A TREASURE FOR THE ALIEN WARRIOR

TREASURED BY THE ALIEN WARRIOR

HONEY PHILLIPS

Copyright © 2022 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 Design by Cameron Kamenicky

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

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

“You said we were going camping for my birthday.”

Oscar crossed his arms across his small chest and glared at Jessica with all the righteous anger of an almost seven-year-old boy.

“That’s what we’re doing. I know the cabin isn’t that big,” she added, with a doubtful glance at the wooden structure.

The cabin looked a lot more rustic in person than it had online, but it was the very end of the season and it had taken her assistant a solid week to find a place that was still available.

“A cabin isn’t real camping,” Oscar said, with the same kind of loathing that she would once have used for boxed wine or canned soup. These days, fast and easy won every time.

“What is real camping?”

She was almost afraid to ask. Her nephew had very specific ideas about what was acceptable.

“With a tent, of course. Dad always lets me help set…”

His mouth trembled, and her exasperation disappeared. It had only been six months since her sister Susie and her husband had died in that awful crash and Jessica had suddenly found herself responsible for Oscar and his sister Ellie.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she said gently, putting her hand on his shoulder. “But—”

Her phone rang. Oscar flinched away from her, and she bit her tongue to keep from swearing. She didn’t need to look at the phone to know who was calling. The quarterly board meeting was next week and her boss was still frantically reviewing the presentation.

“Do you need to get that?” Laura asked.

Laura was the children’s nanny and an absolute godsend. The pretty black girl was taking a gap year between college and law school, and the live-in position allowed her to save all of her money for the big trip she’d planned for the next summer. Both children adored her, and Jessica was already dreading her departure.

But as much as Jessica appreciated her, she was the one who needed to have this conversation with her nephew. She pressed silent on her phone, trying not to wince, and shook her head.

“That’s all right. But maybe you and Hannah could take Ellie to see the lake before she wanders off on her own?”

Since her parents’ death, her three-year-old niece lived in her own little world and was likely to trail off after a flower or a bird or something only she could see.

“We’re on it,” Laura said cheerfully, taking Ellie’s hand and calling for her friend to join them.

An attractive redhead in her last year of engineering school, Hannah had been friends with Laura since first grade and she had become almost as much a part of their family as Laura.

As the three girls disappeared down the path to the lake, Jessica sat down on the cabin steps, resolutely not thinking about the dirty, splintered wood and her tailored wool pants. She’d had to come straight from work to pick up the kids and she’d been late, which hadn’t helped get the trip off to a good start. She patted the step next to her. Oscar scowled, but sat.

“I’m sorry I didn’t understand that you wanted to go camping in a tent.”

“You didn’t ask.”

“No, and I should have asked you.” She debated her next words, then decided to go with the truth. “But even if I had, I’m not sure I could have managed a tent. I’ve never put one up.”

Oscar looked disgusted, but his face softened a little.

“It’s not hard.”

“I’m sure it’s not if you know what you’re doing, but I’ve never done it before. You know I’m not very good at things like that.”

“I know.” He rolled his eyes. “You can’t even play catch.”

“I’m afraid not.” The one and only time she’d tried, she’d almost broken her nose. She had broken a window. “Your mom was always the athletic one.”

“She could throw the ball farther than anyone, even Dad.”

“I’m not surprised. Her high school softball team went all the way to the national championships.”

“Did you see the games?” he asked eagerly.

“I’m afraid not.”

She’d been working, already focused on moving up through the company, and hadn’t taken the time. How much she wished now that she’d been there. Oscar’s face fell.

“But I think I still have the video our mom recorded,” she added. “I’ll look for it after dinner.”

“What’s for dinner?”

“Macaroni and cheese.”

“Real macaroni and cheese?” he asked suspiciously, and she shook her head.

She’d always considered herself a good cook, even if she didn’t often have time to cook. Oscar did not agree. He had been appalled by her homemade lobster mac and cheese with four kinds of imported cheese.

“From the blue box,” she promised. “I’ll even cut up some hot dogs to put in it.”

“Okay.” He jumped down off the step. “I’ll go tell Ellie.”

He darted away and she had to stop herself from calling him back, even though the girls were still clearly visible on the trail leading down to the lake. He looked so small and defenseless compared to the towering dark woods that surrounded the cabin. But he wouldn’t appreciate her concern. She settled for watching until he reached Laura, smiling up at her with an ease he never seemed to manage with her. She sighed, and went to find out if the inside of the cabin provided the promised rustic charm.

MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT, she rolled over on the lumpy couch and sighed. The cabin had turned out to be very rustic indeed—but not in a charming cottage way. Instead, it was stuck in the seventies with a flowered orange couch and harvest gold vinyl floors. Both of the minuscule bedrooms had bunk beds, so she’d put the girls in one and the kids in the other.

“Are you sure?” Laura asked. “We don’t mind taking the fold out couch.”

“It’s fine. I’ll probably be working late anyway. Sorry everything is so cramped. I wanted you and Hannah to have fun this weekend.”

Laura had already made plans with her friend when Jessica realized that she had to do something for Oscar’s birthday, but they’d quickly agreed to accompany them instead.

“I don’t mind.” Laura smiled at her, as cheerful as ever. “It’s nice to get out of the city—and Hannah thought she saw a cute guy on the other side of the lake.”

She laughed. “Maybe tomorrow the two of you can go back and find out. Without the kids.”

“We don’t mind taking them if you have to work.”

“No, I promised Oscar I wouldn’t work. Anything that doesn’t get done tonight will just have to wait until Monday.”

“That’s great,” Laura said softly. “I know he’s kind of prickly sometimes, but he really wants your attention.”

Unexpected tears stung her eyes. “I just wish I knew what I was doing.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

Jessica’s boss was not as convinced, frowning at her over his glasses when she set up a zoom call after the kids were in bed.

“You know this presentation has to be perfect.”

“Yes,” she said evenly. “That’s why I’ve spent every minute of the last week working on it and why I came in this morning to double check the numbers, even though I was supposed to be off today.”

Which had delayed the start of their trip and added to Oscar’s anger.

“It’s not a good weekend for you to leave town.”

“I’m sorry, Bob, but it’s Oscar’s birthday and I promised.”

He waved an impatient hand. “You could have celebrated next week. Kids don’t really care.”

“Oscar cares.”

He sighed and tapped his fingers on his desk.

“We were all very sorry for your loss, but it’s been six months. I really thought you’d have things more organized by now.”

“I’ve exceeded all my performance goals.”

“But you’re not as… focused. Maybe you’re not ready for the next step after all. I need someone who is committed to the success of the company.”

She clenched her fists beneath the table, doing her best to keep her face calm.

“You know I’m committed. And aren’t you the one who’s always talking about a work-life balance?”

“Which includes not letting your life intrude on your work. I’m working this weekend.”

Because he had a wife who managed the household and took care of the children. Jessica didn’t have a spouse to share the responsibility for the children.

“What do you want me to do?”

“I think you need to return to the city and make sure everything is ready for the board meeting.”

She stared at him for a minute, then shook her head.

“No. I promised Oscar I would be here, and I’m not going to break my promise.”

He glared at her. “If anything goes wrong with the board presentation…”

“Then I will take responsibility,” she said quietly. “Good night, Bob.”

She ended the call, and then her hands started shaking. She’d been working towards this promotion for such a long time. If Bob blocked it now, her only alternative would be to start looking for another job—which meant more disruption to the kids’ lives and more long hours to prove herself once she found one.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, half-tempted to call him back, but in the end she didn’t make the call. It had been the right decision—the children needed her.

Despite that certainty, she was still tossing and turning long after the call ended and she lay down on the couch. She turned over again and found a small face directly in front of her. Somehow she managed not to scream.

“Ellie? Is something wrong, sweetheart?”

Ellie didn’t answer, but then she never did. She hadn’t spoken a word since her parents died. Jessica had taken her to half a dozen specialists, but they’d all agreed that there was nothing physically wrong with her.

“Just give her time,” the last one had said, resting a hand on Ellie’s long, dark curls. “She’ll speak when she’s ready.”

Jessica had taken the motherly doctor’s advice, but it didn’t stop her from worrying. Especially at times like these with Ellie staring at her from big, sad eyes. She could see the traces of tears on the girl’s cheeks.

“Do you want to climb in with me?” she asked, lifting the quilt.

Ellie nodded and climbed onto the couch. Jessica put her arm around the delicate little body and drew her close. Oscar took after his father with a sturdy body that already showed signs of future height, but Ellie was far more fragile. As they snuggled together, a long-forgotten memory drifted through her mind.

“Your mother used to do this sometimes, when she was little,” she whispered.

Susie had been ten years younger than her, and although she loved her sister, their lives were very different. They had never really been close, but there had been times when Susie turned to her, like climbing into bed with her when she had a nightmare. A tear trickled down her cheek, and then she felt Ellie’s tiny little hand patting hers.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Now let’s both go to sleep.”

To her surprise, she finally fell asleep. But when she woke, the cabin door was open and Oscar was gone.

CHAPTER TWO

Jessica tried to roll over and a couch spring poked into her shoulder. She couldn’t move the other way because Ellie was still snuggled against her, a sharp little elbow digging into her ribs. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping child, she resigned herself to being uncomfortable, but then a cold breeze drifted across her face, cold enough to make her open her eyes.

The cabin door was wide open. Damn. When did that happen? She could have sworn she locked it when she went to bed, or rather, to couch. A dim, misty light was coming in through the opening, and she was almost tempted to go back to sleep, but then she thought about the woods surrounding them. She didn’t want some animal wandering into the cabin. With a sigh she carefully maneuvered her way off the couch, doing her best not to disturb the sleeping Ellie. The little girl only rolled over, and Jessica tucked the quilt tighter around her shoulders.

She had been sleeping in the soft knit pajamas she’d purchased after the children came to live with her—no more delicate, lacey gowns for her—but the thin, silky material was little protection against the chilly air rushing in through the doorway. Shivering, she hurried over to shut the door. It wasn’t until she pulled it closed and looked down that she noticed something was wrong.

They had all taken off their shoes once they were inside the cabin and they were all neatly lined up by the door—her nice leather ankle boots, more boots from both girls, and Ellie’s little pink sneakers. But Oscar’s Spider-Man sneakers were missing.

He must have taken them into his bedroom without her noticing, she decided, but a sudden feeling of unease swept over her. She crept quietly to his bedroom door and cautiously turned the handle. Despite her caution, the bedroom door gave a loud squeak as she opened it. The dim light seeping in through the window was enough to show that both bunks were empty. Her stomach dropped, refusing to acknowledge the fact and she ran her hand across the top bunk, just to double check.

Nothing.

Where was Oscar? Had he gotten scared during the night and gone in with Laura instead? Her heart thudded against her ribs as she went to the girls’ room, and pushed the door open, no longer being quite so careful to be quiet.

Laura raised her head, blinking sleepily.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oscar’s not in his bed.”

The girl immediately sat up.

“Have you checked the bathroom?”

Praying that Laura was correct, she rushed to check. It too was empty. She gave Laura a despairing look as the girl joined her.

“Where would he go? And why?”

Laura gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“Maybe he’s just outside on the swing?”

They both hurried over to the front door, but the porch was also empty. The sun had not yet risen, but there was enough light to see that the area around the cabin was empty. A thick mist crept through the trees, cloaking the leaf-covered ground, but a spot of bright red caught her attention. She raced over to it, ignoring the cold dirt beneath her bare feet. The red came from one of the little action figures that Oscar collected. She was sure she’d seen him playing with it the night before, and horror crept over her as she clung to it. Where had he gone?

“Here.” Laura appeared at her side, thrusting Jessica’s coat and boots at her. The girl had already put on her own. “Hannah is going to stay with Ellie while we search.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police? Or the park rangers? Or someone?”

Her brain felt numb as one horrifying scenario after another passed through her mind. She’d never been so scared in her entire life.

“I think maybe we should just do a quick check first. He couldn’t have gone very far. You go down to the lake, and I’ll head over to the picnic area. If he’s not there, we’ll call for help.”

Jessica nodded obediently. She’d always prided herself on her ability to remain calm, but fear had wiped out her ability to think.

“We’ll find him,” Laura promised, squeezing her hand, and took off through the woods to the picnic area.

Jessica thrust her feet into her boots and yanked her coat over her shoulders but her hands were shaking too badly to fasten it. She just clutched it against her chest as she hurried down the trail towards the lake. The mist was even heavier here, hanging low across the water, and she could barely see more than a few feet in front of her. She started to call for him, then stopped.

What if he’d run away? What if he ran even further at the sound of her voice? The thought made her chest ache with an almost physical pain. She decided to do a quick search first, heading for the wooden racks where the canoes were stored during the summertime. Oscar had been talking about canoeing last night at dinner. As she drew closer, the mist cleared enough that she could see a small figure slumped against the bottom of the rack. He was wearing the bright red jacket her sister had gotten him for Christmas, even though it was already too small for him. A wave of relief washed over her.

“Oscar?” she said softly, and he looked up.

He had obviously been crying, and she forgot all about caution, about taking it slow and giving him time to get used to her. She rushed over and pulled him into her arms. He stiffened for a moment and she braced herself for him to push her away, but then he threw his small arms around her neck and sobbed. His weight threw her off balance, knocking her back on the ground, but she didn’t care, rocking back and forth with him as her own tears flowed. The sobs finally ended and he pushed himself back, swiping at his face with a dirty hand, but he remained on her lap.

“Why did you come down here without telling anyone? I was so scared when I couldn’t find you.”

He tried to scowl at her, but with his wet, dirty face, he only looked lost.

“I didn’t think you’d care.”

“Of course I care. I love you, Oscar.”

The uncertainty on his face nearly broke her heart, but then he leaned back against her.

“I was so scared when I couldn’t find you,” she repeated, hugging him again. “Why did you leave?”

He suddenly focused on one of the buttons on her coat, fiddling at it with grubby fingers.

“I thought maybe they’d put the boats back in the morning.”

She bit back a sigh. “I’m afraid not. All the lake activities are closed for the season.”

“Mom used to take me canoeing.”

He tugged a little harder on the button and it pulled free. He gave her a guilty look, but right now the coat was the least of her concerns.

“It was warmer in California and I guess things were still open on your birthday. I’m afraid it’s too late for this year, but maybe we can give it a try in the spring? With life jackets. And someone to paddle,” she added.

He shook his head with what looked like his usual disgust, but he gave her a tentative smile.

“I guess you can’t do that either?”

“No, I can’t,” she agreed. “But maybe Laura—Laura! I need to let her know that I found you.”

She reached for her phone, but there was no signal down here at the water’s edge.

“We’d better get back. Laura went to look for you too. Hannah stayed with Ellie, but your sister is probably awake by now.”

They scrambled to their feet, and he gave an uncertain look.

“Don’t tell anyone I was crying.”

“I was crying too.”

“Yes, but you’re a girl.”

She put her arm around his shoulder, and to her delight he didn’t pull away.

“Both girls and boys are allowed to cry,” she said firmly. “But I won’t tell anyone.”

He nodded, and they hurried back towards the cabin. She kept checking her phone, expecting it to come within range, but there was still no signal. That was odd—it had been working the previous day.

The mist remained just as thick, and they were almost at the cabin before she could see it. Laura was standing at the bottom of the steps, talking to a man in a black suit, and Jessica frowned. Had the girl called for help after all? Hannah and Ellie were standing on the porch, and she had a brief glimpse of their pale shocked faces before Laura suddenly crumpled to the ground. Hannah cried out as the man bent over Laura, and Oscar raced towards them before she could stop him.

“Don’t you touch her!”

The man turned towards them, and she saw his face for the first time. There was something wrong with it—his skin was as smooth and white as plastic, but his eyes glowed red. Was he wearing some kind of a mask?

She started to dart after Oscar, but then a cold hand gripped her arm and she looked up to see another man in a black suit. No, not a man. This close, she could tell that he wasn’t wearing a mask and he wasn’t wearing contacts. He wasn’t human.

Panicking, she started to fight him, determined to get to the children, but couldn’t escape that strong, cold grip. She saw a flash of horrifyingly sharp teeth, then a burning pain speared her neck and the world went dark.

CHAPTER THREE

Jessica opened her eyes to a white metal wall only inches away from her face. Her neck throbbed, and her entire body felt stiff and uncomfortable. Her thoughts seemed equally stiff and slow, and she blinked at the wall for what felt like an eternity before the memory of what had happened finally resurfaced. Oscar. Ellie and the girls.

She forced herself upright and discovered she’d been lying on a metal bunk covered with a thin mattress. Another bunk was directly across from her, and both children were curled together on top of it. A sob of relief slipped free as she swung her legs painfully to the floor.

Her first impulse was to snatch them into her arms, but she made herself stop. She could see them breathing, and neither one of them appeared to be hurt. Maybe it would be better to figure out what was going on before she tried to wake them.

Two more bunks occupied the front half of the space. Hannah was asleep on one, but Laura was up and standing in front of the glass wall that formed the end of the room. Not a room, Jessica realized with a sinking heart. A cell. And on the other side of the glass was one of the strange black-suited men who had been at the cabin.

Not a man either. The clinical white glare of the lights reinforced what she had seen before she passed out—he was not human. Which meant… an alien?

The rational side of her brain immediately objected, but what other explanation could there be? Everything from the sterile cell with a faint medicinal smell to the bright, hidden lighting to the male on the other side of the seamless glass wall argued that her eyes were not deceiving her.

“Laura?” Her voice came out harsh and scratchy.

The girl immediately turned and came towards her, urging her to sit back down on the cot.

“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.

“I think so. What happened? Where are we?”

“Would you believe me if I said we were taken by aliens?”

Laura tried to smile at her, but it was a pitiful attempt at best. Jessica looked at the front of the cell again. The male had gone, but the seamless sheet of glass and the gleaming white corridor beyond still looked strange and unfamiliar, and she remembered the face of the male who had taken her.

“I’d believe you.”

“I was talking to Ketaan—”

“Talking?” she interrupted.

“Yes. They injected us with some kind of translator.”

The girl rubbed her neck in the same place where she ached, and she nodded.

“Anyway, Ketaan says they call themselves Vedeckians. They’re traders, although Ketaan said he didn’t know they were trading people.”

“Really?” she asked skeptically. “And does this Ketaan say what they’re going to do with us?”

“He was pretty vague about it, but I can guess. Can’t you?”

The two of them stared at each other, and then Jessica turned to look at the children.

“What about Oscar and Ellie?” Her voice shook.

“I don’t know. He said something about there being a shortage of children.”

The alien reappeared in front of the cell, and Laura started to jump up, then shook her head.

“That’s not Ketaan.”

“I don’t care. I have to try and talk to him.”

She went to the front of the cell, trying to project the same air of corporate confidence she would have used when presenting at the board meeting.

“Excuse me. I think there has been some type of misunderstanding.”

Crimson eyes flicked briefly in her direction, then clearly dismissed her. He took a cursory look at the others, then said something to a second alien. She could see their mouths moving but couldn’t hear anything through the glass. Somehow that made it even more frightening as the second one made a series of notes on some kind of tablet.

She tried again.

“Isn’t there something else you want? I have access to many Earth resources.”

This time, neither one of them even looked at her before they walked away. Her shoulders slumped. Any doubts she might have had about Laura’s evaluation of the situation had vanished. There had been something so calculated in that assessing glance—as if they were only products to be sold.

A soft whimper came from the back of the cell as Ellie sat up, her eyes wide and terrified. Jessica rushed over and picked her up.

“It’s all right, sweetheart. Everything is all right,” she lied as she rocked the little girl in her arms, but the thought of what might be in store for them made her stomach clench with dread.

Oscar and Hannah woke up soon afterwards. Oscar refused to believe them until two more of the aliens stopped to take a look at them. One of them made a lewd gesture, and the other laughed before they moved away.

“They’re aliens. Real aliens,” he whispered.

“I’m afraid so.”

He burrowed against her side, his shoulders shaking, but he didn’t cry. She did, alone in her bunk after the lights dimmed.

The day had been long and monotonous. Twice, a portion of the glass wall slid open and trays of food were pushed into the cell. The food was bland at best but it could have been far worse, and she encouraged the others to eat. The girls managed a few bites, but Oscar only pushed it around. Ellie ignored it completely and climbed back on her lap.

None of them spoke much, and she suspected that they were all suffering from a combination of shock and disbelief. They discovered a tiny bathroom at the rear of the cell, the fixtures familiar enough to figure out.

Eventually the lights in the corridor dimmed. She urged the children to lay down and the fact that neither one of them objected made her heart ache. Hannah also lay down, her back to the room. Not long afterwards, an alien appeared outside the cell and this time Laura went to the glass wall. Jessica joined her as he pressed the control panel outside the cell in order to speak to them.

“Jessica, this is Ketaan. He’s the one who tried to explain what was happening earlier.”

“Mistress Jessica.”

He dipped his head in an oddly formal gesture. All of the aliens had similar coloring, but as she studied him, she decided that he seemed younger, or at least less arrogant than the others.

“Can you get us out of here?” she demanded, but he shook his head.

“I cannot.”

“Not even the children?”

“I am afraid not. I am of low rank, and they are… valuable.”

“Why? What’s going to happen to them?”

“There are many without children,” he said vaguely, and although she continued to press him, he didn’t provide any further details.

Frustrated, she returned to her bunk, although Laura continued to talk to him in a low voice for much longer. Ketaan finally left and Laura also went to sleep.

And alone in the dark, she cried. She cried for the children, and for the girls, and for herself.

CHAPTER FOUR

The next day—the period in which the ship’s lights were brighter—was an exact repeat of the previous day. And so was the next and the next. The time passed with agonizing monotony. The biggest challenge was keeping the children occupied. Ellie was a little easier to occupy with stories and hand games, but Oscar’s restless energy was much harder to handle.

Ketaan, who continued to come and talk to Laura every night, snuck them first paper and some odd type of markers, then a set of dice, and finally a ball. It all helped, even though he warned them to try and keep them hidden. But other than the twice daily meal deliveries, none of the other aliens even seemed interested.

“Why do you keep talking to him?” Hannah demanded one day. They had been on the ship for over a week at that point, and all of their tempers had frayed. “It’s not like anything is going to change.”

“I know, but I like talking to him.”

“He’s one of them.”

“No, he’s not.” Laura rushed immediately to his defense. “It’s not his fault—he didn’t know that the ship was going to be trafficking slaves.”

“Then why is he on this ship?” Hannah asked skeptically.

“He didn’t have a choice. I’m not sure I completely understand their social structure, but they seem to have these large, extended family groups, except they are tied together by financial arrangements as well as blood ties. His parents don’t hold a very high position, and they owed a debt of some kind to one of the leaders. They paid it off by sending Ketaan to him as a worker.”

Jessica sighed. “I agree that sounds terrible, but couldn’t he get away?”

“I don’t think he even thought about it before. He was brought up to be obedient, so even though he hasn’t been very happy he just accepted it.” Laura gave her a small smile. “I’m trying to teach him to stand up for himself. And he really is very concerned about this trip.”

“He should be,” Hannah muttered.

Laura lowered her voice even more.

“He’s trying to come up with a plan to get us out of here.”

“All of us?”

“Of course. He knows I wouldn’t leave you—any of you.”

“If you get a chance to go, go,” Jessica said softly. “Even if he can’t take us all. But I hope… I hope you can take the children with you.”

Her throat threatened to close on the last words, but she did her best to sound calm. Hannah opened her mouth, then nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I agree.”

“You guys are the best, but I’m not leaving anyone behind,” Laura said fiercely.

“If it’s the only way to save Oscar and Ellie, you must.”

“It won’t be. Ketaan said he could get us all out, and I believe him.”

