Captives

Captives

Aubrey Ross Enslaved Hearts, Book One

Felicia, high priestess of Venus, awakens on a “skyship” terrified and disorientated. Her prophetic dreams foretold Pompeii’s destruction, but no one would listen to her warnings. A handsome young man appears at her side, insisting he’s an agent of Venus. She is intrigued by his touch and soothed by his charm, but she knows his story is false. If Venus had chosen another to empower, Felicia would have sensed it. Doctor Aiden Thrax is part of the rescue party transporting the people of Pompeii to their new home on the planet of Fedoros. He’s thrilled that so many lives have been saved, but he’s suspicious of his employer’s motivation. And his concerns are intensified by his attraction to Felicia. Each kiss, each heated embrace makes him more determined to expose the greed and corruption behind the evacuation.

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

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Captives ISBN 9781419931086 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Captives Copyright © 2010 Aubrey Ross Edited by Mary Moran Cover art by Dar Albert Electronic book publication October 2010 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

CAPTIVES Aubrey Ross

Captives

Chapter One A coffee mug zinged past Aiden’s face, snapping his attention to the doorway of his small office. His brother stepped inside and slammed his hand against the door trigger, his tall body vibrating with poorly concealed rage. “That fucking son of a bitch! I knew something was wrong the moment he boarded my ship.” “Our ship.” Well used to his brother’s outbursts, Aiden calmly saved the file he was working on and stepped out from behind his desk. “If you had misgivings about Ambassador Xyell, why did you take the job?” Caleb glared at him. “You’re not even going to ask what set me off? Am I really so easy to rile?” He shook his head and allowed a smile to curve the corners of his mouth. “Don’t answer that.” “What set you off this time?” Aiden leaned down and picked up the pieces of the shattered mug. “They’re human.” Aiden paused, looking up at his brother askance. “Isn’t everyone on Fedoros human?” “Not our employers. Our cargo. Xyell hired us to transport humans, thousands of unconscious humans.” Suddenly understanding his brother’s ire, Aiden pushed to his feet. “How were they rendered unconscious, and was it done with or without their consent?” “All very good questions. Unfortunately, the answers he gave me are sketchy at best.” Aiden disposed of the shards of pottery and washed his hands as he regained his composure. Caleb was two years older and infinitely more volatile. Their mother had always counted on Aiden to balance Caleb’s passionate reactions to any situation. Caleb was a crusader, a champion, a righter of wrongs. Which left Aiden with the practical details of life—bothersome things such as logic and rationality. “Tell me what you know,” he prompted Caleb. “We’ll arrive within the hour and I needed to configure the cargo hold, so I insisted Xyell describe the cargo, give me basic dimensions for each ‘unit’. The contract stated living units, but that’s all that was specified.” “We figured it was some sort of exotic animal.” “They’re technically animals, I suppose. But I’m not a fucking slaver! I told Xyell we don’t trade in human flesh.” Caleb scrubbed his face, obviously outraged by the quandary.

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“And how did Xyell respond?” Aiden leaned against his desk, unsure if he wanted to soothe his brother or add his angry voice to Caleb’s outcry. “He told me they aren’t slaves in the usual sense. According to Xyell, this is all part of a massive emergency evacuation.” “A what?” Caleb blew out a ragged breath and started pacing. His long legs carried him from one side of the office to the other, like a caged animal. “They come from a place called Pompeii. Their world was seeded by the Fedorans, just like ours. But they have only begun to develop beyond living in caves and cooking over fire pits.” “Go on. What does this have to do with the evacuation?” “The Fedoran recon team noticed temperature shifts and seismic activity, so they did a full geological scan of the area and found that one of the mountains was really a volcano and it was about to erupt.” Aiden moved back behind his desk and sat down. Why couldn’t anything ever be simple when the Thrax brothers were involved? The thought made him smile. He’d heard that phrase so often as they grew up. Those Thrax brothers did this and Go ask those Thrax brothers, they’re sure to be involved. “The Fedorans gassed the occupants of Pompeii and scooped them up like so much refuse?” Aiden forced his wandering mind back onto the problem at hand. “Basically.” Caleb plopped down in one of the chairs in front of Aiden’s desk. “They were shuttled to a temporary holding station until the long-range transports could arrive.” “And we’re one of the long-range transports?” “One of twelve. I told you, there are thousands of refugees.” Aiden paused while the facts fit together in his mind. There were still gaping holes in the puzzle, the largest of which was a Fedoran motivation. “Why bother? What do the Fedorans gain by rescuing a group of primitive people?” A buzzer sounded, drawing his attention to the door. “Who is it?” “Ambassador Mikko Xyell.” His gaze shifted to his brother. Their employer sounded impatient and annoyed. “This should be fun.” “I should go.” Caleb started to stand, but Aiden stopped him. “Stay. We have a better chance of getting to the bottom of this if we stick together. Come in.” The standard command released the door and allowed their employer to enter. Xyell took two angry steps into the room then froze when he spotted Caleb. With a toss of his mahogany-colored hair, his bearing turned from regal to haughty. He pivoted toward Aiden, hands on his hips. “I was hoping to speak with you about your brother’s behavior.”

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Caleb laughed. “Aiden already knows I’m a pain in the ass.” “It will take us three weeks to reach Fedoros.” Xyell ignored Caleb and offered his explanation to Aiden. “Those three weeks are invaluable to me. I cannot be hobbled by a temperamental captain, especially when he is supposed to be my employee. It is my understanding that you are half owner of this ship. If you cannot keep your brother under control and out of my face, I will prorate your fee by thirty-five present and move my headquarters to one of the other ships. The choice is yours.” “What if we choose to turn back without participating in the evacuation?” Aiden asked. “Return the funds I prepaid and you are free to go.” Aiden pushed back his chair and stood. They had used the money for some muchneeded repairs before they’d left the space station. They wouldn’t be solvent again until after they were paid for this job and Xyell knew it. “I have a few questions before I give you our decision.” Xyell scowled for a moment, nostrils twitching. “Proceed.” “Were the occupants of Pompeii asked if they wanted to be rescued?” “There was no time for diplomacy. We had to make a choice and implement a plan. That’s what leaders do. In this case, the choice was simple. Save thousands of lives or stand by and watch them die.” Caleb made a soft growling sound that often preceded an angry outburst. Without shifting his gaze from their wily employer, Aiden gave his brother a telepathic nudge. Let me handle this. “As I understand it, these are a primitive people,” Aiden said. “How will you explain what has happened to them?” Xyell smiled, but his eyes were cold and calculative. “I won’t. That’s part of your job. You will examine each passenger, make sure they don’t carry any infectious deceases, and you will tell them you’re an agent of Venus, the goddess they worship. The full explanation is in your mission briefing. I’m disappointed you haven’t read it yet.” “I will do so immediately.” An agent of Venus? Caleb’s laugh sounded in Aiden’s mind. Now there’s a title you’ve never been given before. “Pay special attention to anyone in cleric’s robs,” Xyell told him. “Legitimate priests and priestesses could prove problematic.” “We’ll be infringing on their territory.” Xyell nodded. “Twenty people will need to be examined every day on each ship for all the passengers to receive orientation before we reach Fedoros. Obviously you do not need to conduct all of the orientations yourself. I presume you have staff members at your disposal. If not, well, that’s not really my problem, is it? I’ve explained what must

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be done. It’s up to you to make it happen.” Xyell’s civilized veneer slipped even more as he looked at Caleb. “Any questions?” “Yeah, why not move them to somewhere else on Earth?” Caleb’s shoulders squared and his gaze narrowed. He was obviously spoiling for a fight. “What’s so special about the people of Pompeii? No one saved Atlantis or the Myceneans. What are you getting out of this?” Turning back to Aiden, Xyell ignored Caleb’s angry outburst. “If I hadn’t interfered, these people would be dead. That’s all you need to know. Your only choice is whether or not to participate in the evacuation. Are you reneging on our contract?” “No,” Aiden said firmly before Caleb could respond to the provocation. We have no choice. We can’t pay Xyell back and he knows it. Aiden paused for a frustrated sigh. Slavery is illegal on Fedoros and that’s where we’re headed. I say we play along and find out what this is really about. I say we cram him out an airlock and get good and drunk, Caleb countered. That’s still a possibility. “Are we all in agreement now?” Xyell’s smug tone made Aiden want to smack him. “Yes. We will fulfill the contract as originally negotiated. If you need something from Captain Thrax, please communicate your request through me.” “Gladly.” With another toss of his dark red hair, Xyell turned toward the door. “At least one of the Thrax brothers is civilized.” Caleb came up out of his chair as the door closed behind their employer. “I really hate that piece of shit, but damn, have you seen his wife?” Laughter burst from Aiden with unexpected force. He rested his head against the back of his chair and enjoyed the harmless release. “Only you could say those two sentiments in one sentence. I don’t care if Xyell’s wife is the most delectable creature ever to grace our ship. Keep your hands off her!” “Just my hands? What about my tongue and my cock? There are all sorts of positions that don’t require hands if the woman is flexible.” “I’m not kidding. Xyell won’t refuse to pay us, he’ll make you disappear.” Caleb offered him a lazy grin. “Careful, bro. Sounds almost like you care.” With that parting shot, Caleb sauntered from the office, leaving Aiden to figure out what it would take to become an agent of Venus.

***** Light stabbed into Felicia’s brain, making her moan then whimper. She draped her arm over her eyes, hoping to block out the punishing light, but the radiance seemed to come from all around her, from within her. She floated in an endless void, no longer grounded by the forces she drew upon so frequently.

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She was alone, truly alone. She could not panic, refused to give in to the fear welling within her. Too many counted on her to be strong. She must— Something warm and damp brushed against her cheek. She cried out and twisted away. “It’s all right,” a female told her. “No one will hurt you. Venus sent us to comfort you.” Venus? Suspicion burned through her mind, nearly as painful as the light. “Who are you?” The woman spoke Latin, but her voice had a foreign inflection, one Felicia did not recognize. “Lie still. I’ll get the doctor.” “Doctor? I do not need a doctor.” Or did she? How had she gotten to this place? For that matter, where was she? Very slowly, she lowered her arm and tried to open her eyes. The light was real. Centered directly above her, a strange round lamp blazed directly into her face. She heard voices in a room beyond where she was lying, speaking rapidly in a language she didn’t understand. Had she been taken from the temple? Who would do such a despicable thing? The woman had claimed she had been sent by Venus, but Felicia knew that was not true. If Venus had sent another messenger, there would have been signs. Felicia would have sensed a kindred spirit. She rolled to her side then her stomach, easing her legs off the high table. The only table she had seen that was anything like this was the altar used for…sacrifice! Her toes touched the cold floor and she launched herself sideways. She would not be sacrificed by an imposter. Her stomach heaved and her head pounded, protesting with each step she took. She saw movement out the corner of her eye and shifted her head to the right. “No one is going to hurt you.” A man approached slowly, hands extended. “There is no reason to be afraid.” The man was more believable than the woman had been, but Felicia was not convinced. She found a corner and slid down the wall, tucking her legs up under her robe and wrapping her arms around her knees. “Why have you taken me from the temple?” “Which temple do you mean? There are several.” He held a thin tablet in one hand and moved his fingers over its smooth surface. Light erupted and images formed, rising from the tablet at his command. Felicia trembled, her abdomen quivering as her chest began to burn. Only the gods could command light and form shapes out of nothing. “Are you… Am I dead?” He set the tablet on the altar she had just crawled off of and looked into her eyes. With ordinary features and kind green eyes, he appeared to be a man like any other. “You are not dead, but you would have been if we had not intervened.” 9

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“Where am I?” “Would you like some water before we talk? Will you come and sit with me?” “Where am I?” The second time was a demand. He crossed his arms over his chest, appearing a bit disappointed in her attitude. “Have you ever been on a ship that travels across the water?” What an odd question. She felt no swaying. They were not on a ship. “I have seen such vessels.” “Well, this is a ship that travels across the sky. We are taking you to a new home, one not unlike the one Vulcan destroyed.” “Vulcan destroyed Pompeii?” She covered her throat with her hand, sinking deeper into the corner. “Where are the other survivors? How many escaped?” “I don’t have exact counts from all twelve ships, but I’ve heard between seventyone and seventy-three hundred survived.” “Then thousands, no, tens of thousands still died.” Tears blurred her vision and she had to look away from his compassionate eyes. No wonder she felt alone and weak. So many lost, so many… She’d sensed a disturbance in the Earth’s rhythm, something had been wrong for days, but no one believed her. “Did Mount Vesuvius burst apart?” “Did you see the clouds of ash?” She shook her head and lowered her hand to her lap. The man had a pleasant smile and an approachable manner. Still, she had to remain vigilant. “Venus sends me dreams of things that are to come. I have been dreaming about Mount Vesuvius for weeks, but no one heeded my warnings.” “Then you were taken from the Temple of Venus.” He drew the tablet to him and tapped out a quick pattern. Could he write with the tip of his finger? “I am the high priestess,” she admitted, not yet ready to share her name. “Felicia?” He smiled and she knew her expression must have confirmed his guess. “Please, call me Aiden. I’m glad I finally found you. I’ve been searching for you for days.” What little comfort she had felt as her panic ebbed was eroded by the cunning in his eyes. He was trying hard to seem casual and nonthreatening, but she could sense danger lurking beneath his friendly façade “Why have you been searching for me? How did you know my name?” “When Venus realized her husband was going to destroy Pompeii, she dispatched myself and others like me to transport her children to a home she has prepared for you. The occupants of Pompeii have always been faithful to her and she is not willing to let you perish because of Vulcan’s jealousy.” “That did not answer my question.” Feeling a bit more self-assured, she pushed to her feet but remained safely ensconced in the corner.

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“Venus told me your name.” He slowly walked around the table, blocking her only escape with his tall body. “She told me to awaken you and ask you to reassure the others that this is her will.” “If this was her will, she would have told me.” “You said you dreamt about the volcano, yet when you warned your people they would not listen. Does that mean it was Venus’ will that all of Pompeii die?” “I do not know.” He moved steadily closer, making her feel small and vulnerable. “You are trying to confuse me.” “Your people would not listen to you, so Venus sent someone else. That doesn’t reflect badly on you. It reveals the foolishness of those who would not listen. If they had heeded your warnings, this relocation would not have been necessary.” The closer he drew the harder she found it to concentrate. “If you are a priest of Venus, why was I not warned of your coming?” His brow arched and he leaned his hand against the wall, caging her with his body. “Does she tell you everything she does? I thought you were her servant, not the other way around.” “This is all beside the point,” she flared. “Where are the others? Everyone must be terrified. I must comfort them.” “Everyone is fine. Let’s focus on you. How do you feel? Would you like something to eat? You’ve been in stasis for six days. Do you feel weak?” Up close, his eyes were captivating. Rings of lighter green made the emerald shimmer. His hair was short on the sides and in back, but the top was left longer, revealing a charming tendency to curl. She’d never seen clothing like his, formfitting yet constraining at once. Only his long-fingered hands were not covered. Did Venus require him to keep himself hidden from view so she could enjoy his body in private? The thought sent an odd ache deep into her belly. Surely she did not desire this strange man! She never reacted that way to men. She must be hungry. “What is stasis?” The word echoed back to her as her mind sifted through the unwanted distractions. “It is a sort of trance or a sleep so deep your bodily functions are turned off for a while.” “This is not harmful?” “There can be side effects, but nothing too drastic. Some experience muscle weakness, others hunger or chills. All the side effects are temporary.” “I see.” Did he have to stand so close to her? It was disquieting. “All your friends are in stasis right now, so you don’t need to worry about them. How is your head? Do you feel any pain?” His questions reminded her that the female had said she was fetching a doctor, not a priest. A fresh surge of suspicion set her in motion. She ducked under his arm and ran for the door. “Felicia, wait. If you go dashing down the corridors, I’ll have to sedate you.” 11

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“Sedate me?” She spun to face him, robes swishing around her legs. “Who are you really? You are no priest. More like a physician.” “Can’t I be both physician and priest? Many priests have other vocations before they find their calling.” “I have known priests who claimed to be chosen by Venus. You are nothing like them.” His gaze searched hers for a moment as if he sensed the wealth of meaning behind her casual comment. But he did not know, could not possibly know the indignities she had suffered in the name of worship. His brows drew together in silent question, but she simply looked away. “I seem different because my home is very far from yours. Many of our customs are bound to be unusual.” Shivers shook her shoulders and cramped her upper arms. Was this one of the side effects he had warned her about? “If we are traveling through the sky, show me.” She crossed her arms, rubbing the muscles in an attempt to loosen the painful spasms. “I want to see the stars floating past our sails.” Her teeth were chattering by the time she finished the sentence. “What is wrong with me?” He slipped past her and left the room. She closed her eyes, thinking she had driven him off with her obstinacy. It served her right. Now she would suffer in solitude. Blessed warmth settled around her shoulders and sank into her arms as he wrapped a thick blanket around her body. “Can you walk?” She tried to shift her foot forward but her leg refused to respond. “I’m going to pick you up, all right?” She managed a shaky nod and he swept her into his arms. “Damn. You’re a tiny little thing. Aren’t you?” Too miserable to argue, she clutched the blanket to her chest and rested her head on his shoulder. She’d never thought of herself as particularly small, but she fit rather well in the cradle of his strong arms. He brought her to the high table and started to place her upon it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung. “Please.” She sobbed. “I will do whatever you ask. Do not slit my throat.” He stilled, holding her high against his chest. “Why would I slit your throat?” It took her a moment to gather her composure enough to meet his gaze. The amusement she found there only added to her confusion. “Is this not an altar?” “This is not an altar.” Very slowly he sat her down. “No one will hurt you, Felicia. I won’t let them.” He touched a marked area on the edge of the table and the section behind her lifted, angling until it pressed against her back. She tried not to react to the wondrous happening, but she could feel her eyes rounding. “Are you a demigod?” A smile transformed his face. His common features took on princely appeal and she felt surrounded by the intensity of his gaze. Perfectly curved lips framed even, white 12

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teeth. Had his mouth always appeared so enticing? She wanted to touch his lips with hers and feel the heated rush of his breath as they shared their first kiss. “I told you what I am.” His voice dropped as he gazed into her eyes. He didn’t touch her, but the sudden heat in his eyes told her his thoughts were not all that different from hers. “I do not believe you.” He chuckled. “All right. You tell me. If I am not here to usher your people to a new home, who am I and why have I accosted you?”

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Chapter Two “I have not yet decided what you are,” Felicia told Aiden, her big blue eyes warm and guileless. “But I do not sense any immediate danger from you.” “That’s something, I suppose.” Aiden smiled, clasping his hands behind his back to keep from pulling her back into his arms. She’d felt so damn good snuggled against his chest. He hadn’t wanted to set her down. “Are the chills easing? Your teeth have stopped chattering.” “I am feeling much warmer now.” Her smooth cheeks were slightly flushed and her soft-looking lips had deepened from pink to rose. She opened her mouth just a little and brushed her tongue over her lower lip. Did his attention make her nervous, or was she wondering what it would feel like to kiss him, to— He gave himself a firm mental shake. She was his patient. He had no business imagining her in his bed. Or on his desk. Or right there on the treatment table. With a self-reproaching smile, he took a step back. He was spending too much time with Caleb. It wasn’t good for his moral fortitude. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’ve been returning everyone to stasis after a brief examination, but I’d like to leave you conscious. I think it would be comforting for the others to see a familiar face when they awaken to all these changes.” “You want me to help you perpetuate these lies upon my people?” She was a feisty little thing. Even surrounded by wonders so inexplicable she’d thought he was a demigod, she remained defiant when it came to her people. How could he honor her dedication without abandoning his role entirely? “What have I told you that was untrue? Pompeii was destroyed. I can show you images of the destruction.” “I have no doubt it was destroyed. I saw it in my dreams.” She looked down at her hands for a moment then asked, “Are we really on a ship that moves across the sky?” “That’s easy enough to prove.” Then he thought about the repercussions of being caught with a conscious Pompeiian and sighed. “But I can’t take you out of this room dressed like that. And we will have to be extremely careful.” She nodded and shrugged off the blanket, so he helped her down from the treatment table. Shika had gone to awaken the next six patients, so he needed to move. They had found the inhabitants responded better when they were awakened in small groups. Adults would suppress their own fears and focus on children, and men would protect women. The standard social dynamic made it easier for them to insinuate the

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new information and explain what to expect. So far the Pompeiians had adjusted remarkably well. The only exception was the clerics. Each time they came across a person dressed in robes, they were awakened individually. They’d identified three priests and six priestesses. Though each had been more inquisitive than the average refugee, only Felicia remained argumentative once he claimed to be empowered by the gods. “Where are we going?” He paused in the doorway and checked the corridor. “To my quarters. You can have a quick shower and change into something less conspicuous.” Suspicion filled her gaze and she twisted out of his grasp. “Do you intend to join me in this shower?” Rather than take offense and add to her uneasiness, he smiled. “Would you like me to?” “Venus requires that her priestesses remain pure. I am not allowed to consider such things.” She lowered her gaze, but not before he saw the desire in her eyes. She did more than consider such things. She ached for them, dreamed of them, longed for them. Was she really a virgin, or had she given up “such things” when she dedicated her life to the goddess of love? “It seems wrong that the goddess of love would forbid you to indulge in passion.” “It is a sacrifice I am willing to make so others may know her goodness.” He had no response for that, so he led her into the empty corridor and hustled her toward his room. “After we’ve transformed you into one of the crew, I’ll take you to the officers’ mess. Lunch is over, but dinner is still a couple of hours away. We should have the place to ourselves.” His quarters were small and orderly, like every cabin on the ship. At least his was private. Most of the crew cabins had four to twelve berths to a room. She looked around, arms folded over her chest. Thankfully the computer was hibernating and the lights only earned a startled glance from her. He was trying to take it slow, but their worlds were so incredibly different. He’d covered every display in the infirmary before he’d begun the orientations, relying on a handheld scanner. Holo-imaging would seem like magic to a person who had never seen a photograph. “Let me show you how the shower works. You can then take your time while I scrounge together something for you to wear.” The utility room was tiny and she was forced up against him as she leaned into the shower stall to view the controls. He instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, enjoying the warm press of her breasts for as long as she allowed it. “Does Venus not require purity of you?” She straightened without moving out of his embrace.

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“The rules are more realistic on my world.” He moved his hands to her hips. They weren’t in the infirmary now. Did that mean she was no longer his patient? “She encourages us to focus entirely on our duties but understands when our needs are especially strong.” Her gaze lingered on his mouth, luring, beckoning. She parted her lips as he lowered his head. Then she twisted away. “Apparently what I need is a shower.” She pushed him toward the door. “Find me something to wear.” His cock jerked in protest as he stepped through the threshold, but there was no help for it. He had way too much to do to indulge in a messy affair! In eighteen days they’d arrive at Fedoros and he would wash his hands of this entire situation. The buzzer sounded and he looked at the door. “Who’s there?” “Your brother, asshole. Open the door.” “Come in.” The door responded to his command and Caleb strode into the room. “Shika said there was a problem with one of the Pompeiians. What’s going on? Why aren’t you in the infirmary?” Aiden glanced at the utility room door. Hopefully Felicia would stay inside until he was finished talking with Caleb. He really didn’t want his hound dog of a brother to see the lovely priestess. “No problem. In fact, I’m hoping to have solved the problem we’ve been fighting.” “The schedule?” “Exactly. The orientations are taking longer than Xyell allotted us. Grouping the survivors helped, but I’m hoping this, or rather she, will help even more.” “She?” Caleb perked up and swung his head toward the utility room. “Is someone in your shower?” “At dinner last night I told you that the name of a priestess kept coming up every time I claimed Venus sent me.” “Felicity or Phyllis?” “Felicia,” Aiden corrected. “I found her.” “Felicia is in your shower?” Caleb looked at the unmade bed and grinned. “Way to go, bro. You work fast.” “I did not fuck her! You are such an idiot.” Caleb clasped his hands behind his back and released his devil-may-care façade. “Fine. All kidding aside, how will she help you speed up the orientations?” “She is well-known and people trust her. And she is perfectly placed to reinforce the story.” “Does she believe the story?” “I’m still working on that part.”

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“If there is anything I can do to help, you know where to find me.” He turned on the ball of his foot and started to leave. “Is she pretty?” He tossed the question over his shoulder. “Very.” “Then keep her away from the crew.” It wasn’t the response Aiden had expected, but he agreed wholeheartedly with the conclusion.

***** Quade stood to one side of the doorway in the newly modified crew cabin. Ambassador Xyell had insisted it be kept vacant for his use. He had a luxurious suite on one of the upper decks, so no one was certain what “use” he had in mind. Until the interrogations began. At least Xyell called them interrogations. The true purpose of the sessions was not to gain information but to entertain one seriously twisted ambassador. Xyell snatched his victims out of the cargo bay immediately after their orientation, which left them especially susceptible to his cruelty. All of the equipment he’d erected was portable, so it was doubtful the Thrax brothers realized their employer was torturing the “cargo”. As part of Xyell’s private guard, Quade had been forced to watch each session from behind his stoic mask. He was unable to interfere or voice his opinions about the cowardly manipulation Xyell used to coerce his victims into depraved acts, sometimes sexual, sometimes self-deprecating but always incredibly cruel. Sex was on the agenda today. A young woman knelt in the middle of the cabin, naked and trembling. Light brown hair obscured her face as she bowed her head and whispered prayers. Xyell circled silently, snapping a riding crop against his boot. Each time the crop struck, she jumped and her breasts jiggled. Xyell shot him a salacious smile then stopped in front of his victim, partially blocking Quade’s view of her terrified form. He exhaled slowly, mentally scrambling for a way to prevent what was about to unfold. “You are a priestess of Venus?” Xyell asked. She shook her head without looking up. “An acolyte, a novice. I am not yet personally empowered.” “Do you serve a priest or priestess?” He punctuated the question with an especially loud snap. “Pries…stess.” She dared a glance through the strands of her hair. “I serve a priestess. What have I done to deserve this treatment? Is Venus angry with me?” “What is your priestess’s name? What does she look like?”

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The woman stilled and her head drooped even lower. “I will not betray my priestess. I have never known a better person. I would rather you kill me now.” “I’m sure you would, but death is not what I have in mind.” He laughed. “Isn’t that right, Quade?” Dread wrapped around his throat, cold and constrictive. The last thing he wanted was to become part of these disgusting melodramas. You’re already a part, his conscience screamed. You stand by silently and allow them to happen. That makes you just as guilty as Xyell. But what was he supposed to do? If he ran to Captain Thrax, the abuse might stop temporarily. However, Xyell was close friends with Prince Tarhee. The only person who could curtail the misbehavior of the prince was his father the emperor. And Emperor Olla wouldn’t even grant and audience with someone like Quade. These were powerful people, and he was a common soldier. Xyell turned from the acolyte and strode toward Quade. “Do I sense disapproval?” “It is not my place to approve or disapprove, Sir. You are my commander. It’s my place to obey.” He spoke in Latin so the woman would understand his position. He would help her if he could, but he was powerless. “I’m glad to hear it.” He paused for a cruel smile then said, “Disrobe.” “Sir! I cannot protect you if I become part of the action. I must remain—” “You must do whatever the fuck you’re told. Now get out of your uniform before I lose my temper.” He raised his hands to the fastenings at the front of his jacket then stopped. He had silenced his conscience for too long. It was time to make a stand. “This is wrong, Sir. There are better ways to extract information. I cannot participate in this scenario.” “Really?” Xyell threw back his head and laughed. “This is turning out to be far more entertaining than I ever imagined. I should have tested the defiance in your eyes days ago.” “Please, Sir, let me speak with her. Maybe I can find a different path to the information you’re seeking.” “It’s simple, Lieutenant. If you don’t fuck her, you don’t eat. As you know, this room is under continual surveillance, so you can’t just say you did.” Quade’s hand covered his pulse pistol as his gaze narrowed on the bastard’s face. “Go on. Kill me.” Xyell spread his arms, brow arched provocatively. “That will place you both at the mercy of Tarhee. If you think my games are twisted, it’s because you’ve never seen the prince in action. I’m a beginner when it comes to debauchery, but thanks to Prince Tarhee, I’m learning.” “Only a coward preys on the innocent,” Quade sneered. “You have no honor.” “Fuck honor! We intend to feast on innocence and bathe in blood. And all of Fedoros will stand in line for their chance to join us. Now place your weapons on the floor and push them toward me, slowly. Leave those safeties on.” 18

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Shaking with impotent rage, Quade forced himself to obey. Xyell was right. Killing him would only slow the process. They needed to sever the head of the snake. “I will not rape her. I could not live with myself if I did.” “Who said anything about rape? Pry her thighs apart anyway you like, whisper sweet promises or threaten her loved ones.” He bent to one knee and gathered Quade’s weapons. “I expect a demonstration of your loyalty. You will overcome this squeamishness and fuck the girl. And you will go right on fucking her until she gives you the name and description of her priestess.” “Why do you want the priestess?” Quade asked. “It is not your place to question my motivation.” He shoved Quade away from the door. “It’s your place to obey orders. Now get busy!” Quade heard the door close behind him, knowing that his fate was sealed. He should have acted sooner. This was his punishment for remaining passive so long. “You look more frightened than I.” He looked at the girl and felt a flicker of hope. She was not as young as he had first thought. Forcibly seducing a virgin held about as much appeal as…any of the other activities that had gone on in this room. “What’s your name?” “It’s not my name you need to worry about. If I’m not mistaken.” She struggled to her feet, obviously stiff after kneeling on the hard floor for so long. He wasn’t sure if he should help her or if she would resent the assistance. Pride was revealed by the tilt of her head and the brightness of her eyes. “I only need to know one thing.” “And that is?” “Look at me.” He met her gaze and waited. “Was this set up from the beginning?” He shook his head and sighed. “The ambassador is all about power. There is nothing more intoxicating for him than finding ways to bend people to his will.” She searched his gaze for a long, silent moment then nodded, apparently having made up her mind. “How long have you served him?” “Two years. He was not always this cruel. The more time he spends with the prince, the more they resemble each other.” With one arm covering her breasts, she swept her other toward the narrow bunk. “I would rather get this over with, if it is all the same to you. I do not suffer anticipation well.” He took a deep breath and closed the distance between them, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Have you ever been with a man?” “I joined the temple after my husband was killed at sea. I am no virgin.” “I am relieved.” Her dark brows arched and her shoulders relaxed beneath his hands. “Most men would be disappointed. Many pay dearly for the pleasure of mounting a virgin.”

