Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Author’s note

Greta and the Gargoyle

Alien Abduction Book 3.5

Honey Phillips

Copyright © 2018 by Honey Phillips

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

Disclaimer

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

Cover Design by Pro Book Cover Studio (probookcoversstudio.ecwid.com)

Edited by Nikki Groom @ Indie Hub Editing services (www.indiehub.co.uk)

Dedication

To Bex McLynn, who goes above and beyond every time! Thank you, my friend.

Chapter One

Greta huddled in the corner of her cell. In many ways it was preferable to the last few places she had been imprisoned. The first, a dirty, overcrowded spaceship, had been followed by a slave auction where she was stored in a small holding pen that bore an uncanny resemblance to a barn stall, even down to the sawdust on the floor. Finally, and most horribly, an actual cage belonging to her new master. Her now deceased new master. Despite everything, a small smile crossed her face. That slimy – quite literally – bastard would never try to rape another unwilling woman. Standing over his dead body and watching as green blood mingled with the yellow ooze covering his skin, she had expected to feel at least a hint of guilt for taking a life. Instead, she felt only triumph.

Unfortunately, that triumph was short-lived. The bastard’s guards had rushed in, too late to save him, but in time to have her locked up here, although she had no idea exactly where here was located. She only knew it was not Earth. Sighing, she returned to contemplation of her cell.

White metal walls, a metal shelf for a bed, and a metal toilet were the sum total of her present existence. At least it was clean. A mist came down from the ceiling once a day, washing down everything, including Greta, and leaving everything immaculate, if somewhat damp. Perhaps it was just as well that she was still naked; at least she didn’t have to worry about wearing damp clothes.

A panel opened soundlessly in the wall across from the bed, leaving a wide opening out into the hall. She watched it suspiciously but made no attempt to run for freedom – she had made that mistake the first time it happened, and the resulting shock had left her unconscious. Her fingers went to the shock collar that was her only adornment, once again searching uselessly for a way to remove the symbol of her slavery.

As she fumbled with her collar, a huge figure filled the opening and she almost allowed another smile to cross her face. The guards in this place were, for the most part, brusque, efficient, and uninterested. Even the ones that had eyed her with obvious lust hadn’t laid a finger on her. This guard was different from all the others. From the beginning he had treated her respectfully, even gently. When she had made her ill-fated attempt to escape, he had been there when she regained consciousness. She had a brief impression of warmth against her face but when she opened her eyes, he had been standing across the small cell.

Now he stood just inside the entrance, his huge body dominating the space, while the wings furled tightly against his back made him appear even larger. He made an intimidating picture and she wondered why she felt no fear. Thick, stone-colored skin covered a bald head with pointed ears, and two large tusks curved up from his lower jaw. He didn’t meet any of the standards for human attractiveness, but she didn’t find him repulsive. His most appealing feature was a stunning pair of emerald green eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes. And his body… Her gaze traced over the most spectacular display of male strength she had ever seen. The pristine white uniform did nothing to disguise the width of his chest, his massive arms, or his heavily muscled thighs. Her cheeks heated as she realized that her eyes had come to rest on the area between those thighs and the very impressive bulge accentuated by the tight uniform and she hastily looked away.

He stepped forward, one stride taking him halfway across the cell, and offered her a tray of food. Despite her fear that she wouldn’t be able to eat the food, she sat up eagerly, only to shudder as she got a glimpse of what he was holding. Bright blue worm-like things were actually writhing in the bowl while an unmoving one oozed black blood. Her stomach curled at the horrendous smell coming from the horrible things and she tried to wave him away.

“I’m not hungry.”

Pushing the tray forward again, he gestured for her to take it, saying something she couldn’t understand. She scowled and looked away. The inability to communicate was one of the most frustrating parts of her whole abduction. The aliens who had taken her originally had simply placed the collar around her neck, then trained her with a series of hand gestures. If she didn’t obey, she got shocked. Apparently, they felt no need to communicate with their captives beyond the basic sit, stay, go type commands that one would use with an animal.

The guard spoke again. He had a nice voice, deep and gravelly, like rocks tumbling over each other, but it made no difference when his words were meaningless. She sighed, knowing he was just trying to be helpful.

“Look, I appreciate the effort, but I can’t eat those. I’m not that desperate.” Yet. The standard fare of both captives and prisoners was a type of bland gruel which made her horribly sick. On the first ship, she had received a cracker type thing that she could eat, but none had been offered since she had been imprisoned, and she had no way to ask for them. At least this guard had noticed that she wasn’t eating and had tried to find an alternative. Turning back to him, she put a tentative hand on one of his giant forearms. His skin was warm and leathery under her fingers, stretched taut over bulging muscles, and she felt a brief flash of unexpected arousal before she firmly suppressed the feeling.

“Thank you,” she added. “I’m grateful that you’re trying to help.”

He froze, bright green eyes focused on her hand, and she snatched it away, afraid she’d made a mistake. His eyes flicked up to her face and his mouth opened, revealing a gleaming upper row of white fangs, before he shut it again with a frustrated snarl. She flinched, but he only shook his head and turned away. The huge wings furled against his back fluttered as he left her cell. Greta sighed and went back to contemplating the walls, trying to ignore just how good it had felt to touch that warm, hard body.

Mikaroz closed the cell door and growled in frustration. The female still wasn’t eating. He knew she was hungry – he had seen how eagerly she had looked at the tray – but then her beautiful face had fallen, and she had gestured it away. If only she could have explained what was wrong. Most Gods damned slavers at least inserted a low-level translation bug. Whoever had taken her hadn’t bothered, but perhaps he should purchase one for her…

“What’s straightening your tusks, Mikaroz?”

He only just managed to avoid jumping when Jervoc came up behind him and started talking. Cursing silently at his abstraction, he turned to his fellow guard. “The female won’t eat.”

“What do you have there? Bargan blood worms?” Jervoc raised his brows. “That’s not standard food for a prisoner.”

“She hasn’t eaten since she’s been here.”

“So, you went out and spent your hard-earned credits on such a delicacy? For a prisoner?”

“We are charged with their care,” he said defensively, even though he knew it was a feeble excuse.

“That doesn’t mean we have to make sure they eat.” Jervoc shrugged. “If they want to starve themselves to death, that’s their problem.” He eyed the tray. “Are you going to eat them?”

“No.” He found it hard to eat knowing that his fe…the female was hungry. “You can have them.”

Jervoc eagerly grabbed the tray as the two of them walked to the guard post. “Why are you so concerned, anyway?”

“She is a female.”

“We’ve had female prisoners before.”

“I also suspect she’s the same race as Lord Kievan’s favorite.”

“A favorite he took to sell,” Jervoc reminded him. “Or do you think he’ll be interested in this one when he returns?”

“No,” he growled, immediately rejecting the idea. He refused to consider the idea of his – the female becoming one of Lord Kievan’s playthings. Although she was certainly beautiful enough. His mind drifted to clouds of dark hair, eyes in a shade of green so much softer than his own, a slender graceful body. His shaft stiffened at the memory of her small, soft fingers against his arm, but he ignored his body’s traitorous response. No matter how desirable he found her, she was a prisoner and under his command. He couldn’t take advantage of that.

Jervoc didn’t return to the subject as they entered their small office, too focused on his treat. Mikaroz paced, unable to sit down.

“I thought I might get her a translator,” he blurted out finally.

“What?” Jervoc looked up at that, black smearing his chin as a half-eaten worm wiggled, caught half in and half out of his mouth. He sucked it in with a satisfied sound before he continued. “You’re going to spend more of your own credits on a translator for a prisoner?”

Mikaroz looked away, studying the bank of monitors with feigned interest. “If we could communicate, perhaps I could figure out what to feed her.”

“Uh huh.” The other man raised a brow. “If you want to fuck her, just go ahead and do it. I won’t say anything.”

“No!” Outrage filled him, even as his cock responded to the fleeting vision of her slender body clinging to his as they soared in the mating flight. Mating flight? What was he thinking? She had no wings to dance with him. “How can you even suggest such a thing? It is forbidden to have sex with a woman who is not your mate.”

“On Dhalgroll.” Jervoc shrugged. “We no longer live there – why should we be bound by the rules of our ancestors?”

“You mean you have broken the commandment?”

The other man grinned. “Of course. My second day on the station. You don’t know heaven until you’ve sunk your cock into a wet cunt. And she’s just a prisoner – if you want this woman, then take her.”

Despite his disgust with Jervoc’s callousness, his shaft jerked again at the image. Once more he forced his body, and his thoughts, under control and tried to respond in an impartial voice. “Even if I did decide to part from our ways, I would never take an unwilling female. And you know Lord Kievan forbids any interference with the prisoners.”

“He’s not here,” Jervoc pointed out.

“No, but he’ll be back. And he’ll find out. He always does. Remember what happened to Shutcur?”

Both men shuddered. Shutcur had been castrated – publicly, slowly, and without anesthetic – before being ordered to leave Sigrast Station within one cycle. Fortunately, a slave trader had taken him, happy to have a eunuch in his employ, or Shutcur would have found himself being pushed out of an airlock.

“I suppose you’re right,” Jervoc conceded before giving him a curious look. “Don’t you get tired of being such a high flyer? It’s not as if any of the prisoners are Dhalgroll.”

“We get hired as guards because we’re loyal and trustworthy. Do you want to lose that? Do you want to go back to Dhalgroll?”

“Gods, no.” Jervoc didn’t hesitate and Mikaroz understood why. Their home world consisted of a number of small rocky islands in an endless expanse of ocean. It was stark, beautiful, and completely lacking in the types of luxuries and entertainment that could be found even in the restricted environment of a space station. He missed it occasionally, but he had left no family behind and, like Jervoc, had no desire to return.

Jervoc licked the last drop of blood off his fingers and stood. “Come on. Time to feed the prisoners who will eat.”

Chapter Two

Another day passed before Greta saw the kind guard again. In the interim, another tray was shoved through an opening in the door panel, this time with the gruel she couldn’t eat, but she simply ignored it. Her latest distraction was to try and calculate how long it had been since she was taken. She had been on a brief trip over the border from Texas to Mexico with several girlfriends, when she’d decided she needed a break from the party scene and had gone for a walk on the beach. The sand was deserted but she was within the confines of the resort and didn’t worry as she walked along the edge of the water, enjoying the warm ocean washing across her feet. The only warning she had was an unusual smell, like sour pickles, before something stung her neck and the world went dark.

When she woke up, she was in a barred room with a collar around her neck. The room was crammed with strangers, none of them human, but all of them apparently female. Several of them could speak to each other but no one spoke to her. Most of her fellow prisoners seemed just as shocked and distraught. There were no beds and the only sanitary facility was a trough along the back of the room with an anemic flow of liquid running through it every so often. Unable to communicate, she staked out a small corner of the limited space and waited.

Now she tried to calculate how long she had been on the slave ship, but all she knew was that food had been passed out ten times – the gruel which she had rapidly discovered made her sick and the crackers she could tolerate. She’d used gestures to work out a trade of crackers for gruel with a slim blue female and managed to keep herself fed.

When they were finally herded out of their cell, she had foolishly hoped for an improvement. Instead, they were stripped, passed through a cleansing room where they were buffeted with jets of astringent liquid and blasted with hot air, and then finally subjected to a humiliating, invasive exam. For the prisoners like her who didn’t understand their captors’ language, there had been a brief training period where basic commands were demonstrated, and enforced by the shock collar, before they were placed in small individual stalls. A variety of aliens paraded by before she was chosen by the evil bastard.

All in all, she suspected she had been missing for at least two weeks. Her friends would have reported her missing but in a foreign country, with jobs to return to, they couldn’t have pursued it for long. She wondered if she would become another one of those tragic tales you saw on the news and promptly forgot. Mainly she worried about her dad, who would be all alone now. He hadn’t been much of a father, but she loved him anyway. Slow tears trickled down her face. She was still crying when the door opened and her guard appeared.

The sight of her tears brought a distressed sound from his throat and she tried to smile. She was half-disappointed and half-relieved that he didn’t have a tray of food with him. Moving slowly, he crossed the cell and perched next to her on the metal bed shelf. He was so big that he took up more than half the space. Unsure of his intentions, she huddled back in her corner, but she could still feel the heat coming off his huge body. Her hands trembled, fully aware that if he intended to force himself on her, she had no defense. Only the barest chance had enabled her to kill her former master. The slime that covered his body had allowed her to slide free as he fumbled with his weird looking cock. Before he could reach the control for the collar, she’d grabbed a large decorative vase and smashed it down over his head. To her shock, his skull had simply crumpled, green blood and other disgusting substances spreading across the floor.

Now when her prison guard extended his arm, she flinched, but then she realized that he was only offering her his open hand. In the center of an enormous palm was a small black object.

“Is that supposed to be food? Or some kind of vitamin?” She mimed putting it in her mouth and he shook his head, closing his fingers – his clawed fingers – around the object. He pointed to his hand and then his ear.

“You want me to put that in my ear? Why?”

With a frustrated grumble, he repeated the gesture, then opened his hand once more. She gave it a doubtful look, but so far, he was the one nice alien she had met so she shrugged and reached for it, only to drop it again immediately when the little black oval pulsed against her fingers.

“Oh, hell no.”

Incredibly fast reflexes caught the object before it hit the bed. He looked at it and looked at her. She shook her head and tried to back further into the corner. Her knees trembled when he frowned but she stared at him defiantly. Another grumbling noise came from his mouth then, before she could react, her head was cupped firmly but gently in one giant hand and the object was pressed into her ear. He had returned to his position before she even realized what was happening.

“Ooh, gross. Why did you do that?” She probed desperately at her ear, shuddering at the warm pulsation that met her finger.

“Only so you could communicate. It will not harm you.”

“But it feels – ” Shock held her motionless, then her hand dropped away. “Wait a minute. I understand you!”

Delight filled her and without considering the consequences, she reached over and hugged him. At which point she realized that he was very large and very warm and she was very naked. She backed away immediately, but even that brief contact had turned her nipples to hard little points. Blushing, she covered her breasts with her arm before sneaking a glance at him. To her astonishment, the tips of his ears had darkened like he was blushing as well. He shifted uncomfortably, and she made the mistake of looking at his lap where a very large and obvious erection had appeared. Another unexpected flicker of arousal hit her before she forced her eyes up to his face in time to see his nostrils flare.

“Thank you.”

“I must leave…”

Their words came out at the same time but before she could get any further, he rose and with a lightning fast movement and a flutter of wings, he was gone, leaving her staring open-mouthed at the closed door panel.

Mikaroz leaned against the wall outside his female’s cell and tried to get his breathing and his cock under control. Despite his earlier discussion with Jervoc, he had certainly considered having sex since he’d left Dhalgroll. There was a shopkeeper in the market, a tall Moz’ae woman with glowing pink skin and a wicked sense of humor, who had tempted him, but she moved on when he couldn’t bring himself to commit to her. Lord Kievan had once offered him his favorite, and she was a beautiful female, but even if it hadn’t clearly been an offer that would have resulted in his death, Mikaroz didn’t think he would have gone through with it. He didn’t just want sex – he wanted a mate.

Yet this prisoner tempted him almost unbearably. Her skin felt so soft against his and while she was small, when she pressed her slender curves against him, she was undeniably female. Jervoc’s words haunted him. He would never take an unwilling female, but he had felt the hard points of her nipples and caught the sweet scent of her arousal. Could it be that she was attracted to him despite their differences? Amongst the Dhalgroll he was considered quite handsome, but he hadn’t expected a female from another species to recognize that fact.

As he stood contemplating such a delightful possibility, he realized that in his rush to leave, he had failed to find out the information for which he had given her the translator bug. He banged his head against the wall in frustration before straightening. At least it was a chance to see her again.

When he reopened the cell door, she was still curled in her corner, her body half-turned into the wall, and he couldn’t help longing for another glimpse of those beautiful rose-tipped breasts. She raised her head as he entered and studied him with an expression he couldn’t read.

“I apologize for my hasty departure.”

“That’s okay.” She tugged her ear. “Thank you for the translator.”

“You are most welcome. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I am. I can’t eat the gruel. Do you have any of those cracker type things?”

It took a few tries before he figured out that she meant the sandran wafers normally fed to livestock. He barely managed to conceal his horror, but it was something to work with – perhaps another plant-based food would work. He was considering the possibilities when she spoke again.

“Why did you give me this?”

“I wished to communicate with you.”

“Because of the food thing?”