Jessica and Hannah exchanged a look, but neither one of them argued with the girl. She was not at all convinced that Ketaan stood any chance of escaping with them, no matter what his intentions. She had seen how the other crew members treated him, and she believed Laura’s story about his low rank. She even thought it was possible that he was genuinely concerned about their situation. But the fact that the others clearly despised him made it even harder to believe that he stood a chance of coming up with an escape plan.

She was wrong.

Two nights later, the lights went out. They came back on almost immediately, but the familiar white glare was replaced by flashing red lights, along with the blaring sound of what was clearly an alarm. Both children woke up, their eyes wide and frightened. Ellie flung herself into her arms and even Oscar came to stand next to her. When she put her arm around him, he leaned against her side.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart.”

Laura and Hannah joined them, all five of them huddled on the small cot. The glass wall of the cell suddenly slid aside and a Vedeckian appeared. It took a moment for her to recognize Ketaan in the demonic red glare, but Laura sprang up immediately.

“What’s happening?”

“Come with me. We must move quickly and quietly.”

“This is your escape plan? Oh, thank you, Ketaan.”

Laura flung her arms around him, and he froze. Jessica wondered if he’d ever hugged a girl before.

“There’s no time for that now,” she said firmly, and rose with Ellie in her arms, the little girl’s arms clinging to her neck. “Where do we go?”

Laura stepped back, but Ketaan stood frozen for another second before coming out of his daze.

“This way.”

Jessica grabbed Oscar’s hand, and his small fingers clutched hers as they followed the Vedeckian out of the cell. The alarm continued to blare, red lights flashing, as they hurried down several short corridors. Twice Ketaan stopped to listen to something she couldn’t hear, and once he gestured them back against the wall. Her heart beat so loudly she was sure it could be heard above the alarm, but the two Vedeckians who hurried past the end of the corridor never looked in their direction.

As soon as they were out of sight, Ketaan started moving again, even faster this time. Her arms ached from carrying Ellie, despite the girl’s slight weight, and she really wished she’d gotten around to that fitness program she’d been meaning to start.

Another corridor and then Ketaan paused in front of two wide doors. There was a flash of light and the doors started to slide apart. They barely opened a hand’s width before freezing in their tracks. Ketaan swore and grabbed hold of the edge of one of the doors with those long white fingers. The door groaned but began to move, and she shivered. Just how strong was he?

He managed to widen the gap, but it still looked far too narrow when he gestured for Laura to go through. The girl made it, then Hannah. She urged Oscar through, then handed Ellie to Laura.

“Now you,” Ketaan said, and she gulped.

She hated tight spaces, and she was nowhere near as slender as the girls.

“I’m not sure I’ll fit.”

“I will fit and so will you,” he said firmly.

She gave him a skeptical look. He was tall, but he was lean—and he didn’t have boobs and a butt.

“Come on, Aunt Jess.”

Oscar’s worried face convinced her. She took a deep breath and started trying to wedge herself through the opening. Her right arm and leg made it, but when she tried to slide her chest through, she wedged herself in the opening. The pressure against her ribs made her give a panicked gasp but she wasn’t getting any air. She tried to step back and couldn’t move that way either. Her heart started racing out of control as she realized that she was stuck.

“I… I…”

Two cold hands grabbed her shoulder and her hips, and then Ketaan pushed. The pressure increased almost unbearably, and she felt the edge of the opening tearing the skin on her back, but then she was through. Both children grabbed her as Ketaan followed her through the opening.

“I apologize for using force. Are you injured?”

She shook her head. The sting of the abraded skin on her back was nothing compared to the terror of being stuck in the door.

“I’m fine. Although I told you I wouldn’t fit.”

He suddenly flashed a mouthful of sharp white teeth.

“But you did. You are through.”

“I guess I can’t argue with that. Now what?”

“Follow me.”

They were in a dark, cavernous space. The alarm was muted here and only one emergency light flashed, but somehow that made the darkness even more intimidating as they all followed Ketaan. He stopped in front of a small vessel that didn’t look much larger than an SUV—if an SUV had armored sides and short, stubby wings. He manipulated a control panel on the side of the vehicle, and a portion of the back came down to form a short ramp.

The inside looked small, dark, and intimidating, but it had to be better than the white cell. She picked up Ellie again and climbed aboard. Bucket seats lined both sides, and Ketaan urged them to strap themselves in as he moved to the front. The door closed and there was a faint hum, followed by a sudden sense of weightlessness as the craft lifted off the ground.

He headed for what looked like airplane hangar doors—closed hangar doors—but then there was a blinding flash of light. When she could see again, the doors were gone and all she could see was a vast expanse of space.

“Wow,” Oscar said, his eyes huge, as the ship headed out in the darkness. “Space.”

“The final frontier,” she murmured.

He gave her a puzzled look, but Hannah laughed, the sound giddy.

“Are we really free?”

“Not yet,” Ketaan said grimly, and she felt him accelerate.

They sat in strained silence as the minutes passed. Five. Ten.

She was just beginning to relax when an explosion shook the craft and sent them tumbling helplessly through space.

CHAPTER FIVE

Captain Vadrar Tar’Craten picked up the metal lure from his desk and turned it over in his hands. His father had given it to him many, many years ago, and he sometimes wondered why he kept it. It served a poignant reminder of a way of life that no longer existed. When The Red Death—the plague that had devastated the Confederated Planet systems—had hit Ciresia, it had wiped out almost everything. They had lost billions of people, and even worse they had lost all of their females, and with them any hope that their race would continue.

The Council had insisted on experimenting with artificial reproduction, but their success rate was extremely limited and he had his doubts about the stability of anyone raised in such an environment. He had left the dying planet as soon as Tenrac was old enough.

As if the thought had drawn him, a single knock at the door was followed by Tenrac’s entrance. Vadrar smiled at his former ward. Their two families had been friends for many years, and when the Red Death had left them both alone, Vadrar had automatically assumed responsibility for the younger male, even though he’d barely been in his twenties at the time and Tenrac was ten years younger.

They had remained on Ciresia for another eight years, going through the motions of trying to rebuild their society. But on Tenrac’s eighteenth birthday, he had come to Vadrar and told him that he wanted to leave.

“Where do you want to go?”

“I do not know, but anywhere must be better than remaining here.”

He couldn’t disagree. Even though most of the survivors had gathered in the capital, they were surrounded by constant daily reminders of how much they had lost. The Council’s attempts to revive their civilization seemed to be growing more desperate every year. Now that Tenrac was of legal age, he would be subjected to the uncomfortable and humiliating process of having his seed withdrawn and added to the Council’s sperm banks. Even after all these years, Vadrar still hated the process.

“I think we should both leave,” he said finally, and Tenrac gave him a relieved grin.

“Good. I did not want to leave without you, but I was not sure if your sense of duty would keep you here.”

“A Cire warrior always does his duty.”

“I know.” Tenrac flashed him another grin. “You have drilled it into me all these years. But do you not think you owe a duty to yourself as well? You are not any happier here than I am.”

“Happiness?”

He had never considered that a guiding principle, although Tenrac was quite right. He was not happy on Ciresia, even though he had continued to do his duty. But he also had a duty to his young ward, and with that to assuage his conscience, he resigned.

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that the two of them ended up as members of the Confederated Planets Patrol force. In his case, it suited his sense of purpose. He suspected that Tenrac had been more motivated by the promise of adventure, and they’d had plenty of that over the past ten years. From the anticipation on Tenrac’s face now, Vadrar suspected they were in for more.

“What is it?”

“We just spotted a Vedeckian ship.”

He suppressed a groan. The Vedeckians were traders, but they were less than fastidious about what—or who—they dealt with, either as clients or cargo. Although not all of the species had suffered to the extent of the Cire, many of them had lost females due to the Red Death. Recognizing the opportunity for profit, the Vedeckians had started dealing in slaves and the Patrol was in a constant struggle to stem the flow.

“I wonder what they are doing out here. None of the nearby systems are inhabited.”

“I think they are looking for something,” Tenrac said, almost gleefully. ‘They are running search maneuvers. Not very effectively—they haven’t even spotted us yet.”

“Very well. Let us see what they have to say for themselves.”

Together they left his quarters and headed for the bridge. Saela was already there. The older Trevolorian female was a skilled pilot and his second-in-command. Her planet had only been lightly touched by the Red Death, but she had lost her mate and she too had sought a second life elsewhere.

“Report,” he ordered.

Saela pointed to the image on the viewscreen.

“From the way they’re tracking, I think they’re trying to pick up a signal.”

“I wonder what they could be searching for out here. Is there—”

Before he could continue, the ship on the screen suddenly altered its trajectory and headed towards them.

“They know we are here.”

Tenrac’s face was alive with excitement, but Vadrar swore. Although the Protector was armed, it was designed primarily for survey, not engagement. The Vedeckian ship was much larger and no doubt better equipped, although the Vedeckians did not believe in wasting much of their profits on weapons. They usually preferred to avoid conflict, which made him wonder why they seemed so intent on confronting them now.

“Try hailing them,” he ordered as he took the helm.

Saela nodded and opened a channel.

“This is Captain Vadrar of the Patrol ship Protector. Identify yourself.”

Instead of a response, a flash of light bloomed on the side of the other ship. Seconds later the bridge shook as the lights on the instrument panel flickered. He began evasive maneuvers as Tenrac swore.

“Fuck. That was a hit. I will be in the engine room.”

Tenrac took off while Saela gave Vadrar a worried look.

“Do we engage?”

The Vedeckian ship fired again, although this time they did not score a hit.

“I do not believe we have a choice. We are not fast enough to outrun them. Return fire.”

A fierce smile lit Saela’s face as she bent over her console. The first shot went astray, but the second was a direct hit.

“Hail them again. Tell them to cease fire.”

The Vedeckians ignored the command, increasing the frequency of their shots instead. The lights on the instrument panel flickered again. He swore and sent the ship twisting to one side. Lights bloomed almost constantly on the Vedeckian ship as they tried to take down the Protector, but then there was another burst of light, so bright it turned the entire view screen white. When it faded, nothing was left except chunks of debris floating in space.

He frowned at Saela.

“How did that happen? Our weapons would not cause that much damage.”

“I don’t think they did.” She shook her feathered crest. “I think their weapons overheated—which is what happens when you are too cheap to spend money on buying decent weapons or maintaining them.”

“What a waste. Scan for survivors, or any signs of an escape pod,” he ordered, even though it seemed unlikely that anyone had survived.

“We have a problem,” Tenrac said over the comm. “That second hit caused some damage.”

“How bad is it?”

“I can fix it. Probably. But not while we are in space.”

“The nearest space station is at least a half day’s journey,” Saela said. “Can we make it?”

“No. We have less than two hours of full power left. Is there anything closer?”

She shook her head. “That’s the closest inhabited location.”

“Do not worry if it is inhabited,” he said. “Is there anywhere that will support life?”

Saela bent over her charts, then nodded.

“The fourth planet in this system has a breathable atmosphere. It should be just under two hours away.”

“Then we will head there and pray that Granthar smiles on us.”

Tenrac returned to the bridge, and the three of them sat in tense silence as they watched the planet draw closer. The ship began to shudder periodically, vibrations creaking through the hull. He found himself thinking of what Tenrac had said so long ago. Had he found happiness? Or just traded one duty for another?

After one particularly violent shudder, Tenrac put his hand on the wall, patting it gently.

“Come on, girl. You can make it.” He looked over at Vadrar and gave him a rueful smile. “Are you still glad you decided to follow me away from Ciresia?”

“I am. I have no regrets.”

Saela snorted. “I have regrets. I should have taken that hot little Regtenian as my lover.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Ehh.” Saela shrugged, her face sobering. “It would still have felt like betraying Errol, even after all these years. I never thought I’d live this long without him.”

“At least you have the memory of your time together.”

“Aye, but that can be cold comfort on a long night.”

He knew she was right, but all he would ever have were those long nights alone. A Cire male could only form a mating bond with a Cire female. Even a satisfactory sexual experience was out of reach without that bond because without it, he would not achieve a true climax. He had never made the attempt, but Tenrac had tried several times only to return frustrated and upset. His heart ached at all of the things his ward had missed. That he had missed.

The ship was shuddering almost continuously by the time they reached the outer atmosphere of the planet, but Tenrac gave a relieved sigh.

“We have enough power to land.”

“That’s odd,” Saela muttered.

“What is it?”

“I’m picking up a signal. It’s weak and intermittent, but it’s definitely there.”

“Can you identify it?”

She touched the transmitter in her ear again, then shook her head.

“No, but given where we are I wonder if this is what the Vedeckians were searching for.”

“Head towards it. If the Vedeckians were willing to confront us because of it, I would very much like to know what they were hunting.”

CHAPTER SIX

Looks like Oscar got his wish to go camping after all, Jessica thought, looking ruefully at the trees surrounding her. Enormous alien trees with smooth dark purple trunks that rose to a great height before exploding into a cap of feathery lavender fronds. The fronds blocked enough of the light to give the space beneath the trees a dim purple glow that felt oddly calming despite its strangeness. Enormous dead fronds littered the ground beneath the trees, and she had decided to try using them to create a larger and more permanent shelter.

A permanent shelter.

She shivered, still struggling to accept the reality that they were marooned on this planet, perhaps forever. But then again, being marooned on a planet was better than floating endlessly in space.

After the explosion that sent them tumbling through space, Ketaan had managed to regain enough control over the escape vessel to guide it towards the nearest inhabitable planet. Unfortunately, the ship had suffered sufficient damage to turn the descent into a terrifying roller coaster ride despite his efforts. They plummeted through the atmosphere, then collided with several of the enormous trees, ricocheting from one to another before finally crashing to the ground.

The children had been too frightened even to scream, staring at her with pale, terrified faces as the ship finally shuddered to a halt. They were all bruised and shaken, but only Ketaan had been seriously injured, breaking his arm when the nose of the ship collided with the ground.

After a stunned silence, Laura rushed over to Ketaan, sobbing over his injury. He maintained a stoic silence as they did their best to bind his arm, but Jessica didn’t have a great deal of confidence in their medical skills. The darkness of a moonless night surrounded the ship, and after peering out into the darkness, they had all agreed to wait until morning before exploring their surroundings.

The children had fallen asleep first, worn out by the shock of the escape. Hannah had followed them, and even Laura had finally fallen asleep. She’d been sitting on the floor next to Ketaan’s chair, even though he tried to insist that she take it instead, and her head was against his knee. Jessica looked over at her and then at Ketaan. His eyes were open, his face drawn and tired.

“How bad is it?” she asked quietly.

He didn’t pretend not to understand. “It is not good. The system is uninhabited and away from any major trading lanes. That is why—”

“That’s why your captain was using it?”

“I am afraid so. This ship is emitting a distress signal, but I believe the transponder was damaged in the crash. The signal is very weak.” He looked down at the sling on his arm. “If it is picked up, it is likely to be a Vedeckian ship. I suspect they will return to look for us.”

She took a deep breath, trying to still her racing heart. To have gone through all this, only to wind up back in that white cell…

“Is it possible to turn it off entirely?”

“It may be. But without it, there is no chance of rescue. Is that what you want?”

Was it? She looked over at the sleeping children.

“I want the truth—the complete truth. If they find us, what is going to happen to them?”

“They will be sold. All of you will be sold. The young females…” He looked down at Laura and his voice softened. “There are many desperate males. Some are looking for mates, for companions.”

He looked back at her and his voice hardened. “Others only seek females for sexual use, either for themselves or as a commodity.”

“I assume you are not including me as a young female,” she said dryly, trying to hide her horror. It wasn’t as if she didn’t already suspect why they had been taken.

“No, but I was told that there is a market for a variety of ages and… uses.”

She shuddered.

“And the children?”

“If they are lucky, they will be purchased by somebody looking for a child to serve as their heir, to continue their family line.” He hesitated. “Or possibly as a future mate.”

What kind of person would think of a child as a spouse? Both options terrified her—trying to survive on this alien planet or being picked up again and sold into slavery. She looked out at the darkness surrounding them.

“Can we survive here? On this planet?”

He frowned. “There is no civilization here.”

“I understand that, but is there food? Is the water safe to drink? What about disease or predators?”

He looked thoughtful. “You were inoculated against disease when you were brought on board. Water can be purified. I cannot guarantee that there is food, but we can test anything we find to make sure it is safe. I can also scan for predators.”

He made it sound feasible, although she knew there would be much more involved if they were to remain on the planet.

“If we can survive here, I think I’d rather do that than risk being picked up again. At least we would be together. What do you think?”

He shrugged.

“I have nowhere to go. If we are discovered by a Vedeckian ship, I will be executed.”

He said it quite calmly, but she gave him a horrified look. “Did you know that when you planned this escape?”

“Yes.” His eyes dropped to Laura again. “But it seemed worth the risk.”

“Then let’s talk to the girls in the morning. If they agree, then we’ll disable the transmitter.”

She managed to get a little sleep before daylight illuminated the cabin and, with Ketaan’s assurance that it was safe, cautiously opened the door. Warm, humid air rushed into the ship, overlaid with some kind of floral scent. After crashing through the trees, the ship had ended up on one side of a meadow filled with colorful grasses in blues and purples. The enormous trees ringed three sides of the meadow and a river tumbled along the fourth side. Despite its alien appearance, it looked calm and peaceful, and she took a relieved breath.

The girls woke a short time later. The children were still sleeping, so she beckoned them both outside before explaining their options. One look was enough to convince them that the escape vessel would never fly again—the nose had crumpled completely, and one of the stubby wings had broken off.

Laura bit her lip, then nodded.

“I would rather be here together.”

The girl was looking at Ketaan as she spoke, and Jessica suppressed a sigh, concerned by how rapidly the relationship between the two would develop now that the glass wall no longer separated them.

Hannah took longer to decide, but finally agreed, looking gloomily at their surroundings.

“I was training to be an engineer, not a survival expert.”

“We’re all going to have to learn. But the technology on the ship will help us.”

Hannah’s face brightened, and since Ketaan was incapacitated, she volunteered to follow his instructions and retrieve the transponder from the wreckage of the engine. The transponder controls were no longer working, and in the end they settled on tossing it into the river, while Hannah continued to study the engine.

“Is this a communication system? Is there any way we could use it to call for help—from someone other than those bastards who took us? Not including you, Ketaan,” she added quickly.

Ketaan hesitated for a long moment. “If we could reach the Patrol, they would provide assistance. They enforce the law.”

“Is that possible?” Jessica asked hopefully.

Once again, he hesitated.

“It is possible, but unlikely. Even if the repairs can be made, we would not have sufficient power to reach outside the system.”

“But it would be a chance?”

“Yes.”

Hannah grinned. “Good. Then I’ll see what I can do.”

Now that the decision was made, Jessica’s first priority was creating a larger shelter—which was why she was gathering the large fronds to use as building materials. Although she’d been grateful for the solid metal of the escape pod in the unknown darkness of the previous night, it was not designed to allow four adults and two children to rest comfortably.

“I think we should go fishing,” Oscar announced, suddenly appearing at her shoulder.

“We don’t know if there are any fish in the river. Or that they’re edible if there are.”

“Ketaan said that there are,” he said, scowling.

“He said there were fish?”

“He said there were… life forms.”

She didn’t like the sound of that at all. Just what did he mean by life forms? That could be anything from fish to snakes to crocodiles—or their alien equivalents.

“Did he say how large they were?”

Oscar shook his head. “But I hope they’re really big.”

For a moment she debated telling him it was out of the question, then decided to focus on the more practical aspects instead.

“I’m afraid we don’t have any fishing rods.”

“I could make one,” he said triumphantly. “I can use a long stick plus some line from the survival kit. Ketaan thinks he can make a hook from a piece of wire.”

She was going to have to have a serious talk with Ketaan about what he told Oscar. She also intended to find out more about these theoretical life forms before allowing Oscar near the water. But in the meantime, it probably wouldn’t hurt to let Oscar work on the fishing rod.

“All right,” she agreed. “Why don’t you try making one? But promise me you won’t go near the water without me.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

He bounced away excitedly, and she hoped he’d actually heard what she said. Resolving to keep an eye on him, she took two of the large fronds and started dragging them over to the wreck of the ship.

As she did, Ellie came skipping up with Hannah at her side and held up a handful of what looked like flowers.

“Those are very pretty, sweetheart, but maybe…”

She looked down at the girl’s beaming smile and stopped. There probably wasn’t any harm in picking flowers. Was there? Her sister would undoubtedly have known what to do even in an alien wilderness, but she was entirely out of her depth.

“I don’t think they’re actually flowers,” Hannah said thoughtfully. “If you look at them more closely, I think it’s actually some kind of fungi. It might even be edible.”

“You think they’re mushrooms?”

It would be nice to have something to eat other than the dried rations that formed part of the survival kit—and those would eventually run out.

“I’m pretty sure, and Laura said that Ketaan can scan them to make sure they aren’t poisonous.”

“Would that be all right with you, Ellie? If we can nibble on your flowers?”

Ellie tilted her head, then nodded solemnly.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Why don’t the two of you go ahead and ask Ketaan to scan them?”

“You want me to help you with those branches?” Hannah asked.

“I’m all right. Thank you for watching Ellie.”

“She’s no problem.” Hannah shook her head. “Oscar, on the other hand, is another matter.”

“I know, but hopefully making a fishing rod will keep him occupied for at least a little longer.”

Hannah laughed and took Ellie by the hand, leading her back across the meadow. Jessica picked up the fronds again and followed them slowly.

A permanent shelter, she thought again, and shivered.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jessica did not sleep well. With some assistance from the girls, she had created a type of teepee next to the wreck. Based on the scans that Ketaan had been running of the surrounding area, there weren’t any large predators in the vicinity, so they decided it would be safe enough to sleep there.

But although the shelter did allow them room to spread out, and the fronds she’d placed on the ground did provide some cushioning, they were still sleeping on the ground—an experience she had never had before and would gladly have missed. The sounds of life from the surrounding wilderness seemed to increase after dark—the click and buzz of insects, soft rustling in the grasses, and once a piercing shriek that sent a spike of terror down her spine before it ended with an even more terrifying abruptness.

The unfamiliar situation made her feel helpless, and she couldn’t help second guessing their decision. Should they have retained the distress signal after all? Every time she fell asleep, she had a nightmare about something happening to the children, jerking awake to check once again that they were still safely by her side. It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that she finally fell into a deeper sleep.

A shaft of daylight penetrating the fronds woke her, and once again she automatically checked the children. Oscar was on his back with his mouth open, making little snuffling noises, but Ellie was no longer tucked between them. Oh no—not again.

Crossing her fingers that the little girl had simply cuddled up with one of the others, she sat up and peered down the line of sleeping bodies. The space next to Hannah was empty, and there wasn’t enough room between Laura and Ketaan even for someone as small as Ellie. Their closeness was an entirely separate problem and one that would have to wait.

Maybe Ellie had simply gone to use the restroom? Doing her best to remain calm, she rose quietly and did a quick check of the vessel. It was empty. Her heart raced, remembering the cry she’d heard in the night and the nearby river.

Praying the girl had simply gone to pick more “flowers,” she lifted the door frond and stepped out into the meadow. Ellie was nowhere in sight.

Not the river. Please, God, not the river.

As she started to turn back to wake the others, she caught a glimpse of movement in the trees on the far side of the clearing. A second later Ellie appeared, trotting happily back towards the camp. Jessica gave a sob of relief and hurried over to her—only to realize that she was not alone.

The little girl was carrying some kind of animal, her arms wrapped around its chest and the rest of its body draped down her front. Its fur was the same lavender as the fronds, striped with the dark purple of the trunks. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a cat with long, floppy ears but the agile body of a cat—and dark purple claws on those feline paws.

“Ellie, sweetheart, what do you have there?” she asked, doing her best to keep her voice calm.

The creature opened glowing purple eyes and surveyed her. It yawned wide enough to reveal a mouthful of sharp little teeth, then closed its eyes again. Despite the fact that it seemed quite content in the girl’s arms, Jessica was all too aware of how much damage it could do if it turned on her.