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“That’s the problem. When the woman has absolutely no idea what to expect, she is generally unresponsive. I prefer women who enjoy sex and understand their own bodies.” “Well, it has been a long time, so do not raise your expectations too high.” His cock hardened and his blood warmed, but he still hesitated. “Before we begin, I want the other issue settled between us. Tell me about your priestess.” She reached for the fastenings on his jacket, riding him of the garment with remarkable skill. “I will tell you about her. She is an amazing person, powerful and genuinely blessed by Venus.” Her agile fingers went to work on his pants then she bent and tugged off his boots. “She saved my sister’s life. My sister had fallen down an abandoned well. She was unconscious and would have died, but my priestess had a vision that revealed where she was.” Someone with that sort of power could prove dangerous. Xyell and the prince were building an empire on lies and misconceptions. This priestess might be able to expose their deception. No wonder Xyell wanted to find her. The acolyte wrapped her hand around his cock and stroked him without demure or hesitation. “I will let you couple with me, but I will never betray my priestess.” Damn it! Fucking her was only half the assignment. He had to convince her to give him a name and description. A name, not necessarily the right name. Feeling the cameras unblinking eyes upon him, Quade pulled her hand away from his cock and dragged her arms behind her back. He picked her up and held her at eye level, arms nestled in the small of her back. “I don’t think you’ve grasped the situation, little acolyte. This isn’t a negotiation.” He tossed her facedown on the bunk and covered her with his body. He let her feel his weight and understand her own weakness before he pushed her legs apart with his knees and knelt between her thighs. “You are part of it.” She trembled beneath him, but he wasn’t sure if it was anger or fear. He pulled her hips up and slipped his hand beneath her, boldly cupping her mound. She jerked her arms free, but he merely pressed against her back and buried his face in her hair. Holding her hands down above her head, he positioned his mouth directly above her ear. “Struggle,” he whispered. “He’s watching every move we make.” She wiggled and bucked as well as she could with his big body covering hers. “Get off me!” “Good. Now think. Is there a name you can give me? Someone who deserves to be found by Xyell?” Her body went slack and Quade tensed. “Are you all right?” “Perion puts the ambassador to shame. But I told Xyell I serve a priestess.” “Easily explained. Now wait awhile to confess.” He shifted position, pressing his cock into the crack of her ass. “We must make this look convincing.” Pulling her up

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with him, he adjusted the angle of their hips. His fingers passed over her clit and she cried out, renewing her struggles. “I will not find pleasure with you.” She panted, her hands tightly clenched. “Do what you must and leave me be!” He hid his smile in her hair. Her tone was a bit too dramatic, but she’d spoken nice and loud. “I’ll tear you apart if I don’t get you wet. It’s either this or my mouth.” He had only intended to pretend to fuck her, but she felt warm and soft as she undulated against him, almost welcoming. She rocked her hips, rubbing herself against his fingers. Her clit felt puffy and slick. He wanted to turn her over and spread her legs so he could feast on her pussy. “I want to fuck you with my tongue.” “No,” she whispered then made a loud, distressed sound and tossed her head back and forth. “I want nothing from you! Be done with it.” Understanding her preference, he moved his hips back slightly then clenched his ass cheeks as he lunged forward. It created the illusion of a long, inward thrust. Right on cue she cried out then whimpered—the sound so pathetic he wanted to wrap his arms around her and apologize. “It’s been months since I had a woman.” He assured her as he continued the simulated thrusts. “I won’t last long.” Suddenly he remembered the purpose for their performance. He jerked back and pulled her ass cheeks apart, positioning his cock against her anus. “Now talk or I go inside and I won’t be gentle.” “No! Please! I have never taken a man like that.” Her terror sounded wonderfully genuine. “I will not… I cannot betray my master.” “Master? I thought you serve a priestess?” She pushed her hair off her face and looked back at him. “There is a priestess in our temple, but we all serve… Please do not hurt him. He has done nothing wrong.” The door burst open and Xyell strode in, flushed, eyes gleaming with arousal. Quade started to crawl off the bed, but Xyell stopped him. “Stay put. You may yet need to ram that monster up her ass.” He walked right up to the bed and tangled his fist in the woman’s hair. “You’ve wasted enough of our time. Give me his name and description.” Quade caught the sheen of tears as Xyell turned her face farther toward him. Her lips trembled and she licked her lips. “Will you spare my life?” “Perhaps, if you speak quickly.” He reached down and twisted her nipple, dragging a sharp cry from her throat. “Perion! The high priest’s name is Perion. He seems taller than he actually is. He has a very haughty bearing.” “No one has a bearing while they’re unconscious. Light hair or dark? Describe his features.”

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“Sharp features, high cheekbones and a narrow nose. His eyes are dark and slant at the corners. His grandmother was an eastern slave. What hair he has is now gray, but most of his head is bald.” He shoved her back as he released her hair. “Now was that so hard?” Quade breathed a sigh and moved to sit on the edge of the bunk. They’d done it. They’d survived unscathed and— “Speaking of hard.” Xyell gestured toward Quade’s massive erection. “You have unfinished business with my boy Quade.” “But I told you what you wanted to know.” The acolyte scooted off the end of the bed and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Which is why you’re still breathing.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her around to the side of the bunk. “Now get on your knees and suck his cock. My men are never left wanting.” “That’s not necessary, Sir. I can easily—” “You’re not jerking off when there is a perfectly good mouth right in front of you. Either let her suck your cock or you can finish fucking her ass. I wouldn’t mind watching you break her in.” Hopelessness washed over him in waves. It had all been for nothing. All his clever maneuvering had only postponed the inevitable. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she knelt and eased his legs apart. He closed his eyes, unable to bear the pleading urgency in her gaze. What did she expect him to do! He’d tried to save her. He’d tried to spare them both. Her warm lips closed around the head of his cock and her hand cupped his balls. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Hating himself even more than he hated the ambassador. “That’s right.” Xyell gloated. “You’re mine.”

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Chapter Three “Trans…” “Transparent.” Aiden finished for her. Felicia held the “glass” up in front of her and marveled as she looked right through it. “How is this done?” Even as her fingers touched and her eyes beheld, her mind struggled to comprehend. “It is made out of some sort of plastic that allows light to pass through.” He smiled and nodded toward the large window, only he had called it a viewport. “A similar compound allows us to see out into space.” “But there are no stars.” She felt numb, adrift in a world unrelated to any she had ever known. “We’re traveling much too fast to see stars. When we near Fedoros we’ll drop out of hyperspace and you’ll see stars like you’ve never seen in your life.” “Fedoros is the world on which Venus built our new home?” “Yes. I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve heard it is very much like Pompeii.” “I need to see my people.” She set the glass on a nearby table and fiddled with the cord holding up her leg coverings. Pants. He had called them pants. “You have told me that many of them are unharmed, but I need to see them.” “All right.” He took her hand and then paused. “You understand that they’re in stasis, right? We talked about what that means.” “They are in a very deep trance, but no harm will come to them. Correct?” “Exactly right.” Keeping her next to the wall, he hurried her down the corridor and into a tiny room. “Hold on to me.” No sooner had she grabbed hold of his arm than the room plummeted, sending her stomach right along with it. She gasped, turned into him, and wrapped her arms around him. With a warm chuckle, he accepted the unexpected embrace. “Almost there.” “What is this thing?” “It’s called a lift, though right now we’re going down, not up.” The lift finally stabilized and Felicia exhaled. “Are you all right?” He sounded more amused than concerned, but she didn’t take exception. “I believe so.” “Good, then let’s go.” He led her to a wide double door. “This is a cargo bay. It’s been set up to accommodate two hundred survivors. There are two more bays just like this one and this is one of twelve ships. Like I told you earlier, we rescued over seven thousand of your people.”

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Felicia nodded and the doors slid open. She followed Aiden inside feeling both excited and unsure. She hadn’t known what to expect, but her imagination never could have created something so amazing or so horrible. Her people were laid out in tubes and stacked one on top of the other, row after row after row. It seemed to go on forever, bodies, motionless bodies everywhere she looked. Her heart thudded wildly and her lungs began to burn. “They are…” “They are alive.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “They are all very much alive.” “Wake them up! This is unnatural. Wake them up now!” She spun away from his arm and lunged for the nearest tube. His arm caught her around the waist, pulling her back against his body. She went wild in his arms, thrashing and twisting, arching her back. “Let me go! I must help them. I must…” She dissolved into tears as his arms captured hers, immobilizing her against his body. When she stopped struggling against him, he turned her and pressed her face into the warm hollow where his neck met his shoulder. He was the only solid thing in her world and she clung to him without hesitation. His arms were strong and his hands were gentle, but her riotous emotions prevented her from evaluating the potential intimacy. He walked her to a nearby bench and pulled her down into his lap. She curled into the warmth of his body, knowing it was just a temporary reprieve from the tempest, yet thankful for a moment to catch her breath. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against her hair. “I should have realized I was overwhelming you. I was being selfish.” The sincerity in his confession drew her head up off his shoulder. “How were you being selfish? You simply did what I asked you to do.” “I need your help,” he reminded. “I was doing what I thought would earn your trust.” She searched his gaze, unsure what to make of him. Few men she knew were so honest. It was far more often that they twisted words and situations to their own liking and their own benefit. “You are a very strange man, Aiden. But you are not a priest of Venus. The question is, why do you want people to believe you are?” He stared at her for a long time then looked around the cargo bay before he leaned in and said, “The truth is, I don’t know why the Fedorans saved your people. I was hired to help move you to your new home and it’s the Fedorans who came up with the story about Venus and Vulcan.” This was one eventuality she had not anticipated. “Your home is not Fedoros?” How many worlds were there? “No.” He looked around again. Was he afraid someone was listening to their conversation? “Let’s go back to the officers’ mess or my quarters. Your choice.” “Will you behave yourself if we go to your quarters?”

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His gaze swept the length of her body and then he shook his head. “You are too damn tempting. We better stick with the mess hall.” She should not be flattered by his inappropriate comment, but she could not help it. Most people thought of her as a spiritual adviser, a source of wisdom and guidance. Those who found her physically pleasing knew she was forbidden and were not willing to risk the horrible misfortunes known to befall those who defiled Venus’ chosen ones. Except when Venus’ chosen ones chose to defile each other, then Venus did not seem to care. Felicia shuddered and crawled off his lap. She would not think about Perion right now. The past could not be changed and her wounds were long healed. At least the gashes and bruises Perion had left on her body. Aiden caught her hand and waited until she looked at him to ask, “Are you all right? I didn’t upset you again, did I?” “No.” She pulled her hand out of his, unable to maintain eye contact. He stood and gathered both her hands in his. “Does it bother you that I find you attractive? Surely I’m not the only one.” “You are not.” Memories rushed toward her, threatening to overtake her hard-won control. Torchlight and incense, laughter and pain. And Perion’s face leering down into hers. “I’m trying to be respectful. That’s why I suggested we go to—” She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. His lips were warm and pliant, but he didn’t respond. She would not allow the old memories to return. It had taken so long to conquer the nightmares and overcome the hopelessness. She had to think about something else, anything else! Shifting her head to a different angle, she tried again. After a long, frustrating moment, she pushed him away and turned to go, humiliated by her inability to arouse him. It did not matter anyway. Shadows filled her mind, like a specter she had thought long banished. He caught her upper arm and brought her up short. “Why were you kissing me?” “I thought you would enjoy the exchange.” She stared at his chin, refusing to meet his probing gaze. He would not allow the evasion. His fingers curved beneath her chin and he tilted her face up until their eyes met. “I don’t understand.” “I needed a distraction. I did not realize it would upset you.” His hand cupped her cheek, thumb tracing her lips back and forth, ever so lightly. “If I kiss you, will you tell me why you need a distraction?” Trepidation chilled her blood and fueled the discomfort churning inside her mind. Would he see this as an invitation? She wasn’t trying to seduce him. She just needed a fresh memory so she could push out the old. “All I want is a kiss. You must stop after you’ve kissed me.”

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With his hand still pressed to the side of her face, he wrapped his other arm around her waist. “All you ever have to do is tell me to stop and I’ll stop.” He brushed her lips with his and smiled into her eyes. “Remember? I will never hurt you.” Then his lips settled over hers in a slow, melting kiss. She grasped the front of his shirt and moved her head to the side, fitting their mouths more closely together. His tongue teased the inside of her lips, announcing his intention before he pushed fully into her mouth. She moaned and pushed her tongue across his, mimicking his movements. Their mouths slid and pressed then repositioned. She drew his breath into her lungs, memorizing his scent as his taste rolled across her tongue. She had stolen kisses as a giggling girl, but they had been nothing like this. She felt restless and needy, hot and…sensual. She wanted to rub against him and feel his naked body pressing over her, pushing into her. This was desire. She wanted Aiden—there was no doubt about it. “Are you adequately distracted?” he whispered against her kiss-swollen lips. Unable to stop herself, she touched her tingling lips. “Yes.” “Do you want me to stop?” Challenge threaded through his warm tone and it gave her the strength she needed to step back, out of his embrace. “My life is seldom about what I want. We need to stop for the good of my people.” He took her hand and led her out of the cargo bay. “And how does neglecting your emotional and physical needs serve your people?” They had entered the lift, so she waited for her body to adjust to the sudden ascent before she answered. “My dreams and impressions are a valuable gift. In exchange, Venus asks that I abstain from carnal pleasures.” “Are you allowed to pleasure yourself or is that forbidden as well?” Heat blossomed on her cheeks and crawled across her chest. “Such things are discouraged.” “Are you a virgin?” “That’s none of your business.” “Have you ever had an orgasm?” She was not familiar with the word, but she was smart enough to ascertain its meaning. He was talking about the pleasure a man felt when he released his seed. Did this mean women received a similar sensation? She had certainly felt nothing but disgust and— No! She was not going to think about Perion. That was how this entire incident had started. “No need to answer. It’s obvious you don’t know what I’m talking about.” “I know what you are talking about.” The door slid open and they stepped out into the corridor.

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“Having sex is a natural biological function, like any other. I don’t understand why—” “That is all it means to you?” She gaped. “A biological function? Your stomach rumbles, so you eat. Your mentula hardens so you find a willing cunnus to shove it into?” His brow arched and then he laughed. “My Latin infusion didn’t cover some of those words, but I’m pretty sure I can guess their meaning. When my cock gets hard, I prefer that the pussy I shove it into belongs to someone I care about. But I don’t believe the act requires undying love.” “I would not know,” she reminded. “I just hope my sacrifice has meant more than going without an occasional meal.” She stormed off down the corridor in what she hoped was the right direction. He was a few steps behind, so her display was mostly for principle. How could something she had spent years coveting mean so little to him? Especially when his kiss left her aching for more? She rounded a corner and collided with a beautiful blonde woman. The blonde instinctively grabbed her arms, keeping them both from toppling to the floor. Images inundated Felicia’s mind in a nauseating rush. She closed her eyes against the deluge, but the vision came that much faster. The blonde bent over a bed, a tall dark-haired man behind her. The man held her breasts as he thrust into her. Felicia had seen people lost in passion before. The temples were filled with harlots. This scene was different. The woman’s features contorted with emotion, pleasure, guilt and regret. She wanted the man who possessed her body, but something about the coupling was bringing her emotional pain. “Are you all right?” The stranger gave Felicia a little shake. Felicia didn’t understand the woman’s words. She spoke in a language Felicia didn’t know. Yet Felicia’s gift translated the meaning directly to her mind. “Remove your hands,” Aiden suggested in the same language, his tall form suddenly behind Felicia. “I think that’s what triggered the vision.” “She’s having a vision.” The blonde snatched her hands back and Aiden wrapped his arms around Felicia as her knees buckled. “Who is she?” “My assistant.” He swung her up into his arms. Felicia’s head swam sickeningly and she groaned. “Her name is Felicia.” He switched back to Latin and his gaze filled with concern. “Do you need to lie down? Where shall I take you?” If they went to his bedchamber, she was afraid he would “take” her before the night was through. His embrace felt too natural and it was far too easy to imagine herself in his bed. “I need food. I feel weak.” “The Thrax brothers have that effect on women,” the stranger said in perfect Latin. “I am Laetif Xyell. I’m sorry I startled you.” “My head is clearing. Aiden, you can put me down.”

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Laetif smiled and moved up beside them. “I don’t think he wants to put you down. You look rather sweet there in his arms. Now, where are we headed? I want to hear about this vision? Was I in it?” Felicia felt her cheeks flame and Laetif laughed. “I see. You’re going to tell me every detail. And I do mean every detail.” Aiden wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Of all the people they could have run into, Laetif Xyell was the worst. Caleb was going to kill him! He’d still been reeling from Felicia’s bizarre behavior in the shuttle bay and their semi-risqué conversation or he might have chosen a more secluded corridor. “So, how long have you worked for the good doctor?” Laetif asked in Fedoros. Felicia looked at him with panic in her eyes. She obviously knew Laetif was trying to talk to her. “Felicia doesn’t speak Fedoros, Madame Xyell. She has trouble with the language infuser. It gives her terrible headaches.” “Then how did she learn Latin?” Laetif sauntered along beside them, suspicion gleaming in her bright blue eyes. Caleb was right. She was physically stunning. Aiden had yet to make up his mind about her character. The fact she had married Xyell was a massive obstacle. “There was no choice,” he told her. “We had to risk it. She’s no good to me if she can’t do her job.” Laetif snickered. “Somehow I doubt that.” She effortlessly switched to Latin as she went on. “Are you two lovers?” “Not yet,” Aiden said. Felicia gasped and he laughed. “The lady thinks it unwise to become emotionally entangled with her employer.” “The lady is wise.” Laetif smiled at Felicia. “However, no one ever accused me of being wise. I was Mikko’s personal assistant for two years before he asked me to marry him. That’s how we met.” Felicia cocked her head, confusion furrowing her brow. “You agree that it is unwise to become intimate with your superiors and yet that is how you met your husband. Do you regret your choice in mates?” Laetif glanced at Aiden, her expression reflecting both amusement and surprise. “She doesn’t miss much, does she?” “Apologies. I am often too bold.” “I have no problem with your candor. I felt like I’d won the lottery when Mikko asked me to marry him. Many girls like me become rich men’s mistresses, but very few become their wives.” “Girls like you?” Aiden squeezed Felicia and shook his head. “It’s all right, Doctor Thrax. I really don’t mind.”

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Shit! She’d called him doctor again. She’d been speaking Fedoros when she did it the first time, so he was relatively sure Felicia hadn’t understood. Her clear blue gaze snapped to his and her eyebrow shot even higher. “Doctor Thrax?” she whispered. “Later.” “My father is a Fedoros councilman, but my mother was his mistress, not his wife. I was raised with just enough wealth and privilege to know how utterly miserable I was without it. I knew Mikko was attracted to tall blonde women, so I put myself in his path.” They reached the entrance to the mess hall. Not wanting to embarrass Felicia if the room was no longer empty, he set her down before triggering the door. As he feared, people had started to trickle in for the evening meal. He led the women to a table in the back corner of the room where they would draw the least attention. He glanced around the room as the women continued to converse. Attempting to avoid attention was futile while flanked by two gorgeous blondes. “You set out to become his mistress, but he was more honorable than you expected?” Laetif laughed. “You obviously don’t know Mikko. My husband is a ruthless bastard who does nothing that doesn’t benefit him.” The bitterness in her tone drew Aiden’s full attention. “Then why did he marry you?” “My father offered him an obscene dowry for ‘making me respectable’. It was a financial transaction, plain and simple.” She shrugged it off, but pain lingered in her gaze. “Enough about me. Tell me about you. Have you always had visions?” Again Felicia looked to him for assistance. She was obviously not accustomed to lying. How refreshing. “She’s had prophetic visions since she was a child. That’s actually what brought us together. Six years ago she participated in a sleep study I was conducting in the hopes of debunking psychic dreams. Instead of being able to prove she was a fraud, she proved to me that she is a prophet. She’s really quite remarkable. We’ve been working together ever since. She’s too eager to believe and I’m too damn jaded, so we balance each other out.” “But you don’t sleep together? You have incredible chemistry. I can feel the heat from here.” She winked at him. “What are you waiting for? Seduce her!” “I cannot be seduced,” Felicia insisted. They both laughed. “Anyone can be seduced,” Laetif told her. “You misunderstood my meaning. If I surrender to my desire for Aiden, I would lose my gifts. These forces can only flow through a pure vessel.” “You’re a virgin?” Laetif’s eyes widened and she rested her chin on her hand. “You poor thing. I would die without sex.” “I did not say I was a virgin. But I must keep my mind and body—”

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“If the power didn’t leave you after you fucked the first time, why are you so convinced it will leave you now?” Felicia scooted to the edge of her chair and her eyes were unusually bright. Was she fighting back tears? “Madame Xyell, she obviously doesn’t want to talk about it.” “It wasn’t my fault,” Felicia whispered, and a tear escaped the corner of her eye. Aiden scooted closer to her on one side and Laetif did the same on the other. They reached for her hands at exactly the same time and each ended up with one. “I’m sorry, Felicia.” Laetif beat him to the line. “Here I am running my mouth and you’re traumatized. Did you know the man who raped you?” “She doesn’t want to talk about it.” Aiden glared at her, damn the consequences. Being his employer’s wife didn’t give her the right to torment the passengers. “She needs to talk about it.” Aiden looked closer and saw only compassion in Laetif’s eyes. “Let it out, sweetheart. How long have you been holding this in?” Felicia shifter her chair, putting her back to the room, and spoke in a soft, anguished tone that tore at Aiden’s heart. “I not only knew him, but he was my mentor and spiritual guide.” “Another fucking priest,” Laetif sneered in Fedoros. “Are they lecherous in every culture?” “Power corrupts,” he responded. “Regardless of its supposed source.” “Not all priests are bad. Just as not all doctors take advantage of their patients.” Felicia waited for the comment to sink in before she returned her gaze to Laetif. “I was not this priest’s only victim. He convinced us that our goddess gave him permission to take his pleasure with us. He told us that it was allowed because we all served the goddess, that our coupling was a form of worship.” “How nice for him.” Laetif shook her head. “Was he punished for taking advantage of you and the others?” “As I matured and grew more comfortable in my power, I realized he was a charlatan. I tried to run him off, but he has powerful friends who protected him and his position in the temple. I warned each and every novice to avoid him, and we learned to stay out of each other’s paths.” A long, strained silence followed. Aiden seethed, wondering if the bastard was down in the cargo bay. Felicia looked decidedly uncomfortable, and Laetif was plotting something. He hadn’t known her long, but already he could spot that calculative expression. “You need to go get us some food,” Laetif told him, her gaze settling on Felicia. “I don’t think so. What are you thinking?” “I need to have a conversation with your assistant and you’re not invited.” “Anything you want to say, you can say in front of me.”

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“Not gonna happen.” She shooed him with her long, sculpted nails. “Run along. And give us at least fifteen minutes.” He looked at Felicia, but her features had fallen into an expressionless mask. “Do you want me to stay, or would you like to hear what she has to say?” “I have already told you two more about myself than I told my own mother.” She shook her head and finally smiled. “I am still trying to figure out how it happened.” “You just needed the right friend, and now you’ve found her.” Laetif returned her smile then turned on Aiden, shooing him away with a playful glare.

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Chapter Four Felicia watched the easy exchange between Aiden and Laetif, mesmerized by their banter. He had returned with a tray full of food, but her appetite had yet to return. She was not sure if it was her prolonged stay in stasis or if talk of Perion was upsetting her. She held her wineglass, still amazed that her hand did not pass through. Stop resisting him. Laetif’s advice echoed through Felicia’s mind. She knew what Perion had done to her had been evil and wrong, and she knew she had done nothing to invite his attentions. What she had never considered was that her first and only exposure to sexual intimacy was the reason she accepted the “purity mandate” without question. She had no desire to ever repeat a painful and humiliating act, so forgoing copulation was no real sacrifice. Laetif had gone on to explain how a woman’s body created the sensation Aiden had called “orgasm”. She’d used words like “clit” and “pussy”, but Felicia had been too embarrassed to ask questions. “You know, your best bet is to just stop resisting Aiden.” Laetif had spotted him walking their way and quickly added, “He knows what happened to you, so he’ll take his time. He’ll be gentle and show you how it should have been.” “Still not hungry?” Aiden asked when he noticed her untouched plate. “She’s thinking about my suggestions, I hope.” Laetif grinned. “You are too sweet to be so…alone. Isolation hovers around you like a cloud.” Felicia’s heart gave a guilty pang. How did this woman see her so clearly? She had always felt set apart, isolated from the world. “And you think what we talked about will help me feel more connected to those around me?” “I know it will.” Her eyes flew open wide and she pivoted in her chair, shifting her long legs out from under the table so she could cross them. “You never told me about the vision. What did you see?” Raising her wineglass to hide her panic, she scrambled for a plausible lie. How did Aiden concoct fictitious stories so readily? “I do not think it was a vision. Sometimes I am able to see other people’s memories.” That much was true, but that was not what had happened when Laetif grabbed her. The event she witnessed had not yet taken place. “You hijacked one of my memories?” “Not intentionally. It is a spontaneous reaction when my mind encounters another for the first time.” Again that was true. It just did not pertain to the situation. “Tell me what you saw. I want to see how accurate your gift is.” 32

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She looked at Aiden, fidgeting. “I’d rather not. You were in an intimate situation.” Laetif laughed. “Every time you shake someone’s hand you see them fucking?” “No. The memories can be of anything. Often whatever the person is thinking about at the time.” “Well, let me think. I’d just passed his brother in the hallway and I was thinking he had an amazing ass.” Felicia looked at Aiden and thought of the man in the vision. There features were very much the same. “Does your brother have a colorful tattoo across his shoulder and down one arm?” His gaze registered his shock and he nodded. She turned back to Laetif with a smile. “You were thinking about more than his amazing ass. I believe what I ‘hijacked’ was a fantasy, not a memory.” “Oh my God, I did not picture us fucking. I swear! Now granted he is high on my Iwouldn’t-mind-doing list, but I watched him walk for a few seconds and then I turned the corner and smacked into you.” “Your imagination can form a detailed fantasy in the blink of an eye. You might have passed the image into my mind before you even understood what you were seeing.” “I’ve never seen Caleb without his shirt on,” Laetif defended. “How’d I know about his tattoo?” They were all quiet for a moment as the possibilities spread out before them. Felicia watched understanding unfurl in the other woman’s eyes and reached for her hand. “It was a fantasy. A harmless imagining.” “How often do your predictions come true?” All playfulness was gone. She drew her hand away and unfolded her legs. “The future has yet to be written. You can always—” “Cut the bullshit, Felicia. Have you ever seen something that didn’t happen?” Unable to speak the lie, Felicia shook her head. “Well, this is going to be interesting. He’s sexy as hell, but I can’t imagine when or why I would actually fall into bed with him. My husband is jealous and cruel. I haven’t taken a lover in three years because of what he did to the last man I slept with. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty.” Laetif stood and carefully pushed in her chair, a study in elegant aloofness. “I am sorry. I did not mean to upset you.” “I’m not upset, just confused.” She straightened her shoulders and recaptured a bit of her previous verve. “Let me know how your exploration goes.” With a saucy wink, she left the mess hall. “Why didn’t you lie to her?” Aiden lamented, leaning back in his chair. “I tried. I am not as good at it as you are.”