“Yes.” He ducked his head, feeling ridiculously embarrassed. Something about this woman destroyed all of his usual composure. “And I wished to talk to you.”

“Thank you.” After a brief, resigned glance down at her lack of clothing, she stood up. Every drop of blood went straight to his cock as he took in the full view of her glorious body. Small, high breasts peeked through waves of dark curls while a smaller patch of curls between gently rounded hips hinted at concealed delights. Even in the harsh light of the cell, the golden perfection of her skin glowed. She took a few cautious steps toward him, her breasts undulating with the movement and he lost the ability to speak.

Once again, her fingers lightly touched his arm. “You don’t know how much this means to me. It’s not just the translator. You’re the first, um, person who’s actually been nice to me since I was taken.”

“You… I… You’re welcome.” The words emerged half-strangled and he saw her hide a smile before she patted his arm soothingly.

“I’m Greta.”

“I am Mikaroz.” At least he managed to speak this time, although his concentration was mainly focused on his aching cock and the way her fingers were still stroking his arm.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mikaroz.” She cast a rueful glance at the cell. “Although the circumstances could have been better.”

Before he could respond, the communicator at his waist vibrated.

“I must go. I’ll try and find you something that you can eat,” he promised, and reluctantly turned to leave. It almost felt as if she were equally reluctant, her fingers lingering on his skin until he stepped out of reach.

Chapter Three

As soon as the door closed, Mikaroz took a few deep breaths, trying to clear the sweet scent of his female from his lungs in the vain hope that his erection would subside. When it became apparent that only time and distance would work, he took off for the guard room.

“What’s happening?” he asked as soon as he opened the door.

“J’Ssett called a meeting. Captain Bagusim wants you and the other Squad Leaders to join them.”

“When?”

“Now.” Jervoc gave him a toothy grin.

Swearing under his breath, he headed for the lift leading to Lord Kievan’s offices. When he arrived, all four captains and most of the other squad leaders were already assembled. The group was primarily Dhalgroll, only the brown fur of a couple of Bukharans, and the black of an Asing breaking the mass of grey. J’Ssett stood at the front of the room, a small reptilian figure completely at ease in the room of huge warriors twice his size. He cleared his throat and the room fell silent.

“Lord Kievan has ssent word that there is a possibility of an Imperial battlecruiser attempting to gain possession of Ssigrast Sstation.” The slight hiss underlying his speech was more pronounced than usual, the only sign that he was not quite as composed as he appeared.

An immediate uproar filled the room but J’Ssett once again commanded silence.

“All visitors and permanent residents will be notified. Unlesss they are on good-standing with the Royal House…” A few muffled laughs erupted. “I asssume that most will choose to leave. We wish to ensure an orderly evacuation and will require the assistance of the guards. At double pay, naturally.”

“When?” the Asing asked.

“It depends on the location of the nearest ship. I would expect no more than a few days.”

The Bukharans stood. “Our pay cycle ends tomorrow. We will leave after that.”

J’Ssett nodded. Mikaroz doubted that he was surprised. The Bukharans were completely trustworthy while under contract but had no hesitation about switching their loyalty once the contract period ended. For himself, he did feel a sense of duty to Lord Kievan and to the station which went beyond his paycheck. Not only that, but he couldn’t abandon Greta at such a time. He would stay. Looking around he saw a number of determined faces and realized that most of his fellow guards felt the same way.

“What of the fighters?” someone else asked. Many of the combatants that fought in the pits were there because they owed a debt to the station and chose to pay it off by fighting rather than hard labor.

“They will be releassed and may leave. However, if they ever return, they will be expected to fulfill their remaining obligations.”

“And the prisoners?”

“If they committed a non-violent crime, they will be releassed also. Violent offenders can wait and face Imperial... justice.” More laughter emerged at that but Mikaroz’s stomach clenched as he realized that it applied to his beautiful female. He couldn’t leave her to face the consequences of killing her owner. How could he get her to safety?

“Is Lord Kievan returning?” another man asked, distracting Mikaroz from his attempts to find a solution.

“Yess,” J’Ssett responded immediately, but Mikaroz didn’t trust the way the man’s eyes had shifted. “However, if the situation deteriorates prior to his return, there will be two ships sset aside for any guards who wish to evacuate.” Approving nods greeted his words.

“Thiss information has not yet been shared outside of thiss room,” he continued. “I ask that you give me an hour to make the guild massters and the chief merchants aware of the ssituation. If the captains will remain for those conversations, the rest of you may leave.”

Mikaroz took off immediately; he had stops to make before he could return to the cells.

Greta stared at the closed door after her guard – after Mikaroz – made another hasty departure. She could still feel the warmth of his skin on her fingers as she raised them to her ear, reveling again in the miracle of the translator. Why was he being so nice to her? The obvious answer was certainly easy to believe – it had been impossible to miss the size of his erection when she stood up and approached him. Her stomach gave a half nervous, half excited flip at the memory and she shook her head. She couldn’t possibly be attracted to a huge grey-skinned alien that looked like an ancient gargoyle come to life. Could she?

With a sigh, she returned to her bunk and her favorite corner, still pondering his actions. Other than the sizeable physical evidence, he had done nothing to indicate that he was attracted to her. If anything, he seemed almost shy in her presence. She decided that perhaps he was simply a nice guy who would have done the same for any prisoner and chose not to think about why that explanation was so disappointing. Resolving to stop worrying about it, she nonetheless continued to obsess over his motives until the door opened again.

A genuine smile crossed her face when she saw that it was Mikaroz and she had to refrain from jumping up to greet him. He had seen enough of her naked body for one day.

“Hi, Mikaroz.”

“Hello, Greta.” He pronounced her name carefully, the deep rumble of his voice making her stomach flutter, but she refused to acknowledge it. “May I enter?”

“It’s your cell,” she replied somewhat sarcastically. At his distressed look, she softened her tone. “Yes, of course you can. Did you find some of those crackers?”

He was carrying a huge basket and her growling stomach hoped that it contained something edible.

“I have brought several things and…” Avoiding her gaze, he ducked his head. “I have procured some clothing for you.”

“Clothes, really?” Once again, she almost jumped up but managed to keep still as he sat on the other end of the bed shelf and placed the basket between then.

“It is not what I would have chosen because it is the attire usually worn by slaves, but I was afraid that any other garment would draw too much attention,” he said as he passed her a small bundle of white fabric. She shook it out to discover a thin shift. It only joined at the point of each shoulder and the side of each waist, but she slipped it gratefully over her head, glad to be covered, however minimally. As soon as it settled in place, she leaned eagerly toward the basket but stopped when she saw that his gaze was fixed on her breasts once more. Looking down, she realized that the thin fabric did very little to actually conceal them, the pink of her nipples clearly visible as they hardened in response to his observation.

He cleared his throat and finally shifted his eyes up to her face. “I hope that at least one type of food will be suitable. I brought a few different items.”

Opening the basket, she almost laughed at the understatement. The large container was completely full of packages. Choosing one at random, she tore it open to find small hard pellets in a rather disgusting shade of green. After a cautious sniff, she placed one on her tongue. It dissolved immediately in a burst of meaty flavor that made her moan appreciatively.

“Mmm. That’s so good.” Forcing herself to pause and see if her stomach objected, she looked back up at Mikaroz only to find him studying her mouth this time. Her mouth went dry and her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips. His eyes closed and she heard a soft growl. The noise sent another flick of arousal over her and she felt her already taut peaks stiffen even more. Ignoring the reaction, she reached for another pellet.

“Once you have eaten, we need to talk.”

Her stomach dropped. Here it came. This was where Mr. Nice Guy revealed his true colors. Her appetite suddenly gone, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“Tell me now.”

“You should eat first.”

“I’m not hungry.” She shook her head when he started to protest. “You want to talk, so talk.”

“The station will be evacuated.”

That wasn’t what she was expecting, and she blinked at him a few times before she responded. “The station?”

“You know you are on Sigrast?” When she shook her head, he continued. “Sigrast is the space station where we are located.”

“I’m on a space station?” The thought had never occurred to her. She had assumed she was on an alien planet. “How big is it?”

“Very large. There are thousands of people on board.”

“Really?” The concept was mind-boggling. “But you said it is being evacuated?”

“Yes. An Imperial ship is being sent to take possession.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” she asked cautiously.

“Yes. Most of the people who are here have chosen to operate outside of Imperial regulation. They would not be treated kindly.”

“But what about me?” Wasn’t regulation a good thing? “I only acted in self-defense when that bastard tried to rape me.”

To her horror, he was shaking his head. “I understand, Greta, but an act of violence against your master is punishable by death.”

Despair washed over her, and the tears couldn’t be suppressed. She had suspected all along that she might be executed, but to hear it actually spoken aloud made it only too real.

“Ssh, Greta.” Mikaroz lifted her into his lap, big arms surrounding her and pulling her close. Her previous concerns about his motives no longer seemed important, and she curled against him as she cried. She could feel his rigid shaft beneath her hip, but he only held her and stroked her hair in long soothing caresses. He might look like he was made of stone, but his huge, warm body made her feel protected. When she finally cried herself out until only a few hiccupping sobs remained, she swiped at her nose and eyes and reluctantly lifted her head from the broad expanse of his chest.

Emerald eyes glowed at her and he looked as soft as his hard features permitted. Driven by a sudden impulse, she stroked a finger along the surprisingly full bottom lip between those fearsome tusks.

“Do your people kiss?”

“Keess?” he asked, and then his tongue came out and brushed against her finger, damp and oddly velvety against her skin and the arousal that had been muted by sorrow came rushing back.

“Press your mouths together.”

“No.” He shook his head, looking puzzled.

“That’s a shame.” Her curiosity got the better of her, along with a sudden reckless impulse. If she was going to die anyway… “Would you like me to show you?”

His eyes never left her face. “You may show me anything you wish.”

Turning so that she straddled his lap, she still had to lift up on her knees before she could reach his mouth. As soon as she moved over him, his body turned rigid, although his wings arched upward behind his back. She put one hand on his massive shoulder and the other on his face before leaning forward and letting her lips brush against his. Her mouth was small enough to fit between his tusks and his lips were warm and surprisingly soft. Gathering her courage, she let her tongue sweep along his full lower lip. He shuddered. Encouraged by his reaction, she probed along the seam but he didn’t respond.

“Open for me,” she whispered.

His lips parted and her tongue slipped into the heated depths of his mouth. He tasted like rich, dark chocolate and she moaned happily as she went deeper, encouraging his tongue to play with hers. His first tentative response made her moan again and the sound seemed to release him. One big hand cupped her head, holding her firmly in place as he took over, exploring every inch of her mouth with hungry intensity and an amazingly agile tongue that twisted and tugged at hers. When at last he raised his head, she was shaking.

“Wow.”

“Keess is wow? I like this keess very much.”

“Yeah, me too.” Now that they were no longer kissing, her cheeks flamed as she realized how aroused she had been by the experience. She was uneasily conscious of the fact that she had been rubbing both her breasts and her aching pussy against him. Using the hand on his shoulder, she pushed back slightly and he immediately released her. Forcing her mind away from the throbbing ache between her legs, she found the courage to return to their previous conversation.

“How long do I have?”

“How long?”

“Before they execute me.”

Chapter Four

Mikaroz stared down at the female in his arms, trying to make his brain function after the ecstasy of having her small mouth open to him. The keess would never have worked with a Dhalgroll female but it had been extraordinarily pleasurable. His aching shaft reminded him of just how pleasurable before her words finally penetrated. Every atom of his being rebelled at the idea of her death.

“You will not be executed.” He spoke the words as the vow he intended. No harm would come to his female while he was alive to prevent it.

“I don’t understand.” She settled back down in his lap as she frowned at him and he barely repressed a groan as the hot, damp heat of her cunt brushed over his throbbing cock. Judging by her startled expression, she felt his immediate response but she didn’t move away. “You said the Imperial ship is on its way.”

“It is, but it’s not here yet. I will find a way to protect you.”

She studied his face with those beautiful green eyes before nodding and leaning forward to give him another all too brief keess. He forced down the impulse to hold her in place so that he might explore the wonders of her mouth in greater depth.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His belt communicator vibrated and he groaned. Reluctantly removing her from his lap, he checked the message. “They are about to make the formal announcement. I must go to assist in keeping order.”

“Will you be back?” Her eyes were wide and frightened.

“Always. But it could be a while.” Rising to his feet, he headed for the door then hesitated and turned back. “Things may be… unsettled. I wish to code the door to my personal signal. That way no one else will be able to enter.”

“What… what if you can’t return?”

“There is an automatic override in three days. I should be back well before then but if not, the food will sustain you. Do you trust me to do this?”

After a long pause, she nodded. “Yes.”

“Thank you, dulzurra.”

Programming the lock took only a few seconds and he had turned to leave once more when she came rushing over. He had thought the slave gown might make her less tempting but the way the thin fabric revealed flashes of her skin as she moved was almost as alluring as her naked flesh. When she stopped in front of him and placed her hands on his chest, he caught the sweet lingering scent of her arousal.

“Mikaroz, please be careful.”

“You are concerned for me?”

“Of course, I’m concerned for you! You’ve been wonderful to me.” Her small hands slid up his chest, leaving a trail of fire behind, to circle his neck. When she tugged gently, he finally realized that she wanted him to lower his head. Once more she pressed her soft lips against his and this time, she opened her mouth and let him inside. As soon as he tasted her, all thoughts of leaving disappeared. Only conscious of the need she created in him, he picked her up so that he could more easily indulge in exploring their keess. She made a startled noise but then her arms and legs wrapped around him and she returned the keess with equal fervor, her small soft tongue stroking his in an urgent caress. He could feel the heat of her wet pussy against his chest and he cupped her ass to pull her closer as she began to grind against him. Another more insistent buzz from his communicator reminded him of his duties and he reluctantly raised his head. “I must go.”

A delightful shade of pink colored her cheeks as she nodded. When he let her down, her slippery folds slid across his rock-hard cock and he felt her quiver.

“I’ll be back,” he promised, and forced himself to leave.

As expected, the station erupted into chaos when the announcement was made. Along with several others, Mikaroz’s squad was stationed on one of the docking levels to prevent desperate evacuees from stealing any available ship. They worked through three straight shifts before some semblance of order was restored. When a replacement squad finally showed up, he was exhausted, but his thoughts immediately went to Greta.

“Do you think that J’Ssett will really save ships for the guards?” Jervoc asked, interrupting his ruminations. The two of them were walking back to the cell blocks alone, the rest of the squad having already disbursed.

“Yes,” Mikaroz replied absently. “He is an honorable man.”

Jervoc scoffed. “There’s only one of him and this is a big place. He may not be able to protect them, especially without that crazy bastard, Kievan, here to intimidate everyone.”

Mikaroz frowned at the other man. He had already discounted the possibility of fleeing with the other guards, but if Jervoc had found an alternative... “Why are you asking?”

“I know of a small fighter. It’s in the salvage docks and looks like a total wreck but the repairs are almost complete. For the right price, the owner is willing to finish them and sell it to me. He has another ship.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I don’t have enough credits. I figure between the two of us, we could raise the amount required.”

“How much?”

Jervoc named a price that made him flinch, but he had enough – just enough – in savings to cover it. And a private ship...

“How big is it?”

“Not big.” Jervoc shrugged. “But it will hold two.”

“Will it hold three?”

“Three? Is that a good idea? I don’t really want to take the chance on word of it getting out.”

“I want to bring my female.”

“Your female?” Jervoc frowned. “You don’t have a…oh, the prisoner.”

“Yes.”

“Good idea.” He elbowed Mikaroz. “We could use a little entertainment on the journey.”

Mikaroz had him up against the wall, his claws at his throat, before the other man could blink. “We won’t be doing anything. She is with me.”

“Fine,” Jervoc choked out, and Mikaroz let him drop. “I didn’t realize that you’d mated her.”

“I haven’t.” Mikaroz turned and resumed the walk. He might not have mated her, but she was under his protection and no other man would ever lay a finger on her.

“But then… Never mind,” Jervoc added hastily when Mikaroz turned to glare at him. “Do you still want to buy the ship with me?”

“Yes. As long as you understand that Greta is completely off limits.”

Jervoc rubbed his throat ruefully. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”

“Send me your information and I’ll transfer the credits to you.”

“Do you want to see the ship first?”

“No. As long as it’s navigable and as long as there is room for the three of us, I don’t care. But, Jervoc, we wait until J’Ssett releases us before we leave.”

