arms instead.

“Why did you say it wasn’t possible for me to be pregnant?” she asked.

He sighed, rubbing his hand soothingly over her stomach.

“I am not aware of any previous instances where a Harkan male impregnated a non-Harkan female.”

“Not even those who were mated?”

“I do not believe that has happened before either,” he said, and she sat up.

“Never?”

“Not that I have heard about. We are an insular species, and very few of us ever leave Harka. It is also considered… dishonorable to take a weaker mate, one who could not refuse a male.”

She took a moment to think about that.

“Is that what you think? That I’m too weak to refuse you?”

“No. Despite your appalling lack of natural defenses, you would fight me if you did not want me, just like you fought your previous captors. I recognized your courage the moment I found you.” He hesitated, staring at his hand on her stomach. “But the fact that you do not fight me, that you surrender to me so willingly is very… arousing.”

Her nipples tingled at that dark, possessive tone, but she was still thinking about his earlier words.

“If no Harkan has mated a non-Harkan female, how do you know it wouldn’t have resulted in a pregnancy?”

His face darkened.

“Life on Harka is fierce and brutal, even now, but there was a time in the distant past when we did not have a sense of honor to guide us. A warrior who fought a successful battle might… take what was not offered, but his seed never produced offspring.”

“But I did offer and we are mated. Maybe it’s as simple as that.”

He stroked her stomach again, then smiled at her, his face finally relaxing.

“Perhaps it is—for which I am truly grateful.”

His hand came up to pull on an erect nipple, and her breath caught at the resulting streak of excitement.

“That feels even better than usual. I wonder if being pregnant is making me more sensitive.”

The golden sparks glittered in his eyes.

“Let us find out.”

He discovered each of her newly sensitive areas so well that she didn’t even notice that they had set sail.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Worvak did agree to let her watch from the deck as they reached Sekala, late on the afternoon of their second day. The big, clearly volcanic island rose dramatically out of the ocean, a ring of tall mountains soaring into the sky. They seemed impenetrable, but Captain Utaz steered the ship confidently between a set of rocky cliffs and into an interior bay.

The inside of the island was a huge bowl, fields and pastures mingling with wooded slopes as the land rose from the water up towards the mountains. The captain docked in front of a village of neat wood and stone buildings on one side of the bay. She had a brief glimpse of people—primarily male—bustling around the small waterfront before Worvak thanked the captain and escorted her quickly off the ship and down a stone-paved street.

He stalked rapidly through the small village without stopping. Several of the occupants gave her curious looks as he hurried by, but he didn’t pay any attention to them. Even when someone called out a greeting, he only lifted a hand and kept going. The grim look on his face clearly discouraged anyone from approaching. When they left the village and started up a narrow lane, she tugged on his belt.

“Can we please slow down?”

He stopped at once and gave her an apologetic look.

“I am sorry. I am just anxious to get you to safety.”

She looked around—at the pleasant little village behind them, at the peaceful fields stretching up to the surrounding mountains, at the sea sparkling in the distance—all of them sleeping peacefully under the warm rays of the late afternoon sun. What possible danger could there be here?

“Safety? Safety from what?” she asked.

“I made the mistake of thinking we were safe when we arrived, and you were taken from me. I must be prepared to protect you and our child.”

She slid her hands up that big, hard chest and curled them around his neck.

“I know you’ll protect us. But maybe you could protect us a little more slowly?”

His grim expression finally softened.

“I will try. Would you like me to carry you?”

“No. I just want you to walk slowly enough that I don’t have to run to keep up with you.”

“I will try,” he repeated, and brushed a kiss across her lips before they set off again.

He really did try, but even his slowest pace was fast to her and she was a little breathless by the time he came to a halt. On one side of the lane, there was a wide gate in a long stone wall.

“That is where Boxtar lives. And this is my house—our house.”