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“I’d say there is no way Caleb would touch her knowing what’s at stake, but Caleb’s not like that. He likes it best when the stakes are highest.” She thought again of the man in the vision and a shiver sped down her spine. “Your brother is a very handsome man. I can understand why she would…” His chair slammed down and he pulled her to him, chair and all. “Stay away from my brother. I love him with all my heart, but he would gobble you up like candy.” “Only if I was really hungry.” Felicia raised her gaze to the man standing directly behind Aiden and her mouth gaped. The vision had not done him justice. Aiden’s handsomeness was subtle, shining through when he smiled and when she gazed deep into his eyes. Caleb, on the other hand, had the sort of face that turned heads and inspired sighs. He was half a head taller than Aiden and more heavily muscled. The clean lines of his black-and-green uniform showcased the basic shape of his body, but she had seen his true magnificence in the vision. Two shades darker than his brothers, Caleb’s green eyes assessed her with masculine appreciation. He offered her a quick smile then slipped into the chair beside Aiden. “What happened to keeping her away from the crew?” He motioned to the rapidly filling tables. He had asked the question in Fedoros. Felicia wasn’t sure how she was able to comprehend their language, but she wasn’t ready to reveal her ability. Despite Caleb’s rudeness, Aiden responded in Latin. “Our conversation with Madame Xyell took longer than we expected, we’ll—” “Why the fuck were you having a conversation with Xyell’s wife?” Caleb ignored the prompt and continued in Fedoros. “I ran into her in the corridor,” Felicia told him. He looked at her again, his gaze intense and commanding. She quickly lowered her gaze, confused by her immediate reaction. She wasn’t afraid of him, so why had she cowered? “I’m not going to bite you.” He finally switched to Latin. “You’re at the mercy of my idiot brother. I understand that.” “It was not his fault.” Her voice was stronger, but she could not bring herself to meet his gaze. We’ve got ourselves a submissive. Oh this could be fun. Do you want to train her or can I? Felicia gasped and raised her head. “No one is going to ‘train’ me! I am high priestess of the Temple of Venus. I am no man’s pet.” The brothers exchanged confused expressions. “Did I say that out loud?” Caleb asked. “No,” Aiden assured him. “She’s seriously psychic, so I’m not surprised she overheard you. What doesn’t make sense is how she understood you.” Aiden touched her chin, guiding her face around until she looked at him. “How long have you been able to understand us?” 34

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She licked her lips, far more comfortable looking into his warm gaze than his brother’s tempestuous stare. “It happened in the corridor, when I collided with Madame Xyell. She had my arms and you wrapped your arm around me from behind. It was like a whirlpool swirling around us. The current flowed from her into you and back into me. I have been able to understand your language ever since.” “Now that sounds downright kinky.” Caleb chuckled then shook his head. “I didn’t mean train in a cruel or derogatory way. The process is exciting and pleasurable.” He rested his forearms on the table and leaned toward her. “Why do you keep looking down when I look at you?” “You have a very forceful personality.” “I intimidate you?” His smile was slow and sexy this time. “I don’t buy it. You might not understand your true nature, but your body knows.” “Caleb, back off.” There was definite warning in Aiden’s tone. She could almost hear them growling at each other. “Felicia is under my protection.” She was? She had not really thought about it in those terms, but Aiden had been undeniably protective. She looked at Caleb, waiting for his response. He was easily the stronger of the two. Would he challenge his brother’s claim? “Relax. I’m not trying to poach.” “You asked if you could train me,” she reminded him. She’d spent the majority of her life being trained by men. Trained and manipulated and abused. Then she’d realized she was strong enough to resist her tormentors and protect others they intended to victimize. Caleb’s smile was completely unrepentant. “I asked if he intended to train you first. If he has already staked a claim, I’m hands-off and he knows it.” “I belong to no man.” Aiden groaned and shook his head, hand covering his eyes. “Don’t challenge him. He’ll come on that much stronger.” “Not if she’s yours.” Caleb pushed back his chair and stood. “Take her back to the infirmary. You’re drawing too much attention here. The crew doesn’t need the distraction, and I don’t need them deciding they all want to play with the cargo.” Felicia cringed at his description of her people, but Aiden squeezed her knee so she kept quiet. Caleb moved on to another table where he was greeted with smiles by the occupants. His crew obviously liked him. She still was not sure what to make of him. It was easy to understand why Laetif would be tempted by his physical appearance, but his personality was rather abrasive. “Bring your plate along. You still need to eat.” Aiden grabbed the pitcher of wine and their glasses, and they returned to the infirmary. Shika, one of Aiden’s assistants, hurried across the room as they entered. “Where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you answer your audiocom?” “Because it’s on my desk. What’s the matter?”

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“The last group was so damn argumentative. I was ready to pull my hair out. I finally misted the leader and the others nearly fell out of their seats. One got on the floor and bowed before me. It was the most humiliating experience of my life.” “You commanded a man into unconsciousness. How do you think that looked to people who have never taken an aspirin?” “I didn’t have any other choice! I’ll do all the physical exams, but I’m not attempting another orientation. I’m no good at it.” He smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing firmly. She closed her eyes and moaned. “Relax. We’ll work it out.” Felicia watched his hands, wondering what it would feel like to have those fingers working her tight muscles. Shika seemed pleased by the touch. Tension melted from her features and she slowly exhaled. “Better?” “I still hate you, but yes.” Shika nodded toward her and asked, “Shouldn’t she be in stasis?” “I’ve asked her to help out. Hopefully with her assistance the orientations will go smoother and faster.” “I have not agreed to help you,” Felicia reminded him. “I’m well aware of that.” “Won’t Xyell object?” Speculation narrowed Shika’s gaze. “What about the crew?” “I’ll keep her out of sight as much as possible. But if we’re backed into a corner, we’ll claim she’s a consultant who shuttled over from one of the other ships.” “We will, will we?” Shika’s head tilted to an obstinate angle. “When did I become part of this deception?” To Felicia’s astonishment, Aiden chuckled. “You want out of doing the orientations, don’t you?” “That’s blackmail.” Shika glared, but Felicia sensed no real animosity. “The crew might buy that line, but Xyell will know better.” “I already took care of Xyell. According to the roster, Felicia’s tube malfunctioned and she didn’t survive.” His easy explanation left Felicia cold. Could his lie be undone? How could she return to her life if she was supposed to be dead? “Is anyone in the process right now?” he asked his assistant. “No, but we should call for the next batch in about ten minutes.” “So take a break. I’ll see you back here in ten.” Shika nodded and left the infirmary. Aiden led her through the main area of the clinic and into a room tucked away in back. “You can eat in my office.” He motioned toward an odd-looking table. It was low and small with storage compartments attached to the underside. “It’s called a desk.” 36

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“Desk.” She tried out the new word, frustrated by all she did not know. “What if I do not wish to be dead?” She couldn’t force her mind beyond the question. “I’ll change the roster, shuffle you back into the mix.” He made it sound so simple, almost insignificant. He poured her a glass of wine and she nibbled at the contents of her plate. The food had probably been more appetizing when it was hot. Even so, she needed nourishment, so she ignored the taste and forced herself to eat. “The orientations really will run much smoother if you’ll agree to help me.” He stood near the open doorway, one shoulder resting against the wall. “You wake my people and tell them they are being moved to a new home because Vulcan is angry with Venus.” She took a sip of wine and thought for a moment. “Is there no chance Laetif’s husband will return us to Italy?” He shook his head. “I don’t understand the endgame, but this is an investment to him.” Thoughts raced through her head, possibilities and suspicions, each one less appealing than the last. “Are we to be sold as slaves?” “Slavery is illegal on Fedoros. From what I understand, they have built a city very similar to Pompeii. Once your people are settled in, life will resume much as it was before the relocation.” “If that is true, I find no fault in using the story to explain the relocation. But one question remains unanswered.” “Why is Xyell doing this?” She nodded. “He must gain something or he would not have gone to all this trouble.” “And I don’t have the answer to that question.” “Who would? I cannot offer my support until I understand the—how did you put it?—endgame.” “Laetif is our best hope of finding out what’s really going on.” Moving behind the desk, he then sat. Then he pushed his fingers upward across the desktop and glowing images erupted in the space between them. Felicia gasped and leapt out of her chair, moving behind it for shelter. “It’s all right. This is just the graphical interface for the computer. Most of the functions can be reached through voice command, but this provides more information.” “This is one of your…machines?” She pressed her hand over her frantically beating heart and shivered. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you. Our machines are so much a part of everyday life that I forget about them. I’ll try and be more sensitive to your frame of reference.”

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At time such as these she felt so foolish, so small and insignificant. She was not stupid. She was even able to read and write, which was highly unusual for a woman. Still, Aiden’s world made her feel—lost. “Laetif has a do-not-disturb designation. We’ll have to try again in the morning.” Felicia took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “And I cannot help you until I have spoken with her. I have to understand what will become of my people before I can participate in the transition.” Aiden sighed, but he did not argue. “Then I’ll need you out of sight. I understand why you won’t help me, but I can’t allow you to sabotage me either. You’ll need to wait in my cabin. I have three more groups to get through tonight.”

***** Laetif sat at the small, round table in her cabin, staring at the hologram of New Pompeii. The city really was spectacular and amazingly authentic. Would it please Felicia’s people, or would they be so traumatized by the upheaval that they wouldn’t appreciate the splendor? Aiden’s flimsy story hadn’t fooled Laetif for a minute. Felicia was clearly one of the survivors. Had she caught his eye while he was examining her and he hadn’t been able to cram her back into one of those infernal stasis tubes? Laetif liked the idea. It was romantic. And romance was sadly lacking in the world, in most worlds, for that matter. Pushing back her chair, she stood and wandered about the cabin. Not that there was anything she hadn’t seen a hundred times before. This had seemed like such a good idea in the beginning. She’d surprise Mikko by accompanying him on this historic journey. The Thrax brothers had been happy to make the arrangement. She was Mikko’s wife, after all. Why would they hesitate to help her with the surprise? Mikko had been surprised all right. He’d been shocked and furious, and he’d had her moved into her own cabin before the first day was through. For one foolish moment, she’d actually thought the close quarters would force him to rediscover their love. They’d been so combustible once, so lost in each other. But those days were long gone. And she’d spent the past eight weeks alone in this dreary cabin. Felicia’s prediction had haunted her all evening. If Laetif had an affair with the captain, it was sure to be a short-term, shipboard sort of romance. She’d never been interested in something so superficial. She shook her head. Felicia was wrong. That was all there was to it. Caleb was utterly fuckable, that was a fact, but Laetif had no interest in being another notch on his bedpost. The door buzzer interrupted her troubled thoughts and she crossed to the security panel, activating visual. Quade. She sighed. What was Mikko’s newest goon doing here? “What do you want? I’m not feeling well.” She transmitted audio only, enjoying the momentary advantage.

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He straightened his shoulders and clasped his hands behind his back. “I was sent to check on you. We heard you left the mess hall abruptly and Ambassador Xyell was concerned.” That was three hours ago. He must not have been too concerned. “Tell Ambassador Xyell that I’m fine.” “I can’t do that, ma’am. I was told not to return until I’d seen you.” Laetif triggered the door and positioned herself in the doorway, forearm resting against the frame. “Now you’ve seen me. Go away.” His smile was hesitant and conflict raged in his dark eyes. “May I come in?” What was Mikko’s game? Why would he send one of his thugs to spy on her? All he had to do was activate security and… Her mind went blank, refusing to absorb the possibility. Quade took advantage of her hesitation and slipped past her. He was by far the best-looking of Mikko’s men. Tall, well-built and dangerous. Just the way she liked them. He’d swept his sleek black hair away from his face and bound it at the nape of his neck. The wide synth-leather strip circled the thick mass all the way down his back, keeping it contained and controlled. Everything about him was contained and controlled. He exuded strength with every movement, but there was a stillness about him that terrified her. “Is he watching us? Why are you here?” She moved away from the door and it slid closed, locking automatically. “I have no specific orders. Your husband felt you’d been alone too much during this journey. He thought you might be bored.” “So he sent you to what? Play chess with me?” “If you like.” He stalked toward her, eyes focused on her mouth. This was bad! Her emotions were too raw, too volatile. She wasn’t composed enough to verbally spare with this hunk, and she didn’t dare let him touch her. She’d go up in flames. “I can’t do this right now. I won’t!” She darted past him and escaped into the hall without a backward glance. Not caring where she went, she rushed down one corridor and then another. She was relatively safe if she stayed on this deck. The crew wasn’t allowed up here. A large viewport beckoned from a neat little alcove. She ducked into the small area and leaned against the wall. Her nightgown swirled against her legs, drawing her attention downward. This couldn’t be happening! She wasn’t even properly dressed. She overlapped the edges of her robe and tightened the belt, knowing the clingy material outlined every curve and hollow of her figure. Covering her face with her hands, she took slow deep breaths. Her husband had sent one of his guards to seduce her! The reality cut through her, slicing into what remained of her heart. Mikko hadn’t touched her in months. Finding his pleasure somewhere else was one thing, but this took his betrayal to a whole new level.

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Hurt crashed through her anger and disbelief, spreading what was left of her composure. Her husband didn’t love her. She’d accepted that fact long ago. But he cared so little about her that he’d tried to pawn her off on an employee! A warm hand touched her shoulder and she gasped, instinctively drawing away as she lowered her hands from her face. Caleb Thrax stood there in all his rugged glory, concern gleaming in his dark green eyes. “Are you all right?” Tears rolled down her cheeks and emotion constricted her throat. She released a pathetic sob and shook her head. In one smooth motion, Caleb drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t want this.” Her heart shuddered as she was propelled along the inevitable path. “I didn’t want any of this.” She raised her face and looked into his eyes, feeling the instant attraction, the elemental stirring she knew would follow. Parting her lips, she offered an invitation a man like Caleb was powerless to ignore. His face lowered toward hers. Their lips brushed and lingered. She waited for his mouth to move, for him to deepen the kiss and take control. Instead he pulled back and gently pushed her away. “You’re married, sweetheart. As tempting as the possibilities are, that’s one place I won’t go.”

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Chapter Five Flinching as if Caleb had slapped her, Laetif raised her chin. “How noble of you.” Her tone was tight and hostile, so Caleb suppressed his sarcastic retort. “May I escort you back to your cabin?” “No! I can’t go back there.” “Why not? Is something wrong with your cabin? Is that why you’re wandering the halls in your nightgown?” Blushing to the roots of her silky blonde hair, she snapped the sides of her bathrobe together over her nightgown. The cut of the gown hadn’t been particularly revealing, but the clingy material had given him an eyeful. Madame Xyell had beautiful breasts, high and full with nice tight nipples. “I didn’t realize… I’d honestly forgotten I’d changed out of my clothes. I hadn’t expected to leave the cabin.” “Which brings us back to the original question. What prompted your exploration?” “I was… He… Oh shit, it’s all so fucked up.” Her profanity surprised him. She had always seemed polished and elegant, the epitome of a refined lady. “What is ‘so fucked up’?” She took a deep breath and tossed her hair, sending the wavy strands back behind her shoulders. Anger burned through the pain in her blue eyes until she stared at him with some unknown purpose. “My darling husband sent one of his guards to seduce me. I was not amused.” “Is this man still in your cabin? I can take care of that.” “I don’t know, and I’m not sure I care. I couldn’t stomach that room right now anyway.” “Where shall I escort you? I can’t have you loitering in the corridor.” Her fingers loosened and the robe gaped across her breasts, revealing just a hint of cleavage. “If my husband is determined to delegate my pleasure to someone else, I think it should be a man of my choosing. Don’t you?” Easily seeing her neatly laid trap, he sidestepped it. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I have nothing to do with it.” “And there is nothing I can say to change your mind?” “I’m sorry, Laetif. I don’t bed married women.” Her eyes flashed frustration and pain. “Even if her husband has pawned her off on an employee?”

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“You’re angry and you’re hurt, but you’ll feel different in a day or two. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret later.” “So if I still want you in a day or two, you’ll fuck me?” He sighed and moved closer. She was gorgeous and so damn vulnerable, he longed to hold her, just hold her. Which was totally out of character for him. “It’s not a good idea.” “I don’t care.” She grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him up against her warm body. His dominant nature surged and he pressed her against the wall, drawing her hands above her head as he searched her eyes. “There can be no regrets. If we do this, you go in with your eyes wide open. I’m a bastard, and I’m the first to admit it. I’m offering you nothing but a few hours of pleasure. Are you sure that’s what you want?” Her lips trembled and uncertainty flared in her gaze, but she nodded. “Not good enough.” Slipping her hands out from under his, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want this. I know it’s just for tonight.” “No regrets?” “No regrets.” She sounded certain, but disappointment still shadowed her eyes. He should walk away. She wasn’t jaded enough to deal with his brand of passion. As if to prove him wrong, a wicked smile parted her lips. “Let’s do it right here. I don’t care if we’re caught.” He laughed. “I think you’d enjoy that, but I wouldn’t. I’m technically your husband’s employee.” Tears flooded her big blue eyes and he cursed his stupidity. “I’m sorry. Let’s go to my cabin and get you something to drink.” She followed half a step behind him, silent and sullen. This would never do. She needed an outlet for all these emotions or she’d be bawling the entire time he fucked her, and he hated that. Seconds after he closed and locked the door, his companel lit up. It was head of security, so he accepted audio only. “What’s going on? I really need some shut-eye.” “Ambassador Xyell is inquiring about the location of his wife. I was unable to locate her, so I figured I better notify you.” “The lady had a bit of a scare. She’s unharmed and nearly recovered. I’ll escort her to her cabin as soon as she feels comfortable returning.” “Then she is with you now?” “Affirmative.” “I’ll notify the ambassador.” Caleb put an emergency-only interrupt on his com channel before he turned from the panel. “You do realize this gives you another option.” “What do you mean?”

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“Your husband knows we’re together, alone in my cabin. He will likely presume the worst. You can have all the fun of torturing him without the guilt of actually sinning.” She let the robe swing open the shrugged it from her shoulders. “And why would I want to do that? I’ve been alone for a whole lot longer than this voyage. I’m ready to sin.” Her beauty stole his breath, but the pain in her eyes held him back. She wasn’t ready for him, not really. If she fucked him now, the only person she’d be hurting was herself. She was doing this to punish her husband, and her husband didn’t give a shit about her. Without a word he took off his jacket then pulled his shirt off over his head. Her gaze followed him, wide and limpid, aware. She might not be ready for his cock, but she needed release and she needed it badly. Not just a quick orgasm, she needed to purge her soul of years of pain, to unburden herself from all the disappointment. “That’s some tattoo.” Her voice broke and her lips trembled. What an odd reaction to his ink. She said nothing more, so he didn’t pry. They had more important things to discover than the reason for her aversion to body art. “Undress slowly. I want you naked and on your knees.” Her eyes widened and her lips parted. He thought she’d object, but she didn’t. She kicked her slippers to the side and hooked her finger under the thin strap holding up one side of her nightgown. The midnight-blue silk brought out the blue in her eyes and made her skin look especially creamy. Who was he kidding? Women like this spent a fortune on procedures and products that kept them looking good. She paused with both straps around her elbows and slowly turned around. Drawing her hair over her shoulder she exposed her back. Then she lowered the gown to her hips, giving him an unobstructed view of her elegant spine. “Keep going.” The silk hissed as it slid down her legs to pool around her ankles. Holy fuck, her ass was tight and round, her legs long and sleekly muscled. Why would Xyell ever leave her bed? Heat flooded his groin and hardened his cock. This was going to be a lot more challenging than he’d thought. “Turn around.” His throat was so dry he barely formed the words. After a distinct hesitation, she obeyed. Her hair covered her breasts and she kept her face averted, so he let his gaze descend along her body. Nice tight abs and gently flared hips. Her mound was bare, which he liked. He’d enjoy all that smooth, soft skin beneath his lips and against his pelvis as he thrust into her. But not yet, perhaps not tonight. “Move your hair and lock your hands behind your head.” That wide-eyed innocence stole over her expression again, and he wanted to laugh. She was so far out of her depths it wasn’t funny. “If you can’t obey without hesitation, this isn’t going to work.” He moved closer, invading her personal space without actually touching her.

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“My lovers must submit. It’s the only way I can be truly satisfied. Do you still want to do this?” “Yes.” Her response came quickly, but he didn’t miss the tremor in her voice. “Show me.” She raised her arms and entwined her hands behind her head. “Very good. Now these are the rules. You ask permission to speak. You ask permission to come. If you come without permission, I will punish you.” “Punish me?” Fear burst through her uncertainty and she started to lower her arms. He placed his hands below her elbows, preventing the retreat. “I will elicit intense sensations, but I will only hurt you if I see that pain will amplify your pleasure. I will give you a safe word, but you must understand that I need you to trust me. If you are unable to trust me, again, this won’t work.” She lowered her gaze to his chest and pressed her lips together. They trembled anyway. “I’m afraid.” “That’s natural for your first time. I’ll go slowly.” She nodded and hesitantly met his gaze. “It’s best if you choose the safe word. It’s easier to remember that way.” “Pompeii,” she whispered. The choice troubled him. Her mind was still filled with connections to her husband. This was why he avoided married women. He hated complications. Refusing to dwell on the obstacle, he moved behind her and inhaled her scent. Clean, light, surprisingly feminine. He cupped her breasts and pressed against her back. “Your hair smells like flowers.” “Is that good or bad?” Pressing her nipples to the point of pain, he reminded her, “You must ask permission to speak. And right now I want you to listen. Listen to the sound of my voice and pay attention to your body. In fact, close your eyes. I want you to feel, just feel.” They were reflected in the mirror above his built-in dresser. Her eyes drifted closed and her head rested lightly on his shoulder. His hands appeared dark against her pale skin. The contrast fascinated him. He moved his hands to the bottoms of her breasts, squeezing gently while he enjoyed the sight of the firm mounds rising from his palms. He rolled her nipples, beginning with gentle caresses and gradually increasing the pressure. She finally squirmed when he pulled and twisted just a bit. She preferred a firm hand, but her body responded better to pleasure than pain. Understanding his course, he pushed onward. One of his hands continued to stimulate her breasts while the other drifted lower. “Spread your legs. Give me access to your pussy.”

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Her chest quivered beneath his hand, but she moved her legs apart. He pressed his palm over her mound, slipping his fingers between her thighs. Her folds were already damp and incredibly hot. He parted her, allowing the air to caress her. She fidgeted in his arms, restless and needy. “Be still.” He lightly stroked her clit with his middle finger and she startled. “Don’t tense up. Let the sensations flow through you.” A soft, distressed sound escaped her throat and she rubbed against his fingers, trying to bring his touch back to her clit. “Not yet. You haven’t earned an orgasm. On your knees.” Without hesitation, she slid down his body and knelt in front of him. He imagined himself kneeling behind her and thrusting deep into her slick passage. The image sent lust stabbing into his balls, but he fought back the urge, knowing it would be that much more intense when he finally fucked her. She still had her hands locked behind her head. The position raised her breasts and arched her back. “You can relax for a minute. Lower your arms.” Her hands unlocked and she lowered her arms, pausing to roll her shoulders before resting her hands on her thighs. He moved in front of her and unfastened his belt. Her gaze moved expectantly to his fly, but he had no intention of taking off his pants just yet. Instead, he drew the belt from its loops with a slow, firm tug. “Wha—” She bit off the word and remained silent. “Crawl over to the bunk then stand up and bend over it, legs spread wide, forearms on the mattress.” She didn’t look at him or argue. She crawled across the floor, offering him a delightful view of her flushed slit. Then she stood and bent from the waist, widening her stance as he braced herself against the bed. Wow. This view was even better. “You will answer my questions honestly. Don’t think about your answer just respond.” He rubbed one silky ass cheek and then the other. “Have you ever had anal sex?” She looked back at him, eyes wide with concern. “Yes. Is that what you’re going—” He swung his belt, lightly spanking her across both cheeks. “You will only answer my questions.” Even with the light swing her skin produced a fiery welt. He was going to have to be so careful with her. “Did you find pleasure in the act?” “Not when Mikko did it, but…” “Go on.” “One of my other lovers used a toy that drove me crazy.” Sadness crept into her voice as she added, “He knew all sorts of ways to make me crazy.” Rewarding her openness with a caress, he stroked her ass cheeks and the backs of her thighs. “What happened to him?” “Mikko had him killed,” she whispered. “The authorities said he was mugged, but I knew better.”

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He brushed up the inside of her thigh and gently teased her folds. “Why would Mikko send a man to bed you if he’d been jealous enough to kill your lover?” “It hadn’t been his idea then. I dared to step out on Mikko, and my lover paid for it with his life.” He let the details slide for now. They had too many other hurts to vanquish. Moving to her side, he found her clit from in front and gently circled the puffy nub. “Did you intentionally put your lover in danger?” “No.” She hissed out a breath and rotated her hips, attempting to keep his fingers over her clit. “Did he know who your husband was when you fucked the first time?” “Yes.” “Then it wasn’t your fault. He knew what he was risking when he went to bed with you.” He draped the belt over his shoulder so he could use both hands. Slowly pushing into her from behind, he gave her two long fingers to squeeze while he caressed her clit with his other hand. Her hips rocked, driving his fingers deeper. “Please let me come.” “Not yet, but soon.” Her inner muscles fluttered and then resumed their firm clasp around his sliding fingers. He drew out suddenly and retrieved the belt, swinging it with careful force. The leather slapped hard enough to make her jump but well short of real pain. “That was Mikko offering you to his guard. Feel the heat, the pain. Let it build.” “I don’t want to think about that,” she cried. “Trust me, Laetif. Open your mind and give your emotions free rein.” “I hate him. Oh God, how I hate him.” She shook with suppressed emotion, powerless and trapped. Caleb moved his hand away from her sex, straightening so he had more control over the belt. “Feel it.” He swung—a moderate snap. She screamed, the sound strangled and clenched. “Say it. Tell me what you’re feeling.” “I want to hate him! I need to hate him, but I can’t forget the man I married.” Great racking sobs interrupted her words. “I hate who he’s become, but I ache for the man he used to be. More. Please, I need more!” He swung the belt again and again, careful not to hit the same place twice. He tempered his strength and controlled each swat, unwilling to cause any lasting harm. She screamed and wept, releasing her emotions in cathartic waves. Finally he tossed the belt aside and stood behind her. She moved her legs farther apart, obviously expecting him to fuck her. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his chest against her back. “You’re safe now,” he whispered. “There are no games here, no emotional manipulation. I will always be honest with you.” She rested against the bed, limp and fragile. He caressed her sides and her hips, careful not to rub 46

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against her sore behind. He soothed her, relaxed her and prepared her for a different kind of tension. “I want to watch you come. Will you do that for me?” “Yes…Sir.” She added the title after a short pause, making him smile. “Then turn over. See if you can sit. If it’s too painful we’ll have to be creative.” Slowly, carefully, she turned over and lowered her weight to her ass. “Oh wow, heat just exploded through my…” She closed her eyes and shivered. “Did you come while I spanked you?” He’d been focused on her emotional barricades and hadn’t realized she was responding sexually. “Yes. I think it would have been even better if I hadn’t been so upset.” “We’ll have to find out. Next time.” He grinned. “Next time? I’m not sure my ass will heal before we dock in Fedoros.” The reminder sent an odd wave of regret through him. Wasn’t he the one who’d made her promise she’d have no regrets? He better pull his shit together. He hadn’t even fucked her yet. She spread out on her back and raised her arms over head. “Now what?” Her gaze had turned dark and smoldered with heat he’d never seen there before. God, she was beautiful! He raised her ankles to his shoulders and smiled when she blushed. He’d been looking at her pussy ever since she took off her nightgown, but she’d been facing the other direction for most of it. “Your body is amazing.” Pushing two fingers into her snug heat, he watched her face as he gently fucked her. “Now take anything that’s left over, every scrap of anger and every twinge of pain.” He moved faster, thrusting deeper. “Let them build inside you. Feel it gather and tighten.” Reaching around her hip, he used his thumb on her clit, and she went wild. She canted her hips and rocked into the steady glide of his fingers. Her inner muscles rippled and clung, drawing him deeper and warming his skin. “Look into my eyes. Let me see your pleasure, let me share in your release.” She cried out softly as the intensity built. Her back arched and her hips bucked, her feet scrambling for purchase against his shoulders. “Let go, Laetif. Turn loose of all those emotions and fly!” He gently squeezed her clit and watched her last barrier fall. She cried out, bowing clear off the bed as her cunt tightened around his fingers. Her delicate features tensed and her lips trembled. He kept the spasms going with his thumb, circling her clit with slow, steady pressure. Pleasure clouded her eyes, making them rich and smoky. He savored every nuance, mesmerized by the beauty of her uninhibited response. When she finally relaxed, she sprawled across the bed, limp and sleepy. He eased away and watched the rise and fall of her breasts as he licked her cream from his fingers. Hating to disturb her, he went to the bathroom and found a tube of ointment for the welts on her ass. If he didn’t treat them now, they’d bruise and take longer to heal.

