ALIEN MOST WANTED: PRISON MATE

FOLSOM PLANET BLUES

HONEY PHILLIPS

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

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

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 by Kasmit Covers

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

CHAPTER ONE

“T hree specimens? Excellent. You are as efficient as ever, Uffitzi.”

Lori could hear someone talking, but the words didn’t make any sense. Specimens? What specimens? And it wasn’t only the words. Although she could understand what was being said, there was a strange timbre to the voice, like a low hiss. She tried to open her eyes to see what was happening, but they didn’t respond to her command. Neither did her arms or legs when she tried to move them.

“I know you only ordered two, but the third proved an easy acquisition. Of course, if you do not wish to increase your order…”

The second voice sounded strange as well, with an odd whispery quality behind his words.

“No, no. We will take all three.” A faint tapping noise. “However, I would prefer to keep the third one off the record, so to speak.”

“As long as I’m paid, I don’t care, although I must admit I’m curious. Are you not procuring the females for Warden Nazort?”

The first speaker tittered. “Yes. They will keep him amused, and it should be profitable, but there are always multiple aspects to any situation.”

“I can create two separate invoices if that is what you wish.”

“I think that would be best.” The voice grew louder, and she tried desperately to open her eyes. “They do not appear to be damaged.”

“Of course not.” Uffitzi sounded vaguely offended. “I have no interest in human females. They have been in stasis until now. I have implanted translators and administered the injections to bring them out of stasis and stop their fertility cycles until you wish to reverse it. Is there anything else?”

“Not at all. It is a pleasure to do business with you, Uffitzi. So many of those who call themselves businessmen are distracted by the presence of females.”

“A fact I suspect you use to your advantage.”

Another unpleasant titter.

Who were these people? What did they mean about specimens? Her pulse kept trying to speed up, but even that was muted by the effect of whatever drugs she had been given.

She tried to think, to remember what had happened, but her last clear memory was panting her way to the top of Jacob’s Hill as part of her new exercise program. It wasn’t really that much of a hill, but from the top she could look out over her town—the town where she’d spent her entire life. Oh, she’d gone to the beach in the summer and had an occasional trip to the mountains in the fall, but aside from a high school trip to New York and one daring spring break in Florida, she’d never really left it.

She had managed to make it to the top, but she’d been bending over, her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath, rather than looking at the town. She vaguely recalled the impression of movement out of the corner of her eye before she felt a sharp pain in her neck and the world went dark.

That will teach me to try and exercise. After finally ridding herself of Todd, her freeloading ex, she had been determined to make a fresh start. I should have stopped with the sexy new pajamas, she thought regretfully, rather than adding sexy new workout clothes to my order. The fact that she’d been able to find attractive exercise clothing in her size had seemed like such a good sign at the time.

Was she still wearing them? Her arms and feet felt slightly cooler than the rest of her body, so hopefully that meant she was still dressed.

Whatever she was lying on jerked, and she wondered if she was being moved. Her arms definitely felt cooler now, and an involuntary shiver swept over her. She welcomed the sensation, hoping that it was a sign that her senses were returning. Once again she tried to open her eyes and managed to crack them apart enough to see a sterile white ceiling passing overhead. It looked industrial, like a hospital—or a lab. Her heart skipped a beat, and this time she definitely felt it. A lab? The word specimens took on a whole new significance.

All the horror stories she’d heard of people waking up in a bathtub with their organs missing flashed through her mind, and she desperately tried to push herself upright. Her body still didn’t respond, but her fingers clenched.

Whatever she was on—a stretcher of some sort?—slowed, and she caught a glimpse of bars overhead as she was pushed beneath them. Oh my God, they were putting her in a cage. She really was going to be the subject of an experiment.

When she had decided it was time for some changes, this wasn’t what she had in mind. It had been two years since her father died, and she’d finally emerged from the fog of grief and taken a look at her life. Five years in the same job and, despite consistently positive reviews, no promotion. A boyfriend who treated her as little more than a convenience. She was tired of being the same shy, accommodating person that she’d always been.

Getting rid of Todd had been the first step. She’d intended to follow it up with some new clothes. With healthy eating and a modest exercise program. Of finally applying for that promotion. Definitely not by ending up in some mysterious lab.

“Where’s the other one?” a new voice demanded.

The stretcher on which she was lying suddenly flipped up from horizontal to vertical, making her stomach churn. For a horrifying moment, she thought she was going to fall forward before she felt the faint sensation of restraints holding her in place. Her eyes were still open, but she must be hallucinating. She blinked, once, twice, but the view didn’t change.

A strange being stood in front of her. A not human being, with pale pink skin and a flat nose. How was that possible? Was he the result of an experiment too? She suddenly realized that he looked weirdly like Porky Pig, and a hysterical giggle tried to escape her mouth. It came out as a choked gurgle instead. An expression of alarm crossed his face, and he took a hasty step back.

“Is she going to vomit like the other one?”

Other one? She tried to remember what the voices had said, but the memory was already fading.

“No, Warden.”

Warden? The bars took on a new significance. Had she ended up in a jail rather than a lab? Or a jail where they performed experiments?

Then another not human being stepped forward. This one was small and green, with reptilian features and a tail flicking behind him. They were simply too different, too strange, and her mind stuttered over a third possibility. Could they be aliens?

“She simply has not recovered her faculties yet,” the green one continued, and this time she recognized his voice. He had been the one buying her. “Will she do?”

Porky’s mouth twisted into a pout. “I preferred the other one’s fiery pelt.”

“You could wait for the medics to confirm her health.”

“I don’t want to wait!” Porky said petulantly. He stepped closer and reached for her. Even though her body was still numb, enough feeling had returned that she could tell he was poking at first her breasts, and then her stomach and thighs. “At least she has some meat on her.”

Meat? Her stomach churned again. Was he going to eat her?

“I enjoy a softer ride,” he continued, and the implication behind those words was almost as horrifying. “Dress her and bring her to my quarters, Ratchi.”

“It may take some time before she regains full use of her body.”

“I don’t need her to move.” Porky said dismissively, and disappeared.

Ratchi sighed and reached for a device on his belt. The surface beneath her reclined again, then lowered to the level of his waist.

“He’s so predictable,” he muttered as he started stripping her. A painful tingle began spreading through her limbs, but she could feel his dry, scaled hands on her skin as he removed her leggings and underwear. A cold breeze drifted across her exposed skin, and she shivered.

“Ah, you are regaining sensation.” His mouth twisted into an unpleasant smile. “You may wish you hadn’t.”

The tight sports bra stumped him for a minute before he finally sliced it off with a sharp little claw. He continued talking as he discarded the scraps, then pulled a swath of blue gauze over her head.

“I should not be performing such a menial task, but I’m afraid the guards would be far too tempted to resist.” He jiggled her breasts dispassionately, then shook his head. “Such a useless excess of flesh, yet most males would be entranced.”

“N… not you?” The words emerged garbled, but intelligible.

“No. I have more important considerations.” He stepped back and looked at her, his gaze coldly assessing. “You are definitely recovering faster than I anticipated. Pity. Although…” He tapped his fingers against his device thoughtfully, then raised it to his mouth. “Hammol, has the new prisoner arrived?”

“Yes, sir. He is being escorted to the Warden now.”

“Excellent.” He lowered the device, his lips twisting. “This might work out better than I intended.”

“Can you stand?” he asked. She suspected she could, but she was on the verge of denying it, hoping for a delay, when he added, “Or would you prefer to remain strapped to the table for the… Warden’s use?”

The thought of being restrained horrified her. “I… I think I can stand.”

She had to clutch at the table, but she managed. The blue gauze fell into place around her, but one horrified glance was enough to know that it concealed absolutely nothing. She instinctively tried to lift her arm to cover her breasts, but Ratchi caught her wrist in a surprisingly strong grip.

“No. You will make no attempt to conceal yourself. You will not speak unless you are asked a question. And you will comply with whatever orders you are given. Do you understand?”

“I don’t understand anything!” she cried. “Where am I? Who are you?”

He sighed, and then a fiery streak of pain radiated out from her hip despite the lingering numbness. He held up a small stick with a glowing blue end.

“This is Folsom Prison, and you are here to be used as I wish. Now do you understand?”

Aftershocks of pain still ran through her system, threatening to take her breath away, but she managed to nod.

“Good. Then come with me.”

CHAPTER TWO

“Y ou had the nerve to sell me stolen goods? Did you think I was too stupid to find out?”

Since I’ve been doing it for almost a year? Yes.

Altrez managed to keep from responding out loud, but the look on his face must have given him away because the Warden’s face turned an alarming shade of purple. He nodded at one of the big grey-skinned guards, and the guard slammed his shock stick into Altrez’s side.

Agony sizzled through his system, but he did his best to keep his face impassive.

The Warden scowled at him, his beady pink eyes glittering with rage. He was a ridiculous-looking male—short and chubby with pink skin and round features—but he wielded almost total control over Folsom Prison. And Altrez had willingly put himself in his clutches.

I really hope this plan works, he thought. It had been somewhat impetuous to be sure, but he was desperate to find out what happened to his brother Riker after their escape plan had gone awry.

“Imperial law forbids prisoner abuse,” he reminded the Warden once the guard finally moved the shock stick away. His voice sounded annoyingly strained, but he managed to give the other male a mocking smile.

“True, but only if they are aware of it. Once you are in the Pit with the other Undesirables, it will be as if you didn’t even exist.”

Excellent. The secret underground prison beneath the actual prison was where his brother was held. Or rather, where his brother had been held. He forced himself to look alarmed.

“What? You can’t do that to me.”

“Oh, yes I can. I rule this place completely. I can do whatever I want.” Warden Nazort’s eyes scanned Altrez, and Altrez suspected that his anger was warring with his desire for profit. “But if you please me, I might be willing to reconsider.”

“Sorry. You’re not my type.”

The Warden scowled again. “Don’t be ridiculous. But I heard you took down three Bukharans before they captured you. I could use a good fighter. If your fights are sufficiently profitable, perhaps we can discuss some changes to your situation.”

Altrez already knew that the Warden forced the illegal prisoners to fight and then sold the video feed of the brutal matches. His brother had been forced into just such a fight, which was how Altrez had found him a year ago. Although their relationship had been strained for years—his honorable brother disapproved of Altrez’s choice of friends, of his occupation, of… well, of just about everything he did—they were still brothers and Riker still communicated with him on a regular basis.

When Altrez realized how long it had been since they had spoken, he had contacted the elite fighting squad who had hired his brother. They denied all knowledge of his whereabouts, insisting that he had simply left. Altrez’s bullshit detector went on high alert. His brother would never have abandoned his team. He had started to search—only to find that Riker seemed to have disappeared from all official records, and he turned his efforts to the less official channels.

He’d been in the back of the bar on Ras Five, playing cards and setting up his opponent for a significant loss, when they had started showing the feed from the fight. He had no interest in watching two males beat each other, especially when it became clear that this was an illegal fight with two brutal but untrained antagonists. But then the second fight came on, and he immediately recognized his brother. It had taken all of his experience not to react as he watched his brother defeat his vicious opponent, only to be presented with a sad little female. His brother taking a female as a prize? Had he changed that much?

“Interesting feed,” he remarked casually to Kichik, the bar owner.

“Not interesting enough. They should have shown him fucking his prize.” Kichik licked his lips with a long black tongue. “A big male like that and that small female? I hope he didn’t fuck her to death.”

His tone suggested the opposite, and Altrez did his best not to recoil in horror.

“Where did the feed originate?” he asked casually. “I might like my own copy.”

Kichik had been reluctant to share the information, but Altrez managed to apply enough… persuasion to start down the right trail. Once he located Riker, it had simply been a matter of setting himself up as one of the prison vendors—easy enough with his supply of stolen Foldaran liquor—and finding a guard willing to be bribed into carrying messages to his brother.

But the escape plan they had so carefully worked out over the past year had gone awry. He’d been waiting in the spaceship hangar when the alarm sounded, and he’d watched helplessly as the prison was sealed off behind a heavy blast wall. Because of the timing of the alarm, he was sure that his brother had managed to make it out of his cell. But what had happened after that? The guard he had bribed to convey messages disclaimed all knowledge, and finally desperation had driven him to this step.

Now that he was here in the prison, he would find out what happened to Riker.

He rubbed his arm, seeking the faint reassuring pulse of the locator. Despite the weakness of the signal, the fact that it vibrated meant that his brother was alive. Now he just had to find him, and the obvious place to start was in the secret prison below. But although the Warden was behaving just as he had predicted, he didn’t want to appear too agreeable.

“Why would I fight? I’m more of a lover than a fighter,” he said with a mocking grin.

The Warden glared at him, but before he could respond, the door behind him opened and Ratchi, the Warden’s assistant, came in with a female. Not just any female—a pale, smooth-skinned human female with bountiful curves barely concealed behind a sheer blue gown. Blue eyes stared back at him with an arousing mixture of fear and defiance. Her lips parted, and then a small pink tongue darted out to wet the lush contours of her mouth. A mouth that would look perfect around his cock. Mine.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He enjoyed an occasional dalliance with a willing female—although not as frequently as his reputation might suggest—but he’d never felt this immediate rush of possessive desire. It’s just lust, he told himself, running his eyes over those generous curves again, but it felt like more. He wanted to demand that she come to him, to protect her from the lustful gazes of the guards flanking him.

“Yes, Ratchi? What is it?” the Warden demanded impatiently.

“You asked to see your new female.” The small scaled male spoke nervously, bowing his head deferentially, but Altrez saw him surveying the room. The assessing glance showed an intelligence at odds with his meek demeanor.

“Not now, you fool. Can’t you see I’m in the middle of negotiations—”

Warden Nazort cut off his sentence, but it was too late and Altrez grinned at him.

“You will fight for me,” the Warden blustered, but they both knew that he couldn’t force him to fight. “If you don’t, you won’t eat.”

He shrugged. “So I starve to death. Doesn’t sound much worse than the alternative.”

The female made a soft sound of distress, and his eyes immediately snapped back to her. Did she actually look concerned about him? He found himself wanting to pull her close and allay her fears.

“If you will forgive my presumption, sir,” Ratchi said meekly. “Perhaps it is just a matter of finding the right… motivation. The prisoner seems quite interested in your female.”

The Warden’s pinched little mouth drew up even more. “But she’s my female,” he whined.

“There is always the other one. I’m sure the medic will have her restored to full health shortly.”

The female gave another distressed cry, and Altrez saw Ratchi’s fingers clamp down on the soft flesh of her arm. His claws shot out, and he had to clench his fists to conceal them. The Warden was too busy pouting to pay attention, but he was sure Ratchi noticed.

The Warden kicked the floor like a petulant child, then glared at Altrez.

“What if you could be a lover and a fighter? As long as you win, she’s yours.”

He wanted to refuse. No matter how tempting, the last thing he needed was a female distracting him from his mission. But he looked over at her, her blue eyes still blazing with defiance and fear, and couldn’t resist.

“Very well. I’ll fight.”

CHAPTER THREE

“G o to your new master,” Ratchi demanded, but Lori was still staring at the big red alien. Master?

He was the most intimidating male she had ever seen. His dark red skin was covered with elaborate tattoos and he had horns—horns!—springing from his head. His eyes, shockingly blue against his red skin, focused on her face with an intensity that made her feel almost dizzy. The grey-skinned guards had more sheer bulk, but the arms revealed by his sleeveless tunic rippled with muscle. Despite his almost devilish appearance, she didn’t have the same instinctive urge to recoil from him as she did from the guards and the Warden.

Maybe that’s a good thing, she thought hopefully, trying to find a bright side. At least until she could figure out how to get out of here. She hadn’t completely understood the conversation between the Warden and Altrez, but if she understood correctly, he was going to fight and as long as he won, she would belong to him.

Ratchi’s hand tightened painfully around her arm again, and the big red male’s eyes went instantly to his grip. He growled—he actually growled—and Ratchi immediately released her. A curiously satisfied look crossed his face as he bowed his head.

“My property,” Altrez snapped. “Until I’m done with her.”

“Or you lose,” the Warden pointed out petulantly.

Altrez quirked an eyebrow, looking even more devilish than before. “I don’t lose.”

“We’ll see about that.” The Warden waved a peevish hand at Ratchi. “Arrange the first fight for tomorrow. And find out the status of the other one.”

Other one? Lori tried to force her sluggish thoughts into some semblance of order. She remembered a comment about a fiery pelt and the Warden’s expression of disgust when what must have been another female threw up on him. Was she another human? Or just another unfortunate female caught up in this nightmare? There had to be a way to get them all out of here—but right now she couldn’t even think of a way to escape her own inevitable fate.

“Time to show you to your new quarters,” Ratchi said. He started to reach for her arm again, then looked at Altrez. “Control your property, or I will be forced to make her obey.”

She flinched automatically, her hand going to the burn on her hip, and Altrez’s eyes blazed again.

“Come to me,” he ordered.

She thought about disobeying, she really did, but could he possibly be any worse than remaining with the Warden? And at least he’d had the decency to give her a verbal instruction rather than just dragging her to him. She went to his side.

As soon as she did, his hand closed around her wrist, not harsh but utterly inescapable. A shiver ran up her spine as she looked up at him. The heat in his eyes was unmistakable. Did I just jump from the frying pan into the fire? she thought hysterically. The fire analogy seemed particularly apt given his appearance. And yet there was an odd comfort from the warmth of his hand as he pulled her against his side.

“Good little pet,” he murmured.

“I’m not a pet.”

From the quirk of his mouth, he had heard her muttered comment, but he didn’t respond. Instead he led her between the two waiting guards as regally as if he were escorting her into a ballroom. Their destination was an elevator—roomy enough if it had been four humans inside, but the presence of the two hulking guards and the massive red male made the space feel entirely too small.