His house was set back behind a low stone wall on the other side of the lane, nestled into the slope of the hill. She wasn’t all surprised to find it was a completely unadorned stone building. Steps led up to a heavy wooden door set between two large windows. It looked remarkably like the type of house one of her kindergarteners would have drawn, and she hid a smile as he led her up the steps. An enclosed entry hall waited behind the front door, and she shook her head at him.

“This is just like entering the gates to your mother’s house. Do you have scanners in the ceiling?”

She thought she was teasing him, but he nodded thoughtfully.

“That would be a good addition.”

Addition?

Before she could question him further, he opened the door at the rear of the hall to reveal the rest of the house. It was as simple as she expected, with only two large rooms, one on either side of the hall. Both of them had high ceilings, and the spacious rooms reminded her a little of the house she’d left behind.

The living room was to the left, and other than an impressive display of weaponry on one wall, it was completely unadorned. At the back of the room, a plain wooden table surrounded by four equally plain wooden chairs sat in front of a row of kitchen equipment. A very large but very upright chair sat in front of the window at the front, looking out over the valley. She paused there to admire the view, and he frowned.

“These windows are too large. An intruder could easily gain access through them. I will make them smaller.”

“You will do absolutely nothing of the sort. I like the light coming in, and I like being able to see out.”

“But—”

“No,” she said firmly. “It would be too much like living in a prison.”

She saw the understanding on his face and smiled up at him. “And besides, I trust you to protect me.”

“Always.”

“Now, why don’t you show me our room?” she asked, trailing her fingers lightly across his cocks. They responded with gratifying speed, just as they always did, but his body tensed and she bit back a sigh.

They had spent two nights on the ship, and although he had spent considerable time pleasing her each evening, he had only used his fingers and his tongue. He hadn’t entered her with either of his cocks. She had let it go until they landed, but it was time to address the matter.

The bedroom on the other side of the hall was just as large and just as plain, and it too had an impressive array of weaponry on the wall. The area in front of the window was arranged as a training space, similar to the one on his ship. The large, and she suspected hard, bed at the rear of the room had a partition behind it to separate it from a simple, but thankfully modern, stone tiled bathroom.

She looked thoughtfully at the big shower before they returned to the bedroom.

“That was a long journey,” she said softly.

He had been frowning at the window, obviously concerned about the size of this window as well, but he quickly looked back down at her.

“Are you tired, my little mate? Would you like to rest? Shall I prepare food for you?”

“I’m not tired and I’m not hungry. But I thought it would be nice to feel really clean again.”

She started to slip her gown down over her shoulder, loving the way the golden flecks immediately appeared in his eyes. She had never considered herself to be the seductive type, but he always responded gratifyingly to her efforts.

“Will you join me? To make sure I get really, really clean?” She tugged the neckline lower, hovering just above her nipple. “And then carry me to our bed and get me dirty all over again?”

There. That flicker of hesitation crossed his face again, but she was determined to get past it. She let the gown slip down to reveal the rest of her breast and brought his hand up to cover it, sighing happily as he immediately cupped the soft flesh with his big, warm hand.

“I should work on our defenses,” he said, but his eyes were fixed on her breast as he tugged lightly on the rosy peak.

She shivered at the corresponding rush of excitement. As they had discovered on the voyage, her breasts were even more sensitive than before. She reached over impatiently to push down the rest of her gown…

And there was a knock at the door.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Worvak whirled around immediately at the sound of the knock, thrusting her behind him as he reached for one of the knives in his belt.

“Worvak,” a voice called—a clearly female voice. “We know you’re in there.”

His body relaxed and he gave her an apologetic look.

“Pandora,” he said. “Which means that Boxtar will have accompanied her.”

She quickly pulled her gown back into place and smiled at him.

“In that case, we should let them in. I can’t wait to meet your friends.”

He sighed, and went to open the door.

Boxtar was a large male with long golden hair and shimmering gold skin who clasped Worvak’s arm affectionately. Despite his original hesitation, Worvak looked equally pleased to see his friend.