Ellie beamed at her.

“B… b… bunny.”

Unexpected tears sprang to Jessica’s eyes. As much as she’d hoped that Ellie would speak again, there were times when she’d struggled to believe it would happen. Dr. Patel had been right after all. But right now, Ellie’s safety was more important than her speech.

“I know it looks a little bit like a bunny, but it’s not like the kind of bunnies we have at home. Why don’t you put it down?”

“B… bunny,” Ellie repeated stubbornly, her arms tightening.

The creature’s eyes opened again as it made a soft, protesting yowl. Jessica really didn’t like the way it immediately focused on her. Between that suspicious purple gaze and the tears that were beginning to fill Ellie’s eyes, she wasn’t sure what to do.

“Hey, what’s that?” Oscar appeared at her side, staring at the animal. “Looks like some sort of cat.”

“B… bunny.” Ellie glared at him.

“It’s not a bunny just ‘cause it’s got those dumb old ears.”

The creature’s gaze focused on Oscar.

“Let’s not argue about it,” she said quickly. “I was just telling Ellie that she should put it down. It might need to go back to its family,” she added.

Ellie’s face turned white, and Jessica immediately felt like an idiot. Before she could say anything else, the little girl bent down and released the creature. It rubbed affectionately against her legs, then trotted back towards the woods. As soon as it disappeared beneath the trees, Ellie burst into tears.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

Jessica gathered the small figure close, and to her relief, Ellie hugged her neck and cried into her shoulder. She patted the fragile back and waited for the storm to pass.

“Girls,” Oscar said disgustedly. “You shoulda gone hunting instead.”

Ellie raised her head and scowled at him, and Jessica quickly interceded.

“No, she shouldn’t have. Neither of you should go off on your own. We don’t know enough about this place yet.”

“Ketaan says it isn’t dangerous.”

She swore under her breath. “He said there weren’t any large predators, which means things like lions and tigers and bears.”

Ellie’s eyes widened, and Jessica gave her a quick hug.

“But just because we don’t have to worry about those doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things which might be dangerous. Promise me—both of you—that you won’t go off on your own.”

Oscar’s mouth twisted, but then he nodded and Ellie followed suit.

“Good. I didn’t want to have to use Ellie’s ribbon to tie you both to me.”

Ellie giggled, and Jessica realized that the sparkly pink ribbon had disappeared from her ponytail.

“What happened to your ribbon, sweetheart?”

The little girl’s ability to talk seemed to have disappeared with the creature. She simply pointed into the woods after it.

“Did you give it to your… bunny?”

Ellie nodded, then climbed out of her lap and went to stand in front of Oscar, giving him a challenging stare.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry I said it had dumb ears. It was kind of cool that you caught it.”

Ellie gave him one of her sweet smiles, and he gently tugged her ponytail.

“Come on, squirt. Let’s go get some of those yummy rations for breakfast. Race ya!”

The two of them took off across the meadow, and Jessica watched them the whole way, sighing with relief when they both disappeared into the shelter. Her body was still trembling from the aftereffects of her panic, but as it began to fade as exhaustion took its place. She suspected it was going to be a very long day.

Her suspicions proved correct.

They decided to try enlarging the shelter, using the bamboo-like stalks Oscar had found for his fishing rod as a framework and tying it together with the tougher reed-like grasses. Simple enough in theory, but much harder in practice.

Keeping an eye on Ellie proved equally draining. Jessica honestly didn’t believe the little girl was trying to be disobedient, but she was easily distracted and would wander over to look at a flower or chase after one of the small colorful bugs that flitted through the meadow.

For a while, they kept her occupied with bringing over the reeds that Hannah was cutting. She trotted happily back and forth for a while, but then Jessica looked over from her precarious perch on the side of the escape vessel and saw Ellie skipping towards the woods. Damn.

“There she goes again,” she said to Laura as she climbed down.

“You want me to go after her?”

“No, that’s all right. You’re doing a much better job of tying the wood together than I am,” she added regretfully.

Laura laughed. “I think it’s because my grandmother taught me to knit and crochet when I was little. It helps.”

“Maybe you need to teach me.”

Jessica gave her a rueful smile, then went off after Ellie. The little girl had actually made it a short distance into the woods by the time she caught up with her, and she sighed.

“Ellie, sweetheart. Remember what we said?”

Ellie looked up at her and blinked big, sad eyes.

“You need to stay with me so that I know that you’re safe. What were you doing in here?”

Ellie looked down at the ground, then past Jessica’s shoulder, her expression suddenly transformed.

“B… bunny!”

“I see. You’re looking for another bunny? But you have—”

“B… bunny,” Ellie repeated, tugging impatiently on her hand.

Oh, Lord, had the creature come back? How was she going to explain to Ellie that they couldn’t keep an unknown animal as a pet? Hoping that it would disappear again, she turned around slowly as possible…

And found herself looking at Ellie’s bunny, now clasped in the muscular arms of a very large, very green alien.

Her gaze traveled up over dark pants that clung to strong muscular legs to a broad chest also covered by tight, dark fabric and finally to his face. Instead of hair, thick ridges curved back over his head. Jade skin with a subtle nubby texture covered a face with distinctly reptilian features—a wide, lipless mouth, a flattened nose, and large black eyes. As their eyes met, something that felt oddly like a shock of recognition went through her, and she found it difficult to tear her gaze away from him.

Then Ellie slipped free of her hand and raced over to the stranger, holding up her arms imperiously.

“B… bunny.”

The stranger finally looked away from Jessica to the little girl in front of him. An expression of what appeared to be surprise crossed his face, but then he crouched down next to her.

“Does he belong with you?”

He had a deep, rich voice that seemed to wrap around her, but the sound of it finally broke her out of her shock and she hurried to join them, even as Ellie nodded.

“No, wait a minute. It—he—doesn’t belong to her. She just found it in the woods.”

But she was too late. The stranger had already passed the animal to Ellie and she was hugging it, making little sounds of delight.

“It appears that the kelinc disagrees. He seems quite content with her.”

The male smiled down at the pair and rose to his feet. His size had been obvious even from across the clearing, but it was much more obvious now that she was close to him. Her head barely reached his chest.

It should have intimidated her, but instead she felt oddly safe—as if he would put his big body between her and any danger. Don’t be ridiculous, she immediately scolded herself. She didn’t even know this male.

She focused on Ellie, still cooing over the creature.

“Are you sure that it—he—is safe? And how do you know what he is? Do you live here?”

“To answer your questions in reverse order, no, I do not live here. I know that he is a kelinc because his species was included in a survey that was done many years ago. And no, I do not believe he is a threat to her. The survey reported that they were loyal and affectionate. Unless threatened,” he added thoughtfully.

“But…”

“He does not perceive her as a threat,” he said firmly. “In fact, I suspect that he would defend her. Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Captain Vadrar of the Confederated Planets Patrol.”

“The Patrol?”

She finally noticed the weapon holstered at his hip and the insignia on his shoulder and realized he was wearing a uniform. A very tight-fitting uniform. She quickly dragged her gaze away from all those impressive muscles and smiled at him.

“Oh, thank goodness. We were going to try and get in touch with you but weren’t sure how long it was going to take. Are you here to rescue us? Oh, and I’m Jessica.”

“I am pleased to meet you, Jessica.”

He bowed, and his tail—his tail!—came up to curl gently around her wrist. The small raised nubs that covered his skin stroked pleasantly over her arm, and he froze, his eyes fixed on where his tail was touching her.

“I apologize,” he said stiffly as he removed his tail, but she waved a dismissive hand. Despite her initial shock, she didn’t mind the tail at all. No doubt it was their version of shaking hands.

“It’s fine. But you said you’re not from here?”

“No, I am Cire.”

“Are you here to rescue us?” she asked hopefully.

“We will of course do everything in our power to assist you, but unfortunately there may be a delay. Our ship was damaged, and we landed in order to enact repairs. We did detect a signal of some kind on the descent, which is why I followed the kelinc into the woods once I saw his… adornment.”

They both looked down at the sparkly pink ribbon still tied around the kelinc’s neck, and she laughed.

“Then I guess we have Ellie to thank for you finding us. And once the ship is repaired, you will take us back to Earth, won’t you?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

No. Vadrar’s instincts immediately protested the idea of losing the small female standing in front of him. He had never seen a more attractive female. Dark waves tumbled down around a softly curved face with eyes the color of a mountain lake. Her body too was softly, deliciously curved, and to his utter shock his shaft began to stiffen. How long had it been since he’d felt an attraction to a female?

He resolutely pushed the attraction aside, along with the impulse to keep her for himself. He was a Patrol officer and it was his duty to assist anyone in distress.

“Earth? Is that your planet? Where is it located?”

Perhaps he could arrange to switch his patrol to that area.

“I don’t really know,” she said doubtfully. “I mean, not in relation to where we are now. I think we were on the Vedeckian ship for about two weeks.”

“A Vedeckian ship?” His heart sank. “Did they take you away from your planet?”

“Yes, they did.” Her face looked adorably indignant. “We were camping for Oscar’s birthday when they came, and they took all of us.”

“This Earth is not even part of the Confederated Planets?” he asked, outraged. Were the Vedeckians now raiding primitive planets in search of slaves? Then he processed the rest of her words. “All of you? How many are there?”

“Me and Ellie, and Ellie’s brother, Oscar. Plus Laura and Hannah. Oh, and Ketaan is here as well.”

“Ketaan?”

“Yes, he’s the one who helped us escape.”

“You mean he is a Vedeckian?”

“Yes, but like I said, he’s the one who helped us escape.”

An accursed Vedeckian here on this planet? His frustration and rage found a target.

“I wish to speak to this Vedeckian,” he said grimly. “Where is your camp?”

She gave him a worried look, and took hold of his tail. It had been hovering next to her wrist, obviously intent on wrapping itself around her arm once more. As soon as her hands closed around it, a bolt of completely unexpected lust raced through his system. Unexpected… and impossible. She was not Cire. There could not be a bond between them. And yet his whole body was on fire with longing.

“He’s really been very helpful,” she repeated.

He did not like her praise for the other male, especially when she was holding his tail in her soft little hands. She squeezed it to emphasize her words, and he bit back a groan as his shaft jerked.

“I still wish to talk to him.”

His voice was on the edge of a growl, and she gave him another worried look before sighing.

“I suppose it has to happen sooner or later. It’s not as if we could leave him here. But you won’t send him to jail or anything, will you? He’s really just a boy.”

“I do not know,” he said truthfully. “But I will listen.”

It was the most he could promise for the moment.

“All right. This way. Come on Ellie.”

“B… bring Bunny?”

Jessica gave him an uncertain look, and he nodded.

“I guess that’s all right. As long as he wants to come,” she added.

“Come,” Ellie agreed happily as she stood, releasing the kelinc.

He rubbed a circle around her legs again before settling at her side, confirming Vadrar’s suspicion that the creature had bonded with the child.

They emerged from the woods into an open meadow filled with grasses. He stared in appalled horror at the damaged escape vessel and the crude framework they were building in front of the wreck. His female was being housed in such conditions? He instinctively put a protective arm around her shoulders, then realized his tail was already wrapped around her waist.

She gave him a startled look, and although she seemed more curious than alarmed, he removed his arm and his tail with a murmured apology. What is wrong with me?

He redirected his attention to the structure they were attempting to build. Two more females, one light and one dark, were working on it while a Vedeckian male lounged in the doorway of the vessel. A growl emerged as he stalked towards the Vedeckian. The females looked up at his approach, their eyes widening, but he paid little attention, his eyes on his target. He had almost reached him when the darker female stepped in front of him, spreading out her arms as if to block the Vedeckian from his view.

“Stop!” she cried, her voice shaking. “Who are you? What do you want with Ketaan?”

“It is all right, Laura,” the Vedeckian said, struggling to his feet and gently pushing her to one side. “He is a Patrol officer. He is simply doing his duty.”

“I don’t care. I’m not going to let him take you away.”

“Me either.” The other female joined her.

“Please wait a minute,” Jessica said, grabbing his tail again.

The touch of her hand did nothing to soothe his anger. He wanted to carry her far away from the despicable male responsible for the situation, but he could hear the concern in her voice.

“He has broken the law. It is my duty to take him into custody.”

“He is correct.” The Vedeckian gently tried to disengage the hand of the first female.

“No, he’s not. You didn’t know what they were going to do—and you helped us get away.”

Hadn’t Jessica made the same claim—and he had promised her that he would listen. He took a deep, calming breath, then studied the Vedeckian. He was very young, barely an adult, and while he was standing at attention, he was cradling what appeared to be a broken arm and Vadrar’s anger began to diminish.

“What is wrong with your arm?”

“He broke it trying to land the ship. The ship he used to help us escape.” The first female—Laura—glared at him, and he sighed and took a step back. Although the Vedeckian remained standing, Vadrar saw some of the tension leave his body.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Jessica said. “He really did try and help us.”

He was not entirely convinced—the Vedeckian reputation was difficult to overcome, especially finding one in the presence of three stolen females and a child. No, two children, he amended as a young male came dashing up. The boy gave him a fierce glare, brandishing one of the long grassy stalks like a weapon.

“Who are you? Leave them alone.”

“It’s all right, Oscar. This is Vadrar. He’s a Patrol officer, and he’s going to rescue us.”

To his surprise, the boy scowled.

“I don’t want to be rescued. This is real camping.”

“I know you’re having fun right now, Oscar,” she said patiently. “But we can’t stay here forever. We only have so many rations.”

“That’s why I was fishing.”

Fishing. The memory of fishing with his father washed over him as he finally understood the purpose of the long pole.

“That is an excellent idea. My crew is not fond of the dried rations either.” He looked around at the others. “I am afraid it is not possible to leave this planet immediately. Our ship is currently undergoing repairs.”

The boy’s face immediately brightened.

“Good. Then I’m going back to the river.”

“Wait a minute, please.” Jessica looked up at him. “How long is it going to take to make those repairs?”

“A week, perhaps two. My engineer is quite capable,” he assured her.

She sighed, then smiled at him.

“I guess it’s silly to be impatient. An hour ago, I thought we might be stuck here forever.”

“I will do everything in my power to make sure that your days on this planet are as comfortable as possible,” he vowed, eyeing the wrecked escape craft. “If you—all of you—would care to accompany me to my ship, I can at least provide better accommodations.”

The young male gave him a suspicious look.

“Are you by the river?”

“I am. And I would be most interested in learning more about your fishing techniques.”

“Are you sure? Do you have room for all of us?” Jessica asked, with a pointed look at the Vedeckian.

“We will make room.”

He wanted to insist that she accompanied him, but he could not force her. He searched the area for something that might tempt her, and the river gave him an idea.

“Our water system is fully operational if you would prefer to bathe inside rather than in the river.”

The three females exchanged glances, and then a small hand tugged on his pants. He looked down to find the little girl giving him a worried look.

“Bunny?”

“Yes, he may come as well.”

She beamed up at him, then bent over to stroke the kelinc.

“What do you think, Ketaan?” Laura asked.

“You should go with him,” the Vedeckian said at once. “You will be far more comfortable in a Patrol ship.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Interesting. The two seemed to have formed a strong attachment. While interspecies relationships were certainly not uncommon, especially since the Red Death, the Vedeckians rarely looked outside their own species—and few females were interested in a Vedeckian male. Jessica was giving the pair a worried look, and he strongly suspected that she would refuse to leave without the female.

“The invitation was extended to all of you,” he said. “Although I expect your full cooperation, Vedeckian.”

“His name is Ketaan.” Laura glared at him, and he inclined his head.

“Very well. Perhaps we should make our introductions. I am Captain Vadrar Tar’Craten. I have met Jessica and Ellie.”

“I’m Oscar,” the young male piped up. “Do you really not know how to fish?”

“I accompanied my father once, but it was a very, very long time ago. I would like to learn.”

“I used to go fishing with my dad—” the boy broke off, his mouth trembling.

Jessica put her hand on the boy’s shoulder, then returned to the introductions.

“This is Laura and Ketaan. And this is Hannah.”

“I am pleased to meet you all,” he said, not entirely truthfully. He would still have preferred not to be dealing with a Vedeckian, even if he seemed genuinely willing to help.

“You said you were working on your engines?” Hannah asked, her face eager.

“That is correct.”

“Do you think I could help? I was training to be an engineer, although I’m sure our technology is far less advanced.”

He hesitated. Revealing their technology to a more primitive civilization was strictly forbidden. However, before he could return them to their planet, he would have to erase their memories. There seemed little risk in allowing her to assist Tenrac if she was interested.

“I am sure that Tenrac would appreciate the help.”

“Then I guess it settled.” Jessica looked at the wreck and the half completed framework outside. “I guess there’s no point in saying we should gather our belongings since we don’t have any.”

“We could bring our rations,” Ketaan said.

He didn’t want to take anything from a Vedeckian, but with six extra people to feed, it was probably a reasonable suggestion. He nodded.

“I’ll get them,” Hannah said, disappearing into the wreck. She returned a moment later carrying three bags. “I also brought the survival kit and some of the electronic components I was studying. Is that all right?”

“Of course. And we are quite close if you should decide you need anything else,” he told Jessica.

She nodded, and they set off back across the meadow. The woods occupied a long spit of land and the river wound around it. Following the riverbank would have taken far longer than the direct route through the trees. Hannah and the young male led the way, glancing back occasionally to make sure they were on the right path. He followed with Jessica and Ellie, while Laura accompanied Ketaan behind them. The Vedeckian was obviously in pain although he was doing his best to hide it from the female, and he couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.

“There is a medical unit on my ship,” he said softly. “We should be able to repair his injury.”

“That would be a relief. Other than the first aid class Laura took, none of us have any medical training.”

“Is that when they became close—when she attended to him?”

“No, that happened on the ship. He was fascinated with her from the beginning. At first I think she was just humoring him, trying to find out more about our situation, but now I think she really cares for him. Even though there’s no future for them.”

“He cannot accompany her to your planet,” he agreed.

“What if she… decided to stay here?”

His heart skipped a beat. The very fact that she had considered the possibility created a spark of hope which he immediately did his best to extinguish. She was simply inquiring about the other female’s options, not her own.

“There is nothing which would prevent it,” he said carefully. “But I am not sure that it would be an easy life. The Vedeckians are not popular, and if he helped you escape then he would not be welcome amongst his own kind.”

“He said they would kill him. He doesn’t deserve that.” She bit her lip. “Are you going to arrest him?”

“I… I do not know.”

The Vedeckian had been involved in the transport of slaves, even if it had been unintentional. His duty required further investigation, and most probably confinement—but they were a long way from the Patrol offices and he hated the look of worry on his female’s face.

“I will consider the matter.”

“Thank you.”

She gave him a relieved smile and patted his tail—which was once more around her waist. Since she didn’t seem to object, he decided to leave it there.

A short time later, a small hand touched his pant leg again, and when he looked down, Ellie raised her arms to him. He bent down to pick her up and as he did, the kelinc climbed on his shoulders, draping itself around his neck as he rose with the girl in his arms.

Jessica laughed.

“You know, I’m pretty sure that’s not correct military posture.”

“It is my duty to provide assistance,” he said solemnly, and she laughed, a low infectious sound. He found himself smiling as they continued their journey, already anticipating Tenrac and Saela’s reaction when he arrived with his new entourage.

“Why was your engine damaged?” she asked a short time later.

“We engaged a Vedeckian ship—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it engaged us. It fired on us as soon as it detected our presence.”

“What happened to the ship?” Ketaan asked, his voice strained.

He hesitated, then said slowly. “It was destroyed, although not due to our actions. It appeared that the weapons system overheated and exploded.”

Laura gave the Vedeckian an anxious look.

“Are you all right? I know you hadn’t been there long, but—”

“I am relieved,” Ketaan said firmly. “It means that they are no longer searching for us.”

The ship’s aggressive attitude made more sense now that he realized the potential wealth that had escaped. Three females, plus two children would fetch a considerable sum on the underground market. Nonetheless, it had been foolish of the captain to attack—it would have been better to flee and return for their bounty later.

“I do not understand why they attacked you.” The Vedeckian echoed his thoughts. “Did you monitor any transmissions before the explosion?”

“We were rather busy evading their attack,” he said dryly. “Why?”

Before the other male could answer, they reached his ship.

CHAPTER NINE

Jessica felt as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders as she walked through the woods with Vadrar. It wasn’t just the relief of knowing that they wouldn’t be trapped on this planet forever. There was also an odd feeling of… companionship. The girls were wonderful, but they were so young. Everything about Vadrar spoke to a level of maturity, of responsibility, that felt far more akin to her own life experience.

His tail was a warm comforting weight around her waist again. No doubt that was one of their customs and he had done the same thing with many of his own females. She scowled at the thought as a completely illogical flash of jealousy washed over her. She resolutely pushed it aside as they emerged from the woods and she stopped to stare at his ship.

The large, wedge-shaped ship covered in pitted grey metal was not what she had expected. Even perched on the ground, it looked fast and deadly. Instead of the meadow in which they had crashed, the ship had landed on a huge slab of rock that jutted out into the river. It dominated its surroundings, a striking contrast to the soft colors of the surrounding greenery.

“This is the Protector,” Vadrar said. “And that is my crew.”

She followed his gaze to the two other people next to the ship. One was a shirtless Cire male working on one of the huge engines that flanked the rear of the ship, parts scattered around him. He was so intent on his work that he didn’t immediately notice their arrival. The other crewmember looked completely different. A short robe that appeared to be a variation on the males’ uniforms draped over a round little body perched atop long, thin legs. She had a crest of faded pink and blue feathers atop a face with a sharp beak-like nose and bright dark eyes that were currently fixed on them.

“It appears you found more than you bargained for,” she said in a high, twittering voice.

“Indeed. They are refugees from a Vedeckian ship.”

The other Cire male looked up when Vadrar spoke, his eyes widening as they all entered the clearing, but as soon as he saw Ketaan, he swore and stalked towards them.

“A thrice-cursed Vedeckian? Why is he not cuffed? I will take him to the brig immediately.”

“You will do no such thing,” Laura snapped, stepping in front of Ketaan. “Vadrar said he wasn’t going to arrest him.”

“You said what?”

The new male turned towards them and Jessica decided that he must be considerably younger than Vadrar. His face was more open, and the ridges that marked his skin were less pronounced.

“The Vedeckian claims to have helped them escape,” Vadrar said calmly.

“It’s not a claim, it’s a fact.” Laura glared at both of them as Hannah stepped up beside her.

“He did help us,” the other girl agreed.

At the sound of her voice, the Cire’s head snapped around, immediately focusing on her. She returned his look, her eyes widening as she took in the muscular expanse of his shirtless chest. Great. The last thing she needed was another infatuated girl on her hands.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” she asked, looking for a distraction.

“Of course. This is Tenrac. He is our engineer. And this is Saela. She is my second-in-command and handles communications.”

“And don’t forget weapons,” the female cackled.

Ellie had been watching all of this with wide eyes, still tucked against Vadrar’s chest, but when Saela spoke, her head came up.

“B… bird?”

The female’s face softened.

“That’s right, little one. My ancestors were avian. Not like these two. They had lizards for grandfathers.”

“I believe the Vedeckian ship was looking for their escape pod,” Vadrar said, ignoring her. “It is our duty to assist them, and once the ship is operational, we will return them to their planet.”

He looked over at Tenrac on his last statement, and Jessica saw the young male’s tail flick back and forth. Those tails really are amazingly expressive, she thought even as Vadrar’s tail looped around her wrist again.

Oscar had been standing next to Hannah, unusually silent, but he finally stepped forward.

“Is that a real spaceship?” he asked, a speculative look on his face.

“It is indeed.” Vadrar smiled down at him. “Would you like to see inside?”

“Oh, boy. We didn’t get to see the last ship.”

“We must remedy that at once.” He looked over at Tenrac. “We will need to make sure that the females are comfortable.”