What felt like a breath of wind brushed across her back, but before she could figure out where it came from, Altrez whirled, pushing her behind him.

“Unh, unh, unh. My property.”

The words were mocking but the tone was deadly, and she saw one of the guards take half a step back before scowling at him.

“I think you’re forgetting who’s in charge here.”

“Not at all. But prisons are very dangerous places—for prisoners and for guards.”

The guard’s scowl deepened, even though he didn’t step forward, and Lori suspected he was trying to decide if it was worth the fight. The second guard nudged him.

“Ignore him, Ruk. The Warden would get pissed if you messed with his new fighter. Wait until he loses interest.”

“Assuming he survives that long,” Ruk muttered, but some of the tension left his body.

The elevator doors opened a moment later, and a wave of cold, damp air rushed in. She shivered as it penetrated the thin gown and stepped closer to the warmth of Altrez’s side before she realized what she was doing.

“Good little pet. Turning to me already.”

He grinned down at her. She glared and tried to take a step back, but he had already put his arm around her shoulders. As much as she hated to admit it, the heat he generated felt wonderful as it immediately started to penetrate her chilled skin.

“You act as if you’re training her,” the second guard snorted. “Doesn’t seem worth the effort.”

Altrez shrugged. “Why not? I prefer a compliant female.”

Compliant? The word triggered unpleasant reminders of her old behavior. Fuck that. She’d decided she wasn’t going to be a doormat anymore, and being kidnapped by aliens didn’t change her decision. Determined to teach him a lesson, she rammed her elbow into his side.

Oww! It was like slamming her elbow into a rock wall, but then she heard him give the tiniest little grunt of surprise. Triumph filled her, offsetting her aching elbow.

To her utter shock, he started to laugh. A second later, he threw her over his shoulder, his body still vibrating with laughter. Outraged, she tried to shimmy free, but he stopped her with one sharp smack to her butt. Her whole body went still. No one had ever spanked her, not even as a child. She wanted to reach back and rub the sting away, but it was already fading into a lingering warmth.

“Of course, a little spirit is always entertaining,” Altrez said cheerfully. “Which way, boys?”

Still trying to make sense of the confusing rush of feelings, it took her a moment to notice her surroundings. Altrez was carrying her down a dark tunnel that looked hewn out of solid rock. Upstairs, everything had been white and clinical and high-tech. Down here, small yellow light bulbs at lengthy intervals were the only indication that she hadn’t been transported into a medieval dungeon.

They passed a rusted metal door set into the wall of rock, and she heard a snuffling sound. Just before the angle of the tunnel changed, she saw a huge fur-covered hand with long dark nails clasp the bars. What the hell was that?

A roar from the left made her jump, and she found herself looking into four slit-pupiled yellow eyes. She felt the muscles in Altrez’s shoulder tense, but when he spoke, his voice was as cocky as ever.

“A Yirtich? You boys do like to live dangerously.”

The second guard guffawed. “You have no idea what you’re in for.”

Before Altrez could respond, they turned into a smaller tunnel and came to a halt. From her position over his back, she couldn’t see what was waiting for them, but at least it was a little brighter here. As she raised her head to try and look around, he took a few more steps forward and then a barred door slammed shut behind them.

The two guards remained on the other side, but they didn’t move away. Ruk grabbed his crotch and smirked at her. With a sinking heart, she realized why they were waiting. Her pulse started to race, not helped by the fact that as Altrez finally slid her down off his shoulder, she could feel the undeniable evidence of his erection.

His arms remained wrapped around her, trapping her against that enormous bulge as he stared down at her, his face unreadable.

“On your knees, pet.”

Even if she had wanted to obey, her legs were shaking too hard. He seemed to realize that because he gently pushed her down, supporting her the entire way. As her knees hit the cold stone floor, she half-collapsed, half-fell forward against his legs. They were strong and warm, and his hand in her hair felt oddly comforting as he held her face against his thighs.

“Good little pet,” he murmured.

Dammit. She hated the term, but she still felt an unexpected rush of warmth from his praise. Very few people ever expressed their appreciation to her. Even her dad had taken her for granted.

“Well?” Ruk demanded. “Aren’t you going to fuck her?”

Altrez arched an eyebrow as he looked over her head at the guards. “All in good time.”

The second guard snorted. “Time’s up tomorrow.”

Again she felt the muscles in his thighs stiffen.

“Why is that?”

“You have to fuck her after the fight. Assuming you win, of course.” The guard pointed up at the ceiling. “Increases the profits.”

“Warden Nazort didn’t mention that.” The mockery was gone, and Altrez’s voice had turned low and deadly again.

The guard shrugged. “Never had a fighter who didn’t want to fuck after a fight. Come on, Ruk. We can watch it later on the feed.”

“Not the same.” Ruk scowled, but turned and followed the other guard the short distance back to the main tunnel. “Stupid male. I wouldn’t be wasting my time.”

As soon as the guards disappeared from view, she looked back up at him, determined to try and make him understand. He grasped her chin and pressed his fingers to her mouth before she had a chance to speak. Once again, his grip was gentle but completely inescapable. She didn’t feel the prick of those wicked dark claws, only a strong, warm grip and the surprising scent of cinnamon. Before she could prevent herself, her tongue flicked out and touched the fingers over her mouth. He did taste like cinnamon.

Too late she realized that he might assume she was being provocative. His eyes heated, but his voice remained calm.

“Remove my shirt, pet.”

Oh, God. Had he just been waiting for the guards to disappear?

She did her best to scowl up at him, but her body was shaking again. Keeping one hand over her mouth, he grasped her elbow with the other and lifted her effortlessly to her feet.

“Don’t make me tell you again.”

His voice was threatening, but as he leaned forward to put her hands on the bottom of his shirt, he whispered into her ear. “Please.”

The word was barely audible, but there was something in it, something that stopped her protest. Biting her lip, she grasped the hem and pulled his shirt up and over his head as he bent towards her. Those menacing horns were only inches from her face, but she managed to tug the shirt free without snagging it on them.

“Good girl.”

That rush of warmth again, followed by shock as he dropped the still warm shirt over her head. The last thing she had expected was for him to cover her up, and even though the shirt was sleeveless, it concealed far more of her body than the flimsy blue gown.

“I… I don’t understand.”

“I don’t like seeing my property in another male’s clothing.” He gave a casual shrug, but by the warmth in his eyes, he definitely approved of the change. “Now remove the gown.”

It was only a single flimsy layer, but she didn’t want to do it.

“Now, pet. Or I will remove both garments and leave you naked.”

Her chin started to come up, but then he flicked his eyes up at the ceiling. When she followed his gaze, she caught the glint of glass and she remembered the guard’s words. Were they already on camera? It was one thing to defy him, but knowing that an untold number of others might see her naked body sent a chill down her spine. She reached under the shirt that now covered her and unfastened the small clasps holding the blue gown in place. It fluttered to her feet.

“Good girl.”

Before she could respond, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers. Just like his grip, the kiss was gentle but utterly inescapable. Her eyes closed automatically, and she could almost imagine that it was a romantic kiss, not one forced upon her by an alien male in the dungeon of an alien prison. Her eyes sprang open as soon as the thought crossed her mind, but he had already let her go and turned away to inspect the cell.

A narrow cot with a single blanket hugged one wall. On the other, a few crude shelves were hewn out of the rock. There were a few baskets on one of them, along with several bottles of water. Her mind stuttered at such a normal sight in such strange surroundings.

He walked to the back of the cave and pressed a button next to a small niche. Water streamed down from above and disappeared into a grate below. To her dismay, she didn’t see any other type of facilities, not even the metal toilet from her first cell.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until the first tear rolled down her cheek.

“Fuck.”

The explosive curse made her flinch, but did nothing to stop her crying. A moment later, two strong arms wrapped around her and her face was pressed against a warm muscled chest.

“I don’t like to see my pets crying. Not unless I give them a reason to cry.”

The words sounded threatening, but the soothing stroke of his hand through her hair belied the severity. Neither the comfort nor the threat helped. The dam had been breached, and the torrent of tears continued to flow.

“Stop it, pet.”

She was too distraught to pay any attention to the almost desperate note in his voice. She couldn’t stop crying, even though her whole body was shuddering.

Smack. That big, hard hand came down on her ass again, and the shock finally brought her tears to a conclusion as she jumped.

“Why did you do that?”

He shrugged, but he looked uncomfortable. “As I said, no crying unless it’s at my request.”

She sniffed and tried to glare at him, but she knew it was a pitiful effort. He sighed and moved away, returning a moment later with a damp cloth that he ran over her face. She tried to take it from him, but he shook his head.

“No, pet. I will control this as well.”

The thought of him taking care of her was both irritating and oddly appealing, but she ignored the appeal and lifted her chin.

“My name isn’t pet. It’s Lori.”

“Lori.” The word rolled slowly off his tongue as if he were tasting it, and then he grinned. Her breath caught. He looked even more like a devil now, but a wickedly charming one. “I approve.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him, and then hastily let her arms drop when she realized they pushed up her already bountiful cleavage.

“I don’t care if you approve or not.”

“You will, pet. You will.”

A distant gong sounded, and the door to the cell slid open. She immediately started to make a dash for it, but he caught her arm.

“What are you doing? We need to get free while we can.” She tried to wrench her arm away from him.

“That’s not the path to freedom.”

As if in response to his words, the second guard reappeared at the entrance to their small tunnel.

“Training time.”

Altrez shrugged a casual shoulder. “I don’t need it.”

“Not even to size up the competition? Or gather information?” The guard’s voice dropped as he sauntered closer.

Altrez looked down at her, then back at the guard. “I’m touched by your concern for my welfare, Hammol.”

The guard flicked his eyes at the ceiling camera and shrugged. “Got a lot of credits riding on you. If I end up losing them, the other prisoners will be the last thing you need to worry about.”

Despite the guard’s bravado, he looked uncomfortable. Altrez looked down at her again, and then stepped through the open door to the cell. Before she could follow him, he closed it again, leaving her trapped inside.

He leaned close to the guard, speaking softly, but Lori could hear him.

“You will protect her with your life, do you understand? Or you’ll regret it.”

Why was he ordering the guard around? And why was the guard listening?

Hammol scowled and snuck another glance back at the camera.

“Don’t worry. No one can mess with your prize before the fight.”

Altrez nodded, then glanced back at her.

“I’ll be back soon, pet. Keep that sweet little cunt warm for me.”

She gave an outraged gasp and saw his lips quirk before he turned and followed Hammol out of sight. In spite of her outrage, in spite of her fears about his intentions, she had to dig her nails into her palms to stop herself from calling him back. He was a confusing mixture of bossiness and gentleness, but he hadn’t hurt her and he was the only person she had met so far who seemed to realize she was more than just a body.

Her knees shook, and she staggered over to the cot. She wasn’t about to lie down, but she wedged herself against the wall, wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, and settled down to wait for him to return.

CHAPTER FOUR

A s Altrez followed Hammol into the main tunnel, he had to fight the impulse to return to Lori. He hated leaving her alone in the cell, despite Hammol’s promise.

Fuck. She was already complicating matters. How was he going to concentrate on his mission if he was worrying about her the whole time?

And how was he going to convince her to cooperate with him? He couldn’t afford to appear weak. By framing their interactions under the guise of training her to his satisfaction, he hoped he could convince whoever was watching that he was in control—without having to force himself on her. He had seen his oldest brother interact with enough females to be able to fake it—and yet was it entirely fake? He was enjoying their interactions far more than he would have expected.

Pushing his concerns aside for the moment, he turned to the guard as soon as they were out of earshot of the cell.

“What do you know about Riker, Hammol?” he demanded.

“Nothing.” The guard scowled at him. “And stop trying to threaten me.”

Hammol was one of the guards he had bribed into carrying messages to Riker—a fact that could result in Hammol being incarcerated with the other prisoners.

“Just reminding you that we both have something to lose.”

“You can’t talk if you’re dead.” Hammol took a step closer, trying to appear intimidating, but Altrez only gave him a cocky grin.

“That wouldn’t stop the Warden from finding out about your little sideline.”

“Why’d you show up here, anyway?”

“To find out what happened to my partner. What do you know?” he asked again.

“Nothing. Well, the rumor is he went over the wall.” Hammol’s voice lowered. “And they didn’t find his body.”

Relief filled him. Even though he was sure his brother was alive, the confirmation reassured him. The fact that he was outside the walls, however… That wasn’t something he had counted on. He’d had an alternate escape plan in mind, but he’d counted on Riker’s strength. Without him, he would need to find another alternative.

Perhaps a trip to the training room would prove useful after all.

“Then I’m off to train. But, Hammol, remember what I said. If one hair on her head is damaged, I will hold you personally responsible.”

Hammol tried to scowl at him, but his eyes dropped first.

“I told you. The Warden told us hands off. But I’ll keep watch,” he added reluctantly.

Altrez nodded and headed down the tunnel. As he walked, he rubbed the subdural locator, grateful for its reassuring pulse. He’d never thought he would be so grateful for its presence, especially since it had been forced on him as a result of his own misbehavior.

Not long after his mother had been diagnosed, he’d run away, unable to face the sight of his normally cheerful mother pale and ill. He had been gone for two long, terrifying nights before Riker found him, storming into the barn where he taken refuge, hauling him up by the scruff of his neck, and throwing him over his shoulder. He had never seen his brother so angry. When they returned to their home, his older brother was even worse—cold and unforgiving. As soon as Riker pushed him down into a chair, Leavent pulled out an injector.

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s a locator,” Leavent said coolly, advancing towards him.

“Oh, hell no. You’re not chipping me like a godsdamned animal.”

He tried to leap up and run, but Riker’s enormous hand held him firmly in place.

Leavent bent down and stared him directly in the eye. “Your mother is dying.”

No one had said it directly before, and his throat threatened to close up.

“You will not give her one more moment of worry, and if that means I have to chip you to keep track of you, that’s exactly what I am going to do. Do you understand?”

He managed a nod, his throat still too tight to talk.

Riker’s grip softened. “I’ll do it too. That way you’ll always know where I am as well.”

Leavent tilted his head, his face as inscrutable as always before he gave a sharp nod. “Very well. I will also.”

That small scar, now concealed in one of his most elaborate tattoos, had been a constant reminder of his family. How many times had he rubbed his finger against that spot, only to feel nothing? But it was pulsing now and it was going to lead him to his brother.

He was so deep in his thoughts that the mocking voice from the shadowed depths of the cave cell to his right almost made him jump.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

Fuck. Even though the prisoner in the cell was barely visible, Altrez should have been paying more attention to his surroundings.

“Just going to the training room,” he said carelessly. “You coming?”

“I have no need of training. Neither did your brother.”

He couldn’t prevent himself from turning back to look at the mysterious figure. How could he know? Each of the brothers had had a different mother, and any family resemblance was superficial at best.

“Don’t bother to deny it. I can scent the connection.”

“You know Riker?” he asked suspiciously.

A mocking chuckle. “In a manner of speaking. You could say we shared an… interest.”

“Do you know where he is?”

His eyes had adjusted enough that he could make out the huge winged figure crouched against the wall and he saw him shake his head.

“Not specifically.” His voice turned thoughtful. “Why are you here? Does the criminal urge run in your family? Or are you here for another reason?”

Was there an implied threat in the words? Before he could decide on a response, there was a muffled whimper from the portion of the cave that extended back into the rock.

“What was that?”

He took a half-step in that direction before the prisoner blocked him. He loomed over him, wings extended and his face drawn back into a snarl.

“None of your concern. Leave. Now.”

This wasn’t his mission, but the cry had sounded so piteous.

“Who’s back there?” he demanded.

“No one. Let’s just say I like my… meals served fresh.”

The voice had turned mocking again, but Altrez noticed that the male didn’t retreat from his blocking position. “Now go, so I can feast without disruption.”

Altrez hesitated a moment longer, but then the big male reached over and slammed the door to his cell between them. There was nothing he could do, so he continued down the tunnel.

The tunnel ended at the entrance to the training room, and he paused there to survey the room—although perhaps room was an overstatement. The area was carved out of a natural cavern in the rocks. The walls gleamed with moisture, and he saw the first sign of natural life since his arrival. Small dull-colored lichen covered the walls, and an occasional dark tendril appeared in the cracks amongst the rocks.

The training room was not full, although he was glad to see that the Yirtich was not amongst them. Apparently, even the Warden knew that it was too dangerous to be released. Small groups of inmates clustered around the edges, watching the two matches that were currently taking place. Several guards also stood around the edge of the cavern, shock sticks at the ready.

As he watched, one of them stepped forward and jabbed the stick in the neck of a burly Boran who was throttling the life out of a smaller Sudra. The Boran roared, but released the Sudra who dropped to the ground, gasping. Based on the extent of the damage, the guards hadn’t stepped in until it appeared that the Boran was on the verge of actually killing him. Altrez wasn’t really surprised. The Sudra would never be a good candidate for the fight pit. He could only assume the guards bothered to keep him alive to be used as a victim on another day.

Schooling his expression to hide his disgust, he watched as the Boran sauntered casually towards him. The Borans did not have a good reputation—for a reason. They were big, with dark, armored skin, and every one he had ever met had tried to stab him in the back. The Boran looked him up and down, a sneer on his ugly face.

“I heard they brought in some fresh meat. Can’t say you look like much of a challenge.”

Altrez grinned at him. “Looks can be deceiving. You look too ugly for even a mother to love, but I’m sure the stupid bitch did anyway.”

The Boran growled and started to reach for him. A guard shoved his stick between them, the end crackling a warning.

