Adwaka's Blade

Lady Blue Crew 4 Adwaka's Blade Adwaka can’t stand to be away from Blade. The mating bond has begun, but Blade has yet...

Author: Hagen Lynn | Glenn Stormy

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Lady Blue Crew 4

Adwaka's Blade Adwaka can’t stand to be away from Blade. The mating bond has begun, but Blade has yet to claim him. Adwaka knows that Blade merely tolerates him, so he begins to self-medicate in order to deal with the pain. Blade must leave for a short mission and leave Adwaka behind. When he returns, he finds his mate has been sedated after an episode. Blade knows something is wrong with Adwaka but has no clue how to help him. Blade decides sending Adwaka home may be the best solution, but can Blade selflessly let his mate go even though his heart is breaking in two? The two find their way through the murky waters of mating to discover a bond unlike anything they have ever known as the crew fights to get away from the Elite Force that’s hot on their trail. Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Science Fiction, Shape-shifter Length: 36,963 words

ADWAKA’S BLADE Lady Blue Crew 4

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

EROTIC ROMANCE MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

ADWAKA’S BLADE Copyright © 2011 by Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn E-book ISBN: 1-61034-829-X First E-book Publication: October 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Adwaka’s Blade by Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Hagen and Ms. Glenn’s right to earn a living from their work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

ADWAKA’S BLADE Lady Blue Crew 4 LYNN HAGEN AND STORMY GLENN Copyright © 2011

Chapter 1 “You can’t go with me, Adwaka,” Blade said as he pulled a phaser out of the weapons storage unit and pushed it into the holster on the side of his heavily muscled thigh. He added a couple of knives as well, placing them in hidden sheaths on his dark black uniform. Adwaka felt his stomach coil into knots as he watched Blade tuck the knives into various pockets. He didn’t like that Blade needed to be armed to the nines when going on a mission. It scared the crap out of him how easily Blade walked into danger. His mate wasn’t even batting an eye at the possibility that he may not return. He looked like a warrior standing next to Adwaka. Although this made him proud, it also made him want to beg for his mate to stay and let someone else go in his stead. “I promise not to get in anyone’s way,” Adwaka pled as he wrung his hands in front of him. The thought of Blade leaving the Lady Blue nearly had him throwing up. “I’ll stay on the shuttle.” Blade shook his head as he locked the weapons storage unit then looked down at him. Adwaka hated when Blade looked at him that way. He could see the frustration in Blade’s eyes. He had a deep need to please the coyote shifter and obey, but Adwaka was terrified of being left alone.

8


“You can spend time with Pax and Gigi while I’m away.” Blade cupped the side of Adwaka’s face, his thumb playing over Adwaka’s cheek. Adwaka leaned into the touch. He needed Blade to stay with him and not go off on some mission on Beta Five, but Adwaka knew the shifter was going to leave him regardless of what he said. Adwaka didn’t like Blade leaving his side any more than he liked leaving Blade’s. The coyote shifter was the first person he had seen when he opened his eyes in this new place, and he immediately clung to him. They hadn’t stayed glued at the hip, but Adwaka felt the separation deep in his soul every time Blade left him. He was terrified he’d never see Blade again. Adwaka knew his obsession with Blade was just that—an obsession. Being away from the man almost made him go into panic mode. Blade represented everything that was strong and safe to Adwaka and he was afraid of losing him. Adwaka also knew that the feelings that welled up inside of him for Blade were not returned. Blade tolerated him. There wasn’t a soul-deep need inside of Blade to hold him close and never let him go. Blade put up with him because there really wasn’t any other choice. Adwaka had heard the whispered rumblings between the other crewmembers of the Lady Blue. He knew he was supposed to be Blade’s mate. He also knew that beyond keeping him safe, Blade had never made a single move toward him. There wasn’t any of the cuddling and closeness he’d seen between the other mated couples on the ship. Blade kept him safe and made sure his basic needs were seen to—and that was it. The one and only time Adwaka had tried to take things further—a kiss, a simple kiss—Blade had pushed him away and told him no. There had been no explanation for his gesture, but Adwaka wasn’t stupid despite what anyone else might think. Blade didn’t want him like that.

Adwaka’s Blade

9

Adwaka was almost surprised that Blade didn’t drop him off on the nearest planet. He assumed it would happen eventually. No one wanted to care for someone long-term without getting something in return, and the only thing Adwaka had to give Blade, Blade didn’t want. Adwaka sighed and stepped back when Blade started for the door. He trailed behind Blade, wishing with everything in him that he didn’t feel the need to follow the man around like some lost puppy looking for a home. He just couldn’t bring himself to find one that didn’t involve Blade. “Blade, maybe I ca—” “No, Adwaka.” Blade turned and reached for Adwaka, drawing him under his arm. “It’s safer for you if you stay here on Lady Blue. I won’t be gone long. I promise.” “But—” Adwaka clenched his hands when Blade started shaking his head. He had promised himself he wouldn’t beg, but it was on the tip of his tongue to do just that. “No, Adwaka.” Adwaka shivered at the harshly spoken words. He pressed his lips together to keep from begging. He hated feeling needy, especially when it was obvious that Blade didn’t like it. He kept trying to make himself less clingy, but that went right out the window every time he saw the strong shifter. All Adwaka wanted to do was curl up in Blade’s arms and let the world fade away. “Go visit with Pax and Gigi,” Blade said when they reached the shuttle bay. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Adwaka nodded like he understood, but he knew he’d head straight for the room he shared with Blade the second the man left the ship. Pax and Gigi were nice enough, but they were always getting into trouble. Adwaka knew he had to stay out of trouble if he wanted Blade to keep him. It was best if he avoided the two men as much as possible.

10


Adwaka backed away as the airlock opened and Blade stepped through. The second the door closed behind Blade. He hurried forward and pressed his face against the glass, his fingers scratching against the glass as he watched Blade pressurize the airlock then move into the shuttle bay. Sheer black fright swept through him and his heart began a funny sinking sensation as Blade’s shuttle left the ship. He always felt that way when Blade left. Adwaka turned and started making his way back down to the crew quarter’s deck and his room, feeling like his body was imploding, leaving him empty and void. What he failed to tell Blade—what he was afraid to tell Blade— was that Orillians formed bonds with their intended mates instantly, and if Blade stayed gone too long, or never returned, Adwaka would suffer, mentally, emotionally and physically. He was clingy enough already. Adwaka didn’t want Blade to stay with him out of guilt, or worse, pity, but he wanted him to stay. “We’re heading to go watch a vid in the media room. Come with us.” Adwaka stopped his body from jumping when Gigi and Pax, along with Zackary, scared the heck out of him. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard them approach. Adwaka shook his head as he backed away. If one of them touched him before Blade claimed him, his skin would feel painful and tight. “I’m going to lie down.” “Come on, it’s a vid, not a date. We all know the coyote has his claws in you.” Zackary wiggled his brows as he tossed an arm over Adwaka’s shoulder. Adwaka moved away just as he saw the arm coming toward him, but not before Zackary brushed his shoulder. Adwaka’s skin immediately tightened, and a pain shot across his shoulder blades. He bit his bottom lip to stop the cry from leaving his lips. The process of being unclaimed was slow, building over time. If Blade left Adwaka unclaimed, he would soon be in agony even without a stranger’s touch. He’d been aboard the ship for weeks now,

Adwaka’s Blade

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and Adwaka had thought in his mind that Blade would soon claim him. It wasn’t turning out to be that way. “I can’t.” Adwaka rubbed his hand over the shoulder Zackary had touched, trying to ease the pain. “I’m going to lie down. I don’t feel so good.” It was the truth. Adwaka was feeling Blade’s absence like a weight pulling at his heart. He wanted to cry, but kept the tears at bay as the three men stared at him. “Should we go get Imlay?” Pax asked. There was no doctor that could help Adwaka. Only his mate claiming him could bank the pain he felt, physically and emotionally. Only Blade’s touch could take away the pain. But Blade wasn’t here so the next best thing was for him to sleep until the shifter returned. “No. I just need some rest. Excuse me.” Adwaka took off to his shared quarters, crawling onto the bed and inhaling Blade’s lingering scent as he curled up into ball and prayed sleep would take him quickly. **** Adwaka woke to an immense pain in his chest. He knew right away that Blade had not returned. It felt as though something was clawing at him, trying to peel away his skin. They had been separated for too long. He rolled out of bed as he held the palm of his hand to his sternum, heading toward the bridge. Adwaka’s skin felt clammy and sweaty as he tried to stand upright. Where was Blade? Why hadn’t he returned yet? The shifter should have been back by now. “Hey, Adwaka,” the commander said as he smiled down at Adwaka. “Blade isn’t back yet. Is there something I can do for you?” The words sounded echoed to Adwaka, like he was hearing them down a long tunnel. Adwaka shook his head and started to back away, turning to leave the bridge. “You don’t look so well,” someone said.

12


Adwaka wasn’t sure who it was. He didn’t care who had spoken to him. It wasn’t Blade. He managed to make it down to the mess hall, hoping that if he ate something it would ease his queasiness. Adwaka pushed the doors open and walked into the mess hall, heading for the kitchen. No one should be here. They were all watching a vid. It gave Adwaka a small reprieve knowing no one would see him like this. He wanted to be alone right now to deal with the pain of being separated from his mate. He was surprised when he walked into the kitchen and saw Gigi and Pax. “I thought you were in the media room,” he managed to whisper as he walked over the cold storage unit. Pax cocked his head as he stared at Adwaka oddly. “That was yesterday,” he said. The glass container Adwaka had just grabbed from the shelf of the cold storage unit slipped from his fingers and shattered at his feet as Pax’s words sank in. Yesterday? He had slept through the evening and into the next day? But that was impossible. “Where’s Blade?” Adwaka asked as his eyes darted wildly around the kitchen. His hand flew to his sternum as he began to absently rub his chest. Adwaka’s lungs began to feel heavy as his breathing became shallow. “Where’s Blade?” he repeated as the room took on a foreign look. “Adwaka, calm down,” one of them said, but Adwaka was past caring who was talking to him. He needed Blade, wanted the shifter, craved his coyote to a point of agony. Adwaka’s back slammed into the cold storage unit as his mind whirled and his heart sank. Had something happened to Blade? His breath froze in his throat as multiple images flooded his mind of his mate being hurt or captured. “I want Blade!” he shouted as he crossed the room and slammed into the counter, knocking everything off. His body began to shiver, feeling the effects of being separated from his coyote for too long. “Being him to me!” “He’s not here,” Pax cried out.

Adwaka’s Blade

13

“Stop scaring everyone,” Gigi shouted as he pulled Pax behind him. Adwaka didn’t care that he was freaking everyone out at the moment. His Orillian senses were all over the charts. His mind was fracturing, and his body was shutting down. He needed Blade. “Blade!” Adwaka shouted his coyote’s name over and over again until his voice was hoarse. He overturned bowls and knocked down pots and pans. He howled as someone grabbed him from behind. The pain of someone who wasn’t his mate touching him shot through his body like a jolt of electricity, burning him from the inside out. He kicked out, trying to make his foot hit the counter and take away some of the searing agony coursing through his veins, maybe give him a different, less painful thing to concentrate on. “Stop,” Remy shouted as he held onto Adwaka, carrying him from the kitchen and down to sick bay. “Blade!” Adwaka tried to shout, but it came out sounding like a small whimper. “Blade!” “He’ll be back soon.” Lies. The commander was only trying to protect him from the truth. Something had happened to his mate, and Remy wasn’t going to tell him. Remy was hiding something from him, Adwaka could feel it. He fought and squirmed, shouting Blade’s name as his legs kicked out wildly. When the commander took him into sick bay, Adwaka’s eyes immediately went to the bed he had laid in when he first arrived, where Blade had stayed by his side. He had been so happy lying there with his mate by his side. Now, the bed represented what he didn’t have, who he didn’t have. “Doc, he needs a sedative,” Remy shouted as he carried Adwaka into sick bay. “Put him over there.” Imlay pointed to one of the beds.

14


Adwaka fought against it, knew what was coming, but was powerless to prevent it when he felt a small pinprick as the doctor gave him a sedative. Almost immediately, it started to work, making Adwaka’s head spin. His body still ached from being touched, but it felt far-off, almost disconnected from his body. “Want Blade,” he mumbled as the tears started falling from his eyes. “I know, Adwaka,” Remy said softly as he laid him down on the med-bed. “But, he’s not here right now. He’ll be back soon.” “Ne–Need him,” Adwaka confessed as he curled up onto his side, holding his stomach as the pain of being separated ate away at him. Adwaka closed his eyes when they became too heavy to keep open. His head started to float. Maybe the rest of him was floating, too. Maybe he would just simply float away. He could hope, anyway. **** “What the hell was that, doc?” Remy snapped as he gazed down at the sedated man. He had never seen anything like it before. Remy felt a twinge when he was separated from Gigi, but nothing close to what Adwaka was exhibiting. “Damned if I know,” Imlay replied as he checked over Adwaka. “His vitals are fine, although his heart rate is elevated a bit more than I would like. Other than that, I can’t find a damn thing wrong with him.” It didn’t sit well with Remy that not even the doc could figure out what was wrong with Blade’s mate. If the coyote shifter came back and saw what happened, Remy knew for a fact that Blade would look at them as being responsible. Remy would if roles were reversed. “Well, he just tore apart the kitchen and scared the crap out of Gigi and Pax.” Remy waved his hand at Adwaka as frustration filled him. He didn’t know what was going on, but Adwaka had gone crazy. “Obviously there is something wrong with him.”

Adwaka’s Blade

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“Perhaps he is correct.” Imlay nodded toward Adwaka. “Perhaps he does need Blade as he has stated.” “Bullshit!” Remy snapped. “Blade hasn’t been gone long enough for Adwaka to have lost his mind.” “Would you be so calm if Gigi was the one missing?” “Blade is not missing!” Remy shouted. He wanted to wring the doctor’s neck. Sometimes Imlay’s stoic voice drove him crazy. “He’s on a mission. Yes, he has been gone longer than we anticipated, but he is not missing.” “But he is not at Adwaka’s side either, now is he?” Remy narrowed his eyes as he glared at Imlay. There were just some times when shooting the doctor out of an airlock looked really good. He pointed to Adwaka as he stalked across the room toward the door. “Fix him!” “I’ll do what I can, but I suspect that Blade’s return is the only thing that can calm Adwaka down.” Remy growled and stormed out of sick bay. His heart melted when he found Gigi pacing right outside the door, wringing his hands together. He even had his lower lip caught between his teeth. The moment Gigi spotted Remy, he ran across the room and dove into his waiting arms. “Hey, angel, Adwaka is going to be fine. Imlay has given him a sedative.” “What happened to him?” Gigi asked. “I mean, Adwaka’s always been a little standoffish, but he’s never gone nuts before.” “I don’t know, angel. Only Adwaka can answer that.” “I hope Blade gets back fast. That’s the only time Adwaka seems okay, when Blade is with him.” Remy frowned. Now that he thought about it, Gigi’s words made sense. The only time Adwaka was calm was when Blade was by his side. Maybe Gigi and Imlay had something there. He would have to discuss the situation with Blade when he returned. He couldn’t have

16


Adwaka losing it when the other man was gone. It wasn’t healthy for Adwaka, and it upset Gigi. “Blade will be back soon, and I’ll have a little talk with him,” Remy said. “Maybe he knows what is going on with his mate.” **** Blade was so tired his teeth ached. All he wanted to do was get a quick shower, have something to eat, then go to bed for a week. Maybe he’d just go straight to bed. He was absolutely exhausted. The mission had taken just a little longer than they expected. Instead of just going planet side and delivering the cargo they’d been hired to transport, Blade had to track the damn client down. The man was not easy to find either. Apparently, he owed someone credits and was hiding from them. Blade really could have cared less what the guy’s problem was. He hated the extra time it took to find him. He didn’t like being away from Adwaka that long. His mate got squirmy when he was gone too long, and it usually took days to reassure Adwaka that everything was fine. Being gone an extra day was going to send Adwaka into a tailspin. Blade was not looking forward to dealing with Adwaka’s emotional state. He sighed deeply and climbed off the shuttle once it landed. When he stepped into the airlock, he could see Remy on the other side, waiting for him. The commander’s arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned against the hull, a grim expression on his face. That couldn’t be good. Blade almost turned back around and went to sleep in the shuttle bay when he got a good look at the glower on Remy’s face. The only reason he didn’t was because he knew Remy would just follow him into the shuttle. There was no escaping whatever Remy was waiting to discuss with him.

Adwaka’s Blade

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“What happened?” Blade asked exhaustedly when the airlock doors opened. He ran his hand over his face, hoping that whatever Remy needed wouldn’t take too long. Blade desperately needed sleep. “It’s Adwaka.” Blade didn’t hear anything else. If something happened to his mate, Adwaka would be in sick bay. Blade ran down the stairs as fast as his feet would carry him and shot through the corridor to find his mate, his exhaustion forgotten. He would tear this ship apart if one of the crew members had let anything happen to his little Orillian. He skidded to a halt inside of sick bay when he spotted Adwaka curled on his side, dried tears staining his cheeks. Blade sniffed the air, but only scented his mate and the doctor. Nothing else seemed out of place, but what did he know? He wasn’t a doctor. “What’s wrong with him?” Blade knew his voice was harsher than he intended when Imlay’s eyebrows shot up, but he was too worried about his mate to correct it. Blade walked the rest of the way into the room and stopped at the foot of his mate’s med-bed. “We don’t know. Physically he is fine but—” “What do you mean you don’t know? You’re a damn doctor, fix him.” Blade took a few more steps until he was at the head of the bed. He gently ran his fingers over Adwaka’s pale skin. Even in his sleep, his mate sighed and stretched his face toward Blade’s hand. His heart clenched at the move and then anger filled him at the thought of his mate being hurt. “That’s what I’m talking about.” Imlay pointed at Adwaka. “Now that you are here, his heart rate is returning to normal, and he’s sleeping better. Even sedated, he’s been restless.” Blade swallowed hard, his heart starting to hammer in his chest as concern filled him. “What happened to him?” Imlay scratched his head and then shook it, a perplexed look crossing his face. “From what I understand, he was in the kitchen and suffered an episode.”

18


“An episode?” Blade’s eyes left Adwaka long enough to stare at Imlay. “What in the hell does that mean?” “He basically tore the kitchen apart screaming for you.” When Imlay moved closer to the bed, Adwaka began to whimper. Blade looked down at his mate to see him trying to scoot closer to him. Blade climbed onto the bed and curled his body around his mate’s. Instantly Adwaka settled into his side, his hands reaching out for Blade’s chest. “He’s had a sedative, but should be waking up soon. His subconscious is reaching out for you. This is very interesting.” “How is my mate’s pain interesting?” Blade growled as he ran his hands over Adwaka’s back, trying his best to soothe his mate. Imlay shook his head as he held his hands up. “I didn’t mean that disrespectfully. It’s just that I’ve never seen a being that needed his mate as much as Adwaka needs you.” Blade’s brows pulled together as he looked down at Adwaka curled in his arms. “I’m not following, doc.” “Simple. If you leave his side for long periods of time, it appears he goes insane.” Blade groaned. Just fucking peachy.

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Chapter 2 Adwaka came awake slowly. He could hear muffled voices but couldn’t make out what was being said. He felt warm and comfortable. He could feel Blade’s arms wrapping around him as the larger man cuddled him close. Adwaka sighed, nuzzling his face against Blade’s neck. He loved being here. Curled up with Blade was his favorite spot in the entire universe. He—Adwaka’s eyes snapped open. Blade was back. “Blade,” he whispered. “Hello, little one.” Blade’s dark eyebrows drew together as he frowned. “I understand that you had a little trouble while I was gone.” A little trouble? Adwaka had felt like his skin was being peeled right off of his body. He had wanted to curl up and die. A little trouble didn’t even begin to describe how he had felt or the pain he had suffered through being separated from his mate. Adwaka could feel Blade’s intense stare and knew the man was not only confused by his behavior but he also was not happy with him. Blade didn’t like complications, and Adwaka was becoming a big one. An explanation of Orillian bonding would clear things up, but it would also make Blade feel obligated to bond with him, something Adwaka refused to lay at Blade’s feet. He was already too clingy and needy as it was. “It was nothing, really.” Adwaka downplayed the situation quickly as he pushed himself away from Blade and rolled to the other side of the med-bed. He instantly felt the emptiness return but fought against rolling back into Blade’s arms. “I just got a little upset. I should probably go clean up the mess I made.”

20


Adwaka planted his feet firmly on the floor and made his exit from the sick bay as fast as his feet would carry him. When he reached the stairs, he scooted around the corner to the lift and leaned back against the wall, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling as Adwaka pressed his hand against his chest and drew in several deep breaths. Blade was back. He was safe. Unfortunately, his mate was also upset. Adwaka felt it when they touched. He could feel all of Blade’s emotions. It was his greatest joy and his most heartbreaking one. He knew exactly what Blade was feeling, a little Orillian gift that he would gladly return right about now. As worried as Blade was, and Adwaka was grateful the man was worried about him, Blade was also perplexed by Adwaka’s actions. There was also an edge of impatience. Adwaka knew it came from Blade’s dislike of being chained to his mate, even if they had not claimed each other yet. Adwaka knew Blade thought mates should never rule a man’s actions and that they only met a need. A need Blade had yet to embellish Adwaka with. He tried to stay out of Blade’s way as much as possible. But, it seemed, the harder he tried, the more desperate he became. Maybe he needed to consider having the doctor sedate him before Blade even left the ship. At least then, he knew he wouldn’t have another episode. If he were sedated then Adwaka could prevent Blade from becoming so angry with him, or even getting that look that told Adwaka that Blade didn’t like being chained to him. Stifling the desperate cry that wanted to escape from his throat, Adwaka pushed away from the wall and made his way back to the stairs. He climbed back upstairs to the crew quarter’s deck then down the corridor to the mess hall, feeling so weary of going through this complicated mating thing alone. Adwaka’s heart was calling out to Blade, but his coyote shifter wasn’t answering.