“Of course. I’ll go talk to the owner now.”

Jervoc hurried off and Mikaroz increased his pace, impatient to return to his female. He stopped at the guard office on the way. Only Narnum was there, looking bored.

“How goes it?” Mikaroz asked.

“Dull as hell. All of the non-violent prisoners were released. We’re down to the two Zukriks who killed the shopkeeper and her family on Level Four. Oh, and some female slave who killed her master.” Narnum shook his head. “The Imperial Guards are going to have fun with that one.”

Mikaroz’s fists clenched but he kept his voice calm. “No doubt. Do you want me to take over?”

Narnum eyed his torn, bloody uniform. “Didn’t you just come off shift?

“Three of them actually but I’m still in battle mode. I won’t be able to sleep until I calm down.”

“Nothing but calm down here. If you’re sure, I’m not going to argue. I might have to see if I can find some trouble to get into.” Narnum gave him a wicked grin and hurried off without any further argument.

Mikaroz gave a sigh of relief. That had gone better than he expected. Working quickly, he removed all of Greta’s information from the system. It wouldn’t hold up to a concentrated audit, but he doubted anyone would be interested in one female slave any time in the near future. He turned off the video monitors on her corridor and then wiped the recordings as well. As soon as the records were destroyed, he hurried off to collect his female.

Chapter Five

For once, Greta wasn’t huddled in her corner. Instead she was pacing anxiously back and forth. As soon as he appeared, she rushed over and flung her arms around him. Relief that she was still safe vied with arousal as her delicious fragrance surrounded him and her soft body pressed against his. He wished she would grant him another keess but their time was short.

“I’ve been so worried. Are you alright?” Her voice was muffled against his chest, but she drew back and smiled at him before her mouth dropped open as she took a closer look. “Oh, no. You’re hurt. What happened?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “None of the blood belongs to me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine but we need to leave now.”

“Leave? We’re making a jailbreak?”

He frowned at her. “We won’t need to damage the cell.”

“That’s not what I meant, but never mind. Where are we going?”

He ducked his head. “I thought perhaps I should take you to my quarters. They are small but well-protected. We will not be able to leave the station for several more shifts.”

“Anywhere is better than here.” Before he could hide his reaction, she winced at the look on his face. “I’m sorry. I appreciate what you’re doing and I’m really grateful.”

“I don’t want your gratitude,” he growled, uncertain why her words bothered him. He started to turn away, but her hand caught his arm. The gentle touch stopped him in his tracks.

“Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I am not angry.”

“Are you sure?” She gave him a playful grin and poked at one of his tusks. “These look pretty angry to me.”

“They always look like that.” Playing along, he tried to frown but the combination of her smile and the obvious apology in her eyes made it impossible to even pretend anger. He laughed and shook his head. “Come along, dulzurra. We should fracture this jail while we have a chance.”

Slipping her hand in his, she laughed. “Lead on, my captain.”

“I’m not a captain,” he reminded her.

“You are to me.”

They made it as far as the edge of the Market before trouble struck. Despite the number of people still onboard, everyone was too busy with their own plans for escape or protection to pay any attention to them. However, his heart sank as he took in the small group of Zukriks lounging near the entrance to the passage that led to his quarters. They obviously weren’t planning to evacuate which meant trouble ahead. He also suspected they were part of Khuzia’s gang, so they hated the Guards. Normally he wouldn’t have hesitated to take them on but now he had Greta to consider. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see a way to avoid the gang and the longer they lingered here, the more likely they were to attract attention. If he could convince them that he wasn’t one of the Guards, his size and strength should be enough to deter them from an unprovoked attack. Stepping behind an abandoned booth, he removed the dirty remnants of his uniform shirt.

“What are you doing?” Greta asked.

“Trying to make myself look less like a Guard.”

“Hmm.” After studying him, she pointed at his belt. Take off your communicator. It looks official. And your pants are still too neat.”

Following her suggestions, he hid the communicator behind his back before using his claws to slice the pants high up his legs. “Better?”

“Mmm.” Her gaze tracked down across his bare chest to where his thighs were exposed through the ripped cloth. “I bet you’d look even better without any clothes at all.” Her face turned that delightful shade of pink again and she shook her head. “Forget I said that.”

Forget that she wanted to see his naked body? Impossible. However, for right now, he had to focus on getting her to safety. “Just follow my lead. You must act like a proper slave.”

“Yes, my captain.” Her smile was impossible to resist and he drew her close for a brief second before forcing himself to remember their mission. Fastening a hand around her wrist, he towed her along as he headed for the passageway. For a moment, he thought they would get away with it, but just as they reached the entrance, one of the Zukriks took a second look. He whistled to the others and within seconds they were surrounded. He tucked Greta behind him, his wings curving backward to protect her.

“Hey. Ain’t you one of them fucking Guards? They’re all Dhalgroll.” The leader closed in on him, his crest raised. None of the Zukriks could match him for size, but their slender yellow bodies were stronger than they looked.

“Do I look like a Guard? I’m a mercenary. I’ll be leaving as soon as I get paid.” He kept his voice relaxed but let his hand drop to his knife belt.

“He does have a woman with him.” A second Zukrik spoke up. “You know those Guards ain’t supposed to touch a woman.”

Greta jerked but he kept his eyes focused on the leader.

“Yeah, that’s right. Prove you’re not a Guard. Take your slave.”

“I don’t fuck in public,” he growled.

The leader’s eyes narrowed. “Then make her suck your cock. Show me you ain’t one of those high and mighty guards.”

Resigned, he turned back to Greta, pushing her against the wall so that his body would shield her from view.

“On your knees, woman.” He kept his voice rough as he forced her down, praying she understood the importance of making this believable.

“Yes, Master,” she said quietly as she knelt without objection. A flood of relief filled him that she understood, immediately followed by a flood of desire as her hands went to his waistband. The others couldn’t see the way her eyes widened as his body immediately responded to her touch. She licked her small pink lips and he almost exploded before she even handled him. But then she reached inside his open pants and touched his cock and he shuddered at the feel of her soft hands. A puzzled expression crossed her face before she pulled him free.

“Holy crap,” she whispered, her fingers following the ridges that circled his shaft.

A noise behind him made him remember their audience. “Yes, pray to your Gods, woman, for I will have no mercy on you.”

He fisted his fingers in her hair, his grip much looser than it would appear to their audience and drew her forward. Her lips parted and he pushed his cock in as gently as possible, afraid that it wouldn’t even fit into the small opening. Despite his fears, her mouth stretched enough to take him. Hot, wet ecstasy surrounded his shaft and his wings flared, knocking back the observers, before dropping to enclose the two of them in a private embrace. He had completely forgotten that he could use his wings to shield her.

“Fuck, now we can’t see anything.”

“Fucking Dhalgroll can’t keep their wings down. Hey, get it – fucking Dhalgroll?” A burst of crude laughter erupted but all he cared about was Greta’s mouth as she took him down to the third ridge and began sucking.

“Come on. Let’s go find a woman of our own to fuck.”

A round of agreement and the voices moved away. It took all the control he had to pull away.

“They’re gone, dulzurra. You can stop.”

“No,” she said, and then her mouth was back over his cock, tongue caressing on the way down, lips sucking on the way up. Each time she managed to take a little more of him into the tight wet haven of her mouth. She made it to the fifth ridge before he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“My heart, I’m going to come.”

Her only response was to suck harder and move faster and he gave in to the inevitable, his balls tightening as his hands clenched in her hair. She hummed around his cock and the vibration sent him over, his seed flooding from him in waves of euphoria. The rush of liquid was too much for her although she tried to swallow it all, and he gently pulled her away as she choked. She wiped her chin and then sucked on her fingers as she settled back on her heels with a dreamy look.

“Mmm, you even taste like chocolate here.”

“What is this chocolate?” It took a considerable amount of effort to find the words to respond. If he hadn’t been afraid the gang would come back, he would have happily collapsed on the floor next to her.

“It’s an Earth delicacy. Has no one ever told you that you taste really good before?”

“No one has ever done that before.”

“You mean you’ve never had a blow job before?”

“A blow job?”

“What I just did.”

“But you did not blow on me.”

“It’s just an expression.” Her cheeks turned pink. “Never mind. We should probably go.”

“You’re right; I’m sorry. I was distracted by pleasure. Come, dulzurra.”

With renewed strength, he lifted her up in his arms. She squeaked. “You don't have to carry me.”

“No, but I will enjoy it.”

Chapter Six

Greta snuggled against Mikaroz’s giant chest and tried to make sense of her conflicting feelings. She’d never been a big fan of blow jobs but it had been immensely satisfying to feel the big man trembling at her touch. He tasted so good, like dark spicy chocolate. And that perfect cock – long, thick, hard. Eight bands of hard flesh circled his length, each a finger’s width apart. She could only imagine what those ridges would feel like as they entered her. Her pussy clenched in agreement and she shivered.

“Are you cold, my heart?” Mikaroz’s deep voice rumbled against her and she had to force herself not to rub her aching breasts across his heavily muscled pectorals.

“No, I’m fine.” What was she thinking? Was she seriously considering having sex with an alien? A gargoyle alien with tusks. Although it had been a really long time since she had been with anyone and he had been so sweet to her...

A metal clank distracted her from speculations. Mikaroz pushed aside a massive metal door and carried her through before somewhat reluctantly letting her down. The room they entered reminded her of an industrial loft, with exposed, riveted metal walls and what at first glance looked like a huge window showing some craggy islands perched in a stormy sea. Since he had told her they were on a space station, she assumed it must be some type of video screen instead, but it was remarkably lifelike. She could almost feel the wind in her hair as she wandered closer, watching birds soar and frolic in the air. A gasp escaped her she realized that they weren’t birds, they were others like Mikaroz.

“Is this your world?”

“Yes. I like to be reminded of where I am from, so I arranged for a feed. The smaller island is where I was born.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek despite her efforts. Crying wouldn’t help her situation. But she could still hear the sorrow in her voice when she responded. “I don’t suppose I’ll ever see my world again.”

A big arm surrounded her, pulling her against his side. “I’m sorry, dulzurra.”

“I notice that you didn’t contradict me.” She glanced up at his face. He was watching her with a worried expression, but he shook his head.

“My understanding is that you are from a pre-spaceflight world, so your planet is off limits. You would not be allowed to travel to it.”

“That didn’t seem to stop the bastards that took me.”

“If they had encountered an Imperial cruiser without official records as to your origin, they would have been punished.” He ducked his head, something she was beginning to realize he did whenever he felt uncomfortable. “But it would not have changed your fate. They would not have returned you to your world.”

“You mean I would still have ended up as a slave?”

“Yes, dulzurra,” he said gently. “For those without resources, there are not many options.”

“Why do you keep calling me that? Dulzurra?”

The pointed tips of his ears darkened. “It is a delicacy on my world, one that is creamy and sweet. Your taste reminds me of it.”

Unexpectedly happy that he found her just as delicious, she pushed the thought aside and forced herself to focus in more practical matters. “So, what happens now?”

“I have to remain here until the evacuation is complete. Once we are released, another guard and I have purchased a small ship. I hoped you would choose to accompany me…”

Amazing how such a menacing face could look so bashful.

“Of course I will. But what then?”

“I will find a guard position in another location, perhaps planetside if you would prefer. I cannot afford many luxuries, but I can make a decent living. I will take care of you.”

A lump filled her throat; no one had ever wanted to take care of her. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“I hope that you…” He looked down at her face, then cleared his throat and turned away. “I hope that someone would be kind to one of my race if she found herself alone and friendless.”

She knew that wasn’t what he originally intended to say but she was relieved – and the tiniest bit disappointed – that he didn’t pursue it. It was clear that he was attracted to her, but she suspected that it might go deeper than the obvious physical attraction between them. He moved to a counter on the far side of the room and busied himself doing something she couldn’t see.

Deliberately keeping her voice light, she said, “I was a bartender before. People always want to drink, maybe I can get a job doing that?”

His back stiffened. “If you wish.”

Obviously, she hadn’t helped the situation. With a sigh, she went to him and put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, my captain. I know you want to help me, but I need to be able to take care of myself as well.”

“It is dangerous for a female alone,” he muttered, his gaze focused on his task.

“But I’m not alone. I have you.” The words came out automatically and she fought down a sense of panic at what they implied. She knew better than to trust that someone would be there for her.

A broad, and rather frightening, smile crossed his face as he finally turned to look at her. “Always, my heart.”

Biting her lip as she looked up at his alien, hopeful face, she knew she should try and put some distance between them, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she settled for changing the subject. “What are you doing?”

“Preparing a meal. I have several different things for you to try so I hope you will be able to eat.”

He looked worried, so she gave him a reassuring smile. “Thank you.”

Lord, he really was so sweet. And big. Standing next to him, she was conscious of the fact that her head only reached the middle of his chest – his still naked and very heavily muscled chest. Without his uniform, she could see the intricate tattoos that covered each arm. When he reached past her for something on the counter, his biceps flexed and her mouth went dry. The arousal that had never quite died down since she had put her mouth on him flared back to life. She felt the slickness between her legs just as his nostrils flared and he froze.

“Um, is it okay if I look around?” Without waiting for a response, she moved quickly away – letting caution overcome desire. He had called his quarters small, but the room was three times as large as her rental unit above the bar back on Earth. Despite the amount of space, there really wasn’t much to see, just a very large, comfortable looking couch facing what she suspected was a type of television screen. Apparently, bachelors were the same throughout the universe. A loft covered the kitchen area and she could see a bed up there but when she looked around, there didn’t seem to be a way to reach it.

“How do you get up to the loft?”

He stepped away from the counter and spread his wings. They were enormous, easily twice as wide as he was tall, and with two quick beats, he rose to the loft. Oh my. Her traitorous pussy clenched. She had been vaguely aware of his wings surrounding them while she was going down on him, but she had been too preoccupied to pay much attention. Actually seeing them in action was awe inspiring.

“Um. I don’t think that’s going to work for me.”

Another quick flare of wings and he was on the ground in front of her. “I will carry you.”

“Or I could just sleep down here,” she said breathlessly. With him standing in front of her like that, his wings still partially spread, her body hummed with desire. Her nipples were so hard they ached, her skin tight and oversensitive. Despite her better instincts, her eyes dropped down his body to where the glistening head of his cock pushed past the waistband of what was left of his pants.

“You will take the bed,” he insisted, apparently more capable of carrying on a conversation than she was, despite his obvious arousal. Forcing her eyes to his face, she was struck again by the beauty of those emerald green eyes and the obvious tenderness in his expression. Her gaze flittered away, landing on his wings.

“You...you don’t have feathers.”

“I am not a bird,” he growled.

“No, of course not. May I touch them?”

“Of course.”

He extended one wing in her direction and she touched it cautiously. Unlike the more leathery skin on his body, his wings were covered with a velvety down. “You’re so soft.”

“Not as soft as you, my heart.”

And they were back to her. Once again, she tried to turn the conversation. “Didn’t you say something about food?”

“Of course. You must be hungry.”

Actually, she was still satisfied from the contents of his basket, but she seized the opportunity for a distraction. “Yes. Let’s eat.”

Dinner was surprisingly relaxed. Everything he fed her was quite palatable and he was an entertaining companion, with a quick wit hidden behind that impressive physique. Watching the two suns set over the image from his home world while he told her tales of her childhood made her feel as if she had been there with him.

“Do you miss flying?” she asked, after one hilarious story involving an egg, five stones, and his cousin.

“Yes. We train in the fight pit and there is room there to fly but it is not the same as the open air.”

“So why did you leave?”

He shifted, eyes looking out across the dark water to the small island, barely visible in the fading light. “My mother died and my father followed her. He could not live without his mate. I was alone. And it is a simple life. When the brokers came recruiting, I was ready for a change.”

“Do you like it here?”

“Yes. Lord Kievan can be harsh but he is fair. His rules are reasonable, and I like being in a position to enforce order. Plus, there is always something happening.”

“Did you have a girl back home?” The question popped out before she had a chance to consider.

“No.” Looking straight at her, his eyes seemed to glow. “I was waiting for the perfect female.”

Despite her brain urging her to be cautious, she couldn’t suppress a happy little flutter in her stomach. Ruthlessly suppressing it, she searched for a way to change the subject. Somewhat to her surprise, he took care of it.

“What of your parents?”

“My mother left when I was a teenager. It’s just been me and my dad ever since and I’m worried – ” Her words stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the look on his face. ‘What’s wrong?”