“Of course. My cabin is available.”

“I’m staying in mine,” Saela said immediately. “But the little ones are welcome on my couch.”

Tears suddenly threatened. These three strangers were far less human-looking than the Vedeckians, but so much more welcoming.

“I don’t want to put you out. You don’t have to give up your cabins for us.”

Vadrar’s tail tightened briefly around her wrist.

“Of course we do. It is our—”

“Your duty?” she asked.

His eyes met hers, and once again she felt that odd connection between them.

“No, it is our pleasure.”

“It certainly is,” Tenrac said cheerfully, then looked down at his greasy hands with a rueful smile. “Although I am sure that my cabin needs to be tidied and I will have to clean up first.”

“I am sure it does,” Vadrar said dryly. “But there is no rush. Why not continue with your work for now?”

“Can I watch?” Hannah asked eagerly. “I’ve been studying the engine of the rescue ship—what’s left of it—but I have a lot of questions.”

“I would be delighted for you to watch.” Tenrac grinned at her, and indicated that she should follow him as he headed back to the engine. “There are some commonalities with the Vedeckian technology, but I think you’ll find…”

“What about Ketaan?” Laura demanded as the two left. “You said you had a medical unit?”

“Aye, we do.” Saela pursed her small mouth in obvious disapproval as she surveyed the Vedeckian, then gave a grudging nod. “Come with me. I reckon it can even handle a Vedeckian.”

Laura scowled at the older female, but Ketaan put a restraining arm on her hand before she could speak.

“I would be most grateful for your assistance,” he said quietly.

Saela snorted, but gestured for them to follow her into the ship. Oscar was clearly ready to dash after them, but Jessica put her hand on his shoulder.

“Why don’t we let Vadrar give us the tour?”

“Now?”

“Right now.”

Vadrar looked down at where his tail was still curled around her wrist, a thoughtful look on his face, and she expected him to pull it away. He did, but then he held out his hand instead. She hesitated for a second, then placed her hand in his much larger one, and his fingers closed around hers with a reassuring grip. How long had it been since she held hands with anyone? Was this just another Cire custom? Was it something more?

It can’t be anything more, she reminded herself. They would be returning to Earth soon. Or maybe not so soon, she amended, looking over at the collection of parts on the ground surrounding Tenrac and Hannah. He was clearly lecturing her on the engine, his tail flicking, and she looked enthralled. Jessica wondered how much that enthrallment was due to the technology, and how much was due to the young male talking to her.

We all need to remember this is temporary.

“Unfortunately, that is correct,” Vadrar said solemnly, and she realized she had spoken aloud. “I am sure you wish to return to your life.”

She suddenly found herself wondering what that life was going to look like as he guided her up the landing ramp and onto the ship. As far as she could tell, they had been gone for at least two weeks and even if Vadrar’s estimate of a week for repairs was correct, they would have been away for well over a month before they returned.

And then what? Would she even have a job to return to? Especially since she had no way of explaining her absence. She shuddered at the thought of trying to explain to Bob that they had been abducted by aliens. Since she had no wish to be confined to a mental institution, she would have to come up with an alternate explanation. She was still trying to think of one when Vadrar came to a halt.

The landing ramp had opened into a corridor that bisected the ship. He pointed to the doors lining the back wall.

“This section contains the medical unit, storage rooms, and the training room.”

“What kind of training?” Oscar asked.

“A warrior trains his mind and body to be prepared at all times.”

“A warrior? You mean like a fighter?” Oscar sighed. “I was going to start karate this year.”

A wave of guilt washed over her. He had mentioned it to her, but she had been so busy trying to juggle everything else that she had forgotten.

“I do not know this karate, but I would be happy to begin your training,” Vadrar said solemnly.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she whispered as Oscar cheered. “He’s only a little boy.”

“I started at an early age.” He smiled at her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I will not let him come to harm.”

“Me,” Ellie said suddenly, surprising them both.

“You what?” she asked.

“Do you want to train as well?” Vadrar asked, and Ellie nodded eagerly.

“Then I would be happy to include you. But let us continue the tour.”

He indicated a set of stairs that led down at the back of the ship.

“Those lead to the engine room, along with more storage rooms. And the brig,” he added.

“But you’re not sending Ketaan there, right?”

“Not as a prisoner, no. But it might serve as accommodation. Tenrac and I will sleep in the training room.”

She tried to protest again, but he ignored her, opening a set of double doors that led to the front of the ship.

“This is the galley and crew lounge.”

There was a compact kitchen, along with a built-in dining area and several built-in couches. It wasn’t a large area, but everything was neat and well kept. Two doors led off the other side, and he explained they were the crew cabins.

“I will not show you Tenrac’s quarters as I am sure they are in disarray. I was never able to convince him of the value of order in his personal space. I will let Saela show you her quarters.”

He led them through a door at the far end into a smaller corridor. “The bridge is up ahead.”

“Cool. Can I go look?” Oscar was practically jumping with eagerness.

“You may.”

“But don’t touch anything,” she called after him as he took off.

Ellie squirmed to be let down, and then both she and the kelinc followed Oscar before Jessica could object.

“Do not worry. There is nothing they can damage.”

“You might be surprised,” she said dryly, but smiled at him. “What else is up here?”

“That is a meeting room and formal dining area, although we rarely use it. And these are my quarters,” he said, opening another door. “You will stay here, of course.”

She followed him into the room. It was as neat and well-kept as the rest of the ship. Although the space was compact, it contained a small seating area, a big desk, and a very large bed at the back of the space. She was suddenly very aware of the warmth of his body and the fact that they were alone. Her hand was still in his, and she felt his tail curl around her waist as she looked up at him. He returned her gaze as the air seemed to thicken between them. She wasn’t quite sure if she stepped forward or if his tail pulled her closer, but their bodies were almost touching, his spicy scent filling her head. She put her hand on his chest, warm and hard beneath her fingers.

“Thank you for helping us,” she whispered.

“I do not want your thanks.”

His voice was almost a growl, sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Her nipples tightened into stiff points beneath the soft fabric of her pajamas, and she found herself leaning towards him.

The clatter of footsteps interrupted the moment, and she stepped back just as Oscar appeared in the doorway.

Heat rushed her cheeks as she realized she had been seconds away from kissing him. Kissing an alien that she had met only a short time ago. By any rational standards, it was much too fast. But I don’t have much time, a little voice inside her head objected. They would be returning to Earth and then he would become nothing but a distant memory. That thought was unexpectedly painful, but she firmly pushed it aside as she turned to face her nephew.

“You gotta see this, Aunt Jess. It’s just like a movie.” Then he frowned at her. “Why is your face all red?”

“Umm, it must be hot in here. Why don’t I come look at the bridge?”

She couldn’t bring herself to look at Vadrar as she hurried after Oscar.

CHAPTER TEN

Vadrar took a moment to compose himself before following his female and her children. Not my female, he reminded himself despite the desire surging through his system. His cock pressed painfully against his pants, stiffer than he ever remembered it being. They had barely touched, but the closeness of their bodies, her small hand on his chest and his tail wrapped around the luscious softness of her waist had been enough to create a wave of arousal. Her scent filled his head—sweet and perfect and right.

In fact, everything about her felt right, in a way that was only supposed to happen when a Cire met his true mate. She was not Cire, she couldn’t possibly be his mate, but when she had been standing in front of him that didn’t seem to matter. Visions of stripping her body bare and exploring all the luscious details with his mouth and his hands and his tail had filled his head. How different were these humans?

I will never know, he reminded himself. It would be better to keep my distance.

The thought made his chest ache, but he pushed it aside and went to join them, determined not to waste a moment of the short time they had together. But as soon as he did, Ellie reached for him, Oscar started peppering him with questions, and Jessica gave him a warm smile despite the color still tinting her cheeks, and all thought of maintaining a separation between them disappeared.

After he answered as many of Oscar’s questions as he could, they returned to the lounge just as Saela entered with Laura and the Vedeckian. His arm was still in a sling, but he was clearly more comfortable and pain no longer etched his features.

“Are you feeling better, Ketaan?” Jessica asked, and he had to suppress a disapproving growl.

He did not like her concern for the other male. She gave him a surprised look, and he realized that his tail was tugging her against his side. He forced himself to release her, but to his satisfaction, she did not immediately move away.

“My arm feels much better, thanks to Mistress Saela.”

His second snorted, but she seemed pleased.

“Nothing particularly tricky about Vedeckians. At least not their anatomy.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Ketaan said meekly, but he saw him smile before he dipped his head.

“Have the sleeping arrangements been settled?” Saela asked.

“Yes. Jessica will take my quarters.”

“Fine. And I will take the children.”

“Are you sure?” Jessica asked. “His bed is big enough for all of us.”

The words hung there for a moment as Saela’s beak twitched, obviously amused, but she shook her head.

“They’ll be fine with me. You’ll… sleep better without them.”

The color returned to his female’s face at the implication in Saela’s words, but she turned to the children instead.

“Do you want to stay with me in Vadrar’s cabin, or sleep in Miss Saela’s room?”

Oscar gave the female a suspicious look.

“Do we gotta sleep with you?”

Saela’s high-pitched laugh escaped.

“No, I have a couch for you. Do you want to see it?”

Oscar studied her for another moment, then nodded and he and Ellie followed Saela into her room. Even though she had chosen to leave Trevelor behind, she had decorated her quarters to remind her of her homeworld. The walls were painted in bright pastels, an abundance of plants filled every spare inch, and all of the furnishings were equally colorful. He saw Ellie’s face light up as they entered and suspected that she at least would prefer the colorful environment to his more sedate quarters.

“What about us?” Laura asked.

“Tenrac’s cabin has bunk beds so I thought they would be appropriate for you and Hannah.”

“And what about Ketaan?”

“He would be comfortable in the brig. Not as a prisoner,” he added hastily when her mouth opened. “But the space is adequately equipped.”

“I’m not sure that I trust you.”

The female folded her arms over her chest as Jessica sighed.

“Laura, they are just trying to help.”

“They say that now, but what if that changes? No one seems to like the Vedeckians, so I don’t believe that anyone is going to object if they change their mind. Other than me.”

“All of us would.” Jessica looked up at him. “And you promised, didn’t you?”

To the best of his recollection, he had only promised to consider the matter, but how could he betray his female’s faith in him? He could also see the concern behind the young female’s belligerence, and he nodded.

“I swear by Granthar that I will not arrest Ketaan. However, I do expect him to assist with our inquiries,” he added to assuage his conscience.

Now it was the Vedeckian’s turn to look hesitant, but then he too nodded.

“I will answer any questions you wish to ask.”

The distinction did not escape him. The Vedeckian had no intention of volunteering information other than what was asked, but he could not entirely blame the male. His race might be primarily interested in trade, but they were vicious enemies with a long memory. He couldn’t blame the other male for wanting to avoid retaliation, even though he suspected it was already too late.

“Very well.” Laura still looked hesitant, so he added, “Why don’t you go and take a look? If he does not wish to sleep there, the only alternative would be the medical lab.”

Laura shuddered. “I hate doctors’ offices and hospital rooms. Come on, Ketaan. Let’s see what this jail is like.”

The two of them left, and Jessica sighed.

“Laura was raised primarily by her grandmother and she died last year after a long illness. That’s why she dislikes anything that reminds her of that.”

“She did very well earlier.” Saela snorted as she rejoined them. “Probably too worried about that damn Vedeckian.”

“He is our guest,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, yeah.” She shook her head, but smiled at him before turning to Jessica. “The children approve of the arrangement.”

Oscar nodded. “Her couches are like big old beanbags. It’s kind of cool.”

“And you, Ellie?”

He would not be truthful if he did not admit that it had occurred to him that if the children were sleeping in Saela’s quarters, then he would have a chance to be alone with Jessica. Despite that, he would never expect the children to do so unless they were willing. That didn’t prevent him from feeling relieved when Ellie nodded.

“P… pretty.”

“High praise, indeed.” Jessica laughed. “Maybe we should get some decorating tips for your room at home.”

Her face sobered, even as the ache returned to his chest. Oscar frowned, and Ellie’s mouth suddenly trembled. Saela studied them all from her bright little eyes, then abruptly changed the subject.

“Now who’s hungry?”

“For more rations?” Oscar asked suspiciously.

“I think we can do better than that. We do carry some fresh food on board.”

“May I help?” Jessica asked. “I enjoy cooking.”

“Why not? I’ll put all you lazy people to work.”

Saela shook her finger playfully at them. Ellie giggled, and even Oscar grinned as they followed her.

“Can we talk later?” Jessica asked quietly.

“Of course. I will be here whenever you need me.”

He meant for much more than conversation, and perhaps she suspected it because she ran her fingers gently down his tail before sliding it away from her waist as she went to join the others. Although he was sure she had meant it only as a gesture of thanks, the touch of her hand on such a sensitive area sent another bolt of lust through him. He took a quick series of calming breaths before going to find Tenrac.

He hoped that his ward had actually continued to make progress on the repairs rather than being distracted by the presence of the young female. He was not entirely surprised to find that both had occurred. The repair work continued, but since Tenrac was explaining everything he did to Hannah, his pace had slowed considerably. She appeared equally fascinated—both with the machinery and Tenrac.

It was easy to tell that she was unfamiliar with the technology, but her questions were intelligent and he suspected it would not be long before she grasped much of their technology. He wondered again if he should warn her that he would have to remove the knowledge before allowing her to return to Earth but once again decided to let it drop.

He also considered reprimanding Tenrac and encouraging him to work faster, but then he decided there was no hurry. And perhaps he too welcomed the delay. As long as he could provide adequately for his new responsibilities, then he relished the thought of additional time together. His duty would not allow him to put their departure off forever, but the repairs continued to be made and for now there was no place else he would rather be.

The question of providing for them recurred after their meal. They had all crowded around the dining table, even the Vedeckian, to enjoy the surprisingly delicious meal. Saela was quick to praise Jessica for her contribution.

“This female knows how to cook. Someone will be lucky to get her,” she said, giving him another sly look.

Jessica laughed, blushed, and shook her head.

“I hope a man would want me for more than my cooking.”

“There is no doubt of that,” he murmured quietly in her ear as the conversation around the table continued.

She was sitting next to him, and once again his tail was wrapped around her waist. He had stopped trying to fight the impulse, especially since she had yet to voice an objection, and she patted it again at his words. He really should tell her the effect that had on him, but then again, she might stop if he did. He was determined to enjoy these brief touches despite his almost painful arousal. Her touch was worth the torture.

Ellie was on his other side, and he noticed that she was taking food from her plate and dropping it beneath the table for the kelinc. Instead of objecting, he simply added more food to her plate, then looked around at the rest of the table. How long had it been since he had shared a meal like this? Not since his childhood. Long before the Red Death had taken his parents, it had cast a shadow over life on Ciresia. People isolated themselves and those big family meals became a relic of the past. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed it until this moment.

The feeling of satisfaction lingered, even when Saela pulled him aside after the meal.

“We have enough rations, but our supply of fresh food is not going to last long with this many people. Is there anything edible on this planet?”

“Our scans didn’t reveal any larger animals, and the Vedeckian indicated the same.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But the boy mentioned fishing. Perhaps that is an option.”

“Then get to it. Let’s see if you’re as good a fisherman as you are a captain,” she said with a grin.

Oscar was delighted to show him the fishing rod he had made and watched anxiously as he made one as well. They baited their hooks with edible fungi, then stood together on the riverbank watching their lines bob in the current. As they stood there, he remembered the time he had gone with his father. It had just been the one time, but it still remained clear in his mind. He had held on to the memory, just as he had held on to the lure, because it was such a rare occurrence. His father was a busy male, never unkind, but dedicated to his job. The fishing trip had been one of the few instances where he had put aside his work to spend the day with his son.

And I would have been the same, he thought. If the Red Death hadn’t come, if he had remained on Ciresia and found a mate. He had followed his father into a career and he suspected he would have followed his path into fatherhood as well. But this, this unhurried time with Oscar, this too had value. The air was warm and still, the sun sparkled on the water, and the breeze carried the scent of flowers. He was content.

A slight but perceptible vibration beneath their feet disturbed his contentment. He looked over at Oscar, but the boy seemed undisturbed.

“Did you feel that?”

“Yeah. It’s just a little earthquake. We had ‘em all the time where I used to live.”

“I see.”

His impulse was to return to the ship immediately and check the monitors, but he did not see any signs of danger and he had promised the boy that they would fish. He cast another line.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jessica looked up from the fruit she and Saela had been preparing as Oscar and Vadrar returned to the ship. They had fishing poles over their shoulders and a string of fish in each hand, and something about the scene reminded her of a Norman Rockwell painting. Of course, Rockwell’s paintings had never incorporated a large green alien, and the fish were not exactly fish. They were long and thin like a cross between a fish and a flat snake. The thought made her shudder and she quickly shoved it aside and concentrated on Oscar’s beaming face.

He was talking excitedly, his hands waving. She didn’t think she’d seen him that happy since his parents’ death, and her heart ached. Vadrar’s tail was draped casually over the boy’s shoulder, the same way a human man would put his hand there, and he was smiling down at the boy as he listened intently. Oscar must have missed that male influence, she realized. He had been surrounded by women for the past six months and he was obviously reveling in the male companionship. There certainly wasn’t anyone in her life back on Earth to provide a similar role model. He looked up and grinned when he saw her watching and raced over.

“Look at all the fish we got, Aunt Jess. And I got most of them.”

“You did? Does that mean that Vadrar isn’t a very good fisherman?” She smiled up at Vadrar as she spoke, and he smiled back. There it was again—that feeling of connection.

“Nah, he’s not too bad,” Oscar said.

“I had an excellent teacher,” Vadrar said solemnly, and Oscar actually blushed.

“I’ll go get the bucket,” he said and raced off.

“We will clean the fish a short distance away.”

“Are you sure they’re edible?” she asked doubtfully. They didn’t look any more appealing close-up.

“The scan says that they are non-toxic.” He hesitated. “However, I cannot guarantee that they are pleasant tasting.”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

He nodded and looked at the platters in front of her. “What do you have there?”

“A couple of varieties of fruit. Laura and Ketaan walked along the riverbank to where there are some smaller trees and bushes and gathered these.”

They had been gone for a considerable length of time as well, and they had both been smiling when they returned. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that. On one hand, she was glad that their growing… affection had helped ease the stress of the abduction, but what was going to happen when they had to return to Earth? Laura was a legal adult, and Jessica certainly wasn’t her mother, but her conscience told her that she at least needed to talk to the girl before things went any further.

“I see.” Vadrar didn’t add anything else, but from the look on his face, she suspected her expression had been easy to read.

Ellie had been helping with the fruit as well, although her help consisted primarily of taking pieces of prepared fruit and either eating them herself or offering them to Bunny. Both of them were now asleep, curled together in a sunny patch next to her.

“All non-toxic, but not all tasty,” Saela said, frowning down at a round red fruit larger than a grape but smaller than a tomato. “This one is very sour.”

“It kind of reminds me of something we call a lemon. It might work with the fish,” she said thoughtfully. “And maybe we could make it into a drink, if we have something to sweeten it with.”

Saela smiled at her. “I’m willing to give it a try. Your other suggestions turned out pretty well.”

Vadrar nodded in agreement, but he was staring down at the ground.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Did you feel the ground shake earlier?”

She and Saela both nodded.

“Like a little mini earthquake.”

“That is what Oscar said. He said they are quite common where he is from.”

“That’s right. They have a lot of little ones, and an occasional big one. Those are dangerous, but mainly because of the damage they cause to buildings and roads.” She gestured around the clearing. “I don’t think there’s a lot to worry about here. Is everything on the ship fastened down?”

“Anything of value. We sometimes have to make fast maneuvers.” He frowned again. “But it would be best to know the scope of the issue. Saela, can you monitor for seismic activity?”

“The ship’s equipment isn’t really designed for that, but I’ll see what I can do. There was no mention of that type of activity in the original survey report.”

“It might depend on how long they were here. From what I remember, even in an area that’s prone to them they don’t happen on any kind of regular schedule.” Her sister had mentioned it once when she was visiting, and she tried to remember what she’d said. “I think I was told that sometimes the smaller tremors will occur more frequently until a larger one releases the tension and then they all stop for a while. I think,” she added doubtfully.

“Which could mean that we could be due for one of those larger earthquakes. Saela?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m on it. Can you take over here, Jessica?”

“Sure. I’ll finish cleaning these.”

Of the other two types of fruit that Laura and Ketaan had brought back, one was pleasant raw and one they had decided to cook. The third was the sour red fruit that reminded her of a lemon, and she decided to try and extract the juice.

“And I see my guide returning,” Vadrar said as Oscar came bouncing over. “Unless you need our help?”

“I’m fine. Go clean your fish. Preferably downwind.”

“Do you want to learn how to clean a fish, Aunt Jess?”

She was delighted that Oscar was willing to include her, but she was happy to let him spend time with Vadrar while he could. She gave an exaggerated shudder.

“No, thank you. I am perfectly happy with my fruit. Although I suspect I’ll be cleaning you later. Both of you,” she added, taking in his grubby appearance, and looking down at Ellie’s fruit-stained face.

Oscar just grinned and headed over to the far side of the rock outcropping with Vadrar. She smiled as she watched them set to work, then looked around at the others. Tenrac was still working on the engine with Hannah’s eager assistance, while Laura and Ketaan were resting in the shade of the large trees. Although Ketaan was clearly better, the gathering trip had obviously exhausted him and Laura had insisted that he rest. The two of them were talking, their voices too low for her to hear, but Ketaan looked more relaxed than he ever had before. Once again, she worried about the upcoming separation, but right now, with the late afternoon sun slanting to the trees and everybody at ease, it seemed very far away.

HER WORRIES RESURFACED that night after the evening meal. The meal had turned out surprisingly well. The fish had a delicate pink flesh with an almost sweet taste, and the sour fruit juice provided a pleasant contrast. The fruit they had roasted turned out somewhere between a potato and squash and it was certainly edible, if a little bland. Everyone had eaten enthusiastically, although she suspected that fresh air and work had contributed to their appetites. But then after the meal, Laura announced that she and Ketaan were going for another walk.

“Do you think you should?” she couldn’t help asking. “There isn’t much moonlight.”

It turned out that the planet did have a moon, but it was very far away and provided only a faint light.

“We’ll be fine by the river,” Laura said firmly and tugged on Ketaan’s hand. He gave Jessica an apologetic smile, but rose and followed Laura anyway.

“I know what those two are up to,” Hannah said, giggling, and Tenrac gave her a puzzled look.

“There is nowhere for them to climb.”

“I didn’t mean up like climbing. I meant up as in what they’re planning to do.”

Hanna’s eyes sparkled with mischief, and she looked so pretty that Jessica wasn’t surprised at Tenrac’s look of devotion.

“What are they planning?”

“Even I know that.” Oscar rolled his eyes. “They’re going K. I. S. S. I. N. G.”

“Why do you think they’re going to be kissing?” she asked, her heart sinking.

“They were doing it this afternoon. I saw.” Clearly uninterested in the activity, he looked over at Saela. “Can you finish telling us about the walking trees?”

“All right.” Saela looked over at Jessica and smiled. “I’ll let you have this conversation.”

Both children had been well scrubbed and were now proudly wearing Vadrar’s shirts—at his insistence. She had cut them down as best she could, but they still needed work. Fortunately Laura had agreed to help her adjust them tomorrow.

She promised to come in and tell them good night, and then Saela gathered up the children and the kelinc and disappeared into her room as Tenrac and Vadrar looked at each other.

“What is kissing?” Tenrac asked, and Hannah giggled again.

“You mean you don’t kiss? It’s when you put your mouths together.”

Jessica’s silent sigh of relief that apparently these two hadn’t gone that far disappeared as she saw Tenrac focusing on Hannah’s mouth.

“It’s just a human custom,” she said quickly as she rose to her feet. “Now who’s going to help me clean up?”