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Pushing the door open just a bit, Adwaka peeked inside. The longer he could avoid the rest of the crew, the happier he would be. They were already looking at him strangely, and that was before he lost it. They were sure to think he was nuts now. Seeing no one inside, Adwaka pushed the door open and walked into the mess hall. He quickly made his way to the kitchen, grimacing when he found Gigi and Pax cleaning up the mess he was responsible for. Adwaka could feel his face heating up when both men looked up at him. “Hey…um…I’m really sorry about the mess I made,” Adwaka mumbled. “I didn’t mean to, and I’ll clean it up.” Gigi’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something Adwaka knew would be scathing, but Pax stopped him, grabbing Gigi’s arm. “It’s not a problem, Adwaka. We all have gone a little crazy on this ship. It seems to be a prerequisite for being a crew member aboard the Lady Blue.” Adwaka nodded and reached for a pot lying on the floor. He set it on the counter by the sink, knowing it needed to be washed before being put away. From the looks of the mess, he’d be here awhile. “Why don’t you two go watch a vid or something?” Adwaka asked. “I can clean up this mess. I made it. It’s my responsibility.” “We’ll help.” Pax glanced over at Gigi. “Won’t we, Gigi?” Gigi rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He pointed a finger at Adwaka. “But the next time you decide to lose your mind, do it somewhere else.” Adwaka couldn’t think of a response, so he just nodded. There was no way he was going to tell these men the real reason he had gone mad. “I’ll do the dishes if you bring them to me.” “I can do one better than that. I’ll rinse,” Pax said as he laid a few bowls into the sudsy water Adwaka was making. Adwaka couldn’t understand why Pax was being so nice. He could tell Gigi wanted to wring his neck, but Adwaka expected that.

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The human had every right to feel that way from the way Adwaka had acted. But Pax’s kindness confused him. “I guess I’ll dry,” Gigi grumbled as he deposited more dishes into the water and then stepped to the other side of Pax. Adwaka wanted to smile, but he was feeling a little awkward after the performance he gave. “Have you seen my puppy, Hercules?” Pax asked conversationally. “He’s very small, but he has the heart of a warrior.” The blue-skinned man chuckled as he took a dish from Adwaka. Adwaka was very careful not to touch the man and appreciated that Pax not only caught on, but also didn’t say anything about it. “My puppy, Bob, is hell around here. He eats anything that is soft enough, and some things that aren’t.” Adwaka could hear the irritation in Gigi’s tone, but he also heard the love and pride the human was trying to hide. “I’ve never had a pet,” Adwaka confessed as he washed the next dish. “But then again, I don’t think I could take on the responsibility.” “It’s not hard,” Pax reassured him. “Just feed them, make sure they poop, and love them all the time.” Adwaka wrinkled his nose. “That’s what I mean. I don’t think I could handle the bathroom part.” Gigi laughed as he dried the dish Pax handed him. “It’s not that hard, Adwaka. It sounds like it is. Although I do admit it takes a lot of patience.” Once they were done, Adwaka wiped the counters down as Gigi and Pax swept and mopped the floor. Adwaka was dying to run back to Blade and beg his mate to give him another chance, to forget about his episode and start fresh. He knew his mate was upset with him, and Adwaka was willing to do anything to get back in his good graces. He wasn’t emotionally strong like the other mates, and maybe that’s what bothered Blade the most. Maybe he wanted a strong and self-assured mate. Something Adwaka wasn’t. “It looks good as new,” Pax declared proudly.

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“Now we can—” Gigi stopped talking when they heard a noise coming from outside the kitchen. All three walked out of the kitchen and into the mess hall. When they saw that nothing was amiss in the mess hall, they walked out into the corridor. Bob was yapping and scratching at the door, his little brown tail wagging vigorously as he ran around the men excitedly. “Bob? How did you get out of your room?” Gigi bent at the waist and scooped his pup up in his arms, petting his head as the group looked around. A shiver ran down Adwaka’s spine when he noticed how eerily quiet it was. His gut was telling him something wasn’t right. “Do you hear that?” Gigi asked. “What?” Adwaka asked as he and Pax turned to stare at Gigi. He hadn’t heard a thing. The human waved his hand around. “The silence.” “But it’s usually quiet around here when everyone is on the bridge,” Pax pointed out. Adwaka looked around. Gigi had him jumping at his own shadow now. He didn’t like this. Adwaka’s instincts made him want to run and find Blade, make sure his mate was okay. But that would be showing how weak he was, something he didn’t want Blade to see. “Then let’s go check the bridge.” Gigi walked off with Bob in his arms, the puppy’s ear flapping as they started to climb the stairs. Adwaka grabbed the two as they neared the top of the steps, holding a finger to his mouth when he heard unfamiliar voices coming from the command deck corridor. Something was definitely wrong. “We’ll get plenty of bounty credits and maybe even an award for their capture,” someone said, and it wasn’t anyone Adwaka recognized. Adwaka’s blood ran cold at the implication. He turned around slowly and pointed down the stairs, silently telling Gigi and Pax to go back down. Adwaka prayed the puppy stayed quiet while they slowly descended. “I have to get Hercules,” Pax mouthed.

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Adwaka nodded as they slowly, and silently, made their way back down the stairs. They almost reached the deck below when Bob let out a yap. The three stilled and looked up the stairs to see if anyone had heard them. They had. Adwaka silently cursed. “Who the fuck are you guys?” a menacing-looking man asked, looking down at them from the top of the stairs. “Run!” Gigi shouted as they took off. Adwaka had no idea where they were running to. It was a ship. There were only so many places to hide. Adwaka wanted to hide with Blade. He wanted Blade. He started running further down the steps to try and get back to sick bay, the last place he saw Blade. “Adwaka, wait up!” Gigi shouted. Adwaka had no intention of waiting. He knew the safest place he could be was with Blade. Adwaka reached back and grabbed Gigi’s arm and started dragging the man down the steps to the lower deck as fast as he could go. Gigi yelped and reached back for Pax. Together, the three of them ran for their lives. When they reached the deck where the sick bay was located, Pax started screaming. Adwaka glanced back to see that one of the strangers had a hold of Pax’s arm. Without thinking about it, ’cause he probably wouldn’t have done it if he did, Adwaka turned and ran right for the man, Gigi in tow. They slammed their bodies into the tall stranger, all of them going down to the floor. Bob started barking loudly as he fell from Gigi’s arms, landing on the floor. Pax screamed and screamed. Adwaka and Gigi started hitting the stranger on any body part that they could reach with their fists. The guy was trying to fight back but ended up defending himself from their assault more than anything. “What in the hell is going on here?” Adwaka paused when he heard Remy shout. Damn, the man was loud. He glanced up to see Remy standing in the corridor, his arms crossed over his chest as he took in the scene, then glared deeply.

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“Adwaka? Pax? Gigi?” Remy asked. “What is going on?” Adwaka pointed to the man on the floor beneath him. “He doesn’t belong here.” If anything, Remy’s face darkened even more. Adwaka quickly scurried out of the way when Remy advanced on his position. He really hated being in the line of fire. Adwaka pushed himself back until his body met the wall then pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and praying things didn’t get uglier. He wanted Blade. “Who in the fuck are you?” Remy asked as he curled his fingers into the man’s shirtfront, hauling the stranger to his feet unceremoniously. “Him and his friend want to collect the bounty on us,” Gigi said as he petted Bob to try and calm the excited puppy. “I heard them talking about getting an award.” Remy growled and shook the man roughly, his canines descending. “Where is your friend?” The man paled as he visibly gulped. Adwaka didn’t blame him. He probably would have peed his pants if Remy turned his anger in his direction. Remy was one big ass scary guy. When he was pissed, he was even worse. Adwaka heard heavy footfall as someone ran toward them. For a moment, he tensed thinking it was the other stranger. And then he saw Colt and Blade run down the stairs. Blade cast him a quick assessing look then went to stand over by Remy. “We caught the other one trying to get back to the shuttle bay. They have a small shuttle docked on the outer hull.” “Is there any loss of pressure?” Remy asked. “No.” Blade shook his head. “They disabled one of the airlocks and came in that way. I have Tank and Zackary working on it now.” Adwaka noticed Blade’s eyes cutting quick glances at him constantly, but the shifter never made a move to come any closer. Adwaka curled his hands into fists, fighting the urge to reach out to

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his mate. The one thing that stopped him from doing what his body craved the most was the knowledge that Blade didn’t really want him. “Search every inch of the ship. I want to make sure that these two are the only ones that boarded,” Remy instructed at Colt and Blade as he walked away from the group, prisoner in tow. “What is he going to do?” Gigi asked Livewire who had joined them moments ago. “My guess is he’s going to shake them off of the lady’s back.” Adwaka had no clue what Livewire meant, but pushed to his feet anyway. He took one step closer to Blade, but the shifter turned on his heel and walked away with Colt. Adwaka wanted to cry out, to shout and rail against the injustice of it all. Mating sucked. **** Blade went in search of a possible third person hiding on the Lady Blue. He had to get away from his mate before he threw Adwaka on the floor and claimed him right in front of witnesses. When he saw his mate huddled on the floor, his coyote howled in outrage. It had taken every ounce of control in him not to pulled Adwaka to their quarters and lay his claim on the small Orillian. Blade knew Adwaka was all right, and that was the only thing that stopped him from going to his mate and fucking him right into sick bay and beyond. “Do you think there was a third?” Colt asked as they checked the lower deck. Blade didn’t leave one space unchecked as he shook his head. “No, but with ours mates onboard, we have to be sure.” Blade fought against his shifter instincts to run back to Adwaka and claim him. His mate wasn’t ready, and there was no fucking way Blade was going to force him. Adwaka had been through enough already.

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“I’d like to know how they got onboard unnoticed. Shouldn’t there have been an alarm that sounded or something to tell us one of the airlocks had been opened?” “There should have been. That’s what Tank and Zackary are looking into now.” Blade stopped in the middle of the cargo area, taking a deep, calming breath as he resisted the urge for Adwaka once again. He had wanted his mate from the moment he’d laid eyes on the little blond-haired beauty. Those green eyes called to a part of Blade that was more than willing to answer. He stayed frustrated as hell most of the time knowing his mate wasn’t ready to be claimed. Mating sucked. **** Tank ran a diagnostic test as Zackary performed upgrades to their system. He glanced down at his mate’s lithe fingers. They seemed to be flying over the control panels at an amazing rate. To say he was impressed would have been an understatement. “How in the hell do you work so fast?” “Goat milk,” Zackary answered without breaking stride, his fingers zooming past control buttons, his eyes locked onto his work. “It’s all about the goat milk, my man.” Tank snorted, a smile pulling one side of his mouth back. “I’ve never had goat milk before. Does it taste any different than Bullakies milk?” Zackary rolled his eyes as he sat forward, making his back ramrod straight as he reached for the controls that were closer to Tank. Tank took the opportunity to inhale his mate’s delicious scent as Zackary continued his work. His lion paced restlessly as Tank’s groin tightened at the erotic aroma. “Galaxies apart. Bullakies milk is bitter. You’d need a strong stomach and a dull pallet to drink that crap. At least that’s what my mom says,” Zackary replied as his slim body drew closer to Tank.

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Tank grinned as his mate’s back twisted, showing off succulent flesh as Zackary’s arm reached for the controls on the other side of Tank. Tank wasn’t above checking out his mate’s exposed flesh on his lower back. Damn if it didn’t look lickable. “You’re the first person I’ve met who is afraid of his mother and adores her all at the same time.” That was one of the things that endeared his mate to him. Tank had never met another soul like Zackary. Never in a million years would Tank have thought his mate would be Paktillian, but those diamond-blue eyes, along with his thick black hair, turned Tank on big-time. And the fact that his mate was intelligent as hell only added to his appeal. Zackary’s hands stilled as his head turned toward Tank. An eyebrow rose as his mate looked at him questioningly. “Have you met my mom? You’d be afraid of her, too, if you met her. But she means well and only wants the best for me. Did I tell you she threw a party when I hacked…er…visited the Paktillians’ political records and didn’t get caught? It was my first big achievement.” Tank chuckled at his mate. He seemed so proud of his mad skills, as Zackary put it. “Nope, you never mentioned it.” Zackary beamed up at Tank. “My mom’s big on staying out of prison. As long as I don’t get caught, she brags to her friends that I can best their sons.” “A mom who brags about her hacker son, how impressive,” Tank teased. “Not a hacker. That’s illegal. I’m more of a freelance opportunist,” Zackary corrected then went back to what he was doing, his fingers once again flying over the console. Tank smiled and scooted a little closer to his smaller mate, pride making his chest expand. ****

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Blade made his way back to sick bay empty-handed. They hadn't found a third person, which made him breathe easier. His only concern now was finding Adwaka. He hadn’t seen his little mate in over two hours—the length of time it took to search the ship—and it made him achy. He stepped into the sick bay and instantly stopped. His fists clenched as he fought the urge to shift. “What in the hell is going on here?” he shouted. Imlay looked up from where he was tucking a blanket around Adwaka’s shoulders and shook his head. “I didn’t want to sedate him again, Blade, but I had no choice. He was becoming hysterical again.” Blade felt like crying for his little mate. What in the hell was going on with him? Adwaka seemed so calm and quiet when around him, but the moment he stepped away, Adwaka lost it. Was he that scared? “But I didn’t leave the ship this time.” “Which only indicates that his condition is getting worse.” Blade knew Adwaka had been through a lot. He’d seen it with his own eyes. That alone was one of the reasons Blade had put off claiming Adwaka. He hadn’t wanted to frighten the man any more than he already was. But, it was clear things were getting worse, not better. “Blade, something has to be done about this,” Imlay said as he glanced down at Adwaka. “I can’t keep sedating him. It’s just not healthy.” “He’s Orillian,” Blade said. He swallowed hard before broaching his question. “Do you think he wants to go home?” “Only Adwaka can answer that.” Imlay frowned and looked at Blade. “I thought you two were mates.” “We are, but I won’t hold Adwaka prisoner if he wants to go home.” Blade had never considered taking Adwaka back to his home planet once he found the man. They were mates. That meant they were supposed to stay together forever.

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Blade just wasn’t sure Adwaka felt the same way. If the little Orillian was so upset that he was being sedated then there was obviously something wrong. Blade sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t have a clue what to do with Adwaka. “Look, doc, I’m going to go talk to Remy about making a little trip to Ori. I’ll be back.” “Blade,” the doc called out as Blade headed for the door. “Don’t you think you should talk to Adwaka first before making plans like these? What if he doesn’t want to go home?” Blade shrugged. It was better than screaming. “I’m not sure I have a choice, doc. There’s something wrong with Adwaka, and I don’t know how to fix it. If sending him home will make him better, then that is what I’ll do.” “I think you’re going about this wrong, Blade.” “It’s not your choice to make, doc.” Blade growled before stomping out of the sickbay door. He didn’t like the idea either. In fact, if he had his way, Adwaka would never leave the Lady Blue again. The mere thought of letting Adwaka go was enough to make Blade slam his fist into the bulkhead. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to go. He was supposed to find his mate and live happily ever after—just like the other mated couples on the ship. He wasn’t supposed to be so filled with grief that he couldn’t see straight. This was why he didn’t want to meet his mate in the first place. **** Adwaka was glad the sedative had started to take effect by the time he heard Blade come into sick bay. Otherwise, he would have thrown himself at a man that obviously didn’t want him. Blade didn’t even want to keep him on the damn ship. Adwaka waited until doc left the room then rolled off the med-bed and onto the floor. It took him a few moments to gain his feet and

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even then he swayed. The sedative was working. He knew he had just a few minutes to get out of sick bay before he wouldn’t even be able to crawl anywhere. He grabbed the blanket off the bed and staggered toward the cupboard that held the injection gun Imlay had used to sedate him. He knew if he could just keep himself sedated until they reached his home planet of Ori, he’d be fine. Adwaka grabbed the little round bottle of sedative then stumbled out of the sick bay with the blanket clutched desperately in one hand and the injector and medication clutched in the other hand. It took some time and a few close calls almost running into other crew members, but Adwaka eventually found a small hidey-hole in the room that housed one of the pulse cannons. He was just small enough to fit on the far side of the computer console. Adwaka tucked the injector and medication down by his side then wrapped the blanket around his body. He could feel the sedative kicking in even stronger. His head swam and his eyelids started to drop but not before a small tear escaped and trickled down his cheek. His teeth started clacking together as the cold of the pulse cannon room started seeping into his bones. Adwaka wasn’t sure why they were bothering to take him home at all. A life without his coyote shifter was an irrevocable death sentence. All they had to do was wait, and time would eventually take care of Adwaka.

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Chapter 3 “We secured a job,” Remy said as he entered the bridge and took a seat in his commander’s chair. Crank could see how exhausted the commander looked. Lines of stress marred his face. They all were tired from the constant edginess. It was one thing to have a thug like Drake out to get them. It was a whole other ballgame when it was the entire fucking Federation of United Planets gunning for them. That was the big leagues and everyone knew it, which was why everyone stayed jumpy and irritable. “What did you find us?” Crank asked as he slouched down in his chair, kicking his legs out in front of him. “That’s the catch,” Remy said as his head tilted back onto his shoulders, looking up at the ceiling with a contemplative look, worry lines creasing his skin. Crank stopped the groan from escaping his lips. Wasn’t there always a catch? He knew jobs were scarce now that they had a bounty on their heads, but somehow he had a feeling this was the mother of all screwed up ass jobs. “So, what is it?” Tank asked as he turned around in his chair. Remy sat up straight and then shook his head, rubbing his index finger and thumb over the bridge of his nose. “Paktil wants some newly harvested silkworms from Hyberian. They’re willing to pay three times what we made off of the medical shipment, half up front.” “And the catch is we have to cross over into the Andromeda system and sneak past Tronos. Fuck a duck!” Crank cursed. How the hell did he know this was going to be one screwed up ass job?

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“Hyberian is the last planet on the outer reaches of the Andromeda system with Galaxias being the next system. It’s going to take us weeks just to get there. That could cost us all more time than we’re willing to sacrifice.” Remy laid it all out, letting his crew know exactly what they were in for. “We’ll have to take on small jobs just to get there.” “Isn’t that your home world, Colt?” Tank asked. “Yep,” Colt acknowledged from across the bridge. Remy nodded as he looked around the bridge. “I can drop any of you off at Lost Star Three if you don’t want to go along for the ride. No hard feelings, and I’ll pick you back up once we’re clear of the Andromeda system.” “I’m in,” Tank said as he stared down at Zackary. “But my mate gets dropped off on Lost Star Three.” “Are you nuts?” Zackary sputtered. “This is the crème de la crème of all jobs. My mom will have top bragging rights for years to come if we pull this off.” “And since there is an if in that sentence of yours, you’re not going,” Tank growled. Crank listened to the couple argue as Livewire, Colt, and Blade told Remy that they were in. He was the only person left to voice his opinion. Crank nodded at Remy, knowing in his heart he wasn’t going to stay behind while the Lady Blue, along with the crew, ventured into enemy territory. “I don’t care what bragging rights your mom will have, you’re not going.” Tank slammed his hand on the console as Zackary did the same. Somehow the Paktillian’s gesture didn’t make the console groan like Tank’s heavy hand was able to accomplish. “Fine, you call my mom and tell her you’re kicking me out. Let’s see how you handle her. I dare you. No, I double dog dare you, Mr. Smarty-pants.” “We need to make a stop at Ori,” Blade said loudly so he could be heard over the bickering pair. “I need to drop Adwaka off.”

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Crank could see pain radiating from Blade’s eyes and wondered what was going on between him and Adwaka. They already had one arguing couple onboard, and Crank hoped Blade and his mate didn’t make two. “I don’t see why that would be a problem,” Remy said from his chair and then wiggled his finger at Blade. “Oh, wait a minute, yes I do. Maybe the fact that Ori is situated right next to Tronos would make me want to say a resounding hell no.” “He’s homesick. That’s why he keeps going into these episodes and Imlay keeps having to sedate him. Would you make my mate suffer more than he has to?” Blade stood from his chair and growled at Remy. Crank wondered if it was something in the water system that was making everyone nuts. It seemed like everyone on the bridge was taking turns being a dickhead. It was a fucking epidemic. “We’ll make Adwaka as comfortable as possible, but I won’t make a side stop for any reason other than a dire emergency. It puts everyone onboard at risk, Blade.” “See.” Zackary pointed at the commander. “He’s not dropping anyone off.” The small Paktillian stuck his tongue out at Tank. “That’s once we reach the Andromeda system,” Tank argued. “Lost Star Three is the last planet before then so you’re getting dropped off.” “Enough!” Remy shouted as his nostrils flared. “No one is getting dropped off if he wishes to stay onboard.” Remy cut a glare at Tank when the lion-shifter opened his mouth to protest. “That’s my final say. Deal with it.” “Guess he told you.” Crank snickered as Tank narrowed his eyes on him. They all turned when Imlay came rushing onto the bridge, wringing his hands together as his eyes darted wildly around the bridge. They settled on Blade as the doctor winced. “Adwaka is missing.”

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**** Blade’s canines instantly punched through his gums and his nails elongated, curling around to tap at his wrists. Had there been a third person that hid away and then kidnapped his mate when everyone’s back was turned? Blade shot out of his chair and ran off the bridge, halting briefly in the corridor to sniff for his mate’s scent. He slowly made his way down toward the sick bay as he stopped every few feet to scent the air. There was no way someone had gotten Adwaka off of the ship. Remy had stuffed the two bounty hunters into their shuttle and programmed it to fly them past End of the Line. Blade had seen Adwaka since then. He caught a faint scent of his Orillian mate as he entered the middle deck. Blade stopped and inhaled deeply. The dissipating scent was outside the sick bay. Blade followed the lingering but faint odor around the corridor that led to doc’s quarters, letting the scent lead him to the pulse cannons. He stood there for a moment, wondering why Adwaka’s scent was strongest here. It should have led him right to the sick bay. That was where his mate was supposed to be sleeping, not that he was all too thrilled about that either. Blade had to figure out what was wrong with his mate, and soon. Adwaka was getting worse, and Blade felt so fucking helpless. Blade sniffed around until he scented his mate close to the control panel. Blade ducked his head in to find Adwaka fast asleep in a small space between the consul and the wall, covered in a blanket. He maneuvered his arms until his hands were under Adwaka’s arms, and then pulled his mate gently toward him. Blade looked down when he heard a clank at his feet. An injection gun and a small bottle of medication lay there on the corridor floor. Blade shimmied Adwaka out of the small space and

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then secured the blanket tightly around his mate. He cocooned the Orillian to his chest as he bent at the waist and picked the bottle up. Sedatives. The problem was worse than Blade, or even Imlay, had first thought. Adwaka had started self-medicating. Blade’s claws curled around the bottle, nearly shattering it in the palm of his hand as he carried Adwaka to their quarters. He was going to get to the bottom of this. If Adwaka was this far gone, needing his home world this desperately, then it qualified as a dire emergency. Blade climbed to the upper level and then walked down the corridor until he faced his quarters. The door swooshed open as Blade entered and then laid Adwaka gently on their bed. Adwaka immediately curled up, his face stretching out toward Blade. He ran his hand over Adwaka’s blond silky tresses as he stared down at his mate. He looked so fragile lying there. A deep need pulled at Blade’s groin, but he suppressed the urge as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Why?” he whispered to his sleeping mate. He almost jumped when his mate answered him. “You don’t want me,” Adwaka murmured sleepily. Blade wasn’t sure if his mate was answering him for real or if he was talking in his sleep. He reached his hand out and felt Adwaka’s pulse only to find it strong and steady. His mate was still sleeping. Blade was stunned to hear Adwaka say such words. Why would his mate think such a thing? “I want you, love.” Blade ran his fingers through Adwaka’s hair, pushing back the fringes that fell over his eyes. “Why won’t you claim me?” Blade couldn’t understand how they were having a conversation when he knew for a fact Adwaka was fast asleep. He tested his theory, questioning Adwaka further. “How are you talking to me?” “My subconscious is always connected to you, even when I’m asleep.”