“No fighting outside the ring, Hafra. You know that. You two want to tangle? Take it to the floor.”

Hafra glared at him but didn’t immediately issue a challenge. Altrez shrugged and moved away. Some surprisingly advanced equipment lined one wall. When he paused to inspect it, the Boran reappeared at his elbow.

“I heard you got a female.” Hafra’s mouth spread in an ugly grin. “Think you can hang onto her?”

His first instinct was to throttle the other male for even mentioning his female, but he had come to find out information. He forced himself to give the Boran a cocky grin instead.

“Yep.”

“If you do, she could be a useful asset to you.”

“Oh?”

“Females are scarce around here. Been a long time since I got my hands on a fresh one. Riker won the last one.”

Altrez’s heart skipped a beat. “Riker?”

“Big brute. Looked like he had some Kaisarian in him.” Hafra looked him up and down again. “You do too. Maybe you’ll make it through your first fight after all.”

“I will,” he said confidently. I have to.

“You don’t even know what the competition is like.”

He gave a casual look around at the rock walls. “You mean like this Riker? Where is he?”

“Gone.” Hafra lowered his voice. “Made it out of here.”

“Warden Nazort said no one made it out.”

“He would say that, wouldn’t he? Maybe this prison isn’t as secure as he thinks.” A knowing smirk twisted Hafra’s lips.

“I heard the rest of the planet is deadly.”

The other male shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. You know they never displayed Riker’s body as a warning. Maybe because he didn’t die.” Another gong sounded, and Hafra started to move away. “You make it through your fight, and we’ll talk about what that asset of yours is really worth.”

“Perhaps.” He forced himself to shrug casually, but his heart pounded. Hafra had confirmed his suspicion that Riker had escaped. Since the locator confirmed that he was alive, the next step was to escape the prison. Should he wait for his original plan to play out? Or look for a faster alternative?

He didn’t bother challenging anyone to a match, but he used some of the equipment as he listened to the conversations around him. Conscious that the other inmates were watching him, he made sure to appear strong enough to discourage anyone looking for easy prey, but not so strong as to present a threat. A few of the other males stopped by for a brief word, although it was clear that they were withholding judgment until after the fight. By the time the training session ended, only Hafra had proven useful.

As Hammol silently opened his cell door for him to return, Altrez looked at Lori, curled into a defensive ball against the wall, her eyes closed. Unless he was mistaken, Hafra had been hinting that he had an escape route, but what would be the price?

CHAPTER FIVE

D espite Lori’s determination to remain on watch, the exhaustion of the previous events and the lingering aftereffects of her kidnapping were too much. She didn’t realize that her eyes had closed until a scraping sound jerked her awake. Two males stood on the other side of the metal bars. They were two new species—one covered with grey fur and the other with a metallic scaled texture to his skin and reptilian features—but they were both enormous and they were both looking at her with identical expressions of lust.

“Well, well,” the furry one said, grasping the bars with a clawed hand and giving them an experimental tug. She was almost positive it was the same hand she had seen when Altrez had carried her in. “The Warden’s definitely making the fights more interesting.”

The scaled one didn’t respond, but a long forked tongue flicked out to taste the air.

The furry one tugged on the bars again but to her relief, they didn’t move. “Come here, female,” he ordered.

She might have been willing to pretend to be obedient with Altrez, but there was no way she was stupid enough to obey this strange male. She lifted her chin.

“No.”

He growled, and she saw his nails leave scratch marks in the metal bars, but the scaled one gave a hissing laugh.

“I don’t think she likes you, Tukli,” he said. “Maybe you’ve lost your touch.”

Tukli turned and snarled at the scaled one, but the other male didn’t back down. He hissed back, their faces inches apart. For a moment, she thought they were going to fight right outside the cell, but whatever detente had brought them here together was apparently still in effect. After exchanging more growls and hisses they both turned to focus on her again.

“Hammol said Altrez was training her,” the scaled one said thoughtfully. “Is that what you want, female? To worship at my feet with your mouth around my cock?”

She couldn’t prevent herself from shuddering, and he hissed his displeasure. “You would do well to be more respectful. Once your current master loses, you will be given to the next winner. And you would learn to obey me.”

“That’s what you said to the last one, Skaid,” Tukli said dismissively. “Before you killed her. Fucking waste of a female.”

Skaid grinned, revealing rows of needle-sharp black teeth. “But she learned to obey first.”

She shivered, and his tongue tasted the air again as he gave her a satisfied look. “Oh, yes, I think you could be taught. If you learned well enough, you might even survive.”

Tukli made a disgusted noise. “The least you could do is let me fuck her first. I promise I won’t damage her. Much.”

The same well of strength that had given her the courage to toss Todd out of her apartment and her life suddenly reappeared. She sat up, keeping the blanket tucked around her, and gave them a level stare.

“I’m not the least bit worried about what either of you thinks you could do to me. Altrez isn’t going to lose.”

Her pulse hummed in her ears, but her voice remained steady.

Tukli guffawed, but Skaid hissed, all amusement wiped away from his face. He bent down over the lock, and she could see him prying at it with his claws. God, had she made a terrible mistake?

“What the fuck are you two doing here?” One of the guards entered the small tunnel in front of the cell. She thought it was the same one who had come to get Altrez earlier. The one he had promised would look after her.

“Just inspecting the new prize,” Skaid said smoothly.

“You inspect her when the Warden lets you. Move along.” The guard smacked his shock stick against his hand in clear warning.

“No need to be hasty. Maybe we should come to an arrangement? I—”

“We,” Tukli interjected.

Skaid shrugged. “We. We don’t want long with her. We could make it worth your while.”

The fear that had started to subside with the guard’s appearance came racing back, and her throat threatened to close. How corrupt was he? And how secure was Altrez’s hold over him? Her stomach churned as he appeared to consider the offer, shooting her a speculative glance, before finally shaking his head.

“Nah. I know how much damage the two of you would do, and I don’t want to end up down here. Now move.”

They obeyed, but Skaid lingered long enough to focus on her. “Until we meet again, female.”

The threat was clear, but she refused to cower. She kept her chin raised until he had disappeared from view, leaving only the guard in the tunnel. She waited for him to leave as well, but now it was his turn to advance to the bars. He studied her silently, while she tried to decipher the look on his alien features. Lust, definitely, but also a degree of speculation.

“You’re not doing yourself any favors by making enemies. Altrez is a cocky bastard, but sooner or later, he’s going to lose.”

“I’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

“You’d be better off making friends now.” He reached down and cupped his groin suggestively.

Her first instinct was to recoil in disgust, but maybe he was right about the value of diplomacy, especially if he was some type of ally to Altrez.

“I’m Altrez’s property. He told me he doesn’t share.” She tried to keep her voice even, neither revealing her disgust nor giving him any reason to think she was encouraging him. When his hand went to the device on his belt that seemed to control the doors, she was terrified that she hadn’t been successful. He touched it thoughtfully, but then he let his hand drop.

“We’ll see about that. As for you, don’t trust him. He’s a tricky bastard, and he’ll abandon you the moment you’re no longer useful to him.”

With that Parthian shot, he turned and disappeared from view. She wrapped her arms tighter around her body as she started to shake. She felt as if she were skating on impossibly thin ice over a chasm of fire with traps on every side. She had absolutely no idea if she could really trust Altrez, but so far he hadn’t hurt her, and the protection he had put in place around her seemed to be working. Once again, she huddled back in her corner, her eyes on the cell door and the tunnels beyond, but no one else appeared and eventually her exhaustion won out and she drifted off to sleep.

TWO WARM ARMS wrapped around her, and for just a moment, Lori found herself leaning into them. But then the memory of where she was came flooding back and she started to struggle. Altrez’s arms tightened, that same gentle yet inescapable grip he had used before.

“Let go of me,” she demanded.

“Now, pet. Is that any way to greet your master?”

“I told you—my name is Lori, and you’re not my master.”

“I don’t think you realize how much your safety depends on you being my property.”

The words were threatening, but there was a cautionary note as well. She stopped her useless struggle and looked up at him. Was that sympathy she could see in the blue eyes watching her so intently?

“Why?”

“Because I’m the only one standing between you and the Warden and the rest of these prisoners.”

She shuddered as she remembered her visitors, but she refused to give in so easily.

“Are you any better than they are?”

“I think you know the answer to that one, pet.”

He grinned at her, that wicked, charming grin, and she had to bite her lip to prevent herself from smiling back. She was suddenly aware that her body was pressed against his and yes, he was erect again. While he hadn’t shown any inclination to take advantage of her so far, the more distance between them the better. She pushed uselessly at his chest.

“You can let go of me now.”

“Now why would I want to do that?” He rolled them over so that he was on top of her. The hard warmth of his body covered her, but he wasn’t using his weight to crush her into the mattress, and a tiny part of her realized that he felt good there. Her pulse started to race as he lowered his head to her neck and nuzzled at the delicate skin.

“What… what are you doing?” The words came out breathless.

“I’m not sure if they’re listening,” he breathed into her ear.

It was the last thing she had expected him to say. Why would he even care if anyone was listening? Unless… unless he had some kind of secret.

“What don’t you want them to hear?” she whispered back just as quietly.

“I have… plans.” His mouth was still against her neck, and she felt the scrape of his fangs against the sensitive flesh. An entirely unexpected shiver of pleasure skated over her skin, and she felt her nipples harden against his chest.

“Ah. So my pet likes that, does she?”

Although still seductive, his voice was louder now and she realized that he intended for it to be overheard.

“No, I don’t,” she said defiantly, not quite sure if she was playing a part or not.

With a startlingly quick movement, he seized her wrists and pulled them up over her head. The position made her arch against him, her breasts rubbing against the hard muscles of his chest and her hips cradling that massive erection. A confusing mixture of fear and arousal swept over her, and he raised his head to smile down at her.

“Your body betrays you. Good little pet.” He dropped his head back down. “Play along,” he murmured.

“Why?”

“Because if they do not think I am strong enough to master you, they will not respect my claim.”

It made a twisted kind of sense, and she sighed.

“Yes, master,” she said loudly.

He brushed another one of those brief, seductive kisses against her mouth, and then he was gone, leaving her body feeling cold and abandoned.

Lori awoke with a start, her heart pounding. She didn’t remember the dream, only the sensation of being chased. She reached for Altrez before she realized what she was doing, but he wasn’t there.

Not long after he had kissed her and moved away, a guard had delivered food to them. She hadn’t recognized any of it, but most of it had been edible enough. Altrez had made sure she ate, even giving her more of the fruit she liked, but he had seemed distracted and his grin had disappeared. After their trays had been removed, the lights in the cell dimmed and she’d finally worked up the nerve to use the rudimentary facilities. To her relief, he hadn’t watched her or made any insulting comments. He had ordered her to rest and followed her to the cot, but all he had done was hold her until she drifted off to sleep.

Now the cell was still in darkness, but she could see him standing by the bars, looking out to the dimly lit tunnel. His head was bowed, and he looked sad and lonely.

Driven by an impulse she didn’t quite understand, she rose and went to him, slipping her arms around his waist from behind. He tensed for a second, then sighed and put his hands over hers.

“You should be sleeping, pet.”

That same compassionate impulse still driving her, she shook her head. “Not without you. Come back to bed.”

When he reached down and picked her up, she squeaked, suddenly nervous, but although he carried her back to the cot and wrapped himself around her again, he didn’t take it any further. Emboldened, she reached up to whisper in his ear.

“Why are you really here?”

“Oh, I’m a hardened criminal.” The mockery was clear even in the soft whisper, along with something that sounded almost like regret.

“Is that what you want to be?”

“It has its moments.” His voice dropped even further. “But I’m here because I’m looking for someone. My… partner.”

Was that why he hadn’t forced himself on her? He already had a female? And why did that make her chest ache all of a sudden?

“And she’s here?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral. “In the prison?”

“She?” His low chuckle reverberated against her skin. “Not that kind of a partner, pet. But yes, he was here.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized the implications of what he said. “Was? You mean he escaped?”

He didn’t answer her. Instead, he started kissing her neck, unerringly finding the exact spot that sent a pulse of desire to her suddenly aching clit. Did he regret what he had said? The old Lori wouldn’t have pursued it. The new Lori reached up and grabbed the base of his horns, intending to demand an answer. He groaned and his hips jerked, his rigid cock pressing against her.

Oops. Apparently, that was a sensitive area.

Feeling unexpectedly powerful, she repeated the question. “Is there a way out?”

“Perhaps.” He raised his head to look at her. “But the price may be too high.”

She opened her mouth to demand a straight answer, and he kissed her. Their previous kisses had been a simple brush of the lips. This was not. He invaded her mouth, his long tongue twining around hers and exploring every inch, demanding a response that she was helpless to resist. Her hands tightened instinctively, forgetting that she was still clinging to his horns, and he groaned into her mouth.

His hips rocked against hers, their bodies wedged together so tightly that she could feel the swollen head of his cock nudging against her clit with every roll of his hips. He grabbed her hip with one big hand, pressing her even more firmly against his rigid shaft. Her body tightened, and she came with a sudden shocking rush. Pleasure washed over her, swiftly followed by embarrassment.

Her cheeks flaming, she pushed at him.

“Let go of me.”

“Never,” he murmured. “Now go to sleep, pet.”

In spite of the erection still cradled between her thighs, he sounded oddly satisfied. He nuzzled her neck again, and a short time later she heard his breathing slow. She found herself smiling into the darkness as she followed him into sleep.

CHAPTER SIX

A ltrez walked towards the fight pit, trying to suppress his nerves. Dangerous situations rarely bothered him, but this time he found it hard to maintain his usual insouciance. The fight didn’t concern him as much as leaving Lori alone in their cell. She had wanted to accompany him, but he’d refused. He suspected she was far too kind-hearted to handle the type of brutality he expected. Hammol had promised to watch over her, but if Altrez lost…

No. He couldn’t lose.

Plastering a cocky grin on his face, he sauntered into the arena. Like the training room, this was another natural cavern. But unlike the training room, this one soared high overhead, the roof obscured with a bank of electronic equipment and lights that formed a stark contrast to the rocky walls. Halfway up the wall, he could see an elaborate balcony and Warden Nazort watching from there. His small, round figure should have looked ridiculous, but he radiated an air of menace.

As he waited at the edge of the circle, more of the inmates joined them. There was a palpable feeling of excitement—of bloodlust—from the gathering crowd. He surveyed them curiously, wondering who his opponent would be. Although the Warden couldn’t force anyone to fight, some of the inmates did it for the potential rewards while others did it simply to exercise their brutality.

A shock stick crackled to the right of him as one of the guards pushed back an overly excited inmate—a Chiliq, slime dripping from his fangs as he roared in frustration. A Chiliq wouldn’t be his first choice of opponent, although he had no doubt that he could defeat him. Their slime got everywhere, and it was both corrosive and foul-smelling.

He was still looking around speculatively when the crowd roared. He looked up as a second figure appeared next to the Warden. Lori. Her face was pale, but she had her chin raised. When their eyes met, she managed a slight, tremulous smile, and his heart ached at her bravery.

Fuck! He should have realized that Warden Nazort would want to put her on display. Why had he left her? He growled as he realized that she was no longer wearing his shirt. The Warden had replaced it with another far too revealing outfit. Her pale skin glowed against a brief swath of dark blue silk.

The prisoners roared again, and he saw electricity crackle in multiple places as the guards forced them back. Then the crowd went silent as four guards prodded a Yirtich out into the arena as it snarled and snapped at them. Two of them were already bleeding.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He closed his eyes in momentary despair. No wonder the Warden had taken Lori away—he had no intention of allowing Altrez to survive the fight. The Yirtichs were little more than beasts, with just enough rudimentary intelligence to make them even more dangerous. There would be no negotiations, no quarter allowed. This was going to be a death match.

He took his eyes off the Yirtich long enough to look up at Lori, even paler now. He couldn’t leave her in the Warden’s hands. She needed him. He would just have to kill the big bastard. Somehow.

LORI’S HEART thudded against her chest as she watched Altrez walk into the circle. He looked as casually confident as ever, but his opponent was so much larger. Scythe-like claws flashed at the ends of all four arms, and its spiky armored skin gleamed under the arena lights. It tossed its head, and she recognized those yellow slit-pupiled eyes.

Did Altrez even stand a chance? The overhead lights brightened, and the guards stepped back. The creature roared and charged at Altrez. It slashed at him with its claws, but he ducked beneath all of its outstretched arms with startling speed and kept going.

For a second, she wondered if he was running from the fight. The crowd below hissed, apparently thinking the same thing. Instead, he launched himself at the wall, actually running up it before launching himself into the air with a graceful flip. He landed on the creature’s back and, with one flash of his claws, sliced the creature’s neck open. As it collapsed to the ground, he jumped gracefully free.

The crowd went completely silent for a moment, then erupted in yells of approval. He looked up at her and grinned, and her heart overflowed with pride and relief.

“He can’t do that,” Warden Nazort spluttered. “The fight didn’t even last a full minute. How can I charge for that?”

“There may be an audience for just that reason,” Ratchi suggested meekly.

“Godsdammit. Send in another opponent.”

Her breath caught, but Ratchi shook his head.

“With all due respect, sir, we did not announce a double match. And if the inmates believe the fights are rigged, they will not fight.”

The Warden swore again, then scowled at her. “Tell him he won’t get off so easily the next time.”

Easily? She bit back her outraged protest as he shoved her against the balcony railing. A section of the balcony broke away, and she clutched the railing, certain she was going to fall. Instead, the section floated gently down to the ground below.