Pandora was a pretty, plump brunette who immediately gave her an enthusiastic hug.

“I’m so excited to meet you. I knew when Worvak left that he was looking for mate of his own.”

“I was not,” Worvak said immediately, then smiled at Rita. “I was just blessed enough to find one.”

“Did you see that, Boxtar?” Pandora laughed. “He’s smiling. I knew he could do it.”

“Foolish female,” Worvak muttered, but she could tell the teasing did not bother him.

They sat at the table in the living room while Worvak recounted their adventures. More accurately, he provided minimal details which she then elaborated on as Pandora asked a deluge of questions. The other woman seemed especially fascinated with life on Harka, and continued her questions until Boxtar put his hand over hers.

“I believe it would be better to save the research for another day, little argal.”

Pandora laughed and gave her an apologetic smile.

“Sorry. I was a librarian, and I love learning about well, everything.”

“I was a kindergarten teacher. Little kids are the same way, curious about everything. It’s wonderful that you still have that same interest.”

“I’m afraid there aren’t a lot of children on the island yet. Our daughter is just a baby.”

“You have a baby? I’d love to meet her.”

“Lemora’s asleep, or I would have brought her along.” Pandora shot her a speculative look. “Are you pregnant as well? I know it’s rude to ask,” she hurried on. “But I became pregnant very quickly, as did both my friends.”

She knew she was blushing, but she nodded.

“I am to be a father,” Worvak said proudly, and Boxtar clapped him on the shoulder.

“You will be an excellent father.”

“I think so too,” Pandora agreed, then grinned at her. “But don’t let him feed the baby.”

“Why not?”

The other woman rolled her eyes. “He must not have cooked for you. He’s a terrible cook.”

“No, he isn’t,” she protested.

“Really? He’s actually cooked for you?” the other woman asked skeptically.

“He cooked on the ship, didn’t you?”

He looked amused rather than offended as he shook his head.

“I used the replicator, which is not quite the same. But despite her aspersions, our males survived perfectly well on my cooking until she came along.”

“Survived, yes. Enjoyed, no,” Pandora said firmly, and winked at her. “And he doesn’t seem to understand that there is more to a meal than meat.”

She couldn’t help laughing. “We had a similar discussion.”

Worvak shook his head, then frowned at Pandora.

“You should cook for my mate.”

“Absolutely not,” Boxtar said immediately. “She already does far too much.”

“I don’t mind helping out—” Pandora began, but Rita quickly interrupted her.

“That’s very nice of you, and I’m sure I’ll need some advice, but I’m perfectly capable of cooking.”

“You should not be exerting yourself,” Worvak said, still frowning.

“I told you—it will be better for the baby if I am active. Besides, I enjoy cooking.”

“Speaking of babies,” Pandora said, rising to her feet. “It’s time to return to our daughter. I’ll come and see you again tomorrow, Rita, and see if you need anything.”

“If she does, I will provide it,” Worvak said, clearly offended, but Pandora only smiled and shook her head.

“Sometimes a woman needs to talk to another woman, and that you can’t provide.”

He scowled, but didn’t argue.

“He’s a good male. I’m so happy for you,” Pandora whispered as she hugged her goodbye.

She returned the hug, and the other couple left. When she turned back to Worvak, he was still frowning and her heart sank.

“What’s wrong?”

“She is right. I cannot provide everything you need.”

“You’ve already given me everything I really need, my love—more than I ever thought possible.”

She tugged on his hand, and he let her lead him back to the bedroom. The golden sparks glowed in his eyes as she stripped off her gown, quickly this time, and held out her hand.

“Make love to me, Worvak.”

That shadow of doubt appeared again as he stood frozen in place. She returned to his side, trailing her fingers down his chest.

“You’re not going to hurt me,” she promised as she reached his belt and removed it.

“Or the baby,” she added as she freed his erection, nuzzling her face against his cocks as she began pushing his pants down and those strong, muscled thighs.