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Blade was shocked. He’d never in his life heard of anything like this before. He hadn’t even claimed Adwaka, yet they had a bond that connected them in ways he’d never dreamed of before. “I’m afraid, Adwaka. I don’t want to hurt you,” Blade replied as he swallowed past the lump in his throat. The thought of hurting Adwaka ate at him. There was nothing Blade wouldn’t do to make sure his mate was safe, even from himself. “Claim me,” Adwaka’s subconscious pleaded. It was the most heart-wrenching plea Blade had ever heard before. His body actually hurt listening to Adwaka beg for what was rightfully his. “When you awaken,” Blade promised. He kicked his boots off, and then stripped before climbing into the bed next to Adwaka’s warm body and curling around his mate. He could hear a soft sigh coming from Adwaka as his mate settled in next to him, almost burrowing his smaller body under Blade’s. No matter how Blade felt, he wasn’t going to watch his mate suffer because Adwaka’s body craved the claiming. Blade would give him that and hopefully stop Adwaka from any more episodes. **** Adwaka was once again curled up in his favorite dream. Blade was at his side, holding him, protecting him. He tried to lift his hand to cup Blade’s face when he noticed it wouldn’t move. He yanked but his hand wouldn’t budge. Adwaka’s eyes flew open as a hefty form weighted him down on the mattress. The body ran the length of Adwaka’s and then some. His arms were stretched over his hand, his fingers tangled with someone else’s. Even his legs were entwined. Blade. Adwaka stayed motionless as Blade’s body heat started to make him sweat. There was no way to gain his freedom unless he woke

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Blade up, and he wasn’t about to do anything that jeopardized the feeling of having Blade so close to him. Adwaka swallowed when he felt his coyote’s cock pressing into the cleft of his ass. He squeezed his cheeks, trying to feel the full length of Blade’s cock. He inhaled sharply when Blade automatically pushed forward, his long and thick cock rubbing against Adwaka’s hole. Adwaka slammed his eyes closed, refusing to hope for something that wouldn’t come. Blade was just asleep, grinding against Adwaka’s willing ass subconsciously. As much as Adwaka wanted it, he knew it wasn’t real. Adwaka pushed again, trying to image what it would feel like to have Blade buried balls deep inside of him. He whimpered when Blade’s cock slid up his crease and then reversed its course, teasing Adwaka and making him nearly come onto the sheets below him. How they both ended up naked, Adwaka wasn’t sure, but he’d enjoy Blade’s sleep-play for as long as he could before the conscious Blade returned and put distance between them again. His skin tingled when Blade’s dry lips began to ghost across his shoulders. They had been sleeping in the same bed for awhile now, but Blade had never been this daring before, and Adwaka was eating it up. Blade’s cock sawed up and down Adwaka’s crease over and over again, taking Adwaka close to the edge. He gasped when he felt one of Blade’s canines rake across his back. It was the most seductive thing to ever happen to him. Adwaka knew something wasn’t quite right when one of Blade’s hands left his and landed on Adwaka’s hip, the fingers massaging Adwaka’s flesh. There was no way Blade was still sleeping. Adwaka didn’t move, his body motionless as Blade ground his cock harder into Adwaka’s crease, his teeth nipping at Adwaka’s skin. He was terrified that he’d make one false move and Blade would stop. He didn’t want Blade to stop, ever.

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“Adwaka.” Blade’s voice was low and husky as he whispered Adwaka’s name. The gesture and softly spoken word sent tiny shivers of delight racing all through Adwaka’s body. He’d waited forever to hear his name on his mate’s lips in that seductive fashion. He wanted to hear it again but didn’t dare ask in fear of breaking the spell Blade seemed to be under. “I want you, Adwaka.” Adwaka bit his lower lip to stop himself from begging for the very same thing. Blade’s other hand released Adwaka’s, and he wanted to cry out in protest. Adwaka wanted Blade weighing him down, holding him in place. His fingers felt cold and empty without Blade’s entangled in his. The free hand cupped the back of Adwaka’s head, the fingers gliding through his hair before Blade fisted his blond hair, tugging at it gently. Adwaka pulled back, his scalp thrilling at the bit of pain. “I want you, Adwaka,” Blade said more gruffly in Adwaka’s ear as he pulled Adwaka’s head to the side, his lips grazing Adwaka’s ear. “Please.” Adwaka let the tiny plea slip past his parted lips, praying it didn’t break the spell Blade was entrenched in. Blade brought his hands back up, twisting them around Adwaka’s wrists and then entwining their fingers together. Blade’s feet twisted around Adwaka’s ankles, securing him in place as the tip of Blade’s cock tapped at Adwaka’s entrance. Adwaka stretched his back, trying his best to push his ass further back. He could feel something wet at his hole as well as sliding down his balls. Adwaka groaned at the feeling. He knew that Blade’s precum was getting his entrance ready, preparing it for Blade’s cock. “I don’t want to hurt you. Tell me if I’m hurting you, Adwaka.” The strained plea in Blade’s voice spoke volumes to what the man was feeling inside.

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“You won’t. Please, Blade. I swear you won’t hurt me,” Adwaka replied as he felt the blunt tip of Blade’s cock breach his tight ring of muscles. Adwaka gasped at the sheer size of his coyote mate. It was larger, much larger, than he’d expected. Blade stopped, his chest expanding and contracting rapidly against Adwaka’s back as he waited. Adwaka blew out a breath, trying to ride past the initial bite of pain. He tried his best to nod his head with it being trapped under Blade, but no words would form right now to let Blade know he was ready. Blade pulled back and Adwaka feared Blade was pulling free. His ass chased Blade’s cock, unwilling to give up his mate’s body. Blade chuckled and nipped Adwaka’s shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, love. Lie still.” Adwaka sighed in relief as Blade pulled back and then pushed forward, giving Adwaka another inch of his hard shaft. Blade slowly worked his way in, murmuring softly in Adwaka’s ear. Adwaka’s head reeled at the realization that Blade was finally claiming him. He thought he would be returned home to suffer out his last days in agony. “Was it because of the claiming?” Blade asked in Adwaka’s ear as he pushed his cock into Adwaka’s ass another inch. “Wh–What?” Adwaka’s brain had taken a hike and Blade expected him to talk? “The mood swings, love. Tell me why.” “Now?” Blade chuckled and licked a path behind Adwaka’s ear, making Adwaka groan in pleasure. “Yes, now.” It was the last thing Adwaka wanted to do but for Blade, he’d do anything, even embarrass himself. “I’m Orillian. We bond the moment we find our mates.” Adwaka groaned when Blade nipped his ear. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Blade thrust the rest of the way in on the last word.

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Adwaka whimpered, wanting to feel Blade fuck him into the next galaxy. Adwaka could feel Blade’s sweaty body gliding over Adwaka’s, making his skin feel alive. “I was afraid to.” Blade nipped him again. “And the episodes?” Blade was going to bite him for this one. “The longer the bond remains unclaimed, the more I suffer.” Blade roared as he shoved his cock in deeply, curling his arms under Adwaka. “Never hide anything from me again. Do you understand me, Adwaka?” Blade pounded into Adwaka, making him scream as he showed Adwaka how much of an expert lover he truly was. “Y–Yes, sir.” Blade reared back, letting Adwaka’s hands go and grabbed his hips, plunging his cock into Adwaka’s entrance over and over again. Adwaka scrambled to his hand and knees, meeting Blade thrust for thrust. Adwaka cried out when he felt Blade’s soul ghost over his body and then settle into his skin. He knew Blade felt it too when the man stilled behind him. “What’s happening?” “We are becoming one, mind, body, and soul,” Adwaka confessed, feeling a part of himself leave his very body and join with Blade’s. The only thing missing was the ceremony that would have been performed once their mating was complete. Adwaka wanted that more than almost anything, but as long as he had Blade, he would forgo the tradition. Adwaka felt Blade blanket his back and knew what was coming. He was aware of how shifters mated. The pain in his shoulder only lasted a second before the embedded canines made Adwaka’s body explode. He cried out as his cock emptied onto the bed below him. Blade thrust harder, growling low at his shoulder before removing his canines and licking the wound closed. His mate howled as hot spurts of seed filled Adwaka’s channel, making him want to cry and laugh at the same time.

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Adwaka wanted to shout with joy. Blade had claimed him. His mate had finally claimed Adwaka. It was the greatest day in Adwaka’s life. Blade wrapped his arms around Adwaka, taking them down to the bed as he lapped at his mating mark. “Never suffer needlessly again, mate,” Blade growled his warning but Adwaka was too busy basking in the afterglow and giggling at Blade calling him mate. “Never.”

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Chapter 4 Adwaka sat close to Blade as everyone remained silent. They had just entered the Andromeda system and engaged the cloaking device. The tension in the air was almost a physical entity. Everyone was nervous, and rightly so. Adwaka knew if they landed on Ori, he’d be fine. He was Orillian and as far as he knew, he didn’t have a price on his head. The rest of the crew couldn’t say the same. But maybe landing on Ori wouldn’t be a bad idea. Adwaka knew people, who knew people, who knew people on the shady side of the law. They might be able to help. “Blade,” Adwaka whispered as he nudged his mate. “If we landed on Ori, I might be able to get us in touch with some people that could give us a job under the radar. It might not be much, but it could help out.” Blade frowned as he glanced down at Adwaka. “You’re not still needing to go home, are you?” Adwaka smiled and leaned the side of his head against Blade’s thick muscular arm. “You’re my home now.” Blade’s frown deepened, his dark eyebrows drawing together over his eyes. “I’m your home? Adwaka, I’m a person, not a planet.” Adwaka angled his face away from Blade’s inquisitive stare. He didn’t want Blade to see the sudden sadness in his eyes. He knew Blade didn’t truly understand their connection. Maybe he never would. Adwaka would have to be satisfied with what he had and not try and force more onto his mate. “Adwaka?” Adwaka glanced back up at Blade.

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“Explain what you meant, mate.” Adwaka smiled even though he didn’t want to explain anything to Blade. He just loved hearing the word mate come from Blade. “We have a connection now. That means that I don’t need to go home anymore. I have you now, and as long as I do, I’ll be fine.” Blade shook his head as he hugged Adwaka closer to his side. “One of these days you’re going to have to explain the whole Orillian mating thing to me because I’m confused as hell.” “One day,” Adwaka sighed as the rest of the crew sat back quietly. He had been trying to help, not create a complicated conversation. “What kind of a job?” the commander turned to Adwaka and asked. Adwaka wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t expect Remy to ask. He felt a bit intimidated by the commander. “My uncle’s boss isn’t on the straight and narrow. He’s always looking for someone to make runs for him.” Remy turned in his seat, his brows pulled together as he sat forward. “What kind of runs?” “I–I don’t know, sir.” Adwaka should have kept his big mouth shut. He was asking the crew to take on a mission, but he had no clue whatsoever what it entailed. Adwaka felt foolish for suggesting it in the first place. “Never mind.” “No.” Remy shook his head. “Get in touch with your uncle. Let’s see what he has to say.” Adwaka scooted closer to Blade, laying his hand on his mate’s muscular thigh. The contact calmed him more than any words could have. Blade rested his hand on top of Adwaka’s as they silently stole through the galaxy. That was even better. ****

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“What do you think will happen if we get caught?” Pax asked Gigi as he mixed the batter for a three-layer cake Gigi had been dying to try out. “I think they will string us up and like, throw things at us or something,” Gigi replied. Pax stared for a moment then started laughing. “They don’t do that.” He frowned. “Do they?” Gigi shrugged. “You got me. I’ve never really done anything illegal before.” “Might be fun.” Pax suddenly thought of how his comment must have sounded when Gigi gaped at him. “You know what I mean. Getting caught isn’t what I was talking about—the chase, the evading authorities.” Gigi laughed. “Well, it’s not like you and I don’t have experience evading higher authorities. We might actually be good at this.” “Yeah, let’s not tell the guys though. They’d never understand.” “Right?” Gigi snorted. “They really need to let loose once in a while. I swear, Remy’s shoulders are wound so tight you couldn’t pry the tension loose with a sledgehammer.” Pax stopped mixing the cake batter for a moment and stared across at Gigi. “You know, that kind of gives me an idea.” Gigi cocked an eyebrow. “I’m listening.” “Well, think about it,” Pax said as he swung the spoon he was stirring with around in the air. He grimaced when cake batter splattered across the counter, cupboards, and Gigi’s shirt. “Oops, sorry about that.” “Just get to the point.” Gigi wiped the drop of batter off his shirt then stuck his finger in his mouth. “Hey, this is pretty good.” Pax laughed and went back to stirring. “We need to do something to get the guys’ minds off the danger we’re in. All work and no play, yadda, yadda, yadda.” “Do you have something specific in mind or will any ol’ plan work?”

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“Pretty much any ol’ plan. I just think everyone needs to step back a little and realize what we do have versus what we don’t have. Life may be a little dangerous at the moment, but we’re all alive and relatively healthy. Most of us have found our mates. What more could we really ask for?” “Should we call Imlay, Zackary, and Adwaka and get them in on this?” Pax grinned. “They are mates, aren’t they?” Gigi set down the pan he’d been getting ready for the cake. “You keep working. I’ll go track them down and drag them back here to the kitchen. We need to do this in secret, or Remy will have a coronary.” Gigi started out the kitchen doors. “I swear, that man has a stroke if I sneeze wrong.” Pax laughed as Gigi left the kitchen. He didn’t have a clue what sort of plan they would come up with, but he hoped it was a good one. Everyone was so tense that they were about to shatter. If they didn’t learn to let loose and appreciate what they already had, whatever happened in the future might not matter. Pax poured the batter from the bowl and placed the pans into the oven just as Gigi returned with Imlay and Zackary. “Where’s Adwaka?” Gigi shook his head as he chucked a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s coming. Prying him loose from Blade’s side is harder than you would think. Adwaka is like glued to him or something.” “Is that cake?” Zackary asked as he inhaled deeply. “I love cake. My mom makes the best fruitcake ever. Of course, from the smell, that’s not fruitcake.” Zackary finished with a pout. Pax almost felt sorry for him and was tempted to go run and find a fruitcake recipe. “Okay, what’s this all about?” Adwaka asked as he came through the kitchen doors. “I can’t be gone long in case Blade needs me.” “The only thing Blade needs you for is a tight—ow!” Gigi rubbed the arm Pax just punched.

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“That isn’t very nice,” he reprimanded Gigi as he wiggled his finger at him. “Our mates need us for more than just sex, ya know.” “I agree. Now what is all this about?” Imlay asked. “We need to remind our mates that there is more to life than running. We need to remind them that they can still laugh and have fun, even if for a moment.” “That’s so sweet,” Zackary said as he swiped his finger around the inside of the batter bowl. “Of course, technically Tank and I aren’t mated yet.” Zackary smacked his own ass. “He’s not getting any of this until he courts me first. Paktillian law.” “Really?” Pax asked. “Nah, but it’s more fun making him wiggle next to me knowing he wants it. I’m just a guy who likes to date a guy before I put out.” “But he’s your mate,” Gigi pointed out. “So? Hell, it took a long time before I trusted my own mother after she let the doctor smack the crap out of me at birth.” Pax’s mouth dropped open at the funny little man. They just didn’t come any stranger than Zackary. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was a Paktillian thing or just Zackary. “So what’s the plan?” Adwaka asked as he, too, stared strangely at Zackary. “I say we go onto the bridge with phasers, hold them all hostage.” Zackary shrugged. “Make them strip down as we march them through the corridor naked and then jump their bones once we get them to our quarters.” Pax once again stared open-mouthed at Zackary. He shook his head as he turned to the others. “I was thinking of something a little less dramatic…and dangerous.” “Fine, buzzkill.” Zackary pouted. “What about a party?” Adwaka glanced around excitedly as he rubbed his hands together. “We could have music, cake, dancing under the stars.”

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“Do you plan on blowing a hole in the hull to get the stars?” Zackary asked as he swiped the bowl again, shoving the battercovered finger in his mouth. “No.” Adwaka snorted in frustration at Zackary. “We could hang lights or something.” “Or I could set up a program to simulate the starry sky in the mess hall.” “Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?” Adwaka argued. Zackary shrugged. “Because this was more fun.” “People.” Pax clapped his hands together. “We’re getting off track here.” When everyone quieted down, Pax continued. “I think Adwaka has an excellent idea.” “I second that,” Imlay said as he raised his hand. Gigi raised his and then Zackary, after taking a third swipe of the bowl. “Good, then we all agree. Now, let’s get the mess hall ready.” **** Blade knew something was up. Adwaka had been acting weird for the last couple of hours. He was used to the little man being glued to his side. Not only was Adwaka darting in and out of the command deck, he wouldn’t meet Blade’s eyes. He watched Adwaka shoot out of the bridge again then turned to look at Remy. “You have any idea what that’s about?” “He’s your mate.” Remy chuckled. “You tell me.” “Maybe he’s having another episode,” Crank said, using his fingers to make quotes in the air. Blade rolled his eyes. “Adwaka is not having an episode.” “How do you know?” Blade frowned. How did he know? He wasn’t sure what made him know Adwaka wasn’t having an episode. He just did. Yes, the little man was a little tense but not overly so. He actually seemed a little excited.

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“Blade?” Remy asked when he didn’t answer right away. Blade shook his head as he stood up and started for the door. “I just do. Adwaka is not upset right now.” “If you say so, dude,” Crank said. Blade ignored the man and went in search of his mate. He knew Adwaka wasn’t upset, but there was definitely something afoot. He was determined to find out what before Adwaka did end up having another episode. Blade tracked the scent of his mate to the mess hall. He could see his gorgeous mate darting around the room from one side to the other. He just couldn’t quite figure out exactly what Adwaka was doing. When Adwaka moved close to his position by the entrance to the mess hall, Blade reached out and grabbed his mate, wrapping an arm around Adwaka’s waist and pulling him back against his body. Adwaka screamed and struggled to get away. Blade winced when he felt Adwaka’s teeth sink into his arm. Damn, Adwaka might be small, but he sure could fight. He also had sharp fucking teeth. “It’s just me, baby,” Blade whispered quickly against Adwaka’s head. Adwaka stopped struggling and slumped against Blade. “You scared me to death.” “Sorry.” Blade chuckled at Adwaka’s obvious relief. “I just wanted to see what you were up to.” Blade frowned when Adwaka stiffened. “Adwaka?” “Nothing,” Adwaka said a little too quickly. “I’m not doing nothing.” “Adwaka.” Adwaka squirmed for a moment as if trying to get away. Blade just tightened his arms until Adwaka sighed deeply and stopped struggling. He tilted his head back to look up at Blade. “I’m not doing anything wrong. I swear. I just can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.”

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Blade cocked an eyebrow and looked around the mess hall. It was only then that he noticed the lights hanging from the ceiling and draped pretty much over every surface. There were also dishes of food stacked all the way across one of the mess hall tables. “What are you planning?” “It’s a surprise.” Blade could feel the desperation in Adwaka as much as hear it in his voice. He had a pretty good idea what was going on and didn’t want to blow Adwaka’s surprise, not when his mate seemed to be so excited. “Fine, I won’t ask any questions, for now. But it’s going to cost you.” Adwaka blinked for a moment then his green eyes suddenly widened. He looked around the room then grabbed Blade’s hand and started dragging him into the kitchen. Blade was surprised to find the kitchen empty considering the amount of food on the table. “Where is everyone?” he asked as he looked around. “Working,” Adwaka replied as he dragged Blade into the pantry. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. “Now, about that cost…” Adwaka bit his lip as he looked Blade up and down. “Just what did you have in mind for payment?” Blade nearly swallowed his tongue at the lust he could see burning in Adwaka’s eyes. He suddenly felt hot. And achy! And needy! And damn! Adwaka was stripping his clothes off right there in the pantry. “What are you doing, little one?” “Paying the piper.” “Uh…” Blade licked his lips as the last item of Adwaka’s clothing hit the floor and his mate stood there naked in front of him, his hard cock jutting out. “You do know I was joking right? I’d never make you pay with sex.”

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“You might have been joking, but I’m not.” Adwaka’s eyes dropped to the growing bulge in Blade’s pants. “I want me some of that.” “In the pantry?” Blade waved his hand around the small room. He was trying to come up with a reasonable reason why they shouldn’t have sex in the pantry. He wasn’t coming up with a damn thing. Why was he trying to find a reason? Blade wasn’t sure and knew his brain must be short-circuiting from the scrumptious naked man standing in front of him. Adwaka grabbed a bottle of oil off the shelf and held it out to Blade. “We have everything we need right here—you, me, and lube.” Blade nearly dropped the bottle of oil when Adwaka grabbed the pantry shelf and bent over, spreading his legs as far as they would go. Blade didn’t need to be shown twice. He set the bottle down on a shelf and yanked his pants down, his cock bobbing precariously in front of him. Blade grabbed the oil and began to lube and stretch his mate. There was something to be said about pantry sex, like damn…just damn! Adwaka groaned as Blade’s fingers worked his hole, stretching it for his invasion. Blade’s hand shook as he tried to prepare his mate without blowing his own load all over his mate’s exposed ass. “Ready?” “Give it to me, piper.” Blade growled as he set the bottle down. He lined his cock up and then slammed home. Adwaka clawed at the shelf as he mewled and whimpered. Blade grabbed his hips and lifted his mate higher as he hammered into Adwaka. Things began to tumble from the shelf as Blade spread his legs apart and powered into Adwaka’s accepting ass faster. He was always amazed at how good his mate felt wrapped around his cock. Blade lost all control when Adwaka reached back and slid his fingers over Blade’s cock as it sawed in and out of his mate’s entrance.