“Your mother left? She left her child? She left her mate?”

“Yes,” she said cautiously in the face of his obvious horror.

“Earth women can do that?”

“They can. But most of them don’t. Do Dhalgroll women never leave?”

He looked appalled at the concept. “Never. We mate for life.”

“Oh,” she said, unable to think of a more adequate response. Jumping to her feet, she started carrying their plates back to the kitchen. He followed more slowly, the troubled look still on his face.

“You have mated before?” he asked, and the words sounded hollow.

Sighing, she turned to face him. “If you mean, am I a virgin, no, I’m not.” The tips of his ears darkened. “If you mean, have I been married, the answer is also no.”

“Ma’reed?”

“Marriage is where you vow to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of your lives.” Somehow, she didn’t have the heart to tell him how frequently those vows were broken.

“That is mating.” He nodded firmly, relief crossing his face. “I am glad that you are not ma’reed.”

“Me too, my captain.” Her confusion over being attracted to an alien would be ten times worse if she had a husband to betray.

“Your father is alone?”

“Yes.” Tears threatened again but she pushed them back. “It’s not like I live at home anymore, but I go by and check on him every few weeks. He may not be the greatest father in the world, but I just wish I knew that he was ok.”

Despite her best efforts, a tear slipped free. Mikaroz didn't say a word, just pulled her into his arms, surrounding her with warmth and the faint smell of cocoa. Her sorrow eased as she relaxed against the massive wall of his chest. His big naked chest. With a start, she realized that she was nuzzling her head between his pecs and contemplating licking one dark nipple.

She jumped back and he immediately released her.

“Um, do you have a shower I can use? A place to wash?”

“Yes, of course.”

A door to the right of the kitchen led into a large, white tiled room. He showed her how to operate all the features, disappearing briefly to return with a shirt that he bashfully offered her.

“If you wish to change?”

It was obviously one of his shirts, the upper back open to accommodate his wings, and about four times too large, but it was better than a slave gown.

“Thanks, Mikaroz. Now, shoo. I don’t need your help in here.”

“I could wash your back,” he offered, with such a combination of innocence and deviltry that she almost agreed to let him stay. Instead, she laughed and shook her head.

“I’ll manage. Go on now.”

Chapter Seven

By the time Greta emerged from the bathroom, the window screen was almost completely dark, only a few twinkling stars lighting up the sky. The only other light came from a dim lamp which revealed Mikaroz slumped down on the couch, his weary posture showing his fatigue. A pang of guilt hit her hard. He had been working and fighting the whole time she was in her cell and then he had come and retrieved her, brought her here, fed her, and he hadn’t had a chance to rest.

Walking up behind him, she slid a gentle hand down his smooth scalp. He tilted his head back and gave her a tired smile, his eyes heating as he studied her. The open back of his shirt came down to the top of her butt but the front covered her down to her knees. The lack of bare skin didn’t seem to dull his appreciation. His gaze stopped at her neck and he frowned.

“Forgive me, dulzurra. I should have removed the collar sooner.”

“You can take it off?”

“Of course.” Before she could respond, he removed a small device from his pocket and pressed it to her collar. The metal parted and he tossed it to one side, before running a careful fingertip along her neck.

“It has left a mark. I will get some healing gel.” Still stunned at how easily he had removed the horrible thing, she lifted her hand to her throat as he disappeared into the bathroom. Tears were trickling down her cheeks when he returned.

“Dulzurra, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

“No.” She managed to smile up at him. “I’m just so happy that it’s gone.”

“Ah.” He nodded before spreading a cool green gel along the inflamed skin, the lingering soreness disappearing immediately. “Gods damned traders. These are intended for only the most uncontrollable animals, not delicate females.”

“Well, it didn’t manage to control me.” She wiped her eyes and grinned up at him. “I killed that bastard before he could reach the control.”

“You have the heart of a warrior, dulzurra.”

“Never give up, never surrender.”

“Exactly,” he said seriously.

She shook her head and smiled. A wave of exhaustion swept over her as the events of the previous hours caught up with her and she yawned.

“Time for bed, my captain.”

“Yes,” he agreed. Before she could respond, he stood up in one of his lightning fast moves, then lifted her into his arms and flew her to the loft. The strength in his grasp and the fleeting sense of weightlessness as they left the ground sent a pleasant jolt through her system, and she could only stare at him when he dropped her gently on a large mattress.

“Go to sleep, dulzurra.”

“I told you that I would sleep downstairs.”

“No. You will take the bed.”

With a sigh, she looked around. It was a very large bed. Surely it wouldn’t be that hard to stay on opposite sides. Is that really what you want? a traitorous little voice whispered, but she ignored it.

“This is silly. Why don’t we both sleep up here?”

“You would allow that?”

“Yes. This is just to sleep, right?”

“Of course. Thank you for allowing me to share your bed. I will cleanse myself and return.”

With a flutter of wings, he disappeared over the edge of the loft. Wow. Something about the combination of his huge body and those massive wings set off an ache low in her belly. Determined to ignore it, she snuggled into the pillow, but it smelled of him, of dark, rich chocolate, making her mouth water and her nipples tighten. Then she heard the water turn on and she could imagine him standing there naked, water flowing over each highly defined muscle, and the ache in her belly turned into a throbbing pulse. Perhaps if she was very quick, she could take care of her demanding pussy and eliminate the urge to jump him during the night. Her fingers had just reached the slippery warmth between her legs when the water stopped.

With a guilty start, she yanked her hand back, turned on her side, and pretended to be asleep. Moments later she felt his weight land on the other side of the mattress. She froze but he didn’t reach for her. Neither did he sleep. Her clit ached and she longed to touch herself and relieve the tension but she wasn’t about to take the chance while he was awake. After what seemed like an eternity of small, restless movements from each of them, making it quite apparent that neither one of them was sleeping, she sighed and turned toward him.

“If I make you uncomfortable, I’m still fine with sleeping on the couch.”

“No,” he growled, and his deep, rumbling voice did nothing to ease her need. “It’s just that…”

“Just what?”

There was a long silence before he spoke. “What you did to me earlier…”

“Yes?” she asked cautiously. Not that she was opposed to repeating the action, but it would only increase her growing need, and every drop of intuition she had told her that making love to Mikaroz would bind her to him in a way for which she was not ready.

“Do your males perform the same action with your females?”

Surprised, she giggled. “Only the good ones.”

“I see.” Before she realized what was happening, he had flipped her to her back and pushed up the shirt she was wearing.

“Mikaroz, what are you doing?”

“Being a good male,” he said seriously. “I can scent your need.”

“But your tusks…”

“I would never harm you.”

Before she could protest again, he spread her legs apart, his head descended, and a wide velvety tongue stroked her from anus to clit. The power of speech deserted her. His tusks pressed against her, not hurting but holding her legs apart. Grunting impatiently, he used his fingers to part her folds, making it easier for him to reach every crevice as he licked her again and again. What he lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm and her body began to quiver, searching for more. Each time his tongue caught her swollen clit, she shuddered.

“Ah, you like it when I stroke this spot?” His tongue curled around the hard nub and tugged. Her whole body arched against him and there was a rush of air as his wings lifted.

“Oh my god, yes. Do that again.” Doubts forgotten, she clutched his head, her fingers slipping over the smooth surface until she grasped his ears. He groaned and for a dreadful moment she thought she’d hurt him, but he resumed his activities with even greater enthusiasm and she realized that he enjoyed her touch. She tugged again, trying to direct him back to her clit but he was still exploring. When he dipped inside her pussy, she could actually feel his tongue swirling around the inside of the tight channel until he found another spot that made her arch and cry out. He hummed with satisfaction and the vibration felt incredible.

“Please, Mikaroz.” Her breasts ached, and she raised her hands to them, tugging at her throbbing nipples in time to his strokes. His eyes lifted, and she could see them glowing in the dark room. With one hand he ripped the shirt open, humming again when her breasts were exposed. Her touch felt even better against her bare skin and her fingers moved frantically. He kept his gaze fixed on her busy hands as he finally returned to her swollen clit, licking and tugging it with his remarkable tongue while her body tensed. She was so close, she just needed… A large finger forced its way into her pussy and the thick intrusion sent her over. Her body bowed up from the bed as white lights exploded in her vision and waves of pleasures swept over her. Her ears rang and it took her a moment to realize that he had cried out as well.

His body shaking as much as hers, he crawled up higher in the bed and pulled her against his chest.

“Wow.”

“Wow? That is the keess word. Do you wish a keess?”

“Wow just means that something is amazing.” Pushing her doubts aside, she smiled up at him, realizing that he could see her in the darkness. “But I would love a kiss.”

The words barely left her mouth before his head descended over hers, stroking the seam of her lips until she opened for him. She could taste herself, mingled with his exotic dark chocolate taste, and the combination brought her arousal rushing back as he worked her mouth. His tusks pressed against her cheeks, but they didn’t hurt, only made her feel controlled by him in a way that was way more appealing than it should be. Her back arched as her nipples tightened, trying to rub against that smooth hard chest.

When he finally raised his head, he studied her face. “You have need again?”

He sounded surprised and she blushed. “No. Well, yes, but I’m fine. I can sleep now. What about you? Do you have, um, need?”

Sharp white teeth flashed in the dimness. “I found my pleasure in yours.”

“You mean you…” She remembered his cry.

“Yes, I spilled my seed when you came for me so sweetly. But I would be happy to continue.”

For a moment she was tempted, but then she yawned, fatigue finally washing over her now that the tension had left her body. “No. We should sleep.”

“You are correct, my heart. Sleep well.” He settled down over her and she started to protest, but his weight was only heavy enough to make her feel warm and safe and her eyelids were already closing. Just before she drifted off, she felt the velvety touch of his wings surrounding them.

A faint noise disturbed the best sleep she’d had since she’d been taken. Forcing her eyes open, she found Mikaroz standing next to the bed, dressed in a pristine white uniform once more.

“I must leave, dulzurra. My shift is about to start. The door will be locked – do not open it.”

“Oh, okay.” Still half asleep, she tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down.

“No, stay in bed. Sleep.”

“But then I’ll be stuck up here in the loft while you’re gone.”

He ducked his head. “There is a ladder on the back wall.”

“A ladder? Why didn’t you tell me that last night?”

The tips of his ears darkened. “I wished to fly with you, even if it was just to bring you here.”

Warmth filled her. He was just so cute.

“Come here, my captain.” When he obediently lowered his head, she pulled him close and gave him a long, slow kiss. Although she tried her best to keep it sweet rather than passionate, the attraction between them ignited and they were both breathless by the time he reluctantly raised his head.

“Thank you for the keess, dulzurra, but I must go.”

“I know, Mika. That was a goodbye kiss.”

A broad smile emerged. “You will keess me when I must leave you?”

Aware that her cheeks were turning pink, she took his approach and ducked her head. “It’s an Earth custom,” she said as lightly as possible.

“You keess others like this?”

Dammit it, she could hear the hurt in his voice. Sighing, she looked up at him. “No, my captain. Only you.”

A blinding smile crossed his face, but he only nodded.

“Good. Go back to sleep, my heart.”

His wings flared and he was gone. She turned over and tried to follow his advice, but it was too late, her mind was already racing. On one hand, she knew how lucky she was that Mikaroz had taken her under his wing, so to speak. He was large and strong and sweet, and he made her feel safe. But she didn’t want to be dependent on him. In her experience, as soon as you needed somebody, they left. First her mother, leaving just as she started to transition into womanhood, abandoning her to a father who didn’t have a clue about teenage girls.

Then there had been the high school boyfriend who disappeared as soon as she gave him her virginity. He was followed by a rather depressing series of college boyfriends, climaxing with Jared. He’d not only left, he’d taken her tuition money with him. After that debacle, she’d dropped out of college all together and started bartending. For the most part she enjoyed it and had worked her way up to actually managing the bar. The money wasn’t bad, she liked her coworkers, and if the itch to be with someone got too strong, there were plenty of available men on the other side of the bar who didn’t mind scratching that itch for a night or two.

But now there was Mikaroz and somehow, she didn’t think he was the itch scratching type. The thought of hurting him made her own heart ache, but how could they possibly have a future together? Once they escaped the station and she – hopefully – found a job so she could support herself, then maybe they could see what happened. Until then, she just needed to keep a little more distance between them.

Her resolution lasted throughout the long anxious day, then disappeared completely when he came rushing in at last, covered in blood.

Chapter Eight

Mikaroz left his quarters feeling unusually light-hearted, despite the increasing anarchy that surrounded him. Any stall that had not been completely sealed had been looted, half the contents left scattered across the aisles. This had not been done out of need, but for destruction, and he shook his head. He only passed a few people on the way to the Guard Station, and all of them hurried away at the sight of him.

A quarter of the normal shift were missing when he reported for duty. Captain Bagusim looked around and sighed. “This is it, men. We’ll do one final sweep and at the end of the shift, report to Dock D13. The ships will be waiting.”

Mikaroz stole a quick look at Jervoc, who nodded. He’d transferred the necessary credits to the other man last night and had received a message this morning stating that the deal had been completed. As soon as his shift ended, he would gather Greta and meet Jervoc at the ship. Despite the circumstances, a smile threatened. He had found his mate and together they would start a new life. Oh, he knew she was skittish and it bothered him whenever she retreated from him, but he had no doubt that she was meant to be his. His cock stiffened as he remembered the way she responded when he tasted her sweet cunt. He couldn’t wait until she accepted him as her mate and let him bury himself in that impossibly hot, tight channel. She was small, and he would need to take his time to ensure her enjoyment, but he knew that it would be worth the patience required.

The captain briefed them on the situation. Most of the wealthier occupants had fled, but the owners of the high-end businesses on the upper ring had successfully sealed off the entrances, determined to wait for someone to restore order. The lower levels of the central cylinder that made up the majority of the station were in chaos, although a surprising number of the criminal types that tended to frequent that area had managed to con, bribe, or threaten their way on to a departing ship.

“The main problem is here.” Captain Bagusim pointed to the upper levels of the main station between the Market and Lord Kievan’s residence on the top level. “Most of the residents didn’t have enough credits to leave but they have enough to be desirable targets. The Zukriks and the Stomath are fighting for control. We need to lock them down.”

Jervoc and Mikaroz were assigned to work together. It was a long bloody day. They were huddled behind a temporary barrier when the end of the shift approached, both of them exhausted but having escaped all but a few minor flesh wounds. Their communicators buzzed.

“Time to go,” Jervoc said.

Mikaroz cast a reluctant look down the corridor. “I hate to leave. There are a lot of innocent people up here.”

“They’ll be fine.” At Mikaroz’s incredulous look, he amended his statement. “Most of them will be fine. The gangs are just battling for control. If the Imperial fleet doesn’t show up and Lord Kievan doesn’t come back, they want possession of Sigrast. But a good part of what makes it profitable is the work done by these people – the shopkeepers, the mechanics, the artisans. If they lay low, they’ll be fine.”

Mikaroz knew it wasn’t quite that simple but there was a limit to what they could do without reinforcements. And Greta, Greta was waiting for him.

“You’re right. Let’s go. We need to stop by my quarters.”

“It would be better if we went separately. I’ll meet you there.”

“Very well.”

He returned to his quarters as quickly as possible. Although it went against his instincts, twice he avoided a confrontation with roving gang members. Getting back to Greta was more important than trying to enforce any type of control over the situation. The third time he couldn’t avoid it, but he was faster and bigger than the two idiots who tried to attack him. He cracked their heads together and hurried away.

“Oh my God.” Greta rushed over to him as soon as he appeared. “Please tell me that’s not your blood.”

“No, dulzurra. I am uninjured.”

“Thank God,” she said, and burst into tears.

“My heart, please don’t cry.” He picked her up to comfort her but to his surprise, she threw her arms around his neck and covered his face with keesses. Already aroused by the sight of her clad only in another one of his shirts, he stilled her frantic movements and covered her small mouth with his own. She opened to him immediately, the sweet taste of her flooding his senses and sending him into full arousal. Fortunately, he retained just enough sense to end the keess and lift his head. A wave of guilt swept over him.

“I am sorry that I did not ask permission for the keess.”

The delightful pink covered her skin as she dropped her eyes. “I didn’t mind. I kissed you first.”

Only the knowledge that time was passing stopped him from taking immediate advantage of her willingness.

“You honor me, my heart. But we must leave immediately. The ship is waiting.”

“I understand. Um, unless you intend to carry me, you need to put me down first.”