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He returned to the bedroom and found her lying on her stomach, chin resting on her folded arms. She watched him silently, gaze calm and assessing. “Who are you? You are so different from the strutting pirate you show the world.” “Strutting pirate?” He laughed. “Was that really your first impression of me?” “I know it’s not fair. We’d hardly exchanged two words before tonight. But you’re damn good-looking and you know it.” The criticism didn’t bother him. He’d heard it before. “In my line of work you use any advantage you can find. If my face opens an occasional door, I’m not going to complain about it. But my appearance does not define who I am.” He warmed the ointment between his palms before spreading it across her sensitive skin. “I don’t want this to bruise. Your skin is so delicate.” “My skin might be, but I’m not.” She smiled. “And somehow you sensed it. How is it that half an hour in your cabin accomplished more than five years of therapy?” “Feel better?” She laughed. “Understatement of the year. I feel so light I could float. How the hell did you know that’s what I needed?” He shrugged and pushed to his feet, fiddling with the tube of ointment. “Part of it was experience, part of it instinct. Our mother is empathic, so Aiden and I both have better than average instincts when it comes to people.” That caught her attention. She shifted onto her side and propped her head on her hand. His cock twitched—an unneeded reminder that he had postponed his own release while he focused on her. “Tell me about your homeworld. I know very little about the colonies.” “They aren’t that different than Fedoros. Smaller, less refined, but our outposts were populated by Fedorans.” “Were your mother’s abilities spontaneous or was she genetically engineered?” “Enhanced,” he corrected. “Psychic abilities are either naturally occurring or scientifically enhanced. Genetic engineering sounds so nefarious. My mother was enhanced.” “Was? Is she no longer alive?” “We lost her nine years ago.” “And your father?” “Alive and kicking. He still lives in the same house where I grew up. Likely will until he dies.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He needed her to understand that there were clear boundaries in his life. He had to keep things compartmentalized. This was the first time he’d allowed a woman in his cabin and it felt odd. Not necessarily bad, just different. “Do you want me to go?” Apparently she’d noticed his agitation. “For now. You need some time alone to reflect on what we accomplished, and I need to finish what we started.”

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Her gaze dropped to his crotch and she blushed a vivid red. “I’m sorry. I’m lying here like a floozy and I didn’t even think about… I can help you if you’d like.” “Not tonight,” he said firmly. “Get dressed and I’ll escort you to your cabin. I want to make sure your unwanted guest has returned to his master.”

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Chapter Six Felicia awoke the next morning confused and disappointed. Sometime during the night Aiden had returned to his cabin and covered her with a blanket. At least she hoped it had been Aiden. She’d been sleeping like a baby. He had also placed a stack of uniforms beside the bathroom door. They were black and green, like his and Caleb’s. Which meant the people in red and gold must belong to Xyell. Last night Aiden had left her with a stack of books and he had activated the “vidlibrary”, which he told her would respond to verbal commands. But she’d been too restless to read and the moving images were a glaring reminder of how far she was from home. She’d stared out his viewport, wishing she could see stars and contemplating all the changes. When her eyes began to droop and her legs felt wobbly, she lay down on his bunk, intending to rest until he returned. Well, this was probably for the best. If he had returned last night, intending to share the cabin, it would have been awkward. She picked up the stack of clothes and took them into the bathroom. Longing for a long, hot bath, she undressed and stepped into the shower. Hopefully Laetif would agree to speak with her and explain more about her husband’s plan for the refugees. Except Xyell didn’t see them as refugees, he saw them as an investment. She shivered. It was not right. Even if he had saved them from certain death, he did not own the entire population of a city. Her heart sank as she realized her own naiveté. The Fedoros might possess aweinspiring machines but their intentions were nothing new or different. Cities were conquered and the inhabitants became slaves to the conquering forces. She should be glad that there had been no actual war. She turned off the shower and reached for one of the drying cloths, which were stacked in an inset compartment. Her gaze drifted to the mirror as she dried her hair and awareness crept across her skin. She had never really looked at her body before, had never thought of herself as a sexual being. Would Aiden find her pleasing? The question shocked her. Why should she assume that Aiden would be her lover or that she would allow any man to touch her in that way? Turning slightly to the side, she assessed her shape with objective eyes. Her breasts were not large, but they were high and round. The flare of her hips accentuated the narrowness of her waist and… She shook her head and reached for one of the uniform tops. How should she know what men found attractive? The men who rutted with the

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temple harlots didn’t seem to care what they looked like. They only cared that they were willing and available. The uniform fit much better than the “gym” clothes he’d given her the day before. She ran a comb through her damp hair and brushed her teeth, still not sure if she liked the prickly instrument Aiden had provided as well. She walked back into the main part of the cabin and glared at the vidstation. Should she attempt to access the library? Aiden had assured her there were moving images on any subject she could imagine. All she had to do was tell the machine what she wanted to see. How could a machine understand and respond to her words? It made her stomach tight and her heart beat faster. Surely some spirit had to be at work inside the machine for it to comprehend a command. A buzzer sounded, saving her from the vidstation. She whirled toward the door and called out, “Who is there?” “It’s Laetif. Come closer to the door and say, ‘come in’. The door will open for me.” She hurried toward the door and said, “Come in.” Nothing happened. “Did you say, come in?” “I did. The door didn’t respond.” “Aiden must not have added your voice print to his security profile. Do you see a small area sticking out from the wall right next to the door?” “Yes. Aiden calls it a control panel.” “Yes, the control panel. Is there a green light near the bottom right corner of the panel?” “I see it.” “Push that area of the panel and the door should release.” Felicia pressed her finger over the blinking light and the door hissed, sliding open to reveal Laetif. “Praise be to Venus!” She hugged her new friend and Laetif laughed. “Congratulations. You just performed your first manual override.” She stepped back and looked at Felicia. “And you’re ready. Almost. Slip on some shoes and let’s go.” “Where are we going?” “To my cabin. I arranged for an extravagant breakfast, and Doctor Thrax is not invited. I’m in serious need of some girl time!” “Well, I am more than ready to break my fast. Does Aiden know our plans?” “Does he need to?” “He will worry if he returns to his cabin and I am gone.” “Good point.” Laetif walked across the room and paused beside the vidstation. “Is this on for a reason?” “He invited me to use it last night, but I was uncomfortable.”

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“Men are morons most of the time, but we love them anyway. You have been thrust into a world so bizarre, I’m surprised you’re still rational. I’d be curled up in a corner somewhere.” She turned to the vidstation and said, “Hibernate.” And the glowing light blinked out. “Now, let me send a text to your handsome doctor. He can’t argue with our plans that way.” Felicia watched Laetif effortlessly operate the various machines, wondering how long it would take her to adjust to this strange world. She found the slip-on shoes she had worn the day before and pushed her feet into them. “All set. The message was received. Let’s bolt before he has time to send a reply.” They hurried into the corridor, ignoring the musical beep from the companel. “Can he send his response to your cabin?” “Of course, but I’ll but an emergency-only interrupt on all communications.” She glanced at Felicia and smiled. “That means leave us the hell alone.” Laetif’s vivaciousness was contagious. Felicia felt her mood lighten and the conflict inside her ease. They arrived at Laetif’s cabin and Felicia took a moment to look around. “Why is your cabin so much larger than Aiden’s?” “Because I’m a paying customer, silly.” She motioned to the table laden with food and drink. “Have a seat. You hardly ate last night and you’re skinny as a rail. I’m determined to feed you.” Felicia smiled and sank into the chair Laetif had indicated. “There is enough food here for half of Pompeii.” “Eat as much as you like. The galley will recycle the rest. Nothing is wasted on a starship.” She had no idea what recycle meant, but nothing is wasted allayed her concern. Laetif pulled out the chair across from Felicia and slowly lowered herself onto the seat. “Are you all right?” A guilty flush colored her cheeks and fought back a smile. “I pulled a muscle in the back of my leg. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but sitting down is tricky.” “Perhaps Doctor Thrax could prescribe a remedy.” Laetif turned her head and covered her mouth with her hand, ineffectively hiding her laughter. “Oh my God, you have no idea why that’s so funny.” “Then explain it to me.” Felicia clutched her hands in her lap, no longer amused by her friend’s levity. “If you fill your plate and start eating, I’ll tell you the whole sordid tale. But the second you stop eating, I stop talking.” “That is bribery,” Felicia grumbled. “Whatever works.” She picked up a metallic pitcher and poured brown liquid into an odd-shaped cup. “You’ve never had coffee, have you? It’s an acquired taste, so you might not like it immediately.” She passed Felicia the cup and waited expectantly.

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Felicia lifted the cup and inhaled the aroma. Rich, earthy, very pleasant. She blew on the steaming liquid then took a sip and wrinkled her nose. “It doesn’t taste anything like it smells.” But it did. As the liquid rolled across her tongue, the subtler flavors emerged. “Take a few more sips. If you don’t like it, I’ll pour you something else. We can add sugar and cream too. Many people like it like that. I prefer to taste my coffee, but I’m a purist.” She snickered. “At least when it comes to coffee.” After adding a lot of cream and a little bit of sugar, they found a balance Felicia enjoyed. She set down the cup and picked up the odd utensil Aiden had called a fork. She speared some sort of meat with it and held it near her mouth. “I am eating. Tell me how you injured your leg.” “As I’m sure you gathered from my reaction to your vision, I’m not the type to sleep around. I was so in love with Mikko when we married, I couldn’t even imagine myself in bed with someone else. Then his affairs started and I realized he had no intention of curtailing his philandering ways.” “Why did you not divorce him?” “Divorce was allowed in Pompeii? I hadn’t realized the civilization was that advanced.” “Marriages that end in divorce are tragic. The practice is not something to be celebrated, but I understand your point. We seem quite barbaric to you. Pompeii is a part of the Roman Empire. Women are allowed to own land and hold positions of power. Many marriages are still arranged among the rich and powerful, but either party can end the marriage for infidelity.” “I thought about it. But I’m a weak, materialistic person. I understand my own faults. I enjoy the lifestyle I have with Mikko. By marrying him, I finally loosened my father’s purse strings, something I hadn’t been able to accomplish on my own. As Madame Xyell, I’m accepted by people who wouldn’t have given me the time of day before.” She shrugged, but her smile was sad. “I’ve come to terms with who he is and I’ve learned not to depend on anyone else for my happiness.” “Are you happy?” “At times, in fact most of the time. I won’t pretend it doesn’t bother me, but it’s a fair exchange.” Laetif paused for several sips of coffee, her gaze far more troubled than her calm expression. “Anyway, I got tired of being ignored and decided to surprise Mikko by coming with him on this trip.” “Was he surprised?” “He was furious. He had me moved to a cabin as far away from his as the deck allowed, and he’s hardly spoken to me since we left Fedoros. Well, last night things came to a head.” She went on to explain about the ruggedly handsome guard and her unusual interaction with Caleb. “He spanked you?” Felicia set down her cup and leaned forward. “And you liked it?” 53

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“Between the emotional purging I did while he swung the belt and the amazing orgasm he gave me afterward, it was the most erotic experience of my life. I can’t wait for more.” Felicia raised a trembling hand to her chest and pressed it over her thudding heart. “Caleb asked Aiden if he was going to ‘train’ me. Do you think that sort of thing is what he meant?” Laetif reached across the table and squeezed her other hand. “Aiden is not Caleb and you are not me. There is no way Aiden would do something like that to you. What you need is tenderness and patience. Aiden understands that. If you are curious and if you’re as attracted to him as I think you are, you don’t need to be afraid.” “How well do you know them? Have you hired their skyship before?” “You’re right. I don’t know them that well, but Caleb could have taken advantage of me last night. I was all over him. But he didn’t. Not only did he give me exactly what I needed and nothing more, he held his own desire in strict control the entire time. He was really very gallant.” “While he spanked you with his belt?” They both laughed at the irony and Felicia relaxed. “Tell me about the new city. How long did it take to build? A goddess could have willed in into existence, but you keep insisting you’re not gods.” “You really don’t miss much, do you?” She nodded toward Felicia’s half-full plate. “Keep eating.” “But I’m full. I really am. I never eat this much, especially early in the day.” “All right. Have another cup of coffee then. This is sort of hard to explain.” Laetif paused, apparently ordering her thoughts while Felicia poured them both a fresh cup of coffee. “There are so many people on Fedoros that the planet has trouble supporting us all. It has been like that for thousands of years. Everyone feared that the planet would die and we would be forced to relocate. So a series of expeditions were sent out to other star systems, some close enough to colonize and some very far away.” “My world was one of these planets?” “Yes. Earth was seeded shortly before the rise of the Roman Empire.” Laetif smiled, but Felicia didn’t quite grasp the significance. “Your gene pool was infused with…” She sighed and rubbed her lower lip. “I’m not sure how to explain this to you. The people from my world made subtle changes to yours. Some were made stronger, some smarter, others more attractive. Many of the stories in your mythology are the result of these improvements. Hercules and Helen of Troy—” “But those are just stories.” “Are they? Most stories have some tie to fact. Yes they have been embellished and romanticized, but woven through the saga are real people and real events.” “So your people came to my world and made us better than we would have been. How does this keep your planet from dying?”

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“Earth was a failsafe, a backup, backup plan. We began to colonize the inhabitable planets that were closer to Fedoros. We also put into place strict qualifications for reproduction. If people didn’t want to abide by these rules, they have to move to one of the colonies.” “Your government tells people when they can have children?” Felicia could not imagine anything more unnatural. She set down her coffee cup and tried not to frown. “When and with whom. As I said, people flocked to the colonies because they refused to abide by these laws.” “I would have been among them.” “I am not able to conceive, so the statutes have never bothered me. Okay that was probably more information than you were hoping for, but it’s important for you to understand.” Two days before, none of it would have made any sense to Felicia. She had matured a lifetime in less than two days. “You have not overwhelmed me so far.” “Well, the next thing you need to understand is that crime has been basically eradicated on Fedoros.” Felicia narrowed her gaze, trying to decide if she meant the statement literally. “How can any society stop all forms of crime?” “That was a bit of an exaggeration. Corporate espionage is still a problem and every time someone posts about a hacker-proof environment, hackers spring up like weeds to prove them wrong. Violence has been eradicated, at least in reality.” “All right, I am confused now. What did your world do to change the basic nature of man? Unless things are very different on Fedoros, the capacity for violence is an inevitable part of each of us.” Laetif shook her head and carefully set down her coffee cup. “No. Human nature hasn’t changed. We are still capable of horrendous acts of violence, but the penalties for acting on those impulses are so severe that people have learned to control them.” “What penalties? Are they worse than crucifixion or being boiled in oil?” “That’s the problem. Both of those penalties are violent. That means someone has to commit murder to punish the murderer.” “It’s not murder if the—” “I don’t want to debate the morality of death penalties. I’m not sure what we do is any better.” “What does your world do?” “We alter the person’s brain, make them incapable of any form of violence. It leaves the person…changed, their personality muted. But a few years after the practice was adopted violent crimes had dropped dramatically.” “How can they be certain they have the right person? How many innocent people have had their brains butchered in the name of justice?” Sitting back in her chair, Felicia folded her arms and shook her head. She would not accept such a perverted practice. 55

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Each mind, each personality was carefully sculpted by the… But these people kept insisting that her gods were not real. “Fedoros is under continual surveillance. Remember the vidstation?” Felicia nodded, too upset to speak. “Cameras are placed all over our world and they record everything that happens. If the authorities need to find out who committed a crime, they just review the image of that particular scene, or check the GPS logs.” “What is a GPS?” “Global positioning system. It’s another type of machine that keeps track of everyone’s location.” The concept of creating images was easier to understand than an all-seeing machine, so Felicia focused on surveillance. “These images are created when people are alone inside their homes?” “No, but the images of the street outside their home would show who went in and out.” “I understand.” She was distressed by the concept, but she understood what Laetif had explained. “Now people always want what they can’t have. True?” “Very true.” “Little by little Fedorans started making games and simulations that incorporated the violent acts they were forbidden. It started out with relatively innocent simulations, but the acts became more graphic and more disturbing. These things were not really happening, you understand. People were just watching moving images created by computers.” She paused for a reassuring smile. “Are you still with me?” “I believe so.” “Good. This is where everything connects. Mikko and his business partner at the time visited your planet about eight years ago. While they were in Rome, they went to the Colosseum and watched the gladiator games. Needless to say, they were fascinated. They knew Fedorans wouldn’t be able to resist the brutality or the suspense.” “But violence of any kind is forbidden on Fedoros.” “Violence of any kind is forbidden to Fedorans,” Laetif stressed. “Mikko and the prince recruited gladiators from all over the Roman Empire and brought them to Fedoros.” “How did they explain their technology?” “A few were told, like you. But most were kept in stasis until they were in the training facility.” “Ludus.” Felicia smiled, proud to provide an unknown word for a change. “Yes, ludus. The gladiators were taken to a ludus that looked much like any other, so they had no idea they were on a different planet.”

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“And gladiators are slaves, kept in cages, so they were never in a position to find out.” “True.” Laetif didn’t sound particularly proud of the fact and she rushed on to the next part of the story. “The gladiators fought as they have always fought with one major distinction. The only time they were allowed to kill was when they were fighting criminals.” “Where did the criminals come from if there is no crime on Fedoros?” “Our colonies are still brash and uncivilized. That’s where the Thrax brothers come from.” The thought made her chuckle. “So, Fedorans paid for the privilege of watching moving images of these games. They would through parties and wager on the outcome. The games were extremely popular, so Mikko and his partner returned to Earth for more gladiators.” “I thought they weren’t allowed to kill each other. Why would they need more?” “Not intentionally, but you’ve seen gladiators fight. They don’t pull their punches or hesitate to swing their swords. I think that’s part of the appeal. Everyone hopes someone will be hurt badly or even die. As you said, the capacity for violence is part of our basic nature.” “When and why did they build the city?” “Soon, watching vids of the games wasn’t enough. Prince Tarhee convinced his father to allow Fedorans to actually attend the matches. They built a large arena and created a string of ludi to encourage rivalries among the gladiators. That’s when the sport really took off. Everyone wanted to see a live gladiator, to hear the bones snap and smell the blood.” She shivered, but Felicia wasn’t sure if it was revulsion or excitement. “Then Tarhee and Mikko plotted a way to expand the concept even more. They wanted to create a more exciting experience, offer Fedorans the opportunity to walk among the ancient people and live as they lived for a few days.” “So they built a replica of one of our cities? How did they intend to populate such a place? They could not have known about the volcano when the construction began.” “They figured they would gather people as they had gathered the gladiators, a few at a time from many different places.” “They were going to steal thousands of people from my world and release them without their knowing they had been moved? That’s despicable.” “They knew the people would realize they were in a different place. There was no way to avoid that, but they figured they would adjust to the new situation because it was so similar to their homeworld.” “I think they greatly underestimated the people of my world, but the volcano makes this moot. In one fell swoop, your husband was given an entire population and an explanation that will satisfy the majority of the survivors. There is one thing I don’t understand. How will we be kept in the city? What is to prevent us from wandering into your world?”

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“Venus is going to erect an energy barrier. If anyone touches it, they will be burned.” “Why would a benevolent goddess trap her people within the confines of one city?” “The barrier is a shield protecting you from Vulcan. Her husband was furious when she rescued your people and he is desperate to discover where she put you so he can try again. Anyone who steps beyond the barrier will be vaporized by Vulcan.” Felicia was quiet for a long time. She despised the manipulation, but she had to admit that their story explained everything. Those who hadn’t believed in Venus before the miraculous relocation were sure to believe in her now. And fear of her husband’s wrath would keep them from trying to escape. “Then we are to live the rest of our lives on display? We are an exhibition for the entertainment of Fedorans?” Laetif looked her in the eyes and asked, “Would you rather be dead?”

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Chapter Seven Would you rather be dead? Laetif’s question echoed through Felicia’s mind for hours after she returned to Aiden’s cabin. Life as they knew it was over. There was no going back. She tried to imagine what the entire experience would be like if her gift had not warned her of Aiden’s deceit. If she had been an ordinary woman, she would have been taken to a small, windowless room and been told the Fedorans’ story. Would she have believed the tale and would she have been content within the false reality? She was still contemplating those questions when Aiden walked through the door. His smile sent heat spiraling through her body. “Did you miss me?” “No,” she lied. “Laetif kept me entertained.” Unfolding her legs, she scooted off the bunk and slipped her hands into the pockets of her pants. Pockets were a new concept, as were pants, but she was rapidly adjusting to all sorts of new things. “I just bet she did.” He moved closer, his gaze moving over her face. “Did she have any outrageous stories?” She wanted to tell him that his brother was the outrageous one, but instead she just smiled. “Was she able to answer your questions? Do you understand what Mikko is doing?” She quickly told him what she’d learned and waited for his reaction. “If Fedorans are going to interact with the population of New Pompeii, how will they keep the environment authentic?” “She said there is something called a ‘noninterference clause’ that must be agreed to before anyone from outside will be allowed in the city. They will dress and act as much like the people of Pompeii as possible. My people will believe they visit from other cities beyond the barrier.” “Why are Fedorans allowed through the barrier, but not the people of New Pompeii?” “Vulcan is not searching for Fedorans. We have the unpleasant distinction of being favored by Venus. The Fedorans are harboring us, so it is in their best interest not to mention us to anyone.” She shook her head. “As long as a person believes in the gods, it’s all perfectly reasonable.” “And the miraculous way they were transported to another world will reinforce their belief in Venus.” “Exactly.” He shook his head as well, a reluctant smile curving his lips. “It’s crafty. You have to give them that.” 59

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“It’s diabolical. But in the long run it might be what’s best for my people. Their lives will continue on as they have always been, while mine is in complete upheaval.” He opened his arms and she went eagerly into his warm embrace. She didn’t want to need him, but already she felt more balanced, more secure when he was around. “I would have spared you this upheaval, but you saw right though my ploy.” She eased away without leaving his arms. “You were claiming to be what I am. Did you honestly think you could fool the real thing?” His brow arched. “You are one of six priestesses we’ve processed so far. You’re the only one who second-guessed the cover story. You’re not the average priestess, my dear.” Pleased by his praise, she decided to tell him her decision. “This is going to happen with or without my cooperation, so I’ve decided to help you. I want the transition to be as painless as possible for as many of my people as I can help.” “That’s wonderful!” He pulled her back against his chest and hugged her for a moment, his hands moving up and down her back. “We’ll have to be really careful. You’ll need to stay in the infirmary as much as possible.” “Is that where the orientations take place?” “Yes. It’s important to minimize everyone’s exposure to the ship and the crew.” For a long moment they just stood there, content in each other’s arms. “This feels really nice.” She rested her head on his shoulder and surrounded herself with his scent. “Can I sleep here tonight?” His voice was barely a whisper, yet need resonated through the hushed tone. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready to do, but I want you in my arms.” Summoning all her courage, she met his smoldering gaze. “I’d like that.” He kissed her then, the caress soft and tender. His tongue brushed against her lips but went no farther. She wrapped her arms around his back and pressed against him, loving the feel of his strong body and eager to explore him more fully. She parted her lips, wanting a deeper connection, wanting more. But he pulled back and smiled then kissed the tip of her nose. “We’ve got work to do,” he reminded. “This will have to wait.” The rest of the day passed in a blur of emotion and frustration. Felicia changed back into her robes, which had been washed and pressed by another machine. The refugees accepted the cover story more readily with her assistance, but they also felt more comfortable asking questions. She did her best to alleviate their fears, but Aiden kept reminding her that they were on a very tight schedule. When the final group had cycled through for the day, Felicia was left with a vague sense of doom. Was she a traitor to her people, or had she simple offered them what comfort she could in an impossible situation? “What’s the matter?” Aiden squeezed her hand, which was entwined with his as they walked back to his cabin. “You’ve been suspiciously quiet for the past few hours.”

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“How will the houses be assigned? What will become of the people who travel from one city to another? Much of Pompeii’s commerce was dependent upon trade.” “They will trade with Fedorans now and visitors from other places. I suspect once the city is operational, people will come from all over the place. It really is a unique concept.” “What about the fishermen? How will they make a living now?” “I saw a holo-model of the city. A section of the ocean will be inside the barrier. Fishermen will still be able to fish. The barrier will just keep them from venturing to other ports.” She sighed, unable to resolve the fundamental problem. “They will all be living a lie.” “Yes, but they’ll be living.” She had no response for that argument. Laetif had used it to shut her up as well. “I need to stop thinking about this. I am driving myself crazy. How will I continue on as before when I am no longer sure of the goddess I serve? I’m a high priestess. There should be no doubt in my heart.” He opened the door for her and they stepped inside his cabin before he replied. “You don’t have to stay in New Pompeii. In fact, as much as you know, they might not let you.” “I will not desert my people.” People came to her for advice and comfort in their bleakest times of need. Her gift allowed her to find lost children and predict disasters. Regret reinforced her frustration. If the governor had heeded her warnings about the volcano’s eruption, none of this would have been possible. Aiden’s hands came to rest on her hips and he pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re right. You need to stop thinking about it.” “What will you do when we reach Fedoros? Your obligation ends when we are delivered, does it not?” He framed her face with his hands and tipped her head up. “No more talk about the future. I’m exhausted and so are you. Let’s go to bed.” Excitement tingled down her spine. Would he couple with her if she asked him to? Did she want him to climb on top of her and push his cock into her pussy? His words for the involved body parts were more enticing than hers. Laetif seemed certain that Aiden would be gentle, that he would be able to make it good for her. Felicia wasn’t convinced that any man was that patient. If her goddess didn’t exist, there was no reason to keep herself pure. Once they reached Fedoros, she would be sequestered again, forced to live separately from the masses. “I can see uncertainty in your eyes.” He kissed the corners of her eyes then followed the arch of her eyebrows with soft, feathery kisses. “I will not touch you unless you want me to. I’ll just hold you and we’ll go to sleep.”

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“That’s the cause of my uncertainty. I am not sure what I want.” “Then I say we find out.” He picked her up and set her on the edge of the bed, kneeling in front of her as he removed her sandals. “Do you like it when I touch you? How does this make you feel?” He rested her foot on the center of his thigh and caressed her calf, gently massaging the muscle. She leaned back on her hands, trying to relax. But his hands were strong and warm, his touch undeniably evocative. “Your brother spanked Laetif,” she blurted, too nervous to concentrate on what she was feeling. Aiden’s hands stilled and then he laughed. “Sounds like Caleb. He is incorrigible. Was she upset about it?” “No. She liked it.” He pushed her robe up to mid-thigh and eased her legs apart, scooting closer as his hand slipped under the material. “They have not coupled yet, but I know they will.” “How detailed was this vision? I know they were naked or at least partially undressed. How were they positioned?” His hands moved over her thighs, dipping to the insides then outward again. She kept talking, needing the distraction from the needs he was unleashing within her, longings she wasn’t quite ready to embrace. “She was bent over a bed and he was behind her. His hands were on her breasts.” She swallowed as the image returned in all its graphic detail. “Shall I touch your breast? Would you like to see how it feels?” His face was on a level with hers, which made it hard to avoid his gaze. “All right.” One of his hands pushed up to her hip and the other came out from beneath her robes and gently cupped her breast. “I love the shape of your breasts, firm and full, perfect for the palm of my hand. You’re so soft. Will you let me look at you? I want to touch your nipple and watch it harden. Would you like that too?” She bit her bottom lip as desire blossomed between her legs, the hot, hollow ache making her restless. By way of an answer, she unfastened the shoulder clasps and tossed them aside then allowed the material to pool around her waist. She watched his eyes, needing reassurance but too proud to verbalize her insecurity. “So beautiful.” His voice was hushed and reverent, his fingers incredibly gentle as he touched her bare skin. “Would you like me to undress too?” “I would like that very much.” Pleased by her assent, he removed his uniform jacket and pulled the undershirt off over his head. His lean chest rippled with taut muscles she hadn’t realized he possessed. He wasn’t built like a gladiator, more like a messenger, all sharp definition and sinewy strength. She splayed her fingers across his chest and closed her eyes. “You are so warm.” “That’s my job, to keep you safe and warm.”