To her surprise, Altrez did not immediately come to her side. Did he want her to come to him? As she walked towards him, she noticed that his posture was unusually stiff, and although the cocky smile was still plastered on his face, it looked strained to her. When she reached him, he took her hand and brushed it casually against his thigh. She felt dampness, and to her horror, she realized he must be bleeding. The creature’s claws had caught him after all.

Her first instinct was to demand a doctor, but he clearly didn’t want anyone to know he was wounded. Remembering what he had said about maintaining the appearance of strength, she resolved to assist him. Still holding his hand, she kneeled as gracefully as she could at his feet.

“I am yours, master.”

The surrounding prisoners roared, but she was more concerned about the way his hand tightened over hers.

“It is time I enjoy my prize,” he said calmly.

No one else seemed to notice anything amiss, but she could hear the underlying note of strain in his voice. She rose to her feet, keeping her head bowed.

“Yes, master.”

He put his hand on her shoulder to lead her out of the arena. To anyone watching, it would have looked as if he were merely guiding her actions, but she was actually helping to support him. She led him meekly to the tunnel through which he had entered. As they passed the phalanx of guards, she looked up and saw Skaid in the crowd. She couldn’t resist giving him a triumphant grin. His hiss was clearly audible even through the jeering prisoners, and the people nearest to him stepped back.

Oops. Too late she remembered what Hammol had said about not antagonizing the other prisoners. The sound of the crowd dimmed behind them, and she suddenly realized they were alone. None of the guards had accompanied them, but then again, why would they? No one in that arena had any doubt that he was taking her back to his cell to fuck her. No doubt they’re all planning on watching on camera, she thought, her heart pounding. Helping him to maintain the charade of control was one thing. Actually having sex with him under these circumstances was another.

She was honest enough with herself to admit that she wanted him. She had never been so attracted to anyone before. But there was still so much she didn’t know about him, and Hammol’s words had struck home. Was someone like him really attracted to someone like her? Or was he just using her, the same way the other people in her life had used her? She was still arguing with herself when they turned another corner and she saw something crumpled against the base of the wall. For a moment, she thought someone had abandoned a pile of laundry, but then she saw what looked like fingers move and she realized that it was a body.

“Oh no.”

She started towards him, but Altrez’s hand tightened on her shoulder with a surprising amount of strength.

“Wait. It could be a trap.” He looked around, and she saw his nostrils flare as if scenting the air before he shook his head. “No, I think he’s alone.”

“We have to help him.”

Even though she knew that whoever was lying there must be a prisoner as well, he looked so small and pitiful. He gave a faint gasp, and she shook off Altrez’s hand and kneeled next to the stranger. When she got a good look at his face, she realized that he was the same race as Skaid and automatically started to recoil, but there was nothing threatening about this male. He looked impossibly frail, the kind of frailty that came from illness and malnutrition. His skin had faded to a sickly yellow, and she could see raw patches where his scales had flaked away.

“Is there anything we can do?”

She knew it was a stupid question as soon as the words came out of her mouth, and she gave Altrez a helpless look. He shook his head.

The stranger’s eyes opened when she spoke, and his tongue flickered out.

“Female,” he whispered.

“Yes. I… I belong to Altrez.”

The movement of his head was almost too minimal to be called a nod.

“Sing me on my way, female.”

She looked up at Altrez again. He was using the wall for support, but his smile was sympathetic.

“It is their custom.”

She tried desperately to think of a song, but the only one that seemed even remotely appropriate was “Amazing Grace.” And she only knew the first verse. I’ll just keep repeating it, she thought as she started to sing.

As it turned out, one verse was enough. The small male’s eyes fluttered closed and his body went limp, but his face was serene.

Tears dripped down her face as she rose to her feet.

“Isn’t there anything we can do? I hate to just leave him here.”

Altrez shook his head.

“The guards will come. And we should hurry.” He looked paler, and she wiped away her tears before pulling his arm over her shoulder. He didn’t protest, letting more of his weight rest on her.

“Who would do a thing like that?” she asked as they walked.

“There are always those who wish to prove their superiority by preying on the weak. I wonder, too, if he had outlived his usefulness.”

His voice sounded odd and she gave him a questioning look, but he shook his head. “Later. At least you gave him comfort.” He hesitated. “Reassured him that he was not by himself. No one wishes to die alone.”

“I hope so. I’m sure he’d never heard the song before.”

“I suspect it didn’t matter. Music can reach between societies.” He flashed her a pale imitation of his usual cocky grin. “Although, trust me, you never want to hear a Tuvian sing.”

She managed to return his smile, but the smile died when they reached the short tunnel leading to their cell. The lights blazed, lighting it like a stage set. That’s what it is, she realized, her heart sinking again. The stage for her debut as a porn star. Her steps faltered, and Altrez’s arm tightened around her shoulder as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Trust me and go along with what I do.” He hesitated. “I will need to remove your clothing, but I will not hurt you.”

The thought of being naked in front of an unseen audience horrified her—she’d never even worn a bikini to the beach, for heaven’s sake. Her nails dug painfully into her palms, but she managed to nod. She had put her trust in him, and she wasn’t going to back down now.

As they reached the edge of the brightly lit cell, he pushed her forward. Although it had not been a forceful gesture, she stumbled into the cell as if he had shoved her hard.

He stalked over to the cot as regally as if he were completely uninjured, sprawling on it like a king. He looked her up and down, his eyes blazing, and even though she knew that it was partially an act, she shivered. Her nipples tightened into taut little buds beneath the silk of her brief gown, and she saw his eyes focus on them with an almost palpable heat. A low throb of excitement started between her thighs.

“Remove your clothing, pet,” he ordered.

Her pulse sped up even more. When he had told her that he would remove her clothing, she hadn’t expected to have to do it herself. Her hands shook as she stared at him.

“Now, pet. Or you will pay for disobeying.”

The words sounded ominous, but it was the hint of compassion in his gaze that gave her the courage to raise her hand and unfasten the clasp. The silk slithered to the ground, caressing her body as it fell, and her unwilling arousal increased. He gave her a long, leisurely look as her heart pounded.

“Very nice.”

He reached down and fisted his cock through the brief fight shorts. Despite his injury, he seemed to have no difficulty achieving an erection. Her mouth went dry as he tugged at the massive length. Just how far were they going to have to go? He had said he wouldn’t hurt her—he hadn’t promised not to have sex with her.

“Come here,” he growled.

But nerves had finally gotten the better of her and she could only stare at him in mute dismay, her knees trembling. He growled again and rose to his feet, the bright lights illuminating the dark red skin and the horns and making him look more devilish than ever as he stalked towards her. His hand closed around her throat as he yanked her against his body. Once again, she was sure that the action looked more forceful than it felt, but her racing heart reacted as if she were truly threatened. She started to struggle uselessly, and he gave her a sadistic smile.

“Then it will be punishment.”

He lowered his head, his fangs gleaming and his horns silhouetted against the ceiling. The lights went out.

CHAPTER SEVEN

T he sudden darkness only increased Lori’s fear, but then Altrez lowered his mouth to her ear.

“Scream,” he ordered softly.

“No! No! Don’t, please don’t!”

The terror in her voice was not entirely feigned, but as soon as the lights went out, he had released her throat. He kept her pressed against his body as he pulled her back to the cot. Despite the darkness, he seemed to have no difficulty finding his way around and in spite of the adrenaline coursing through her system, she was conscious of just how good that big hot body felt against hers.

“Struggle,” he reminded her.

She resumed her protests, flailing her arms and accidentally catching him across his stomach. He grunted and she immediately stopped, afraid that she would hurt him.

His hand smacked her ass, leaving that same hot vibrating sting.

“You’ll pay for that,” he growled, even if his hand rubbed apologetically at her butt. “Keep fighting,” he added.

“No!” she screamed, then whispered, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

His mouth brushed against hers, his aim unerring despite the darkness. “You won’t.”

He shoved the cot against the wall with a loud clang, then pulled her down on top of it. She started to protest again, equally concerned about his injuries and about ending up beneath him once more, but then she realized that the cell was not in complete darkness. Some light still trickled down from the exterior corridor. He was doing his best to make sure that any images that did appear on camera appeared realistic.

“Oh, God, no!” she screamed again, starting to enjoy herself. “You’re too big!”

He stilled, then chuckled softly against her ear. “You flatter me, pet.”

Their staged struggle turned into a weird kind of wrestling match—an oddly arousing wrestling match. Her naked body was in constant contact with his as he flipped them around while she cried mock protests and he growled and threatened. He grabbed for her thigh and his hand slipped between her legs, rubbing against her clit. Her startled cry was not fake that time. She suspected that neither was his growl as he rubbed his thumb across the swollen little nub again.

“This pleases you?” he murmured against her ear, and the hot rush of his breath startled another choked cry from her.

He began rocking against her, mimicking the act of sex as he grunted and swore, even though his cock was only rubbing against her leg. His thumb, on the other hand, brushed back and forth against her clit, building her excitement.

She had never been a screamer. Her climaxes were quiet affairs, usually eliciting no more than a quiet gasp. Even the previous night, she had been too startled by the sudden climax to cry out. But this was different—their bodies wrestling in the darkness, his strong body moving her so effortlessly, his scent surrounding her. She could feel the climax building, threatening to crash over her like a tidal wave, and she was helpless before it. Then his fangs sank into her neck, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to her clit, and the wave crashed down over her.

A wordless scream escaped her mouth and echoed through the cell. Her vision sheeted white, and for a startled moment she thought the lights had actually come back on, but she didn’t care, lost in the flood of sensation. Altrez echoed her cry, and she felt the hot rush of liquid against her leg as he pulled her close. An odd feeling of satisfaction filled her, knowing that he had been just as affected by their game.

His arms tightened around her, and she clung to him as he licked gently at the bite mark on her neck. Their harsh breathing filled the darkness. It had been a hell of a show, she thought, then wondered if that was all it had been. It had felt… real to her.

But then he moaned softly and her conscience reminded her of his injuries.

“Oh my God. Are you all right?” she whispered. “Were we too rough?”

His chuckle sounded genuine, despite the strain in his voice. “It was worth it, but perhaps I should tend to my wound now.”

“I’ll do it.”

Her eyes had adjusted enough that she could make her way across the cell. She retrieved a cleansing cloth and a bottle of water, and he directed her in cleaning the wound before handing her a small packet.

“What’s this?”

“It will seal the wound. Sprinkle it on, then hold the edges together.” He hesitated. “I’ll try not to move.”

“Is it going to hurt?” she asked nervously.

“Unfortunately.”

Her fingers tightened on the small packet. “Don’t you have a doctor here?”

“Probably. But I have no intention of announcing the injury. And I heal very quickly.” His voice softened. “Would you rather I did it?”

Yes. But she couldn’t make him do it by himself.

Following his instructions, she sprinkled the powder on the gash, then held the edges together tightly, biting her lip when his body went rigid, even though he never made a sound. She kept her hands in place until he finally relaxed.

“You can let go now,” he told her, his voice strained.

When she did, the wound stayed sealed. He pulled her back down next to him, and she didn’t even try to protest, stroking his back until the tension left his body.

“How did you make the lights go out?” she whispered a little while later.

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He hesitated. “It may not work a second time. I’m afraid I only postponed the inevitable.”

As she continued stroking his back, she thought about what he had said. If they were going to have to have public sex at some point, maybe it would be better to have their first time now, in the semblance of privacy created by the darkness. Her clit gave an excited little pulse at the thought, but before she could gather up her courage to suggest it, he sighed and dropped his mouth to her ear again.

“The lights are going to come back up soon,” he whispered softly. “I need to make it look as though our coupling was as brutal as it sounded. You understand?”

She gulped and nodded.

There was a brief hesitation before he spoke again. “I am not going to return your clothes. I will lead you naked to the shower so they can see the blood, and then wash you. You must remain cowed and subservient. Can you do that?”

She hated the thought that they were being watched. Don’t think about the audience, she told herself. Altrez is here with me. I can do this.

“All right.”

She felt his hands on her as he used the bloodied cloth to smear her neck where he had bitten her. He moved to her breasts next, and in spite of everything, the feel of his hands on her made her nipples tighten into aching little buds.

“I need to leave some sign that won’t be washed away,” he murmured. “I’ll try my best not to hurt you.”

Before she could ask what he had in mind, he pressed a sucking kiss to the inside of one breast. It didn’t hurt, although she was sure it was going to leave a hickey. That wasn’t too bad, she thought with relief, but then he closed his mouth over her nipple and bit down. He released it just as quickly, but the sharp sting sent an unexpected pulse of excitement to her clit.

His voice deepened. “This arouses you?”

“No,” she protested immediately, then bit her lip. “Maybe a little.”

His big hand dipped between her thighs, easily sliding them apart.

“You’re wet.”

She could feel embarrassment heating her cheeks, but he was right. The stinging pleasure of his touch had aroused her again.

“I… I…”

His satisfied chuckle lingered in the darkness. “Then we will explore it further. Later,” he added as the lights flickered.

His mouth followed his hand, pressing more sucking kisses to her stomach and the inside of her thighs before running that long, long tongue across her clit. She jumped as another wave of arousal washed over her. His body stilled, and then he circled it again, once, twice…

The lights came on.

She could have cried with disappointment. She had been so close.

Don’t be an idiot, she reminded herself, huddling into a shaking ball as Altrez rose from the cot with a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Excellent, pet. It appears that your training is progressing nicely. Now you will wash me.”

His tone was peremptory, and she instinctively wanted to rebel, but she forced her pride aside and nodded, scurrying over to the shower to turn on the flow of water as he followed her. Horribly conscious of the camera, she focused on the shower wall and the small lichen nestled in the cracks. But even though Altrez had said he wanted to display her injuries, when he joined her, he positioned his body in such a way as to conceal most of hers and she flashed him a quick, grateful smile.

Somehow his protection gave her courage, and she stepped past him to retrieve another of the cleansing cloths, knowing that her whole body was on display before she ducked back into the shower behind him. For the first time, she looked down at herself and realized how brutalized she looked. Her stomach churned, but she gave him a tremulous smile.

“May I wash you, master?”

His back was to the camera, but his eyes blazed. Something nudged her stomach, and she looked down and realized it was his cock, fully erect again despite his wound. This was the first time she’d actually had a chance to look at it.

Oh my.

Long and thick and covered with a spiraling ridge that reached from the base to the flared tip. The tip flared open even more as it brushed her stomach, and then it seemed to suck at her just as his mouth had done. She was still staring at it in fascination when he lifted the hand with the cleansing cloth to his chest.

“Wash me, pet.”

“Yes, master,” she murmured obediently, but even though she started running the cloth across his chest, she kept looking back down at his cock.

Giving in to a wild impulse, she stroked her other hand down that thick length and circled the wide tip. It reacted to her touch, opening like a flower. What would that feel like inside her, she wondered with a pleasurable shiver. His body was between her and the camera, and she remembered her previous thoughts. Maybe she should take the opportunity to explore him a little more…

She dropped to her knees.

CHAPTER EIGHT

A ltrez’s eyes almost rolled back in his head as Lori kneeled in front of him and took his cock in her soft little hand. He wanted to protest. He should protest… But then she licked tentatively at the petals of his oris and all thoughts of protesting disappeared.

His oris closed around her tongue, and she looked up at him, her eyes wide. He buried his hand in the soft brown waves of her hair and stroked her cheek reassuringly. Her tongue slowly circled the inside of his petals, and he saw her smile.

The memory of their audience surfaced just in time. He stroked her cheek again as he spoke harshly. “Take more of me. I want to see you choke on my cock.”

Her eyes narrowed, and he felt the delicate scrape of her blunt little teeth. He almost laughed. If it had been intended as a rebuke, it was unsuccessful—the slight sting only increased his excitement. But he wanted her to touch him for her enjoyment as much as his own.

“That’s right. Good little pet.”

That was better. Her eyes went heavy, and he felt the press of her hard little nipples against his legs. Her tongue swirled inside his oris, the sensation rippling down his spine. Despite his earlier climax, he was close to erupting again. Fuck. He usually had no difficulty maintaining control, but she broke through all his barriers.

He pulled back, and she hummed with disappointment, the vibration rippling through his cock. Her hand was still wrapped around him as far as it would go and she gently squeezed his shaft. His hips thrust forward involuntarily and she grinned, repeating the gesture.

Before he could stop her, she took him in her mouth again, this time enclosing his entire oris in the warm, wet haven. She sucked on the swollen flesh as she squeezed his shaft again, and he was lost. Fire streaked down his spine and he erupted, his seed escaping in long, shuddering pulses as she milked him of every drop.

As he came back to his senses, he belatedly realized he still had his fingers buried in her hair. He murmured a wordless apology as he released her and withdrew, but she smiled up at him, her mouth pink and swollen. The hardened tips of her breasts were still pressed against his legs, and he caught the undeniable scent of her arousal. The knowledge that pleasing him excited her made his cock jerk, threatening to harden again.

He was trying to decide how to pleasure her without displaying her for the cameras when he heard someone entering the tunnel in front of the cell. Pressing a reassuring hand to Lori’s head, he turned to face them. Unconcerned about his own nudity, he used his body to conceal hers.

Ratchi stood outside the cell, accompanied by two guards. With his diminutive stature he shouldn’t have appeared threatening, especially compared to the menacing bulk of the guards, but Altrez wasn’t going to make that mistake. The humble servant act had disappeared and the keen intelligence he’d suspected was quite obvious as Ratchi surveyed him dispassionately.

“Warden Nazort is not pleased. First that ridiculously short fight, then fucking your prize in the dark. Most unsatisfactory.”

Altrez grinned at him. “It’s hardly my fault that you chose such a poor opponent. And I had no intention of waiting before enjoying my prize.”