Tenrac was polite enough to volunteer immediately, and together the four of them cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then he announced he was going to do some additional work in the engine room inside the ship, and Hannah volunteered to accompany him. Jessica suspected that more than the engine room was going to be examined, but how could she object? The sigh she had previously suppressed escaped as she watched them leave. When she turned back, Vadrar was watching her, and the look on his face made her breath catch.

“I don’t think they’re really going to work on the engine.” Her voice came out unexpectedly husky.

“No,” he agreed in that low growl that sent a shiver down her spine as his tail tugged her closer. “I am not interested in engines either.”

“What are you interested in?”

“I wish to know more about this kissing. It sounds most… interesting.”

She licked suddenly dry lips and his eyes followed the move. Her nipples tightened into stiff little peaks as he pulled her closer, and she almost moaned when they rubbed against the firm muscles of his chest. He started to lower his head, then paused.

“This is acceptable?”

There were probably a million reasons why she should say no, but at the moment she couldn’t think of any of them. Instead, she slid her hands around his neck and pulled his head down.

Their mouths touched. His mouth felt different but not unpleasant, although he didn’t respond at first. Of course he wouldn’t know what to do. She licked along the thin seam of his mouth and felt him stiffen. Afraid that he found the experience unpleasant, she started to pull away, but his tail tightened around her waist, bringing her more closely against him—close enough to feel the thick ridge of his erection. Oh. Apparently, he didn’t find it unpleasant after all.

He was still motionless against her, so she decided to go a little further.

“Open your mouth a little,” she whispered, and he obeyed.

She licked tentatively into his mouth, and he stiffened even further. He tasted delicious, and she gathered her courage and delved a little deeper. She touched his tongue—wide and thick and covered with the same raised nubs that covered the rest of his skin. She couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like against her breasts or clit, but then her thoughts shattered as he growled and took over the kiss.

He devoured her like a starving male, that amazing tongue setting all of her senses on fire. He buried one hand in her hair, holding her in place for his kiss while his other hand clamped down on her ass, pressing her even more tightly against his erection, and his tail… His tail was everywhere, slipping between their bodies to pluck at her aching nipples before curving around her stomach and sliding down between her legs. Her whole body shuddered as he brushed against her clit, and she felt him stiffen before he raised his head.

“That is unpleasant?”

“God, no. It’s just very sensitive.”

“Here?”

His tail moved again, exploring, and she couldn’t help giving a soft cry as he pressed against her exactly where she needed him. A look of purely male satisfaction crossed his face.

“Ah. There.”

He stroked against her again, and then his tail disappeared. She almost cried out again at the loss, but then it was back, sliding down inside her pajama pants. The nubbed surface glided between her soaked folds, brushing directly against her swollen clit. She already hovered on the verge of coming, but then he dipped lower, the tip of his tail probing at her entrance while still rubbing wonderfully against her clit and she couldn’t hold back any longer. Her whole body shuddered as the orgasm rushed over her, leaving her weak and trembling in his arms.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Vadrar cradled Jessica’s quivering body in his arms. He had never been so hard, his cock throbbing painfully, but he was filled with satisfaction that he had given her pleasure. Her body finally stopped shaking, and she looked up at him with an expression he couldn’t read. Not regret, he thought, but perhaps an acknowledgment of the situation.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” she murmured.

“Do you have regrets?”

She hesitated for a moment and his heart skipped a beat, but then she slowly shook her head.

“No, no regrets. But is it hypocritical of me to hope that neither of the girls will take it this far?”

“No. You feel responsible for them, just as I feel responsible for Tenrac.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Are you worried about him and how he will feel when they—when we—have to leave?”

“I am ashamed to say that I had not considered it. I was only happy that he had found a… companion.”

“Why are you both alone? You are obviously attractive, desirable males.”

His cock jerked at the knowledge that she found him attractive. He felt her arch against him in response before shaking her head and pulling back.

“Stop distracting me. Why are you both alone?”

He sighed, reluctant to bring up the past, but she deserved to know.

“The Confederated Planets systems were afflicted by a plague we called the Red Death. Some species were lost entirely while others were only lightly touched. But of those species who were affected, a disproportionate number of those lost were females. On our planet, Ciresia, we lost all of our females and with them, our future.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible. I’m so very sorry.” She patted his chest, and bit her lip. “But you said that not everyone was affected. Aren’t there still females you could have chosen?”

“Cire males are different. We can only find true satisfaction if we knot inside a female.”

“Knot?”

“The base of my cock will swell inside the right female’s cunt, locking us together as she climaxes.”

Her eyes widened, but he also caught the increased scent of her arousal.

“The right female?” she whispered.

“Yes, our true mate. I was always taught that the right female could only be a Cire female. I am no longer convinced that is true.” He took her hand and pressed it gently against his erection. “I have never felt this level of desire before.”

“Does that mean you would, err, knot if we were to make love?”

Her face had turned that enchanting shade of pink again, but she looked him in the eye as she waited for him to respond.

“I do not know,” he said honestly. “This… connection between us feels right, but you are not Cire.”

“I think that’s pretty obvious.” She hesitated, then asked, “And without this knot, you can’t climax?”

“I can climax, but I cannot achieve a true climax. And there is another factor as well.”

“I am almost afraid to ask.”

“Our seed is not fertile unless this occurs. That is why our race is dying in spite of everything the Council is trying to do to prevent it.”

“That’s truly terrible. I can’t imagine a whole race of people disappearing.”

“It is a terrible thing,” he agreed. “That is why Tenrac and I left Ciresia behind, although the Council is still trying. They have had some minimal success with incubators and artificial reproduction, but it is a desperate effort.”

She leaned against him, and tightened her arms around his waist.

“I really am very sorry. I think it would be a great loss to these Confederated Planets of yours if there were no more people like you. And Tenrac,” she added.

He sighed, returning her hug.

“I have had many years to become accustomed to the idea, but it is still difficult to accept. Of course, we have heard rumors from time to time that there have been successes—that the incubator process has become more refined and they are achieving better results.”

He stopped abruptly as he remembered another rumor he had heard. He had paid little attention at the time, long since tired of having his hopes raised and then painfully dashed.

“I heard something else,” he said slowly. “It was only a rumor, and it was so farfetched that I paid little attention.”

“What was the rumor?”

“That a few Cire males had found mates who were not Cire females. It seemed so improbable that I dismissed it, but now… now I wonder.”

Her small pink tongue darted out to touch her lips again, and he had to sternly suppress the urge to kiss her.

“You don’t… you don’t think that I…?”

Did he think she was his mate? It seemed impossible, even though he couldn’t deny the connection between them. But she looked more concerned than excited and he did not respond immediately, considering his words first.

“As I said, it was only a rumor. I have not personally seen or spoken to anyone with actual knowledge.” No matter how much he suddenly wished he had tried to trace the source of that rumor.

“I see. And other than this… knot, there’s no way of telling?”

“There are other signs, but they certainly are not guarantees.”

“What kind of signs?”

He deliberately stroked his tail across her ass, resisting the temptation to drive back between her legs.

“It is said that the tail always knows.”

“You do have a very friendly tail,” she agreed with a smile, reaching for his tail.

Her hand caressed him, and this time he did not suppress his reaction. Her eyes widened, and he knew she could feel his erection pulsing against her stomach.

“Oh my God. It turns you on when I touch your tail, doesn’t it?”

“It is arousing.”

A new rush of pink covered her face.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I thought it was more like shaking hands or something.”

“I did not tell you because I did not want you to stop.”

“You mean you want me to do this?” She stroked her hand down his tail.

“Oh, yes.”

“Or even this?”

Her hand tightened around him in a firm, wonderful grip, almost as if she were gripping his cock the same way, and he groaned again.

“Definitely very pleasurable.”

“Or even this?” she whispered.

He froze as she lifted his tail to her mouth and sucked gently on the end. The suction seemed to reach deep inside him, and he could feel his useless seed dampening the head of his cock.

“Mmm. It tastes like both of us together.”

Her expression turned dreamy as she licked him, then sucked again, a little harder this time.

By Granthar, had anything ever felt so good? Reluctantly, he put his hand over hers and drew his tail away from her tempting mouth.

“If you continue, I will disgrace myself.”

She laughed, sounding almost as young and carefree as Hannah.

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“It is entirely a compliment.”

She tugged gently on his tail, trying to bring it back to her mouth, but before he gave in, they both heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and she quickly stepped away from him. Saela appeared in the doorway, a speculative look on her wise face.

“The children are half-asleep. They want you to come and tell them good night.”

“Yes, of course,” Jessica said quickly, blushing as she ran a hand over her hair.

It was slightly disarrayed, a look he enjoyed very much.

“Both of you,” Saela added.

He couldn’t deny the wave of satisfaction he felt at such a summons—satisfaction and longing. He already knew that he would miss the children almost as much as he would miss Jessica. He wished he could always be there to bid them good night.

“Shall we?” he asked, and extended his hand to Jessica.

She looked at it and then at him and then at Saela’s knowing face, but to his great relief, she took it and together they went to tell the children good night.

“K… kiss,” Ellie demanded, and he gave Jessica a startled look.

“It’s a different kind of kiss,” she assured him, bending down to brush her lips against Ellie’s cheek.

He repeated the action, smiling when Ellie put her small arms around his neck and hugged him.

“What do you mean a different kiss?” Oscar asked when Jessica hugged him, and a wave of pink rushed over her face.

“I mean kissing is different between grownups,” she said.

Oscar frowned, but accepted the answer.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she announced and fled.

Saela laughed, and he smiled back at her, then beckoned her outside the room.

“Are you still in touch with anyone on Trevelor?” he asked.

A shadow crossed her face as she shook her head.

“I put that life behind me when I joined the Patrol, just as you did.” She tilted her head and looked up at him. “Why do you ask?”

“I heard a rumor a few years ago. I ignored it, because it seemed impossible and no one mentioned it again.”

“What was the rumor?” she asked impatiently.

“That there was a Cire colony on Trevelor—and that some of them had mates. Non-Cire mates.”

“I see. If it was within the last few years, I definitely would not have heard about it.” She looked down, tapping her beak thoughtfully. “There is someone I could ask. Once we are back in space, I will send a transmission.”

“Only if it does not cause you distress,” he said quickly.

“I think it would cause more distress for you not to know,” she said dryly, then patted his arm. “Now go find your female.”

He didn’t hesitate to obey, thanking her and heading for his quarters. He took a seat at his desk, trying to focus on the never-ending stack of paperwork, but he could hear the sound of water running and could only too clearly imagine Jessica standing beneath the stream of water, her naked body glistening as drops clung to her luscious breasts and slid down across her stomach before disappearing into the tempting curls between her legs.

His shaft had diminished somewhat while bidding good night to the children and talking to Saela, but with that image, it was once again fully erect. If he had been a different male, a more impetuous male, he would shed his clothes and join her, but the long years of discipline and control enabled him to remain in place. They did not stop him from listening to the water and imagining.

When the door finally opened, she was dressed in what was clearly one of Saela’s robes, although it was just as clearly a poor fit. The hem ended high on her thighs, exposing a tempting length of softly curved legs. She blushed when she saw him waiting for her, but she crossed the room towards him. As she came closer, he suddenly growled.

“Take it off.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Jessica jumped when Vadrar growled. It didn’t sound like his usual growl, and his face looked almost tortured. She hesitated, torn by conflicting emotions. She wanted to obey, to fling off the robe and wipe away that tortured look, to lose herself in what she had no doubt would be an amazing encounter. But the earlier discussion about knots and mates worried her. She was quite sure that if they established that kind of bond between them, Vadrar would never consider another female. For that matter, she was not convinced that she would ever find a man to live up to him, but at least she would have the children. He would have no one after she returned to Earth.

“I… I don’t think I’m ready for that,” she whispered.

“It is not that. The robe is… wrong.”

“Wrong?”

She looked down in confusion. It was just a simple black robe despite the terrible fit. Was it because her legs were bare? Had that offended him somehow?

He closed his eyes for a second, seeming to confirm her suspicion, but then he shook his head again.

“You remember what I told you about someone feeling right?”

“Yes, has that changed?”

And why did that thought make her heart ache? It would be far easier to leave without this overwhelming attraction between them, but she suddenly felt like crying.

“There is an olfactory component,” he said quickly. “Your scent is perfect, but right now it is mingled with Saela’s because of the robe and it feels wrong.”

A wave of relief washed over her. He wasn’t rejecting her—he was rejecting the robe.

“I’m sorry but I don’t have anything else. I washed my clothes while I was in the shower.”

“I would be honored if you wore one of my shirts,” he said quickly.

“Are you sure? You’ve already lost two to the children and you don’t have that many.”

“I would happily remain naked in order to ensure that your scent remains true.”

She couldn’t help a small pulse of arousal at the thought of seeing him naked, and he groaned.

“Please, liri. This is very difficult for me.”

“All right,” she said quickly and grabbed one of his shirts and returned to the bathroom. She had to admit that she also preferred wearing his clothing. Satisfaction filled her as his shirt slid down over her head. It was an equally poor fit, but just as he had said, it felt right on her.

When she returned to the other room, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, liri.”

“You’re welcome. What does that mean—liri?”

“It means flower in the old tongue.”

“I like that.” She smiled at him. “I almost stole one of your shirts earlier, but I really didn’t want to impose. That’s why I asked Saela for something.”

“You are welcome to everything I have,” he said solemnly, and the words seemed to echo in the quiet room.

She cleared her throat, once again fighting those conflicting emotions, and he seemed to understand.

“I agree that the timing is… difficult.”

“Yes. And we both have our duties—yours to the Patrol and mine to the children and the girls.”

“Tell me more about the children. Where are their parents?”

“They died six months ago in a terrible accident. I’ve been trying to figure out how to be a good parent to them ever since.”

He patted the seat next to him, and she joined him on the small couch. His tail immediately curled over her thigh. It was not an overtly sexual move, although she couldn’t help blushing as she remembered where it had been earlier. Despite her embarrassment, she made no attempt to move it away.

“It’s been a difficult time,” she admitted. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without Laura’s help, but the children are struggling as well. Finding the kelinc was the first time that Ellie has talked since they died. And Oscar…” She sighed. “Oscar is having a hard time. I think he wishes I was more like his mother, but my sister and I were always very different. And I realized today that he really misses having a man around.”

“I enjoyed spending time with him as well. I wish that I—” he hesitated, and when he continued, she guessed that he’d decided not to continue with his original thought.

“I assumed guardianship of Tenrac when he was a boy as well, older than Oscar, but still very young.” He shook his head. “I am afraid that we did not have time for activities such as fishing. He was raised in the guard offices of the Council chambers.”

“He doesn’t seem to have suffered from it. He is a very nice male.”

“And I feel sure that Oscar will also grow into a fine male, but I still find myself wishing that we had more opportunity for the pleasures of family.”

She automatically gave his tail a soothing pat, then felt guilty when his eyes closed briefly. But he opened them again and smiled at her.

“Tell me more about your sister and her mate.”

She told him about Susie, and then about her life on Earth and her current conflict between her job and her responsibilities for the children. And he explained a little about life on Ciresia, just enough for her to realize how horrible it must have been.

“Then we left and joined the Patrol and it was better. Tenrac was able to pursue his engineering skills.”

“And you became a captain.”

He laughed. “A different type of captain, anyway. I always enjoyed flying, but the Patrol improved my skills as well.”

They talked long into the night as he told her about the various places he had been and some of the things he’d seen. She was fascinated, but eventually exhaustion won out and she began to yawn.

“You should go to bed,” he said firmly, then hesitated, tilting his head to one side.

A moment later she felt it—a very slight vibration in the metal beneath their feet.

“Another earthquake?”

“It seems so. Saela has set up a monitoring system, and I will confirm it in the morning.”

He rose to his feet, then extended a hand for her. She took it, and he pulled her up and against his body, his tail going to its usual position around her waist.

“Good night, liri. I enjoyed our evening very much.”

“Even without more kissing?” she asked.

His gaze heated, but he nodded.

“I have no doubt it would have been enjoyable, but I understand your concerns. We both have our duties,” he added, echoing her earlier words. “Good night.”

“Don’t go,” she said impulsively. “I haven’t changed my mind about not going any further, but you don’t need to go sleep on a hard floor when there’s a big bed right here.”

“It is a padded floor.”

“I’m sure it’s still hard. Please stay.”

“There is nothing I would prefer more. I know our time together is limited, but I do not want to miss any of it.”

A lump appeared in her throat, but she managed to nod before climbing into the bed. She watched as he removed his boots and pulled off his shirt. Oh my. Even though the tight-fitting uniform shirt had concealed very little, it definitely wasn’t the same as seeing the broad, muscular expanse of his chest completely bare. The subtle striations of color continued down across his skin, accentuating the impressive musculature. The small nubs continued as well, and she could easily imagine how that would feel rubbing against her breasts.

Did his cock have the same texture? The question popped into her mind, and she couldn’t help blushing as he raised his head and looked at her, his nostrils flaring.

“I see you do not intend to make this easy for me.”

The heat on her cheeks increased.

“I’m sorry.”

“Do not be. You smell delightful.” His hands hovered over his waistband, but then he pulled them away. “I believe it would be best to leave these on.”

There went her opportunity to find out, but he was right.

“Probably so,” she agreed. “Now, are you coming to bed?”

He laughed and dimmed the lights before joining her. The room was too dark for her to see more than the faint outline of his body, but she knew he was looking at her.

“May I hold you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her.

She settled against him with a sigh of relief. He was quite correct—this did feel right, almost familiar, as if she’d spent many nights in the same position. She put her hand on his chest, enjoying the feel of his skin. She didn’t even realize she was stroking him until he put his hand over hers.

“While this is a most delightful torture, a male can only stand so much. If you keep that up, I suspect it will lead to more… kissing.”

She was almost tempted to continue, but he was right. She tucked her hand back against her side, took a deep breath of his comforting scent, and closed her eyes.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Vadrar remained awake long after Jessica had fallen asleep. He meant what he said. He didn’t want to waste a moment of their time together, and sleep seemed far less important than savoring this time. Her body was tucked against his, soft and warm and almost unbearably tempting, but she slept trustingly in his arms and he would never betray that trust. Her hand was once more on his chest, over his heart, and he put his hand over hers, relishing the connection between them.

He was still awake when the door cracked open and he instantly went on alert, only relaxing when the dim light from the corridor revealed the small figure entering the room. Ellie closed the door behind her, and he raised the lights just high enough so that she could make her way over to the bed. She stood silently, looking at him.

“What’s the matter, little one?”

She didn’t respond.

“Were you scared?”

She tilted her head for a moment, then nodded, her eyes enormous in the dim light.

“So you want to get in with us?”

Once again, she considered the matter, then nodded. He smiled and lifted the blanket, and she climbed in, settling herself against his other side with a sleepy yawn. A moment later a heavy weight draped itself across his feet, and he realized that the kelinc—who he had not seen—had entered the room with her and was now sleeping across his feet.

He had thought he was used to sleeping alone, yet now he wondered if he would ever be satisfied being alone again. But he smiled as he lowered the lights and finally drifted off to sleep.

“There you are.”

His eyes flew open at the sound of the indignant voice and found Oscar standing next to the bed and scowling at him. He really must have been deeply asleep not to have heard the boy enter the room.

“I was looking for you everywhere. And Saela’s upset because she can’t find Ellie,” he added as a clear afterthought.

“Your sister was frightened during the night,” he said as calmly as possible. “Will you please go and tell Saela that she is with us?”

“Aren’t you getting up? I want to go fishing again.”

“I would enjoy fishing with you again, but there are chores to be performed first. We will go this afternoon.”

Oscar’s scowl deepened, and Vadrar wondered how loudly he would object. He did not want to wake either of the sleeping females, but it was too late. First Jessica yawned and raised her head, blinking sleepily at Oscar.

“What are you doing here, Oscar? Is something wrong?”

“I was looking for Vadrar, and he wasn’t in the training room.”

There was that flash of color again, but she answered calmly enough.

“This is his cabin.”

“And Ellie is gone.”

“What? Not again.”

She started to scramble to her feet, but he tightened his tail around her waist.

“Relax. She is right here.”

Now Ellie’s eyes opened, and she smiled at them as Jessica gave a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank goodness. It’s a nice change to gain one instead of lose one.”

“I want to go fishing,” Oscar repeated.

“It is a warrior’s duty to take care of his duties before his pleasure,” he said sternly, and heard the echo of his own father in his words.

How many times had the older male told him that? But with his father, that pleasure had rarely come. He was determined not to make the same mistake with Oscar.

“I promise you we will go this afternoon. And, if you wish, you may accompany me to the training room this morning.”

The scowl magically vanished as the boy’s face lit up.

“Really? How do you train? Is it like karate?”

He climbed up on the bed as he continued to fire questions at Vadrar, then a peremptory knock was followed by Saela opening the door and peering inside.

“Have you seen those wretched children of—”

She broke off abruptly as she saw the four of them, plus the kelinc, all piled on his bed. A broad grin twisted her face.

“I see you all managed to find each other. Good. I’m going to start breakfast. Not that any of you deserve it.”

“Do you want some help?” Jessica asked immediately, but Saela waved her off.

“Nah, I’ve got it this morning. It will probably take you twenty minutes to separate yourselves from your crew anyway.” She grinned again and left.

Oscar immediately resumed his questions, Ellie dug her elbow in his side as she sat up looking for the kelinc, and Jessica still looked completely dazed. He couldn’t help it—he started to laugh.

DESPITE THE RATHER CHAOTIC start to the day, it progressed much more smoothly than he had expected. Oscar was obviously thrilled to be included in the training session, and he stopped asking questions in order to concentrate as Vadrar walked him through the first set of poses. Ellie came as well, but she lost interest after the first set and wandered off with Bunny.

Tenrac also accompanied them, shooting an amused glance at Vadrar, and he found himself remembering when he had taught Tenrac in exactly the same way. The sense of continuity was unexpectedly satisfying.

It also occurred to him that Oscar said he had gone to the training room in search of him that morning, but he hadn’t mentioned seeing Tenrac. Was it because it seemed unimportant to the boy, or had Tenrac not spent the night there either?

The rest of the morning was busy but uneventful. His only concern was another tremor that vibrated through the ship shortly before midday, and he went to find Saela. She was on the bridge, studying her console.

“Has your monitoring been successful?” he asked.

“I think that depends on how you define success.” She sent the graph she’d been studying to the front viewscreen.

“As you can see, it is reporting the activity. But the activity itself is irregular and follows no consistent pattern.”

“Can you tell if it is increasing?”

“Not yet. I’m still gathering data. But I also double checked the survey results and there was definitely no record of such behavior before. It seems probable that Oscar was right and it is simply a periodic occurrence.”

“Perhaps,” he agreed. “But I do not like unexplained occurrences. I will talk to Tenrac and see if there’s anything we can do to increase the speed of the repairs.”

“He won’t like that.” Saela shot him a penetrating glance. “I’m not so sure you will either.”

He had no desire to bring their time on this planet to an end, but neither could he take any chances with the safety of Jessica and the rest of the humans. It was his duty—and his privilege—to care for them.

“You are correct, but it must be done.”

“I reckon you’re right. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do.”

“As will I—” He broke off as he remembered his promise. “But I told Oscar we could go fishing this afternoon.”

“Then don’t let him down. I haven’t found anything that worries me yet, and the child has been through a lot. Take him fishing.”

It was sensible advice, and he nodded. He also did not want to break his word to Oscar, and once the midday meal was over, they headed back to the river. Oscar was obviously pleased to be there, but he did not seem as exuberant as he had the day before. Instead, he kept shooting sideways glances at Vadrar.

“Is something wrong?” he asked at last.

He half-expected the boy to start questioning him about finding him in bed with Jessica, but Oscar surprised him.

“You said your dad died too.”

“That is correct.”

“And your mom?”