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She smiled, pleased by the sentiment. Her hands pushed up to his shoulders and squeezed before the descended along his arms. “Is your entire body this warm?” “Would you like to find out?” Before her building courage deserted her, she nodded and reached for the waistband of his pants. He let her unfasten them then he took over, standing briefly as he shed the rest of his garments. His body was perfectly proportioned and a feast for her curious gaze. It wasn’t that she’d never seen a naked man before, but he was aroused and inches from her face. He took her hand and guided it to his erect cock, wrapping her fingers around the shaft. “Well? Am I warm all over?” “Oh yes.” He slid her hand down to the base and then up to the tip and her eyes widened. “Is this what you want me to do?” “Oh yes,” he echoed her breathy tone, and then grinned. “But only if you want to.” Exploring his body was far more exciting than she ever imagined. Perion had not allowed her to touch him, so this was new territory. No, nothing about this resembled the abuse she had endured with Perion. She would never again think of them in the same context. Emboldened by the thought, she stoked Aiden, watching the subtle flexing of his muscles and the obvious pleasure on his face. She knew women took men into their mouths. She’d seen that often enough in the temple. Would Aiden mind if her exploration became a bit bolder? She leaned down and kissed the tip of his cock, startled to find it dewy. “Can I…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. “Do whatever you like. I want you to enjoy this as much as I do.” One of her hands lightly cupped his balls while the other continued to stroke his shaft. Then she parted her lips and took the flared head into her mouth. He groaned and touched her face, brushing her hair back and caressing her cheek. She sucked him deeper and he slowly pulled back then pushed even farther into her welcoming heat. Slowly, understanding expanded through her mind. He wanted her to slide up and down. Creating a tight seal with her lips, she bobbed her head, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could. He was hot against her mouth, hard and yet soft. The contrast fascinated her. And his taste—salty and sharp yet natural. This was the literal essence of life. “Oh sweetheart, you have to stop or I’m going to come in your mouth.” She paused and looked up at him. Did she want to watch him lose control, knowing she had brought him to this point? “I want you to.” “I think it’s better if we start…”

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She sucked hard and pushed her mouth all the way down on his cock. He pressed against the back of her throat before she slowly reversed direction. Come for me, Aiden. I want to taste your seed. He steadied her face between his hands as he began to fuck her mouth. Sliding her lips up and down on him had been pleasurable, but his was thrilling. He was taking her, filling her mouth as he would fill her pussy. She kept her lips snug as he rocked in and out. His balls grew tight in her hand and his speed increased. His body seemed to vibrate with his impending climax. He shook and his thighs flexed, and then he pushed to the back of her mouth and came in hot spurts. She instinctively swallowed and he gave her some more. He pulled back and she swirled her tongue around his tip, not yet ready to release him. “You are unbelievable.” He eased out of her mouth and pulled her to her feet. His chest rubbed against her breasts and she realized her nipples were hard. She parted her lips for him as his mouth settled over hers. His tongue swept inside and he groaned, crushing her against his chest. He pulled her robes out from between their bodies and they slid to her feet. He placed her on the bunk and lay down beside her, slipping his arm under her neck. “I can’t believe you did that. I wanted tonight to be about your pleasure.” “I enjoyed that immensely. Do you not find pleasure in giving pleasure?” “We’re about to find out, because I’m going to lick your pussy until you scream.”

***** “We found him, Sir.” Quade clasped his hands behind his back and waited for Xyell to look up from the risk assessment he was studying. Xyell powered down the holo-pad and glared at Quade. “It took you long enough.” The temple attendants had been grouped together, so Quade had been relatively certain the high priest was on this ship. The priestess they’d interrogated assured them that the high priest had been in the temple when “Venus swept them away”. Even so, it had taken Quade several hours to locate Perion. “He had not yet been processed,” he assured Xyell. “Let’s get this over with. Then you can get back to your other assignment.” Falling into step behind Xyell, Quade indulged in a vicious glare. Why the fuck did Xyell want him to seduce his wife? It was so twisted! Laetif was attractive, but she’d made it obvious she was not interested in a sexual surrogate. “About that, Sir. Your wife—” Xyell spun and slammed Quade against the wall, forearm across his throat. “I thought I made myself clear. You are to follow orders. Insubordination is grounds for immediate termination. How will your daughter survive if I’m forced to cancel you?”

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Quade released his weapon and refastened the safety strap. Killing Xyell wasn’t an option. He’d be genetically reconditioned and his daughter would disappear. Prince Tarhee would see to his fate if anything happened to Xyell. “May I know why?” He ground out the words between clenched teeth. Xyell pushed off his body, smashing his throat in the process. Quade gasped then coughed, rubbing his bruised esophagus. “Normally I’d tell you to go to hell, but I’m feeling generous and you asked so nicely. It’s really quite simple. I need her distracted, or better yet, corrupted. She must willingly participate in our new dynasty or she is a liability. I’m through with her personally, but I’m not willing to sacrifice the connections I was able to forge because of her father’s support. Got it?” “Yes Sir.” “As soon as we’re done with the priest, I want you to find her. Tell her you have been reassigned as her bodyguard. Then stick with her night and day until she accepts the fact you aren’t going anywhere.” “How long will I be reassigned?” “Until I tell you otherwise. I need to know what she’s doing, who she talks to and who she fucks. She ran to Thrax last night and that will never do! The easiest way for you to accomplish all this is if you’re the one she’s fucking.” “I see, Sir. Thank you for the information.” “Can we go now?” Without waiting for a reply, Xyell turned and stormed off down the corridor. So, this wasn’t just a shipboard diversion. Xyell wanted a permanent spy. Understanding his motivation should have made the assignment easier to accept, so why was his gut still tied in knots? He’d fucked his share of women, but ruthless seduction was really not his style. “Are you coming?” Xyell threw the question over his shoulder without turning around. Quade heaved a frustrated sigh and hurried after his boss. The high priest sat on the bunk in the interrogation room. His features were composed and haughty, but fear shone through in his dark eyes. He pushed to his feet as they entered, his gaze wide and wary. “Why have I been taken from the temple? What do you hope to gain?” Xyell shoved him back down on the bunk, standing over him as he explained. “I am your new master. Pompeii has been destroyed. I need the names and descriptions of everyone in the city who might attempt to usurp my authority. Convince me you are worth saving or prepare to meet your goddess.” “But how was this accomplished? Where am I?” Xyell motioned Quade forward. “Motivate him.” Quade backhanded the priest, snapping his head to the side. He raised his hand to strike again, but the priest cowered. 65

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“There is no need for that! I will tell you what you want to know.” He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing blood across his cheek. “The governor is very popular. It would be wise to depose him.” “Go on.” “Felicia. Do you have Felicia? She could turn the people against you faster than anyone.” “Who is Felicia?” “The high priestess. She has been blessed with prophetic visions.” Xyell looked at Quade, his expression contemplative. “Was this woman processed with the other priestesses?” “Not to my knowledge. I will check the log, but I don’t recall seeing that name.” “No, I will investigate this prophetic priestess. You have other duties awaiting you.” Quade inclined his head, despising his helplessness. “Have I proven my value?” the priest dared to ask. Xyell shot him an impatient glance. “For now.”

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Chapter Eight Felicia held her breath as Aiden kissed his way down the arch of her neck. His hand rested on her breast, the thumb teasing her nipple. This had been easier when she was in control. The memories had seemed irrelevant. He reached her shoulder and lightly scraped his teeth over her sensitive skin. She shivered and released her pent-up breath. She would not let Perion invade this moment! She had wasted too many years punishing herself for his crimes. Aiden’s lips brushed against the swell of her breast and his tongue trailed liquid fire across her skin. He was beside her, not on top of her, but it didn’t seem to matter. She was naked, on her back, and a man was enjoying her body. Cold, dark eyes pierced her memory. The cruel twist of thin lips followed a moment behind. “I cannot do this.” She pushed Aiden away, unable to still her thundering heart. He propped himself on his elbow and looked down at her, compassion warming his green eyes. “Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what you’re feeling.” “I thought I could do this, but I cannot. His image is all I see.” “How long ago did all this happen? How old were you?” “I was fifteen. It has been nine years.” She sighed, frustrated by the weakness. “I know I should be over it by now.” “I don’t think anyone ever gets over something like that. You learn to cope with it and you minimize its impact on your life, but it will always be part of your past.” She nodded, having come to the same conclusion shortly after it happened. He sat, pulling her up with him. “Wrap your legs around my waist. Let’s try something different.” His hands supported her and guided her into position, face-to-face, bodies inches apart. “Touch me as I touch you. Let’s find our way together.” Their mouths met in the middle while their hands explored. She ran her hands up and down his back and he mirrored her movements. His lips slid over hers and meshed with hers in a leisurely exchange that left them both breathless. This was better. So much better. His kiss was addictive and his touch comforted as much as it aroused. She pulled back for a moment and told him, “I think it’s being on my back. It’s too similar to…” “I understand.” He whispered the words against her lips then pressed her against his body, heart to heart and skin to skin. His mouth lured her deeper into the kiss with soft strokes and gentle nips. She touched her tongue to his and he curled around her, drawing her into his mouth.

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His fingers ran up and down her sides, knuckles skimming the outer swell of her breasts. It was barely a touch and yet heat swirled through her chest and pooled low in her abdomen. She groaned and tightened her legs, trying to bring herself closer. He grasped her hips and stilled her restless movements. “Have you ever touched yourself?” She shook her head, unwilling to admit she’d been afraid of losing her gift as well as rekindling the hated memories. Her gift was so much a part of who she was. Without her abilities, she would feel truly useless. So why was she risking it now? He took her hand and drew it between their bodies. Her knuckles passed over his growing erection and he hissed. “None of that. It’s your turn now.” She barely touched the hair covering her mound then snatched her hand out from under his. For an instant his fingers covered her pussy then he went after her hand, stubbornly bringing her fingers back to that secret place between her legs. “I want you to feel why I want you so badly.” He curved her hand, pressing her fingers into her folds. “Why am I so wet? Is that supposed to happen?” “Yes, love. That’s how your body welcomes mine. Feel how soft and hot your pussy is. Imagine how you will feel wrapped around my cock.” He pushed her middle finger into her cunt and the muscles constricted. Felicia sighed and wiggled, driving her finger farther into her body. “I feel all tight and fluttery.” His hand released hers and he passed his fingers over a spot at the top of her passage. She gasped and shivered. “Is that my clit?” “Who taught you that word? Laetif?” He stroked her again and all she could do was nod. Sensations spread through her abdomen and spiraled up her passage like a sensory tornado. She moved her hand aside and gave him more room to maneuver, resting back on her hands while he worked between her thighs. Again and again he strummed that hidden nub until her body shook with a tension she didn’t understand. Then his fingers pushed into her pussy while he stroked her clit with his other hand. She lifted her hips, taking him deeper, and the pressure inside her released. She cried out in surprise and awe, pleasure pulsing through her. Her inner muscles tightly squeezed his fingers as the orgasm swept her along. “That was…amazing.” Her breath escaped in shallow pants. “That was a taste of what’s waiting for us. As soon as you’re ready to take the next step.” “I’m ready now.” She objected reaching for his cock. He caught her wrist and shook his head. “You need time to accept that this can be good, to process the new sensations.” He pulled down the covers and urged her

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beneath them then snuggled against her back. “Go to sleep. We have a lot to accomplish tomorrow.”

***** Laetif walked into her cabin and froze. Quade sat in a chair on the far side of the room, feet propped on her bed. At least he’d taken off his boots! Which only indicated his intention to stay. “Get. Out.” She pointed toward the door that had just closed behind her. “I can’t do that, ma’am.” His voice dropped to a soft growling whisper as he added, “I’ve nowhere else to go.” “What is that supposed to mean? You’re one of Mikko’s goons. Go back to wherever you stayed before you… How did you get in here?” “Security override.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “Why would you be given the security override to my cabin?” “Because I’m your new bodyguard.” He couldn’t be serious. “I do not need a bodyguard.” “Obviously your husband disagrees.” Her husband. She cringed at the thought of Mikko and all the upheaval he had brought to her life. “My husband is a maniacal bastard. He’s playing some twisted game and I won’t be a part of it.” Quade leaned back slightly in the chair, looking far too at home in her bedroom. “What made you marry a ‘maniacal bastard’?” “Youthful stupidity.” She sighed, unsure what to do with her uninvited guest. If she called security, Quade was sure to flash some manufactured identification or offer a clearance code that Mikko would verify. Mikko wouldn’t send one of his thugs into battle unarmed. “Are you going to follow me around until we reach Fedoros?” Now that thought wasn’t unpleasant at all. There was something about Quade that fascinated her. Beyond his rugged good looks and brooding silence lurked mysteries she longed to explore. Her cowardice the night before had been uncharacteristic. He’d just caught her at the end of an extremely turbulent day. “No, ma’am. I’ve been assigned until further notice.” He smiled. The expression charming yet challenging. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.” “And you’re okay with being stuck with another man’s wife?” “Depends on the wife.” Heat suffused her cheeks and she turned away. Even with the bed separating them—perhaps because a bed separated them—she didn’t feel safe. “I know Mikko won’t relent once he’s made his mind up, so you’ll have to sleep on the couch.”

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He ignored the comment and stood, reaching into the pocket of his pants. “I couldn’t find a chess board, but I borrowed a deck of cards.” “You want me to sit down and play cards with you?” “Is there something you’d rather do?” He looked pointedly at the bed. “Cards would be delightful.” He strolled to the small, round table and sat. She scrambled for an alternative, but came up blank. Caleb wouldn’t be off duty for another hour or so and she couldn’t wander around the hallways again. Besides, it sounded like Quade would be waiting for her when she returned. Mikko had given him a legitimate reason for being in her cabin. She took the chair facing him and watched the cards fly from his long, tapered fingers. Such graceful fingers for such big hands. She fanned her cards then shook her head. “What are we playing?” “Poker? Colonial rules.” His beautifully sculpted lips curved with the beginnings of a smile but he suppressed the impulse before it fully formed. “I play most games by Colonial rules.” She should have realized he was a colonist. The colonies were rough and tumble, creating a fierceness not found on Fedoros. The strong flourished and people created their own destiny. She could hardly imagine a world so free. “Mikko doesn’t trust anyone from the colonies. How did you convince him to hire you?” “I was contracted by Prince Tarhee two years ago and later assigned to your husband’s contingent.” He looked at her over his cards, dark eyes gleaming in the soft cabin light. “And your husband assigned me to you.” “Then you’re part of the private army Tarhee is assembling for New Pompeii.” “The only details in my contract were the length of the commitment and the rate of compensation. It was clear to everyone that it was an anything-goes, take-it-or-leave-it offer.” “And you chose to take it?” He snapped his cards close and placed them on the tabletop. “I thought we were going to play poker.” “I’m not allowed to know anything about you?” She folded her cards as well but kept them in her hand. “Why would you care?” There was no hostility in his tone, but the note of bitterness stirred her curiosity. He was the one trying to seduce her. Shouldn’t he try to appease her? “If you’re going to shadow me for the next—who knows how long, I’d like to know a little bit about you.” “And I’d like to see you naked. Is that going to happen anytime soon?” His soulful eyes lit with mischief and she couldn’t help but smile. He was such an odd combination of charm and danger. 70

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She shrugged and raised her hand, indicating the cards. “If I win a hand, you answer a question. If you win, I take off an article of clothing.” “Fine by me. I’ve spend a lot of time playing poker.” He picked up his cards and fanned them. “I dealt, so you go first.” She kept two kings, tossing the rest into the discard pile, then picked up the new cards he passed her. The replacement cards were even worse than the ones she’d tossed, so she was stuck with the two kings. “I’ve got a pair of kings.” She told him after he’d switched out his own cards. He smiled. “Three of a kind.” They were all fours, but that still beat her kings. “Fine.” She leaned down and took of one of her shoes. He chuckled. “Your deal.” She won the next hand and she immediately asked, “What made you apply for the New Pompeii project? I know they’re requiring a ten-year commitment. Most people won’t agree to that.” “The compensation is unparalleled. I needed the money. There is nothing unusual in my motivation.” “That might be true, but there’s more to it than that.” “You’ll have to win another hand to find out.” He effortlessly won the next four hands and her mood began to darken. He’d warned her that he was skilled, but no one was this lucky. “Were you a gambler before you joined the army? I feel like I’ve been set up.” “How is that possible?” He pushed back from the table and crossed his legs. “You proposed the game, not me.” “So I did.” He’d already won her shoes and stockings and she wasn’t wearing a bra. Should she take off her blouse or her pants? All she was wearing under the pants was a thong. Standing, she opted for the pants. “Just because you get me naked doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you.” “I don’t want to sleep with you.” He paused, gaze burning into hers. “I want to fuck you for hours, in every position you can imagine, until you come so hard you see stars.” Her fingers fumbled and her mouth went dry. His graphic admission should offend her, but it didn’t. She was tired of games, tired of emotional maneuvers that left her frustrated and confused. Every man she encountered wanted something from her, and it seldom had anything to do with sex. Her bed had become a doorway to power and influence. The hunger in Quade’s dark eyes promised incendiary pleasure. She imagined him pinning her against the wall and pounding into her with controlled ferocity. Her legs would hug his lean hips and her nails would bite into his back. He stood suddenly and pushed the table aside. “Wait! You only earned my pants. We’re not doing this yet.”

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Brushing her hands aside, he unfastened her pants. “I’m no good at games, Laetif. I’m in this room because your husband ordered me to come, but I’m going to fuck you because you’re the most desirable woman I’ve ever seen. I think your husband is an imbecile for not understanding what he’s got.” Which was, of course, exactly what she needed to hear. And it was precisely the reason she didn’t believe him. “I don’t want you inside me until I know more about you.” “Fair enough, but I’ve already earned your pants.” He slipped his fingers inside the waistband and pushed them down over her hips. The garment obediently dropped to her ankles and she stepped out. He caressed her hips and thighs then reached back and squeezed her ass. She gasped and twisted away. “What the fuck?” He turned her and raised the hem of her blouse, exposing her bruised behind. The marks were faded and the swelling was gone, but she knew it still looked bad. “Who did this to you? If Xyell beats you, I’ll kill him!” His protectiveness pleased her, but she was trying hard not to smile. “My husband didn’t do this and it was not forced on me. I found the experience quite cathartic.” He stared at her for a long time, conflict clear in his night-black eyes. “If pain is what you need, I’m doomed. I can’t hurt a woman, any woman. Even if she wants me to.” “I don’t need pain.” Even as the words left her mouth, a strange diffused ache branded her a liar. “The other night just happened. When I ran out of here, Caleb—” “The captain did this to you?” It was none of his business, but she nodded and waited for the inevitable question. “Did he fuck you?” “Why would you care if he did? I’m an assignment, remember? I’m your boss’s wife!” He lunged so suddenly she cried out and covered her face with her forearms. Time paused and nothing happened. Her heart thudded wildly and she licked her lips. Nothing. No movement, no sound. She slowly lowered her arms and found him facing the other direction, hands clenched at his sides. “You can’t fake that reaction. Does your husband hurt you, or was it your father?” The pain in his voice confused her. Was this guilt, or had he known a woman who suffered abuse? “It was Mikko, but it hasn’t happened for years. Hurting me would require too much energy. I’m no longer worth even that. I’m sorry I reacted like that. Old habits die hard.” He turned and approached her slowly, hands at his sides. “I’m thrilled he’s lost interest in you, but I’m sorry you ever suffered at his hands.” They looked at each other for a long time, each sensing a kindred spirit. “Your mother?” she guessed.

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He nodded. “I still dream about her screams and the sound of fists hitting flesh. They finally subjected him to cerebral rerouting, but none of us ever recovered. He was a zombie after the procedure and she tortured herself with guilt. I know I was too young to protect her, but that didn’t stop the dreams.” Unable to ignore another haunted soul, she wrapped her arms around his back and squeezed him tightly. “It wasn’t your fault.” “I know, but men who abuse the women they’re supposed to protect are beneath contempt in my book.” “Where is she now?” She leaned back so she could see his face. “They aren’t still together, are they?” “She died while I was fighting on the frontier. It’s been twelve years ago by now. Dad is in a sanitarium like all the other zombies. Out of sight, out of mind.” His hands gently touched her hips then slid down to her ass cheeks. “Does it hurt?” “Not anymore. I just have to be careful when I sit down.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I guess a wall banger ain’t gonna happen if I can’t grab your ass.” She shivered. Had his imagination produced to the same image, or had he read her mind? Her gaze snapped to his. “Are you psychic? That’s one of the reasons Mikko avoids colonists. You never know what you’re getting.” “Why? Were you thinking about being taken against the wall while you wrapped those long legs around my waist?” He pushed his leg between hers and rubbed his thigh against her mound. Her clit pressed against her pelvic bone and she groaned. Her desire had been simmering since Caleb sent her away without a proper fuck. The shattering orgasm he’d given her had only whetted her appetite for more. She wanted the fullness of a cock, not hours and hours of foreplay. “I say we try.” She unbuttoned the top two buttons on her blouse then yanked it off over her head. His hungry gaze fell to her swaying breasts, but his hands flew to the front of his jacket. With an urgency that perfectly matched her mood, he shucked his uniform jacket, tore off the undershirt and kicked off his pants. She watched him in silent wonder, spellbound by the savage beauty of his body. Utterly ripped, his torso was a testimony to years of discipline and a lifestyle requiring physical prowess. He’d mentioned fighting on the frontier, so he’d been a soldier long before he sold his soul to Prince Tarhee. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” His cock rose high and hard against his belly, proof of his demanding need. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and gazed into his eyes. “I want this as much as you do, but we’re going to talk when we’re done.”

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“Deal.” He hurried her toward the nearest wall and snapped the narrow straps of her thong. “Gods, these things drive me crazy. Why bother wearing anything at all?” “I usually don’t,” she admitted with a sensual smile. He threaded his fingers through her hair and covered her mouth with his, tongue immediately seeking entrance to her depths. She opened for him, beyond resistance or pretence. She was a passionate woman with long-neglected needs. She still wasn’t sure what Mikko hoped to gain by giving her ready access to a lover, but so be it! She had been alone for far too long. Raising one leg to his hip, he paused to explore her pussy. His long fingers parted her folds and zeroed in on her swollen clit. He circled the nub with featherlight pressure and her core clenched painfully. “In me now! I need this bad.” Her breathy admission drew a soft growl from his throat. He reached down, not giving her time to jump, and swept her leg out from under her. His hands firmly clasped her ass, causing a moment of discomfort. Then he slid her up the wall, effortlessly controlling her movements. Her legs draped over his forearms, preventing her from locking them around his waist. She felt his cock nudge her opening, but he didn’t push inside. “My daughter,” he said in a passion-thick voice. “What?” Her body ached for the promised fullness and he wanted to talk? “I signed the contract to protect my daughter. I didn’t want her raised in the colonies.” He slowly lowered her onto his cock. “You said you didn’t want me inside you until you knew more about me. Now you know.” The admission left her with more questions than answers, but the sentiment was sweet. So was his motivation. There was nothing nobler than a parent’s love for his child. He drew back then thrust deeper, keeping her legs spread wide. She squeezed his shoulders and rested her head against the wall. Shifting her lower and adjusting his stance, he began to move in long, steady strokes that rubbed all the right places. Heat gathered in her groin and tingles trailed down her legs, but her mind was filled with speculation. If he had a daughter, did he have a wife? “What happened to her mother?” He drove his entire length into her and stopped. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know after. I need you with me now.” Then why had he brought it up? His mouth covered hers, his lips warm and caressing. He pulled one arm out from under her leg and she quickly wrapped it around his waist. Then he moved the other and she settled more fully on his cock. The kiss deepened and her pussy clenched around him, accentuating the fullness and the connection. There was so much more to Quade than met the eye. He was complex and intriguing. She couldn’t wait to peel back his layers and discover what lay beneath.

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He drew nearly out then slammed back in, warning clear in his dark eyes. “Look at me. Focus on what you’re feeling.” Supporting her body with one arm, he leaned back and caressed her breasts with his other hand. His touch was firm and confident, his gaze downright possessive. His hand descended along her body and his gaze narrowed on her face. He found her clit with his thumb and rubbed back and forth. “I don’t need more foreplay,” she muttered. “Just fuck me hard.” “After.” “After? After what.” “After you come for me now.” She dug her nails into his shoulders. “I don’t think I can.” “Close your eyes and concentrate on my touch and my cock deep inside you.” His thumb changed direction, brushing up and down. “I want to watch you, feel you with no distractions.” Rocking her hips forward, she made more room for his hand. He was holding her up with one arm. Damn the man was strong. He nipped the side of her neck, an unmistakable warning. She tightened her inner muscles and focused on the tension building in her abdomen. As she centered herself more fully in the moment, her body came alive. Her nipple peaked beneath his fingers and her clit launched pulses of pleasure deep into her core. Still, she felt alone and on display, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. She opened her eyes, intending to tell him it wasn’t working, and was devoured by his ravenous gaze. Her cunt clamped down on him hard enough to make him moan as her back arched away from the wall. Pleasure erupted in a brilliant burst of color and sensation, shaking her entire body with its intensity. Before the last spasm ebbed, he resumed his strokes, in and out, with steady rhythm. She came again and again, the sensory floodgates open wide. He lunged into her and ground against her, his hands again on her ass. She watched him through a haze of pleasure, fascinated by the play of emotion across his features. He was unguarded, almost vulnerable as he struggled for release. Then his eyes bore into hers and his jaw clenched. He buried himself to the hilt and unleashed his stubborn control. The distinct pulse of his cock sent another wave of pleasure crashing over her. She squeezed him with her legs and her inner muscles, savoring each heated splash of his seed. He sank to his knees, clutching her against him as they both fought for breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Gradually her head cleared and her blood cooled. Uncertainty threaded through the afterglow, making her restless and uneasy.

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Unwrapping her legs from around his waist, she found the floor with her heels and lifted herself off his cock. The emptiness seemed absolute after the fullness of their joining, but she refused to think about how easily she’d fallen into Mikko’s trap. She grabbed the first garment she found, which happened to be his undershirt. The soft material smelled like him and caressed her body like surrogate hands. “All right, soldier. You’ve completed your mission with frightening ease. What’s your final objective?”

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Chapter Nine Struggling to his feet on shaky legs, Quade turned and faced Laetif. “My objective? You know your husband sent—” “Stop calling him that. Mikko isn’t my anything.” He heaved a frustrated sigh and pulled on his pants. “What would you like me to call him?” “Fuckwad works or asshole or—” “I get the idea. The ambassador sent me, but I don’t fuck on command. What just happened was between you and me.” She didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she didn’t argue. “Then tell me about your daughter.” “Do you have anything to drink besides water?” “Do you have something against water?” She was really in a mood. Many women became clingy after sex. Apparently Laetif turned feisty. “I haven’t had a beer since I left Outpost Nine. I’d do just about anything for one right now.” “Will you rub my feet?” “Are they clean?” He returned without pause. “You’re about to find out.” She strolled across the cabin, long legs bare beneath his t-shirt, and opened a built-in coolerator. Her delectable ass cheeks peeked out as she bent to retrieve the beer and blood flooded his groin all over again. She was a mission! He could not let himself become emotionally entangled with her. The fuckwad could reassign him on a whim, so there was no reason to invest anything in this bizarre relationship. The view as she returned was even more inviting. Her full breasts jiggled and her nipples were clearly visible beneath the soft white fabric. He could remember the feel of those warm mounds in his palms and those responsive nipples hardening between his fingers. He wanted to tackle her and hold her down while he licked her from head to toe. Their first time had been over much too fast. He couldn’t wait to be inside her again. “Do you need to go shower before we talk?” Her delicate brows arched as she looked pointedly at the erection tenting the front of his pants. “Only if you’ll come with me.” “I think we’ve both come enough for right now.” She handed him the beer and dragged the chair he’d been sitting in earlier back to the table where it belonged.