“Hmm. I can see that we will have to provide you with a more challenging opponent tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

Fuck. He healed quickly, but he wouldn’t be at full strength by the next day. And another fight so soon would leave little time to plan an escape.

“We do want to make you feel challenged,” Ratchi said sarcastically, before his eyes flicked to Lori, still kneeling behind him and clinging to his legs. “And the next time you… enjoy your prize, it will be fully visible or we will take her to a lab, strap her down, and leave her there to wait for you. Do I make myself clear?”

He felt Lori shudder, but he merely raised a sardonic eyebrow and gestured at his cock.

“Of course. I understand your desire to see the full package.”

One of the guards gave a choked laugh, and stopped immediately when Ratchi looked up at him.

“You have one day to prepare. And this time you had better make it a fight—and a fuck—worth watching.”

He turned away before Altrez could respond. As soon as he was out of sight, Altrez turned and drew Lori to her feet.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I should have realized that darkening the cell would only anger them.”

“Sweetheart? I think I like that better than pet. And I appreciated the darkness.”

Her smile was a little shaky but genuine.

“It was always the term I was thinking in my head,” he told her honestly, and she nestled closer.

“What are you going to do about tomorrow? Are you going to be healed enough to fight?”

The fact that she seemed more concerned about his wellbeing than the threat of being restrained and put on display made his chest ache. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

“I don’t know.”

“Then what are we going to do?”

“I’m going to train this afternoon.” And pray that Hafra really was hinting at an escape plan.

She gave him a puzzled look, but didn’t press him for an explanation. Thank the gods. He already suspected what Hafra’s price would be, and although he had no intention of letting the bastard lay a finger on his female, he didn’t want to worry her.

His female? The words echoed in his head, and his eyes dropped to the place on her neck where he had bitten her. He stroked his thumb across the mark and she shivered, her nipples tightening into rosy little points again. How had he not realized that he had given her a mating mark? All these years of avoiding relationships, and he’d fallen for a fragile little human before he’d even entered her body.

“Altrez? Is something wrong?”

“No, sweetheart. Something is very, very right.”

When she looked even more confused, he laughed and brushed a kiss against her pretty mouth.

“I’ll explain later.” Once we’re free. “Right now, I think some rest is in order.”

But although they curled together on the cot, neither one of them slept. Instead, they talked, keeping their voices low.

“Are you really a criminal?” she asked.

“I prefer to think of myself as an entrepreneur. The Empire has far too many rules. I simply look for ways to… avoid most of them.”

She laughed. “How?”

“I’m a trader. I have a small ship and I transport goods from planet to planet. Usually without official approval.”

“That sounds exciting. I always wanted to travel, but I’ve never really been anywhere.” A choked laugh escaped her mouth. “I guess I can’t say that any longer, but before I was taken I spent almost my entire life in the same small town.”

“Why did you do that if you wanted to travel?”

“My mom died when I was quite young.”

He flinched. That memory still hurt.

“My mother died as well.” And my father might just as well have joined her. He had never been the same after her death.

“I’m so sorry.” Her fingers gently brushed his cheek.

“It was a long time ago.”

“But you still have that feeling of loss,” she said knowingly. “After my mom died, it was just the two of us. He needed someone to take care of him so I stayed close by. He… he died two years ago.”

His arms tightened and she gave him a shaky smile.

“I finally realized it was time to stop grieving and make some changes.” She glanced around at the cell. “Although I’m not sure this is what I had in mind.”

“I’m sorry you were taken.”

“I am too, but… I’m glad we met.”

Words hovered on the tip of his tongue but before he could decide what to say, she smiled again. “But enough about me. I want to know more about you. How did you learn to fight like that? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Have you seen a lot of fights?” he asked lightly, half-relieved and half-disappointed at the subject change, and she laughed.

“Well, no. But that was like something out of a movie.”

“I learned because I had two older brothers. Ri… my middle brother is just huge. He was always twice as big as I was and much faster than someone that size has any reason to be. And my older brother…” He shook his head. “He doesn’t look anywhere near as intimidating, but he’s even faster—and deadlier. He’s the type who would smile the entire time he was sinking a knife in your ribs.”

“But they were your brothers. Surely they didn’t actually hurt you?”

“I thought they did,” he said ruefully. “I realized the difference about the same time I realized that I couldn’t talk my way out of every situation.” He took her hand and rubbed it along his ribs where a tattoo concealed another scar, then smiled at her. “Although that’s still my preferred approach.”

Her fingers lingered, moving from the scar to his tattoos. “Where did these come from?”

“Different places. For different reasons.” He lifted her hand to a swirl of abstract flowers over his heart. “This was for my mother.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“This, on the other hand…” He guided her to the line of spiraling waves across his stomach. “This conceals another scar. And is a reminder that Braxxians cheat at cards.”

“Hmm.”

Her finger stroked lightly back and forth, gradually slipping lower, and his cock jerked. He reluctantly grabbed her hand and raised it back to his chest.

“Sweetheart, unless you want to repeat our earlier encounter in full view of the cameras, you’d better keep your hands above my waist.”

Her cheeks turned an enchanting shade of pink, but she smiled.

“Then maybe you should tell me about some of the places you’ve been instead of showing me your scars.” Her breath ghosted against his ear. “But once we’re free, I want to explore every one of them.”

CHAPTER NINE

“A re you sure you want to go and train?” Lori asked him, her face anxious, as the gong sounded and he rose reluctantly to his feet.

He knew she didn’t want him to leave, and he didn’t want to leave her either. Despite their situation, or perhaps partially because of it, it had felt as if they had spent the afternoon enclosed in their private bubble. They had done little more than talk, but it had felt more intimate than any of his previous sexual encounters.

But that private bubble wouldn’t last. At any moment the Warden could decide to change the rules or implement some new punishment. The reality of their situation couldn’t be ignored—which meant he needed to talk to Hafra.

But despite that necessity, he lingered long enough to press a kiss to her lips, reveling in her immediate response.

“I will return as quickly as possible,” he promised and tore himself away, closing the cell door behind him once more.

He hated locking her in, but it was for her protection. Hammol had promised to watch out for her again. Although that hadn’t worked out well earlier, nothing would have prevented the Warden from taking her. However, as long as he kept her safe from the other prisoners, he would be satisfied.

When he passed the cell where the winged prisoner had been the previous day, he shot a quick glance into the cell, but nothing moved in the darkness. Since their encounter, he had learned that the prisoner’s name was S’quent and he was the subject of much speculation amongst the other inmates. His fighting skills were legendary, although he rarely used them. His background was equally mysterious—the rumors casting him as everything from the instigator of the Slithian Massacre to the captain of a fleet of pirate ships to a lost heir to the Imperial throne. Since he was quite clearly not Kaisarian, Altrez discarded the last one, but neither of the others would surprise him.

When he reached the training room, the scene was much the same as the day before, only this time he attracted significantly more attention. He heard the muttered whispers and saw the expressions of both awe and suspicion from the other inmates. A Sudra muttered something about the fight being rigged, shooting him a look of intense dislike, but he ignored him.

The Sudra belonged to the warrior caste, unlike the poor specimen that Hafra was currently brutalizing under the guise of a training match, but he showed no concern for a weaker member of his species. Hafra seemed equally unconcerned about the damage he was inflicting. Altrez forced himself to hide his disgust and went to one of the training machines, careful to choose one that wouldn’t put any strain on his healing wound. The oxant powder worked wonders, but it could only do so much.

Once again, the guard was forced to break up Hafra’s match. He dropped his opponent on the ground without a second glance and came to join Altrez.

“Quite a display you put on earlier.”

“I told you looks could be deceptive.”

Hafra guffawed and slapped him on the back. “You may be the one I’m looking for after all.”

“You’re not my type,” he said dryly, and Hafra laughed again. He seemed to be in a jovial mood, but Altrez trusted that even less than his previous hostility. He climbed off the machine and went to lean against the wall. Hafra followed him.

“I could use an… associate,” he muttered. “Someone strong and fast, who knows how to fight—and how to keep his mouth shut.”

“I’m flattered,” he said sardonically.

“Don’t be. There are dozens of inmates who meet those requirements. But you have one thing they don’t.”

Hafra leered at him, and he did his best to keep his face impassive.

“I assume you are referring to my—How did you put it? My asset?”

“Exactly.”

Never. He would never allow Hafra to put his hands on his female, but he curled his claws into his palms to hide his anger.

“Just what do you have in mind?”

Hafra looked around, lowered his voice. “I have a way out of here.”

“Really?” He pasted a skeptical look on his face, even though the other male had just confirmed his suspicions. “Then why haven’t you taken it?”

“Because we only just completed it.”

“We?”

A vicious grin crossed Hafra’s face. “I wasn’t going to do all the work myself. But you don’t need to worry. I’ve already eliminated the useless ones.”

A sick feeling filled him as he remembered the dying Sudra. He suspected that the damaged male had been one of Hafra’s “eliminations.”

“Hardly much of an argument for recruiting new partners.”

Hafra shrugged. “It’s all a matter of usefulness. He was no longer useful. You are. Or rather, I suspect you will be.”

“Useful how?”

Hafra dropped his voice even further. “The stories are true about the dangers of this planet. Another one of my workers already discovered that. I need someone to watch my back.”

Altrez noticed that he didn’t say anything about watching anyone else’s back.

“Like I said, you’re fast, you’re strong, and you know how to fight. Most importantly, you have a female. If I’m going to be living in a godsdamned jungle, I want some entertainment.”

“What if I don’t want to share my property?” He dug his claws into his palms, forcing himself to sound casual, although he hated even discussing Lori with this bastard.

“Then you don’t come.” Hafra gave him an ugly grin. “I can find all those qualities in someone else. Would you rather stay here with your female—until you lose a fight? You’re not going to win forever. Sooner or later, she’s going to go to someone else. And who knows when you’ll get her back—or what kind of shape she’ll be in? This way, it’s just the two of us.”

“If I agree, when would we go?”

“Tonight.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So soon?”

Hafra nodded. “The longer we wait, the more chance of discovery.” He grinned again. “Besides, I hear the Warden’s planning something special for you after today’s match. If I want the two of you, it needs to be now.”

“How is this going to work?”

“Can you get out of your cell?”

He hesitated, then nodded. There was no point in pretending otherwise.

“I suspected as much. Take the tunnel that leads past this room all the way to the end. There’s an abandoned cell at the very end. The door looks like it’s broken, but you can open it. Meet me there an hour after lights out. And Altrez—don’t come alone.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. My property stays with me.”

“Our property.”

“Not until we’re free.”

Hafra scowled, then nodded. The gong sounded, signaling the end of the training period, and the guards started to disperse them. The two males didn’t exchange any other words before Altrez started back to his cell. He didn’t trust Hafra, not as far as he could throw him. There was a distinct possibility that he was simply trying to lure Altrez and Lori to an isolated location. But that seemed rather too intricate for a male like Hafra, and he was sure that the other male had been using the small Sudras for something.

“Don’t trust him.”

Fuck. S’quent had taken him by surprise again. He stopped and glared at the massive figure looming in the dark.

“I don’t trust anyone.”

“And yet I suspect you are about to engage in a foolish attempt to escape with an untrustworthy male.”

“You think escaping is foolish? Would you rather spend the rest of your life locked up in that cell?”

“I have no intention of doing any such thing. But I am neither foolish nor impulsive. I suspect you are both.”

He should have been insulted, but the mockery in S’quent’s voice suddenly reminded him of his oldest brother and he grinned at the shadowy figure.

“So my family keeps telling me. However, in this case I don’t think I have a choice.”

S’quent’s big shoulders shrugged, his wings fluttering.

“Perhaps not. But as I said, don’t trust Hafra.”

“Does he really have a way out of here?”

“Yes. But whether or not it is survivable is an entirely different question.” S’quent paused, then added, “Watch out for your female.”

“I intend to.”

“Then I pray your intentions are sufficient.”

Without another word, S’quent vanished back into the dark. The fact that the other male seemed to think Hafra had a viable plan reassured him. The fact that he had doubts about their abilities to survive did not. His warning about Hafra he dismissed. He already knew he couldn’t trust him. As he continued the trip back to the cell, he decided he needed to warn Lori.

CHAPTER TEN

L ori looked up and sighed with relief when Altrez reappeared. The entire time he had been gone, she kept wondering if he was all right. What if he had been attacked? Or even if he had just overdone his training and reopened his wound. She also half-expected a guard to reappear and carry her off to the Warden again.

The fact that there was nothing to do in the cell only made it worse. She wasn’t used to being idle. After straightening the cot, she investigated the contents of the baskets. One of them contained a supply of what looked like protein bars, and she nibbled on one nervously as she waited. She also found an additional set of clothing, and although she had no intention of relinquishing Altrez’s shirt, now he could cover up as well—if he wanted to. She certainly had no objection to that impressive display of muscles and intricate tattoos remaining on display.

The pants, on the other hand… They were far too long, but after a good bit of effort sawing them back and forth on one of the rocks in the wall, she managed to tear off the excess length. Only the fact that the material stretched allowed her to pull them up over her hips, and they were far too tight, but it was much better than being naked.

But even that didn’t take very long and she ended up pacing back and forth as the enforced idleness grated on her. She threw herself at him when he returned, and she heard Hammol laugh on the other side of the bars.

“Looks like your training is working.”

She was too relieved to see him unharmed to care about the guard’s comments. Although his arms tightened around her in return with an almost desperate grip, he didn’t say anything about his mission, and she decided her questions could wait. A short time later, a new guard brought their dinner. They ate in silence, but she noticed that he kept glancing at her whenever he thought she wasn’t looking at him. The lights dimmed shortly after their trays were removed, and he immediately pulled her into his arms and carried her to the cot.

“What happened?” she whispered. “Do you have a plan?”

“Yes, but…” He hesitated.

“But what?” she demanded, trying to remember to keep her voice low.

“There is a chance for us to escape. Tonight.”

She almost squealed with excitement, but managed to catch it in time. “Really?”

“Yes, but…”

“There’s that but again.”

Even in the dimness, she saw his lips curve, and his hand reached down and cupped the generous mound.

“It certainly is,” he murmured provocatively.

Her nipples beaded instinctively, but she pushed at his chest.

“Stop trying to change the subject. What’s the problem?”

He sighed, and his voice turned serious.

“Not just one problem, I’m afraid. There is a possible escape, but I don’t know any of the details. It could merely be a dead end. If we do get out, this planet is very dangerous. There’s no telling what we might encounter. And I’m afraid we aren’t going to be alone. A male named Hafra will be accompanying us.”

His distaste for the other male was quite obvious.

“You don’t like him.”

“No, I don’t. You aren’t going to like him either.” His muscles were like iron bands beneath her hands. “Unfortunately, he likes you. Or more specifically, wants you. That was the condition for sharing his escape plan with us.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “You mean he…”

“Wants to fuck you? Yes.”

“You aren’t going to let him, are you?”

“Not as long as there is breath left in my body,” he vowed. “But I will need to act as if I am willing to share.”

“I see.” She thought about the implications of what he’d said. “Do you think he’s going to try and attack me?”

“Almost undoubtedly.”

She shivered, and he gave her a reassuring hug.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you—but you must obey me, no matter what I ask. You can’t give him any reason to believe that I am not in control.”

She shivered again.

“You don’t have to go,” he said gently. “We don’t have to go. I can fight again.”

“I know you can. I even believe that you can win. Tomorrow, and maybe the next day, and the next. But the Warden isn’t going to like that. And sooner or later, you’re going to lose. And then what will we do?”

“I have a backup plan,” he said slowly. “But it will take a while.”

“How long?”

She felt his shoulder muscles ripple as he shrugged.

“At least two weeks, perhaps more.”

Back on Earth, two weeks wouldn’t have seemed like very long, but on Folsom, she suspected that two weeks could prove to be an eternity. Two weeks of watching him fight, watching him get injured, hoping he didn’t die. She shook her head. “That’s too long. I think we should go. I think we should take this chance.”

“Are you sure? It will be dangerous, pet.”

“I’m sure. At least we will be together.”

“Together,” he repeated, his mouth brushing across the place where he had bitten her. The gentle touch sent excitement racing through her body, and she squirmed against him. She remembered her earlier thoughts, and her shyness suddenly vanished. “How long do we have?”

“About an hour. Why?”

“I think we should take advantage of the time.”

In spite of her certainty, she knew she was blushing again, and she was glad he couldn’t see it in the dark.

“Take advantage—oh.” He stopped talking as she reached up and grabbed the base of his horns.

“Are you sure?” he growled into her ear.

“Very sure. I want you, Altrez.”

He didn’t ask again. He bent his head and kissed her, devouring her hungrily as his hand slipped beneath her shirt and cupped the generous mounds of her breasts. His fingers clamped down on her nipples, squeezing them and sending little shocks of excitement straight to her clit. Her back arched as she remembered him biting her there.

“Harder,” she whispered against his mouth. He gave a satisfied chuckle, squeezing just to the point where she gasped, then releasing them.

“Good little pet,” he murmured, and a thrill of pleasure went through her. Under these circumstances, she didn’t mind the term at all. He abandoned her breasts, but before she could demand he return, he pushed down her makeshift pants and dipped his hand between her thighs, growling approvingly at the slickness that awaited him.

“You’re very wet, sweetheart.”

She knew she was blushing, but she didn’t care.

“You have that effect on me.”

She tugged at his horns, suddenly urgent. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”

He growled again, then lifted off of her for a moment. When he came back down, she could feel the heated ridge of his cock against her stomach. Her heart beat wildly against her chest from excitement and the smallest hint of trepidation.