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He stiffened and shouted as his seed was literally pulled from his balls. Blade pulled his cock free and then twirled Adwaka around, dropping to his knees and taking his mate’s cock into his mouth. “Oh. My. Goodness.” Adwaka shouted as Blade sucked him to the back of his throat. He worked Adwaka’s cock as he massaged his balls. Within seconds he felt Adwaka’s hot spunk hitting the back of his throat. Blade drank every last drop and then licked Adwaka clean before releasing the softening shaft from his mouth. Blade had to help Adwaka get dressed, his mate looked like he was about to fall over. “I think we’re even now,” Blade said as he winked. “Yeah, even,” Adwaka panted as they exited the pantry. They stopped when they noticed Gigi, Pax, Imlay, and Zackary standing there staring at the pantry door. “We have beans.” Adwaka pointed over his shoulder. “They always get me excited.” “Yeah.” Zackary swallowed hard. “Goat milk does the same for me.” Blade chuckled as he kissed the top of his mate’s head before leaving him with his friends. He wouldn’t tell a soul what he knew. He’d been well compensated for his silence.

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Chapter 5 Colt looked over his shoulder as the mates flooded the bridge. He glanced at Pax to see if his mate was fretting. His blue-skinned little bird looked excited more than anything else. He was practically bouncing in place. “What’s this all about?” Remy asked Gigi. “Tank, hit autopilot,” Gigi commanded as he grabbed Remy by the hand. “You’ll see.” Colt watched Pax approach him, a wide grin on his face that only made Colt smile as well. “Hey, little bird. What’s going on?” “I can’t tell you.” Pax beamed, which should have been a clue. “It’ll ruin the surprise.” Colt allowed Pax to pull him from his chair at his console. The entire bridge emptied as they followed the mates down to the mess hall. His eyebrows shot up when they entered the mess hall to find it lit up with hundreds of tiny little lights. The main lights overhead had been turned off, giving the mess hall a feeling as if they were walking through the galaxy without a ship. “It’s like looking at the stars, right?” Pax looked so excited that Colt didn’t have it in him to tell the little man it just looked like a bunch of lights strewn all over the place. “Yeah, little bird, it does.” “Come with me.” Colt frowned as he followed Pax to the middle of the room. He suddenly understood why all of the tables had been unbolted from the floor and moved to the edges of the room when Gigi turned on some music and Pax began to dance in front of him.

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“I don’t dance, little bird.” “You will.” Pax giggled as he started gyrating his hips back and forth. Colt started seeing the merits of dancing when Pax turned around and backed into him, his hips wiggling. Every time he moved, Pax’s pert little ass rubbed against Colt’s groin. Colt was hard as a rock and growling within seconds. Colt grabbed Pax’s hips and pulled his mate closer. He started to move with Pax as he wrapped his arms around his mate’s waist. He pulled Pax’s shirt up to his armpits then stroked his hands down the man’s slender chest. Yep, he liked dancing. **** Remy glanced around the room at the other crew members that were slowly being pulled onto the dance floor by their mates. He could see Gigi bouncing next to him. He knew his mate desperately wanted to be out on the dance floor along with him. “I don’t dance, Gigi.” Remy rolled his eyes when Gigi’s lower lip began to quiver. His mate knew just how to get to him. Gigi played him like a master. “Fine, you get to dance. I’ll stand there.” “Works for me.” Remy followed Gigi out onto the dance floor and stood there as Gigi seductively danced around him. The more Gigi moved, the closer he got until he was pressed up against Remy’s body as he rotated around him. And Remy was getting more aroused with each passing minute. The next time Gigi danced in front of him, Remy swung out an arm and grabbed the sexy little man. He growled deeply as he hauled Gigi into his arms—Gigi laughing the entire time. Remy grinned when Gigi’s arms wrapped around his neck. “I don’t dance.”

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“Maybe I can convince you to change your mind.” Remy shuddered when Gigi moved, leaning forward to lick at the thick corded muscles on his neck. Yep, his little mate knew just how to manipulate him. One stroke of Gigi’s tongue, and Remy was ready to sign up for dancing lessons. **** “This is bogus!” Crank snapped. Tank blinked as he watched the man turn and storm out of the mess hall. He turned back to see Zackary dancing in the middle of the room all by himself and knew exactly what Crank was feeling—horny as hell with no outlet. Damn! Tank was torn between making sure Crank was all right and gliding next to Zackary and showing his mate just how horny he really was. His cock won out, guiding him through the couples like a homing device. “Need a partner?” Zackary smiled up at him as he twirled around in a circle, his sexy hips kicking out from side to side. “Nope.” Tank knew his mate was a tease, but he grabbed his alluring hips anyway and pulled Zackary close. Tank’s eyes almost crossed at the feel of his mate against his body. He finally had Zackary close to his body as Tank showed his mate just how graceful he truly was. “Nice moves.” “Learned from the best.” Zackary’s eyes widened. “Your mom taught you, too?” Tank rolled his eyes. He should have known. ****

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Livewire growled in Imlay’s ear as he rocked back and forth with his mate. “If you get any closer, I’m going to toss you on the table between the roast and chicken and fuck your brains out.” “You’re such a romantic.” Imlay chuckled in Livewire’s ear as he teased him, rubbing their cocks together. “Do you like this?” Imlay’s hand waved around the room. “Honey, we could be in a wasteland, and I’d enjoy it just because you were there.” Livewire grinned when Imlay’s face reddened. His mate was so easy to make blush, and Livewire enjoyed every moment of it he could. “But to answer your question, yes, I like what you’ve done with the place.” Imlay laughed as Livewire twirled them around, dancing around the other couples. He was grateful to have Imlay in his arms after everything that had happened and would enjoy a damn mud bath if it involved Imlay. **** Adwaka ran out into the hall and pulled Crank back into the mess hall. “This is for everyone to enjoy.” Crank frowned as he stared down at Adwaka. “If you haven’t noticed, my dance partner hasn’t shown up yet.” “Yes, they have.” Adwaka pointed to all the mates in the room. Right on cue, the music changed and everyone was dancing around like they had lost their minds. Adwaka giggled as he pushed Crank to the middle of the dance floor and then grabbed Blade’s hand. “I don’t do fast music, baby.” Blade looked like he was ready to bolt from the room, but Adwaka held firm to his hand. “Just jump around. Works for me.” Adwaka bounced around as the other mates took turns dancing with Crank. He was having a blast. Adwaka grabbed Blade’s hips and moved them around as his mate laughed. He could feel Blade’s happiness pouring off of him.

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Some of the crew worked up a sweat, joining each other at the buffet as some continued to dance. Adwaka bounced in place as Blade glided around him. They made the perfect dance team, neither having a clue at what the hell they were doing. Pax danced his way over to Adwaka. Grinning, Adwaka spun around, dancing with Pax as Blade joined some of the men at the food table. The two ran over to Crank when they saw him trying to leave the mess hall again, pulling him back on the dance floor as the other men laughed. Adwaka laughed as he bumped hips with Pax. After a moment, Gigi and Zackary joined them. Adwaka quickly glanced around and spotted Imlay leaning back against the wall, an exhausted frown on his face. Adwaka gestured to the other mates and together, they ran over and grabbed Imlay, dragging him out onto the dance floor. The doc protested the entire way, claiming he was tired. Adwaka grabbed Gigi’s hand. Gigi grabbed Zackary’s hand. Zackary grabbed Pax’s hand. They created a circle around Imlay, refusing to let him leave the dance floor. Adwaka giggled as he danced and pointed to the people standing around the mess hall. “I think it was a hit.” **** Adwaka yawned as Blade carried him into their room then set him on the bed. He was so tired he could barely see straight. “Tired, baby?” “Uh-uh.” Adwaka yawned again. He lay back on the bed, sprawling his arms and legs out over the soft mattress, and watched Blade strip his clothes off. Maybe he wasn’t that tired, because Blade was damn hot.

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“That was a great surprise, baby,” Blade said as he folded his clothes then set them on the chair by the dresser. “I think everyone had a great time, and you were right, we did need to let loose a little.” “Uh-huh.” Adwaka licked his lips. “Are you even listening to me, Adwaka?” Adwaka’s eyes snapped up to Blade’s. “What?” Blade just chuckled. “Were you always this horny?” “No, our libidos only kick in once we’ve mated. Before then, Orillians can have sex. We might even enjoy it, but it’s not something we can’t live without.” “And after they mate?” “We can’t get enough.” A burst of laughter came from Blade as he stretched out on the bed next to Adwaka. “I kind of noticed that.” Adwaka frowned as he stared up at the amusement on Blade’s face. “Does that bother you? Do you want me to stop?” If Blade did, it would hurt because Orillians needed to copulate with their mates often to reaffirm their bond. Failure to do so could cause Adwaka to be in actual physical pain, like he had suffered before they mated. But if that was what Blade wanted, he’d find a way to deal with it. “No, baby,” Blade said as he stroked his fingers over the skin exposed at the top of Adwaka’s shirt. “I just wondered, that’s all. I kind of like you this way.” “Orillians have an almost obsessive need to be intimate with their mates,” Adwaka said. “Being close to your mate seems to be a reoccurring theme with you.” Adwaka shrugged and dropped his eyes down to stare at the soft pulse beating in Blade’s throat. “It’s complicated.” “So, uncomplicate it, Adwaka.” Adwaka blinked in surprise when Blade grabbed him by the chin and lifted his face up, meeting his

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eyes. “I’ve already figured out that the mating between us is different than the matings between the others. Why don’t you tell me why?” “I’m Orillian.” Blade chuckled lightly. “And that means what, baby?” “The bond between us happens on a much deeper level than it does for others. It’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.” “Is that why I can feel what you’re feeling?” Adwaka kept a close watch on Blade’s response as he nodded. “Just as I can feel what you’re feeling. It’s all part of the bond.” “What else?” Blade asked as he nuzzled into Adwaka’s neck. Adwaka groaned. How was he supposed to think straight when Blade did things like this? “On–Once the bonding is complete, we will be as close as one soul sharing two separate bodies.” “What do you mean once the bond is complete? We’re mated,” Blade said as he kissed his way back to the other side of Adwaka’s neck. “Th–There’s one more step. But we don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Adwaka hips hitched and he forgot what they were talking about as Blade licked his way down Adwaka’s stomach. His legs quivered as his mate continued his descent, teasing his flesh with kisses as Adwaka’s cock tapped Blade’s chin. “What’s the last step, baby?” Blade asked as his tongue snaked out, licking at the pearly drops glistening on the head of Adwaka’s cock. “M–M–Marriage ceremony,” Adwaka stuttered as Blade lapped at the bundle of nerves under the mushroom-shaped head of Adwaka’s cock. “Then we’ll get married,” Blade stated before consuming Adwaka’s cock down his throat. Adwaka’s back bowed off the bed as his feet dug into the mattress, his pulse racing out of control as Blade worked his cock to the back of his throat. His coyote was so damn talented.

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“Blade,” Adwaka panted as his hips thrust, driving his cock deeper. Blade didn’t let up. He created a seal with his lips as he slid his mouth up and down Adwaka’s cock, driving him insane. Adwaka shouted as he came down his mate’s throat, his body shuddering as the last of his release left his body. Blade released Adwaka’s cock and then climbed up his body, straddling Adwaka’s shoulder, and pinned his arms as Blade grabbed his cock and guided it to Adwaka’s waiting lips. Adwaka opened, sucking Blade’s cock to the back of his throat as Blade started fucking his mouth. Adwaka moaned as he tried his best to give Blade pleasure. It didn’t take long before Blade was shouting out his release, his hands landing on the wall as his hips snapped roughly. Adwaka licked at Blade’s cock as his mate pulled away. Adwaka strained to breathe as Blade swung his leg back over and then collapsed next to Adwaka. “As soon as we land on your home planet, we get married,” Blade promised as he pulled Adwaka into his arms and nuzzled his neck. There was no damn way Adwaka could sleep now. He had to get in touch with his family and plan a ceremony. Excitement rippled through Adwaka as he lay there staring at the ceiling, imagining what it would be like to commit himself to Blade in front of his entire family. Maybe he could get the other mates to help him on his end until they reached Ori. Adwaka didn’t have any of the ritual oils, but they could make do. It wasn’t as if he knew the entire preparation part by heart anyway. They’d wing it. “Why aren’t you sleeping, baby?” Blade asked as he propped his head up on his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m just too excited.” Blade chuckled as he leaned down and kissed Adwaka. The thrill of Blade’s lips brushing against his hand had Adwaka’s cock

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hardening again. His mate looked down and grinned. “You’re going to tucker me out, aren’t you?” Adwaka blushed as he nodded. “What can I say?” Blade rolled over onto his back and patted his chest. “Come lie here.” Adwaka scooted over, climbing onto Blade’s chest as he wrapped his body around his mate’s, feeling content. **** “Tell me again why you’re rubbing oil all over your body?” Gigi asked as he frowned from his chair by the kitchen door. It was his job to keep everyone out of the kitchen while Adwaka did…whatever it was he was doing. “It’s part of the mating ritual.” “Which part?” Adwaka rolled his eyes. “Just part. I have to rub essential oils into my skin so I look my best during the ceremony.” “Honey.” Gigi pointed to the bottle in Adwaka’s hand. “That’s cooking oil. The only thing you’ll do to your skin is baste it.” “Well, I don’t have any essential oils, now do I?” Adwaka glowered as he stared down at the bottle in his hand. “I have to make do with what I have.” “Just what all is involved in this ritual?” Gigi was curious as hell. “This part is just the getting ready part.” “Okay, then what’s involved in the getting ready part?” “Well, it’s pretty simple, really. Both Blade and I have to prepare ourselves for the ceremony. For me, that includes rubbing my body with essential oils, or cooking oil in my case, meditating for two days while I fast, and no intercourse—and let me tell you, that’s the hard part.” “Yeah,” Gigi snickered, “after two days, I imagine so.” “Gigi!”

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Gigi quickly held up his hands. “Sorry, just saying…” Adwaka sighed. “Blade’s part is a little tougher. He has to do everything I do, minus the oil, and he can’t have sex of any kind. I can at least masturbate.” “Why can you masturbate but Blade can’t?” “I’m Orillian.” Gigi blinked. “And?” “Now that I’ve mated, if I don’t have sex on a pretty regular basis, my body basically overloads and I have another one of those episodes.” Gigi’s eyes widened as he remembered Adwaka’s last episode and what it had done to his kitchen. “Maybe you should take that bottle of oil back to your quarters with you. I like my kitchen just the way it is, thank you very much.” Adwaka suddenly flushed and dipped his head, which drove Gigi absolutely crazy. “What?” “As long as Blade doesn’t come, nothing says he can’t help me out.” “Damn!” Gigi shook his head as he tried to think of how he’d feel if he played around with Remy but couldn’t come. He’d climb the fucking walls. “I’m not even sure I could be that cruel.” “Yeah, I’m thinking of hiding in the bathroom when I have to— well, you know.” “Good luck with that.” Gigi pressed his lips together for a moment. He would so hate to be in Blade’s shoes. “If you need me to distract Blade, just let me know. I’m sure there’s a spider around here somewhere.” Adwaka chuckled. “Thanks. I’m going to try and keep things to a minimum, but I can’t go totally without.” “Me either.” Gigi giggled. “Give me a good ol’ shifter any day.”

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Chapter 6 “I have a location on Ori where we have permission to land,” Blade said as the coordinates came in from Adwaka’s family. “I’ll send them over to you, Tank.” “Send them on over,” Tank called over his shoulder. “I’ll do a preliminary scan and lock the coordinates in.” Blade sat there waiting for the data to transfer when lust suddenly slammed into him like an asteroid hitting a planet’s surface. His claws shot out, and his canines punched through his gums. Blade had to grip the console in order to stay upright in his chair. Adwaka was masturbating. Blade wasn’t sure how he knew this, he just did, and Blade was about to lose it on the bridge. Heat coursed through his veins as visions of his mate’s hand wrapped around his own cock assaulted Blade. His hands trembled as he tried to bring his raging hormones under control. Blade’s entire body broke out in a sweat as he wiped the back of his hand over his forehead. His cock was thrumming behind his pants as the images played across his vision. What in the fuck was going on here? Blade never had fantasies this vivid or out of control before, and here he sat on the bridge ready to tear his clothes off and relieve the deep ache in his groin. “Blade?” Remy called to him. “Are you all right over there?” Blade threw his hand up, signaling he was fine as his legs began to involuntarily bounce. If he didn’t get his cock under control, Blade was going to come in his pants right here in his seat. Adwaka said he wasn’t allowed to come until the ceremony was complete, but how

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the hell was he supposed to stop it with images of his mate pleasuring his own body? “I’ll be back.” Blade’s voice broke as he shot out of his chair and charged straight for the door. He found the closest bathroom and slid inside, his fingers fumbling as he fought to release his aching cock. It wasn’t easy with his claws at full length. Blade palmed his cock and then circled his fingers around the base, squeezing as tightly as he could manage without squeezing the damn thing off and took deep and controlled breaths. When that didn’t work, Blade pinched his cock under the head, sending curses ringing out into the bathroom as pain racked his body. His forehead touched the wall as Blade fought to gain control of his own fucking body. This was crazy as hell. Why the hell couldn’t they have sex? It wasn’t logical to him at the moment. Everything that Adwaka had explained to him, everything that had made sense at the time, was tossed out an airlock as Blade’s brain began to melt inside his own damn skull. Blade shoved his cock back into his pants and headed out of the bathroom, going on the hunt for his mate. **** Adwaka sat in the mess hall—which was converted into Adwaka’s preparation room—as Pax tried his best to get his hair ready to hold the mating crown that had been passed down through his family. His father had sent a messenger in a shuttle this morning, giving him the crown for his preparation. Keeping things to a minimum was not working out so well. He had jacked off three times that morning, and he still sat there with a boner in his pants. If he didn’t get some release soon, he’d go crazy. “Are you done yet?” he asked Pax. Adwaka was ready to run to his quarters and jack off again. His skin felt tight, and his groin was aching badly for release. Adwaka was tempted to score the wall just

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to see how many times today he would have to relieve the ache. He’d probably set some kind of a record. “Sit still,” Pax said as he swatted at Adwaka. “This isn’t easy you know. I’ve never plaited someone’s hair before. You’ll just have to have patience.” Adwaka growled as he discreetly placed his hands in his lap, pressing the palm of one hand into his raging hard-on. “I have to use the bathroom.” “Oh no, you don’t. I know what’s going on. Gigi told me. Just sit still and think about slugs or something. I don’t want to mess this up,” Pax said as he pulled on Adwaka’s hair. Adwaka’s legs bounced uncontrollably as his palm pressed harder into his erection. He shifted a little, trying to give his cock some friction. “Knock it off. You’re not going to do that with me standing behind you. It’s just weird,” Pax warned as he yanked a few hairs into the braid. Adwaka growled softly as he moved his hands away from his lap. This was pure torture to the tenth degree. He was seriously reconsidering the no sex rule. There had to be another way, a loophole of some sort that would enable him to get around not getting fucked into the wall. They both jumped when the mess hall doors slammed open, Blade standing there with his canines showing, his claws extended, and his chest expanding and contracting heavily. Blade’s eyes scanned the room then narrowed in on Adwaka with an intensity that made Adwaka’s cock weep. “Oh no, you don’t,” Pax warned as he stepped in front of Adwaka and crossed his arms over his chest. “No sex, Blade.” “Mine!” “Gigi!” Pax shouted as he grabbed Adwaka’s hand and ran toward the kitchen. “Blade alert!”

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Gigi ran out of the kitchen with a pan in his hand, wielding it like some sort of weapon. “Stay back, Blade. I’m not afraid to use this.” Adwaka whimpered, his eyes zeroing in on the huge bulge in Blade’s pants as he licked his lips. His eyes met Blade’s as his mate’s nostrils flared. Adwaka began to struggle against the blue-skinned man as he tried to get to his mate. “No, Adwaka. No sex.” Pax began to pull him into the kitchen. “But I want,” Adwaka whined. Blade took a step closer and Gigi raised the pan higher. “I’m warning you, Blade. One more step, and you’ll see stars.” Adwaka struggled to free his hand when he saw the need in Blade’s beautiful brown eyes. “But he’s suffering,” Adwaka whimpered as he yanked harder. For a little guy, Pax was strong as hell. “No, he’s not. He’s just horny.” Pax wrapped his arms around Adwaka’s shoulders and practically dragged him through the kitchen doors, Gigi backing up as they walked through the kitchen. “Just once, a quickie. No one has to know,” Adwaka pleaded to deaf ears. “No.” Gigi wiggled his finger at Adwaka as he pointed to the mess hall with the other. “And if Blade comes in here, I’ll whack him with this pan.” Adwaka growled as Pax held onto him. These two were not going to waver in their help-Adwaka-keep-the-ceremony-rules. Maybe he was too hasty in asking them to help him out. It wasn’t like he and Blade weren’t already mated. “If you mess my kitchen up again, I’ll whack you, too,” Gigi warned. Gigi grabbed the pan off the counter when the kitchen doors flew open, Blade stalking inside like the three were prey. “Get out!” Gigi shouted as he ran around the counter to defend Adwaka and Pax. “Don’t make me use this, Blade.” “Mine!”