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“Speak for yourself,” he muttered under his breath. He could come at least twice more before his body demanded sleep. He sat facing her and used the edge of the table to pry off the bottle top. After a long pull from the bottle, he set it on the table. “Give me your feet. I’m a man of my word.” She carefully kept her thighs together as she raised her feet to his lap. “What’s her name?” “My daughter?” “She is the subject at hand.” He lifted one foot and began to rub. “Her mother named her Brishta. I call her B.” “Is her mother still in the picture?” “Her mother was a weekend fling before I shipped out on a two-year tour of the frontier. B was waiting for me when I returned. DNA tests confirmed that she’s mine, but I’ve never seen her mother again. I have no idea how to find her even if I wanted to, which I don’t. But B might want to someday and I don’t know how to help her. I’m just grateful she decided to have the baby rather than end the pregnancy. B is unbelievable.” “How often will you be able to see her if you’re stationed in New Pompeii?” “She’s at a boarding school, so I can only see her on weekends anyway. Anything was better than the options available on Outpost Nine. I don’t mind the rustic environment, but it’s no place to raise a little girl.” Laetif closed her eyes and sighed as he rotated the pad of his thumb across the bottom of her foot, digging in just a little. “That feels so good.” A few minutes passed in companionable silence. He rubbed her feet and she basked in the attention, obviously starved for a little pampering. “Do you and the fuckwad have children?” She shook her head, pain sparking to life within her eyes. “I’m not able. A fact Mikko likes to remind me of as often as possible.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s not your fault. Unfortunately, it’s not Mikko’s either. No one is to blame but me. I’m defective.” He squeezed her foot until she looked at him. “You are perfect just the way you are. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. You could always adopt. Lots of wonderful children are in need of a good home.” “Which is why I’ve never considered it. Any home with Mikko in it is anything but good.” His hands moved up her leg, squeezing her calf and then moving higher. “Keep mentioning his name and you’ll find yourself impaled on my cock again.” She snickered and tossed back her hair. “Is that supposed to intimidate me?” She bent her knees and opened her legs.

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He gazed at her flushed pussy and desire curled though his balls. Grasping the backs of her knees, he pulled her out of her chair and onto his lap. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.” He lifted her, positioned himself at her entrance, then lowered her onto his cock.

***** Felicia fought the bonds of sleep, desperate to escape the hated memories. Perion stood beside her pallet, gaze dark and lecherous. His whispered lies echoed through her mind and then he was on top of her, holding her down and invading her body. She thrashed and bucked, screaming behind his clasped hand. “I’m inside you, part of you. You will never escape me now.” She sat up in bed, her screams still ringing in her ears. Not her ears, her mind. The only sound in the darkened bedroom was her heavy breathing. Beside her, Aiden stirred but didn’t waken. As he’d said earlier, he was exhausted. Why had she dreamed of Perion? It had been years since she succumbed to the nightmare. You will never escape me now. He had actually said the other hateful things, tormenting her verbally while he violated her physically, but the last part was new. And foreboding hung over her like a thundercloud. Aiden touched her arm and she gasped. “Are you all right?” “I had a nightmare. At least I think it was a nightmare.” Sitting as well, he told the lights to illuminate fifty percent. He brushed the hair back from her face then took her hand. “Where you dreaming about the priest?” She nodded. “The images were familiar, but one thing he said was odd. I do not think it was merely an unpleasant dream.” “What did he say to you?” Pulling her hand out of his, she crawled out of bed. “He said, ‘You’ll never escape me now.’ Did you process Perion before you woke me? I do not think he has come through since.” “He could be on one of the other ships, or he might not have been found during the initial sweeps.” It would be such a relief to be rid of him permanently. Somehow she didn’t think the fates would be so kind. She paced beside the bed, needing an outlet for her anxious energy. “How were the initial sweeps accomplished? I remember nothing at all about that day.” “I wasn’t there for the actual evacuation. From what I understand, they gassed the entire city and then sent teams out to collect as many of the inhabitants as they could before the volcano blew.” “Then those remaining would have been asleep when the destruction hit?” “It’s a nice thought, but I suspect the Fedorans left themselves plenty of time to get the ships to safety before the sparks began to fly.” 79

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Unfortunately she agreed with him. The Fedorans had been methodical, leaving nothing to chance. “You mentioned a roster. Can we search this list for Perion?” “In the morning.” He patted the bed beside him. “It’s not even dawn. Come back to bed.” “I cannot go back to sleep. I do not want to go back to sleep.” She shuddered, unwilling to consider making herself vulnerable to those images again. “I will read in your office until you arrive.” He threw back the covers with a loud sigh. She rushed forward and drew the covers over him again. “Shika is on duty. I will go directly there. Sleep. I insist.” He paused, his gaze moving over her face. “Are you in danger? If this was a vision, we should take it seriously.” Hearing him defend her abilities filled her with warmth and determination. He believed in her. Too often others sneered at her warnings. She had become accustomed to being dismissed and ignored by those in positions of power. “If the danger were imminent, the images would have been more specific. Perion is still out there. I am certain of it. All we need to do is find him.” “If you locate him, you must not make a move without me.” “I would never do something so foolish. If I discover anything of consequence, I will notify you.” He hesitated a moment longer then rubbed his temples. “All right. Tell Shika to ping my cabin when you arrive. The companel will beep, letting me know you’re safe.” “I will. I promise.” She dressed quickly in the dark and left the cabin, going immediately to the infirmary. Shika looked up, her confusion obvious. “What time is it?” “It is early yet. I was unable to sleep.” “Ah, anything I can do?” Felicia walked across the room, thinking of all the people who had come and gone in the last couple of days. “Aiden asked that you ping his cabin to let him know I arrived.” “No problem. Make yourself at home.” She went to Aiden’s office and stood before the triple row of books. What she really wanted was the list of names of the people who had been awakened. She went back into the infirmary and Shika looked up as she approached. “Did you forget something?” Shika asked with a smile. “I would like to review the list of people who have been through orientation.” Shika hesitated. “Is Doc okay with this?” “He told me he would help me search as soon as he arrives, but I would rather begin now.” “Are you searching for someone in particular?”

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She didn’t want to mistrust Shika, but she had yet to spend enough time with the young woman to determine her true loyalties. “I’m just interested in who we rescued from the explosion and who was left behind.” Shika thought for a moment then shrugged. “I don’t see any harm in you looking over a bunch of names. All the details are in Fedoros, so it should be cool.” “Anything would be helpful.” Shika walked into Aiden’s office and slipped in behind his desk. She swept her hand from top to bottom across the desk and an intricate image manifested in front of her. Aiden had explained that this was the interface graphic, “A way of navigating the computer’s processes”. Felicia’s skin still chilled and her stomach tightened every time she saw someone manipulating something that wasn’t really there. It took more faith to believe that machines could create these wonders than to accept the existence of the gods. “Here you go. The list is on screen. As you reach the bottom of each page just go like this.” She ran her fingers upward from the bottom edge and the image followed her fingers. “Many thanks.” Shika nodded and pushed back from the desk. “If you need anything else, just let me know.” Felicia took the seat Shika had vacated and gaped when she saw the roster. Not only had each name been recorded but they had captured an image of each person. This would make it so much easier to spot Perion! She scrolled through the list, skimming the names when she didn’t recognize the features. She quickly realized she knew more people by face than by name. How had they done this without the refugees’ knowledge? The camera must have been concealed. As Shika had said, much of the information had been entered in Fedoros, but Felicia recognized certain words and phrases. Too curious to concentrate entirely on the pictures, Felicia called out to Aiden’s assistant. “Shika, can you help me for a short time?” The young woman returned to the office and pulled up a chair. “Shoot.” It was a word Shika commonly used to indicate she was ready to continue. Felicia didn’t understand the context, but it didn’t matter. She centered a file in front of her face. “This is a street name and this lists his occupation. But what does this entry indicate?” “I thought you just wanted to look at names.” Shika’s expression turned dubious. “I hadn’t realized so much information had been collected about each person. If the evacuation was spontaneous, how did the ambassador learn this much about us in such a short period of time?” “The original location of each person was documented by the evacuation teams. They gave each refugee a number and entered their physical description into the master

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log. We have been adding details to the log as we process each person. We’ve added their names, occupations and family members.” “This is being done on all the ships?” “Of course. The process is identical and all the info is uploaded to the same database.” Felicia was unable to shake the feeling that something nefarious was at work here. “What will be done with this information?” “As we update the master log, the Fedorans match each refugee with a location in the new city. Those who owned villas will be taken to a villa, shop owners will be given new shops and so on. Each refugee will gently awaken in their new home.” She had wondered how offloading would be accomplished without the refugees seeing too much. “What if the refugee was a visitor to Pompeii? People travel to our city on holiday all the time.” “Those who were not a permanent resident of the old city will be taken to the magistrate. He will determine how to assimilate them into the new population. He is also responsible for locating lost family members and so forth.” “The magistrate is Fedoran?” Shika nodded, so Felicia sat back in her chair and stared at the image floating above the desktop. “I had not realized the process was so involved.” “Yep. Every person had to be chipped and examined. That’s why we’ve been busting our butts since we left Earth.” “Chipped? What does this mean?” Shika suddenly stood and moved her chair back to the front of the desk. “Didn’t Doc explain it when he injected you?” To her knowledge the only thing Aiden had injected her with was a vaccination and the mandatory contraceptive compound. “He has explained so many things I must have forgotten. What purpose does this chip serve?” “It allows Fedorans to keep track of where everyone is at any given time.” “I have heard of this before. The all-seeing machine that is known by letters.” “GPS.” Shika relaxed enough to smile. “No one is allowed on Fedoros without a GPS chip. No exceptions. It’s the law.” Shika returned to her work and Felicia continued through the log, determined to locate her nemesis. “Is Aiden around?” She looked up and found Caleb lounging in the doorway. It was easy to understand why Laetif was so taken with him. “He is still in bed.” “Without you? Silly him.” “Do you need to speak with him, or should I let him know you were looking for him?”

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He shrugged then rolled his shoulders. “It’s nothing important. We’d been fighting intermittent temperature spikes in the…” He chuckled then shook his head. “Just tell him the problem with the ship is resolved. I’ll talk to him later.” “Have you been up all night?” “Guilty.” He rubbed the back of his neck and yawned. “I’m heading to bed now.” He surprised her with a playful wink. “Don’t suppose you want to join me?” She recognized his banter for what it was—harmless flirtation. He had made it clear in the mess hall that he would not touch her as long as she belonged to his brother. “No Sir. I am more than happy with my situation.” “Good to know he’s taking care of you.” He waved then departed. Was Laetif waiting in his bed, all warm and sleepy? Would they enjoy a quick bout of love play before he joined her in sleep? Felicia was not tempted by Caleb, but she longed for the sort of freedom others enjoyed. As Laetif predicted, Aiden was being patient and tender, but the restlessness inside Felicia was growing. Would surrendering to Aiden anchor her emotionally to this new reality, or would it add to the conflict twisting through her soul? She smiled and turned back to the list of refugees. She’d never know the answer to those questions until Aiden deemed her ready to learn. And in the meantime, she had to locate her enemy before her enemy found her.

***** “If half of what the priest told me is true, it is imperative that we find this priestess,” Mikko stressed. “But the master log has her listed among the dead.” Prince Tarhee glanced up from his lavish breakfast as he waited for Mikko to explain. “I don’t believe it and neither does the priest.” Tarhee shrugged then continued eating. “My people are searching the stacks and you notified the other ships. There is nothing more to be done until she turns up. If she turns up.” Mikko clenched his fists so his face remained calm. If they’d been in the same room, Mikko would have taken the prince by the shoulders and shaken him until the ignorant fool understood the urgency of the situation. “This woman is a legitimate clairvoyant. The priest is in awe of her abilities and he despises her.” “Perhaps he has exaggerated her usefulness so you will be more motivated to find her. I have encountered clairvoyants before. Their abilities have never impressed me.” “She warned the priest and the governor that Pompeii was about to be destroyed. If they had listened to her, we would have been robbed of our cargo.”

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Tarhee stroked his chin, smoothing his close-cropped whiskers, apparently lost in thought. “Can she endanger our position? You seem intrigued by this girl. Would we be wiser to destroy her as soon as she is located?” “I want to interrogate her, determine the extent of her abilities. If she can be controlled, such gifts could be a real advantage.” The prince scoffed. “That’s a big if.” “I agree. She will be kept under lock and key until I’m absolutely sure she’s no danger to us.” “We’ve both invested too much into this project to risk it on a woman. Our financial interests must come before your pleasure.” “I have not lost sight of our objective. New Pompeii will be the most profitable venture on Fedoros within the year.” “Is she beautiful?” Tarhee’s lips bowed in a lecherous smile. “Royal psychic has a rather nice ring to it, don’t you think?” “She is mine.” Mikko moved closer to the camera. Each of the priest’s wild stories had made him more determined to find Felicia. According to the priest, she was lovely, a willowy blonde with big blue eyes. The priest had tried to tame her, but Perion lacked the skill. Mikko would train her slowly, bend her will without breaking her spirit. His cock stirred just thinking about all the challenges she would provide. “I learned of her existence and I’m conducting the search. I will not back down on this. Felicia is mine.” “You’ll get no argument from me. No woman is worth compromising our partnership. Com me if you find her. But remember, if she threatens our control over these people, she must be destroyed.” Tarhee closed the comlink and Mikko sighed. When push came to shove, Tarhee had controlling interest in the city. Not to mention that he was the emperor’s son. Anytime he chose to exert his authority, Mikko would be forced to back down. Refusing to dwell on the irritating detail, Mikko sent a quick text to Quade, directing him to check in as soon as possible. A few minutes later, Quade activated a private link. “You wanted to speak with me?” “Did you fuck her?” Mikko cut right to the chase. His jaw clenched and defiance flashed in his dark eyes, but finally he ground out, “Yes Sir.” Mikko chuckled. “I obviously chose the right man for the job.” He would have to make time in his busy schedule to watch Quade in action. He’d expected Laetif to keep Quade jumping through hoops for at least a week. “Keep her distracted. I want her so caught up in you that my actions don’t even enter her mind.” “Is there anything else, Sir?” The open hostility in Quade’s gaze concerned Mikko. Quade had performed flawlessly, but his attitude continued to hover on the verge of insubordination. No 84

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matter. Mikko held the key to Quade’s cooperation. Let him stomp and snarl. He could despise his orders all he liked. In the end he would always obey. A father’s love for his daughter was such a marvelous motivator. “Not right now, Quade. Carry on.”

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Chapter Ten Needing a few minutes away from Quade’s captivating presences, Laetif took advantage of his momentary distraction and darted from the cabin. She had no doubt Mikko had comed her new bodyguard and Quade was updating his master on the developments. Yes Sir, I fucked your wife twice last night. She came at least four times, so I’m confident we are underway. Quade’s report might not have been so detailed, but the result was the same. She had foolishly succumbed to Mikko’s spy, not once but twice. And it pissed her off to realize she was such an easy mark. Quade would catch up to her in no time, but she had to clear her head and reassess her options. The lift door slid open and she groaned. Caleb stood there, gorgeous as ever, a predatory smile instantly curving his lips. She turned, intending to wait for the next car, but his hand closed around her upper arm and he pulled her into the lift. She moved as far away from him as the confined space allowed. He immediately caged her with his body. “Pause lift and lock out manual overrides, authorization, Thrax one-two-nine.” “Don’t do this, Caleb.” She turned her head, unable to endure his penetrating stare. “Don’t do what? Accept your offer? You all but insisted I fuck you the other night, but I thought you weren’t ready for that sort of emotional upheaval. I let you walk out of my cabin while my balls turned blue.” She understood his anger. He had been gallant and understanding. “I’m sorry. Last night was unexpected. I didn’t plan to…” “Fuck the man who had you in tears the night before?” “I can’t explain it. I just—” “Have you always been a tease?” She gasped and glared into his eyes. “I am not a tease! You dismissed me without fucking me. I had nothing to do with that decision.” He pushed off the wall and moved back to his side of the car. “Then you’re finished with me? I cushioned your fall, but now you’ve found a new cock to ride, so my services are no longer needed?” “It’s not like that.” Her argument sounded pathetic and her conscience screamed that it had been exactly like that. “I’m not like that.”

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“What are you like, Laetif? Do you even know who you are?” His anger ebbed, but his disappointment was even more cutting. “I could have helped you find out. Do you really think that Quade will satisfy you? He’s unimaginative and—” “Oh my God! You watched us, didn’t you?” He didn’t deny it and her temper flared. “How dare you invade my privacy! If I chose to fuck every person on this ship, it is none of your goddamn business!” “You flew into my arms, hysterical because your husband had dispatched one of his men to seduce you. I half expected you to be waiting in my bed when I finally made my way there this morning. But there was no you and not even a message!” He took a deep breath and jerked down on the hem of his uniform jacket. “I was understandably concerned, so I pinged your cabin but you didn’t respond.” “So you accessed the security feed?” He confirmed with a stiff nod. “Imagine my surprise when I found you in bed with the villain you were so determined to escape. I watched long enough to be sure you were willing and then I went to bed.” She let out her breath in a ragged sigh and looked away from his handsome face. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m sorry.” “He will never satisfy you.” “He managed well enough last night,” she muttered, just wanting the conversation over. “You have a dark side, Laetif. I can sense it because I’m just like you. Quade can’t bring himself to hurt you, so he will never be enough for you.” “You know nothing about him.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her face. “I saw all I needed to see last night. You’ll be able to ignore the restlessness for a while, but you’ve had a taste of what I can give you. The craving inside you will grow. You’ll think about it until your thoughts fuel your dreams, and then your dreams will lead you back to me. You won’t be able to stop yourself.” “Do you realize how arrogant that sounds? I won’t be able to stop myself from crawling back to you?” She rolled her eyes and ignored the strange ache pulsing deep inside her. She did not need Caleb any more than she needed Quade! No man was responsible for her happiness. Mikko had taught her to rely entirely on herself. “You’re a self-absorbed prick with a massively inflated ego.” He chuckled and reactivated the lift. “Deny it all you like. I’ll be waiting when you come to your senses.”

***** Quade strode down the corridor, frustration speeding his steps. He’d spent the last five days with Laetif and now the ambassador required an in-person update. Laetif knew he regularly communicated with her…the fuckwad, but there wasn’t much either of them could do about it. 87

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Laetif was nothing like he’d expected. She was warm and funny, almost painfully intelligent and undeniably vulnerable. The combination appealed to him, made him eager to see her smile and hear her gasps of pleasure. She made love with an abandon that enthralled him, made him want more almost as soon as he came inside her. The scream was muffled, so distant he wondered if he’d imagined the sound, until it came again. He rushed to the interrogation room and slapped his hand over the manual trigger. The door remained locked, but a buzzer sounded inside the cabin. “Do not disturb means do not disturb!” Xyell’s angry voice came over the comlink. “You paged me, Sir. Shall I come back later?” Please God, let him open the door. Quade could not stand having another battered woman on his conscience. The door slid open and Xyell yanked him inside the small cabin. “I paged you over an hour ago! Explain the delay.” Quade cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back. He gazed straight ahead but scanned the room with his peripheral vision. A young woman was bound spread-eagle on Xyell’s fancy rack, her head lolling on her shoulders. Quade’s hands clenched and red hazed his vision. This had to stop. It had to stop right now! “I was otherwise occupied,” he told Xyell, his voice tight and emotionless. “I can just imagine how you were occupied.” Xyell studied his face like a snake sizing up its next meal. “Has she returned to Thrax, or have you kept her too busy for other activities?” “The only other person she has spoken with is Doctor Thrax and—his assistant.” Felicia’s name almost slipped from his lips, but he changed course just in time. Damn it! He had to be more careful. “Has she comed anyone, sent messages or accessed the datastream?” “Nothing, Sir. I suspect she has curtailed her activities because I am there.” Xyell shrugged. “As long as she stays out of trouble and out of my way, that’s all that matters.” He looked at the woman and lust ignited in his gaze. “Care to join me? There is nothing more stimulating than someone else’s pain.” “No thank you, Sir. I should be getting back to my post.” “Don’t forget this is a post. You are still under my authority.” “I haven’t forgotten, Sir. Will that be all?” Xyell waved him away and Quade didn’t hesitate. He returned to Laetif’s cabin as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself. She greeted him with a smile, but he rushed to the companel and activated an encrypted link. “Send security to cabin 914. Someone is in danger.” He sent the simple message to Captain Thrax then paused. Should he contact security directly? He didn’t dare. Security channels were monitored. There was no way to send a message anonymously. “What’s going on?” Laetif came up beside him and slipped her arm around his waist. 88

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“You don’t want to know.” She chuckled. “I wouldn’t have asked unless I wanted to know.” “The fuckwad is being particularly horrible. I couldn’t turn the other way.” Her smile was warm and tender, which only compounded his guilt. “I’m glad.” He shook his head and stepped away from the companel. “I’m a fucking coward. I should have done this days ago.” “Crossing Mikko is dangerous. You don’t have to explain that to me. He could make you disappear with the snap of his fingers, and that would leave your daughter at his mercy. I get it, Quade. Probably better than anyone.” “It shouldn’t matter!” He twisted away from her comforting touch and scrubbed his face with his hand. “Why is B’s life more important than the women he’s abusing? I’ve been selfish, nothing more.” “You took action now. That’s what’s important. You did the right thing.” “Will Thrax take the message seriously? How will I know if—” The door buzzer sounded and Laetif smiled. “Sounds like Caleb got the message.” As she figured, Caleb was in the hall. She opened the door for him and he walked straight to Quade. “How long has it been going on?” Quade didn’t bother pretending he didn’t know what the captain was talking about. “Did your men stop it? How did you get here so fast?” “I was in my cabin, so I dispatched the head of security. He was a whole lot closer. He just reported what he found.” Quade squared his shoulders, preparing himself for whatever action the captain chose to enact. “The cabin was outfitted the day after we departed. Xyell has been interrogating people ever since.” “Interrogating? Is that what he’s calling it?” Caleb shook his head, his disgust obvious. “Why the fuck did it take you so long to report this?” “Mikko has his daughter,” Laetif supplied. “That’s not an excuse,” Quade said before Caleb had the opportunity to voice the criticism clear in his dark green eyes. “I should have taken action as soon I saw that people were being mistreated.” “I agree, but I also understand your hesitation.” “What will happen to Mikko?” Laetif asked. “He’s on his way to the brig, but I have no concrete reason to keep him incarcerated.” “What are you talking about?” Quade snapped. “That woman was barely conscious. Who knows how long he’s had her in that cabin.” “The survivors belong to Xyell. Legally he can do whatever he wants with them.” “That can’t be right.” Laetif shook her head, eyes wide and tormented. “We have to do something.” 89

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“I’ll keep him there as long as I can, but I suspect before the day is through I’ll have a vidcom with Prince Tarhee. He’ll remind me that Ambassador Xyell has diplomatic immunity. I’ll have no choice but to release him.” “That’s bullshit!” Quade stomped away from the companel, too angry to remain still. “And you can take your complaint to the emperor because he is the only one with the authority to revoke diplomatic immunity.” “We cannot just turn a blind eye. There has to be something we can do,” Laetif insisted. Caleb smiled, his gaze shifting from Laetif to Quade and back. “We can post guards in the hallway and make damn sure Xyell knows every move he makes is being recorded. Hopefully, that will keep him from hurting anyone else while he’s on the ship. Of course, he could tell me to shove it and blithely do whatever the hell he feels like. I have no authority to make him behave.” “Or we could just smother him in his sleep,” Quade muttered. “Don’t tempt me.” After a lingering look at Laetif, Caleb glanced at him and said, “Thanks for the tip. I’m glad you finally came to your senses.” Shamed by the subtle reprimand, Quade crossed to the viewport and stared out into the black vastness of space. Laetif came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Do you think the fuckwad will realize it was you?” “Probably. The raid was too coincidental.” He sighed and crossed his arms over hers. “It had to be done. I just couldn’t remain silent anymore.” She squeezed him, communicating her approval without saying a word.

***** The days flew by in a flurry of activity and frustration. Felicia’s dreams were filled with shadowy impressions and an inescapable sense of danger, but the images never solidified, never allowed her to act upon her feelings. Aiden patiently listened to her warnings, but she could offer him nothing specific. After the fourth dream, Aiden told Caleb that something was wrong and the captain informed him that Xyell had been arrested for abusing the passengers. Felicia was relieved that he had been caught, yet the vagueness of her visions frightened her. Was she being punished for the intimacies she’d shared with Aiden? It didn’t seem likely, but the nagging concern lingered in the back of her mind. Each group of refugees who Felicia spoke with reminded her how simplistic her life had been before the evacuation. The refugees seemed innocent and helpless to her. She could imagine how much more the contrast must affect the Fedorans. They might not possess the omniscient power of the gods, but their technology provided them with advantages that were nearly as awe-inspiring. 90

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“One more group then we’re finished for the night.” Aiden told her. She offered him a wan smile, unable to muster any more enthusiasm. There were only four days left until they reached Fedoros and Felicia’s anxiety grew with each passing day. They spent their days together and slept in each other’s arms each night, but whenever she tried to instigate sexual interaction, he insisted she wasn’t ready. Shouldn’t it be her decision when she was ready to be with him? He intentionally kept them busy, working well into the night, so they were both exhausted by the time they hurried down the hall to his cabin. They were ahead of schedule tonight and if the last group went smoothly, they would reach the cabin two hours early. “We are way ahead of schedule.” He echoed her thoughts “Maybe we should start on tomorrow’s—” “No,” she insisted. “I need a break and so do you.” He exhaled then smiled. “You’re right. We’ve earned a few hours of R and R.” “R and R?” “Rest and relaxation.” She had something entirely different in mind, but she kept the thought to herself. The final group sat through orientation in dazed acceptance. Felicia remembered all too well how it felt to have her world ripped out from underneath her. She had been assimilating the changes for almost two weeks and it still felt surreal. Aiden updated the log while Felicia impatiently paced his office. “Let’s go. You’re going to wear groves in the floor.” They said goodnight to Shika and headed to their cabin. Felicia’s heart began to flutter in her breast. Should she talk to him about her restlessness or make a bolder statement? She had tried subtlety before with frustrating results. His caution was honorable. He didn’t want to take advantage of her, but ignoring the attraction smoldering between them was dishonest. Her dreams had stopped the day Xyell was arrested. Laetif told her he’d been released, but apparently the pressure Caleb was putting on him had halted his sadistic behavior. Following their usual routine, she took the undershirt he handed her and walked into the utility room. He would be in bed when she finished with the lights dimmed and she’d crawl in beside him safely clothed in the soft, simple garment. At least that’s how this scene had played out over and over since her first nightmare… Was that what was bothering him? Was he afraid their intimacies had unleashed her nightmares? She quickly undressed and donned the undershirt, motivated by the possibility. As she had expected, he was already beneath the covers when she emerged from the bathroom. His chest was bare and his gaze followed her with cautious longing. His desire for her had not waned. She’d felt his erection pressed against her buttocks too often to fear he’d lost interest. 91

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“Are you ready to sleep or did you want to watch a vid or something?” “Or something,” she replied with what she hoped was a sexy smile. His eyes closed for a second then he said, “Felicia, I don’t think—” Knowing where that weary acceptance lead, she quickly changed direction. “I need your help with something.” He sat up, clearly curious. “All right. What can I do for you?” She chose her words carefully, determined to reach beyond his hesitation. “I feel like my life is in transition. I am becoming a different person than the woman I was in Pompeii. I am wiser, more mature, perhaps a bit more cynical. But I am definitely more aware.” “That’s all perfectly natural, considering what you’ve been through.” “I agree.” She moved to the bed and sat on the edge, pivoting to face him. “There are many things I still do not understand, but I am no longer frightened by the transition.” “I’m glad.” He reached for her hand and pulled her closer. “I didn’t directly participate in what happened to you, but I can’t help feeling responsible.” “Then you agree that it’s only fair that you help me complete my transition?” “Of course. I’ll do whatever I can.” “Good. I want you to couple with me.” “Felicia.” She placed her fingers against his lips, halting his argument. “I need this, Aiden.” “I gave in to my desire for you and you had nightmares for days afterward.” “My nightmares had nothing to do with our activities. Xyell was abusing the passengers and I’m convinced Perion is still alive. I’m not sure why my visions are so fuzzy, but I do not believe it has anything to do with you.” “You’re under an incredible amount of stress. We literally changed your concept of reality. It’s no wonder that your powers are a bit off.” “I agree.” She paused, absorbing the explanation, refusing to give in to her uncertainty. She wanted Aiden, needed to experience the pleasures Laetif whispered about. “This is the final obstacle in my recovery. Perion took something beautiful and natural and made it dirty and despicable. I want to reclaim that part of my soul. I will not be a prisoner to the past.” “Are you sure you’re ready for this? I will do nothing that harms you.” Rather than argue with him, she stood and took off the undershirt. “I want to know what it means to be a woman, and I want you to be my guide.” He crawled out of bed and took her in his arms. “You continually amaze me. I’ve never known anyone stronger than you.” His lips came down over hers and she wrapped her arms around his back. Finally! She clung to him, flattening her breasts against his chest. All he wore was a pair of black 92

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shorts, but she wanted those gone as well. She tugged them down over his tight rear end and he obliged her with a throaty chuckle. “I will not let you rush me,” he warned. “We will take our time and savor this.” They kissed and caressed each other. The freedom thrilled Felicia. She ran her hands over his back and squeezed his hard behind. He pressed his cock against her belly, letting her feel what she did to him. And through it all their mouths meshed and melded, their tongues gently dueling. He finally broke away, panting hard as he fought for control. “Sit down on the edge of the bed. I haven’t forgotten what I promised you.” “That you would lick my pussy until I scream?” “Exactly.” She reached for his cock, but he caught her wrist. “Not tonight. We focus entirely on clearing this hurdle.” She nodded and sat, uncertainty creeping through her arousal. She wanted this, wanted nothing to distract her from the pleasure of sharing these things with Aiden. “Don’t lie back. Brace your arms behind you and stay upright.” He was avoiding the position that had upset her before. She smiled, pleased by his creativity. He knelt on the floor and pushed her legs apart, making room for him between her thighs. Tracing her slit with his fingertips, he gently teased her folds. “You’re already wet. How long have you been thinking about this?” “Ever since you awakened me.” He delved a little deeper, moving up to circle her clit. “That drives me crazy.” “It’s supposed to.” She tried to relax into his caress and let the sensations sweep through her, but the tension was still new. She wasn’t sure how to respond. He bent toward her pussy, gaze squarely fixed on his destination. “I’ve dreamed about your taste and the feel of your cunt around my tongue.” His gruff words sent a thrill through her body and caused her clit to twitch. He held her open while his tongue laved the swollen nub, soft strokes that took her breath away. He pushed his middle finger into her core, pairing his swirling caresses with a steady fucking. She was building quickly toward orgasm. The past eroded with each tender lick. Holding herself up with one hand, she tangled the other in his dark hair. His finger moved faster and his mouth became more persistent. She watched the subtle rocking of his head between her thighs and felt the slick glide of his finger in her passage. Higher and higher she climbed. Needing the staggering burst of sensation yet unsure how to achieve it. He tilted his head, closing his lips around her clit as his finger moved even faster. The soft pull of his lips seemed connected to the tension. She wiggled beneath his mouth and instinctively squeezed his finger. He sucked her clit with increasing pressure until she came in deep spasms. Her inner walls contracted around his finger and pleasure radiated through her entire body.