He could feel his ears heat as he reluctantly let her drop to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Greta. Your presence is… distracting.”

Thankful that she gave him a forgiving smile, he hurried to his storage locker. He had prepared an escape bag the previous night. “I’m going to change; the uniform will attract attention we do not want. This is for you.”

He watched anxiously as she opened the package and pulled out the gown and the matching hooded cape. To his relief, she smiled. “It’s beautiful. When did you have time to get it?”

‘When I got the other clothing. I knew you did not belong in a slave gown.”

“Thank you, Mikaroz.” She lifted the gown and shook it. “I don’t suppose there’s any underwear?”

“Und-err-wear? Did I make a mistake? Is there something missing?”

She sighed but smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it. Underwear seems to be kind of a foreign concept around here.”

He frowned, concerned that he had missed something important, but she patted his arm with her small, soft hand. “It’s fine. Thank you very much for the beautiful dress.”

“You are more than welcome, my heart.”

Before he became distracted by her beauty once more, he headed to the cleansing room to wash and don his Protector’s leathers. Although it was a uniform on Dhalgroll, on the station he would only be regarded as a mercenary. When he emerged, Greta had changed into the gown. As he had hoped, the soft green matched her eyes perfectly while the darker green embroidered belt accented her small waist and highlighted her tempting breasts.

“You are a vision, my heart.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Her eyes surveyed his naked chest, covered only by the straps of his harness, with such obvious approval that his shaft began to thicken. His body did not care that time was short, it only knew that it wanted its mate. But her safety must come first. Trying, not entirely successfully, to suppress his unruly cock, he picked up the matching dark green cape and swept it around her shoulders, pulling the hood forward to hide her enticing features.

“You will stay next to me unless I must fight. Then I want you behind me.”

“I will,” she promised. She looked at the weapons attached to his shoulder harness. “That’s the first time I’ve seen anything like a gun.”

“Projectile weapons are forbidden on board. Even the most reckless criminal doesn’t want to accidentally cause a hull breach that would result in their own death, as well as that of countless others. These are blasters, but even they are dangerous on board.” He patted the knives at his waist. “These are more than adequate if I need to use anything other than my own strength.” He flexed his claws and flared his wings, preening for his female and delighting in her admiring gaze. Her eyes suddenly widened and she seized his hand.

“What happened? You’re missing one of your claws.”

Ducking his head, he finally admitted, “I bit it off last night. I did not want to take the chance of injuring you when I penetrated your sweet cunt.”

“When you – Oh.” The pink bloomed in her cheeks. “Thank you, Mikaroz. That was very thoughtful of you. I um, enjoyed our encounter very much.”

“As did I, dulzurra.” The memory of her deliciously wet channel milking his finger made the sacrifice more than worth it, but it also had its inevitable effect on his body. “But we can discuss that at a later time. We must hurry.”

The trip to the salvage yard was a nightmare. The gang warfare was still focused on the upper levels, but small groups of combatants roamed the lower levels with no apparent purpose other than to cause destruction and terror. He avoided them when he could and confronted them when he couldn’t. Supremely conscious of Greta at his back, he was forced to fight both a defensive and offensive battle at the same time. Fortunately, his opponents were undisciplined and untrained, and he suffered very little damage. The only time he was truly worried was when he heard a soft cry behind him while he was fighting two Derians. Driven by panic, he slashed the throat of one and gutted the other before whirling to find his female hoisting a metal bar over the prone body of another Derian.

Rather than berating him for his carelessness with her safety, she grinned at him. “I’ve learned a thing or two about breaking up bar fights. You don’t mess with a Texas girl.”

Unable to resist, he swept her into an all too short keess before resuming their journey. The last section was the worst. The entrances to the hangar decks were barricaded by ruffians determined to wring every last penny from the last refugees desperate to escape, even though no ships remained. He had neither the time, nor the funds, to negotiate. Fortunately, the entrances to the salvage docks were not as well guarded. Choosing a small entrance that was only partially blocked, he fought his way through with calculated brutality. Despite his attempts to keep her behind him, Greta came to his side, swinging her metal bar with deadly accuracy. As soon as they were clear, he used his security codes to close a blast door behind them.

Conscious that time was passing all too quickly, he swept her up in his arms and raced down the remaining corridors. They finally emerged into the salvage dock, only to find it empty.

Chapter Nine

Mikaroz desperately examined the dock again, but despite the clutter of parts and equipment, there was very clearly no ship present.

“Fuck!”

“What is it?” Greta asked, chewing her lip.

Unwilling to dash her hopes, he set her down gently. “I’m not sure. Wait here for me.”

She nodded and braced herself against the wall, the metal bar at the ready. Praying that a small ship was hidden somewhere behind the mounds of junk, he started across the floor. A muffled groan led him to a Rendashian lying crumpled on the floor behind a pile of crates. The man flinched at the sight of him, raising two of his arms protectively and keeping the other two wrapped around his head.

“Don’t hurt me! It’s not my fault.”

“Are you the mechanic that Jervoc dealt with?”

“Yes,” he said bitterly. “Fool that I am to think that even a Guard could be trusted at a time like this.”

“Where’s the ship?”

“Gone,” the Rendashian groaned.

“Gone?” he echoed, even though it was every obvious.

“Yeah. When the credits weren’t transferred to me this morning, I sold it to another buyer. Then your buddy shows up and takes my ship instead, just as I was about to leave. Now I’m stranded here. And I have a price on my head.”

“I don’t understand.” Mikaroz shook his head. “I transferred the credits to him last night.”

“Yeah, well, looks like the bastard screwed us both.”

The man started to struggle to his feet so Mikaroz absently pulled him up. Greta was still standing by the door, looking worried. His vision of a new life with her was slipping away, but even more than that, the knowledge that he had failed her crushed him.

“Are there any more ships?” he asked desperately.

“Are you kidding? Not unless some wealthy asshole has one hidden.” The Rendashian gave him an incredulous look. “I’m gonna find a place to hide and wait it out. Maybe the Imperial Fleet will lose interest, or Lord Kievan will return. If not, I’d rather die fighting than go back to an Imperial Prison.” Three of his eyes flicked over to Greta, one remaining on Mikaroz. “I see you brought a female. Don’t suppose you wanna sell her? Some company would make the time go by faster and she won’t take up much room.

He growled and the man backed away, arms raised. “Just asking. I’m leaving now.”

“There’s a lot of fighting on the upper levels,” Mikaroz warned.

“Not going that way. I’m heading down into mechanicals.” He eyed Mikaroz. “I’d say come along but there’s no way you’d fit through the pipes.”

“I’ll find another path. Good luck to you.”

The mechanic nodded and disappeared into the debris at the back of the yard without another word. For a brief moment, he wondered if he should send Greta after him, even though every instinct protested. If it meant saving her life... But no, it was too risky. While she was small enough to fit through the pipes, the mechanical area was dangerous and poorly insulated. Her soft fragile skin would not protect her and if by some miracle she did survive, the mechanic would treat her as a sex slave. There had to be another option.

Now that they were alone, she came over to him.

“I guess there’s no ship?”

“No. The other guard took it – stole it – along with my credits.”

She didn’t look surprised. “Can’t trust anyone, huh?”

“You can trust me,” he said quietly.

“You know, my captain, I’m beginning to believe that.” Shivering, she pulled the cloak tighter. “So now what? Can we make it back to your place?”

“It’s risky. We made it past the barricades once, I doubt we would a second time.”

Another glance around the salvage dock. “So, we have to stay here? Well, it’s not the coziest place in the universe but we can make it work.”

Gratitude at her calm acceptance overwhelmed him, and he wanted to pull her close, but she had not given him permission. Inspiration struck.

“Goodbye,” he said.

“You’re leaving me?” For the first time, she looked scared.

“No, but I would like a keess.”

“Silly man.” Her face relaxed. “You don’t have to leave to get a kiss. There are a lot of other reasons. Sometimes you don’t even need a reason.”

“I may ask for one at any time?”

“Of course. You don’t really even need to ask – ”

Before she could finish speaking, he had her up in his arms, tongue probing urgently between her lips until she opened for him and he lost himself in her succulent mouth, trying to convey without words his guilt, his sorrow, his desire. When he finally lifted his head, she was clinging to him.

“That was wow?” he asked.

“Definitely wow.” She cupped his cheek, then used her fingers to caress the sensitive tips of his ears until he shuddered. “You’re certainly a fast learner.”

“I am sorry that I have failed you.”

“You did what you could – and a lot more than most people would have done.” There was no reproach on her face and his heart expanded, delighted to have such a forgiving mate. Unaware of his thoughts, she was looking back over her shoulder. “Maybe we could move some of those crates together? Make a little nest? It would probably be warmer, and we wouldn’t be visible as soon as someone came through the door. And by we, I mean you, since I’m pretty sure I couldn’t move any of them.”

She grinned up at him, but he was still stuck on her words. “You wish to nest with me?”

“Yes.” One delicate eyebrow arched. “Is that a problem?”

Too overjoyed to speak, he sought refuge in action and keessed her again. Most of his attention was focused on her mouth but he could feel her squirming against him, so he cupped her luscious ass, groaning at the soft ripe weight of it in his hands as he helped her grind against his chest. His cock threatened to explode but he forced himself to lift his head, pleased when she tried to follow his mouth.

“This is not the place for a first mating.” Her mouth dropped open but before she could speak, inspiration struck. “The lift.”

Without stopping to put her down, he headed for doors, picking up his bag on the way.

“Lift?”

“In addition to the public lifts, Lord Kievan has several private lifts. Since I was one of his personal guards, I have the codes. His quarters are the most secure location available. And they will do justice to your beauty for our mating.” Another thought struck him as he remembered the mechanic’s words and he grinned. “There may even be a method of escape there, although I would have to find it.” He took off at a run, praying that the codes hadn’t been changed.

Greta had the distinct feeling that her efforts to keep her distance had just come to an end. Based on the way Mikaroz had reacted to her suggestion of building a nest, she suspected that he had interpreted it in quite another way. A permanent way. Pushing aside her first instinctive delight, she was still trying to find the words to let him down gently when they reached the lift. With a muttered prayer, he pushed some buttons and part of the wall opened to reveal a tiny dark space.

“You want me to go in there? With you?” Comparing the tiny space to his huge body, she shook her head. “It will never work, my captain.”

A determined look on his face, he lowered her until she was pressed flat against his front, pulled his wings around her, and forced his way inside. She heard him grunt, but a moment later the minimal light disappeared and she felt her stomach drop as they began to ascend. She also felt a very large, hard erection digging into her stomach where their bodies were pressed together. Her nipples hardened, rubbing against the firm muscle of his chest, but when she tried to shift away, they caught the edge of his harness and she bit back a moan at the delicious friction. His cock jerked in response and her pussy dampened.

“Dulzurra, you will make me lose all control and there is no room in here for everything I wish to do to you.”

The low rumble of his voice was a delicious tease to her aching peaks and she wiggled against him, delighted when he groaned. Immediately her conscience objected. She was supposed to be letting him down gently, not getting him even more worked up.

The lift jolted and suddenly there was light again. They stepped out into a blindingly white room and she blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust. When she turned back to Mikaroz, she saw blood. Red streaks trailed down both wings and her heart skipped a beat.

“Oh my God, you’re hurt.”

“Scratches only.” He shrugged. “It was a very small space.”

“And you put your wings around me so that I wouldn’t get damaged.”

Tears rushed to her eyes and he wiped them away with a gentle finger. “Do not cry, my heart. My skin is tough. It will recover quickly.”

“This would be a good time for a kiss,” she suggested, smiling through her tears. His eyes darkened but he shook his head.

“I would like nothing better but first let us see if there is an escape pod.” He took her hand and began leading her out of the room.

“Do you know where it would be?”

“My best guess is in Lord Kievan’s office or his personal quarters. We’ll start in the office since I am most familiar with that area.”

Moving quickly, he led the way through a maze of white. Her focus was on keeping up with him, but she got an impression of impersonal luxury that made her wonder about this Lord Kievan. When they finally stopped before an impressive set of heavily carved doors, Mikaroz manipulated another screen and sighed with relief when the doors opened.

Her eyes widened as she took in the enormous office, the ubiquitous white relieved by golden woods and luxurious textures. “Wow.”

“Not yet, dulzurra,” he murmured as he started to search.

She hid a smile; apparently, she hadn’t explained the concept very well. “This is quite an office. Your Lord Kievan must be very wealthy.”

“He owns the station.” His voice was muffled as he knelt behind a massive desk of golden wood, probing the underside, but then his head popped up and his anxious emerald eyes focused on her. “I have very little to offer you. I gave Jervoc my savings to buy the ship.”

Her heart did a little flip. “That doesn’t matter to me, my captain.”

A relieved grin crossed his face and despite the tusks, despite the sharp white teeth, there was nothing frightening about his smile at all. She found herself returning it even as he ducked back down. A moment later there was a click and a section of the wall slid back. Her heart sank. The metal lined cavity that appeared was relatively large – for a human. There was no way that Mikaroz would be able to fit inside. He came to her side and they both stared at the small space.

Finally, he sighed, and urged her forward. “You should take the escape pod, my heart.”

“What about you?”

He ducked his head. “I will search for another and follow you.”

“Mikaroz,” she said gently. “You’ve never lied to me before.”

“I’m not lying to you now. I will search for another pod.”

“What are the chances that there is another pod?” She held up her hand when he started to respond. “Another larger pod?”

“Not good,” he admitted.

Looking back at the small cavity, she shuddered. “What does it do?”

“It will eject itself from the station. There should be a predetermined destination or a beacon.”

“But either way, I’ll end up alone, in a strange place. And whoever finds me will treat me as a slave.”

“Perhaps not. Not all of the races in the Empire allow slavery. We did not on Dhalgroll.”

“Somehow I doubt your Lord Kievan would be heading there,” she said drily. “No, thanks, Mikaroz. I would rather stay with you.”

“You are sure, my heart?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” She might be between a rock and a hard place, but she preferred Mikaroz’s hard place to the unknown rocks that would await her.

“And you still wish to make a nest with me?”

For a long moment, she hesitated, looking up at the alien face that had so quickly become familiar to her. When his hopeful look started to fade, she couldn’t stand to see the hurt in his eyes. Her affection – and her desire – overrode her doubts. If she was going to die, she was going to make the most of her time first.

“Yes, my captain, that is what I wish.”

Chapter Ten

Mikaroz immediately lifted her into his arms, kissing her with a fervent passion that stoked her own desire. She certainly didn’t have any doubts about this part of their relationship. She was breathless with need when he finally raised his head.

“There is a place I wish to take you, dulzurra.”

“Is it far?” Reaching up, she stroked the pointed tips of his ears. He shuddered, and his eyes darkened from emerald to onyx.

“No.” Swinging her around to his hip, he paused long enough to pick up an enormous rug from the floor with no apparent effort before taking off at a quick jog. She didn’t think for a moment that he would drop her, but she wound her arms around his neck and nestled closer, delighting in the firm, smooth muscles rippling under her embrace. His wings flared, not quite taking them off the ground but speeding their passage as he raced back through the maze of white.

When he finally stopped to fling open another set of doors, she gasped. Beyond the doors was an entire room made of glass – floor, ceiling, and walls. The room was suspended inside a huge open cylinder and for the first time she got a true impression of the size of the space station. Above the central space, she could see a clear ceiling and an expanse of stars beyond, while looking down she could see the many floors surrounding the vast area before it ended in a domed roof a long way below. The effect was dizzying, and she tightened her grip on Mikaroz.

“What is the place?”

“This is the center of the station. It...it reminds me of home in a way.”

She could understand that; it must be the closest thing to the open sky one could find in space. “Have you ever flown in there?”

“Oh, no.” He looked shocked. “That would never be permitted. But I would like our first mating to be here. Is that acceptable?”

Fortunately, she’s always had a good head for heights. She took another quick look and saw that most of the windows ringing the space were dark. Somehow, she doubted that any of the remaining inhabitants would be interested in what they were doing up here.

“This is perfect.”

“Thank you, dulzurra.”

Gently putting her down, he took the rug and spread it out over the glass floor. With only a brief hesitation, she kicked off her shoes and shed her cloak before walking to the center of the rug. The fur was long and silky against her bare feet and she shivered in anticipation of what it would feel like against the rest of her skin. Suddenly shy, she paused.