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“What’s going on in here?” Remy asked as he and Crank entered the kitchen. “Get Blade.” Gigi pointed the frying pan at Adwaka’s mate. “These two aren’t allowed to have sex before the ceremony, and Blade has lost his damn mind. Adwaka isn’t too far behind him.” Adwaka growled when he saw the smirks on Remy and Crank’s faces. He stomped his foot when the two crew members circled his mate, caging him in. “Take Adwaka out of here,” Remy ordered. Pax—with Gigi’s help—dragged Adwaka from the kitchen. “No sex,” Pax reminded him with a firm tone like he was reprimanding Hercules. The only choice Adwaka had was to whimper and follow along. It wasn’t like he could get away. Damn libido. **** Blade swallowed nervously as the ship docked on Ori. The spaceport orbited the planet so they had to take a shuttle down. Adwaka’s family sent a separate one for his mate—something about Adwaka attacking Blade if they were on the same shuttle. They knew his mate a little too well. “It’ll be over soon.” Remy snickered as he clapped Blade on his back. Blade didn’t find this the least bit funny. His cock had been so damn hard for the past two days that he feared it was going to fall off. He knew every single time Adwaka had masturbated, and Blade was ready to kill something, anything, right now to relieve some of the stress tearing his body apart. The shuttle landed and the crew was escorted to Adwaka’s family home. Blade wondered where his mate was, but Adwaka’s father rushed him to what he called a ready room before he could go search for his mate.

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“I see Adwaka advised you about the mating ceremony.” Jamoria, Adwaka’s father, snickered as he glanced down at the raging hard-on in Blade’s pants. What the hell was so funny about his fucking hardon? Blade nodded. “Sucks, doesn’t it?” Jamoria shook his head in sympathy. “I know. I’ve been there, only my torture was weeks longer. That’s why we decided to have the ceremony right away. You’ll find your robes hanging in the bathroom. Shower and get them on quickly. The sooner you’re ready, the sooner we can start the ceremony.” Blade had never been more grateful for understanding parents. “Thank you.” Jamoria snickered once more before leaving Blade to attend his preparation. Blade scrubbed every inch of his body and then applied the oils to his skin that were sitting by the hanging robes. He felt like one of Gigi’s salads by the time he was done. Blade ran his hands over the robes, feeling apprehensive all of the sudden. This was it. He was going to claim his mate in front of his entire fucking family. Blade’s nerves were getting the better of him as he adorned the fine silk. What if he screwed this up? It seemed very important to Adwaka, so that made it very important to him. Someone wrapped on the door just as Blade began to reconsider the whole thing. Jamoria and Remy stepped inside the room. Blade was thankful when he saw the two men wearing similar robes. At least he wasn’t the only one wearing them. “It is time.” Jamoria smiled at him proudly. Blade swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat and nodded as he followed his mate’s father and his commander out of the ready room and into a small garden area. It was filled with a multitude of people he didn’t know, and the crew of the Lady Blue. “Nervous?” Remy elbowed him and wiggled his brows. “You have no idea,” Blade replied.

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“At least you get to relieve all your pent up aggression once this is over.” Somehow Blade didn’t think Remy was feeling empathy more than he was enjoying every damn minute of his torture. “Fucker,” Blade said under his breath as Remy chuckled and left his side. Jamoria led Blade over to a small raised platform. It was decorated with exotic flowers that covered the backdrop with brilliant colors. There were two silk pillows facing each other in the center of the platform that were decorated in beads and held the family history in stitched art. His breath left his lungs when Adwaka’s mother, Sonja, led Adwaka under a lattice archway. Adwaka was simply gorgeous. The colors of his robes were rich hues of pale pinks and gold. They were a contrast to Blade’s dark blues and deep greens. Blade’s hands became clammy as he was instructed to kneel on the darker pillow. Sonja walked Adwaka over to the lighter pillow and helped her son kneel. Jamoria took Blade’s hand and then Adwaka’s, placing his mate’s palm on his. Adwaka’s head remained down as Blade tried to get a peek at his mate from under his ceremonial crown. There was a silk veil covering Adwaka’s head that prevented Blade from seeing his mate. Blade watched as Sonja wrapped a red silk scarf around both their wrists, binding their left hands together. Sonja smiled at him before she stepped back. Blade’s eyes cast down as he stared at his and Adwaka’s bound hands. “In time-honored tradition, my son, Adwaka, has found his mate and is ready to give himself over, mind, body, and soul to his mate, Blade.” Jamoria’s voice was loud with the man standing so close to Blade. It had to be. There had to be at least a hundred people stuffed in the back garden of Adwaka’s childhood home. Blade could feel hundreds of eyes on him and Adwaka, which didn’t help his nerves one bit.

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“As leader of my family, I give my blessing to this union and pray to the gods that it is everlasting.” Sonja began to light incense that Blade hadn’t noticed sitting between him and Adwaka. The heady aroma made Blade’s head swoon as Jamoria continued. “Spirits of Ori, hear my prayer. Bind Blade and Adwaka’s souls together so that they may live as one.” Jamoria moved around to Blade and Adwaka’s free hand. He lifted Blade’s hand first, slicing across Blade’s palm. Blade’s coyote growled, but he managed to remain calm. It was a harder feat when Jamoria did the same to his mate. Blade’s instincts to protect his mate fought against the act. He calmed when Jamoria clasped Blade and Adwaka’s bloodied hands together, tapping Blade’s fingers until he twined them with Adwaka’s. Blade gasped when a rush of memories flooded his mind instantly, but they weren’t his. They were Adwaka’s. He could see his mate laughing as a small child as he chased another small child through a meadow. He appeared again and again, getting older with each new vision. Blade knew it had to be the incense. It had to be some sort of hallucinogen because there was no way he was seeing all of this without it. Blade could actually feel Adwaka moving inside of him. The memories faded as Sonja lifted Adwaka’s veil, revealing his mate’s sparkling green eyes. Blade wanted to grab Adwaka and hold him close when he saw his mate’s eyes brimming with tears. Was he happy that they were finally united in Ori custom, or had he seen Blade’s memories as well? He wasn’t sure so Blade cast aside the feelings of dread for now. Jamoria said a few more words and then the family erupted in loud cheers. Adwaka laughed as the tears fell from his eyes. “Is it done?” Blade whispered across to Adwaka. Adwaka nodded as Sonja helped his mate stand. Blade wasn’t sure what to do so he stood as well. Sonja and Jamoria led them under the archway into a beautifully decorated room.

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“Have fun.” Jamoria chuckled as he and Sonja left, closing the door behind them, leaving the newly married couple alone. Blade reached his hand over to remove the scarf that bound their hands but Adwaka stopped him by placing his free hand over Blade’s. “It can’t be removed until we consummate our mating.” Blade grinned. “But we’ve done that a hundred times already, baby.” Adwaka blushed and batted at Blade’s hand. “You know what I mean.” Blade cupped Adwaka’s face as he stared down at his mate. “Are you happy, love?” Adwaka nodded as he held Blade’s hand to his face. “Yes.” Blade cleared his throat. His nerves were wound so tight, he almost forwent what he was about to say. “I used to think that mates were only there to serve a baser need, that a mate shouldn’t rule how a man handled himself. I was wrong, Adwaka. You’ve shown me what its like to truly be loved, to be wanted. I’m sorry if I fell short.” Adwaka shook his head. “We were both fumbling in the dark. It's not your fault. The important thing is that we made it through the awkward beginning and have committed ourselves to one another. We are committed, right?” “Hell, yeah.” Blade walked Adwaka backwards over to the large pillows piled on one side of the room. He laid Adwaka down gently as he took his mate’s mouth in a soul-stirring kiss that set his blood on fire. As strange as it was, Blade could feel Adwaka inside of him. He pushed Adwaka’s robes open as his free hand skated over Adwaka’s creamy flesh. He had waited two days for this, and now that Blade could freely take his mate, he wanted to take his time to explore every damn inch of his sexy little body. Adwaka’s fingers gripped Blade’s tighter in their bind as Blade bent forward and licked the scars that those savage bastards had left behind when his mate was kidnapped.

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Adwaka squirmed under his tongue as Blade inhaled his mate’s scent, becoming familiar with it all over again after being without it for two whole days. It was a scent that was now imprinted on Blade’s memory as he licked every inch of his mate’s body. He chuckled when Adwaka tried to scoot higher, bringing his hardened cock closer to Blade’s exploring tongue. Blade nipped Adwaka, silently telling his mate to lie still as he continued his exploration. No amount of pleading, verbal or otherwise, was going to make him rush this. They were only going to have one ceremony, and Blade wanted to make this as special as he could for Adwaka. Blade lifted Adwaka’s right hand, licking away the blood when Adwaka stopped him. “Don’t heal my hand. The scar is an Orillian’s way of showing that they are mated.” Blade looked down at his own hand, knowing that the scar was going to heal on its own because of his were-genes. He growled as his heart sank. He wanted the same mark adorning his hand. Adwaka pointed to a bowl above his head. “Get the salt.” Blade chuckled. “It seems your parents thought of everything.” He reached up and grabbed the small porcelain bowl and lowered it for his mate. “It’s their job,” Adwaka said as he took a pinch. Blade set the bowl down and then held his hand out. Adwaka ground the salt into his wound. Blade wanted to howl from the pain, but managed to keep himself quiet as Adwaka made sure he carried the honor of the Orillian custom as well. Blade smiled when Adwaka examined his work. “Did I hurt you? I felt your pain.” Blade had forgotten about that connection between them. “Nothing I can’t handle,” he said as he went back to his exploration. This time Blade teased Adwaka’s cock with his tongue as his mate began to writhe underneath him. He could smell Adwaka’s arousal as he lapped at his mate’s cock.

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“Blade, please.” Blade smiled as he took Adwaka’s cock into his mouth, teasing it as he twisted his tongue around the head. Blade situated his body between Adwaka’s legs, using his shoulders to push Adwaka’s legs further apart. He grabbed the bottled oil by the pillows and managed to get it open with one hand. Blade dipped his fingers inside and then separated Adwaka’s cheeks to play with his entrance. Adwaka moaned as he pushed down on Blade’s fingers. Blade didn’t stop him as he sucked Adwaka’s cock to the back of his throat, his tongue flattening and playing along the large vein that ran alongside his mate’s cock. When his fourth finger impaled his mate, Blade knew Adwaka was ready. He wasn’t sure he would last long, but he was going to try his best to hold out. Blade dipped his fingers once more, but lathered his cock this time. With a little effort, Blade managed to get to his knees. Who the hell thought of binding one hand? It made having sex very complicated. Adwaka was more than ready. He pulled his legs back, exposing his prepared puckered hole as Blade’s heart beat out of control. Blade grabbed his cock and guided it to Adwaka’s waiting body. The head kissed the ring of muscle as Blade took a deep breath and then pushed forward. It was as if Blade had never had sex before today. Somehow the ceremony made the coupling ten times more intense as Blade exhaled slowly, staving off his orgasm. He could feel not only his deep pleasure, but Adwaka’s as well. It was like nothing Blade had ever felt before. Adwaka’s hand planted on Blade’s chest as his nails dug into Blade’s skin. “More,” Adwaka begged. Blade nodded and pushed forward, grinding his back molars as he fought for some sort of control. His senses were playing havoc as sweat began to form over Blade’s body. He finally bottomed out, releasing a long-held breath.

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Blade’s hand slid down Adwaka’s taut stomach, curling around his mate’s cock as he began to move. Blade leaned forward, brushing his lips over Adwaka’s peaked nipple. He rested his weight on the bound arm as Blade sucked Adwaka’s nipple into his mouth. Adwaka whimpered as Blade began teasing it with his teeth. His thumb caressed over Adwaka’s cockhead, smearing the precum, and then lifted his hand to taste the wondrous flavor. Adwaka’s eyes twinkled as Blade repeated the act, this time feeding it to his mate. Adwaka’s lips parted, taking Blade’s fingers into his mouth. “You’re sexy when you’re tasting your own cum.” Blade nipped Adwaka’s chin as he thrust harder, feeing his cock fill Adwaka’s ass to overflowing. Adwaka’s tight muscle milked Blade’s cock as he slowly rocked in and out of his mate’s body. “Harder, Blade.” Blade reached down with his mouth and bit Adwaka’s nipple as he thrust harder, faster, and deeper. His mate was crying out under him as Blade soared higher, taking his mate to the stars as Adwaka’s cock exploded between them. Adwaka shouted his name, his ass gripping Blade’s cock like a tight fist as he slammed into Adwaka’s hole. Blade ground his teeth as an orgasm unlike any other ripped through him, pulling at his balls painfully as he erupted inside of Adwaka’s tight body. Blade gasped for breath as he touched his forehead to his mate’s. “I love you, Adwaka.” Adwaka looked on the verge of tears as he smiled up at Blade. Strangely enough, it was a good look on the man. Blade knew Adwaka was happy, and that was all that mattered to him. “I love you, too.”

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Chapter 7 Livewire piled his plate high as the festivities went on all around him. Imlay was standing right next to him gathering a plate of his own. Livewire kissed his mate before going off to find a table for them. He found two extra seats at the table with his crew. “Damn if these people don’t know how to throw a party.” Livewire chuckled as he sat down. “But not as good as you do, Pax.” He winked at his buddy. “You can say it, Livewire. They went all-out.” Pax giggled as Colt fed him another forkful. Livewire would never tell Pax that, so he chose to stuff his mouth instead. Whoever cooked this food needed a damn award or some shit. It was banging. “You men must be the Lady Blue crew,” a tall man said as he took a seat. The table got quiet as they all eyed the stranger. “And you are?” Remy asked with a clipped tone. “Adwaka’s uncle. He tells me you’re looking to pick up some work on your way to Hyberian. I just might be able to help you out with that.” Livewire poked at his food as he looked over at Remy. Considering their past experiences of late, none of them cared for strangers, but they did need to work to fund their primary job. They’d never make it to Hyberian and back on the fuel cells and food they currently had. Remy wiped his mouth as he lifted his cup and took a drink. “What do you have in mind?”

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“I have need of exotic fish on Lakone. I have a buyer waiting in the wings.” Remy ran his tongue along the inside of his lower lip as he studied Adwaka’s uncle. Livewire had a feeling none of them were going to like this. “Lakone’s fish are easily obtained. Why would you need a full crew to do your shopping?” Remy asked. “Because Latrishonia aren’t legal on most planets.” Livewire knew it! He stabbed the Orillian skewer with his fork as he glared at Adwaka’s uncle. Most of the crew was regarding the man in the same way. “You’re aware of the penalty if we get caught with that fish on our ship?” Remy asked the uncle. “That’s why I’m willing to pay a hefty price for you to take it back with you to Paktil.” “How hefty?” Remy asked. Livewire could see the sides of Remy’s jaw twitching. It was bad enough they had a large bounty on their heads. Now they were being forced to take illegal work to fund them. This was getting shittier by the moment. Livewire knew they had no choice, and he could tell Remy knew this as well. “Fifty thousand credits. Half upfront.” “All upfront,” Remy corrected. “It’s a big risk we’re taking. I want to be paid in full before the Latrishonia is even loaded.” “How do I know you aren’t going to take my credits and run?” “How do I know this isn’t a setup?” Remy countered. “Then I guess we both are going to have to trust the other. I’ll have your credits for you before you leave Ori.” The man got up and walked away. “Holy shit,” Livewire grumbled as he stabbed at his food again. Imlay finally made it over to the table and took a seat next to him. “What?” Livewire debated on keeping the transaction from his mate, but they were all in this together. He wanted his mate aware of the

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dangers should they be caught. Not only would the crew go down, but the mates would pay a price as well. “Adwaka’s uncle wants us to transport Latrishonia.” Imlay’s jaw almost hit his chest as he stared at Livewire. “But–but that’s illegal.” Livewire didn’t say a word as he looked around the table. He would let it sink into Imlay’s head and let his mate come up with his own conclusion. “You guys are going to do it, aren’t you?” Imlay whispered. “It’s the only way to fund the job we’re on,” Remy interjected grimly. Imlay nodded and looked down at his plate. “Thank you for telling me.” Livewire leaned over and grabbed his mate’s neck, pulling him close as he kissed his temple. “I’ll keep you safe.” “I know.” Imlay smiled weakly as he began to eat. **** Adwaka was sore from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toenails as they waved good-bye to his family. His mother had packed enough food to feed an army and sent it with them as they boarded the shuttles. Blade held Adwaka tight to his body as the shuttles lifted off. It had felt good to visit his home world. “We talked with your uncle,” Colt said as the shuttles made their way to the Lady Blue. “And?” Adwaka asked nervously. He wasn’t sure what his uncle did, but he knew the crew would make good money. He just wasn’t sure doing what. “He wants us to transport Latrishonia from Lakone to Paktil.” Adwaka felt Blade bristle next to him, and he didn’t blame his mate one bit. He had no clue his uncle dealt with things that were

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highly illegal, and he didn’t like it one bit. “You turned him down, right?” Colt’s silence gave Adwaka his answer. Shit. If anything happened to the crew, Adwaka would feel fully responsible. After all, he was the one who had made the suggestion in the first place. They rode back in silence as Adwaka prayed the crew wasn’t mad at him. Once they were back on Lady Blue, Adwaka went straight to his quarters for a long and hot shower. He didn’t think the oils would ever come off of his skin. He emerged and dried off, getting dressed quickly, and went in search of the mates. He had to know how they felt about the job and see if they resented him for it. Adwaka found Gigi, Pax, Zackary, and Imlay sitting huddled around a table in the mess hall. The room seemed to be the general gathering place lately. No one had really been in the mood to watch vids in the media room. He felt the weight of stares aimed in his direction as he sat down on the end of the table. He clasped his hands tightly together in his lap and slowly raised his eyes to look each mate in the face, unsure of what he’d find. Adwaka had found a home onboard the Lady Blue. Mostly because that was where Blade lived but also because everyone there was so accepting of him and his odd ways, especially the mates. He loved spending time with the mates. He’d be devastated if they hated him now. “Are you mad at me?” Gigi frowned. “Why in the hell would we be mad at you?” “Because of the job on Lakone.” Surely they knew that? “What does that job have to do with you?” Pax asked. Adwaka blinked. “Uh…my uncle is the client.” He winced when Pax’s mouth dropped open. “I swear I didn’t know it would be anything illegal. I just knew my uncle dealt in a lot of cargo shipments, and I thought we could find a job through him. I never meant to put the crew in danger.”

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“Your uncle is a black-market dealer?” Gigi whispered as he sat forward. “How cool is that?” “What?” Adwaka’s head snapped back in shock. “I think we should become black-market dealers,” Gigi said. Everyone gaped at him until he rolled his eyes. “Oh please, like you all weren’t thinking the same thing. We already have prices on our heads. We should at least be able to make a profit off of it.” “Having a price on our heads and committing crimes is not exactly the same thing, Gigi,” Imlay said. “I could find my way inside a few data systems and play with the planetary security systems,” Zackary said, “’cause I’m just a guy that hates being separated from my mom’s fruitcake.” “As long as I have adequate medical supplies, I can heal almost any wound or disease,” Imlay added. “I can cook with food from any planetary system,” Gigi said. “Might not be edible, but I can cook it.” “I’m good at keeping track of supplies,” Pax said quickly as his eyes darted around the room. “Gigi makes me keep track of everything that comes in and out of the kitchen pantry so we always know what we have. I suppose I could expand that to the cargo bay.” Adwaka swallowed hard when all eyes turned in his direction. He knew the other mates were waiting for him to add in what he could do, but he couldn’t think of a thing he could do that would help the crew out. “Yeah, I got nothing.” “Actually, that might not be true, Adwaka,” Imlay said. “You seem to have the connections, and family connections at that. Who’s to say we’re not making a lot of trips back to your home planet to see your family instead of transporting illegal cargo?” “Oh, oh, can we transport illegal cargo to Paktil so I can see my mom?” Zackary asked as he started to bounce in place. “I miss her fruitcake.” He sighed.

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Imlay chuckled then folded his hands together and rested them on the table. “So, we’re agreed then?” he asked. “We’re going to go with transporting black-market cargo?” Adwaka stared. “You’ve all lost your minds. Don’t you understand how dangerous that is? I wasn’t even carrying anything illegal to Beta Five, and I still ended up having my ass handed to me.” Gigi’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that what happened to you? We never actually knew how you were found with Livewire, and we really didn’t think it was our place to ask.” “Yeah, I was transporting a package for my uncle, just a special Brillian tea blend, nothing fancy and certainly nothing illegal.” “So what happened?” Pax asked. “How did you end up with Livewire?” “I’m not sure I’ve really figured that part out. I was on the loading dock waiting for my contact when I saw a couple of men jump Livewire. I didn’t have a clue who he was, but I couldn’t let him get beat up so I started screaming for security.” Adwaka shrugged. “Next thing I know, I’ve been grabbed along with Livewire and dragged off. You all found me a few days later.” “Damn!” Gigi said. “That had to suck.” “It’s not something I’d like to repeat, thank you very much,” Adwaka said. He had to make the guys see reason. They didn’t understand the danger of dealing in the black market. “That’s why we really need to think about this before making a snap decision. It’s dangerous.” “I understand what you’re saying, Adwaka, but it’s not like we’ll be out there on our own.” Gigi tried to reason, but Adwaka saw no good reason. There was nothing but danger out there. They needed to stick to safe jobs. “We’ll think about it,” Imlay said as he patted Adwaka’s hand. Somehow Adwaka had a feeling he was wasting his breath. ****

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Blade helped Tank and Colt load the Latrishonia. They were in their own little cold storage units, so nothing special needed to be done with them aside from loading them. “I’m counting six,” Blade called to Remy who was on the spaceport. “Six storage units it is.” Remy confirmed that he had heard Blade. Tank and Colt secured the units as Blade walked down the retractable ramp. He stood next to Remy with his hand at the ready on his phaser. Blade really hated these black-market deals. “We’re all finished here.” Remy clapped him on the shoulder as Blade scanned the spaceport, watching every person that strode by. They were all suspect in his mind. Once he was satisfied, Blade joined the crew on the ship and watched as the ramp closed. “I guess we’re black-market dealers now.” Remy shook his head as he checked each container. “No, we’re not. We’re just picking up these jobs at the moment so we can get to Hyberian and then Paktil. This is a onetime deal here.” “I feel like an outlaw,” Tank teased as he walked over to the airlock. “Get Zackary down here to scan these storage units,” Remy ordered as he pointed to the metallic boxes. “I want to make sure no bugs came with this cargo. We don’t need a repeat from the Lost Star Three job.” “On it, Commander,” Tank said as the airlock opened. Blade followed the rest of the crew into the airlock and waited as the room pressurized before opening the door that led them back onto the ship. He was nervous about having illegal cargo onboard. The faster they left Lakone and got on their way, the happier he’d be. All of the mates were waiting for them when they walked out of the airlock, bouncing around and fidgeting. Well, except Imlay. He was too refined to bounce. He just leaned up against the wall as his eyes frantically searched for Livewire.