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Before the last wave passed, he withdrew his finger and raised her pussy to his mouth. He thrust into her with his tongue, prolonging the fluttering spasms. She gasped and shuddered as his mouth devoured her core. He lifted her hips off the bed, pressing his lips flush against her folds while his tongue slid in and out. Her orgasm went on and on until her head spun and lights glistened in her peripheral vision. His mouth gentled, licking her slowly until he looked up at her and smiled. “I was waiting for you to scream.” She laughed and shivered with a powerful aftershock. “I’d need breath to scream and you didn’t leave me any.” He stood, drawing her up with him. “Well, the night is young. Let’s see if this works better.” He turned and sat where she had been and patted his thigh. “Straddle my lap.” Could it be done like that? The temple harlots were often taken on their hands and knees, mounted like mares as their customers thrust into them from behind. “Do you have a better idea?” Emboldened by the pleasure still tingling through her body, she shook her head and said, “Not this time.” He laughed and helped her climb onto him, arranging her knees to each side of his hips. He took his cock in hand and whispered, “Lift up so I can find your entrance then I’ll let you do the rest.” He was giving her control, allowing her to determine how much and how soon. She lifted her body off his lap and felt his cock head at her entrance. He was hers to do with as she wished, hers to savor and adore. She braced her hands against his shoulders and slowly lowered her body onto his cock. Her body stretched around him, but there was no pain. She took a bit more of him, pleased by her own daring. “You are really hard.” “I’ve been hard more than not since I first saw you.” He groaned as her channel accepted even more of him. “How does that feel?” “Tight but good, so very good.” He framed her face with his hands and kissed her. The taste of her pleasure lingered on his tongue, new and exciting. She pushed down, settling over his lap as her hands stroked his chest. He was inside her, completely inside her, and it felt wonderful! One of his hands left her face, reaching down to cup her breast. She tightened herself around him and they moaned in unison. Her inner muscles opened wide around him, his shaft long and thick within her core. She wanted to stay like this forever, but the need to move was urging her on. She raised her hips then lowered them, sliding her body up and down on his hardened length. His hands moved to her hips, but his mouth maintained the intoxicating kiss. The intimacy was doubled. His tongue moved in her mouth as she moved on his cock.

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“Faster,” he urged against her kiss-dampened lips. Clutching tightly to his shoulders she found the rhythm. One hand stayed to steady her hips while the other insinuated itself between their bodies. The first strum of his finger against her clit made her gasp and shiver. Reality coalesced in that moment. The sensations made sense, the empty ache, the rhythmic tightening, and the intimate connection all led to this exchange. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and staked her claim on his body. Come with me, she urged in his mind. I want to do this together. He thrust up into her and frantically rubbed her clit. Together, he agreed. Pleasure burst within her and flowed into him. They shuddered and clung as waves of sensation crashed over them. Their mouths mated and their bodies pulsed in perfect unison. Long moments later, she pulled back and smiled into his eyes. “I would say we cleared the final obstacle.” “No regrets?” She laughed. “Do you jest? My only regret is that I waited so long to ask for your assistance.” He nipped her chin then soothed the sting with a tender kiss. “My good intentions are well and truly obliterated. Let your corruption begin!” His hands cupped her breasts, carefully pinching her nipples. Her cry of feigned outrage dissolved into a throaty moan as he bent her back so he could reach her breasts with his mouth. “I have so many things I want to try, so many positions and variations.” He released her nipple long enough to assure, “I am entirely at your disposal.”

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Chapter Eleven They arrived on Fedoros thirty-one hours ahead of schedule. It would take several days to offload the refugees, but Laetif saw no reason to remain on board. She’d been anxious to see the new villa in person. Virtual tours just weren’t the same. She’d carefully avoided Caleb after their disquieting conversation in the lift. It had been easy to disregard his predictions for the first few days. Quade was an attentive lover and she genuinely liked spending time with him. Still, nothing they did together compared with the combustible intensity of Caleb’s touch. The villa set on a hillside overlooking Ludus Xyellus. She had visited the old facility several times, but the stark, prisonlike environment held no appeal to her. The new arrangement gave her a bird’s eye view of the training field while protecting her from the harsh reality of the barracks. “Does the villa meet with your approval?” Quade asked from somewhere behind her. Beyond the ludus, New Pompeii spread in all its opulent glory. The buildings followed the natural undulation of the land, creating a sort of informal order. Streets were narrow and curved, wending their way between rows of shops and connected houses. “It’s smaller than I expected, but I can’t fault its beauty. The murals are extraordinary.” She turned and smiled, her gaze sweeping Quade’s tall form. The redand-gold uniform he’d worn on the ship had been replace by the trappings of a Roman legionnaire. Chain mail covered his broad shoulders and deep chest, and a muscular expanse of thigh was barred by the short tunic. He had a crested helmet tucked under his arm, but he’d exchanged his pulse pistol for a gladius. “Can you actually use that thing?” She nodded toward the sword. He walked to the rail beside her and peered down into the training yard. “Not as well as they can, but I’m working on it.” “You make a convincing legionnaire. Not many Fedorans have the legs to pull it off.” A low, rumbling chuckle broke free from his throat. “Did you just compliment me on my legs?” “I suppose I did.” She turned back to the field as well, fascinated by the savagery evident in every move the gladiators made. They were captured animals, controlled yet never tamed. “You look lovely,” Quade told her without shifting his gaze from the mock battle raging below. “The garments of this era suit you.”

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She liked the fluid tunics and flowing togas, but married women were expected to wear a stola whenever they ventured out in public. Layers, regardless of how loose, quickly grew heavy and hot. “Has my luggage been delivered from the ship?” “I don’t believe so. Shall I check on it?” Stepping away from the railing, she wandered back into the shade of the villa. In keeping with the noninterference clause, there was no air conditioning in the villa. Everyone who entered New Pompeii had to be willing to immerse themselves completely in the fantasy. “I’ll give it another hour or so. They are extremely busy offloading the refugees.” Quade remained near the balcony door, silent and watchful. They had fallen into a comfortable routine on the ship. She knew he reported her actions to Mikko, but at present she had nothing to hide. Mikko had railed like a madman when he’d been released from the brig, accusing Quade of betrayal. Quade adamantly denied the accusation, which left Mikko in somewhat of a quandary. There was no way any of his other men could insinuate themselves into her Laetif’s life as well as Quade. And without continual surveillance, Mikko needed a person to spy on her. After four hours of verbal abuse, Quade returned to her cabin, infuriated but unharmed. Despite his obvious resentment, Quade never badmouthed Mikko or complained about his assignment. It was an odd sort of truce. They both knew Mikko was manipulating them, yet neither really minded the outcome. “Captain Thrax asked me to give you this.” Quade held out a sealed envelope. Her heart missed a beat as she closed the distance between them and took the message from his hand. Caleb hadn’t let her go without a parting shot. Why did the realization thrill her? She tore open the envelope and pulled out the single sheet. The message was simple. I’ll be at the spaceport until I secure a new cargo. I want to see you again. No clever challenge or provocative insult, just a straightforward statement of fact. “Is he expecting a response?” Quade’s tone was tight while his features revealed nothing. She wasn’t fooled by his nonchalance. Quade was dying to know what Caleb had said. “I have no idea what he expects, but I’m not going to reply.” “Why not?” The question surprised her. Shouldn’t he be glad she had no interest in speaking with another man? Annoyed by his calm, she handed him the message and went to pour herself a glass of wine. “Do you want to see him again?” The muscle above his jaw flexed and his nostrils flared. He was not nearly as composed as he pretended. Turmoil crept into his gaze.

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“I’m not sure what I want.” She held up the wineglass and asked, “Do you want some?” “Please.” She filled a second glass and brought it to him. Their relationship was hard to define. He was far more than her bodyguard, yet she wasn’t sure he felt any true affection for her. If Mikko hadn’t dispatched Quade, she knew their paths never would have crossed. Still, their personalities meshed well and— “I think you should go.” Shock tore though her, followed by a confusing combination of hurt and excitement. “Why would you push me into the arms of another man? Is Mikko finished tormenting me?” He ignored her barb and set his glass aside. “I’m not stupid, Laetif.” He took her glass from her and set it beside his then pulled her into his arms. “I know you’re restless. And I’m pretty sure I know what you need. The problem is, I can’t give it to you.” “You think Caleb can?” “Hasn’t he already?” He wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger, his gaze avoiding her eyes. “I have no right to ask anything of you. I know damn well I’m an employee.” “What if you weren’t?” Uncertainty mounted within her. “Are you even attracted to me?” She hated the weakness she revealed with the question. What ifs were a waste of energy. “I am at your side because it’s my job. I am in your bed because you fascinate me. I have never met a woman more complex and desirable.” She twisted away, intending to put some distance between them, but he wrapped his arms around her and pressed against her back. “We are both trapped by circumstance. We are captives of life and we must find what happiness we can within that captivity.” His warmth surrounded her, soothing and comforting her. He was strong and gentle, intelligent and funny. So why was she still restless? “There’s darkness in you,” he whispered, his warm breath stirring her hair. “I understand it. I battle a similar darkness every day.” Crossing her arms over his, she relaxed into the embrace and rested her head against his shoulder. “You’re able to control your darkness. Can’t you teach me how you do it?” “Sometimes these urges need to be controlled, utterly suppressed. I know if I give in to them, even for a moment, I’ll be consumed by them. That’s not what is happening with you. The hurt and frustration fester inside you until you have to find an outlet for your rage.” “You understand me, and I trust you. Why can’t you help me vent my anger?” “Dominating you would feed the beast within me. I cannot risk losing control.”

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Nonplused by the possibilities, she closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t want to need one man, much less two. I’ve spent so long convincing myself I need no one, that I’m the one responsible for my happiness.” “Ultimately you are.” He turned her around and she opened her eyes, knowing she’d find warmth and compassion in his eyes. His eyes were always filled with tenderness when he looked at her. “Needing someone else doesn’t make you weak as long as you choose the right person. Self-reliance is admirable, but it’s also lonely. We are designed to give and receive love, to share ourselves with others.” She licked her lips and allowed her mind to entertain the concept. Needing others didn’t equal weakness? She wanted to believe it, but experience made her wary. “You honestly think an occasional visit with Caleb will allow me to be satisfied with you?” “I think we should find out.” He brushed his knuckles against her cheek and smiled. “Better an occasional visit with a starship captain who will never remain in one place for long than to have you find someone else.” “What if I decide Caleb is who I want?” Her pride demanded she pose the question. Quade was accepting this all just a little too easily. “And turn your back on all this?” He indicated the lavish room surrounding them. “You can’t live without luxury and we both know it.” Lowering her gaze, she whispered, “Will you come with me?” “I must escort you. That’s my job.” He raised her chin and looked into her eyes. “Or do you want me to participate?” “I’m not sure. I think it might be easier for me if you were there too.” “I’m not opposed to watching you with him, but I don’t want to fuck him.” Her fertile imagination was happy to provide her with a variety of possibilities. She saw herself between them, one in front and one behind. Then she pictured Quade in a chair, calmly watching as Caleb fucked her. But the image that sent lust blasting through her body was the two men together, touching, kissing—and fighting for domination. Their muscles bunched and flexed as they wrestled and twisted, each position more provocative than the last. She shivered and resisted the urge to press her hand over her mound. “I think we should ask Caleb what he suggests. He seems to have a better grasp on these things than either of us.” Quade’s only response was a curt nod, so she took him by the hand and led him into her bedroom. Mikko’s apartment was on the other side of the villa, separated from hers by an enclosed courtyard with a multilevel fountain and graceful statues. A large bed dominated the room, the diaphanous hangings fluttering in the breeze. She walked to the far wall and pressed her hand against the scanner panel, which was masked by the intricate mural. A door slid open, allowing her access to the combooth.

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“The noninterference clause forbids us from exposing any of the inhabitants to sophisticated technology. Anything that didn’t exist in the original Pompeii must be kept secured and out of sight.” “That makes sense.” He followed her into the combooth and the door slid closed behind them. “Will you be living in New Pompeii full-time, or have you kept your homes beyond the barrier?” “We kept our penthouse in Akielesh and the lake house, but the rest were sold and invested in this project. It’s do-or-die for Mikko. This city will either make him one of the richest men on Fedoros or grind him into the dirt.” “Any predictions?” Quade remained by the door, hands clasped behind his back. Despite their intimacies, he remained polite and professional. She understood his detachment. He used professionalism to remind them both that she was a mission, and Mikko could reassign him at any time. “Given the popularity of the gladiator games, I think New Pompeii will be wildly successful.” She swept her hand over the panel and activated the communications grid. Selecting a private link, she pinged Caleb’s audiocom. “Captain Thrax, go.” Caleb’s deep voice filled the small space. “It’s Laetif. I got your note.” All her efforts failed to keep her voice steady. Just the thought of him left her week in the knees. He chuckled. “And? Are we going to finish what we started?” She swallowed hard and nodded then realized he couldn’t see her. “I’d like that. I know you’re in the middle of unloading the refugees. When will you be available?” “Are you coming to me, or am I coming to you?” “It might be best if we met on neutral ground. Have you ever stayed at the Palace Arms? They’re known for their discretion.” “I’ll meet you there at twenty-one hundred. Text me with a room number. Aiden can supervise the evacuation for an hour or two. Thrax, out.” Just like that, she was scheduled to meet the lover of her choice while accompanied by the lover her husband assigned to her. How had her life become so convoluted? She powered down the comgrid and turned to Quade. “So, what should we do for the next four hours?” He inclined his head. “I’m open to suggestions.”

***** “What happens now?” Felicia sat in Aiden’s office, a datapad resting in her lap, displaying a book she had been unable to concentrate well enough to read. “Shika explained about the GPS chips. I know it’s only a matter of time before they come for me.”

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Aiden flattened the computer display and gave her his undivided attention. “I never chipped you. Remember, as far as Xyell is concerned, you didn’t survive stasis.” Uncertainty swelled within her, fragmenting her thoughts. She could walk away and begin a new life. On a strange planet where she understood so little? “What if I want to stay for a while, make sure the others have adjusted to the relocation?” “I’ll have to chip you and put you back in stasis. You’ll need to be processed like everyone else.” Her heart twisted as the only question that mattered surged to the top of her list. “What are your plans?” She didn’t want to sound desperate. In the back of her mind she’d known their affair would end with their arrival on Fedoros. She had just avoided the reality of what was to come. He pushed back his chair and came around to the front of the desk, gathering her hands in his. “Stay with me, Felicia. This doesn’t have to end.” “I cannot desert my people.” “Can you oversee festivals and offer sacrifices to a goddess you no longer trust?” His conversational tone did little to alleviate her immediate resistance to the question. She pulled her hands out of his and stepped back. “My role in the community is far more complicated than that. My gift has become a resource many depend on for guidance and comfort. If Perion is truly dead, which I am still not convinced of, the temple will be my responsibility. If he’s alive, I must protect others from his lechery.” She crossed her arms over her chest disappointed and depressed. “I cannot walk away. I would be leaving more than friends and distant relations—I would be abandoning my calling.” “I understand. I hate it, but I understand why you’re doing it.” She wanted to suggest he come with her, but that was an option he needed to come to on his own. She wouldn’t beg him not to leave her, even though her heart was breaking with each passing second. “These past weeks have been the best of my life. I have—” He swept her into his arms and silenced her with a demanding kiss. “Don’t you dare say goodbye to me. I am not nearly ready to let you go. There has to be a compromise, a situation that will…” Buzzing erupted in her ears, drowning out the rest of his sentence. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her fists to her temples as emotions and sensations blasted into her mind. Terror, raw and brittle, sliced through her being. Aiden called her name, carefully shaking her by the shoulders. She didn’t understand the source, but it didn’t matter. Her gift compelled her into motion. She flew from his office and dashed through the infirmary, ignoring the staff’s startled gasps. Aiden was right behind her when she reached the corridor. “What’s wrong? What do you sense?”

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“Danger and fear,” she forced the words past the ringing in her head. “Someone is in trouble.” With no further explanation she ran to the lift and paused to focus the sensations, gather a clearer picture of the situation. “Crew quarters, near the cargo holds.” “Deck Nine.” The lift responded to his command and his arm slipped around her waist, steadying her as the car descended. “Security to Deck Nine. Immediately!” Two burly guards joined the small procession as Felicia led them down the corridor. The emotions spiked, pain stabbing deep into her body. “There! He’s in there!” She pointed to the next door on the left as the pain drove her to her knees. The guards rushed past them, announcing their presence before manually overriding the privacy lock. A female’s scream echoed in the hallway as the door slid open then an irate male demanded, “What is the meaning of this?” Fury drove Felicia to her feet as she recognized Perion’s voice. The guards had him pinned against the wall when she rushed through the door, but her gaze flew to the girl huddled in the corner, sobbing. Felicia snatched a blanket off the bed and draped it around the victim’s shoulders, kneeling by her side. “It’s all right. No one will hurt you now. You are safe.” The girl raised her tormented gaze and tears blurred Felicia’s vision. “I screamed and screamed, but no one came. Why did they do this to me?” They? The word filled Felicia with dread. Why had her gift taken so long to engage? She’d sensed the girl’s peril, but not soon enough to prevent the deplorable crime. She wrapped her arms around the girl, aching with regret. “It is not your fault. None of this was your fault.” “But they said—” “It does not matter what anyone said. You are not to blame.” Unable to restrain her fury any longer, Felicia flung herself across the cabin and confronted Perion. “You fucking pervert!” She punctuated the label with her fist. His head snapped to the side and blood gushed from his nose. His startled scream only fueled her anger. “What is going on here!” Xyell’s voice cracked like a whip, silencing everything but the girl’s soft sobbing and Perion’s moans. “I demand an explanation.” Panting, blood dripping from her hand, she turned toward the doorway. “You tell me, Ambassador Xyell.” Aiden’s tone was every bit as autocratic. “Why is this man not in stasis and why was he allowed to brutalize this girl?” “Allowed? I resent the implication.” They faced off through the open doorway, Aiden on the inside and Xyell in the corridor. “The priest has been helping me assign residences in the new city. His knowledge of the social structure of the city is invaluable. Obviously, he did not have my permission to harm anyone.” Perion’s struggle suddenly resumed and he screamed at Xyell. “You brought her to me! Your cum still wet on her thighs!”

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“Clearly he is deluded. I’ve been nowhere near this girl. Ask her.” Felicia moved closer to the doorway, shaking with barely suppressed rage. “Then how did she get in here? Can Perion authorize an awakening?” “Felicia, I presume?” He tried to push past Aiden, but the doctor wouldn’t budge. “Perion insisted you were still alive. I see now where you’ve been hiding.” “Take them both to the brig,” Aiden told the guards. “I’ll summon spaceport authority.” “You will do no such thing,” Xyell said, unconcerned with Aiden’s threat. “As you’re doubtlessly aware, I have diplomatic immunity and this priest is my responsibility. I will deal with his misbehavior. And I will not be harassed on the word of a deranged rapist. If you summon spaceport authority, Prince Tarhee will be here to greet them.” Suddenly a sea of red and gold filled the corridor. At least twelve of Xyell’s men had responded to a silent signal. “Step aside,” he told Aiden. “At the very least, I insist on examining the girl.” “She will be tended in New Pompeii. Your infirmary is too—sophisticated for her needs. You signed the noninterference clause when you took this job.” Aiden seethed. Felicia could almost feel the waves of anger and frustration radiating off his body. After a strained silence, he cleared the doorway, allowing Xyell’s men to enter the small room. They dragged Perion, kicking and screaming, down the corridor. The girl was nearly catatonic, so one of the guards carried her. “I’ll go with her.” Felicia rushed forward, but Xyell blocked the door. “You aren’t going anywhere. At least not yet.” He looked at Aiden, hostility blazing in his eyes. “Dismiss your guards. You owe me an explanation.” “Wait in the corridor,” Aiden told the two grim-faced guards. Four of Xyell’s men had tarried as well, so the hallway was still rather crowded. The door shut and Xyell strolled farther into the room. “She’s dressed in a crewmember’s uniform. Did you, perhaps, mean to keep her for yourself?” “She is no longer your concern,” Aiden insisted. “She is my property.” “I am no man’s property!” Felicia yelled. “I am not, nor have ever been a slave.” Xyell crossed his arms and stared at her, his lazily assessing gaze bordering on insolence. “We intend to maintain the status quo. Those who were freemen before shall remain free. So, I suppose your claim is valid. However, you must reimburse me for your transport if you intend to leave my care.” She gaped at him. “I have no funds and you know it.” “But you do have something that greatly interests me. Perhaps we can barter.” “I will never sell my body.” She ground out between clenched teeth. “Deduct her passage from the second half of my payment,” Aiden said, his gaze openly challenging. “I will buy her indenture.”

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Xyell’s brow rose at that. “Her indenture would cost the majority of what you have coming. Will your brother agree to that?” “He will have no choice.” Torn between gratitude and sorrow, Felicia faced Aiden and placed her hand on his chest. “I cannot desert my people. I am flattered by your offer, but I belong in New Pompeii.” For a moment he looked wild, as if he would lose his temper and find a physical solution to the conflict. Then he stilled and his expression became resolute. “Then I’ll go with you.” He turned to Xyell and continued. “I’m a skilled physician. Surely you can use medical personnel in your city.” Xyell chuckled, tilting his head as he considered the offer. “Everyone who joins my staff signs a ten-year commitment and agrees to the noninterference clause. Are you really interested in signing away ten years of your life and living in such a primitive environment?” “Why won’t you just let her go?” “The decision to stay was hers not mine. I made an offer for her release.” “An offer you knew she had no hope of fulfilling.” Ignoring the charge, Xyell looked at Felicia and smiled. The warm expression fell short of his eyes. “You are an important member of Pompeian society. People on all twelve ships asked about you. Apparently, you’re what we call a celebrity.” “And having a celebrity encourage people to accept the new situation and respect the new administration would benefit the founders?” she mused. “Obviously.” “Perion has been victimizing women for years. I want him permanently removed from power.” A wicked gleam hardened Xyell’s gaze. “How permanently? Speak the word and I’ll add his name to the roster for the next gladiator games. Wouldn’t that be fun?” An undercurrent of temptation flowed through the offer. Join me, it whispered, stirring the darkest corners of her soul. “His punishment is not my decision. He should be subjected to the law like anyone else.” Xyell sniffed, obviously disappointed. “As you wish. I’ll turn him over to the magistrate.” He paused, his gaze drifting from her to Aiden and back. “You will come with me now. I will talk to Prince Tarhee about the good doctor’s offer and let him know what we decide.” “No fucking way!” Aiden flared. “She is not going anywhere with you.” “That’s not your decision to make.” Xyell opened the door and ordered his men to restrain Aiden then held out his hand to Felicia. “Come, priestess. It’s time we got to know each other better. I’ve heard so many fascinating stories about you.”

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Chapter Twelve Quade sat in a chair angled toward the bed, his gut twisting tighter with each passing minute. Why had he agreed to this? His cock had been hard ever since Caleb walked into the hotel room eager for his “session” with Laetif. Encouraging Laetif to seek out another man had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. But he understood her pain, understood that she needed to purge years of hurt and betrayal before she could even begin to heal. He had tried to surround her with tenderness, create a nurturing environment where she would feel safe. She responded well to the affection and offered herself—up to a point. He wasn’t sure why he cared. She was an assignment, a task like any other. The more he allowed himself to feel for her, the more dangerous it was for both of them. Still, he couldn’t suppress his protective instincts or ignore the inexplicable connection he’d felt with her the first time they touched. She cried out sharply, drawing Quade’s attention back to the couple across the room. She knelt beside the bed, naked, hands bound behind her back. Caleb circled her wearing only black synth-leather pants. They created an extraordinary picture, her golden beauty contrasting sharply with the captain’s dark handsomeness. Her nipples stood high and red between the jaws of small metal clamps. Each time Caleb grabbed her hair or raised the paddle in his hand, Quade averted his gaze. She wanted this, needed it, but the realization didn’t make it any easier to watch. Caleb had begrudgingly agreed to Quade’s presence only after Quade agreed to remain silent and not interfere in any way. He clenched his fists and pressed his lips together as Caleb ordered her to bend over the bed. “Your welts healed nicely. Did you use the ointment I gave you?” “Yes Sir. Twice a day.” Her voice was breathless and tight. From pain or anticipation, Quade couldn’t tell. Her movements were awkward with her hands bound behind her and Caleb made no move to help. Caleb trailed his fingertips along her spine then into the crease between her ass cheeks. “Wider. Show me that soft, wet pussy.” She obeyed and Quade’s cock hardened even more. Caleb stood to one side, giving him an unobstructed view of her supple body. Was the position intentional? Did he want Quade to see for himself that these techniques aroused her? “You have permission to come.” He snapped the paddle against one cheek and then the other. She gasped and then moaned. “How does that feel?” “Hot, so very hot.” “Tell me about your week. How have you spent your time?” 105

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Quade cursed under his breath. He hadn’t expected the captain to be so talkative. Why did Caleb care what she did when she wasn’t with him? “With Quade mostly. I shared several meals with Felicia and Aiden.” “Does Mikko know you’re fucking Quade?” It took a smart swat to motivate her answer. “Yes. Quade is required to check in twice a day.” Caleb caressed her with his hand as he asked, “How does it make you feel to know your lover reports to your husband?” “It’s not Quade’s fault.” Her assertion pleased Quade. Even in the midst of this crucible she instinctively defended him. “He has no choice, and neither do I.” Caleb moved into her line of sight, disapproval clear in his expression. “That’s a cop-out. There are always choices. Why did you let Quade fuck you? He doesn’t strike me as the type who would force the issue.” “He’s very handsome and… I…” She turned her head, avoiding Caleb’s piercing gaze. The captain’s next swat was harder than its predecessors. She didn’t make a sound. “Do not hide from me.” Slowly she turned her head back around and looked into his eyes. “Go on. You what?” “It felt good to be desired, and I knew my interest in him wouldn’t put him in danger.” “Because his actions were sanctioned by Mikko?” “Yes.” He moved lower, warming the backs of her thighs. “Has Mikko gone after all your lovers?” “There were only two, but both of them died unexpectedly.” Caleb paused, his fingertips teasing hers. “Why are you willing to endanger me?” A surprising ripple of amusement lightened his tone. “Are you afraid of Mikko? It never occurred to me that you couldn’t handle him.” “Thank you, and no, I’m not intimidated by your husband. I’ve had dangerous enemies before.” He tossed the paddle aside and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Besides, you’re worth the risk.” His hand swept down her body and eased between her thighs. “I can’t wait to be inside you.” He pushed two fingers into her cunt. “So hot and wet. I’ve dreamed about how you’ll feel clasping my cock.” Quade watched Caleb’s hand pump between her thighs then his shoulders flexed and he raised his fingers to his nose. Caleb’s angry gaze collided with his for a long, silent moment then he turned back to Laetif. “You come to me reeking of another man? Did you expect this insult to go unanswered, or were you trying to anger me?”