He reached between them, adjusting their positions so that he could rub his cock between her drenched folds. His ridges brushed across her swollen clit, and she saw stars. Then the head of his cock closed around her clit in a hot, sucking kiss and her climax roared over her so quickly she felt dizzy. She shuddered helplessly, pulse after pulse of excitement racing through her until her body went limp. She pushed weakly at his chest, and he finally pulled away but only to readjust his position. A moment later, the broad head of his cock probed at her entrance. He pushed forward but even as wet as she was, her body resisted. He pushed again, and with a delicate stretching pain, her channel opened for him. They both groaned.

“You are so tight,” he growled. “Are you all right?”

“Y…yes.” Her body was still fighting to adjust to his size.

“Are you sure, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she said, more firmly this time.

“Such a good girl.”

His praise eased something inside her, and she felt herself soften. He sank in a little further, and that thick ridge scraped against the side of her channel. She quivered, her building excitement competing with the stretch. Or perhaps the stretch was adding to the excitement. The two sensations fought each other in a delicate balance between pleasure and pain. He kept pushing, deeper and deeper, praising her with every inch. She found herself clinging to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as her body shook. Her pussy fluttered, trying to adjust as she was spread wider and wider, until she was finally impaled completely.

“Altrez,” she gasped. “I… I…”

She couldn’t find the words, but it didn’t seem to matter.

“I know, sweetheart.”

One big hand grabbed her hip, pulling her an impossible inch further around his cock as his mouth closed down on her neck and his fangs descended. Her body exploded into orgasm, pulsing around his as fiery streaks of ecstasy raced through her. She heard a roar, felt him thrust into her, prolonging her own excitement as she felt his oris open, and finally the hot rush of his seed filling her before he collapsed down over her. He panted against her ear, and she smiled into the darkness as she clung to him. As his breathing slowed, he licked gently at the place where he had bitten her. It was a little tender, but the swipe of his tongue still made her shudder pleasurably.

“Why do you keep biting me?” she asked. His body tensed, and she was afraid that he had misunderstood. “I’m not objecting,” she added quickly. “I like it. I was just wondering if it was the custom of your people.”

He raised his head, and even in the darkness, she could see the blue gleam of his eyes.

“It is our custom,” he said slowly. “It means that I am claiming you.”

Her heart raced.

“Claiming me?” she whispered.

“Yes, sweetheart. Do you object? I know that I did not ask.”

“No, I don’t object.”

He bent his head and kissed her, fiercely, hungrily, but with an underlying tenderness that made her heart ache. She clung to him as his cock jerked inside her, starting to harden again. He finally raised his head, and she caught the white flash of his fangs as he grinned.

“I wish we had more time for this. But we need to prepare.” She winced as he slipped free, and his voice turned apologetic. “And perhaps it is just as well. You are very small, sweetheart.”

“And you’re very big. I think that makes us a perfect match.”

He laughed and went to fetch a cleansing cloth.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

L ori’s heart thudded against her ribs as she followed Altrez down the tunnel. She had wondered if he would have some trick up his sleeve to get them out of the cell. The trick turned out to be a lockpick—a thin strip of metal he’d pulled from his boot. He’d retrieved a long, thin knife from the sole of the other boot.

“Why do I suspect you’ve done that before?” she murmured as she followed him out of the cell. It hadn’t even taken him five seconds to open the lock.

“Perhaps a time or two.” He flashed her a quick grin before he turned serious. “Now quickly, and silently.”

She nodded and tightened her grip on the small bag of supplies slung over her shoulder. She had been the one to suggest gathering up the protein bars and water bottles, taking them along. He had been so focused on the potential dangers that he hadn’t taken more practical matters into consideration. She’d also tossed in the cleansing cloths—she would have taken the blanket as well if there had been room.

He had reluctantly agreed to let her carry the supplies so that he would be free to take care of any threats. She sincerely hoped they would not encounter any. The corridor they traveled down appeared to be deserted, although she heard distant laughter as they passed an intersecting corridor. Fortunately, the cells were widely separated and set far enough back in the rock walls that no one seemed to notice them until they ducked down a smaller tunnel. A deep voice came from the shadows.

“So you decided to proceed after all.”

She jumped, barely managing to suppress a squeak. She couldn’t see who was speaking—just a flash of silver eyes and a vague impression of a large winged figure in the darkness—but Altrez focused on him immediately.

“I told you, S’quent,” he said. “I don’t think we have a choice.”

“And you, little human? Did he give you a choice?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “We’re in this together.”

“How touching.” His voice was mocking, but not cruel. “I wish I had your confidence in the success of your plan. But perhaps… Wait here,” he demanded. She heard the flutter of wings as he disappeared into the darkness.

“Dammit, S’quent,” Altrez hissed. “We don’t have time for this.”

But in spite of his protest, and an impatient look around, he waited. He tilted his head to one side as if he were listening, but when she mimicked him, she could hear nothing.

S’quent returned a moment later, and this time he approached the edge of the cell. She gulped, taking a step back despite the bars between them. He was enormous, with dark skin that seemed to absorb the light and huge dark wings. He thrust a thickly muscled arm through the bars, a small bag clutched in wickedly sharp claws.

“Take this,” he insisted, long fangs flashing as he spoke. “It may come in useful when you get to the jungle.”

“What is it?” Altrez asked suspiciously.

“If you make it to the jungle, you’ll find out.”

His voice had turned mocking again, but Lori decided he sounded sincere. She reached for the bag just as Altrez started to protest and S’quent’s fingers closed around hers. His skin felt like the softest velvet, but it did nothing to mask his strength.

“Be careful, little human,” he said gently, then released her hand.

“Thank you,” she said automatically.

Altrez seized her hand, and she didn’t think it was a coincidence that it was the same hand.

“I’m going to take care of her,” he said, scowling at S’quent.

“Of course you are, little smuggler,” S’quent said mockingly. “But I suggest you hurry up.”

Altrez swore and tugged her after him as he set off down the tunnel.

“Winged bastard,” he muttered. “Makes us wait, then tells us to hurry.”

The small bag seemed to burn her fingertips. “If you don’t trust him, do you think we should take this with us?”

Altrez sighed. “I didn’t say I didn’t trust him, exactly. I’m not sure that I like him, especially when he touches you. Although…”

“Although what?” she panted, trying to keep up with him.

“When he went back into his cave, I thought I heard a voice, a female voice.”

Her feet stuttered to a halt.

“There was a woman in there?” She shivered at the thought of that huge figure and the total darkness at the back of the cell.

“I can’t be sure. The voice was very faint.”

“We should go back.”

“We can’t, sweetheart. And… I think he might have offered to let her come with us.”

“And she refused?”

He shrugged, tugging on her hand again. This time she went with him, slipping S’quent’s gift into the supply bag.

“I can’t be sure, but he did ask you if you were willing. And if he cared about a stranger’s choice, it would make sense for him to offer the same choice to another.”

“But why wouldn’t she come with us?”

“I don’t know, but right now I’m more concerned with getting you out of here.”

As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. His pace increased again so she saved her breath for keeping up with him rather than continuing the discussion. They turned into another tunnel, this one even darker. Most of the lights had burnt out, and the thick shadows added to her growing trepidation. The tunnel ended at a rock wall, and she gave him an uncertain look.

“First test,” he murmured and went to a rusted metal door leading to an abandoned cell. He bent over the lock with his pick, and a moment later the door swung open—surprisingly quiet despite its rugged appearance.

“Stay behind me, pet.”

From the tone of his voice and the tension in his shoulders, she suspected they were no longer alone. A suspicion that was confirmed a moment later when a harsh voice came out of the darkness.

“Shut the door.”

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something about the voice made her skin crawl.

Altrez pushed the door closed, but she noticed that he kept his body between her and the back of the cell. As he moved into the darkness, he took her wrist in a comforting grip.

HE LED her unerringly through a narrow slit in the wall, and then around a bend. The overwhelming darkness was replaced by a shadowy gloom. A faint silvery glow seemed to be coming from the rocks themselves, but then she realized that the walls were encrusted with the same lichen that had appeared on the shower walls. Altrez came to an abrupt halt and she almost slammed into his back. She had been looking at the walls so intently she hadn’t realized that there were two other beings present.

One was a small yellow male who reminded her painfully of the male who died in the corridor. This one too looked frail and beaten down, but at least he was alive and standing. The other one looked far too healthy. He was the same size as Altrez. His arms bulged with muscles, but unlike Altrez, his muscles looked strange and unnatural. If she had seen someone like him on earth, she would have assumed that they were using steroids. Was there such a thing as alien steroids? she wondered, momentarily distracted.

His thick skin was mottled in shades of purple and green like a sickly bruise, but other than that he resembled a human male more than any of the aliens she had seen so far. It didn’t matter. She had the same immediate aversion to him that she’d had to the Warden.

“You didn’t say anything about a third, Hafra,” Altrez growled, indicating the small male.

Hafra shrugged dismissively. “He has been useful. As long as he remains useful, I am willing to let him to accompany us.”

The small male cowered at the clear threat in the harsh words.

“Quercon is of no concern to you,” Hafra continued. “I have no intention of giving him access to our property.” His eyes crawled over her, and it took every ounce of strength she had to keep her face composed.

“My property,” Altrez said firmly. “Until we are free.”

He sounded so cool about it, so casual, that Hammol’s words floated through her head again. But then she realized how tightly he was gripping her wrist and remembered their time together. No, he wasn’t just using her. She mirrored the small male’s posture and bowed her head meekly.

Unfortunately, Hafra didn’t appear to be willing to let it drop that easily. He took a step towards them. “What if I want to make sure she’s worth it first?”

Altrez’s hand was almost painfully tight around hers, but his voice remained calm.

“She’s worth it.”

“Show me.”

Altrez shrugged. “Very well. Remove your shirt, pet.”

The last thing she wanted to do was to strip in front of this horrible male, but was it really any worse than stripping in front of the camera? Her fingers still froze on the hem of her shirt.

“Now, pet,” Altrez warned. “Or I will be forced to punish you.”

She heard the warning in his voice, and suspected that he was trying to remind her about their previous conversation.

“Yes, master,” she said obediently and lifted her shirt. Yes, this was definitely worse than the camera. At least then she hadn’t been able to see her audience’s reaction. She couldn’t see them leer and grab their crotches. Shivers skated across her skin, and then Altrez was there, covering her breasts with his big hands. It was a possessive, taunting gesture, but it also concealed her from Hafra’s sight and she relaxed into his touch with a soft gasp.

Hafra’s eyes narrowed. “You have her well-trained.”

“Yes, I do,” Altrez said complacently. “And you will benefit from that as well. After we are free.”

“Perhaps too well-trained. I prefer my females to fight.” Hafra scowled, but to her relief, he turned away. Altrez immediately tugged her shirt back down her head

“Good girl,” he whispered softly, and she managed to give him a tremulous smile.

“Quercon, lead the way,” Hafra ordered, and they set off. They made their way through another narrow slit in the rocks, and this time there was enough light for her to see the marks where the passageway had been created.

“What is this place?” she asked, forgetting her role. Fortunately, Hafra seemed delighted to gloat about his cleverness.

“There’s a whole underground network of caverns, many of them interconnected. I discovered it was relatively easy to break through the walls separating the others.”

She saw Quercon’s head jerk, and she suspected that either he or one of his companions had actually discovered the passageways.

“So I set the Sudras to work creating a passageway.”

“Does it lead all the way to the jungle?” Altrez asked casually.

Hafra shook his head. “The caves probably do, but there are still places where the way is blocked. I decided it would be faster to cross the surface as soon as we are far enough away from the prison to escape detection.”

Quercon shivered, but Hafra paid no attention.

To her surprise, the amount of light in the passage continued to increase, as did the variety of plants on the walls. She began to see hints of pink and purple amongst the silvery grey that had been so prevalent. More vines appeared, springing out of the cracks overhead and twisting across the floor. At first she thought they were black, but as the light increased, she realized that they were actually a dark red, a color that reminded her uneasily of blood. She noticed that Quercon carefully stepped over or around the vines on the ground, and she followed suit, as did Altrez. Hafra didn’t bother, simply kicking them aside or stomping on them with a heavy foot.

Between the shadowy light and the constant watch for the vines, the scramble over rocks and through narrow crevices grew increasingly difficult, and she could feel exhaustion weighing her down. None of the others seemed affected, even the little male keeping a steady pace. If only I’d had a little longer to put that exercise program in place, she thought grumpily as the ache in her legs increased. She was beginning to wonder if she would have to beg Altrez for a break when Quercon finally began to slow.

They were in a narrow section of the passage, and a thick patch of vines lined the wall on one side. Some of the vines were as wide as her arm, covered with glistening patches in a sickly shade of pink. She did her best to stay as far away from them as possible although once again, Hafra seemed unconcerned.

“Well?” he demanded impatiently as the little male slowed even further. “Are we there yet?”

“The passage is just ahead, but—” Quercon said in a soft little voice. It was the first time he had spoken.

“Good.” Hafra cut him off and shoved past him, knocking him harshly into the wall of vines.

Lori watched in horror as the vines seemed to come alive. They wrapped around Quercon, surrounding his body with terrifying speed. He didn’t even have time to scream before the vines dragged his body back into what looked like solid rock. Altrez swore and made an abortive attempt to grab Quercon before he disappeared, but he was too late. The three of them stood staring at the rock wall, now completely free from vegetation. Even Hafra looked pale, although he attempted to cover it with his usual bluster. “Guess he was useful after all.”

He turned and strode away.

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” she whispered to Altrez.

“I’m afraid not, sweetheart,” he said before he looked at her, his face agonized. “I should never have brought you along. It’s too dangerous.”

She managed to still her racing heart and reached for his hand. “I’m fine. I’m just so sorry about Quercon. But because of his sacrifice, we know to stay away from these vines.”

“Come on,” Hafra called impatiently from up ahead.

“And stay away from him,” she muttered.

“My brave girl.” He brushed a much too brief kiss across her lips, then together they followed Hafra.

CHAPTER TWELVE

D espite Lori’s attempt to reassure him, Altrez continued to doubt his decision as they followed Hafra. Had he acted too impulsively in seizing this opportunity to escape? He had been so sure of his ability to protect her, but he had severely underestimated the natural dangers of the planet. Even though he’d provided Riker with information about the jungle, he’d never read any of the material himself. She could have been the one to fall victim to the vines because of his ignorance.

The weight of his responsibilities crashed down over his shoulders, along with a grim resolve. He would do whatever it took to protect his mate.

They caught up with Hafra in front of a wall of solid rock. To Altrez’s relief, there were no vines in sight.

“Now what?” he asked.

“Now we climb.” Hafra pointed to the ceiling overhead. “There’s a small opening through to the surface, but we’ll need to widen it.”

Since no light shone down from above, it must still be night. At least that was in their favor.

“Won’t a larger hole reveal the tunnel?”

Hafra shrugged. “Perhaps, but we will be long gone by then.”

Maybe that was for the best. While some of the prisoners in Folsom were unjustly incarcerated, he had no doubt that many of them deserved their sentence. If the wrong ones discovered the tunnel…

Hafra started up the wall. He was not a graceful climber, his bulk making him awkward, but he had enough strength to power his way up. He reached a small ledge at the top and turned to peer back down at them.

“I’ll throw down a vine and haul up the female.” He laughed when Lori flinched. “Don’t worry, it’s dead.”

Altrez didn’t care. There was no way he was sending Lori up alone.

“Can you climb?” he asked softly.

“Maybe? I didn’t get very far with my fitness program before I was taken.”

“Then climb on my back,” he ordered, kneeling in front of her.

She bit her lip and obeyed, her soft curves a delightful pressure against his back.

“For fuck’s sake,” Hafra growled from above. “It’s not like I was going to fuck her before you got up the wall.”

From the defensive note in his voice, Altrez suspected that he’d been planning something of the kind. Should he confront him now? Or wait until they reached the jungle to make it clear that Hafra was never going to lay a finger on his female?

No more impulsive actions, he reminded himself and forced a smile as he started to climb.

“I didn’t want to tax your strength,” he said cheerfully. “Who knows what’s waiting in the jungle?”

Hafra gave him a sulky look as he reached the ledge. “You’re acting like you don’t intend to live up to your part of the bargain.”

“I’m making sure that you don’t decide to run off with my property.”

“Just give me a taste.” Hafra licked his lips and reached for Lori.

Altrez grabbed his arm. “In case you’ve forgotten, we haven’t reached the jungle yet. And I have no intention of going back inside a cell. There’s no time for this.”

“If she’s as good as you say, it wouldn’t take her long,” Hafra muttered, but to Altrez’s relief, he picked up a length of branch and started knocking it against the edge of the opening above them.

After making sure that Lori was safely out of the way, Altrez picked up another branch and joined him. The branches and a few other supplies had been waiting on the ledge. Hafra’s “workers” must have left them. The thought made him feel sick. The bastard deserved everything he was going to get.

A thick chunk of dry dirt fell, then another. The hole was almost wide enough to climb through, but now that he could see more of the sky, he could tell it was beginning to lighten to the east. They had to hurry.

“Just a few more blows should do it,” he urged.

Hafra swung powerfully at the edge of the hole and dislodged a huge piece of the ground. It fell and shattered on the ledge, sending a cloud of dust into his eyes. He didn’t see the branch aimed at his head until it was too late and he was falling back down into the cavern below.

“ALTREZ!” Lori screamed, trying to see through the haze as she scrambled for the edge of the ledge.

“Not so fast.” Hafra caught her arm with his thick fingers, squeezing painfully, then laughed. “He did say a few more blows would do it. He was right. Now you’re mine.”

“No!” she cried, struggling wildly.