He closed the doors, shutting out the light from the corridor, but her eyes adjusted so that she could see him clearly. His hand went to his harness and halted, and she realized that he might be nervous, too. Somehow that helped, and she removed the belt, then unfastened the shoulder clasps and let the gown slip to her feet. Even from across the room, she could hear him growl, then his harness, pants, and boots disappeared with startling speed.

Naked and hugely erect, he prowled toward her, muscles rippling under smooth grey skin. His wings were half spread and, in the dim, starlit room, he could have been an ancient gargoyle come to life, come to ravish her and sweep her away into the night. Shivers of excitement rippled over her skin, turning her nipples to diamond hard points and starting a dull ache between her legs. He circled her, studying her body, and she could feel his gaze like a hot wind traveling across her flesh.

“You are very small. Beautiful,” he added hastily. “But small.”

“And you’re big.” Her eyes dropped to his rigid cock and her pussy gave a nervous flutter. “Very big. We’ll just have to go slow.”

Stepping forward, she grasped his cock, using both hands so that she could stroke him from root to tip. Instead of a single slit like a human penis, he had two small openings that wept precum. The moisture smoothed her strokes and released the heady aroma of chocolate. As she passed over each hard ridge circling his cock, she felt him shudder, and she discovered that the area under each ridge was particularly sensitive. Delighted with her discovery, she caressed him there until he seized her hand.

“My heart, that is not going slowly.”

“Mmm, but it’s so much fun.”

“I want to enhance your pleasure, also. Do you want to touch your breasts as you did last night?”

“Why don’t you do it?” she purred. When he froze, she wondered if she had said something wrong. “Don’t Dhalgroll women like that?”

“I don’t know. Their breasts are much smaller, except when they are feeding an infant.” His eyes flicked down to hers. “May I?”

“Yes, please.”

With one of his amazingly fast moves, his hands closed over her breasts, kneading and squeezing with an almost painful pressure that only served to heighten her need. Her nipples ached, rubbing against his hard palms and she was about to suggest they needed some attention when he dropped to his knees, and fastened his mouth over one taut peak. His wings flared but all she could concentrate on was the hot, wet pull of his mouth against her flesh as his amazing tongue worked her nipple with feverish intensity. A constant low rumbling came from his chest, adding to the sensations flowing over her as his hand plucked and pulled with the same intensity on her other peak. Her knees began to shake as her empty pussy throbbed, and she seriously wondered if she could come just from the pleasure of his mouth on her breasts. Her body tightened in anticipation but before she could get there, he lifted his head.

Her instinctive protest disappeared as he laid her back on the rug and rose over her, wings rising to block out the stars.

“I cannot wait any longer,” he gasped.

“Don’t wait,” she whispered, spreading her legs wider as his warm, heavy weight settled between them. She could feel the broad head of his cock probing at her entrance and she shivered, a hint of fear mingling with desire. Lord, she wanted him, but he was just so big. He slid his cock the length of her slit and the feel of those ridges sliding across her swollen clit obliterated her fear beneath a rising tide of desire.

“Come inside me,” she whispered.

Once again, he probed at her tiny entrance before giving a firm push, and thrusting the broad tip inside, the immediate stretch making her arch with pleasure. “Oh my God.”

He groaned. “Your cunt is so hot, so tight. I can’t…”

His whole body shuddered and she felt him erupt inside her, felt the heat of his seed as it flooded her insides. Her pussy tightened around his cockhead, desperate for more, and she could have cried with disappointment. Before she could come up with a soothing response, he thrust forward again, his cock still every bit as hard, and her hips arched up instinctively. His path eased by his cum, he pressed steadily forward, each thick band of flesh stretching her as it entered, until he was buried to the root, her entrance clasping desperately at the thick base and her body helpless with pleasure.

He paused for a moment, letting her body adjust to the overwhelming fullness before he began to move, slow, remorseless thrusts that let her feel each ridge as they stroked every inch of her tight channel. When she raised her hips, eager for more, he grasped her ass in one enormous hand, holding her in place as he maintained the steady pace. His other hand moved to her breast, pulling on her nipple with demanding fingers. Her body began to shake, electricity rippling up and down her spine as she tried to move, tried to urge him to move.

“Mikaroz,” she cried. “Faster, please.”

With a roar he did just that, pounding into her with hard strokes that took her over the edge, light sparkling across her vision, her body convulsing around him as she tried to clamp down on the enormous cock which filled her so completely. He roared again and moved faster still, her channel still fluttering around him, before his body stiffened. She could feel each ridge expanding, stretching her even further in a rush of intense pleasure that sent her over a second time, even as she felt a second flood of hot liquid bathing her insides as he shuddered and cried out her name before collapsing down over her. She wrapped her arms and legs around as much of his enormous body as she could, overwhelmed by the emotions rushing through her.

After a long moment, he pulled free, sending pleasant little shocks through her as each ridge popped out. He furled one wing, and rolled on to his side, pulling her with him so she was snuggled against his chest. His other wing draped over her like a heavy velvet blanket and she sighed with contentment as she nestled against him, breathing in his amazing scent.

“That was amazing,” she whispered. “Even though we’re probably going to die, I’m glad we had this time together.”

“You think we are going to die?” He sounded shocked, and more than a little horrified.

“It seems kind of inevitable, don’t you think?” Still too satisfied to worry about it, she shrugged, the movement causing a pleasant tingling as her breasts rubbed against his chest.

“I do not accept that. I will find a way, my heart.”

“Okay.” She shrugged again, not willing to argue about it, and followed it with a long, sinuous stretch, rubbing herself against all those hard muscles like a cat. His body responded, his cock already hardening.

“You wish for more, dulzurra?” Once again, he sounded shocked, although much more approving this time.

Wiggling her way up so that she could reach his face, she stroked his ears, delighting when his eyes darkened. “Are you objecting?”

“Of course not, my heart. I did not know what was expected.”

“Do you usually stop after one time?”

He frowned. “I told you that I had not mated before.”

“I know. You said mating was like being married.” Her heart skipped. “Wait a minute. Do you mean that you’ve never even…”

“Of course not. It is our custom to wait for our mate. And you were worth waiting for, dulzurra.”

Before she could respond, he kissed her with such sweet, passionate, intensity that she was crying when he raised his head.

“Why are you crying, my heart? Are you unhappy?”

“No, my captain.” Her heart and her head were at war, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice her doubts and destroy the happiness in his face.

“Then let us repeat our mating.” He lowered his head again and she abandoned her fears and lost herself in his kiss.

Chapter Eleven

Mikaroz reluctantly extracted himself from his mate’s arms, trying not to wake her. Last night had been the greatest night of his life and he longed to repeat it but her safety was more important. As soon as his body left hers, she shivered, so he pulled the soft osihu skin rug across her. She sighed and snuggled into it. Crossing the room, he dressed rapidly before pulling out his communicator.

“You’re leaving me?” Her voice interrupted, and he looked up to see that she was awake, beautiful face distressed, and he immediately hurried back to kneel at her side.

“Of course not, my heart. I wanted to check the situation on the rest of the station.”

“Yes, of course.” She shook her head. “Might as well know how long we have.”

He cupped her face, relishing the softness of her skin, but concerned about her cynicism. “Dulzurra, we are not going to die. Can you not trust me?”

Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Mikaroz. I guess I’m used to expecting the worst. I know you’ll do whatever you can.” A startled expression crossed her face. “I do believe that, you know.”

Unable to resist, he bent to give her a keess. As always, the sweet taste of her lips and the warmth of her mouth stirred his desire, even more urgently now that he knew just how good it felt to be buried in her hot, wet cunt. He had never experienced a pleasure so intense. His cock immediately hardened and he wanted to repeat their mating again. The status of the station no longer seemed as important. All he wanted to do was spend the next shifts pleasuring her again and again.

Throughout the night he had been aware of her soft body beneath his and it had taken all of his willpower not to bury himself in her time after time, but she was small and he did not want to cause her any distress.

“Are you in any pain this morning?”

“Pain? Oh, you mean...” Her cheeks flushed but she wiggled a little, then gave a long sinuous stretch which caused the rug to slip and her beautiful breasts to appear, the rosy tips pointing at him as if begging for his mouth. “No, I’m fine, although…”

Her hesitation distracted him from his mesmerized stare at her breasts. “What’s wrong, my heart?”

“I feel kind of… empty.” She gave another little shimmy and the rug slipped away completely. Her fingers danced down her body, circling her nipples, before parting the small patch of dark curls to reveal the beautiful pink folds of her glistening cunt. His mouth watered as her delicious fragrance reached him and his shaft pressed painfully against his leathers. He shot a glance at her face and she gave him a slow seductive smile that had him reaching for the fastening of his pants.

“Shall I assist you, dulzurra?”

“Yes, my captain.” Her fingers continued to play amongst those glistening folds and he lost all capacity to think of anything other than burying himself in her as quickly and deeply as he could. As he hurried to free his erection, she flipped over onto her stomach and for a heartbreaking second, he thought she had changed her mind, but then she shot him another seductive smile over her shoulder. “Should we see what you think of this position?”

He collapsed to his knees behind her, raising her hips so that he could see every detail of her, his cock already seeking the tiny entrance. As he slid into the tight heaven of her cunt and paused, trying desperately to give her body time to adjust, she murmured impatiently and rocked back. The slickness of her passage and the force of her movement left him buried to the root, gripped so tightly that his balls were already tightening.

“More,” she demanded, and he abandoned all caution. With a roar, he started thrusting, plunging deep into her luscious depths. With each stroke, her heated flesh closed around his ridges, sending shuddering waves of ecstasy over him. He could hear her calling out to her god, felt her channel clenching impossibly tighter, but he was lost to everything except the urgency of this mating and the knowledge that his mate needed him. A tidal wave of lust roared down his spine, his wings extended completely, and he buried himself to the hilt in the silken fist of her cunt as he came over and over again in a rush of heat. His vision blurred as he collapsed over her, retaining just enough strength to throw out his arms and avoid crushing her with his weight.

When he finally regained enough sense to become conscious of his surroundings, she was stroking his arms, a contented smile on her beautiful face.

“I’m sorry, dulzurra.”

“Sorry? Why would you be sorry? That was amazing.” She gave a little shimmy, sending a wave of pleasure over his still embedded cock, which jerked in response. A startled look crossed her face as her channel fluttered in response. “My god, you’re amazing. Are you always hard?”

“Around you, yes,” he answered honestly. “Are you always this religious?”

“Religious?”

“You frequently call out to your god.”

“Oh.” She laughed. “That’s like another form of wow.”

“So, you did not mind that I took you so quickly?”

“Baby, you can take me like that anytime.”

He frowned. “You think that I am an infant?”

“My captain, you are most definitely not a child. Baby is also a term of affection.”

“You have affection for me?”

“Of course, I do. I lo...I like you very much.” A shadow crossed her expression, but then she gave him one of those wicked smiles that went straight to his cock. “Of course, as much as I enjoyed the hard and fast version, perhaps we should try the slower version. Just to compare.”

He returned the smile, already deciding that he would start with those impudent nipples before working his way down to that delicious cunt, when his communicator buzzed. In his haste to enter her, he had only opened his leathers and the unit was still at his waist. It buzzed again, giving the emergency frequency.

Swearing under his breath, he withdrew from her body and reached for the com, swearing again as he read the message. With a quick keess, he rose to his feet and started assembling his clothes.

“I’m sorry, dulzurra, but I have to go. I thought that the last ships had gone but I didn't realize that not everyone had left. J’Ssett was leading some of the guards to the ship when there was an ambush. Now they are pinned down.”

“But how can you help? There’s only one of you!” She jumped up behind him.

“I know, but their opponents aren’t expecting me. I can approach from behind and create a diversion.” He studied her face. “Don’t look so worried, dulzurra. We are trained warriors. They simply need an opening and I can provide that.”

“Then I’m going with you,” she said, already pulling on her dress.

“You most certainly will not,” he growled.

“I could create a diversion. And at least you wouldn’t be on your own.”

“My heart, I could not concentrate if you were with me. I love that you want to assist, but please, stay here where I know that you are safe.”

“I don’t want you to go,” she cried. “I only just found you.”

“Ssh. I don’t want to leave you, either. But they are my friends, my comrades. How can I not assist them when they need me?”

She took a deep breath, then sighed. “You’re right. I’m being selfish. Is there another communicator? It would help to at least know what’s going on.”

He considered for a minute. “I don’t have another communicator but there's a guard station near the office. We have a monitor there.”

Now that she was dressed, he scooped her up and took off at a run. The guard station was inside the outer entrance to Lord Kievan’s quarters and was as secure as anywhere on the station. Although he hated to leave her, she would be as safe as he could make her while he was gone.

Greta clung to Mikaroz as he raced through the corridors, the thought of anything happening to him tearing at her. Once inside a small office, he briefed her quickly on the controls, then hesitated. “I do not expect anything to go wrong, but the Gods are not always kind. Promise me that if the worst happens, you will use the escape pod.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “You promised me that you would be okay.”

“I’m sure that I will be. But I love you, Greta. I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. Promise me.”

“You love me?”

“You’re my mate. How could you doubt it?”

Her eyes filled with tears but before she could respond, he handed her a gun, this one with a chamber that very clearly took some type of bullet.

“I thought you said those were forbidden in space?”

“They are. But if you need to defend yourself, I want you to have it. Just press here and aim for the largest part of the body. Can you do that?”

“I’m from Texas; I know how to shoot.”

“Good. Do not hesitate.”

Yet he was the one who was hesitating now, and she could see the reluctance in his face so she forced a smile. “Kiss me, my captain. And go quickly while I still have the courage to let you leave.”

He kissed her – quickly, but with an intensity that made her toes curl – and departed. After allowing herself a few minutes to sob, she wiped her eyes determinedly and turned to the monitors. A series of green lights showed the location of every guard on the space station, while other signals indicated the presence of various other life forms. Most of the green lights were clustered on a lower level, but it seemed a terribly small number in comparison to the other lights surrounding them. She could see Mikaroz’s light heading toward them, using one of the lifts to get as close as possible. The speakers pinged occasionally and rapid messages were exchanged, but she didn’t understand the terminology. They appeared to be using codes similar to those used by Earth military, but they meant nothing to her. She could only watch the lights and grit her teeth.

A sudden flurry of movement occurred as Mikaroz’s light approached the others. Lights jumped and flickered and several of them disappeared completely.

“Please, God, let him be okay.” Too anxious to sit still, she paced, never taking her eyes off the screen. Mikaroz’s light flickered and her legs collapsed. She grabbed the edge of the desk, forcing herself to stay upright as she searched the screen. Another flicker and then it was back. Numb with relief, she fell back into the chair.

The movement on the screen slowed, and when it restarted, the green lights were headed back in her direction. The wait seemed interminable as they crept along. From the pace at which they were moving, she suspected that some of them were injured since no other signals surrounded them. There were too many to use the elevators, so they were working their way back up, level by level. Sending out another prayer that Mikaroz was not amongst the wounded guards, she jumped up and left the office. If there were wounded, the least she could do was try and find some medical supplies.

Somewhat to her surprise, she found what appeared to be a well-equipped medical facility; however, it was very small. To compensate, she started raiding the other rooms for sheets, towels, and cushions, piling them neatly by the door before returning to the monitors to wait.

Chapter Twelve

By the time she heard the outer doors opening, she was a nervous wreck. Only the thought that he had promised to return to her kept her from complete panic. For the first time in a very long time, she trusted someone else. He said that he would come back and she believed him. Her defenses shattered as she finally acknowledged the truth that had been building since he had offered her those horrible worms, so anxious for her to eat. This enormous alien with his wings and his tusks had made his way past every wall around her heart. She loved him. God, why hadn’t she told him before he left?

On the board, his light flickered again and her heart almost stopped, but the light didn’t go out. As soon as she heard the doors, she raced into the outer rooms, her gun at her side. A ragged band of aliens entered, many of them bloody or limping. A number of them were Dhalgroll, but she dismissed them, searching anxiously for Mikaroz’s beloved face. He was one of the last to enter, cradling a green body not much larger than her own. His face was pale and his wings were half open, helping to keep him upright. Even as she watched, he fell to his knees.

“Mikaroz! Oh, please, be all right.” Pushing her way through the assortment of large male bodies with no other thought than to get to his side, she reached him at the same time as another Dhalgroll.

“Let me take J’Ssett,” said the stranger. “I’ll take him to medical and return for you.”

“I’m fine,” Mikaroz insisted, but she could hear the pain in his voice. As soon as he surrendered the body he was carrying, she flung herself to her knees beside him, hands anxiously moving over him to check for injuries.