His whole body shuddered as she pressed a kiss to his upper cock while running her nails gently down the sensitive underside of his primary cock. The knowledge that he had never let anyone else touch him here—would never trust anyone else so close—thrilled her. She opened her mouth around him, sucking lightly on each of his cocks in turn before he pulled her gently away.

“You will make me lose control,” he said, his voice tortured. “You are so beautiful, so desirable, but your body is so fragile. What if I accidentally hurt the baby?”

She knew he was genuinely worried but much as she appreciated his concern, she had no intention of going through the rest of her pregnancy without sex. She tapped her lips thoughtfully, then smiled up at him.

“I have an idea. Take off the rest of your clothes and get on the bed.”

He looked even more doubtful, but he obeyed, stretched out over the mattress like a feast of hard masculine beauty, and her clit pulsed with excitement. Without giving him a chance to ask questions, she straddled him, settling over his stomach, the strong muscles a delightful pressure against her swollen clit as his body tensed.

“What are you doing?”

“Since you’re concerned about hurting me, I’m going to be in charge.”

“This is not how it is done,” he muttered, the conflict clear on his face.

She had suspected as much. Given the combative nature of Harkan mating, she doubted any Harkan male would allow a Harkan female on top of him. She leaned forward, her breasts rubbing deliciously against the ridges of his chest plates.

“We’ve done a lot of things that others haven’t done,” she whispered. “Haven’t you enjoyed them?”

He stared up at her for a moment, then pulled her down and kissed her. Despite their position, his kiss was as dominant, as hungry, as ever. Arousal streaked through her system as she squirmed impatiently on top of him.

“If you don’t like this, let me know.”

The doubt was back on his face, despite the golden sparks flaring in his eyes, but she ignored it as she slid back across his stomach, then gently lowered herself over his upper cock. Even that was deliciously thick and satisfying as it slid up inside her and she shivered with pleasure. His thick primary cock glided between her butt cheeks, the ridges a tantalizing pressure against her sensitive bottom hole. Both cocks throbbed, and she gave him a triumphant smile.

“This isn’t so bad, is it?”

“No,” he growled, as his hands came up to cover her breasts. “You are very accessible to me in this position.”

He tugged on the sensitive peaks and she gasped, already on the verge of climax. She rocked against him and the hard muscles of his stomach massaged her clit with each stroke as his grip tightened and she flew over into a quick, shuddering climax. He smiled, obviously pleased even though both his cocks were still rigid and throbbing. Good, because she wasn’t finished yet.

As soon as she caught her breath, she raised her body, but instead of climbing off of him she moved back and pressed down over his primary cock. Her climax had left her wet enough that her body accepted the stretch easily as the head entered her, thick and hot and wonderful. His hands immediately came to her hips, but he didn’t pull her off, despite the concern she could see on his face.

She smiled at him and began to work her way down over that wide shaft. He seemed even thicker in this position and she was still swollen from her previous climax, but every inch she gained sent ripples of excitement skating through her body, and she was panting by the time she had taken all of him. In this position, his upper cock was trapped between them, the smooth underside pressing perfectly against her fully exposed clit. His eyes were completely gold as he watched her, his cocks throbbing, and his hands tight on her hips.

She started to lift herself up again, quivering as his ridges scraped the sensitive flesh of her channel. But it was a very long way as she raised her body up to the head of his cock, and then pushed slowly, deliciously, back down.

“Help me,” she demanded as she started to rise up again.

His hands tightened, and then he took over, lifting her easily before bringing her back down, more confidently each time. Her body started to convulse around him, but he didn’t stop, surging up into her with hard, fast strokes as her climax rolled on and on until he finally cried out her name. The rush of heat sent one last overwhelming wave of pleasure through her body as she collapsed forward on his chest. His breathing was almost as labored as hers, but his big hands were warm and reassuring as they stroked up and down her back.