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He didn’t quite let out a squeal when he spotted Livewire, like Gigi did when Remy walked through the door, but it was close. His eyes lit up and he darted across the room and jumped into Livewire’s arms. Blade smiled as he turned to look for his own mate. He liked that he now had someone to welcome him home. He frowned when he didn’t immediately spot Adwaka. When Blade felt someone patting him on his back, he spun around until he saw Adwaka standing behind him. “Hi.” Adwaka waved. “Looking for me?” “I was.” Blade grinned and drew Adwaka into his arms, holding the man tightly to his chest. “I missed you.” “I missed you, too.” Adwaka laughed as their bodies pressed together. “I’m glad you’re back safe.” “I was just on the other side of the airlock, Adwaka, not another planet.” Adwaka leaned back and arched an eyebrow. “I want to hear you say that when you’re stuck on this side of the airlock.” “Get us the hell out of here,” Remy ordered as he walked away with Gigi in his arms. “On it,” Tank called as he climbed the stairs to the command deck. “I have to go to the bridge. Do you want to come along?” Blade asked Adwaka as he headed in the same direction as Tank. “Nah, me and my crew are going to hang out and watch vids in the media room.” Adwaka beamed up at Blade as his lips puckered for a kiss. Blade leaned down and licked his mate’s lips with the tip of his tongue before moving his mouth over Adwaka’s, devouring its softness. His mate looked dazed when Blade pulled away. He chuckled as he nipped Adwaka’s chin. “Go have fun.” “Uh-huh,” Adwaka murmured as he bumped into Pax on his way to the media room. Blade would never admit it, but his ego was

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stroked every time he made Adwaka look that way. It was a powerful feeling to make one’s mate glassy-eyed and panting. Blade shook his head and smiled as he made his way to the bridge. He dropped down in his seat at his console and helped Tank raise the Lady Blue and get her the fuck away from Lakone.

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Chapter 8 Gigi sat huddled next to Pax on the sectional sofa in the media room as a horror vid played out. He glanced over his shoulder countless times but the corridor behind them remained empty. It was late at night and Gigi was starving, but he was too scared to go to the kitchen by himself. And there was no way in hell he was going to admit that to anyone in this room. “Is anyone hungry?” He’d try for the group thing, hoping someone said yes and went along with him. That way Gigi didn’t have to admit a goddamn thing. He groaned inwardly when everyone shook their heads. Now what? Gigi looked over his shoulder once again, the corridor dark and looming. “Can you bring me back a glass of goat’s milk?” Zackary asked from the other side of the couch. Great, now he had no choice but to go or admit his chicken status. Gigi slowly rose from the couch and turned toward the dark hallway. He wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn he saw an evil smile somewhere in the darkness. “I’ll be back,” he whispered as he bravely marched out of the media room and into his doom. He took cautious steps as he made his way to the stairs. He peeked around them before stepping to the side of them and then ventured down the dark and lonely corridor. Gigi pushed the mess halls doors open a crack, the food replicator staring menacingly at him. Gigi gulped before sliding into the mess hall. The lights were low as he crossed the room to the kitchen.

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So far, so good. No one jumped out and tried to eat him…yet. Gigi pushed into the kitchen, quickly grabbing a large bowl and filling it with snacks, and then remembered the goat’s milk. His hand shook as he poured a glass for Zackary, splashing more on the counter than in the glass. “There’s no such things as ghosts,” he chanted as he set everything on a tray. Gigi placed the milk back in the cold storage and then turned around. “AHHHHH!” Gigi screamed at the top of his lungs as he clawed at the cold storage door. His heart was in his throat as his nails dug deeply into the door, trying desperately to get away from the shadows on the other side of the room. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, mother fuck. If you guys ever do that again I’ll poison your food!” Gigi growled as he clutched his chest and rapidly beating heart. Pax, Adwaka, and Zackary were standing on the other side of the counter laughing their collective ass off. Zackary was snorting as Adwaka turned a deep red from laughing so hard. Pax wasn’t any better. He was lying over the counter wiping at his eyes as he laughed. “Dude, you made that way too easy for us,” Zackary snorted again. “Assholes,” Gigi complained as he crossed the room and swatted at all three of them. “You could have given me a heart attack.” “That’s what we have Imlay for,” Adwaka said between giggle fits. “You guys are rotten.” Gigi pouted and then smiled. “Jerks.” “I don’t feel like finishing the vid. What do you want to do?” Pax asked. Gigi didn’t care. As long as he didn’t have to watch that damn horror movie anymore, he’d vote for picking lint out of each other’s navels. “Has anyone ever seen a Latrishonia before?” All three shook their heads. “I don’t think we should mess with the cargo,” Adwaka said.

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“Please, that’s what it’s there for.” Zackary rolled his eyes as he waved a hand aimlessly at the kitchen door. “Who’s gonna know if we took a peek?” “I say we peek.” Pax nodded. “I’m in.” Gigi raised his hand. “You would be,” Adwaka admonished. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Gigi snapped as his hands landed on his hips. “Seriously?” Adwaka waved his hand wildly in the air. “You’re always up for whatever will get us in trouble.” “Are you going to rat us out?” “No, I’m just saying…” “If we’re gonna do this, let’s go,” Zackary whispered. “We’re getting nowhere standing here arguing about it.” “Fine,” Adwaka grumbled as he followed the group out of the kitchen. **** This was bad, very, very bad. Adwaka had a feeling they shouldn’t be doing this but couldn’t stop himself from going along with it. Blade was going to kick his butt over this. He just knew it. “What could be the harm?” Zackary asked. “I mean, they’re just fish in cold storage. It’s not like they’ll rise from the dead and attack us.” “Does anyone know why they are illegal?” Adwaka asked. There had to be a reason. They were fish after all. He still had to try and talk everyone out of this though. “Maybe they are like rare or something,” Gigi surmised as they climbed down the stairs to the cargo bay. “I just want a peek,” Pax added as they stepped in front of the airlock.

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Adwaka listened to the swoosh of the door, a sound that reminded him that he was headed to do something that the crew was probably going to yell at them for. They waited inside the airlock for the pressurization and then proceeded through to the cargo bay. “What’s that smell?” Zackary asked. Adwaka sniffed the air. The aromatic smell seemed to lure him in. It smelled spicy and sweet all at the same time. His mouth watered for just a tiny bite of whatever was giving off that wonderful aroma. “It smells so dang good,” Pax whispered as he, too, inhaled deeply. “Over there.” Gigi pointed to the six small storage containers. Adwaka and the others followed Gigi over to the containers that were netted in place. After a moment of struggle, Gigi freed one of the containers. “Ready?” Pax nodded his head rapidly as Zackary clapped his hands together and then rubbed them vigorously back and forth. Adwaka shook his head, but no one paid any attention to him. Something wasn’t right about this. He could feel it in his gut. Gigi wrestled with the container but couldn’t get it open. “It has a security lock on it.” “That should tell you something,” Adwaka said. But once again, no one paid him any attention. “Let me see it,” Zackary said as he pushed Gigi aside. “I can crack this with my hands behind my back and gagged.” “Isn’t that supposed to be blindfolded, not gagged?” Pax asked. “If I was blindfolded, how would I be able to see?” Zackary rolled his eyes at Pax and then turned his attention to the box. He wiggled his fingers in front of him as if exercising them and then began to play with the lock, hitting sequences of numbers. Adwaka hadn’t a clue as to what he was doing but watch intently. The red light turned to green and a hissing noise sounded throughout the cargo bay. “We’re in,” Zackary said in an almost

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giddy state. Adwaka laughed, clapping his hands together as the other two whooped. Zackary opened the storage unit just as Gigi and Pax fell to the floor. “What the hell?” Zackary shook his head a few times and then grabbed his temples. “I don’t feel so good.” He staggered back and then he joined the others. Adwaka stared openmouthed at the three men lying unconscious on the floor. This was so not good. Blade was gonna kick his ass for sure now. Adwaka became lightheaded, the room swooning around him as he staggered to the door. His feet wouldn’t work for him no matter how hard he tried to walk straight. He stumbled a few times before making it to the wall and the control panel. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was hitting the emergency button. This was definitely an emergency. **** Blade paced back and forth in the sickbay as Adwaka, Gigi, Pax, and Zackary occupied the med-beds. “What the hell were they thinking?” he growled as he continued to pace. “I’m guessing they weren’t,” Colt said as he stood by Pax’s bed. “They could have died!” Blade was being irrational, and he knew it. He had felt his heart rate elevate when he was on the bridge and knew something was wrong with his mate. The only problem was, he hadn’t a clue where Adwaka had been…until the alarm sounded. “But they didn’t,” Imlay reminded him as he checked their vitals once more. “I thought you were with them,” Blade said as he stopped pacing and glared at the doctor. “Why didn’t you stop them?” “Do you think I would have allowed them to breathe in the poisonous gas if I had known where they were going?” Imlay set his vid-pad down and matched Blade’s glare. “They said they were going

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to go scare Gigi. I’m not their damn babysitter, Blade. If one of the crew members had warned them about Latrishonia’s poisonous gas pouch, none of this would have happened.” “Stop with the blame game. None of us could have known that they would be that interested in fish,” Remy said as he sat next to Gigi’s unconscious form. “They’re safe now, and that’s all that matters,” Tank said as he ran his hand over Zackary’s midnight-black hair. “They are safe, right, doc?” Blade could hear the panic in Tank’s voice and knew how the pilot felt. If he ever saw his mate lying unconscious on the floor again—Blade growled as he walked over to Adwaka’s bed, ready to go kill some dead fish for putting his mate in harm’s way. They should just shoot the containers out of an airlock and be done with it. Black marketers? What in the hell had they been thinking? “Yes, Tank. They are all safe now. Luckily the antidote is a very common injection, and I had it aboard the ship.” Imlay sighed as he walked over to his desk and took a seat, laying his head in his hands and rubbing his eyes with his palms. “The injection is working through their blood systems now. It’ll attach to the red blood cells that the gas clung to and kill the poison.” “How long will that take?” Blade asked. “How the hell am I supposed to know?” Imlay’s hands pounded on the desk as he spun around glaring at the room. He looked uptight and anxious as he stared helplessly at the four men. “It wasn’t your fault, doc,” Remy said softly. “You couldn’t have known what they were going to do.” “But I was with them. When they didn’t return, I should have checked on them instead of going to bed.” The self-recrimination was apparent in Imlay’s voice, in his words. Blade felt like shit for jumping all over Imlay now. “They are fine, Imlay,” Tank said from Zackary’s side. “You got to them in time.”

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“Who’s manning the ship?” Imlay asked Tank. Blade could see the question for what it truly was—an attempt at changing the subject. He was all for that. There was no need for the doc to blame himself for what had happened. That rested fully on someone else’s shoulders. “Crank and Livewire.” Tank chuckled. Imlay stared openmouthed at Tank. “You trust Livewire to pilot the Lady Blue?” “I might be a little nutty, but I’m not crazy,” Tank snorted. “It’s on autopilot.” Imlay’s mouth twisted to the side as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And you don’t think my mate would be tempted to take it off autopilot and do a little flying of his own? We’re talking about Livewire here.” “Fuck,” Tank cursed as he looked hopelessly down at his mate. Imlay waved a hand at the group. “I’ll go check on Mr. Has-toTouch-All-the-Blinky-Lights while you men stay with your mates.” “Thanks,” all four men chimed in as Imlay headed out of sickbay. “You don’t think he’d really do that, do you?” Tank asked as he looked over at them. “Livewire,” Remy stated the name as he raised a brow. That was all that was needed. Every last one of them cringed. Blade’s eyes snapped down as his mate moaned and his hand came up to cup his head. Relief flooded through him seeing his mate coming out of his unconscious state. He waited with bated breath as Adwaka’s eyelids fluttered and then those beautiful green gems were staring at him. “How do you feel?” “Like a shuttle ran me over, backed up, and then ran me over again.” Adwaka swallowed and then blinked a few times. Blade smiled. “That sounds about right.” He reached over and wiped away the tears that were suddenly falling freely from Adwaka’s eyes.

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“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” His fingers curled around the sheet at his sides. Blade cupped his mate’s face when Adwaka’s chin began to quiver. “And we should have warned everyone. Don’t blame yourself. We have enough of that going on already.” Blade smiled down at Adwaka and then leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. “You’re fine. That’s all that matters, right?” Adwaka nodded as the tears seemed to multiply. Blade pulled Adwaka into his arms, surrounding his slimmer body with his large arms, holding onto him tightly as Adwaka’s shoulders shook. “Hush, baby.” Blade ran his hand over Adwaka’s silky hair, kissing his head. “It scared all of us.” Blade could hear murmurs and knew the other mates were finally waking up. Adwaka may know what he was feeling, but he’d never know how terrified Blade had actually been. Seeing his mate’s pale body lying on the med-bed had taken twenty years off of his life. Blade pulled back and cupped the back of Adwaka’s head, resting his forehead against his mate’s. “Never scare me like that again. No more precarious adventures.” His fingers tightened on Adwaka’s nape, emphasizing his words and his fear. “I promise. No more hairbrained ideas.” Adwaka finally smiled, setting Blade’s heart to fluttering. If he never saw that precious smile again, he wouldn’t have been able to go on. The only thing he had wanted the whole time he was pacing was to see this awe-inspiring smile. “Hungry?” Adwaka nodded as he wiped at his tears. “Yeah, but I think I hate fish now.” Blade’s chest rumbled as he chuckled. “Amen to that. I don’t think any of us will look at fish quite the same again.” “I’m getting rid of every last piece in that damned kitchen,” Gigi called from the next bed over. “It’s officially off the damn menu.”

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Blade stretched his lips and closed the distance, pecking his mate on the lips as he stared into his big green eyes. He ruffled Adwaka’s hair as he sat back. “I think everyone will agree with you, Gigi,” he said as he turned his head. “Someone should blow Lakone up,” Zackary mumbled as he batted at Tank’s hands. The pilot was fussing over his mate, trying to tuck Zackary in as his mate growled. “I told you it was a bad idea,” Pax groaned. “Did not!” Gigi quipped from his bed. “You were the first one to rush in.” Blade chuckled when Colt growled at his mate. “I’ll go get everyone something to eat. I think I saw some fish in the cold storage.” Blade laughed and ran from the sickbay when pillows began to fly toward him. Everything seemed to be back to normal, something Blade was eternally grateful for.

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Chapter 9 Adwaka smiled as he stretched. Blade was laying small kisses down his back. It felt good to be back in his own bed. “What are you doing?” “If I have to tell you, we have problems.” Adwaka could feel his mate smiling against his skin. He moaned when Blade rolled him to his stomach, kissing the top of his spine and then leaving a wet trail down his spine as Blade kissed his way down Adwaka’s back. Adwaka wiggled under his mate as Blade got closer to his mounds. His eyes rolled to the back of his head when Blade inserted a finger into his ass. “Blade,” Adwaka murmured into the pillow. His mate nipped both cheeks as he added another finger. “I’m punishing you for scaring me.” Punishment? This was a punishment? Hell, Adwaka was going to run through the ship naked and hit every single damn emergency button if this was going to be his punishment. He stuck his ass out a little further, wanting to feel Blade fuck his ass with those large fingers. Gods, it felt so damn good. Blade nipped him again. “What was that for?” “You’re not supposed to beg for more with your tight little ass.” “Sorry,” Adwaka said as he jutted his ass higher. He smiled when Blade chuckled. The sound was pure liquid sex. Adwaka grabbed the bedding when Blade straddled his hips. What in the hell was the crazy coyote doing? Adwaka jerked when he felt

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Blade’s fingers separate his cheeks, and the blunt head of his cock nudged at Adwaka’s hole. He bit his bottom lip as Blade’s large cock split him wide open. Adwaka cried out in pleasure as Blade’s cock fully impaled his ass. Adwaka began to pant at the erotic feeling sizzled through his body, making his ass clench, trying his best to keep his mate exactly where he was. “Ow!” Adwaka jumped when Blade smacked one lone ass cheek. “What was that for?” It didn’t really hurt as much as it stung. “Your punishment, baby.” Adwaka closed his eyes and smiled. Blade could use his body however he wanted if he kept making Adwaka feel this good. He bit his bottom lip when another hand landed on the opposite cheek, the sting vibrating throughout his lower half. “I think you like this,” Blade growled. “Nu-uh.” Adwaka shook his head as he tried his best to hike his ass higher. “Yes, you do.” Another hand landed on his bottom. Blade skated his hands up Adwaka’s skin, his fingers tracing every ridge on Adwaka’s back, circling around his shoulder blades and then around his shoulders. Adwaka’s body shuddered at his mate’s touch. His ass clenched a few times with the fullness as Blade’s fingers teased the shell of his ears. Adwaka could feel Blade’s heart beating with his, beating for him as his nails lightly scraped over Adwaka’s jaw. Adwaka began to pant, never having someone love him so thoroughly, so gently. Blade leaned forward, his breath tickling the nape of Adwaka’s neck sending shivers through his blood. “I love you.” Blade laid a soft kiss on Adwaka’s nape before leaning back. Blade’s fingers ghosted up Adwaka’s arms and then he entwined his large fingers with Adwaka’s smaller ones. Adwaka was blanketed with Blade’s strength as his mate began to move his hips.

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“I love you, too, Blade,” Adwaka cried as Blade rocked his hips in a lazy manner. Adwaka could see the punishment now. Blade was going to go so slow that Adwaka was going to lose his mind. Yeah, this was so torturous that Adwaka wasn’t going to fracture another law, ever….right. Adwaka could feel himself getting lost in Blade as his mate tightened his fingers, thrusting a little harder as he nipped at Adwaka’s flesh. There was no way in hell Adwaka was going to survive this. It felt too good, to surreal. Adwaka kicked his ankles out, twisting them around Blade’s as he pushed back, meeting Blade’s cock with his ass. Blade was his home, and Adwaka planned on building a fire and curling up inside of his mate. “My Adwaka, my mate, my life,” Blade nipped his skin as he spoke. Adwaka gasped when his cock began to rub against the bed, giving him the friction he needed and craved. He could feel the large wet spot beneath him and moved faster, trying to reach his release. Blade bit a little harder. “Slow down.” Adwaka gulped in air as he nodded, feeling Blade’s cock gliding in and out between his mounds. He shivered, goose bumps speckling his skin as he lifted his head, his lips parting as Blade lapped at Adwaka’s flesh. “Bite me,” Adwaka begged. Blade nipped a little harder, but didn’t break the skin. Adwaka tilted his head to the side, exposing his shoulder to his mate. Blade growled low as he lapped at Adwaka’s tender skin. His canines scraped from Adwaka’s ear to his shoulder. Adwaka whimpered. Blade pulled his cock back and then rammed forward as he bit into Adwaka’s giving flesh. Adwaka cried out as his body fractured. His cock exploded as Blade pulled heaven down and handed it to him in that one moment in time. Blade growled as he thrust harder and

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harder, sending Adwaka’s orgasm higher as he held Adwaka in place and took what was already his. Adwaka’s knuckles turned white as he held onto Blade’s fingers in a death grip, his body falling away from him as Blade hammered into him. His mate sealed the wound and then threw his head back, shouting Adwaka’s name as hot spurts of seed filled Adwaka’s body, making him cry out once more. Blade wrapped his arms around Adwaka, pulling him close as Blade spooned behind him, licking the wound and whimpering. Adwaka closed his eyes, getting lost in his mate as Blade conveyed his fear through his body, holding onto Adwaka as if he was afraid to let him go. Adwaka knew in that moment that his life would never be complete without his coyote. **** “Get ready, men,” Remy said as the Lady Blue docked on Hyberian. “This may be Colt’s home planet, but we have a bounty on our heads. Be cautious.” Blade could see Colt practically bouncing in his seat as excitement lit up his face. He wondered if they could stop at Ryjhak on their way back to the Turok system. Blade wouldn’t mind seeing his family for a little while. Tank was from the same planet. They had grown up together and Blade was sure Tank would love to see his family again as well. Maybe he’d bring it up once the cargo was loaded. Blade didn’t think Remy would have a problem with it. “You guys can explore while we’re being loaded, but I don’t want any of you going too far. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to get the cargo onboard and signatures dealt with.” “Yes, Commander,” the entire bridge chimed as they exited.

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Blade was excited as well. It was a chance to stretch his legs. They’d been cooped up for endless weeks on Lady Blue. Blade went in search of his mate. He wanted to take Adwaka out and show him a good time while they were there. Adwaka deserved to be pampered. He found his mate standing close to the airlock with everyone else. Adwaka’s face lit up when he saw Blade heading his way. Adwaka could make Blade feel ten feet tall with just one look. Adwaka may be proud to call Blade his mate, but Adwaka had no idea how proud Blade was to call Adwaka his. “Excited?” he asked then he pulled Adwaka into his arms and kissed him. Blade inhaled his mate’s scent, never seeming to get enough of the heady aroma. “Yes!” Adwaka bounced in place as he grabbed the front of Blade’s shirt. “Did you know that Hyberian has jewelers and feathers and trees?” Adwaka laughed. “They have lots of trees.” Blade grinned as he held his bubbly mate. “Then I guess we’ll explore it all.” He patted Adwaka on the ass as the retractable ramp lowered. Blade stood there for a moment in awe as he stared out at the most plush planet he’d ever seen. Birds of every color, shape, and size flew through the air, circling around lush trees and blue skies. “Wow,” Adwaka whispered as he disembarked with Blade. “It’s beautiful.” Blade agreed. He looked around, seeing that the spaceport was basically a cleared forested area. There wasn’t anything technological about this planet. He could see a few homes high-up in the trees, made of natural material. The homes were virtually the trees themselves. “Does Colt’s family live in one of those?” Adwaka pointed to a cluster of trees rising high into the sky. “I don’t know, babe.” Blade tugged his mate’s hand, pulling him along as they made their way to shops made in much the same fashion. Blade ran his hand along the exterior wall where moss was growing in abundance. He smiled at the simplicity of it all.