“Baby, please tell me you’re okay. I was so worried.”

“Baby? You think he is an infant?” There was a choking noise from another Dhalgroll and she shot a quick glare at him before returning to her frantic examination.

“What the hell is your problem? Can’t you see he’s hurt?” Her hands continued to roam over Mikaroz’s body, but she couldn’t find any serious wounds until she reached his leg. An angry gash sliced across one heavily muscled calf, the leather around it wet with blood.

“He’s been hurt worse than this during training,” the man scoffed. She turned to blast him but found that, despite his light-hearted tone, his eyes were concerned. He gave her a reassuring smile. “He’ll be fine. Won’t you, infant?”

“Of course, I will. You would do well to remember that, Kolog. It won’t be long until I can show you which of us is the child.” His voice was weaker than she would have liked but he was joking with his friend and smiling at her. She burst into tears of relief and despite his injury he drew her close. The heady aroma of chocolate surrounded her, a little burnt perhaps, but warm and comforting.

“I love you so much, Mikaroz. I should have told you before you left. What if something had happened and you never knew?”

“My heart,” he said, stroking her hair. “Of course, I knew. Now lift your head so that I can keess you.” She gave a choked laugh but raised her face, losing herself in the pleasure of his kiss as his tongue twined with hers in silent promise.

“What is this keess?” a voice demanded from overhead, breaking the spell. “Our mouths are not made for this.”

“My mate’s mouth is perfect for this,” Mikaroz responded. “Now go away, Kolog.”

“Since I’m reasonably certain that you cannot rise from that position, I am waiting to assist you. You require medical assistance, infant.”

Mikaroz grimaced. “Perhaps you are right. Don’t worry, dulzurra.” He started to climb to his feet and she tried to help but he was far too heavy. A set of strange hands moved her quickly and gently to one side, and before she could protest, Kolog had Mikaroz standing. She immediately clutched his hand, grateful for the contact and his warm fingers curled around hers. As they started to follow the line of people limping their way toward the medical station, she saw that several of the less injured were assembling a barrier in front of the outer doors.

“What are they doing?”

The men exchanged a look over her head before Mikaroz turned to her. “You can control much of the station from here. If the Zukriks can defeat the Stomath, we expect that this will be the next target.” He hesitated. “Unless the Imperial troops arrive first.”

In her worry over his safety, she had forgotten the larger disaster looming over them. But for once, her usual pessimism deserted her. She had a found a man she trusted, a man she loved, and she knew that he would do anything in his power to keep her safe. It might be foolish, but she pushed the worries aside and smiled up at him. “As long as we’re together, I can handle anything.”

A week later, she wasn’t feeling quite so optimistic. Despite Mikaroz’s assurances, the wound on his leg was deep and had been slow to heal. Much to his disgust, he’d been ordered to keep his weight off of it, so he spent much of his time sitting around – a fate for which he was temperamentally unsuited. It didn’t help that they had no privacy. Lord Kievan’s apartments were spacious but the refugees filled them, their number increasing as the guards made forays into the station to bring back more residents trying to escape the gang violence. The main doors were blocked and unusable, but many of the lifts were still accessible and could be used to retrieve small parties of desperate residents.

At first there were only two other females present in the crowd of men. One was a Guard, a tall woman with jet black skin, spurred limbs, and a flowing crest. She spoke very little and Greta found her size and lack of human features intimidating at first, yet she was the most frequent source of new refugees. The other female was a doctor, a small red-skinned female with a brisk, no-nonsense air which she maintained despite the stress that was beginning to affect them all.

They were eventually joined by additional women as more families were rescued but they were still vastly outnumbered by the men. However, Greta never felt uncomfortable. All of the Guards treated her with the utmost respect, although they teased Mikaroz unmercifully about both his pet name and his missing claw. He just shrugged, laughed, and drew her close.

Greta tried to help out when she could but Mikaroz became even more restless when she was away from him, so she spent most of her time sitting with him in the quietest corner they could find. They exchanged tales of their childhood, although she quickly learned that any stories about her mother leaving upset him greatly. They also discovered a mutual love of card games and she taught him to play poker while he taught her a complicated game that was a cross between bridge and war. Each day she fell more deeply in love with him and each night she wanted him more. Even though she always slept wrapped in his arms, there were too many others around to do more than kiss, and even that was becoming increasingly frustrating since it made her want so much more.

As she tried to think of a way for them to be together, the subject of her thoughts appeared, leaning on the cane he had reluctantly agreed to use.

“Greetings, my heart. What are you doing?”

“Organizing these supplies for Doctor Ozenek. I don’t know what any of them are, but I can match up symbols and count.” She didn’t mention that the counts were getting increasingly low. Perhaps fortunately, very few injured people had been able to make it to the shelter with them. The worst off was the small green man that Mikaroz had carried back. He had only awakened a few times since he’d been brought in, although the doctor was cautiously optimistic that he would eventually recover.

“When will you be finished?”

“Now.” She smiled as she made the last notation. “Do you want to play cards?”

“I have something else in mind. Captain Bagusim has agreed to let me take guard duty.”

“What? Baby, you know you’re not healed yet. You can’t stand up – ”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “Hush, dulzurra. I have no intention of standing. I will be in the guard station. Alone.” He paused, and his eyes roamed over her with a hunger that had her nipples springing to attention and her pussy dampening. “Unless I can persuade you to accompany me.”

“Is that allowed?”

“I didn’t ask.” His emerald eyes sparkled and she bit back a laugh.

“Then let’s go.”

The door to the guard room had barely closed behind them before he was kissing her, plunging into her mouth with the same desperation that she felt. He started to lift her, to bring her closer, but she felt his wounded leg tremble. Reluctantly abandoning the kiss, she took a quick glance around before urging him to the chair.

“Sit down before you fall down.”

“But I want – ”

“Oh, believe me, my captain, I want you just as much. Trust me, this will work.”

As soon as he sat, she knelt between his legs, freeing his erection and closing her mouth over it before he could protest. He groaned, his hand going to her hair. “Dulzurra, stop. I need… Oh gods, you feel so good.”

Ignoring his protests, she took him deeper, enjoying his deep, rich flavor and the feel of his ridges stretching her mouth. Her pussy throbbed, more than ready to feel him inside her but she took her time. She loved the way he shuddered when she sucked hard, the way his hand cupped her head so gently, the way his shaft hardened even more as she gently squeezed his balls, the way he called her name as he exploded into her mouth with a rush of hot, sweet liquid.

“Now who’s being religious?” she teased, as she rose to her feet and stripped out of her clothes. He watched her avidly, his cock still hard.

“My heart, you didn’t need to do that.”

“No, my love, I wanted to.” She started to climb onto his lap but to her surprise, he lifted her onto the desk instead. Before she could protest, he had her legs spread open and his amazing tongue was lapping at her slit, swirling into her pussy before moving to tug and pull on her clit. She grabbed his ears, nowhere near as gently as he had held her head, and strained to get closer, her pussy aching, her climax already building. He reached up and began tugging her nipples in the same rhythm, each pull sending sparks of electricity down her spine. She hung on the edge, every muscle tensed, until he very carefully scraped his teeth across her clit and she came in a blinding rush, her body shaking as she gasped out his name.

He lifted her off of the desk and into his arms and she clung to him, still quivering. His cock was rock hard between their bodies and her pussy was still giving little reflexive throbs, but there was something so comforting, so satisfying, just in being in his arms, that her urgency diminished and she was content to hold him. His heart thundered beneath her ear, but he held her close and stroked her back with the same lack of haste.

When she finally leaned back to look at him, the love in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. “I love you, my captain.”

“I love you, too, my heart.”

As he started to pull her closer, his eyes flicked to the monitors and he froze.

“What’s wrong?”

“It looks like the Zukriks are gathering. I think they’re preparing to attack.”

Chapter Thirteen

Pausing only to lift his mate off his lap, Mikaroz started tapping out a warning with one hand while he tucked his shaft away with the other.

“Get dressed,” he urged Greta. “Others will be coming.”

Her eyes were anxious, but she didn’t question him, merely following his instructions. Captain Bagusim arrived just as she finished.

“Report.”

“The video monitors are still out but there are a number of lifeforms gathering around the entrance to the outer waiting area.”

The captain let loose a stream of invective. “I should have known this would happen once the Zukriks finally defeated the Stomath. They must have decided the Imperial fleet isn’t coming and it’s worth making the push to gain control.”

“They can’t know that for sure,” Mikaroz pointed out. “They damaged the long-range scanners.” The scanners were located in the lower part of the station and they hadn’t been able to protect them. He wasn’t sure if the gangs had been deliberately destructive or if the scanners were just a casualty of the ongoing fighting.

“No, but enough time had passed since the original warning that they’re getting cocky. Patience doesn’t tend to be a trait they possess.”

More of the squad leaders were edging into the small room. Greta had stepped back behind him, out of the way, but he was conscious of her presence and it only added to the urgency of the situation. Keeping her safe meant ensuring that the gang did not gain complete control of the station.

“Will the barriers hold?” Ferad asked.

“For a while,” the captain responded. “It depends on how determined they are – and how foolish. If they use cutting tools, we have at least a day, maybe more. If they try and blast them open – ”

As he spoke, an explosion sounded, and the floor shook.

“Guess that answers that question. We can assume that they will break through the first barriers within a few hours and enter the outer waiting room. We can hold them there for a while, but they outnumber us.” He didn’t add that the loss of life would be heavy, but every man there understood. “Eventually we will have to retreat down the corridor. The confinement will mean they can only advance a few at a time, which will give us an advantage. The barrier to the inner waiting room should hold them for a while longer, but if they breach it...”

Again, it went unsaid, but they all knew that once the gang was inside the inner rooms, they could spread throughout the area. The Guards would continue to fight but it would be a losing battle. His heart clenched at the thought of his mate in their hands. He would never permit that to happen.

“Ferad, take two squads to the outer waiting area. If we can inflict enough damage, they may hesitate to keep pressing the attack. Kolog, find Vrummakath and see if you can arrange for some traps in the corridor. I’d like to give them a few nasty surprises.”

“Yes, Captain.” Both men departed on the run. Before the captain could continue, a very shaky J’Ssett entered, accompanied by an obviously disapproving Doctor Ozenek. Mikaroz immediately pushed the chair forward so that the man could sit down.

“Thank you, Mikaroz,” J’Ssett murmured as he collapsed, rather than sat. He took a few deep breaths, then raised his head, the fierce determination in his eyes a striking contrast to his obvious frailty. “I understand we are under attack?”

“Yes.” Captain Bagusim briefed him quickly, even as another explosion sounded.

“There are panels on both ssides of the corridor that conceal ssecond passages,” J’Ssett said. His voice was a mere thread, but he kept going. “If you sstation men there, you can create a cross fire with your blasters. There is a small passage in the ceiling, as well. The entrances are concealed – ” He swayed and then collapsed forward.

The captain swore again but the doctor’s curses overrode his as she lunged forward to support J’Ssett’s body. “I told him he shouldn’t get up. Foolish man.”

“Is he dead?” Captain Bagusim demanded.

“No. No thanks to you.”

“Doctor Ozenek, I appreciate your concern for your patient, but we need to know where those entrances are or we could all die.”

The doctor scowled at the captain, but eventually nodded. “Send someone for the blue bag in the top drawer of the tall cabinet in the medical suite.”

“I’ll go,” Greta said, and he had to bite back an immediate protest. “I inventoried the supplies; I know where it is.” Grabbing his hand, she gave him a quick squeeze and her most reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be right back.” He forced his fingers to open and she was gone.

“Ok, infant, you were on guard duty up here most frequently. Do you have any ideas?”

Word of Greta’s affectionate name for him had spread quickly, but he didn’t mind the teasing; it was simply a reminder of his mate’s love. A mate that was not by his side in a dangerous situation. Forcing himself to remember that she would be returning quickly, he turned his attention to the problem of the entrances.

Greta flew back down the hallway, dodging through the crowd. Despite the undercurrent of suppressed panic, everyone had a look of grim focus. The guards were preparing for battle, while the refugees were gathering in the rooms farthest away from the entrance. One of the shopkeeper’s mates was acting as the doctor’s assistant, checking supplies and preparing for casualties. Greta’s heart pounded, and not from running. She had heard enough to know that defeat seemed inevitable. Perhaps they could hold out, but for how long?

Just as she reached the guard station, Mikaroz came limping out.

“J’Ssett came around long enough to say office. I’m on my way to search.”

“I’ll follow you as soon as I give this to the doctor,” she promised.

Within minutes she had caught up with him in the same office they had entered when they first came. He was back under the desk and she had a flashback to their previous visit, when she had agreed to mate with him. Back then, she still hadn’t permitted herself to realize that she loved him, but now she had no doubts. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought of him sustaining further injury, or even dying, in the upcoming battle.

“There’s another series of buttons here but they aren’t labeled. I’ll have to get the captain to let me know if they’re what we’re looking for.” He raised his head as he spoke and saw her face. “Dulzurra, what’s wrong?”

“I’m scared you’re going to get hurt.”

He hesitated. “I wish I could promise that it won’t happen, but I can’t. I promised that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you and now I don’t even know if I can keep that promise.” He ducked his head. “There is still the escape pod. If it looks like we will be overrun, I want you to take it.”

“No.” There wasn’t the slightest hint of uncertainty in her words.

“My heart – ”

“No, Mikaroz. You’re all that’s left in this galaxy that I care about. I’m not leaving you.”

“Then I suppose we’ll just have to win the battle.” He gave her a fierce grin and turned to his communicator. For the next few minutes, the only sound was his tapping away on his communicator as he tried the controls. “Got them!” he said at last.

He started to get up and his leg crumpled. Before she could get around the desk, he had caught himself, but the color had drained from his face.

“Dammit. You should be resting, not running around trying to save everyone.” She slipped her arms around him, knowing that she couldn’t support his weight but taking comfort in his big, warm body.

“You know it’s my job.” He lifted her chin and looked down at her, emerald eyes intense. “But saving them means saving you as well – and I would do anything to make sure that happens.”

“I know. But how are you going to fight when you can’t even stand?”

“I can stand,” he grumbled, and despite the gravity of their situation, she rolled her eyes. Men.

“If you insist, let’s at least go back to the guard station. Maybe you can monitor from there.”

“Yes, my heart,” he said with suspicious meekness, and she shook her head. “Come on then.”

True to his word, he actually could stand, but she kept her arm around him anyway, wanting to keep close to him for as long as possible. As he limped back along the hallway, the noise level increased, the sound of blades clashing mixed with cries of anger and pain.

“They’re in the outer room,” Mikaroz said grimly, but he kept moving so she stayed at his side. The guard station was a hive of activity. J’Ssett was on a nest of blankets to one side, the doctor's assistant watching over him.

“Good job, Mikaroz. We have men on both sides of the corridor now.” The captain looked up and observed him quickly. “You know you can’t fight like that.”

“Yes, I can.”

The other man scowled, then finally nodded. “Fine. Take the ceiling panel. At least you can lie down while you wait.”

“I’m going with him,” Greta announced. Both men immediately protested, but she shook her head and looked up at Mikaroz. “I love you and I won’t be separated from you.”

“Dulzurra, you would be following me into battle.”

Mikaroz’s troubled expression tore at her, but she wasn’t about to leave him now. “Whither thou goest, I will go.” she quoted softly. “Those are words that humans say to their mates and I mean to do the same.”

Captain Bagusim sighed. “The wall and ceiling panels are armored. She’s probably as safe there as anywhere.”

Mikaroz shook his head but he couldn’t conceal his relief. She suspected that he wanted her near to him as badly as she wanted to be with him. “Very well. Come, my heart.”

The entrance to the ceiling tunnel was a good way above her head but Mikaroz extended his wings and took them there. He lifted her through and followed with a lot more difficulty, his body a tight fit in the confined space. Once they were inside, he contorted his body enough to reach behind them and close the panel. The noise of the battle was louder here, echoing along the metal walls that lined the space. Up ahead she could see two lighted areas where grates opened to the rooms below.

“Get behind me,” he whispered.

“Baby, there’s no way I’d fit past you.” Before he could argue, she started crawling. Her hands were damp with nervous sweat, but she could actually move quite easily since her body took up much less space She felt him following her but he was amazingly quiet considering that he was squished in like a sardine in a can. When they came to the first grate, she paused, but only an empty corridor lay below.

“Where is everyone?” she whispered.