“Yes, although she died several years before my father.”

“When did you stop missing them?” Oscar burst out.

He had never really considered the matter before. His father had died in that last fatal wave of the Red Death, along with what remained of Tenrac’s family, and he had found himself trying to care for a grieving child and carry on his duties and try to maintain some type of civilization on Ciresia. He hadn’t even had time to mourn.

“I am not sure that you ever stop missing them,” he said slowly. “But it changes. It doesn’t hurt in the same way, and it’s easier to remember the time we spent together.”

“Like fishing?”

“I’m afraid my father only took me once. Perhaps that is why I remember it, because it was a special time.”

“Me and Dad went more than that, but I still remember.” Oscar’s mouth trembled.

“It is good that you have those memories. You are lucky to have a father who spent time with you.”

“Yeah,” Oscar agreed, swiping at his nose with a dirty hand.

Oscar didn’t bring it up again, but he seemed more settled after their conversation, and once again Vadrar found himself remembering his own father. He had been a good father, but their time together had been far too limited. He hoped that Oscar would have a better experience, but who would be there for him once he returned to Earth? Would Jessica bring another man into her life? A growl escaped at the thought, and Oscar gave him a startled look.

Before the boy could question him, he was distracted by a flutter of wings from overhead and looked up, his eyes widening.

“Wow. Look at that.”

Vadrar followed his gaze as the sound increased and a flock of avians began passing high overhead—the largest flock he’d ever seen, hundreds of birds flying as if something were chasing them. He tensed, expecting to see some flying predator, but nothing followed them. Were they fleeing from an approaching storm? He cast a troubled look at the sky, but other than a slight haze, it was as clear as ever.

Suddenly uneasy, he decided to bring the fishing trip to an early end. Somewhat surprisingly, Oscar did not object, either because he too was uneasy, or perhaps because he’d had the opportunity to talk about his parents.

They returned to the ship to find the others also discussing the strange behavior of the birds.

“Maybe they were migrating,” Jessica suggested. “On Earth there are a lot of species that change their location at certain times of the year.” She cast an uneasy look at the sky. “Not that the weather seems to change much—it always seems to be warm and humid.”

“It is a few degrees warmer today.” He had checked and recorded the temperature every morning since they had arrived. “Perhaps we are entering the start of the hot season and they migrated to avoid it.”

No one seemed particularly convinced by his theory, but since no one had anything better to offer, they decided it was a reasonable explanation. His uneasiness remained, and he was determined to do whatever he needed to do in order to complete the repairs as quickly as possible.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jessica knew that Vadrar was worried, but she found it difficult to share his concerns. She hadn’t lived in a state prone to earthquakes but she’d heard enough about them not to worry.

Over the next few days, their life settled into a familiar routine. She and Saela continued to experiment with different types of produce brought back by Laura and Ketaan. The Vedeckian was rapidly recovering his full strength, and she had her suspicions as to why their food gathering expeditions seemed to take so long but kept those thoughts to herself. Tenrac continued to work on the engine but in addition to Hannah, both Vadrar and Saela lent a hand as often as possible.

With Vadrar’s permission, she had raided his rapidly diminishing wardrobe. Laura had helped her create a few additional outfits for the children which came in extremely handy since they both appeared to attract dirt. She also modified two of his shirts for her own use. It had not escaped her notice that Hannah had done the same thing with several of Tenrac’s shirts, while Laura had reworked a few of Saela’s robes. Ketaan didn’t seem to have the same objection to other scents as the Cire.

Having the resources of the ship available made all the difference. Oscar still claimed that this was real camping, and she wondered if he realized that the ship was really just a more advanced version of the cabin they had traveled to for his birthday. She mentioned the thought to Laura the next day, and the girl laughed.

“Ah, but the cabin wasn’t on an alien planet, and it certainly didn’t have any fascinating males around.”

The girl pointed to where Vadrar and Oscar were heading off with their fishing rods again.

Despite his obvious sense of urgency, Vadrar always spent part of each day with Oscar, and Oscar was flourishing under the attention. Ellie seemed equally content. She still didn’t speak very much, but her vocabulary was increasing. She too had a tendency to trail after Vadrar, but she was also happy to spend time with the others, as long as Bunny was also a welcome guest. The two were inseparable, and Jessica knew that it was going to present a problem. There was no way that the animal could accompany them to Earth—he was too clearly not native to their planet.

She added it to her growing list of things to worry about and looked back at Laura. The girl was no longer watching Vadrar and Oscar. Instead her gaze had traveled inevitably over to Ketaan. No one had quite trusted him to work directly on the engine, but Vadrar had set him to cleaning filters and the Vedeckian actually seemed relieved to have a job to do.

“I think I can guess who you consider to be a fascinating male,” she said dryly.

“It’s hardly a secret.”

“Why him?” she blurted out. She had often wondered what had drawn the girl to the Vedeckian.

Laura shrugged, but a smile played around her mouth.

“You’re probably going to think this sounds dumb, but I lo—like the way he listens to me. You know how many guys I dated who only wanted me to stop talking so they could talk about themselves? Or whose eyes would glaze over when I started talking about something I was really interested in? Ketaan never does that. He is genuinely fascinated by everything I say.”

Having sat through one too many board meetings with men who behaved the same way, she could sympathize, but…

“How do you get past the fact that he’s a Vedeckian? That his people are the ones who took us away from Earth?”

“Because he is not his people. He is sweet and kind and thoughtful. Just because some Vedeckians are bad doesn’t mean that all of them are. If I judged him because of his appearance, I would be no better than the people who judge me that way.”

The girl did have a point, but Ketaan’s background was not her only concern.

“What’s going to happen when you have to leave him? You know he can’t accompany us to Earth.”

Laura opened her mouth, then closed it again and sighed.

“You know I was raised by my grandmother, right? My grandfather died long before I was born. He was a soldier, and they were married for less than two years when he was killed in action. I asked her once why she hadn’t been afraid to marry him, knowing what might happen.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said it was better to be really happy for a short period of time than never to know happiness at all.”

The words hung in the air between them for a long moment before Laura continued.

“And of course my mother was the exact opposite. She was never willing to wait for the right person. She always settled for the almost right person, and it never lasted.” Laura put her hand over Jessica’s. “I’m really happy with Ketaan. Even if it doesn’t last, it might hurt—but I’m not going to regret it.”

“There is no if,” she said as gently as possible. “You’re going to have to be separated.”

Laura didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. Jessica sighed and gave up.

“Can you show me how to make one of those tucks again? I want to make sure this just doesn’t fall off of Ellie.”

They returned to their sewing and the subject was dropped, but Jessica found herself turning over Laura’s words—only in relation to Vadrar. They spent each evening together and while their conversations had continued, so had their physical intimacy. He had developed a great fondness for kissing, but it almost always evolved into something more. He had brought her to climax with his tail and his hands several times.

Unfortunately, he refused to let her use her hands on him, even though she was more than aware of his erections whether she was gasping in his arms or simply curled against him in the night. Was it because of the limits she had set? And was she holding back because she knew that there was no future for them? Was she missing out on a moment of happiness? The thought continued to run through her head the rest of the day, and by the time evening fell she had reached a decision.

She took Saela aside as Vadrar and Tenrac were cleaning the kitchen after dinner.

“Do you think you can keep Ellie with you tonight?” she asked.

The little girl still had a tendency to appear in the night.

Saela gave her a speculative look.

“I can try, but you know how quickly she can vanish. Why do you ask?” Saela raised her brows in mock innocence, and Jessica felt herself blush.

“I just wanted some private time with Vadrar.”

“I’ll do my best,” Saela promised. “Although in case you haven’t noticed, that child can disappear in seconds flat.”

“Oh, I know,” she said ruefully.

Saela grinned at her. “But I’ll try.”

So how did one go about seducing an alien? Especially one who prided himself on his control. Of course, she had been the one to bring a halt to the proceedings. She was the one who had hesitated; she just needed to figure out how to tell him that she was no longer hesitating.

She left him telling the children good night and went off to take a shower. It was part of their usual routine, but tonight she was determined to switch it up a little.

She didn’t exactly have much of a seduction wardrobe. The best she could do was to carefully undo some of the stitches she had so carefully added to one of his cut-down shirts. The opening created a deep V-neck that showed off an embarrassing amount of cleavage. After a moment’s thought, she also cut slits on either side of the garment. It was going to take a lot of sewing to make it respectable again, but hopefully it would be worth it.

As usual he was waiting on the small sofa and his eyes immediately went to the open neckline, his gaze heating as he looked at the swath of exposed skin. Excellent.

She strolled towards him, doing her best to look nonchalant, but instead of taking the seat beside him, she kneeled in front of him.

He had already removed his shirt—once he realized how much she enjoyed touching him, he had gotten in the habit of taking it off as soon as he entered their quarters for the night. Unfortunately, his pants were, as usual, firmly in place. She leaned forward, and his legs automatically parted to accommodate her. She ran her hands down his chest and then along his waistline and brushed lightly over his cock. It was as hard as ever, and she hoped that would work in her favor. His tail came around to trail up her leg, and from the expression on his face, he’d realized that she was completely bare beneath the high slits she cut in his shirt.

“Liri, what are you doing?”

His voice came out in that low growl that she loved to hear.

“I’m seducing you, of course.”

She suited her actions to her words and ran her hand across his cock again, harder this time, marveling at the thick, solid length.

“Unless you don’t want me?” she added when he remained silent.

“Not want you? I have thought of nothing else. It’s just that you were hesitant.”

“And now I’m not.”

“What changed your mind?”

“Actually it was something Laura said—about seizing a moment of happiness, even if you know it won’t last.”

He considered her words, then smiled. “I hope our happiness lasts for more than just a moment.”

He started to lift her into his arms but she shook her head.

“Not yet. I told you that I was going to seduce you.”

“You did that the moment I saw you for the first time.”

“But this time, I’m doing it on purpose.”

She opened his pants and his cock sprang free, thick and perfect now that she could see all of it. And yes, it was also covered with the same raised nubs. She shivered in eager anticipation. But first, she had some seducing to do.

She reached for him, curling her fingers as far as they would go around the thick shaft. The tip was wider and flatter than a human penis, and there was a swollen area at the base of his shaft that must have been his knot. When she ran her fingers across it, he groaned.

His tail was all the way under her shirt now, tugging at her nipples and sending shockwaves of pleasure straight to her already swollen clit.

“Take it off,” he growled, and she gave him a startled look.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, liri. I just wish to see you.”

Oh. Gathering her courage, she slowly pulled the shirt over her head. Her brief flash of concern about her older, heavier body disappeared before the heat in his eyes.

“Beautiful,” he growled, and his cock felt even harder when she touched him again.

“Does it bother you that I don’t look like a Cire female?”

“I was never with a Cire female, but I cannot imagine that one could be any more perfect.”

She smiled at him, then realized what he had said.

“Wait a minute. You were never with a Cire female?”

“No. Some of my friends chose to experiment, but I was waiting for my mate. And after it became clear that it would be impossible, I focused my attention on other things. Far less satisfactory things,” he added as he watched her hand move.

The fact that he had never been with a female pleased her far more than it should. To hide her satisfied smile, she bent forward and licked the broad head. Unlike a human male, he had three narrow slits arranged across the tip of his cock, and a golden drop of precum glistened on each one. He tasted both cool and spicy at the same time, and after her first tentative taste she licked eagerly.

His muscles tightened, and she looked up to see his face rigid with strain, his eyes blazing.

“And no one has ever done this either?” she couldn’t help asking.

“No. It is forbidden.”

“Forbidden? Why? Should I stop?”

“Gods, no.” His hips jerked towards her in what seemed to be an involuntary response. “I told you that the Council attempted artificial reproduction. All males of legal age were required to provide their seed.”

“But how? You said you were not fertile unless you knotted.”

“There was a machine,” he said grimly. “It was cold and rough and uncomfortable, but it was effective in forcing a knot.”

She gave him a horrified look.

“That sounds terrible. Am I being too rough?”

The grim look disappeared as he smiled down at her.

“Liri, your touch could never be anything but pleasant.”

Despite his words, she kept her hand gentle as she stroked the thick shaft and lapped lightly across the head. In the end, he fastened his hand over hers, encouraging a firmer grip.

“You are not going to hurt me,” he assured her.

“In that case…”

She placed her lips over his cock and drew him into her mouth. He was so large that it was a tight fit, but then she sucked—still gentle—and he gave a harsh cry before exploding in her mouth in a rush of thick, spicy liquid. She drank in as much as she could of the long pulses before he shuddered to a stop and she carefully licked up the last remnants.

Smiling, she looked up at him, expecting to see his face relax. Instead, he looked even more strained, his eyes still blazing, and she realized his cock was still hard and thick in her hand.

“Didn’t you enjoy that?”

“Very much,” he growled. “But it was not a true climax.”

“Because you didn’t knot?”

“Yes.”

She took a deep breath. Arousal hummed through her body. Her nipples ached, and her clit felt needy and swollen. But it wasn’t just a physical reaction—she wanted to take this next step with him.

“Then let’s see if I can help you with that.”

His cock jerked in her hand, but he still hesitated.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure.”

Another growl, and then he was lifting her in his arms and carrying her to the bed.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Vadrar’s entire being was focused on the female in his arms as he carried her to their bed. The thought of burying himself in her delectable cunt sent even more blood rushing to his already impossibly hard cock, but the urgency of his need warred with the desire to explore her luscious body.

He placed her on the bed, but did not immediately cover her with his body, pausing to admire her beauty. The rosy, swollen nipples called to him, but so did the glistening folds between her legs. A shadow of doubt crossed her face as he studied her, and she started to lift her arm to cover her breasts.

“Do not hide your beauty from me, liri,” he ordered.

His voice sounded strange in his own ears—harsh and demanding—but she smiled and held out her hand.

“Then don’t keep me waiting.”

He groaned and went to his knees next to the bed, pulling her towards him so that her legs rested on his shoulders and her cunt was open to him. He licked a long path from her small entrance to the pleasure nub at the top of her slit, groaning again as her sweet taste flooded his mouth. She cried out, grabbing his tail as it circled a taut peak. He snatched it away, afraid that he would ejaculate again before he even entered her.

The need continued to build inside him as he focused on the small, swollen nub. He circled it with fast, demanding strokes, distantly aware that she had been far gentler with him, but her soft cries urged him on. His tail probed at her small entrance, and she arched against his mouth, demanding more. The hot, silken channel surrounded him as he sucked frantically at her pleasure spot and then she exploded, milking his tail with long, hard pulses, and he could wait no longer.

He yanked his tail free and thrust his cock into the narrow channel. He barely managed to work the head inside before the last waves of her climax made her clench around him, and drew another flood of liquid from his helpless body. He was shuddering by the time the convulsions finished, the primal need to mate urging him to move, but somehow he found the strength to look up at her.

Her face was flushed, her eyes bright, and she reached for him.

“Yes, Vadrar.”

He shuddered again as his hips surged forward. She was tight, almost impossibly so, but his climax had eased the way and he worked himself deeper and deeper. The wide base of his shaft was the most difficult, her body resisting until he stroked her pleasure nub with his tail. Her cunt fluttered around him, then softened just enough to take him as he filled her completely.

Her breath was coming in rapid pants, but her legs were tight around his hips as she smiled at him.

“That wasn’t so—”

Her words disappeared in a wordless cry as he began to move. Her body clung to him as he withdrew and struggled to accept each entry, but he continued stroking her swollen nub, gradually easing the way. Lightning streaked down his spine as he thrust harder, faster, and then he felt it—his knot expanding, stretching her tight passage even further as he climaxed a third and final time, his seed flooding out in an endless wave of ecstasy.

He was dimly aware that she cried out his name, that her cunt was fluttering around him, but he was too limp, too drained to do anything other than collapse back on his heels, pulling her off the bed and against his chest as he gathered her close, their bodies locked together. He would have been content to remain in that position forever, but then he felt dampness against his chest. He pulled his head back far enough to look down at her and saw that her cheeks were wet with tears.

“Liri, what is wrong? Did I hurt you?” he asked, horrified.

“N…no. Just overwhelmed.” Her voice was shaky but she managed to smile up at him. “I didn’t know what it would be like.”

“Neither did I, but it was perfect.”

“And this means that I am your mate?”

“Yes. My perfect, human mate.” He shook his head. “I never believed it was possible.”

She reached up and touched his cheek, but he saw the sorrow in her expression.

“I still have to return to Earth.”

His chest ached, but he nodded.

“It is my duty to return you.”

“And it is my duty to go.” She shook her head, and forced a tremulous smile. “But I want to enjoy this moment of happiness for as long as I can.”

“As do I.”

He flexed his hips experimentally and they both groaned as the movement sent a ripple of arousal through their joined bodies.

“How long will this last?”

“I do not know. In the machine, it disappeared almost immediately. But the machine was not as tight and hot and silky as your delectable cunt.”

She quivered, and he worked his tail back between their bodies, stroking across her exposed nub. Locked together like this, he felt every minute detail of her response as she shook around him. Oh, yes. He brought his hands up to her breasts, tugging on those tempting peaks as his tail slowly circled her clit. Her hands clenched on his shoulders, her hips trying to rock towards him, but he refused to hurry, enjoying every ripple of sensation until he finally tugged on the hard little nub and she cried out. The intensity of her climax drew another impossible release of seed from his drained body, and once again they clung together.

His knot finally subsided, and he withdrew, lifting her onto the bed as he went to get a cleansing cloth. Her eyes were closed when he returned, but she opened them when he gently ran the cloth through her swollen folds.

“Who knew that my perfect mate was an alien male?”

“And mine was an alien female?”

He wanted to say more—to praise her, to beg her to stay with him—but words would not change their situation. Instead, he bent his head and kissed her, hoping that his touch conveyed what he could not say. Perhaps it did because her eyes were bright with unshed tears when he raised his head.

He rose and pulled on his pants.

“I am in need of water now that you have drained every ounce of fluid from my body. Would you like some of that drink you call lemonade?”

“That sounds perfect.” She gave him a sultry smile. “And maybe when you return, we can see how quickly you can recover.”

He would have sworn that he was completely drained, but his cock jerked at the suggestion.

“I will not be long,” he promised, but before he could reach the door, it opened and a small dark head appeared.

Jessica squeaked and dove under the covers. He grabbed her discarded shirt and tossed it to her as Ellie looked up at him with her wide-eyed stare.

“Awake?” she asked.

“Yes, little one, we’re still awake. I was going to get your aunt some lemonade before we go to sleep. Would you like some?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

“And then do you want to stay?”

He was not surprised when she nodded again. They all had their drinks, and then she snuggled happily between them, falling asleep almost immediately.

“I guess we’ll have to test your recovery ability another time,” Jessica whispered.

“I am only grateful that she did not arrive a few minutes earlier.”

She laughed and shuddered at the same time.

“Me too.” She hesitated. “Do you mind that she’s here?”

“Of course not. It is simply a part of being a parent.”

The words hung in the air between them, and he wondered if she had any idea how much he wished they were true. That Ellie and Oscar were really his to love and guide and care for—not just for now, but for always. Her mouth opened, but then she shook her head and closed it again, instead reaching across the sleeping child to take his hand.

He gripped it firmly, perhaps too firmly, but she clung to him just as tightly as he turned out the lights.

When he woke, Jessica’s hand was still clasping his. He wanted to pull her closer, to wake her with morning kisses, but Ellie was still tucked between them and he had work to do. His sense of urgency about repairing the ship had not diminished, even though he was aware that no one else shared his feelings.

He decided to let the girls sleep and slipped out of bed quietly, tugging on his uniform shirt as he headed for the galley. As he did, Tenrac emerged from his former room. A look of guilt washed over the male’s face, but then he straightened his shoulders and gave Vadrar a challenging stare. But how could Vadrar chastise him?

“I assume that the three of you are not sharing that room?” he asked dryly.

“No.”

He sighed. “And Laura is with the Vedeckian?”

“Yes. And I was with Hannah. I am sure that she is my mate,” Tenrac added in a rush.

“But you do not know for certain?”

Tenrac shook his head, and Vadrar breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least Tenrac hadn’t gone that far. As far as I have gone, he thought with a surge of guilt. But he also knew the pain that he would feel when he returned his female to her planet and he wanted to spare Tenrac that pain.

“You know they have to return to Earth, don’t you?”

“Why?”

“It is our duty to return them to their planet.”

“Only if they wish to return.” Tenrac gave him a look composed of equal parts hope and defiance. “I believe she will wish to stay.”

“Have you asked her?”

“No. But she has no close ties. Her parents are… unconcerned.” Tenrac shook his head. “How can any parent not care about their child?”

“It is inconceivable,” he agreed. “But even if she does agree to stay, what do we—you—have to offer? This ship is our home, and the Patrol determines where we go and what we do.”

“Perhaps it is time I left the Patrol.” Tenrac looked down at his hands. “I would miss you, and Saela, and the ship. But I want a mate and… a future.”

Even though his chest ached, he couldn’t argue. Life in the Patrol had been satisfactory, but nowhere near as rewarding as this past week with Jessica and the children. But he had nothing to offer them either—if he remained in the Patrol. A spark of something that felt very much like hope settled in his chest. He did his best to suppress it, knowing that there were many things to consider before he broached the subject to Jessica. In the meantime there was still the issue of the repairs and his increasing sense of urgency.

“You cannot leave the Patrol unless we also leave this planet,” he said. “How much longer on the repairs?”

Tenrac accepted the change of subject. “Two days, perhaps three. I am using the replicator to fabricate a few of the damaged pieces and it is a slow process. But I have started reassembling everything that I can.”

“I will help you after the morning meal,” he promised. “The tremor felt stronger this morning. I want to check outside first.”

When he slid aside the outer door, the clearing had been transformed. Everything was covered with a light dusting of greyish-white. For a startled moment he thought that it had snowed, but the air was still as warm as ever, perhaps even hotter than normal. He ran his hand along the railing, and inspected the slightly gritty coating. Ash. Everything was covered with a fine layer of ash.

Time was running out.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Vadrar was gone when Jessica woke, and she couldn’t help feeling a slight pang of regret, even though Ellie was still curled against her side. She enjoyed waking up with him, enjoyed those first warm, sleepy moments snuggled against his big body, his tail a reassuring weight around her waist.

And now that they had taken the final step, she could easily imagine some additional morning activities. A pulse of arousal traveled through her body at the memory of the previous night. She told him the truth when she said she hadn’t expected the experience to be so overwhelming, so intense. There had been two times when she had almost stopped him. The first time was when the base of his shaft had been pressing into her, creating a burning stretch, but then he had touched her clit and the burn had morphed into a fiery pleasure that sent her rocketing into another climax.

She had assumed that was his knot, but there was more to come. When he began to swell, growing impossibly larger, the burning returned but it too had quickly morphed into pleasure—a continuous blazing mix of pain and pleasure that had her climaxing over and over again as hot liquid flooded her insides. Just the memory made her squirm with remembered pleasure, but when she moved she felt the slight, lingering ache between her legs. Maybe it was just as well they hadn’t had a chance to repeat the act again this morning.

The door opened, and Vadrar appeared. She started to give him a welcoming smile, then frowned. His face was set in grim lines, and he was covered with a thin layer of white dust.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything outside is covered with ash.”

“Ash? I don’t understand.” Something teased at the edge of her memory, and she bit her lip even as another tremor vibrated through the ship. “I’ve heard of that happening on Earth, because of a volcano.”

“I suspect that may be the cause as well.”

She clenched her fists, trying not to panic as images she had seen on television flashed through her mind.

“How far away is it? Are we in danger?”

“I do not know. Saela is searching for the location.” He gave a frustrated sigh. “There does not appear to be a single epicenter.”

“You were right about needing to leave as soon as possible. We should have listened to you. How much longer will it take to finish the repairs?”

“Tenrac is not sure, but we will do everything we can to speed up the process.”