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Adwaka pushed the wooden door open as they stepped inside a shop featuring feathers of every color and jewelry fashioned from nature. Blade’s eyes widened when he spotted a coyote baying at the moon. The figurine was hand-carved and sitting on a back shelf. There was no way he was leaving without it. A small woman scuttled out of a back room and smiled when she saw them. “How can I help you?” Blade wasn’t sure where to begin. “Do you do commission work?” He wasn’t quite sure how he would get the work considering they were on the run, but this place was too amazing to pass up the opportunity. Green moss grew on the inside of the walls as well. The interior of the small shop had large roots spanning over the walls, helping to settle the shelves of merchandise. Blade felt like he had stepped into a fantasy world where everything was moss and trees. It was just so damn naturistic. She smiled and nodded. “We do.” “How long would it take to carve a figurine with me and my mate together?” The small statured woman eyed Blade and then Adwaka. “My son does the carving. The price depends on how fast you want it done. He is very good.” “Can he do it in two hours?” She chuckled at Blade, making his heart plummet. He knew he was asking for the impossible, but he really wanted something to actualize his love for his mate. “I take it that I’m asking the impossible?” She shook her head as her hands shot out in front of her bosoms. “No, that is not it. My son can carve your likes in an hour if you wish. It will cost you though.” Blade would pay anything for it. He just wasn’t going to tell her that. With their payment from Adwaka’s uncle, the crew had a little

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more breathing room to spend some credits on themselves and their mates. “I’ll pay one hundred credits to have it ready in one hour.” Her eyes widened as she turned her head. “Mykel,” she shouted. A young man came running from a back room, staring first at his mother and then at his visitors. She pointed to Blade and Adwaka. “One hour.” “Yes, mother.” Blade smiled at the look of love in the mother’s eyes as she smiled at her son. “They are mates,” she said. “Orillian and coyote, if I’m not mistaken.” “You’re not,” Blade said, wondering how the woman knew. Mykel nodded. “I will make it special.” Blade nodded his thanks. “We will return in one hour.” He led Adwaka from the small shop and farther down the row of treehouses. “I wanted to look around,” Adwaka protested as Blade led him to another shop. “We are going to return in an hour. You can shop to your heart’s content then.” “Okay.” Adwaka beamed up at him as they stepped into the next shop. After purchasing various trinkets, Blade returned to the first shop an hour. He wasn’t sure what to expect with only an hour’s worth of work completed. “You’ve returned,” the small woman said happily as Blade and Adwaka stepped inside. “As promised.” Blade gave her a slight bow and then walked to the counter. “Is it complete?” “It is,” she smiled proudly as her son walked from the back room with a cloth-covered object in his hand. Blade wasn’t expecting it to be so tall. The item was at least nine to ten inches in height. He was thoroughly impressed with the size alone. Mykel set the object on the counter and then pulled the hemp cloth from over the figurine. Blade gasped.

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The figurine was beyond words. Blade and Adwaka were kneeling on sacred pillows, Blade towering over Adwaka’s figure. The small Blade figurine was cupping Adwaka’s face with one hand. The Adwaka figurine gazed up at Blade lovingly with his hand placed over Blade’s heart. Their other hands were entwined together, a small ribbon wrapped around their hands. It was so real that Blade swore it was the two of them actually kneeling together at their mating ceremony. Blade glanced at his mate to get his reaction when he saw the tears brimming Adwaka’s eyes. Blade had to swallow a few times as he nodded his approval. “It’s beautiful.” Mykel grinned widely. “Thank you.” Blade paid the hundred credits and added twenty more just for the sheer beauty of the piece. He also purchased the coyote and a few naturally woven bracelets for Adwaka and himself. Blade thanked the family as Adwaka carefully picked the figurine up and carried it close to his chest. “It’s so beautiful, Blade.” “So are you.” Blade smiled as they headed back toward the Lady Blue. It had been a great day out. Adwaka’s cheeks were pink with excitement as he ran up the ramp. Blade chuckled at his mate as he turned toward Remy. “Are we all set?” Remy growled as he waved a hand at the crates still sitting on the ground. “They are extremely slow. If Colt had inherited that trait, I would have shoved him out of an airlock a decade ago.” Blade smiled at his commander. “It’s too beautiful of a planet for you to have a coronary.” Remy glared at him as he growled. “That may be true, but try dealing with a whining mate while dealing with slow ass people. It doesn’t do anything for my patience and gives me a solid headache.”

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Blade laughed as he spotted Gigi standing over by the cargo with a pout on his face, his arms crossed over his chest. “What’s wrong with your mate?” “He wants to shop,” Remy sighed as he carded a hand through his hair. “There’s not much I can do about it when I’m the one responsible for this cargo. I have to stay here and make sure it’s loaded and all accounted for.” “I saw Tank and Zackary in one of the shops. I could escort him there and leave him with them.” The relieved look on Remy’s face was nothing but pure thanks. “Would you?” “Gigi,” Blade shouted. Gigi glared at him as his bottom lip stuck out further. “What?” “Let’s go.” He waved the commander’s mate toward him as he walked back down the path he and Adwaka had just left. Gigi’s eyes lit up as he raced across the distance. “Where are we going?” he asked excitedly. “I’m gonna leave you out in the forest for the birds to peck at, brat.” Gigi snorted. “Very funny.” Blade thought so. “I’m leaving you with Tank and Zackary.” Gigi bounced as he walked, clapping his hands together. “Thank you!” “Yeah, yeah.” Gigi was a good guy. Blade liked him, so he didn’t have a problem taking him to the couple. The commander’s mate was just bored from having to stay put, and who could blame him with such beauty all around?

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Chapter 10 Remy rubbed his temple as the last of the silkworm crates were loaded inside the Lady Blue cargo hold. If he had to hear one more time that the worms were fragile and that the crates had to remain moisture free, he’d pull his hair out. They also pounded into Remy’s skull that the worms must be fed daily although they could go a week without food—which the Hyberians strongly suggested not happen. Remy knew the whole damn history on the worms by the time the last crate was loaded. He was ready to get the fuck out of there as soon as possible. One, he didn’t like sitting too long. It made them an easier target. And two, the Hyberian men he was dealing with were getting on his last nerve with their constant lecturing. He signed the release for the silkworms as Colt and Pax came walking down the path with huge smiles on their faces. At least everyone else was having fun. The only couple left to get back was Tank and Zackary, along with Gigi. Colt and Pax spun around as Tank, Zackary and Gigi came barreling down the dirt path. “Go!” Gigi shouted. Remy didn’t wait to ask questions at Gigi’s outburst. He hit his com link. “Get us the fuck out of here!” he shouted to Crank as the group ran up the ramp. Crank had the thrusters engaged in a matter of seconds as the ramp began to close. “What the hell happened?” Remy asked as Lady Blue pulled away from the spaceport. “Ask your damn mate!” Tank growled as he grabbed Zackary and headed toward the airlock.

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Remy turned and raised a brow as Gigi shrugged his shoulders, trying to give Remy his best impression of innocence. It wasn’t working. Remy knew his mate by now. “Gigi.” “It wasn’t my fault,” Gigi defended. “What wasn’t your fault?” “I offered to pay!” Gigi cupped one hand on his hip as he waved the other hand at the ramp. “But no, he had to get all indignant and shit.” Remy took a deep breath, his head pounding worse now than when he dealt with the Hyberians. “Talk.” “I may have knocked over a wall of merchandise and broke a few pieces,” Gigi said guiltily. Remy rolled his eyes as he headed toward the airlock. “Did you pay for it?” “I threw a thousand credits at them and then ran when they came after me. It was more than enough, but that little fat man wouldn’t accept an apology. You would think he had a shelf full of gold or something.” “To him, it probably was,” Remy said as he walked up the stairs to the command deck, wondering what in the hell he was going to do with his mate. **** “So, I just received a transmission from the Hyberian High Council.” Gigi glanced over at Colt as he walked into the media room, raising an eyebrow. “Oh?” Colt grimaced as he looked over at him and Remy. “Gigi is no longer allowed off the ship if we land on Hyberian again. In fact, we’re to let them know ahead of time if we’re coming in, and they

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will have a contingent of guards to insure that Gigi doesn’t leave the ship.” “That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?” Remy asked. “Yes, Gigi knocked over some merchandise, but he paid for it.” “Well, it seems that’s not all he damaged. He knocked over the shelf holding the Golden Crown of Feathers.” “The what?” Remy asked. “It’s the ceremonial crown worn by the high priest during ceremonies and rituals. It’s basically a crown made from the feathers of our ancestors and dipped in gold.” Colt grimaced. “Apparently, it was in the store to be re-dipped for our next national holiday, and it was sitting on the shelf Gigi knocked over.” “No, it wasn’t,” Gigi said. “I saw exactly what was on that shelf and there was no crown of golden feathers. It was just trinkets and statues.” “Gigi—” Colt began. “No, I’m serious.” Gigi sat up and pushed away from Remy. “There was no crown of any type on that shelf. I’ll admit I knocked it over, but I’m not going to take the rap for something I didn’t do.” Gigi stomped his foot. “And I didn’t break no stupid golden crown!” “It’s not a stupid golden crown, Gigi!” Colt snapped. “It is very important to my culture.” Gigi stomped his foot again. “It is too stupid.” “Gigi!” Remy shouted as he jumped to his feet. He wrapped one arm around Gigi’s waist and the other over his mouth. “That’s enough. You need to apologize to Colt. Just because you’re upset does not give you leave to take it out on Colt.” Gigi slumped back against Remy. He knew he was in the wrong, but only with Colt. “I’m sorry, Colt. I shouldn’t have said that. This isn’t an excuse, but I know what I saw on that shelf and I swear there was no crown.” Gigi spun around in Remy’s arms when no one said anything. “You have to believe me.”

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“Gigi, I—” “I know I mess up a lot, but I’ve never lied to you, Remy.” Gigi searched Remy’s face to see if there was even an ounce of understanding. He would have noticed if there was a crown on the shelf. Gigi knew what was going on, or had his suspicions. The owner was looking to use Gigi as a scapegoat. “Are you sure? From what I saw, you were hightailing it out of there pretty fast. Maybe you didn’t see it,” Remy asked. Gigi’s heart sank at Remy’s disbelief but he stopped arguing. What would be the point? No one was going to believe him. He shrugged as he pulled away from Remy and left the media center. Stinking crown. **** “I believe you,” Adwaka told Gigi as he sat down beside him. He could see that Gigi was hurting, but he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Adwaka leaned against the kitchen counter and plopped his head on his hands. “There has to be a way we can prove it.” “I shouldn’t have to prove it,” Gigi grumbled. “Remy should believe me.” “I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t believe you, Gigi, just that—” “He doesn’t believe me, plain and simple. He thinks because I act funny all of the time and I goof off and get into trouble that I don’t know the difference from right or wrong.” Adwaka jumped, his eyes widening when Gigi slammed his fists down on the counter. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen Gigi this angry. Hell, had he ever seen Gigi angry? He’d seen him pout and get mouthy, but angry? “It’s like he thinks I have no sense of honor or something.” Gigi’s face was full of agony as he turned to look at Adwaka. “How can he even want to be mated to me if that’s what he thinks of me?”

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Adwaka was beginning to see that whatever was going on was bigger than just Gigi breaking something in some man’s store. Gigi was so upset he was starting to question the bond between him and Remy. And that was really, really bad. “Come on.” Adwaka grabbed Gigi’s hand and yanked him to his feet then started pulling the other man out of the kitchen as a plan began to form in his head. It was one that was sure to get his ass in some serious trouble, but it would be worth it if it made Gigi and Remy make up. Adwaka dragged Gigi out of the mess hall and down the corridor until he spotted the other mates sitting in the media room watching a vid. He marched Gigi right into the room and pushed him down on the couch between Imlay and Zackary. All of the mates looked at him strangely as he turned the vid off and started pacing in front of them. “I believe Gigi.” He met the eyes of each mate. “Do you?” “Of course,” Imlay said. “Duh!” Zackary replied. “Yes.” Pax nodded. Adwaka stopped pacing and planted his hands on his hips as he stood before them all. “Fine, then we need to prove it.” “I’m in.” Zackary raised his hand in the air as he jumped to his feet. “Whatcha have in mind?” “Can you use that fancy little vid-pad of yours and find out how far we are from Hyberian?” Zackary snorted and pulled the small pad out of his shirt. His fingers flew over the keyboard. After a moment, he glanced up, grinning. “We haven’t even left the quadrant yet.” “Good.” Adwaka brought his hands together in front of him and pressed his fingers together. “How hard would it be to make sure the shuttle is ready for flight, and could you do it without getting caught or setting off any alarms?”

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Zackary wiggled his eyebrows and went back to working on his vid-pad. Adwaka turned his attention back to the other mates. He could see curiosity in all of their eyes, and just a bit of censure in Imlay’s. Adwaka knew of all of them, and Imlay was the most levelheaded. It also meant Imlay was the most dangerous when it came to the plan to clear Gigi’s name. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but I ask that you keep this to yourself if you decide to stay behind.” Imlay’s lips pressed firmly together as he shook his head. “Someone has to go with you to keep you all out of trouble. It might as well be me.” Imlay glanced over at Gigi. “Besides, I believe him, too.” “Then it’s settled,” Adwaka said. “Once Zackary gets the shuttle ready, we’re going to return to Hyberian and prove Gigi’s innocence.” “How?” Pax asked. “I have no fucking idea.” **** Adwaka wasn’t too sure about his plan now that it was being put into action. Blade was really going to punish him this time, and he wasn’t going to give Adwaka no little spanking either. He’d be lucky to get sex at all after this stunt. “Buckle up,” Gigi warned as Zackary sat in the pilot’s seat. “Have you ever flown a shuttle before?” Pax asked nervously from the backseat. “Please. They call me Shuttle Man back home. I’m the king of the skies.” “Really?” Adwaka asked in surprise. “No, not really. But I have flown one of these babies before. Only it wasn’t this nice.” Zackary rubbed his hands together as he grinned at everyone. “I’m just a guy who loves his new toys.”

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Adwaka rolled his eyes. They were in big ass trouble now. Just because Zackary was mated to a pilot didn’t make the weirdo a pilot. It didn’t work that way. Adwaka frowned. He was pretty sure it didn’t work that way. “I think I changed my mind.” Pax whimpered as he unbuckled his seat belt. “Too late now,” Zackary sang as the shuttle bay doors opened and Zackary maneuvered the shuttle off of the Lady Blue. “Just call me Z, folks. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.” He laughed as he piloted the shuttle back toward Hyberian. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Pax moaned as he quickly buckled his seat belt again. Adwaka felt the same way. If Zackary crashed, he was going to come back to life and kick his scrawny little ass. It took them about an hour to get back to Hyberian’s spaceport. Adwaka was so nervous that he had nearly chewed his thumbnail clean off by the time they landed. Only this time when they landed on the other side no people were mulling around. Zackary touched down behind a cluster of trees and then throttled down the shuttle. “We’re back,” he sang. “Now what?” Imlay asked the group as he unbuckled and turned around to look at them. “How the heck am I supposed to know? I got us this far. Someone else can think of the rest,” Adwaka said as he stood. “Whatever we’re going to do, we need to make it quick before our mates notice we’re gone.” “What are the chances that they don’t already know?” Gigi asked. “We’re talking about the Lady Blue crew here. They may be on the run, but they are far from dumb.” “Is that their new logo?” Zackary laughed. “Come on. Let’s start with that damn store owner.” Adwaka, along with the other mates, followed behind Zackary like they were marching to their doom. He sent up a prayer that he

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even made it back to Blade to get his punishment. The five crept along the outer skirt of the dirt path, hiding in the forest as they made their way back to the shop where Gigi had gotten into trouble. “That’s it there.” Gigi pointed to a small brown building just outside of the trees. “Do you think anyone’s in there?” Pax asked as he stepped up beside Adwaka and Gigi. “There’s only one way to find out.” Adwaka drew in a deep breath and started toward the back of building. He was so going to get his ass handed to him for this one. It was by far the craziest stunt the mates had ever pulled—and it was all his idea. He couldn’t blame this one on Gigi, no matter how much he wanted to. Blade was going to shit purple kittens. Adwaka looked left and right as he snuck closer to the back of the building, watching for sign of anyone. He hadn’t been outlawed from the planet like Gigi had, but he knew his butt would still be in a sling if they got caught. “This is really ridiculous, you know,” Imlay said as he crept along behind Adwaka. “This shopkeeper has never even seen us. Why are we hiding out like criminals? We can just go in the front door.” “And do what?” Adwaka snapped as he spun around. “Ask him politely why he lied?” Imlay’s head snapped back as if he were going to get angry then a thoughtful expression passed over his face. “No, but we can certainly keep him occupied while the others go in the back and look for that damn golden crown. If Gigi is right and the guy is just trying to make a buck, he’s sure to have it hidden back there somewhere.” “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.” “Of course it’s not.” Imlay grinned. “I thought of it.” Adwaka rolled his eyes and gestured for the other mates to join them. They had a plan now, which was more than they could say when they landed on the planet. “Okay, Imlay and I are going to go in

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the front and keep the shopkeeper occupied. The three of you need to sneak in the back door and find that damn crown.” “Why do we need to find the crown?” Pax asked. “We already know Gigi didn’t break it.” “Because it’s the only proof we have that he didn’t. The shopkeeper says the crown was broken when Gigi knocked over the shelf. That’s why Gigi was banned from the planet. If we can prove that the crown wasn’t broken, we can prove that the guy was lying.” “Oh.” Pax blinked. “That makes sense.” “Just keep quiet. If he hears you, our butts are cooked.” Gigi, Zackary, and Pax nodded and moved off toward the back door. Adwaka drew in a deep breath then walked around the side of the building with Imlay as if nothing was wrong. He sashayed right into the shop and started looking around as if he was there to shop. He just hoped the shopkeeper couldn’t hear how frantically his heart was beating. It was sure to be a dead giveaway. He was scared to death, and not just of the shopkeeper. Blade was going to kill him unless he could prove Gigi’s innocence. “Hello, hello,” said a short little round fat man as he hurried out of the back of the shop. “What can I help you find today?” “I’m looking for a special gift for my mate,” Adwaka said as he plastered a smile on his face. “He’s a coyote shifter.” “We have many fine items here,” the shopkeeper said. “Did you have something specific in mind?” “Actually, no. I think I will know it when I see it though.” “Very astute,” the man said as he smiled. “Many people just buy the first thing they see. They do not take the time to let a gift speak to them.” Yeah, right. Adwaka so wanted to roll his eyes. Instead, he smiled again. “Can you show me some of your more special items? I don’t want to give my mate anything that someone else might have. It has to be a one-of-a-kind item.”

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“Of course, of course.” The man waved his hand toward a case in the corner. “These items are all one of a kind. They do cost a bit more than my normal items but that’s to be expected when buying something special for someone.” “I would expect nothing else.” Adwaka folded his hands behind his back as he walked over to peruse the items in the display case. “My mate deserves only the best.”

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Chapter 11 Gigi opened the back door carefully, trying his best not to make a peep. Zackary and Pax followed so close behind him that they bumped into him when he stopped. Gigi turned his head and glared at them and then laid his index finger over his lips. Zackary rolled his eyes and shooed his hands, telling Gigi to get on with it. He could hear the store owner and Adwaka talking up front and was relieved to see that the two mates effectively distracted the shopkeeper. The three began to quietly search through crates that lined the back wall, lifting the lids with little to no noise at all. “Check that one,” Zackary whispered and pointed to a single crate on the opposite side of the room. Gigi craned his head, looking to make sure the shopkeeper was occupied before racing in front of the doorway and then catching his breath. His heart was beating out of control, but he had to prove he didn’t break the ceremonial crown. Stupid crown. With the tips of his fingers, he eased the lid open. Gigi sat the lid on the floor next to the crates as his eyes widened. Not only did the golden crown of feathers lie inside the crate, but so did several other pricey items—rings, bracelets, and necklaces. It was a treasure trove. Gigi looked up to see Pax and Zackary staring down into the crate with the same astonished look he was sure was on his face. His hand trembled as he reached into the crate then snapped it back when Pax swatted at him. “What?” he mouthed. “Don’t touch,” Pax mouthed back.