“Fighting or manning the barricades. We’re leaving the hall clear so that we can trap anyone who gets through.” Mikaroz was almost on top of her as he bent to whisper in her ear, sending a pleasant shiver up her spine. Despite the situation, she found herself wanting to just turn around, to kiss him and tell him she loved him again and again...

The noise of the battle suddenly increased, ringing from the furthest vent. Damn.

“Should we go up there?”

He looked indecisive, then nodded. “We should see if we can help.”

Once more they started crawling, and she did her best to be as quiet as she could. Her heart rate increased as they approached the furthest grate. Peeking cautiously over the edge, she blanched and almost cried out. A sprawled body lay directly beneath them, neck gaping. Men were fighting everywhere she could see and the smell of blood and burnt flesh sickened her.

“Ssh, dulzurra.” Mikaroz’s voice was the tiniest thread of sound in her ear and she realized that he had crawled almost completely on top of her, surrounding her with his warmth and at least the illusion of safety. His hand went to his blaster and then he hesitated. “Once I fire, they will know where we are. Depending on what weapons they are using, they may be able to pierce the metal.”

“I know.” Frightened but determined, she took a shaky breath. “Hand me your other blaster.”

“My heart – ”

“I told you I know how to shoot.” Another cry rang out below and she saw one of the guards go down. “We have to help them.”

He stopped protesting and handed her his other weapon. Together they braced themselves and took aim. Her first shot went wide, but the second one caught a Zukrik in his neck and he went down in a spray of dark blood. Her stomach curdled but she immediately started searching for the next target. Mikaroz had already taken out two men. They accounted for three more gang members before someone realized where they were and started shooting at the ceiling. Each shot hit the ceiling that protected them with an explosive pulse and she could see the metal starting to dimple, but it held.

Time dissolved into a nightmarish sequence of events, the cries from below echoing in her ears along with the harsher sounds of the return volleys, her arm beginning to ache from holding the gun steady, Mikaroz’s heart pounding against her side as he tried to cover more and more of her body with his own. The guards fought well, but the Zukriks kept coming, and she could see that their side was losing. Suddenly, there was a loud roar and a new group of warriors rushed into the room. Led by an alien with shimmering golden skin, white eyes, and blood covered knives, the members of the new party were all tall and muscular and moved with professional discipline. Her heart sank, but she took aim at the leader.

“No, dulzurra.” Mikaroz jerked the gun down and hugged her. “That’s Lord Kievan, and he’s brought an army of Sardorans with him. We’re saved.”

“What?” Unable to believe what he was saying, she turned back to the room, but the battle was already ending. Attacked from both sides, the remaining Zukriks tried to keep fighting but the new warriors eliminated them with ruthless efficiency. Within minutes, the noise died down and the golden leader stepped forward to speak with the remaining guards, seemingly unfazed by the destruction surrounding him. A huge, scarred charcoal-skinned warrior followed him, with the rest of the intimidating group at his rear.

A surge of relief spread through her body, followed by exhaustion. She collapsed against the floor of the tunnel, then squirmed to her back so she could look up at Mikaroz. Her voice trembled. “We’re not going to die?”

“No, my heart.” He smiled, not triumphantly, but lovingly, and she burst into tears. Her body shook, adrenaline still coursing through her veins, but he put his arms around her and pulled her even closer.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” she mumbled.

“You’re never going to lose me.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.” He maneuvered his hand over, so he could stroke her cheek. “Do you believe me?”

Happiness sang through her veins and she smiled, despite the tears still rolling slowly down her cheeks.

“Always, my captain. Now ‘keess’ me.” As he lowered his head, she had just enough time before she lost herself in the pleasure of his kiss to wonder that it had taken a trip across the galaxy to find a man she could trust. This man, her mate, her love.

Epilogue

1 month later

“Here are the records for the last set of merchants.” Greta wrinkled her nose as she handed the rather soggy basket to her boss, Cam. The other woman took it with equal caution.

“I assume this is from the Pecheyllian fish merchants?”

“Yep.” Greta sighed. “You know you’d think that a society capable of building space stations, would be capable of keeping electronic records.”

“I think it’s their tentacles. They need to keep them wet and it damages the equipment.”

Both women shuddered, then exchanged a grin. Greta still found it hard to believe that the fierce golden warrior who had ended the battle had a human mate. Admittedly Cam was beautiful and whenever she saw them together, she could see their connection, but it still seemed like an odd match to her. Of course, she suspected that Cam might feel the same way about her and Mikaroz. Nevertheless, she enjoyed working for the other woman.

After his easy defeat over the Zukriks, Lord Kievan had advised them that they were no longer in danger from the Imperial Fleet and had proceeded to restore order with frighteningly brutal efficiency. Once the situation had stabilized, Mikaroz had returned to his guard duties. She had tentatively brought up the subject of a bartending job again but she could see how much the idea distressed him. When Cam had offered her a job as her assistant, she had accepted gratefully.

The job was working out extremely well. Her management skills translated more than she expected, and she was picking up the written language with amazing speed thanks to a learning device Cam had given her. Since Lord Kievan didn’t like his mate to leave the shelter of his quarters without elaborate precautions, Greta usually ended up doing any task that required interaction with the other residents of Sigrast and she enjoyed, with only a few exceptions, her trips around the station. Some of it might have intimidated her but Mikaroz – now promoted to an actual captain – was in charge of the guards assigned to the offices and he always accompanied her on her trips.

Greta moved to her desk, but she noticed that Cam kept glancing at her time keeper.

“Are you expecting your mate? Should I close down?” Lord Kievan frequently interrupted their day, abruptly ordering Greta to leave. She would have found it annoying if Mikaroz had done the same but when she tentatively broached the subject with Cam, the other woman blushed and smiled.

“I am his to command.” Her blush intensified, and she stroked the golden bracelets she always wore. “I don’t mind at all.”

Greta couldn’t doubt it, especially given the way Cam floated around dreamily, if occasionally a little stiffly, after one of these interludes. For herself, she much preferred her own gentle giant. He was quite commanding enough for her and it was her turn for a dreamy smile as she remembered the way he had taken her against the wall the previous night, plunging into her with an almost feverish desperation. She had asked him about it later, and he looked worried for a minute but distracted her with more love making. Tonight, she was going to make him talk.

The object of her thoughts appeared. Instead of his usual white uniform, he was wearing an outfit similar to his warrior leathers, except these were made of a black material that caught the light. The black accented the intricate tattoos that lined each massive arm and contrasted with the grey skin covering those rippling muscles. He looked magnificent. Her mouth went dry and her nipples immediately tightened. It was close to the end of the shift; surely she could leave a little early…

“Hey, baby. Why are you all dressed up?”

He gave Cam a helpless look and she answered as she rose to her feet. “We’re having an event this evening. I have an outfit for you to wear.”

“Really?” Greta sighed. She suspected that meant a dress similar to the ones that Cam wore rather than the leather pants she preferred. They weren’t quite jeans, but they were comfortable and practical.

“She doesn’t have to change if she doesn’t want to,” Mikaroz protested.

“Yes, she does,” Cam said firmly. “Trust me, Greta. You’ll be glad you did. Mikaroz, go and wait for us.”

He hesitated, but Cam shooed him away and he went with one last look over his shoulder.

“He looks so nervous. Is everything okay?”

Cam looked at her, a strangely serious look on her face. “Do you love him? I mean, really love him? Even though he’s not human.”

“Of course, I do!” Her doubts had been put to rest long ago.

“Then everything is just fine. Now come with me.”

A short time later, Greta stared at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a silky white gown that clung to her upper body before separating into multiple strips of fabric that fluttered with each movement. The color accented the natural tan of her skin and the cut highlighted her slender figure. Cam had done her makeup and her hair and Greta had to admit that she’d done an excellent job. She looked like herself, but better. As a final touch, Cam had placed a small flower wreath over her hair.

“You look beautiful, Greta.”

“Thank you, but are you sure this is necessary? What kind of event is this, anyway?”

Cam giggled. “Just trust me. Now let’s go. Mikaroz will be having palpitations by now.”

Together they took one of the larger private lifts down to the level just above the roof over the fight pit. Cam led her into a room with a glass balcony that jutted out into the vast central space. She could see Lord Kievan, Mikaroz, and J’Ssett waiting there. A path lined with flowers and candles led to the balcony and her heart rate increased. It looked… it looked like a wedding ceremony. She froze in place.

“Cam, what’s going on?”

“I think your mate should tell you. He’s the one who arranged this.” She gave Greta a gentle push. “Go on. I should probably lead the way but I’m afraid you’ll be stuck in this position forever.”

Greta took a shaky step forward but then she looked up to see Mikaroz watching her, emerald eyes anxious, and her nerves fell away. She floated up the aisle, never taking her eyes off of him. As soon as she reached his side, large warm hands curled around hers, and she gave him a soft smile.

“What are you up to, my captain?”

“I wish for us to be ma’reed in the custom of your people. You said that is what it is called when you vow to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of your lives.”

“I did say that,” she agreed, her heart skipping a beat.

“That is what I wish. Do you want that as well?”

How could such a large, imposing figure look so anxious? “Yes, my captain. That is what I want.”

A broad smile split his face. “Mistress Cam said that Lord Kievan could perform the ceremony since he is the owner of this vessel.”

Greta shot a look at Cam, who smiled. “I figured it was like having the captain of the ship marry you at sea.”

“It’s perfect.” Holding Mikaroz’s hand, she turned to face Lord Kievan. Despite seeing him frequently, she still found him intimidating. She was always extremely thankful that she had never had to face him as a prisoner. After he had returned to Sigrast, he had accepted Mikaroz’s declaration that she was his mate without argument. Now she shivered, looking at that beautiful cold face, but then his eyes traveled to Cam and she saw his eyes soften as they always did when he looked at his mate.

“What now, little flower?”

“I think simple is best. Just ask them to repeat their vows and then declare them husband and wife.”

“Very well.” He turned back to them. “Mikaroz, what is your vow?”

“My heart, I vow to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of our lives.” His deep voice rumbled over her and her eyes filled with tears. He immediately cupped her face. “Greta, is this not what you want?”

“I want this very much.” Her smile was shaky despite the happiness that filled her. “These are happy tears.”

“Greta, what is your vow?” Lord Kievan continued.

She placed her hand over Mikaroz’s as she looked up at him. “My captain, I vow to love you, trust you, and stay with you for the rest of our lives.”

“Then I declare you husband and wife,” Lord Kievan pronounced.

“You may kiss the bride,” Cam added.

Mikaroz didn't hesitate. He drew her close and kissed her with his usual passionate intensity, but she could also feel the relief in his touch. While she was sorry that he had ever worried about her commitment, she was glad that it had resulted in this ceremony, the symbol of their love and dedication to each other. Tears still sparkled on her lashes when he raised his head. “I love you, my wife.”

“I love you, my husband.”

Suddenly impatient to have him alone, she turned toward the entrance but J’Ssett stepped forward. The small alien had completely recovered over the past month. Since he was Lord Kievan’s steward, he was frequently around, and she had grown to like his calm presence and the occasional flash of dry wit he permitted to emerge.

“Misss Greta, Captain Mikaroz. As you both know, I am extremely grateful to you. You ssaved my life and you ssaved the sstation. Mistresss Cam tells me that it is the custom on your planet to give a marriage gift.”

“It’s not necessary,” she protested.

“Yess, it is,” he said firmly. “It is my understanding that there is a custom on Dhalgroll called the mating flight.”

“Yes,” Mikaroz answered, and she could see the flash of regret in his face. “But there is nowhere suitable.”

“I disagree.” With an oddly formal gesture, he waved his hand. The glass enclosing the balcony slid back into the walls. “The center of the station is yours.”

“I don’t understand.” Mikaroz shot a glance at Lord Kievan.

He was standing to one side, one arm curled around Cam who nestled contentedly against his side, and he gave them an unexpectedly charming smile. “J’Ssett suggested it and I agreed that it seemed to be an appropriate present. I, too, am grateful that you defended my station, but even more so that you saved the life of my friend. The space is yours for the evening. The windows have been shielded.”

As she looked up, she saw no lights, only the glass ceiling high overhead, stars beginning to emerge as the day shift lights dimmed. Mikaroz turned to her, eyes glowing with anticipation.

“Will you fly with me, my heart?”

“Always, my captain.”

A surge of excitement filled Mikaroz as he stepped forward and lifted his mate, his wife, into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his hips, her arms around his neck and she smiled up at him. As always, the feel of her soft body added to the lingering warmth from their keess and his cock hardened. He could tell that she noticed because she gave a little shimmy. Impatient to be off the ground, he paused to give a respectful nod to their companions.

“Thank you, my lord. For the ceremony and for this honor.”

“You are welcome, Mikaroz. Enjoy your flight. I think my mate and I will perform our own kind of mating flight.” Lord Kievan lifted his own woman into his arms as she laughed. They turned away but J’Ssett lingered for another moment, giving Mikaroz a deep bow, before he followed the couple out of the room.

“And now we fly.” His wings extended and with a single sweep, they were aloft. Greta gasped but when he checked her face, she was smiling.

“This is amazing.”

For long moments, they simply flew as he rejoiced in the sweep of his wings, of the feel of the air rushing by them as they dipped and turned, of his mate soft and warm in his arms. But eventually, the excitement of the flight was replaced by excitement of a different kind. Greta’s hot little cunt rubbed against his cock, teasing him with the promise of being buried inside all that tight heat. Her nipples rubbed against his chest as her sweet scent drifted up and he realized that she was just as excited.

“I can see why Cam wanted me to wear a dress,” she murmured, lifting the front hem so that only his ceremonial leathers separated their bodies. “But how do we get you out of these?”

Keeping one arm under her sweet ass, he lifted her away far enough to release the front panel of his pants.

“Oh my.” Her hand went to his cock, small soft fingers dancing over his erection and teasing beneath his ridges. “I guess they’re designed for this.” A shadow crossed her face. “I’m sorry that I cannot fly with you.”

“I’m not. I love to hold you in my arms. To be able to keess you.” He followed up his words by bringing her mouth to his, almost groaning with the pleasure of it. His tongue twined around hers, tugging with the gentle rhythm he knew she loved. Her hips began to move more urgently, rubbing her wet heat along his swollen shaft. Without lifting his mouth, he adjusted her position, then lowered her onto his throbbing cock, her cunt impossibly hot, impossibly tight, squeezing each ridge in silken ecstasy as she took him to the root. His wings flexed and then they were diving, swooping down almost to the bottom of the cylinder before rising, the movement causing her to rise and fall along his cock, diving and swooping in exquisite waves of pleasure. Her head dropped back, her body suspended in space, held only by his arms, and the shaft buried deep inside her. She flung her own arms wide and laughed with joy as the position pushed more of her weight onto his cock, tightening each inch of her delectable channel around him as her back arched and she came, mouth open in a cry of ecstasy as he followed her over, his seed pulsing deep inside her as they flew.

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him and his own heart overflowed as he drew her to him once more. He had a mate, a wife, and she was worth every minute he had spent waiting.

“I love you, my heart.”

“I love you, my captain.” She hugged him close, then reached up to stroke his face, teasing the sensitive tips of his ears. “Can we keep flying?”

“I will always fly with you,” he vowed, and together they soared through the starlit night.

Author’s note

Thank you for reading Greta and the Gargoyle! I loved Mikaroz as soon as he showed up in Cam and the Conqueror, and I knew he needed a story of his own. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Whether you loved the book or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon. Reviews are a great way to help other readers find my books!

As always, I’m so grateful for the love and support I’ve received from the science fiction romance community! There are too many people to mention them all but I do want to give a special shout-out to Emmy Chandler for putting together the group that encouraged me to create Greta and, of course, to Bex McLynn, BFF and author extraordinaire!

If this is your first introduction to the Alien Abduction universe, there’s more steamy goodness in store for you!

Anna and the Alien – A kidnapped woman. An alien warrior. Can they find happiness on a deserted planet?

Beth and the Barbarian – A former Outcast. A lonely human. Can he put aside his past and give her the love she deserves?

Cam and the Conqueror – He made a bargain. She was the payment. How much is he willing to sacrifice for love?

Deb and the Demon – An alien prince. A pregnant slave. Can two damaged souls form a new kind of family?

Ella and the Emperor – An alien emperor. A silent young woman. Can an emperor lose his heart to a human slave?

Faith and the Fighter – A rogue spaceship captain. A human scientist. Can they eliminate a deadly threat and find a future together?

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Author’s note