“I know you will. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Saela will be working with us. Can you take care of the meals?”

“Of course. “

“There is ash on the river as well, enough to clog the ship’s filters. It needs to be strained first. Do you think you could handle that as well?”

“Just tell me what to do and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you, liri.” For the first time since he entered the room, his face lightened and he gave her an apologetic smile. “And let Oscar know there will be no more fishing. I am very sorry.”

Her heart did an odd little flip as she climbed out of bed and went to him, putting her arms around his waist.

“He’ll understand. But thank you for thinking of him.”

“I will be just as unhappy not to have those last moments with him. Perhaps—” He stopped and shook his head. “I must get back to work.”

“And I’ll start on breakfast. But first…” She tugged his head down for a kiss, feeling another pulse of arousal as his amazing tongue caressed hers.

“Thank you for last night,” she whispered.

“It is I who should be thanking you. And as soon as we are away from this planet, I intend to show you my gratitude.”

She gave his tail a quick, teasing squeeze.

“Then the sooner we are away from here, the better.”

He smiled, brushed his mouth over hers, and hurried off.

The day turned into a haze of hard, dirty work. The ash was everywhere, continuing to drift down from the sky as she and Laura hauled and filtered what felt like countless gallons of water. She hadn’t realized how much water they used or how much she had taken it for granted before. It was backbreaking work, making her muscles ache for a much less pleasant reason than the previous night’s encounter, but she did her best to remain cheerful, and Laura was equally determined to maintain a brave face.

Ellie insisted on helping them, carrying her own small bucket back and forth, with Bunny at her heels. The kelinc was clearly uneasy, constantly shaking his paws to try and free them of the ash and his long ears flaring as he studied the changes to their surroundings.

Oscar was helping with the repairs, wiping down the smaller parts as the engines were reassembled. From a quick conversation she’d had with Hannah, she knew that Tenrac was worried about the ash affecting the engine’s performance but they didn’t have a choice. There was no sign of it letting up. In addition, the tremors had increased, still irregular but definitely accelerating in both strength and frequency. The air too felt hot and heavy. The urgency that Vadrar had been feeling all along finally affected all of them. Some animal instinct inside Jessica urged her to run, to flee the upcoming event, and she remembered the birds. They must have known that it was coming.

By the time night fell, the repairs were still not complete. They were waiting for several pieces to finish replicating, and there was nothing they could do to speed up the process, although Tenrac assured them that they would be done in the morning. They gathered together for dinner, all of them dirty and exhausted. She had made soup, maybe not the best alternative given the temperature, but it was fast, easy, and soothing on throats that were scratchy from the dust they had been breathing all day. All of them ate hungrily, but no one had much to say.

“No baths tonight,” Vadrar said as they finished the meal. “Even filtering the water, too much ash is entering the system. We need to conserve the supply until we leave.”

“Does that mean we won’t have any water if, I mean when, we take off?” she asked.

He shook his head. “The recirculation system is adequate to take care of the needs of the ship once we’re in space, but only as long as it remains unclogged.”

She sighed, but she had suspected that their efforts were failing. “There is a bucket of clean—or relatively clean—water in each of the cabins. We can use that tonight.”

They sat slumped around the table in silence for another moment, and then Tenrac rose to his feet. He gave Vadrar a quick, challenging look before holding out his hand to Hannah. “Come. I will help you get clean.”

Hannah immediately rose and took his hand. Jessica didn’t even try to object as the two disappeared into Tenrac’s cabin. Laura and Ketaan were the next to go, but before they left, Laura bent down and gave Jessica a quick hug.

“Even a moment of happiness,” she whispered, then stood and took Ketaan’s hand.

Saela also rose, looking over at the children. Ellie was perched on Vadrar’s lap, already half-asleep and Oscar was leaning against Jessica’s side.

“I reckon they need to stay with you tonight.”

Oscar took her hand under the table and she nodded.

“I think you’re right.”

Saela dipped her head and headed for her room, and Jessica’s heart ached. Her odd, bird-like figure looked so alone.

“Do you want to join us? We could pull in one of your couches.”

Saela smiled, but shook her head. “Nah, but thank you for the offer. See you in the morning.”

Will the ship still be here in the morning, she wondered as another, longer tremor threatened to send everything flying off the table.

“I need to get these cleared away.”

“Leave them,” Vadrar said. “We should try to get some rest.”

She nodded, and the four of them trooped off to his quarters. She did her best to wash the worst of the ash off the children, and then herself, with Vadrar going last. The children climbed into the middle of the bed, but Vadrar’s tail reached across them to rest lightly against her hip.

He dimmed the lights, but despite the darkness, she was quite sure that none of them were sleeping. Even Ellie stirred restlessly. Another tremor shook the ship, and she heard a distant crash as one of the abandoned dishes fell to the floor.

“Tell us a story,” Oscar said, his voice sounding young and frightened.

She wanted to respond, but she was afraid that if she started talking, she would burst into tears. To her relief, Vadrar began talking instead, his voice low and deep and comforting. He started recounting the tale of the day his father took him fishing. Ellie fell asleep first, her breathing deepening into the quiet rhythm of sleep. Oscar lasted longer, giggling as Vadrar described his first encounter with baiting a hook, but he fell asleep as well as Vadrar finished the story.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “It was the perfect story for him. Do you really remember it that clearly?”

“I do, because it was the only time it ever happened.” He sighed into the darkness, his hand also reaching across the children to take hers. “He was always so busy, so dedicated to his duty.”

“Is that why you made the time for Oscar?”

“In part. But I was selfish enough to want that time with him as well.” He hesitated, and then his hand tightened around hers. “I have been thinking. I know this is not the right time, and I do not want you to answer me now, but I want you to know that I would be… honored if you and the children would choose to stay with me.”

A confusing rush of emotions washed over her. The first was unmistakably joy, followed by relief that they wouldn’t have to part, but then the doubts set in, along with dozens of questions. How would they survive? What kind of life would it be for the children aboard this ship?

“I…”

He squeezed her hand again.

“Not now. Just… think about it and once we are free of this planet, we will discuss it further.”

Maybe he was right—their focus right now needed to be on escape—but she still leaned over and pressed a quick kiss against his hand.

“Whatever happens and whatever we decide, thank you for asking.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Although Jessica eventually followed the children into slumber, Vadrar did not sleep. His senses were on high alert as more tremors rocked the ship. So far there was no sign of any structural damage, but if the quakes became too severe, they might have to abandon the ship. He, Tenrac, and Ketaan had prepared survival packs and stashed them by the door, just in case, although none of them wanted to flee through the woods with the females and children. And there was no guarantee they could go far enough to avoid an impending disaster. The best option was still to get as far away from the planet as soon as possible.

Despite his fears, the ship made it through the night. Unfortunately, the situation outside had deteriorated even further. The layer of ash was almost a foot deep in some places, and he told Laura and Jessica not to bother hauling any more water.

“We can survive on what’s available now, as long as we are careful.”

“How much longer?” Jessica asked quietly after Laura left them.

“We should be able to complete the repairs today.” As long as Granthar smiled on them. “The replicators have finished. We just need to assemble the parts and test the engines.”

“I think I’ll keep the children inside today,” she said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He shook his head.

“I am afraid not. The only thing we need now is time. Time I fear we do not have,” he added looking at the grey sky overhead. There was a faint reddish tinge on the horizon, and he dreaded to think what was coming.

“I know you’ll keep us safe,” she said quietly.

Her faith honored him, and he only hoped he would not disappoint her. She gave his tail a quick, reassuring squeeze, and even under these circumstances his body responded. He smiled at her.

“I suppose that is one way to distract me from my concerns.”

“Just remember that there’s more waiting for you—once we’re away from this planet.”

She trailed her fingers along his tail, giving him a teasing smile, despite the worry he could see in her eyes.

“A significant motivation,” he agreed, bending down to give her a quick kiss before returning to work.

They worked throughout the morning, despite the rapidly deteriorating conditions. Tenrac insisted on sending Hannah inside, raising no objections when Ketaan took her place. Jessica came outside twice, once to bring them covered containers of water, and a second time with containers of soup.

He drank thirstily, but frowned at her.

“Do not come back outside. We are almost finished, and it is dangerous.”

He looked over her shoulder and saw that the children were standing at the top of the landing ramp. “And keep them inside as well.”

“Dammit. I told them to wait inside.” She sighed. “But they’re both worried about you.”

Oscar saw him looking in his direction and started down the landing ramp towards him. Before he could tell him not to come any closer, Ellie and Bunny followed as well.

A loud boom suddenly split the air and the ground shook beneath their feet, harder than it ever had before. More explosions followed, sharp staccato sounds echoing across the clearing as clumps of burning debris flew through the air.

Jessica fell to her knees, and he watched in horror as Oscar tumbled off one side of the ramp while Ellie fell to the ground on the other. He yanked Jessica to her feet, half-carrying her as he raced towards the fallen boy. He was unconscious, his head bleeding, but he was breathing and he sighed with relief.

“Check on Ellie,” he ordered as he rose with Oscar in his arms.

“Where is she?” she asked frantically. “I can’t see her.”

“She was on the other side of the ramp,” he said, following her frightened gaze, but there was no child crouched in the thick layer of ash.

Hannah appeared at the top of the ramp. She too was bleeding and cradling her arm.

“Ellie ran into the woods after Bunny,” she cried. “I tried to warn you, but then I slipped.”

Jessica took two steps towards the woods before he caught her arm.

“No, you take Oscar. Tell Saela to put him in the medical unit. I’ll go after Ellie.”

She took Oscar from him, her face pale and frightened.

“Please find her and bring her back safely. I want both of you back.”

“I will find her,” he promised.

She started up the ramp as Tenrac raced over, his eyes fixed on Hannah. Vadrar grabbed his arm.

“She will live, but none of us will survive unless we can get the ship in the air. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Tenrac responded, his teeth clenched, but he stopped fighting Vadrar’s grip.

“I’m going after Ellie. If you repair the ship before I return, take off.”

“No.”

“You must. They are all depending on you.”

“Do not force me to make that choice.”

“I will try not to, but I am trusting you with the life of my mate.”

He clasped Tenrac’s shoulder, and then he took off into the woods.

The ash wasn’t quite as thick beneath the trees, but he was able to make out a slight trail. It had to belong to Ellie—who else would be running towards an explosion? But despite his assurance, his hope began to fade as he went deeper into the woods. There was no sign of the little girl. Could she possibly have run this far, this quickly?

The temperature began to increase and he saw a red glow in the distance. A river of lava moving slowly but inexorably towards their position. He wished he could warn them, but he would not return without Ellie.

I will just have to widen the search, he thought, swearing at himself for having followed what must have been a false trail. But then he heard a faint, quiet whimper. He whirled around, searching frantically, but even then he almost missed her. She was huddled against the base of a tree, completely covered with ash, and desperately clutching an equally ash-covered Bunny.

She was dangerously close to the approaching lava, and a fiery rivulet already separated them. Even from here he could feel the heat pouring off of it, but there was no choice. He ran towards her and, at the last possible moment, launched himself into the air across the lava stream. The fiery blast of heat caught in his throat, and even through his boots he could feel the heat of the ground when he landed, but he was across. He snatched Ellie and Bunny into his arms as she gave a great heaving sob of relief.

“Daddy!” she cried.

“You’re safe now, little one,” he promised, already racing back towards the ship, praying that he could make it without having to try and leap across the stream of lava.

He was still in the woods when he heard the engine start, a stuttering growl, unlike the usual smooth purr, but the engines were working. Thank Granthar, he thought, even as he tried to come up with a plan.

If the ship were gone by the time he made it to the clearing, he would just keep running, as far and fast as he could, and pray that it would be far enough. As long as they could escape the destruction of the volcano, he knew that Tenrac would return for them.

He reached the edge of the clearing just as the ship lifted into the air, and Ellie whimpered again. If he had been on his own, he would have let it go rather than risk their safety, but he had the child in his arms to consider. He raced out into the clearing, yelling as loud as he could, even though he knew he had no chance of being heard above the roar of the engines.

The ship rose further into the air, and he clutched Ellie to his chest in silent despair as he felt the heat radiating from the approaching lava against his back. The river, he decided. He would take her into the river and hope that it would stop, or at least slow down the lava flow.

He was halfway across the clearing when the ship began to descend again. The door opened, and the landing ramp slid out. As soon as it touched the ground, he raced up it. Tenrac pulled it in behind him, and he was almost at the door when a deafening roar washed over them. A massive plume of fire and rock exploded into the air beyond the trees, and he stumbled, on the verge of losing his balance.

Tenrac grabbed his uniform and hauled him the final few inches into the ship before sealing the door closed. He staggered against the wall, his heart pounding. And then Jessica was there, running her hands frantically over Ellie and over him as she cried.

“Oh, thank God you’re safe. You’re both safe. I love you so much and I was so afraid.”

“You love me?”

His knees suddenly weakened, and he slid down against the wall, Ellie safely clasped in his arms. Jessica followed him down to the floor, still running her hands over both of them.

There was another roar from outside the ship and it shuddered.

Tenrac looked at the three of them, then flashed a quick grin.

“Why do I suspect that I will not be the only one leaving the Patrol? I will be on the bridge.”

He was gone before Vadrar could respond.

“Oscar?” he asked, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

“Saela said he would be fine, but he’s still asleep in the medical unit.”

Tears still streamed down Jessica’s cheeks as she bent over to wipe some of the ash off of Ellie’s face. “What about you, sweetheart? Are you all right?”

Ellie nodded. “Yes. Daddy saved me.”

Jessica froze. “Daddy?”

Ellie nodded again and patted his chest.

“My daddy.”

His chest ached as he looked at Jessica. She couldn’t possibly leave him now, could she? He couldn’t bear the thought of losing both his mate and his child. His children.

“I want to check on Oscar,” he said, rising to his feet and extending a hand to help her up.

The boy looked impossibly small and helpless in the medical unit, his face almost as white as the bandage covering his temple, but none of the monitors indicate any cause for concern. His tail patted the boy’s shoulder.

“I’ll stay with him if you want to go and check on the ship,” Jessica said.

“I would rather remain here with you.”

“All right.” She reached for Ellie. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s see if we can find the little girl hidden under all that ash.”

“Bunny first,” Ellie said firmly.

She was talking as easily as if she’d never stopped, and Jessica gave him a puzzled glance as she took the kelinc. He hissed when she tried to put him in the sink, so she settled for wiping his fur with a damp cloth until the purple and lavender stripes were visible once more. When she put him down, he shook out his fur, offended dignity in every line, and began to groom himself.

“Now you, sweetheart.”

She lifted Ellie off of his lap and he immediately missed the warm little weight of her body.

“I’m afraid you need a real bath, but let’s at least get your face washed. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Ellie nodded. “I was scared, but I knew Daddy would come.”

Jessica shot him another puzzled look but didn’t attempt to argue with the child. After she’d washed Ellie’s face and brushed most of the ash out of her hair, she smiled at him.

“Now it’s your turn.”

He had no desire to do anything other than sit with his family, but he nodded and rose. As he did, his tail slid away from Oscar’s shoulder and the boy’s eyes fluttered open.

“What happened?” he whispered.

“You fell from the landing ramp and hit your head. Are you all right?”

“My head kinda hurts, but I think so.”

Jessica and Ellie came to join them, and Oscar’s eyes widened at the sight of his sister.

“What happened to the squirt?”

“I went into the woods.”

“And now you’re talking? I think I missed something.”

“Just a volcano,” Jessica said, her eyes bright with tears.

“Really?” Oscar scowled. “I miss all the fun.”

She gave him a startled glance, then started to laugh. They all joined in, and as she reached for his hand, he allowed himself to believe that everything might turn out all right after all.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Still disgruntled at having missed the volcano, Oscar demanded to be let out of the medical bed. Jessica started to object, but after checking with Vadrar, she sighed and agreed.

“All right, sweetheart. But you have to take it easy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered and tried to jump down. He swayed as he landed, and Vadrar’s tail wrapped around him, supporting him until he found his balance.

“Perhaps Saela took some pictures of the volcano,” Vadrar suggested. “Why don’t we go ask her?”

“And then a bath,” she said firmly. “For all of us. That is, if there’s enough water.”

“I will check,” he promised, as they followed the children out of the medical lab, then bent down to whisper in her ear. “And then we need to talk.”

A hot rush of embarrassment washed over her. Was he upset that she had cried all over him and told him that she loved him? He’d appeared more dazed than pleased, but after such a narrow escape she could hardly blame him. His tail was once more in its familiar position around her waist, and she tried to take comfort in that fact.

Saela had recorded the volcano’s explosion, and she shuddered as she realized the magnitude of the eruption. The ship would have been completely engulfed in lava if they hadn’t managed to escape. She took a firmer grip on Vadrar’s tail to remind herself that he was here and safe. They were all safe.

Oscar was fascinated by the video, but Ellie was already half-asleep in Vadrar’s arms.

“Put her down in my room,” Saela said quietly after one look at Ellie.

“But she needs a bath.”

“It can wait. Right now, I think she needs to rest.” Saela gave her one of her knowing glances. “I’ll watch over her and Oscar. You and Vadrar should go get cleaned up.”

“That is an excellent idea.”

Vadrar tugged her gently along as he settled Ellie on Saela’s couch then led the way to their quarters. As soon as the door closed behind them, he pulled her into his arms, clinging to her as desperately as she had clung to him when he finally made it onto the ship.

“I have never been so afraid,” he murmured. “Afraid that I would not be able to save Ellie. Afraid that I would never see you again.”

“I know. I have to apologize to poor Tenrac—I was yelling at him for leaving.”

“I told him to go.”

“He said that, but I didn’t care.” She looked up at that strange, handsome, beloved alien face. “Don’t take us back to Earth. I—we—want to stay with you.”

“Thank Granthar.”

His eyes gleamed with happiness and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“When you said we had to talk, I thought maybe you had changed your mind.”

“Never,” he swore, and she believed him. “I simply wanted to find out what it would take for you to stay.”

“You’re reason enough. I love you, Vadrar.”

“I love you too.”

Another sigh of relief shuddered through her at the words. She hadn’t realized until that moment how much she had longed to hear them.

“We should celebrate,” she whispered.

“I thought you wanted to get clean.” His tone was solemn, but she could see the smile lurking in his eyes.

“That can wait,” she said impatiently, reaching for his tail.

“Not at all. I insist on a clean mate for all celebrations.”

He picked her up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom. The small room was a tight fit for the two of them, but she didn’t care as he stripped off their clothes and tugged her under the shower.

He ran a soapy hand over her breasts, toying with a taut peak as his tail glided slowly back and forth between her legs.

“I imagined this every night, waiting out there on the couch. Imagined the water flowing over your body and your skin flushed and glistening.”

“Why didn’t you join me?”

He tugged reproachfully on her nipple.

“Because you wished to wait.”

Arousal coursed through her veins like warm honey, and at that moment she couldn’t remember why she had wanted to wait. She reached for his cock but only managed a quick, tantalizing touch before he moved out of reach.

“I told you. I insist on a clean mate. Very clean,” he repeated, still massaging her breasts with soapy hands.

“I think I’m clean,” she said impatiently.

“Not yet.”

He wasn’t satisfied until her nipples were red and swollen, and then he finally slid his hand between her legs. The entire time he’d played with her breasts, his tail had teased her, never pressing quite hard enough for her to climax, and she was so close.

“Please, Vadrar.”

“Not quite,” he murmured, turning her around to face the wall and running his hands down her back. “You have a beautiful back. So smooth and bare.”

His hands slid lower, caressing her ass, then slipping between her cheeks. His finger slid across her bottom hole, and she gasped as an unexpected flood of sensation rushed over her. She’d never realized how sensitive it was. He pressed a little harder, and his finger dipped inside. Her whole body shook, every inch flooded with sensation.

“Now,” he growled.

He placed the broad head of his cock against her entrance and pushed. Her climax roared over her so hard and so fast that the world flashed white. Only the strength of his grip kept her upright as he buried himself, her pussy fluttering wildly around the thick length. And then his finger was back in her ass, stretching her even further and sending her straight into another climax. He thrust harder, faster, and then he groaned as his knot expanded, the fiery stretch drawing yet another climax from her helpless body.

The last tremors gradually died away, leaving her limp and drained as she sagged back against him.

“Do you think you are clean enough now?” he asked, his voice deep with satisfaction.

“I can’t even imagine being any cleaner.”

“Is that a challenge, liri?”

She laughed, a laugh that turned into a gasp as the vibration shuddered through their joined bodies.

“I don’t think I have the strength today. Another time.”

He pressed a gentle kiss against her neck, and they stood together under the warm water until his knot diminished and he carried her to their bed. She was asleep within seconds.

When she woke, both Ellie and Oscar had joined them, freshly scrubbed and sound asleep. She looked over to find Vadrar watching her.

“Good morning,” she whispered. “Or is it morning?”

His eyes were warm with amusement.

“Time is flexible on a ship, but I think we could consider this morning. A new day. A new beginning.”

“I like the sound of that.” She smiled at him. “We need to make plans. And talk to the girls.”

“I suspect they are waiting to talk to you. Although Hannah and Tenrac have yet to emerge from his cabin.”

She wasn’t really surprised—she could only hope that the girl was as happy as she felt.

“And I assume that Laura is with Ketaan?”

“You assume correctly.”

“What happens now? Are we all going to live on the ship?” For the first time, some of her previous doubts resurfaced. “I’m not sure that would be good for the children.”

“I have some thoughts on the matter, but it might be helpful if we all discuss it together.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

She yawned and sat up, realizing that he’d slipped his shirt over her while she slept, but from the warmth in his gaze, she might as well have been naked.

“I wonder if I should take another shower first,” she said innocently, then laughed when his tail flicked towards her.

“Or perhaps not,” she added as Ellie’s eyes opened. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Morning, Mama.”

She had the sudden urge to cry, but then Bunny butted his head against her side and Oscar woke up and they had things to do.

After breakfast, they all gathered around the dining table. Hannah looked as sleepy and satisfied as Jessica felt while Laura was buzzing with excitement.

“I will start with the obvious question,” Vadrar said. “Does anyone wish to return to Earth?”

Both girls immediately shook their heads, but she looked over at Oscar. She wasn’t worried about Ellie, but her nephew was more complicated.

“What do you think, Oscar? Do you want to stay here with Vadrar?”

“And you?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes, with me,” she said, trying not to feel hurt.

“You’re staying for real?”

“For real.”

“Then yes.”

He grinned at her, and a great wave of relief washed over her.

Saela sniffed. “Ship’s going to get kind of crowded.”

“We could go back to the volcano planet,” Oscar said.

“Absolutely not.” She tugged on a lock of his hair. “No more volcanoes.”

“Tenrac and I have talked about it, and we think it would be best to resign from the Patrol and find a permanent home.” Vadrar smiled at her. “So the children do not have to grow up on a ship.”

“With a river for fishing?”

“Yes, Oscar. With a river.”

“Do you have somewhere in mind?” Laura asked, and Jessica saw she was clutching Ketaan’s hand. “Somewhere that will accept us?”

“We thought perhaps Trevelor. They are an accepting people, and there is a rumor of an existing Cire colony with non-Cire mates.” Vadrar shrugged. “And if we don’t like it, we can move on.”

“Won’t that be a little hard without a ship? Once you resign, I mean.”

“This is my ship, not the Patrol’s.” He grinned at her. “We can go anywhere we want.”

Saela rose abruptly to her feet and started clearing the dishes, and Jessica saw Vadrar give her a puzzled look. Before he could say anything, the ship groaned and shuddered.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Vadrar looked over at Tenrac and saw his concern mirrored in the other male’s eyes although he did his best to hide it.

“Not again,” Tenrac groaned in mock exasperation. “I will check the engines.”

He took off at once, only the speed of his departure indicating his concern.

“I’ll go too,” Hannah said and hurried after him.