When she recovered her breath enough to talk, she raised her head and smiled.

“See? New things can be good, can’t they?”

“I do not believe good is an adequate enough word.” His smile faded as he studied her face. “But you are all right? I did not hurt the baby?”

“We are both absolutely fine,” she said firmly. “In fact, a satisfying sex life is very important to a successful pregnancy.”

“In that case, I will make sure you are very, very satisfied,” he promised as he rolled her over on her back, his cocks already stiffening again.

He kept his promise.

EPILOGUE

Eight months later…

“WHAT THE HELL do you think you’re doing?” Worvak roared as he walked into his home and found his extremely pregnant mate standing on a low stool trying to reach for a set of dishes. She jumped guiltily and his hearts skipped a beat when she almost lost her balance. Sweeping her up in his arms, he carried her back to the safety of the wide padded couch he had installed for her, lecturing the entire time.

“How could you be so foolish? You must not take chances with your safety. If you need something, I will be happy to provide it for you.”

She smiled up at him.

“I know you would. You’ve given me everything I ever wanted.” The warmth in her eyes still made his chest ache. Would he ever get used to that look of love and trust?

“You must take care of yourself,” he said gruffly.

“I’ll be careful,” she promised, then tugged him down next to her, snuggling against his side with the easy affection that still surprised him. “Tell me about your day, dear.”

“It was like every other day. The trainees are undisciplined. They lack both skill and stamina.”

“Are they trying?”

“Trying is not important. Doing is important.”

She laughed.

“There was a… philosopher on my planet who said something similar, but as a teacher, I always believed that trying was important.”

Perhaps it was just as well. He still had much to learn about pleasing his human mate, although he tried his best every day—and every night. The memory of his efforts the previous evening—which she seemed to find extremely acceptable—made his tachs stiffen.

Even though they had enjoyed the summer on Sekala, they had decided to return to Almadin for the winter season. To his surprise, she had been the one to broach the subject of returning to the city as the end of summer approached.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I swore I would provide a permanent home for you—one you would never have to leave.”

“I love our house here, but my home is with you and I think I’d like to spend some time in the city. Plus it has a full medical facility. Don’t panic,” she added quickly. “There isn’t anything wrong. But since this is our first child, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to be sensible.”

He should have thought of it, but he still tended to forget how delicate his fierce little mate could be. I will do better, he vowed.

“I’d also like to learn more of the language,” she continued, then gave him an uncertain look. “I’d eventually like to teach again. Do you think that’s possible?”

She would be away from him, alone and unprotected for hours each day? He wanted to reject the idea immediately, but she looked so hopeful that he sighed and nodded.

“I see no reason why not, although you are correct that you will need to know more of the written language. We will find classes for you to take.”

And so they had returned to Almadin for winter. She and Pandora had exchanged tearful goodbyes and he’d half-expected her to change her mind, but once the boat was out to sea she turned to him and smiled.

“I never understood why my mother wanted to pick up and move on all the time, but this is fun, sailing into a new adventure. A modest adventure,” she added laughing, “with you at my side.”

She looked so pretty, the sun sparkling in her eyes and the wind blowing her hair around her face, that he’d been unable to resist sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her down to their cabin. She was right—this was the perfect kind of adventure.

They had settled into the city easily as well, and she’d soon turned the house he found for them into a comfortable home—while he fortified the exterior. She had let him do whatever he felt needed to be done outside to protect their residence, but she insisted on an interior courtyard full of plants and flowers.

Ironically, he was actually the first to become a teacher. The owner of a local training studio asked him to take on some students and he’d agreed. Despite his complaints, he enjoyed sharing his skills.

But he enjoyed being with his mate more. He curved his hand possessively over the swell of her stomach.

“Will it be much longer before we can greet our child?”

“I hope not. I’m as big as a house.”

“A very beautiful house,” he said firmly, not understanding why she laughed. “Shall I prove it to you?”