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Gigi rolled his eyes. How in the hell was he supposed to get the crown out of the damn crate if he didn’t touch it? Gigi looked over at Zackary and raised an eyebrow. Maybe he had an idea. Zackary nodded and pulled his vid-pad out of his shirt. He pushed a button and held the pad up, starting to videotape what was inside the crate. Gigi nodded his sudden understanding then reached back into the crate and pulled each item out. He set them on a nearby crate one at a time as Zackary videotaped them. Once Zackary had taken pictures of everything in the crate, Gigi carefully replaced them all then set the lid back on top. He could still hear Adwaka and Imlay talking with the shopkeeper and hoped they were keeping the man busy. He grabbed the crate and carried it out the back door, thankful that it was a small crate. Otherwise, it would have taken two of them to carry it. Zackary was still videotaping and Pax was shaking his head as he stared at the crate like he carried poisonous snakes instead of treasure. Gigi carried the crate into the woods then set it down under some brush. He covered it with branches and leaves and even a bit of dirt then turned to look at Zackary and Pax. “That should about do it. Now, we just need to let Adwaka and Imlay know that we’re in the clear.” “What do you plan to do with that?” Pax asked as he pointed to the crate. Gigi shrugged. “I haven’t figured that part out yet.” “Don’t you think you’d better?” “I want to wait until Adwaka and Imlay get here.” If they were going to have their asses handed to them, they were going to do it as a group. “So,” Gigi said as he looked at Zackary and Pax, “any idea how we let Adwaka and Imlay know the coast is clear?” “That won’t be necessary,” Remy growled from behind them. ****

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Adwaka walked from the shop and ran around back. That was close. He saw when Gigi and the other mates left out of the back door. Adwaka skidded to a halt when he saw Remy standing next to Gigi. This wasn’t good. “Explain.” Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Adwaka turned around. Blade was standing behind him, along with Tank. They looked like their nostrils should have smoke billowing out of them. Adwaka gulped as he gave his mate a little wave. “Hi.” Blade crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “Try again, babe.” Okay, his mate said babe. That was a good sign, right? “No one would believe Gigi, but we mates did. So we came up with a plan—” Pax cleared his throat. Adwaka rolled his eyes. “I came up with a plan to prove he was innocent. We borrowed the shuttle and came down here to investigate.” “And boy, we uncovered a lot more than a broken crown—” Gigi started. “Wait,” Remy said, holding his hand up. “What do you mean by that?” If they would let him finish talking they’d know by now. Adwaka was getting frustrated. He didn’t like being in trouble and wanted his explanation heard. He was anxious to hear what Gigi had to say, but he wanted to finish telling Blade why they stole the shuttle and came back. “Over there.” Gigi waved his hand at the crate that was still halfcovered. Adwaka blinked at the crate as Remy bent down and pulled it out. Just then, two guards came walking up the dirt path heading their

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way. Adwaka felt sick. He wasn’t sure he was going to like living in a prison, even if this planet was plush. “What the hell is this?” Blade asked as he knelt down next to Remy. “Take a look.” Zackary shoved his vid-pad in Remy face. “The proof is in the pudding.” Adwaka held his breath, hoping they believed Zackary’s video. Hell, he’d like to see what was on the video himself. He knew Gigi had come up with some sort of plan but he didn’t have a clue what it was. And didn’t that suck. If he was going to get into trouble, he at least wanted to know all the details. That way he would have something to think about as he rotted in jail. Blade watched over Remy’s shoulder as the men watched the video. Adwaka started bouncing from one foot to the other as his mate’s features darkened. Remy was even worse. His claws were breaking out of his fingers and his canines had dropped down as he growled deeply in his chest. Adwaka took a quick step back when Remy jumped to his feet and turned to face the two guards that had walked up. He had never seen Remy look so terrifying—and never wanted to see it again if he could help it. “I want to see your high council, and I want to see them now!” Remy snarled. “My mate has been accused of something he didn’t do, and banished from this planet. He’s innocent, and someone is going to pay for maligning his good name.” “Then you believe me?” Gigi wrung his hands together as he stared up at Remy. “Oh, angel.” The anger suddenly seemed to fade from Remy as he drew Gigi into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “It’s not that I didn’t believe you, angel. I swear. I just didn’t know if you understood what you were looking at. Hell, I didn’t have a clue what the damn crown looked like. It could have been the size of the palm of

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your hand for all we knew. There’s no way you could have known if you were looking at it or not.” Adwaka frowned. That actually made sense—in a backwards sort of way. He didn’t want it to make sense because then he couldn’t be angry at Remy, but it did, which meant Adwaka had to forgive Remy for being an ass to Gigi. That didn’t mean he couldn’t turn his anger in another direction, though. “So, what are we going to do about the fat little shopkeeper?” Adwaka asked as he gestured back toward the shop. “He’s the whole reason we’re in this mess. He made the accusations against Gigi so he could steal the crown.” Blade and Crank jumped forward to stand in front of Remy when the commander growled and started toward the shop. Adwaka felt his face drain when Remy took a swipe at Blade, which his mate artfully missed by ducking. Remy looked like he was ready to kill the shopkeeper, and the only ones in his way were his crew members. “Remy!” Gigi shouted as he jumped forward and wrapped his arms around him. “No, you can’t solve this by violence. As much as I’d like to see that man have his head handed to him, this isn’t the way to do it. We have to use our heads.” Adwaka blinked. Gigi using his brains? Was that even possible? The man didn’t have a reasonable bone in his body. The human seemed to jump in feetfirst and then think of solutions afterward. Zackary shoved his vid-pad in the guard’s face, a smug smile on his face. “Watch and learn.” If Adwaka thought Remy looked pissed, it was nothing compared to the guard’s expressions. It looked like they were going to sentence the fat little shopkeeper’s butt to death on the spot. “We’ll handle this matter,” one of the guards said. “He will be taken to the high council along with this video. We speak for our planet in giving your mate our apologies.” Remy didn’t look the least bit satisfied but nodded. What else could he do?

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“No way. I’m not giving up my vid-pad. Tell them I can forward the video to them,” Zackary complained as he snatched it away. “But we need it as proof,” one of the guards stated as he tried to take it from Zackary. “No,” Zackary shouted as he began to run around in circles. Adwaka stood there with his mouth hanging open as the guard chased Zackary down. Tank wasn’t too happy about it either. The pilot grabbed his mate around the waist and plucked the vid-pad from Zackary’s fingers. “No, give it back. I have cool games on there. I want it back!” Zackary wiggled around as Tank walked him back down the dirt path, talking quietly to his mate as Adwaka shook his head. “I suggest you get the shopkeeper in your custody while he’s still in his shop.” Remy pointed at the fat man who was standing at the back door of the shop. His eyes widened as he ran back in through the back door. The guards cursed as they took off after him. “I think we need to get out of here. It’s not wise for us to linger somewhere for too long,” Blade said as he grabbed Adwaka’s hand and headed toward the ship. Besides, we still need to hear from the High Council. Until we hear from them, their ruling against Gigi still stands.” “Agreed.” “We need to swing by my parents’ house real quick so that they can meet Pax before we take off,” Colt said. “There wasn’t time when we were here before, not with everything that was going on.” **** “Set our coordinates for the Turok system and get us the hell out of here,” Remy said as he plopped down into his commander’s chair a few hours later. “You got it,” Tank said as he guided the Lady Blue away from Hyberian and toward the Turok system and their destination.

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“Did it feel good to visit home?” Blade asked Colt. Colt chuckled as he swiveled around. “It was great. My family loved Pax. My mother kept fawning over him. Pax looked out of his depth, but after a while he loosened up and relaxed.” Blade wanted to introduce his mate to his parents. He knew for a fact that his mother would be proud of his little Orillian. “Hey, Remy, if all goes well, barring no incidents from the Elite Force, do you think we can stop at Ryjhak?” “Hell, yeah,” Tank whooped. Blade chuckled as he stared at his longtime friend. It would be good to see their home world again. His and Tank’s families were close. It would be real good to see Tank’s parents as well. They hadn’t been home in quite some time. There just never seemed to be an opportunity. “It can only be for a few hours,” Remy replied. “We don’t want to linger anywhere too long, as you have already stated. But, I don’t see a problem with it.” Blade pumped his arm into the air as he and Tank smiled at each other. He wasn’t even going to call ahead to let them know he was coming. He wanted to surprise his parents…and his mate. “Hey, Tank. Not a word to Adwaka or our parents.” Tank looked down at Zackary who was sitting next to Tank pouting. “What?” Zackary asked. “Fine,” he sighed as the little Paktillian rolled his eyes. “I won’t say a word.” “Thanks,” Blade said as he swiveled his chair back around. This was going to be wicked. He could just tell. Blade left his chair once they left Hyberian’s atmosphere in search of his mate. He needed to discuss Adwaka’s little trip down to Hyberian with his mate before they visited home. Blade walked into their quarters to hear the shower being shut off. Excellent.

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Adwaka walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Blade’s canines slid slowly down as he watched Adwaka stand in front of him, all that creamy flesh exposed as his gaze followed the light patch of hair that traveled from Adwaka’s navel and disappeared beneath the towel. Blade could feel his mouth watering for a taste. “So, it was your idea to steal the shuttle?” He raised a brow as he crossed his arms over his chest. Adwaka visibly gulped as he nodded. Blade had to fight back a smile. Blade ran his tongue across the inside of his bottom lip, his gaze perusing Adwaka’s naked form. He sauntered across the room, walking behind Adwaka. “What do you think I should do about your thievery?” Blade slid his fingers into his mate’s towel, pulling it free and watching it slide down Adwaka’s body and then to the floor. “I’m not sure.” Adwaka was visibly trembling as Blade laid his hands on his mate’s shoulders. He guided Adwaka over to the bed, bending him forward as Blade knelt behind his mate. “Another punishment?” Blade did smile this time when Adwaka’s entire body flushed. His mate nodded. Blade separated Adwaka’s cheeks, groaning at the pink puckered hole in full view. He flicked his tongue out, tasting Adwaka’s musky scent as the flavor burst across his tongue. Adwaka moaned and ground his cock into the bed as Blade dined on his mate’s sensual flesh. Blade slipped a finger into Adwaka’s quivering hole as his tongue dragged slowly up his mate’s wrinkled skin. “B–Blade,” Adwaka pleaded with a strained voice. Blade added a second finger, pushing it in and then pulling it free, teasing his mate as he ran his tongue around his puckered hole. “Lay still,” Blade warned as he showed his mate how much he meant to Blade. Never again did he want to feel like his world had come to an end when he found his mate missing. It had felt like the

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demons of hell were pulling him under when Adwaka wasn’t by his side. “Never take this away from me again,” Blade growled before he slipped a third finger in, nipping the two pale mounds protecting Adwaka’s precious starburst. “I–I won’t.” “You said that before, baby,” Blade reminded him as he nipped his left cheek a little harder. “No more.” “I–I’ll try.” Blade wasn’t happy with Adwaka’s words but appreciated that his mate was at least honest. Blade removed his fingers and then stood, disrobing as he stared at Adwaka’s wet backside. “Get up on the bed,” he commanded as Blade finished undressing. Adwaka hurriedly crawled up to the head of the bed, poking his ass high into the air as he tucked his arms under his chest. Blade crawled up behind his mate and settled between his legs. He lined his cock up and pushed past the ring of muscle, gasping at the tightness surrounding his shaft as he inched his way in. He closed his eyes, staving off his orgasm as he bottomed out. He blanketed his small mate’s back, holding him locked under his body as Blade began to thrust his hips. His canines grew as Blade entwined his fingers with his mate’s. Blade sank his canines into Adwaka’s shoulder, reasserting his claim as he pounded into his mate’s ass. His head spun as he felt Adwaka’s pleasure mingle with his, taking the sensation higher and further than Blade could ever imagine. He freed one hand to feel his mate’s skin beneath the palm of his hand, skating it up and down Adwaka’s body, feeling the smooth flesh give under the palm of his hand. His fingers dug into Adwaka’s hip as Blade fucked his mate properly. Adwaka mewled and writhed under him, matching thrust for thrust as Blade’s cock slid in and out of his mate’s tight channel. Fuck

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if Adwaka’s body didn’t set Blade’s blood on fire. It was a pleasure he never wanted to lose. Adwaka whined as he curled his fingers in the sheets, his hole throbbing and milking Blade’s cock as his mate came. Adwaka cried out, clawing at the bedding as Blade dominated him. Blade released his canines, his body going rigid as he shattered. He held onto Adwaka as his cock gave everything to his mate. “Shit,” Blade panted as he became boneless, feeling as though every muscle in his body had given out. He rolled to his side, taking his disobedient mate with him. Blade kissed the nape of Adwaka’s neck as he closed his eyes. **** Pax cautiously glanced around the cargo bay before cracking the lid on the silkworms. He knew they had to be fed daily and that was what he was going to do. The little worms were so dang cute. “Here you go, Freddy.” Pax lowered crumbs of bread into the crate. “Don’t get greedy, Darla. There’s enough for everyone.” He really hated the fact that they would be delivering the silkworms to Paktil. Pax wanted to keep all of them. “What are you doing?” Colt asked as he walked into the cargo bay. Pax jumped, hiding the bread behind his back. “I swear I wasn’t feeding them…again.” Colt chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Pax’s shoulders. “You can’t get attached to them, little bird. They don’t belong to us. We do have to give them up.” Pax’s bottom lip jutted out as he waved a hand at the crates. “Why? I could take much better care of them than any stinking stranger. They don’t like strangers.” Colt raised a brow as he glanced inside the crate. “Did they tell you that?”

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Pax rolled his eyes as he pulled his arm from behind his back. “No, of course not. They can’t talk, yet. But Freddy really doesn’t like strangers, and Emily is too little to be given away, and Darla—” Colt shook his head as he cupped Pax’s face. “You have a good heart, little bird. I love you.” Pax blushed as he dropped a few more crumbs in while staring at Colt’s beautiful eyes. “I love you, too.” Pax stuck his lower lip out. “Can’t we keep a few? There are lots of them. They won’t miss just a couple.” “No, baby.” Colt leaned forward and kissed Pax and then backed away. “No sneaking any of them out either.” Pax grumbled as Colt left the cargo bay. “He doesn’t understand the friendship we have, does he?” he asked the silkworms as he sprinkled water over their silken threads. “I don’t see why I can’t keep a few of you.” He sighed. There was no way he was going to talk any of the crew into letting him have a couple of the worms. It was a lost cause. Pax ran his finger gently over a few of the silkworms, wondering what kind of a home they were going to. “I want you to call me if they treat you badly,” he said to Freddy, Emily, and Darla. “No matter what time of night it is, call me.” Pax picked the lid up and replaced it, making sure it was on tight before leaving the cargo bay and his new little friends behind. He just didn’t understand why he couldn’t keep a couple of the cute little worms. It wasn’t like they would be missed. **** Crank engaged the cloaking device as they neared Tronos. They had to pass the planet in order to get where they were going, which truly sucked and tempted fate more than Crank cared to. The mates were warned to stay quiet in case the area was being scanned. It would take some time to pass Tronos’s orbit and Crank

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prayed the mates could hold their tongues. They had done well on the first passing. He leaned back and stretched, wondering if he was ever going to find his mate like everyone else seemed to be doing. Crank’s imagination took flight as he envisioned what he would look like. Gods, let it be a he. “We’re being scanned,” Tank mouthed. Crank sat up, checking his console. Yep, the orbit around Tronos was being scanned. Crank crossed his fingers, praying that Livewire had done a fucking top-rate job with the cloaking device. This was the first time they had been scanned since using it. Here’s to crazy ass mechanics, Crank thought as the Lady Blue floated by. If the scanner discovered them, they were going to have to do some heavy maneuvering to get the hell away from Tronos. Crank looked at everyone on the bridge, noticing how the entire crew sat rigidly, holding their breaths as they waited. His own nerves were coiled tight as the Lady Blue floated through the outer edge of Tronos’s orbit. If it weren’t for the asteroid belt between Hyberian and Ori, Crank would have suggested that they go that way. Unfortunately, to get to Ryjhak, they had to go around Lakone, past Tronos space, and then on around Ori—and didn’t that suck? “Thank fuck,” Remy said as he finally blew out a breath. The scan was complete, and they were undetected. At least one good thing was going right today. After the fiasco on Hyberian, Crank just wanted to get the fuck out of there. The lawlessness of the Turok System was looking pretty damn good right about now. “Set our coordinates for Ryjhak,” Remy said. “On it, Commander,” Tank said with a little excitement in his voice. Crank sat back in his chair and tried to relax, hoping they made it out of the Andromeda system alive. Somehow, he was starting to think it was still up in the air.

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Chapter 12 “Uh… Remy,” Tank said. “I think we have a problem.” “What now?” “We may not have made it out of Tronos’s scans after all. They just shot a tachyon pulse at us, destabilizing our cloaking device.” “What?” Remy shouted as he jumped to his feet and raced over to stare down at Tank’s console. He instantly spotted the little blinking light that said they were being followed. “Shit!” Remy growled as he shoved his hand through his hair. “Can you shake them?” “Maybe, but it will be bumpy.” “Do it. I’ll let everyone know they need to batten down the hatches. Crank, start making sure we’re ready for a long run. We just may need it.” Tank nodded as his hands flew over the controls. Remy grabbed the back of Tank’s chair as the thrusters were engaged, rocketing them forward as Tank started racing the Lady Blue through space. Remy sprinted off the bridge to go warn everyone that they needed to lock down whatever could be locked down then hold on for a bumpy ride. He didn’t have a clue who was following them, but he had a pretty good idea he wasn’t going to like whoever it was. And he was getting damn tired of having to run every time he turned around. It wasn’t safe for his mate or anyone else’s mate. “Lock everything down,” Remy shouted when he reached the crew deck. “We’re being followed, and Tank needs to do some heavy maneuvering to lose whoever is on our tail.”

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“But we’re cloaked,” Zackary said as he jumped up from the couch. “Not anymore. They are following us.” Remy gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Maybe you’d better go to the bridge and see if you can repair our cloaking device.” Zackary grabbed his vid-pad and raced past Remy. Imlay was right on his heels. “I’ll go lock down the sick bay.” Remy nodded then turned to look at Livewire. “Do you think you can get any more juice out of the Lady Blue?” Livewire grinned. “You can always get a little more out of our beautiful lady if you stroke her just right.” Remy couldn’t believe he was saying this but… “Then go stroke her.” “Will do, Commander,” Livewire said as he rushed through the doors. Remy turned his attention to the remaining crew sitting in the media room. “Pax, Gigi, go lock down the kitchen.” “Oh, but—” Pax bit his lips for a moment. “The silkworms, Remy.” Remy frowned. “What about them?” “They—” Pax bit his lip again and glanced at Colt. Colt rolled his eyes as he climbed to his feet. “Can Adwaka help Gigi in the kitchen? Pax and I will go check on the silkworms and make sure everything is secured in the cargo bay.” “Okay.” Remy was very confused by Pax’s weirdness, but he didn’t have time to deal with him right now. That left Blade in the room. Remy just waved a hand at him as he turned back toward the door. “Just go lock something down. I don’t care what.” “I’ll go keep an eye on Gigi and Adwaka.” “Do that.” It would relieve Remy greatly if he knew someone was keeping an eye on his mate while he returned to the bridge. Despite being on the same ship, Remy still didn’t like it when Gigi was out of

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his sight. He knew it was childish, but he’d glue his mate to his side if he could. He imagined most of his men felt the same way. Remy made his way back up to bridge just as the ship dipped. He quickly grabbed onto the doorframe of the bridge. “Tank, what the hell are you doing?” “Maneuvering through the asteroid belt.” “What asteroid belt?” As far as he knew, there wasn’t an asteroid belt between Tronos and Ryjhak. “That one!” Tank’s hands left the controls long enough to point to the asteroid belt showing on the vid-screen. Remy let go of the doorframe and shot across the bridge to look down at the navigation system console over Crank’s shoulder. “Where in the hell are we?” he shouted as he scanned the system. Nothing looked recognizable. “Somewhere beyond Trillian,” Tank replied from behind him. “What?” Remy spun around to stare at Tank. “How in the hell did we get past Trillian? We were headed for Ryjhak when I left the bridge.” “I told you it was going to be bumpy.” Remy looked back down at the screen then at Crank as the man hit a series of buttons. “Can you plot us a course back toward Ryjhak?” “Not with our friendly neighborhood welcoming committee on our tail.” “Shit!” “What’s wrong?” Remy grimaced when he turned and saw the rest of the crew standing right inside the doorway. He waved his hand toward the different seats on the bridge. “Man your stations, and you might want to buckle up. I don’t think we’re through this yet.” Everyone gave him a strange look but quickly took their seats around the room, mate with mate. Remy walked over to his seat and sat down then gestured for Gigi to join him. He wrapped his arms tightly around his mate’s waist when Gigi climbed up onto his lap.

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“They are hot on our tail and gaining fast, Commander,” Crank called out. “Use the pulse cannons, Blade. Try and disable their ships if you can. But try not to shoot them out of the sky. I’d prefer not to rack up any more charges than we already have if it can be avoided.” Remy heard the pulse cannons go off several times. He cringed when the Lady Blue suddenly shuddered and Livewire swore. He knew they had been hit. “How bad is the damage, Livewire?” “Shields are down to fifty percent, but she’s holding together.” Livewire looked grim when he glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not sure how much more of this she can take, Commander. Her skirts are all in a ruffle.” “Just do what you can to hold her together, Livewire.” Remy glanced around the room at the Lady Blue crew. “Anyone got any bright ideas?” “Keep running!” Tank shouted. “Screw disabling their ships,” Blade shouted. “They’re out for blood.” “Commander,” Crank said. The bridge became deathly silent at the ominous tone in Crank’s voice. All eyes turned to look at him, even Tank and Blade. “I think we have bigger problems than the ship following us.” Remy didn’t like the paleness of Crank’s face. “What is it, Crank?” “We’re headed for a wormhole.” “Wha—” Remy felt Gigi shudder even though the man didn’t say a word. The rest of the crew drew their mates closer. “A wormhole? Here? Is it on the charts?” “No.” Crank shook his head. “I’ve never heard of this one before, and it’s not on any of my navigational charts. I don’t know where it came from or where it goes.” “Can we steer around it?”

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The Lady Blue suddenly shuddered, the metal hull groaning as if under a great amount of stress. “I think it’s too late for that, Commander.” Crank swallowed hard and met the eyes of everyone on the bridge. “We’re being pulled into the net flux, and I can’t shake us loose.” “Try harder!” Remy shouted as Tank and Zackary worked frantically at the helm. Remy held tighter to Gigi as his heart sank into his stomach. He had never seen a wormhole before but had heard of them. They could end up anywhere in the universe, or the damn thing could collapse on them as they were pulled through. Either possibility was grim in Remy’s opinion. “We’re going in, Commander!” Tank shouted as black matter surrounded the Lady Blue. “Then gods help us all,” Remy cursed. **** Tank fought to shake the tight grip the wormhole had on the ship. His mate was sitting right next to him, and there wasn’t a fucking thing he could do to protect him. If the wormhole collapsed, they were all dead. “Just stay close to me, Z.” His mate looked up at him, hopelessness shadowing his beautiful diamond-blue eyes. Tank reached a hand out and cupped Zackary’s face. “If we don’t make it out of this alive, I’m very proud to call you my mate.” “Ah, geez. Don’t sound so gloomy. We’ll make it out,” Zackary said with fear marring his musical voice. “We have to. You haven’t met mom yet.” Tank smiled at his mate. Although his partner in crime hadn’t allowed Tank to claim him yet, Tank would never regret the time they had together. “I love you, Zackary.” “Yeah, me too.” Tears shown in Zackary’s eyes.

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Tank pulled his mate close as his hands left the controls. There wasn’t much they could do now but wait and see what was going to happen. If they made it through alive, then they would take it from there. Tank held Zackary close as the Lady Blue was pulled into the wormhole and tossed out the other end. “We made it.” Tank exhaled as he hugged his mate tightly before letting him go. “Yeah,” Remy said from behind him, “but where the fuck are we?”

THE END WWW.LYNNHAGEN.COM WWW.STORMYGLENN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart. You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story. Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first sight, soul Mates, true love, and happy endings. Stormy lives in the great Northwest region of the USA, with her gorgeous husband and soul Mate, six very active teenagers, two boxer/collie puppies, one old biddy cat, and one fish. You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com

Also by Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 1: End of the Line Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 2: Pax's Blues Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 3: Imlay’s Cure

For all other titles, please visit www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen www.bookstrand.com/stormy-glenn

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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