He laughed again. “Not so well-trained after all. Good. I’ll enjoy teaching you your place. I should give you your first lesson right here so that cocky bastard can hear you screaming. Assuming he isn’t already dead.”

“No,” she whimpered as tears streamed down her face. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be.

Hafra fisted his hand in her shirt, yanking her closer, then frowned up at the sky. “But maybe he had a point. Jungle first. Then fun and games.”

He gave her breast a vicious squeeze, then shifted his grip, his fingers digging cruelly into her hip and her arm before simply throwing her up through the hole they’d created. She landed awkwardly on the hard dirt, but she shook off the pain and tried to scuttle back to the opening. Hafra pulled himself up through it before she got there, grabbing her hair as he yanked her to her feet.

“Now run,” he ordered, pointing at a dark mass of vegetation that formed a perfectly straight line directly in front of them.

“Altrez—”

“Is dead or will be soon. And if you’re still out here when the sun comes up, you’ll be going back to the Warden.”

“I don’t care.” If Altrez was dead, what difference did it make?

“I do. I have plans for you. Now run, or I’ll drag you.” He grabbed her arm and started running.

Since she couldn’t wrench her arm away from him and she believed him when he said he would drag her, she reluctantly started to move. Fortunately, his bulk made him slow and she managed to keep up with him despite her exhaustion and her sorrow. The first ray of sunlight lit up the barren expanse of ground behind them just as they reached the jungle.

She cast a desperate look back, squinting against the sun. Was that a flash of red behind them? Before she could decide, Hafra hauled her through a dense tangle of branches and the plain disappeared from view.

The thick shadows of the jungle surrounded them, the rising sun barely penetrating the heavy canopy. The vegetation was equally gloomy, dark shades of blue and burgundy seeming to absorb the small amount of light. Vines hung everywhere, looped around the trees and dangling from the overhead branches.

Even Hafra seemed put off by the atmosphere. She had expected him to shove her to the ground immediately, but instead he pushed her in front of him and she realized he was using her as a guinea pig. That was fine with her. Death by carnivorous vine seemed preferable to his brutality.

“I want to get away from the edge. Find a place to hole up.”

She didn’t bother to argue, although exhaustion had her steps dragging as she headed deeper into the jungle. Exhaustion and the faint, desperate hope that Altrez was still alive and would come for her. The scuff marks in the moss might help lead him to her.

A heavy silence surrounded them. In the documentaries she’d watched about jungles on Earth, they seemed full of life. Birds flitting through the trees, insects darting around, animals prowling through the trees. This silence didn’t seem natural. It was as if the jungle itself was watching. And waiting.

Her foot hit a rock and she stumbled. Hafra kept her upright, but he stopped moving and looked around. It didn’t look any different than the rest of the jungle to her, but he nodded.

“This will do. On your knees.”

When Altrez ordered her to do something, her body responded. When she obeyed, it pleased something inside her. Nothing in her responded to Hafra. She had no desire to please him. She gave him a blank stare.

“I said, on your knees,” he growled threateningly.

“No.” He might be able to force her compliance, but she wasn’t going to give it to him. He actually looked shocked that she hadn’t obeyed him.

He lifted his hand and she braced herself for the blow, but then she caught a flash of red behind him. Hope made her heart flutter. It had to be Altrez!

Determined to keep Hafra’s attention on her, she finally kneeled in front of him. He grinned triumphantly as she fumbled with his pants, fighting back her revulsion.

“That’s better. You’ll learn to—”

His words cut off as a branch slammed into the side of his head. Altrez loomed over him, covered in dust, his head bleeding, but his eyes blazed with wrath.

“SHE’LL LEARN NOTHING FROM YOU,” Altrez growled as he raised his branch again.

He’d never been as scared in his life as he had been when Hafra disappeared with Lori. The fall had stunned him, and he swam in and out of consciousness for what felt like an eternity before he could finally sit up. The wall had come next, and it had taken him three tries before he made it to the top and out onto the plain. Just in time to see Hafra dragging Lori into the jungle.

His head and his heart pounded in rhythm as he forced his aching body across the barren surface. Despair filled him when he pushed through the wall of branches into the jungle and found no trace of them. It had taken far too long to gather his thoughts and think to check the ground. Yes. He found the faint signs of her footsteps and hurried after them, arriving in time to hear the bastard’s threats.

The first blow had only stunned Hafra, but he wasn’t getting off that lightly. Before Altrez could land a second blow, a vine snaked out of the undergrowth and wrapped around Hafra’s ankle. It hauled him into the air upside-down, then slammed him against the trunk of a huge tree. The vine wrapped around his body, holding him in place as he began to scream.

Altrez ignored him as Lori threw herself into his arms.

“You’re not dead! You’re not dead,” she sobbed.

“No, sweetheart. Just a little bruised.”

“I thought I lost you, and I never even told you that I love you,” she wailed.

His knees actually threatened to buckle.

“You love me?”

“Of course I do. And I thought you were dead!” she hiccupped.

He kissed her. Kissed her until her sobs stopped. Kissed her until she was kissing him back just as enthusiastically. When he finally raised his head, she gave him a misty smile.

“I guess that’s one way to prove you’re alive.”

“Alive and loving you. You do know that, right? That I love you?”

“I thought that might be what you meant when you said you had claimed me,” she admitted shyly, her cheeks turning that adorable shade of pink again. “At least I hoped it was.”

“That is exactly what it meant. I love you. I claim you. And I will never let anything happen to you ever again.”

She smiled up at him, but then her gaze traveled up into the trees to Hafra’s body. His screams had quickly been replaced by faint gurgling noises, but from the way his body was jerking, he was still alive. Her color faded.

“That might not be so easy. Where are we going to go now?”

He pressed her fingers to the locator in his arm, now beating with a strong, determined pulse. They couldn’t be that far apart. “We are going to find Riker.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A s soon as they moved away from Hafra’s body, Lori insisted on stopping and cleaning Altrez’s wounds. The supply bag was somewhat the worse for wear, but basically intact. Even S’quent’s bag was still present.

“Should we open it?” she asked.

“Why not? We are in the jungle.”

He untied the strings and dumped the object inside on the ground. They both stared at it.

“It’s a piece of wood?” She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but a gnarled length of wood, not more than six inches long, was definitely not it.

“Not wood.” He picked it up and examined the twisted surface. “A vine, I think. And there’s a line down both sides. I think it opens.”

After tugging at it without result, he shrugged. “Mysterious bastard.”

“Let me see.”

The polished surface felt smooth beneath her fingers, almost warm to the touch, but she was equally unsuccessful in prying it apart. She shrugged and put it back in its bag, then packed it away with their supplies. After they shared a protein bar and a bottle of water, he finally let her wipe away the dust and blood covering his face. The sight of the head wound horrified her, but he seemed to take it in stride.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said when she clucked over it. “I’ve had worse from a training bout with my brothers.”

“That doesn’t make me think much of them,” she muttered, and he laughed.

“You’ll love them. Just as long as it’s not as much as you love me.”

“That’s impossible.”

He rewarded her with another kiss, and she melted into him. Even though she could feel his erection pulsing beneath her, he sighed and reluctantly released her.

“As much as I’d love to celebrate our freedom, I suspect we should keep moving. Since Riker has lasted this long, he must have figured out how to survive in the jungle. I should have read some of the material I sent him,” he added sheepishly.

“You’ll learn,” she said confidently.

“Perhaps. But I’d rather not do it by experience.”

He pulled her to her feet and they set off. Unlike Hafra, he insisted on leading the way to make sure the path was safe. And it was a path she decided, a slight but discernible trail through the jungle. Was that a good sign?

She was still trying to decide when the end of a vine dropped to the ground ahead of them. Remembering the behavior of the ones they had encountered so far, she flinched and came to a halt.

“Where did that come from?” she asked Altrez as he stopped a few steps in front of her.

“It’s probably just the wind.” But despite his reassuring words, his eyes scanned the trees.

She followed his gaze and saw a flicker of movement.

“There. Is that a face?”

As she focused on it, she decided it didn’t look threatening—two big, dark eyes set in a small triangular face. Its fur was a deep burgundy with a faint mottled pattern that echoed the coloring of the leaves on the vines. Maybe it was some kind of monkey?

“Yes.” Altrez’s voice sounded grim. “And it’s not the only one.”

His hand dropped to the hilt of his knife, and the vines around them trembled as more and more faces appeared. A small figure descended rapidly down the original vine, and she gulped as she realized it had multiple arms, more like a spider than a monkey. But still, that didn’t mean it meant them any harm.

“What is that?” she whispered.

“I don’t know. There isn’t supposed to be sentient life on Folsom, but it’s armed.”

“Armed?”

“It’s wearing a knife,” he said softly, and she finally saw the wicked blade almost hidden in the burgundy fur. “Come closer.”

He reached his hand out to her, but as he did, a hiss came from the small animal, echoed by multiple others as more of the spider animals dropped to the ground. Their fur echoed the colors of the surrounding vegetation, and even at ground level, they blended easily into the background. They formed two loose circles, one to either side of them, and as they started to close the circles, she realized what they were doing.

“I think they’re trying to separate us.” She could hear her voice shaking.

“That’s never going to happen.”

He started to draw his knife, and the hissing increased. The spider creature in front of him extended its limbs, and its mouth opened wider than seemed possible, revealing rows of pointed teeth.

“Stop moving,” she begged. “You’re upsetting them.”

“Good.” He grinned fiercely. “Maybe that will make them think twice about attacking.”

She suspected it was having the opposite effect. Even though they were small and she knew how well he could fight, there were so many of them.

“Just wait a minute,” she whispered as she desperately tried to think of an alternative. Although the spiders surrounded them, they hadn’t tried to attack yet. And they hadn’t even seemed that threatening until he tried to touch her. Did they think she was in danger? How could she reassure them?

Reassure… The memory of the dying male sprang to mind. Altrez had said that music could reach between species.

She started to sing, her voice barely audible, but they stopped hissing as soon as she began. The one who had dropped to the ground first tilted its head. It was working!

Her voice gradually stuttered to a halt, but the creatures surrounding them skittered back a little, chittering softly to each other. The one ahead of them flicked two arms in the direction of the path.

“I think they want us to go with them,” she said softly.

Altrez had not been pacified by her song. He was still glaring at the spider creatures. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

She couldn’t see that they had much choice. Even though the song had calmed the strange creatures, they were still surrounded. The fact that they seemed almost… protective of her made her hopeful that their intentions were good.

“They didn’t seem surprised to see us,” she said quietly. “Maybe they’ve seen other escaped prisoners, like Riker.”

His shoulders finally relaxed, and he nodded. “That’s a good point, sweetheart. All right. I suppose we might as well see where they want us to go.”

They resumed their journey through the jungle, Altrez still in front of her. She wanted to reach for his hand, but she was afraid that would upset their captors again. All of them except the one leading the way and one who fell in behind them disappeared up into the trees, but she knew they were still there.

The guard at her back kept a careful eye on her. Once, it nudged her away from a sticky patch on a tree trunk, and she watched in horror as a small flying creature became embedded in the same place. It also hissed what she assumed was a warning when she stopped to look at some flowers, and she hastily resumed the journey.

After the long walk the previous night, her steps began to drag and she found herself staring at her feet as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other. When they finally came to a halt, it took her a minute to realize they had stopped.

They were in a wide clearing, the ground covered with burgundy moss that looked soft and inviting. Maybe I could sit down for a minute, she thought hopefully. Although the space was more open than the trail, there was nothing else in sight and she assumed they had stopped to rest—until another vine descended from above and their guard gestured at it.

She gave Altrez a questioning look. “I don’t understand what it wants us to do.”

He sighed. “I think we’re supposed to climb it.”

“Up that vine?” She had a horribly embarrassing memory of trying to climb a rope at school. She hadn’t even made it over her coach’s head before she lost her grip. “I can’t.”

“I’ll carry you.” He reached for her and their guard gave a chittering protest. Altrez scowled and put his hands on his hips.

“She can’t climb that. And I’m not going without her.”

The two of them stared at each other, then the guard gave an odd yodeling call up into the trees. A second later, a rope ladder dropped down. A ladder? It looked terribly flimsy, but it was better than trying to scale a vine.

“Thank you.”

She gave their guard a shaky smile and reached for the first rung. The ladder swayed alarmingly, but it didn’t flex at her weight. Hopefully that meant it was nice and sturdy.

As soon as she made it up a few rungs, Altrez stepped onto the ladder as well, his body caging her in and making her feel safe. Their guard, already climbing up the vine next to the ladder, chittered again and dropped back down to study her face.

“It’s fine,” she said quickly. “I want him there.”

The guard hissed a warning at Altrez, but didn’t insist that he leave the ladder. Thank goodness. They climbed for what felt like an eternity, until her arms shook and only the knowledge that he would never let her fall let her keep going.

“You’re doing great, sweetheart. I think we’re almost there.”

He was right. A few steps more and the ladder ended at a platform created from woven vines. She collapsed against him with a sigh of relief, ignoring their guard as he skittered around them.

“Whoever surveyed this planet certainly got it wrong,” Altrez said thoughtfully. Now that he was holding her, he seemed to have recovered his composure.

“What?”

“Look around. This is obviously a village.”

She reluctantly lifted her head, then gasped. He was right. Multiple small buildings were perched amongst the trees. Most of them had leaf-thatched roofs and open-walled sides, but they had clearly been built by intelligent creatures.

Their guard chittered, reminding her that they were still prisoners, and what she suspected were more of the original group began to appear in the trees around them.

“I don’t think they appreciate us staring.”

“No. We’d better find out why they brought us here.”

Altrez kept his arm around her shoulders as he turned to their guard, and it hissed again, fingering its knife. He growled back, his hand going to the hilt of his own knife.

“Stop it,” she demanded. “It’s all right. I want him touching me.” She reached up and put her hand over Altrez’s, giving the guard an exaggerated smile. “See? I like it.”

It was clearly skeptical, but it stopped hissing.

“That’s better. Where do you want us to go?”

The guard turned abruptly and led the way across a narrow rope bridge that swayed unnervingly beneath her feet. Afraid that any sign of fear would be misinterpreted, she managed to keep a smile on her face as they crossed despite her stomach giving nervous flips of alarm. Once on the other side, the guard gestured them into one of the larger buildings.

Another one of the spiders waited for them, calmly stirring the contents of a large pot simmering over a clay firepit. She—and Lori was quite sure she was female—studied them for a moment before she spoke.

“Naym?”

The inflection was a little off, but the word was quite understandable.

“You speak English?”

“What’s going on? Why did you—”

The female’s eyes narrowed as soon as Altrez started to speak, and Lori gave his hand a warning squeeze.

“I’m Lori. This is Altrez.”

“Altrez?” The female cocked her head. “Riekuh bruhther?”

“What? Your brother? One of the ones who used to beat you up?”

Lori gave him a startled glance, and he grinned at her.

“I forgot to mention that part. And he didn’t really beat me up. He taught me to fight.” He turned eagerly to the female. “Is he here? Is he safe?”

She didn’t answer, her gaze going back to Lori.

“Loree. Sayf?”

“Oh, yes, I’m safe. I want to be with Altrez.” She remembered the term Altrez had used. “I’ve claimed him.”

His arm tightened around her shoulders. “Damn right.”

“Hmm.” The female’s voice did not sound entirely approving, but she nodded and tapped her chest. “Kayora.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Kayora. Can you tell us how to find Riker? Altrez has been looking for him for a long time.”

“Layter. Rest.”

She started to argue, but Altrez intervened. “It’s fine, sweetheart. I can wait. And she’s right, you need to rest.”

He had a point. Between the long trek through the underground caves, the walk through the jungle, and the long climb—not to mention the horrific fear that she had lost him—she was exhausted.

Kayora waved them away, chittering something to their patiently waiting guard. As the guard led them along a thick branch, Lori realized that she didn’t see any difference between the guard’s body type and Kayora’s. Was she female as well?

As she looked around at the other members of the village, now going about their daily business, they too had the same body type. Were they all female? How would that work?

She was still speculating when their guard waved them into a second, much smaller building. A round nest-like mattress occupied one end of the space.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “My name is Lori. What’s yours?”

The guard stared at her for a long moment, and she wondered if she’d made a mistake.

“Loree?” the guard asked finally.

“That’s right. And you are?”

“Kyja.”

“It’s nice to meet you Kyja.”

Kyja nodded once, then turned and positioned herself in front of the door, most of her limbs crossed over her narrow ribs.

“I wonder if she’s keeping us in or everyone else out,” Altrez murmured.

“It is kind of like being back in the cell.” She gave him a rueful smile, and pointed to the open walls and the village beyond. “We’re even still on display.”

“I think I can do something about that.”

“You have another trick up your sleeve?”

“No, I have long arms.” He reached over her head and tugged on a vine. A screen of woven vines slid down and covered the open wall.

Kyja peered back at them over her shoulder, but she didn’t protest as Altrez covered the remaining walls before leading her to the bed. Although the round mattress also appeared to be made from assorted leaves and vines, it felt wonderful as she collapsed down onto it.

She frowned up at him when he didn’t follow her.

“Aren’t you going to join me?”

“I should keep watch.”

“There is an entire village out there watching over us. Come to bed.”

He hesitated, then smiled and settled down next to her. “How could I resist such a tempting offer?”

His body curved around hers, and his hand cupped her breast. Her nipple tingled, and she pushed into his grip. He chuckled.

“‘Layter,’” he whispered in an accurate imitation of Kayora. “Now go to sleep, sweetheart.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

L ori fell asleep almost immediately, but Altrez didn’t follow her. His body ached, but he’d been truthful when he’d told her he’d had far worse injuries. Right now, he was more concerned with the creatures in the village surrounding them. They shouldn’t even be here. He might not have read all the details of jungle life, but he’d read the initial survey of Folsom. There were no sentient life forms. So where had they come from? And why had they brought them here?