“Always,” she said, and his hearts overflowed with happiness.

TWO WEEKS LATER…

Rita smiled down at their son, Atali. He was a tiny replica of Worvak, from bronze skin to sturdy build, except for eyes that were as blue as hers. His lamella had not yet formed, of course, but the skin over his chest and head was already slightly thicker.

“He is very small,” Worvak said thoughtfully. He was perched next to her on the bed, his arm around her shoulders as he studied the baby. “I will have to begin teaching him to defend himself as soon as he can stand.”

She rolled her eyes.

“He’s a baby—he’s supposed to be this size. And believe me, he’s not that small,” she added ruefully. “I may never walk again.”

“Then I will carry you.” He lifted his eyes from Atali’s face to hers, frowning. “Was the birth too much for you, my little mate?”

“Of course not.” She stroked the soft skin of the baby’s cheek. “But despite your opinion of his size, he’s a big baby—not surprisingly—and my body will just need some time to recover.”

Her caress had disturbed Atali and he began moving his head, rooting for her breast. She pushed down the neck of her gown and guided him to her nipple. He latched on with hungry enthusiasm and she smiled.

“I think he has inherited something else from you besides your looks,” she murmured thoughtfully as she watched him nurse.

“What is that?”

“I’ve heard other women say that it can take a little while to get used to breastfeeding, but it hasn’t bothered me at all. Maybe his saliva has the same soothing effect yours does.”

“I am pleased that he does not cause you discomfort.” He pulled down the neck of her gown to reveal her other breast, and gently teased her nipple. “Although I would be happy to soothe you if needed.”

An unexpected pulse of desire went through her at the touch. Maybe it wouldn’t take as long to recover as she thought.

“The midwife said we have to wait a month,” she said regretfully, and he looked appalled.

“I cannot please you for an entire month?”

“Well, technically she said we can’t have intercourse.”

His horror vanished and he smiled.

“An interesting challenge.”

“I think it’s going to be harder for you than for me,” she laughed, but he only shrugged.

“I enjoy pleasing you.”

“I know.” She took a deep breath, deciding that there wouldn’t be a better time to give him the news. “That’s why I hope you’ll understand that it pleases me that your mother is coming to visit.”

“What? Why?”

“To meet her new grandson, of course. You know I sent her a message about it.”

His mother Zenna had reached out to her a few months after they left Harka and they had begun a sporadic but ongoing correspondence. The message about her pregnancy had resulted in a huge shipment of clothes and toys—including some items from Worvak’s childhood. She’d thought it was a nice gesture, but he’d been less impressed.

“Does she not believe that I can provide for my own child?” he muttered.

“I’m sure she doesn’t think that.” I hope. Zenna’s motives were often multi-layered. “It is customary to give gifts to expectant parents—it’s like a baby shower.”

“You bathe with the child?”

She laughed again. “Sometimes, but the term refers to an event where people bring presents and play games to celebrate the upcoming birth.”

“We do not need her presents or her games,” he said firmly.

Remembering that conversation now, she hoped Zenna restrained her generosity.

She did not.

When his mother arrived several weeks later, the visit did not begin well. Not only had she brought a vast supply of presents for the baby, practically the first words out of her mouth were a decree that they should return to Harka. Worvak was so annoyed that he simply stomped out of the room. She sighed, left Zenna cooing over the baby, and went to find him.

Despite his concerns about plants interfering with his security arrangements, he clearly enjoyed the courtyard she had planted with flowering vines and pretty, scented bushes and she found him there.

“She means well,” she said softly.

“I have no intention of returning to Harka.”

“Then we won’t,” she said calmly, leaning against his side and tucking her fingers into his belt. “She has no authority over us. But she is still family.”

Some of the tension left that big body, and he sighed.

“Were you that unhappy there?” she asked. He rarely talked about it, and she hadn’t pressed him.