He knew he should wait for Tenrac to report, but the memory of their most recent escape was too fresh in his mind. But neither did he want to alarm Jessica. He looked over at her. She shook her head and smiled.

“Go on. It’s pretty clear you want to know what’s happening.”

“I am lucky to have such a wise mate.”

He brushed a quick kiss against her mouth and headed for the engine room.

“Well?” he demanded.

“It is that damn ash,” Tenrac muttered, bending over the monitors. “It is creating friction and overheating the engines.”

“What do you need to correct it?”

“A proper mechanic shop with a sealed environment so I can clean everything.”

“I will check the charts. How much time do we have?”

“Only a few hours,” Tenrac said, and Vadrar’s heart skipped a beat.

“I feel as if we have been in this position before.”

“I think we can make it last longer,” Hannah said thoughtfully.

“How?”

“You said the engines are overheating, right? What if we only run one at a time? That way each one has a chance to cool. There would be less damage, and they would last longer.”

Tenrac considered the idea for a second, then grinned.

“My brilliant mate.” His tail reached for her as she blushed.

“I will still look for the closest station,” Vadrar said quickly, and left.

He was happy for Tenrac, but he had no desire to witness his affection for his mate.

Saela was already on the bridge.

“How much time do we have?” she asked grimly.

“More than I expected.” He told her Hannah’s plan, and she nodded approvingly. “But we still need to find a station and do some more permanent repairs.”

“Tyssia is closest,” she said, grinning, and he groaned.

He’d had dealings with Rafalo, the Kissat male who owned the station, in the past. The male was both charming and unscrupulous, but he always honored his word and, despite his reputation for illicit activities, Vardrar had found him trustworthy.

Dealing with the station master could be challenging, but the station was well equipped despite its somewhat unsavory reputation. He would be able to purchase supplies for Jessica and the children as well as have the ship repaired.

“Very well,” he sighed. “Head for Tyssia.”

Then he went to find his mate and let her know what was in store.

LATER THAT NIGHT, Vadrar entered the galley and found Saela there, staring thoughtfully into a mug of tea. Her eyes were dull and even her feathers seemed to droop, and he gave her a concerned look. The ship still shuddered occasionally, but Hannah’s suggestion had worked and they were making slow but steady progress towards the space station.

“Are you still worried about the ship?” he asked.

“Nah. Good to have another smart female on board.”

“Then what is wrong?”

“Just thinking.” She raised her eyes from her mug and looked at him. “So you’re going to Trevelor?”

“It seems like a logical choice, especially if the rumor is true that there are other Cires with human mates.”

“I see.” She hesitated, whirling her spoon. “Then I’ll be leaving the ship at the space station.”

“I do not understand. Do you want to remain with the Patrol?”

“I don’t think so. I’m tired. I only stayed this long because of you and Tenrac.”

“Then why not come with us?”

“Because I can’t go back to Trevelor.”

“Why not?” he asked gently. “Do you not still have friends there? Perhaps family?”

“I do. That’s part of the reason I can’t return.”

He waited patiently, and she finally sighed.

“Do you know how many people on Trevelor died of the Red Death? Fewer than one in every hundred thousand. But the gods were cruel and my mate was one of the unlucky ones. And I hate it,” she burst out. “I resent every single one of those who got to live while he was taken from me. I look at them and wonder why they deserved to live and he did not. It’s why I left—it’s why I can’t return.”

“Then we will find somewhere else,” he said firmly. “You are part of this family too.”

“You don’t need to do that. As you said, it makes sense for you to go to Trevelor.”

“Sense be damned. We are not leaving you behind. We would miss you. The children would miss you.”

She tilted her head and studied him, then nodded.

“All right. I’ll stay. But if you don’t find somewhere else, I won’t hold you to it.”

“We will keep looking until we find a place that suits all of us.”

“Foolish boy.” She shook her head, but the sparkle had returned to her eyes.

He put his arm around her thin shoulders and hugged her, then returned to his quarters, smiling.

They reached the space station the next morning, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The engines were still working, but with a harsh, grinding sound that worried him.

He requested docking instructions and was on the way to their assigned bay when a familiar voice came over the comm.

“Captain Vadrar, what an unexpected pleasure.”

He sighed. “Station Master Rafalo.”

“Of course I am always happy to receive members of the Patrol, but some of my clients are less… enthusiastic. May I inquire if this is an official mission?”

“It is exactly what I specified. Our engines need maintenance.”

“Of course. I should have remembered the Cire reputation for truth.”

Despite the mockery in the other male’s voice, there was an undercurrent of warmth and that gave him an idea.

“Since you apparently have enough free time on your hands to harass innocent customers, perhaps you could spare me a few moments of your time—strictly unofficially.”

“I’m intrigued. I will meet you in the docking bay.”

Rafalo was not there to meet him. Instead his chief mechanic, an older female named Emtal, greeted them. She was soon in animated discussions with Tenrac, while he waited as patiently as possible. Rafalo, of course, chose to make an entrance, strolling in dressed in flowing silk. The feline male had short golden fur and a flowing golden mane, now laced with silver. But despite his age, he bowed with the elegant grace of a much younger male.

As he watched Rafalo saunter towards him, he wished Jessica were here to appreciate the show, but until he had spoken with the station master, he was keeping all the humans out of sight.

“You requested my presence?” Rafalo asked.

“Yes. Will you join me for a drink?”

“Always.”

He led the way through the apparently empty ship to the meeting room at the front, then poured them both a glass of rare Ciresian brandy.

“An excellent vintage,” Rafalo said, twirling the glass in his big paw. “You must want a favor.”

“I do. Or more accurately, information.”

“I see. That can be the biggest favor of all.”

The other male was not wrong. Knowledge was a valuable form of currency.

“May I be blunt?”

“You Cire usually are. It’s rather disappointing.”

Despite the faint complaining note in Rafalo’s voice, Vadrar suspected that the opposite was true and that the other male appreciated the opportunity to speak frankly. Hoping he was right, he took a deep breath.

“I have heard rumors that you have sometimes provided assistance for those who wish to… relocate.”

The golden eyes narrowed.

“An interesting rumor.”

“I am looking for a place to settle.”

“Indeed. Are you on the run, Captain?”

“No.” He hesitated, then decided to put his faith in what he had heard. “But I have a human mate. I wish to find a place that would be safe for her.”

Rafalo stared at him for a moment, and then he started to laugh. Vadrar immediately regretted his decision to confide in the other male.

“Does that amuse you?” he asked, his voice cold.

“Yes.” Rafalo fumbled in his pocket and Vadrar tensed, but the other male only pulled out a miniature view screen and handed it to him. “That is my mate.”

An elegant female with short grey curls and skin as dark as Laura’s looked out of the screen.

“Human?”

“Very much so.” An unusually soft expression crossed the other male’s face. “I am very fortunate to have met her.”

“And she lives here with you? On the station?” From what he remembered, Rafalo’s clientele were far from reputable.

“Mostly.”

“And she is safe here?”

A space station was not the most desirable environment but it might serve as a temporary base.

Rafalo’s voice turned to ice.

“She is safe because she is my female and I am master here.” He hesitated. “I would not recommend it for other human females. I am limited in the steps I can take under the circumstances.”

Another rumor sprang to mind—that Rafalo had assisted the Patrol in taking down slavers—but he respected the other male enough not to ask directly.

“I understand. Is there a place you would recommend?”

“Is it just you and your mate?”

He had already come this far, so he shook his head.

“No. Our party includes another Cire male and his human mate, a Vedeckian male with a human mate, a Trevelorian female, and two human children,” he added as the door opened and Ellie came flying in.

She started to rush over to him, then she saw Rafalo and her eyes widened.

“Kitty?”

Rafalo started to laugh and Ellie grinned, trotting over to lean against his knee and give him a fascinated stare. Vadrar tensed, not sure how the other male would react, but Rafalo gave her a gentle smile.

“And who are you?”

“I’m Ellie. And that’s my daddy.”

“I see.” Rafalo looked over at him, his face still soft. “I think I know just the place.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

When Vadrar left his quarters the next morning, he found Ketaan waiting for him, pacing back and forth in the lounge.

“I wish to speak to you,” he burst out.

“Very well.”

He led the way silently to the rarely used meeting room across from his quarters. He indicated that Ketaan should sit, but instead he continued pacing. Vadrar watched him, his concern growing. He had come to trust the other male, but at times it was difficult to forget the long history of Vedeckian deceit and treachery.

“You told me you had questions for me,” Ketaan finally said.

“I did. Is this the time to ask them?”

“But you are leaving the Patrol?”

He frowned at the other male’s urgency.

“Yes. Our paths have separated.”

“Not everyone in the Patrol can be trusted, but I trust you.”

He hadn’t considered that the lack of trust might go both ways, but he nodded.

“You may.”

“Did you expect to encounter my—the Vedeckian ship in that sector?”

“No. We had not received our next assignment so we were simply exploring.”

“I see. Then it was just a lucky chance.”

“Ketaan, what is it you are trying—or not trying—to tell me?”

“The ship I was on was supposed to be meeting another ship,” Ketaan said at last. “Another ship that had also been to the human planet.”

“What?” he growled. “They took other human females?”

“I don’t know,” Ketaan said miserably. “They were not there when we arrived. No one on the ship discussed it with me, but I overheard some things. And what I heard made me think that the Patrol might have been involved.”

Oh, fuck. Now it was his turn to pace the room. He would have sworn that everyone in the Patrol was straight and above board, but just like there was a rare Vedeckian with honor, perhaps there was a rare Patrol officer without.

“And you do not know if they ever arrived?”

“No. As I said, no one discussed it with me. But from what I heard, the captain was annoyed that they were not there.”

His sense of duty argued that he should investigate, but he remembered Tenrac’s words—did he not also have a duty to himself and to his new family?

“I could ask the Patrol to investigate,” he said slowly.

“But what if they are involved?”

The same thought had occurred to him, but there was another option.

“If you do not object, I believe I should tell Rafalo.”

“The station master? Why?”

He hesitated, but Ketaan had trusted him with the information and it was time to return the favor.

“Because he has made it his mission to assist human slaves. I do not know the details yet, but he says he has a place for us to live.”

“I see.”

“For all of us—including you and Laura.”

Ketaan’s mouth twisted. “I doubt that. Vedeckians are never welcome. Although perhaps Laura…”

“Would not go anywhere without you. And neither would we.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“And you are sure the station master is trustworthy?”

“As sure as I can be. He has a human mate,” he added.

Ketaan hesitated, then nodded. “Very well. Tell him.”

“I will. I will also tell my mate.”

“Of course. There should be no secrets between mates.” A smile suddenly lightened Ketaan’s face. “And it would do no good to try—they always find out.”

He laughed and went off to meet Rafalo at his office. Despite his assurance of the day before, he had insisted on another meeting before revealing his “perfect place.”

As he wound his way through the bars, the pleasure houses, and the haze of pasha smoke, he began to have doubts. The station was every bit as seedy as he remembered, and it seemed increasingly unlikely that Rafalo would provide him with a solution.

But Rafalo’s offices were clean and professional and his receptionist business-like. When he was admitted to Rafalo’s office, the station master was not alone. A tall, elegant human stood next to him, and he immediately recognized her from the image.

“You must be Alicia, Rafalo’s mate.”

“For my sins,” she said dryly. “But Rafalo tells me that you and your mate have two children.”

“Yes,” he said proudly. “A male and a female.”

“Would it be all right with you if I met them? I adore children. And your mate too, of course.”

“Jessica was hoping to meet you as well.”

She smiled at him. “Excellent. I will make the arrangements.”

“If you go to the ship, take a guard,” Rafalo said.

“Yes, dear,” she said, her voice lightly mocking, but she bent down and kissed him before she departed.

“I have some news for you,” he said, once the door closed behind Alicia. “Or possible news.”

“More rumors?”

“I am not sure.”

He repeated what Ketaan had told him, and Rafalo snarled.

“I too have suspected that not every member of the Patrol can be trusted, although so far my encounters with them have gone well.” He picked up a pen from his desk, twirling it in his fingers before nodding. “You may leave it with me.”

“Thank you,” he said gratefully. “I know it should be my duty to pursue it, but…”

“But you have a family now? I understand. I rarely get my own paws dirty. My mate prefers me here.”

They sat in silence for a moment, then Rafalo grinned at him, clearly shaking off his anger.

“But that is not the only reason you came to see me.”

He refused to give in to Rafalo’s games. He simply waited until the other male laughed.

“I see you are prepared to out wait me so I suppose I should get on with it. Very few people are aware of this, but the surface of Tyssia is habitable.”

“I was not aware of that.”

The huge pink planet closest to the space station had been marked uninhabitable many years ago.

“Not even a rumor?” Rafalo asked dryly, but didn’t wait for a response. “It actually has a very pleasant atmosphere. Quite a number of escapees have ended up there—including another Cire with a human mate. And children. There are several thriving communities and room to grow.”

He considered the idea. It would be a definite change from the constant travel of the Patrol but a change for which he was ready. And it could work for the rest of their group as well, except possibly…

“Would they accept a Vedeckian?”

“There is a Vedeckian couple there already.” Rafalo hesitated. “They are accepted, but not always welcomed. However they assure me that they are content.”

“And there is a place for us? For all of us?”

“Yes. In fact, the particular property I have in mind has several buildings clustered together. And it is available at a very reasonable price,” he added, with a sharp-toothed grin.

“How reasonable?”

Rafalo shrugged. “Those who can pay make it possible for those who cannot. And you can afford it.”

He had the uneasy suspicion that the other male knew exactly how many credits he possessed, but he was right—he could afford it.

“I have one requirement—a nearby river so I can take my son fishing.”

Rafalo laughed.

“There is a river that runs along the back of the property. However, I suggest you consider another requirement.”

“Which is?”

“Enough bedrooms for a growing family. In my experience, you Cire are quite… enthusiastic about producing children.”

The image of Jessica ripe and glowing with his child popped into his mind. His cock jerked as a complicated mixture of lust and longing swept over him.

“I do not understand. Is that possible?”

“Oh, yes,” Rafalo said smugly.

He hadn’t even considered the possibility—but he had knotted inside her, which meant that his seed was fertile. She might even now…

“I have to leave.”

Rafalo shook his head, but couldn’t quite hide his smile.

“Very well. But return tomorrow with your mate and I will take you to the surface.”

“Thank you,” he called, already on his way out the door.

He knew people were staring as he raced through the halls, but he was too impatient to care. Emtal and her crew were still working on the engines, but he ignored them as he hurried onto the ship. He found Jessica in their quarters, wearing a blue gown that showed off her generous curves.

“Look. I have new clothes.” Her smile faded as she saw the look on his face. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“Rafalo… Rafalo says that we could have a child.”

His voice came out harsh and strained, and she frowned at him.

“I don’t understand. We already have two children. But I suppose if he wants us to adopt another…”

A choked laugh escaped him, and he pulled her down onto the couch, placing his hand over her soft stomach.

“Not adopt, have.”

“Is that possible?” she whispered.

“He says that it is. It might already have happened.”

“Because your seed is fertile after you knot,” she said slowly.

“Yes.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and his chest ached.

“I am sorry. I did not know or I would have told you. It may not be true.”

“Don’t say that. I want it to be true so badly.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I thought we were blessed to have Ellie and Oscar, but I love the possibility of adding to our family. Not that I know how to take care of a baby,” she added.

“Then we will learn together.”

She took hold of his tail, squeezing it with the firm pressure that went straight to his cock.

“And just in case it hasn’t already happened, I think we need to try again. Right now.”

He wanted to take his time, to worship her as she deserved, but his need was too great. Their lovemaking wasn’t slow or romantic, it was fast and hard and desperate, but she met him just as eagerly, and when she was panting in his arms, their bodies locked together and his seed still filling her tight little cunt, she smiled up at him.

“If that didn’t work, I don’t know what will.”

“If that did not work, we will just have to keep trying. As soon as I am capable of moving,” he added.

“Hmm.”

She tightened her muscles, gripping his knot in an erotic massage, and his shaft immediately responded.

“Perhaps I am capable of moving after all,” he said solemnly, then carried her to the bed to prove it.

EPILOGUE

One year later…

“MAMA,” Oscar called as he came flying into the house, and Jessica’s breath caught.

Ellie had been calling her Mama since that day on the ship, but most of the time, Oscar still called her Aunt Jess. She never wanted him to forget his parents and made a point of sharing memories of them with both children, but she couldn’t deny the warm glow she felt whenever he used the term.

“Yes, sweetheart? What is it?”

“Is he eating again?” he asked, crinkling his face when he saw that she was nursing Zerett.

She smiled down at the baby. Her son was almost an exact replica of his father, down to the tiny tail currently wrapped around her wrist, but his eyes were blue, just like hers.

“Yes, he is. Babies need to eat a lot so they can grow big and strong and play with their older brothers.”

“I reckon. At least he wasn’t a girl.”

Maybe next time, she thought, hiding a smile. Zerett was only three months old, but Vadrar had already brought up the subject of another child. She knew he was anxious to make up for those long, hopeless years, and she didn’t object. Extending their family appealed to her, and with the medical technology they had access to now, her age was not a problem.

Nor was space. The property they had chosen had once been a farm and consisted of a collection of buildings in addition to the central farmhouse. They had all lived in the main house while the girls and their mates converted their chosen properties, and now that they had moved into them, there was more that enough space. Space she suspected Vadrar longed to fill. Smiling at the thought, she turned back to Oscar.

“Did you want to ask me something?”

“Oh, yeah. Darla says they’re having a cookout down by the river tonight. Can we go? Dad said it was okay if you were up to it, but you might be too tired. You aren’t, are you? Too tired, I mean.”

“I think I can manage,” she said in a mock shaky voice. “Even though I’m so old.”

He grinned, then leaned over and kissed her, ran a quick finger down Zerett’s cheek, and went flying off again. She heard him yell something at Vadrar as he went, and she was already smiling when her handsome mate entered the room.

Unlike Oscar, he was far from disgusted to find her nursing their son. His eyes heated with the familiar hunger as he bent over her, brushing his thumb across her other breast.

“I believe you become more beautiful every time I see you.”

“I think it’s my breasts you find beautiful,” she said dryly.

He had been fascinated by every stage of her pregnancy, but there was no denying that he especially appreciated her increasingly bountiful breasts. The only part that he had not enjoyed was the actual delivery. He’d been horrified at the effort involved and glared at the doctor every time she cried out.

“They are most appealing,” he agreed. “But I appreciate every part of you.”

“Even if you think I’m too old and tired to go to a party?”

“I do not want you to wear yourself out. Zerett is very demanding.”

“You didn’t seem that worried about it last night,” she teased, giving his tail a quick squeeze.

Saela had chosen one of the smaller buildings on the edge of the woods and gradually transformed it into a cozy, colorful house filled with plants. Both children had spent the previous night with her, and they had been alone except for the baby. He had taken full advantage of the opportunity, using his mouth and his hands and his tail in a long, leisurely exploration of her body. Even after he knotted inside her, he had driven her into three more climaxes before she finally succumbed to exhaustion.

“That is why I thought you might be tired today.”

“Not at all. I feel wonderful. We should make sleepovers a regular thing.”

Zerett finally finished nursing, and she gently detached him from her breast. Vadrar’s gaze fastened on her bare nipple, and he reached for her.

“Wait a minute. I’ll make a deal with you. Change Zerett’s diaper and put him down for a nap, and I’ll wait right here for you.”

“Just like that?”

“Where are the children?”

“Oscar went to tell Darla that we’re attending the party, and Laura took Ellie shopping.”

“In that case…”

She lowered the other side of her gown as well. His tail flicked across her nipple, but she shook her finger at him.

“Put the baby down first.”

After what must have been the fastest diaper change in history, he returned, his eyes glowing with satisfaction when he found her waiting, her breasts still bared.

“Unfortunately, I do not think we have as much time as we did last night,” he said.

“That’s all right. I’m sure you’ll still make it worthwhile.”

And he did just that, bending her over the bed and driving her into a fast, hard climax with his cock knotted inside her, his tail in her ass, and his fingers circling her clit. And his hand over her mouth when they weren’t quite fast enough to finish before Ellie and Laura returned.

He leaned over her, taking deep, calming breaths as she did her best to remain still despite the aftershocks still rippling through her system. Experience had taught them that it was the fastest way for his knot to diminish, but she sighed when he pulled free.

“Tonight,” he whispered, a dark promise in his voice. “Perhaps you should take a nap.”

He lifted her onto the bed, kissed her, then went to clean up and find their daughter. A few minutes later, she heard Ellie’s happy laugh, immediately followed by a barrage of excited talk about her new dress. Her family was close and safe and happy. She snuggled back into the pillows and drifted into a contented sleep.

THAT NIGHT, Vadrar smiled as he watched his mate, still flushed and glowing, talking to Wanda, the redheaded human mated to Mganak. Mganak was also Cire and he ran the mechanic’s shop in the village. Tenrac and Hannah both worked with him, happily taking on any jobs that required travel. Neither of them were quite ready to settle down to village life, but they were home enough that the bond remained strong.

There were children and pets everywhere. Ellie was talking a mile a minute to Alicia, while Oscar was following Darla around with a determined look on his face. Bunny was winding around the legs of a large rajpar. The big blue-scaled creature had a special bond with Mganak’s other son, Davy, and was far more focused on him than on the kelinc.

A wide variety of species filled the gathering place, but as usual, Ketaan sat a little to the side, and Vadrar went to join him. As Rafalo had said, the Vedeckians were accepted but not necessarily welcomed. Ketaan accepted it philosophically, more concerned that Laura was content. She in turn was determined to make a place for him.

Right now, she was talking to Kareena, a shy Vedeckian female with a sweet smile. Somehow he suspected that any attempt to rally Kareena would be a lost cause.

“What is she trying to get Kareena to do?” he asked.

“She wants her to present a session on Vedeckian history at the school,” Ketaan said dryly. “But I do not believe she will be able to convince Kareena.”

“Laura is very passionate about acceptance.”

“Yes,” Ketaan agreed, smiling fondly at his heavily pregnant mate.

“And you? What do you think of the idea?”

The Vedeckian sighed.

“I am not as sure. My race has a bad reputation for a reason—our history does not excuse that. I have talked to Kwaret and Kareena—they have both suffered at the hands of our people and they agree.”

“Perhaps she will settle down once the child is born.”

“I think it is far more likely that she will increase her efforts. She is determined to make the world a better place for our child.”

He looked over and saw that Jessica had moved to join Saela on the swing by the river. She cradled Zerett in her arms as Ellie leaned against her side and Oscar told her a story that seemed to require a great deal of gesticulation.

In the end, wasn’t that what they all wanted—a better place for their children?

“I wish her the best of luck,” he said sincerely, and went to join his family.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you so much for reading A Treasure for the Alien Warrior! I love this series so much and it’s always so much fun to return to this world. And, of course, the themes of love and acceptance and found family are very important to me.

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As usual, I have to thank my readers for coming on these adventures with me - I couldn’t do it without you!

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

And for another found family - holiday style - with a human female and an alien hero, try A Kiss of Frost!

When Subcommander Jokul Frostarian stows away on his commander’s ship, the last thing he expects is to crash land on a backwater planet - or to discover a fiesty human female who won’t admit she needs him.

Can the warmth of the holiday season thaw an alien warrior’s frozen heart?

A Kiss of Frost is available on Amazon!

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click here to sign up for my newsletter!

OTHER TITLES

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

Olivia and the Orc

Pandora and the Prisoner

Quinn and the Queller

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers

Artek

Benjar

Callum

Drakkar

Endark

Folsom Planet Blues

Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast

Alien Most Wanted: Prison Mate

Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind

Alien Most Wanted: Unchained

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

A Kiss of Frost

Monster Between the Sheets

Extra Virgin Gargoyle

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

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

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Stranded with an Alien

Sinta

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Anthologies

Pets in Space 7

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling 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…

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