The fact that they seemed so protective of Lori was a point in their favor—although it didn’t necessarily bode well for him. Did they plan to separate them? And where was Riker?

He ran his finger over the reassuring pulse of the locator. Based on the strength of the signal, his brother was close by. Were they deliberately keeping them apart? Although he agreed with Kayora that Lori needed to rest, what if it was just a delaying tactic?

In spite of his worries, he must have drifted off because when he woke Lori was watching him, her blue eyes deep and mysterious.

“What are you thinking, sweetheart?”

“That I love you and I almost lost you.”

“But you didn’t lose me.”

“I know.” She gave him a seductive smile. “And I think that deserves celebrating.”

She pulled her shirt over her head, her breasts bouncing with the movement, and he was suddenly, achingly erect.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

She wiggled out of her pants, leaving her naked, her pale, soft body gleaming in the dim light of the hut. He glanced around. The woven screens concealed them from view, but they were very thin.

“We’ll have to be very quiet,” he warned.

Her pretty lips curved. “No throwing things and screaming?”

“Exactly.”

He quickly discarded his own clothes before pulling her into his arms. He cupped a generous breast and clamped down on the rosy tip. She shivered and pressed into his hand as he tightened his grip.

“Yes,” she breathed.

He slipped his hand between her legs, delighted to find her wet and ready for him.

“Such a good girl,” he murmured, and she grew even wetter.

When he rubbed his thumb across the sensitive place between her legs, she gasped, the sound unexpectedly loud in the quiet space.

“Hmm. I’m not sure you can keep quiet, sweetheart.”

“I can,” she protested, trying to wiggle against his hand.

“I don’t think so. Perhaps you need some help.”

Before she could argue, he flipped her over on her stomach, then lifted her hips so he could continue teasing her clit.

“Bury your face in the mattress if you need to,” he told her, running his claws delicately across the small, hot nub. Her body convulsed, but only a faint muffled sound escaped as she followed his advice and gasped into the nest of leaves beneath them.

He stroked her back until her shudders died, whispering words of praise as he admired the graceful curves of her body. The soft white flesh of her ass tempted him. He wanted to smack it, to see it jiggle and hear her gasp of shock and pleasure, but he suspected that doing so would bring the spider creatures running. Instead, he contented himself with squeezing the lush globes and teasing the delicate line between them until she pushed back against him impatiently.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He rose up behind her, and gripped her hips as he notched his oris at her entrance. She pushed back again, but she was almost as tight as the first time and he had to work his way into the small channel, watching as the tiny pink opening finally expanded enough to take him.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, before she buried her head again.

“Not God, Altrez,” he reminded her as he worked his way deeper.

Her body shook with laughter, the vibrations almost destroying his control, and his hips jerked forward. Her laughter died with another gasp of pleasure.

Gods, she was tight and wet and perfect. When he was finally buried as deeply in her body as possible, he leaned down over her and told her so. Her sweet little cunt started to flutter around him, and his control vanished.

He thrust blindly, desperately, no longer concerned about noise or spider creatures or anything other than releasing his seed inside his mate. Her soft cries urged him on, her body already convulsing and milking the length of his cock until his oris opened and he exploded with a wordless cry. He collapsed down over her, exhausted, sated, and unbelievably happy—just as his brother came storming in.

“What the hell are you doing?”

He burst into helpless laughter.

THE LOUD DEMAND startled Lori out of her contented bliss, and she peeked over her shoulder as Altrez started to laugh. The huge red male filling the doorway had to be his brother. She supposed she should have been horrified, but the events of the past few days had eroded most of her capacity for embarrassment. Besides, she was basically concealed beneath Altrez. Although the vibration of his laughter through his still embedded cock was creating disturbing sensations in her oversensitive pussy.

“What does it look like we’re doing?” she asked breathlessly. “Can the introductions wait?”

That set Altrez off again, and she was afraid she was going to climax in front of his brother.

A brother who was beginning to look embarrassed, but still didn’t leave.

“You’re all right?” he demanded.

“Yes!” she cried. “Now leave.”

He obeyed just as a second climax washed over her. Altrez groaned, his laughter dying, and rocked into her as her channel pulsed around his still hard cock. As her shudders finally ceased, her face flamed after all.

“That has to be the worst family introduction ever,” she muttered.

“Oh, I don’t know. Riker got to see me at my best.”

“I wish I could say the same.”

“Don’t worry. He didn’t see you at all, sweetheart. I’m never sharing your beauty with anyone again, not even my brother.”

He slowly slipped free and she shivered as those amazing ridges scraped the sensitive flesh. As soon as he pulled out, he turned her over so he could see her face.

“Are you really upset?” he asked.

“Just a little embarrassed. And I was the one who suggested we have sex here. You did warn me to be quiet.”

“I didn’t exactly follow my own rule. But it was amazing. You’re amazing.” He bent down and kissed her, a long, sweet kiss. “Now, shall we try a real introduction this time?”

“I suppose,” she said reluctantly as he handed her a cleansing cloth.

“That’s odd.” He was staring into the supply bag.

“What is?”

“The bag S’quent gave us. It isn’t here.”

“I’m sure I put it in there after we looked at it.”

“I know you did.” He frowned, looking around the hut. “I know I slept for a while, but I’m sure I would have noticed if anyone came in.”

“Maybe it fell out when I was climbing that horrible ladder? I guess it doesn’t really matter since it didn’t seem to do anything.”

She shrugged and pulled her clothes on, suddenly wishing she had a nicer outfit, not to mention a brush for her hair. She didn’t want Altrez to be ashamed of her. But she relaxed when she looked over at him. The obvious approval in his eyes soothed her nerves, and she smiled as she slipped her hand in his.

“Let’s face the music.”

“I wonder if that would calm Riker,” he said seriously, and she laughed.

“That’s not what I meant, but if things don’t go well, maybe I’ll give it a try.”

She took a deep breath and followed him through the door. Riker was waiting for them and she realized that she hadn’t appreciated just how large he was until now. He stood at least a head taller than Altrez and even his muscles had muscles, but he came towards them with the same fluid grace Altrez possessed.

“I apologize. My mate tells me…” His eyes went to the bite mark on her neck. “You mated her?”

“Of course I did.” Altrez’s voice rang with pride. “Wait a minute. Did you say your mate?”

“Yes.” Riker sounded equally proud as he turned and held out his hand to a very pretty black woman.

Another human? Lori’s head spun.

“Hi. I’m Amanda,” the other woman said with a friendly smile.

“I’m Lori. Were you on the same ship?”

“I don’t think so. We’ve been here for over a month. Why? Were there more women with you?” Dark eyes sparkled with anger. “We have to get them out of there, Riker.”

“We will, but we have to find a way to alert the Patrol.”

Altrez snorted and opened his mouth, but Lori spoke before he could.

“I don’t know for sure. I suspect there were, but I never saw anyone else. Altrez thought maybe the bat guy had one.”

“That bastard S’quent?” Riker’s muscles flexed, and Amanda put a soothing hand on his arm.

“He’s really not that bad. He didn’t hurt me.”

“He touched you,” he muttered.

“Only to protect me.”

“He asked if I was with Altrez willingly,” Lori said thoughtfully. “That doesn’t seem like something a bad guy would do.”

“And were you?” Riker asked.

“Of course she was!” Altrez glared at him, and a slight smile twisted Riker’s lips.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure she was swayed by your considerable charm.”

“And my talented—”

Lori elbowed him, and Riker laughed. The expression transformed his somewhat grim face, and for the first time, she saw a resemblance between the brothers.

“So what are you doing here, little brother?”

“Since our last escape plan didn’t go so well, I thought I’d better come check on you.”

“Thank you,” Riker said gravely. “We are doing very well. As you can see, the Maki’pinga have accepted us.”

He waved at the surrounding village, and Lori saw Kayora standing off to one side of the platform, accompanied by what looked like a younger version of herself.

“He built us a wonderful house,” Amanda said proudly. “It even has a shower.”

“That sounds amazing.” The longing in her voice must have been obvious because Amanda laughed.

“You’re welcome to use it. That is, I assume you’re going to come and stay with us?”

“No.” Both brothers spoke at the same time.

“I suspect Altrez needs his privacy. As do we,” Riker said firmly.

“You should have thought of that ten minutes ago,” Altrez muttered.

Riker ignored him. “But I would be happy to help you build one. For tonight, the Maki’pinga have invited us all to stay and celebrate.”

“Just wait until you see the jungle at night.” Amanda’s eyes sparkled. “I know it doesn’t look like much now, but it’s so beautiful. There are all these colors. It’s like everything comes alive. Now come and meet my friend, Kiki.”

LATER THAT NIGHT, Altrez sat next to his brother. As promised, the Maki’pinga had put on a feast to celebrate their reunion. The jungle glowed around them, the muted dark blues and purples of the daylight hours replaced by neon bright streaks of color. Riker had warned him that it was no less dangerous, but it was undeniably beautiful.

He looked over at his brother. He had never seen him so relaxed.

“You seem happy here,” he said softly.

“I am. We have built a home here and my mate is happy.” Riker’s glance moved to his female, laughing with Lori and Kiki. “I will help you build a house for your mate, and I believe she will be happy too. But it cannot last forever.”

“Why not?” He had his own reasons for doubt, but he wanted to hear Riker’s reasoning. “You have a home and a mate. You said the hunting is good and the locals are friendly.”

“All of those things are true, but Amanda deserves more. And…”

“And what?”

“We want her fertility restored,” Riker finally blurted out. “We want a child.”

A child? He hadn’t even had time to consider it, but the image of Lori lush and glowing with their child made his breath catch. Not yet, perhaps, but he could understand his brother’s longing.

“Then that’s just as well,” he said cheerfully, pushing aside his own longing.

Riker frowned at him. “Why do you say that? I appreciate your efforts, but now we’re both stuck here.”

“Only temporarily.”

His brother’s frown deepened. “What have you done?”

“I sent a message to Leavent before I arranged to have myself arrested.”

“You did what?” Riker growled loud enough that both females turned to look at them.

Altrez smiled and waved at them, but they were already on the way.

“What’s wrong?” Amanda demanded as she joined them.

“Altrez sent for our other brother. Not that I’m convinced he will come,” Riker added bitterly.

“Of course he’ll come.” Altrez gave him a frustrated look. “He’s our brother. Why are you so determined to think badly of him?”

“Because he sold our home!” Riker roared. “He abandoned our land, our birthright, simply so he could go off and play politics.”

“That’s what you think? You idiot.”

“What do you mean?”

“Riker, he sold the house and the land to pay off our father’s debts. To try and raise enough money to keep you at the Academy. And to send me, even though I told him that wasn’t going to happen. He only took the position on Kaisar because it still wasn’t enough to cover all the debts.”

Riker looked stunned. “He never told me that.”

“Your family definitely needs to work on communication,” Lori murmured, and he grinned at her before turning back to Riker.

“Apparently, he’s as big an idiot as you are. But you owe him an apology.”

Disbelief and guilt fought for dominance on his brother’s face before he finally nodded.

“If he comes, I will apologize.”

“He’ll come,” he said firmly. I hope.

EPILOGUE

O ne week later…

“DO you really think your brother will come?” Lori asked.

They were lying in something she called a hammock on the platform surrounding their half-completed house and looking up at the stars. He had chosen the spot on purpose because one of the enormous ancient trees had fallen sometime in the past and left a gap in the jungle canopy so they could see the sky. The Maki’pinga thought he was crazy to choose such an open location, but he liked to remember that the rest of the universe was still out there. They were still close to the village and Riker and Amanda’s house.

“Yes, I'm sure he’s coming. Why?”

“Just wondering. What’s he like?”

“Smart. Ruthless. Cold. Well, perhaps cold isn’t completely accurate.” He had always suspected that a deep vein of fire ran beneath his brother’s frosty surface.

“Hmm.” She pushed her foot against the railing so that the hammock rocked gently. She had created it herself from woven vines with Amanda and Kiki’s assistance, and it was one of the four things that were actually completed. The others were the roof, their huge bed, and the shower that Lori had wanted.

Riker had helped him build all of them. Working with his brother had been… interesting. As usual, Riker had very specific ideas about what should be done and the order in which they should be completed. Altrez had ignored all of them. He wanted his mate to be safe and comfortable, but other than that, he saw no point in wasting time on a temporary accommodation. In the past, they would have ended up arguing but the new, more mellow Riker had simply shaken his head and helped him with the things he wanted to do. In return, he had not been tempted to tease and annoy his brother—too much. Maybe they were growing up after all, he thought with a smile.

But there had been something in Lori’s voice that made him believe her question had been more than just a casual request for information. He rolled over, the hammock swaying precariously, so she was trapped against him.

“Why did you ask, sweetheart?”

“I was looking up at the stars and remembering all the places you told me about.” There was a faint wistful note in her voice.

“Are you unhappy here?”

“No, not at all. I like the Maki’pinga and I want to know more about them. I’m also glad that Amanda and Riker are here and we can spend time with them. It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just that being here is almost like being back in my town again.” As she spoke, a huge avian with bright pink stripes on its wings squawked overhead, and she laughed. “Well, not exactly. But it feels the same. People I love.” Her hand touched his cheek. “A place I think I will grow to love. But a small place.”

“And you wanted adventures,” he said, understanding her point.

“I suppose that sounds silly, especially when we’re in the middle of an alien jungle, surrounded by all types of danger.”

“No, I understand why you might become restless.” He bent and kissed her, delighting in her enthusiastic response. Her soft body cradled his growing erection, but he lifted his head before she began to tug urgently on his horns.

“I honestly believe that my brother will come, but if he doesn’t, there’s still a whole planet to explore. There’s a line of mountains that run down the center of this continent. There is a great ocean to the east. We can explore all of them, travel wherever you wish, and have your adventures, together. Right here on Folsom.”

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement. “We could do that?”

“Of course. I love you, Lori, and if you want adventure, then adventure you shall have.”

“I love you too.” A provocative smile curved her lips. “And maybe tonight we can begin our adventures in the bedroom.”

His cock jerked automatically. He had discovered that his mate had a very vivid imagination and liked to play games.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Have you ever heard of naughty schoolgirl and stern headmaster?”

The words didn’t mean much to him, but the look on her face promised enjoyment.

“I haven’t, but I’m sure it will prove entertaining.”

“Oh, you’ll like it.” She took his hand and pressed it to the soft curve of her ass. He squeezed automatically and caught the sweet scent of her arousal. “It ends up with me naked over your knee while you spank me,” she whispered, and his oris pulsed reflectively, already imagining the scene.

If his mate wanted adventure, he would give her adventure—but he already knew that being with her was the greatest adventure he would ever have.

LEAVENT TOOK a small sip of his tea, then nodded his approval. The expensive Winter Pearl tea leaves had been brewed at precisely the correct temperature for precisely the correct time.

“You may go.”

His servant Ayol slipped away immediately, leaving Leavent to his tea. He took another appreciative sip as he gazed out into the small interior courtyard that formed the center of his rooms. The soothing vista of carefully arranged rocks and moss was designed to encourage quiet contemplation—all except for the wild sprawl of the fruit tree in the far corner.

I really should have that removed, he thought, as he did every morning. And yet somehow, he never made the arrangements. Because I’m busy. Certainly not because it reminded him of his father’s orchards. He forced his gaze away from it to follow the path of the stream as it trickled between the rocks.

A discreet knock interrupted his thoughts, and he frowned as Ayol reentered the room. These few moments of quiet before a long day of political maneuvers were sacrosanct, and Ayol knew better than to interrupt him.

“I apologize, my lord. There is a message from your brother.”

Had Riker finally decided to make peace with him? His faint flicker of hope vanished when Ayol added, “Your brother Altrez.”

Fuck. Any hope of serenity disappeared. Any situation involving his youngest brother was sure to be chaotic. He would probably be better off ignoring the message, but even as he thought that, he was already reaching for the tablet.

“Fuck,” he growled as he finished reading, the harsh sound enough to cause a flicker of emotion to cross Ayol’s normally imperturbable expression.

“Find out everything you can about the planet Folsom and the prison there,” he ordered as he rose from his chair and stalked towards his dressing room.

“Yes, my lord.”

“And cancel all of my meetings.”

Another flicker of emotion. “Even the treaty signing with Ambassador Catral?”

The treaty was the result of months of delicate negotiations, but he had no choice.

“I’m afraid so. Tell Ambassador Catral that I have a family emergency. The Tuvians understand that family comes first.”

Whether you want them to or not, he thought grimly as he opened his weapons cabinet.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you so much for reading Alien Most Wanted: Prison Mate! This is another darker story, but I’m enjoying exploring how love can bloom under even the harshest of circumstances. Not to mention that our heroes (and heroines!) are proving more than a match for the evil warden and his assistant!

(And before you ask, yes, S’quent is getting a story!)

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!

Up next! Big brother Leavent is on the way, but is he ready for what he will… uncover?

Find out in Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind!

Leavent is used to being in control - but a corrupt prison system, his troublesome brothers, and most of all, a beautiful, forbidden female, will challenge even his limits.

Click here to order Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind!

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OTHER TITLES

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Folsom Planet Blues

Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast

Alien Most Wanted: Prison Mate

Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

with Bex McLynn

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

A Home for the Alien Warrior

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Anthologies

Claimed Among the Stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Honey loves to hear from her wonderful readers! You can stalk her at any of the following locations…

www.facebook.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips

www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

www.honeyphillips.com

Table of Contents

Title Page

Contents

Copyright

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

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author