“No, not as a child. We begin training early, of course, but that never bothered me. It was when I grew older that I began to dislike being expected to do the same things in the same way with the same people.” He hesitated. “To mate… to mate someone I did not choose because it was my duty.”

“So you left.”

“Yes.” He looked down at her. “And that path led me to you. I want our son to find his own path.”

“He will,” she promised. “But perhaps part of that path includes spending time with his grandmother and learning about Harka. When I left, she was telling him about the glorious battle of Sigmon Hill.”

A flicker of humor finally crossed his face.

“It was a glorious battle,” he agreed. “Our enemy fell like sheaves of grain.”

“But you know what that means…”

She let her hand slip down further behind his waistband, his tachs responding with gratifying readiness as they surged to meet her.

“What does it mean, little mate?” he groaned as he pulled her closer.

“That our son is safe in the hands of a very dedicated person and we are alone.”

Her thumb swept across the head of his upper tach, already slick with anticipation.

“Would you like me to pleasure you?” he asked.

“Always. But I think this time we should pleasure each other.”

He had been more than creative since their son was born, but she missed having his tach buried deep inside her.

“But it has only been three weeks and three days,” he protested, even his tachs flexed.

She shrugged. “Close enough. Take me to bed and make love to me until our son needs us.”

He didn’t argue, lifting her into his arms with the easy strength that still thrilled her and carrying her to their room. He very slowly and carefully drove her from one shuddering climax to another, his tach filling her as perfectly as ever. She was boneless with contentment by the time they heard the baby cry.

He went to get him, and she heard the low rumble of voices as he spoke to his mother. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but when he returned with Atali he was, if not exactly smiling, clearly more at peace with his mother’s visit.

He handed her the baby, then sat down and pulled them both into the circle of his arm as Atali began to nurse.

“She said he will be a fine warrior.” He hesitated. “Like his father.”

“Of course he will. And he will grow up with a family who loves him.”

An exotic house on a distant planet, a fierce warrior mate and an even fiercer mother-in-law, and a perfect son who would never pass for human—she couldn’t have imagined any of it back in her small home on Earth, and yet it was everything she had always wanted. Home. Love. Family.

She smiled and snuggled closer to Worvak as together they watched over their son.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you for reading Rita and the Raider! I always love being back in this universe - and it’s so much fun when a character insists on having his story told. Worvak definitely needed a heroine of his own - and a sweet kindergarten teacher was the perfect match!

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Whether you loved the book or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon. Word of mouth is incredibly helpful for authors and I’d love to know your thoughts!

Up next - Sara and the Spymaster!

Just what is Sara’s special project?

(Although, I think we can guess!)

Can a passionate woman thaw a frozen alien warrior?

Sara and the Spymaster is available on Amazon!

To make sure you don’t miss out on any new releases, deals, or updates, click here to sign up for my newsletter!

OTHER TITLES

KAISARIAN EMPIRE

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

Olivia and the Orc

Pandora and the Prisoner

Quinn and the Queller

Rita and the Raider

Sara and the Spymaster

Stranded with an Alien

Sinta - A SciFi Holiday Tail

Folsom Planet Blues

Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast

Alien Most Wanted: Prison Mate

Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind

Alien Most Wanted: Unchained

Treasured by the Alien

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

A Home for the Alien Warrior

A Gift for the Alien Warrior

A Treasure for the Alien Warrior

Three Babies and the Alien Warrior

HOMESTEAD WORLDS

Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers

Artek

Benjar

Callum

Drakkar

Endark

Frantor

Gilmat

You Got Alien Trouble!

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Alien Castaway

Alien Chief

Alien Ruler

COZY MONSTERS

Monster Between the Sheets

Extra Virgin Gargoyle

Without a Stitch

Sweet Monster Treats

Cupcakes for My Orc Enemy

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

A Kiss of Frost

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

The Cyborg with No Name

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Honey loves to hear from her wonderful readers! You can stalk her at any of the following locations…

www.facebook.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips

www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

www.honeyphillips.com