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Pushing to his feet, Quade took a step forward and Caleb rounded on him. “One word,” he warned. “Speak one word and you will wait for her in the lobby. This is my time!” Everything within him screamed for action, but he knew she would resent his interference. He had agreed to remain silent and let Caleb control the events. Too anxious to sit, he moved back against the wall, standing beside the chair. “Answer me!” Caleb slapped her ass with his bare hand, prompting her response. “I’m sorry. It was not an intentional insult.” “It never occurred to you that I might be put off by fucking a cunt still slick with another man’s cum?” “I didn’t think about your feelings. I was selfish and unkind.” Despite Caleb’s anger, she didn’t sound frightened. Intrigued, Quade looked closer. Caleb slid his fingertips from shoulder to shoulder as he shifted from one side of her body to the other. “I’m not in the mood for a blowjob, so what do you suggest?” Quade’s cock bucked, easily guessing where this was leading. He and Laetif had stuck to the basics. He hadn’t so much as pushed a finger up her ass. “Please take me the other way.” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “It’s only fair after my poor judgment.” “I’m not sure what you’re offering, Laetif. Tell me what you’re suggesting.” “I want you to fuck my ass.” Laetif shivered as the words left her mouth. Her body hovered on the brink of orgasm, but he’d stop spanking her while the sensations only simmered. Her pussy ached, desperate for the fullness of his cock. Would taking him into her ass ease the ache or make it worse? Fear lingered at the edge of her mind, memories tainting her anticipation. “I don’t believe you,” Caleb told her. “You’re willing to let me fuck your ass, but you don’t really want me to. Tell me why. What are you feeling?” “I’m afraid.” Her clamped nipples pressed into the mattress, intensifying the persistent throb. “Why? Because it hurt when Mikko shoved his cock up your ass?” “Yes.” “Am I Mikko? Do you think I’ll take you carelessly, thinking only of my own pleasure?” She shook her head, frustrated by her inability to block out the past. “I know you’re not like Mikko. I’m sorry.” “You don’t need to apologize for your feelings. I want you to be honest and open. Even when you think you’ll displease me.”

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“I’m trying.” His warm hand swept down her spine until his progress was blocked by her bound hands. “You’re doing very well. You’ve had little reason to trust anyone.” He untied her wrists and paused to rub the feeling back into her hands. “Quade is glaring holes in my back. Should we let him join us? Would you enjoy fucking both of your lovers at the same time?” Lust curled through her, lodging between her thighs, increasing the pressure already gathered there. “I… Are you sure you don’t mind?” She pushed off the bed and turned around, still on her knees. Quade stood against the wall, silent and still. “We are both in your life, whether we like it or not, so we might as well figure out how to work together,” Caleb said as much for Quade’s benefit as hers. “Now answer me honestly, does the thought of fucking both of us excite you?” “Very much.” “What about you?” Caleb looked at Quade. “I don’t do men,” he said emphatically. “Neither do I. So you have nothing to worry about. Do you want to join us or not?” Quade unfastened his jacket as he crossed to the bed. “I think we should start slowly. If she’s never enjoyed anal sex before, let’s let her focus on overcoming her fear.” Caleb chuckled and reached for the waistband of his pants. “I fully intended to have her suck your cock. I’m well aware that she’s not ready for DP.” DP? Double penetration? Just the thought sent a thrill down her spine. Quade undressed with record speed, pulling her to her feet as Caleb removed his pants. It was actually happening. They were naked and ready to fuck her together. She’d never dared to dream of something so decadent. Quade wrapped his arms around her and claimed her mouth, in a deep possessive kiss. Her breasts flattened against his chest and she cried out. Caleb turned her and pressed her back into Quade’s chest. “Let’s get these off. Sounds like you’ve had enough.” He loosened one clamp and bent to her breast, licking and sucking until the burning ebbed. Quade held her other breast as Caleb repeated the process. The attention was twice as enjoyable with both men touching her. She arched her back and rubbed her bottom against Quade’s thighs, intensifying the heat licking at her skin. Quade grasped her hips and eased her forward so he could look at her ass. “Shouldn’t these marks be treated before we do anything else?” Caleb chuckled. “Stay out of my head. I was just about to go get the ointment.” She turned back around as Caleb left her with Quade. “Are you really okay with this?” He kissed her briefly then assured, “I didn’t want to intrude, but I was hoping this was how the night would end.” 108

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Soothed by the reassurance she wrapped her hand around his shaft and stroked him as he returned his mouth to hers. She felt Caleb smearing ointment across the fresh welts, but Quade went right on kissing her. Caleb’s fingers visited her nipples next and the residual pain abated. “Have a seat on the bed,” Caleb told Quade and he didn’t argue. She looked at Caleb, wishing he’d kiss her. Apart from one hurried kiss she’d all but forced on him in the hallway, they had never enjoyed the fundamental closeness of exploring each other’s mouths. “What are you thinking, love?” he asked. “Tell me what you want.” “I want you to kiss me,” she admitted. He tangled his fingers in her hair and gently pulled her head back. “Offer me your mouth.” She parted her lips and closed her eyes, savoring the sweet anticipation. His tongue touched her first, brushing across her bottom lip before easing inside. She slid her tongue against his as their lips pressed together. He tasted of wine and desire, dark and potent. His middle finger effortlessly found her clit and she jerked, not trying to avoid his touch, just unable to remain still. His tongue curled around hers as his finger circled her swollen nub. Come for me. Bathe my fingers in your cream. She gasped against his open mouth. He’d told her he was telepathic, but she’d never imagined he could push his thoughts into an unenhanced mind. Concentrating on the rhythm of his finger, she gave herself over to the sensations gathering between her thighs. She could feel Quade’s gaze upon them, anxious and hungry. Her pussy burned and flowed, providing Caleb with the cream he’d requested. Tighter and tighter the pressure built. Then it snapped and she came in shuddering waves, crying out against Caleb’s lips. “Very good,” he murmured against her mouth. His hand left her hair and moved down to squeeze her breasts, carefully avoiding her sore nipples. “Now take Quade in your mouth. I want to watch you suck him.” Quade sat on the side of the bed, legs spread, cock high and hard, obviously ready for attention. She started to kneel, but Caleb stopped her. “Bend from the waist. I need you on your feet.” The subtle reminder stoked the fire smoldering within her. She wasn’t just going to suck Quade. Caleb was going to fuck her ass. Caleb was careful, even methodical with everything he did. He pushed her boundaries, both physical and emotional, but he’d never hurt or take advantage of her. He’d had several opportunities to be a cad, and he hadn’t disappointed her yet. Trust didn’t come easily for Laetif. So she concentrated on the present and the behavior of these two men. Each had proven his loyalty and his determination to protect her. She was safe with them.

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Placing her hands on Quade’s thighs, she leaned forward and licked the tip of his cock. He shivered and made a low, rumbling sound deep in his throat. She circled him with her tongue, watching the play of emotions across his features. Quade caressed her shoulders and gently cupped her breasts, not hurrying her. She dragged her tongue along his shaft, down one side then up the other. “I said suck him, not lick the skin off his dick,” Caleb muttered. “I think she’s part cat. She loves to lick, and I’m not complaining,” Quade defended. “It’s your cock. And the longer you take to come, the longer I can stay inside her.” Being the focus of two desirable men empowered Laetif. She embraced the wildness she kept carefully contained and let her spirit fun free. She closed her lips around the head of Quade’s cock and wiggled her bottom, inviting Caleb to begin. Quade’s cock slid against her lips, stroking her tongue as she moved her mouth up and down. Caleb carefully parted her cheeks and smeared something cool and slippery over and into her anus. She wasn’t sure if it was more of the healing ointment or a different form of lube, but his touch was sure and careful, yet undeniably arousing. Caleb’s touch grew bolder, and the fullness in her ass increased. He slid in and out with steady insistency. Was that one finger or two? She tried not to tense, tried not to panic, but Caleb’s cock was thick and long. “Don’t think. Feel.” Caleb’s fingers spread and rotated, stretching and preparing her. “I will not hurt you.” She closed her eyes and absorbed the sensations swirling through her body. The hard, hot slide of Quade’s cock was familiar and the gentle touch of his hands soothed her. Caleb withdrew his fingers and positioned his cock, but he didn’t drive in forcefully as she’d expected. His hands moved over her hips and thighs as her body gradually opened, accepting the bold penetration. Wider and wider she stretched. Her abdominal muscles tightened and her pussy clenched. She waited for the searing pain, the degrading sense of invasion. Caleb pulled back then drove deeper, pushing past some internal obstacle she hadn’t been aware she possessed. And his hands never stopped moving. He stroked her breasts and her belly then covered her mound with one hand as he grasped her waist with the other. His long middle finger pressed against the hood covering her clit, stimulating the swollen nub with indirect pressure. He pulled back slowly, drawing the sensations with him. Pausing with just the tip still inside her, he circled her clit, building her arousal without the distraction of his movements. She murmured around Quade’s cock, feeling restless and jittery. Never before had so many sensations bombarded her from so many directions. It was intoxicating, overwhelming and liberating. Quade lightly teased her sensitive nipples while she greedily sucked his cock. Caleb pushed inward, driving deeper than he’d gone before. His shaft slid easily, smoothly,

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the fullness exquisite. He pulled back and she moaned, vibrating her lips against Quade’s cock. The light touch of Caleb’s finger accented each firm stroke. She matched his rhythm, taking Quade deep into her mouth each time Caleb filled her ass. Reality blurred as the sensations intensified. Their harsh breathing and sporadic groans filled her with a sense of power. They were hers. They were both so determined to be with her that they set aside their natural competitiveness. She offered herself freely as they drove her past insecurity and hesitation. Caleb increased his speed and Quade took her face between his hands, thrusting up into her mouth as he neared completion. The tingling urgency gathered deep in her belly, tightening her cunt painfully. She cried out around Quade’s cock and pushed back into Caleb’s next lunge. Pleasure burst within her, bubbling up through her and spilling out of her. She squeezed Caleb’s cock with hard, rolling contractions. He grasped her hips with both hands and shuddered against her ass. His seed filled her, the forceful jets going on and on. Quade came an instant later, his cock pulsing against her tongue. She swallowed and licked, eagerly milking him until the last spasm faded and he sighed her name. Caleb carefully withdrew from her body and Laetif released Quade from her mouth. “Go take a shower,” Caleb told her, his tone softer than it had been before. “I need to talk to Quade.” Caleb pulled on his pants while he waited for Laetif to leave. Quade made no move to cover himself. It was a little late for modesty. “Do you have feelings for her or is this just an assignment?” “You know the answer to that.” Quade met his gaze directly, unaffected by the confrontation. “What is Xyell’s motivation for sending you to Laetif?” “I don’t completely understand the dynamics of their relationship. Xyell wants me to monitor her activities and keep her so distracted she doesn’t look too closely into his.” “Do you know what he’s trying to hide, why he wants her distracted?” Quade shrugged, unsuccessfully concealing his sigh. “Xyell is a ruthless bastard who takes whatever he wants without anything resembling a conscience. The interrogation room was his idea of entertainment.” Quade’s apparent indifference annoyed Caleb. How could anyone be so cavalier? “She said you have no choice but to follow orders. What does Xyell have on you?” “Why is this any of your business? We occasionally fuck the same woman. That doesn’t make us friends.”

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Anger flared within Caleb and he stalked toward Quade. Spurred into action, Quade shot to his feet and widened his stance. “Laetif has suffered enough,” Caleb stressed. “She deserves a little stability.” “You honestly think you know her better than I do? I’ve been with her night and day. I know what makes her smile and what drags the pain to the surface. Xyell might have dispatched me, but she is far more than an assignment!” Caleb stepped back and smiled. “That’s all I wanted to hear. I’m a space bum. I don’t pretend to be anything else. I have nothing to offer a woman like Laetif.” “Which is exactly why she wants you so badly. It’s rebellion.” “So what happens when Xyell recognizes your feelings for her and reassigns you?” “She refuses to consider the possibility, but I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it.” “And?” Caleb crossed to the bar and poured himself a drink. “And there aren’t a lot of options. We could run, but I don’t think life as a fugitive would suit Laetif. She is rather fond of her luxuries.” “She needs to stand up to him. He hasn’t divorced her, so he is obviously gaining something by keeping her around.” “Her father is one of the richest men on Fedoros, and Xyell has every credit tied up in New Pompeii. If he loses her father’s support, he’s fucked.” “She can use that. She needs to use that to broker a stronger position for herself.” “I agree, but she won’t talk about her husband with me.” Caleb looked toward the bathroom and smiled. “She’ll talk about it with me or she’ll find herself in restraints, begging me to let her come.” An odd buzzing drew Caleb’s attention toward the pile of his discarded clothes. His audiocom lay on the carpet where he’d tossed it as the session began. The device blinked steadily, the red light signaling an emergency transmission. “Fuck,” he muttered as he snatched it off the floor and pushed it into his ear. “Thrax here. What’s the problem?” Aiden responded with a jumble of words and profanity. “Calm down. I can’t understand you.” “Xyell took Felicia off the ship! I don’t know where he was headed, but she is in real danger.” “It will take half an hour for me to make it back. Is there a better place to meet you?” “Is Laetif there? Maybe she has some idea where he took her.” “Hold on.” Caleb hustled across the room and tapped on the door as he swung it open. “Mikko found Felicia and took her off the ship. Where’s the most likely place for him to take her?” She threw open the shower door and snatched a towel off the rack. “Either our villa or Tarhee’s palace.”

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“Where should Aiden meet us?” “VIP entrance to New Pompeii.”

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Chapter Thirteen Feeling like a science experiment, Felicia stood before Prince Tarhee trying not to reveal her fear. Xyell had grilled her with questions all the way to the prince’s palace. She’d responded to each with a question of her own, most of them about Perion. Knowing the priest was alive and continuing his despicable behaviors had left her with enough indignation to deflect Xyell’s inquisition. “She is every bit as beautiful as the priest said,” Tarhee told his business partner. “Have you done anything to verify her abilities?” Xyell snorted. “The fact I found her in the priest’s cabin, interrupting his afternoon snack was a—” Felicia flew at Xyell, fingernails poised to shred his smug face. “You useless bastard!” Tarhee caught her from behind and dragged her away from Xyell, but nothing could restrain her angry words. “That monster raped every female he could get his hands on. And you are no better!” “Did the priest ever get his hands on you?” Tarhee asked. The amusement in his tone twisted the dagger deeper into Felicia’s soul. These were evil men, easily capable of overshadowing Perion’s depravity. She needed to think, to stay alive long enough to expose them. “You should see her face.” Xyell laughed and Felicia seethed. How had Laetif ever found this man attractive? Cruelty distorted his even features and gleamed in his dark green eyes. “She looks like you kicked her in the stomach.” “Why am I here?” She stopped struggling and took several deep breaths, determined to control her emotions. She couldn’t overpower them. Her only weapon was her wits. She had to convince them she was indispensable, too valuable to harm physically. “What do you want from me?” Tarhee turned her to face him, curiosity clear in his expression. Though his features were well-formed, they revealed the darkness of his nature. He stroked his goatee as he slowly circled her, his gaze boldly assessing her body. “How did you find the priest?” The prince returned to the earlier topic. “I had a vision,” she admitted. “I sensed the girl’s terror and followed it to the cabin.” “Did the priest rape you?” Tarhee persisted. She wasn’t sure why he was so obsessed with the detail, but she saw no advantage in denial. “Yes.” “Then he is dead.”

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The simple statement shocked her. Was he trying to endear himself to her? “I was one of many. As your partner is well aware.” She glared at Xyell. “Tell me something about myself that no one else knows.” Her gift seldom worked on command, but she saw an intangible stream of energy pulsing between the two men. Almost like a soul bond. “You and Xyell are lovers, have been for years.” It was a guess, but the prince didn’t know that. The men exchanged startled glances and she knew she’d found the mark. Without warning, other images, violent flashes and impressions, flooded her mind. She closed her eyes and fought the nausea twisting her stomach. “What else do you see?” the prince demanded. “Nothing.” She panted, refusing to use her weapons prematurely. “Then what’s wrong with you?” “What’s wrong with me?” She laughed and opened her eyes. “I was snatched from my home without warning by beings whose abilities rival the gods. I just found out the man who abused me is not dead as I had thought, and I still don’t know what you want with me.” “Did you convince Thrax to hide you or was he the aggressor?” Xyell stood back while the prince asked the questions. She kept her attention focused on Tarhee. “He claimed to be an agent of Venus and I told him he was full of shit.” The prince smiled, clearly approving of her spirit. “He asked for my assistance with the orientations and I came to the conclusion that assisting him was the best thing for my people.” “Your people?” Xyell challenged. “I believe the people of New Pompeii belong to us.” She didn’t argue. Her first priority had to be securing a place within the new community. She had to prove herself valuable without posing too much of a threat. Aiden had realized her presence gave instant credibility to his claims and Xyell had proposed a similar arrangement. “I have been called to serve these people. I am a true emissary of Venus.” “Do you still believe in the gods?” The prince moved closer, his gaze searching hers. “We allowed a few of the gladiators to see Fedoros and it shook their belief system to its foundation.” “I am not so easily shaken. I know Venus is real. How else do you explain my abilities?” She met his gaze directly, allowing him to see nothing but determination. “If you are a true emissary of Venus, then you know we are not acting on her behalf. What is to keep you from spreading dissent among your people?” “It is better that they believe they have been whisked away to a safe haven by a loving deity than to know that they are being manipulated by greedy men.” Another peal of laughter escaped Tarhee. “You are delightful. So fierce and feisty in the face of death.” 115

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The subtle threat didn’t go unnoticed. “I can help you. Aiden understood the advantage of my support. I can offer you the same.” “Aiden understood the advantage of your tight little pussy,” Xyell countered. “Will you offer us the same?” Lust heated the prince’s gaze as they waited for her answer. She had to stand up to them or she would be their puppet for the rest of her life. More than her life hung in the balance. She couldn’t leave her people unprotected. They had to have an ambassador, someone to champion their cause and warn them of danger. And there was nobody else. “If you take me, it will be rape, and if you rape me, I will not help you.” Tarhee grasped her chin, tilting her face up to his. “I think you’re dangerous. I say we enjoy you tonight and dispose of you in the morning.” “Your success depends upon the inadvertent cooperation of your captives.” She spoke calmly, despite the frantic pounding of her heart. “They will obey you if they believe you are carrying out the will of their goddess. I can reinforce this concept.” “Or you could start a war.” “Then we must give her a damn good reason not to betray us,” Xyell suggested. Releasing her chin, Tarhee looked at his partner and asked, “Such as?” “The handsome doctor of course. He offered to join our staff so he could be with her in New Pompeii. I say we let him.” “He agreed to the ten-year commitment?” “You don’t need to coerce me,” Felicia insisted. “I’m freely offering my services.” “We understand your offer,” the prince told her. “We’re not convinced of your sincerity.” Muffled shouts and crashes sounded in another part of the palace. Footfalls echoed down the corridor and then Aiden and Quade flew through the archway, followed immediately by Laetif. Palace guards ran after them, armor rattling and swords drawn. “Halt,” Tarhee called. “Do not hurt them.” The uniformed guards slid to a halt then took up posts on either side of the archway. “What are you doing here?” Xyell asked his wife. “I have a message from my father,” she sneered, holding out a datapad. Xyell snatched it from her hand, his eyes narrowed and hostile. “This has nothing to do with you.” “I disagree. And so does my father.” Silence feel over the room as Xyell read the message. “You can’t be serious.” “What does it say?” Tarhee asked. “Our silent partner has decided to step out of the shadows and exert his authority.”

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“I have controlling interest,” Tarhee reminded. “I can veto any of his dictates.” “The message says if we don’t accept his terms, he’ll withdraw our funding.” Tarhee shook his head. “He owns the banks holding all but one of our loans.” “What are his terms?” “He has just sold me his shares in New Pompeii, which guarantees me a seat on the board,” Laetif said with a triumphant smile. “I am to choose a location for a clinic and outfit the temple according to Felicia’s specifications. Aiden has agreed to sign our contract with the stipulation that he answers to me. Felicia’s indenture is also to be transferred to me.” She walked up to Xyell and added, “And I’m keeping Quade!” Xyell clenched his fists and pulled back his arm. Quade was there in an instant, hand clasping Xyell’s wrist. “Don’t even think about it.” “What’s your sudden interest in our project?” Tarhee demanded. “She’s fucking the other brother,” Xyell snapped, twisting his arm out of Quade’s hand. “Aren’t you, little whore?” Quade shoved him away from Laetif, glaring in silent warning. To Felicia’s surprise Laetif shrugged off the insult. “I’m no more a whore than you are, husband. But this has nothing to do with my sex life. I honestly believe in the concept of New Pompeii. If it is managed correctly, we are offering thousands of people a second chance at life. But there must be some form of checks and balances. You two cannot be allowed to run amuck.” “And you’re going to stop us?” Tarhee laughed. “I’m not intimidated by your threats, Laetif. Bring it on!” “This is not a battle,” she insisted. “At least it doesn’t have to be.” “You want Quade?” Xyell asked. “Fine! I’ll sign over his contract. But the priestess is mine.” Laetif shook her head. “Not good enough. Felicia is a valuable resource. I will not see her abilities squandered.” Felicia had never seen Laetif like this before. She met their gazes without flinching and stated her case with calm assurance. “And I will not be dictated to by my wife!” Xyell flared. “You will if you want her father’s money. And we all know that’s why you married me.” Xyell didn’t argue. He looked at the prince for support and suggestions, but Tarhee just shrugged. “Let her play with the priestess. I see no real harm in it. There is one thing that must be agreed to and it is nonnegotiable.” “What’s that?” Laetif asked. “The noninterference clause. Everyone must adhere to the stipulation or all bets are off.”

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“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that,” Aiden said. “I understand why technology must be curtailed, but everyone will know I’m from beyond the barrier. Is there any harm in utilizing medications they haven’t been exposed to before?” Tarhee was silent for a moment, apparently considering the options. “One fastspreading virus could wipe out the population. It’s in our best interest that the inhabitants be as healthy as possible. That means medications and healing compounds, no scanners or gadgetry.” “I understand.” “Then we are all in agreement?” Laetif prompted. Tarhee held out his hand toward Aiden, cunning making his eyes gleam. “Welcome aboard. It’s sure to be a bumpy ride.” Xyell faced his wife and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I know you, Laetif. Your soul is almost as dark as mine. This place will change you, twist you until you are every bit as jaded as we are.” “Time will tell, I suppose.” She didn’t sound concerned. “You will remain in the villa and appearances will be maintained.” “Of course. My new interest in our project just might strengthen our marriage.” Sarcasm cut through her soft tone. He snorted as he turned away. “Don’t count on it.”

***** Caleb prowled beside the shuttle, wondering what was taking them so long. Three times he tried to access Aiden’s mind, but the energy barrier was preventing the connection. He reached out again, anxious for any news regarding their progress. Relax, bro. We’re almost there. The plan worked incredibly well. Thank God! Weapons weren’t allowed beyond the barrier, so their options had been extremely limited. Ordinarily he would have blasted the hell out of the enemy and flown away with the girl. Unfortunately, his standard strategy had been useless in this instance. The prince and Xyell were motivated by greed, so they’d used their greed against them. Aiden and Felicia emerged from the visitor’s center first. Laetif and Quade followed a few minutes later. They crossed the shuttle lot to where he stood and Felicia hugged him. “Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek then went back to his brother. “I’m just the getaway pilot. You owe your rescue to Laetif.” “She already thanked me,” Laetif assured. “She hasn’t stopped thanking me.” “I’ve never been that frightened in my life,” Felicia told him. “I tried to talk my way out of it, but I don’t think Tarhee was convinced.” “You have a layer of protection now,” Caleb said. “But I’d stay on my toes.” 118

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“I intend to.” He motioned her toward the open hatch. “Where am I taking everyone?” “Back to your ship, if that’s all right. We have plans to make.” “Plans? I thought our mission was saving Felicia. What’s next on your agenda?” “An exit strategy,” Laetif told him. They piled onto the shuttle and he set course for the spaceport before she continued. “This is just the beginning. Neither of those men is the kind to forgive and forget. We threw down the gauntlet and we are going to have to fight hard to stay one step ahead of them.” “I agree,” Aiden said. “I got the impression they let us walk away because it suited their plans just as well as it suited ours.” “Right again. They’ll be watching Felicia like a hawk. They know she’s dangerous.” “They have no idea how dangerous,” Felicia said with a weary smile. “My gift bombarded me with information about Prince Tarhee. The images didn’t make sense to me, but I suspect his father would know what it all meant.” “That’s a card we hold on to until we’re backed into a corner,” Quade suggested. “Absolutely,” Laetif agreed. Caleb activated autopilot then turned to face the others. “So what’s the exit strategy?” “You are,” Laetif told him. “You have to stay on the outside and provide us with an avenue of escape.” “Not just for us,” Felicia put in. “As we find others who are threatened and need to escape, we’ll need you to take them to safety.” “And how do I pay my crew while I’m being philanthropic?” “You trade with the vendors setting up businesses in New Pompeii,” Laetif suggested. “That will give you a legitimate reason for coming in and out of the city.” Caleb sighed. He wasn’t opposed to the idea. Having access to Laetif was definitely appealing. It would keep him in one place longer than he was accustomed to, but the supply runs would feed his wanderlust. Still, it felt like they were empowering the corruption rather than fighting against it. “Why don’t we just take this to the emperor and ask him to shut them down?” Laetif shook her head. “We’d have to give him a better reason than ‘we think they’re corrupt monsters’.” “What happened on the ship isn’t enough to prove they are vile?” “You tell me. Did port authority seem interested when you reported the incident?” He cringed. “It was an utter waste of time.” “Everyone involved stands to earn a pile of money once the city opens,” Laetif persisted. “All we can do is keep our eyes and ears open and deal with each individual crisis as we learn about it.”

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“The plain truth is most of my people aren’t ready for your world,” Felicia added. “They need to transition gradually, be given options as their concept of reality expands and changes.” Aiden grinned. “She’s not only beautiful, she brilliant.” Caleb laughed as his gaze shifted to Laetif. “How long do we go with the flow, putting out fires along the way? A couple of months? A few years? How gradual does this transition need to be?” “We’ll know when the time is right for liberation.” Laetif reached over and squeezed his hand. “Felicia will sense it and we’ll all be there to back her play.” He looked from one face to the other until he’d made eye contact with each person on the shuttle. Then he grinned and said, “Let the games begin.”

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Epilogue Felicia entwined her fingers with Aiden’s as she moved on his cock. She liked this position best, straddling his hips and riding him like a stallion. It gave her a sense of control and kept the shadows at bay. He didn’t seem to mind. He had let her set the pace, rolling her hips and moving her pussy up and down the length of his shaft. “You are so beautiful.” His fingers squeezed hers and he rolled his hips, pushing deeper with her next downward thrust. Her clit pressed against his pelvic bone and sensations swirled up through her body. “Oh yes,” she breathed, tightening her inner muscles. “Yes, you’re beautiful?” he teased. “Yes, your cock feels good inside me.” She released his hands and leaned forward so she could move faster. He grasped her hips and hindered her movements, his gaze burning into her eyes. “We’ve got all night. I’m not going anywhere.” “But I need to come.” She groaned. “So come.” He slipped his hand in between their bodies and found her clit. “I’ll make it last long enough so you can come again.” How could she argue with that? She arched her back and held still halfway up his cock as he skillfully worked her clit. It only took a few rotations and her orgasm crested, sweeping through her body in powerful waves. He sat up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She pressed her breast against his chest as his mouth covered hers. She always felt more alive with his cock inside her. It was addictive and invigorating. Their mouths locked while their tongue dueled, and his hand caressed her back. “Have the other priestesses accepted you as their leader?” he whispered against her lips. They had been so busy for the past two weeks they had not really had time to catch each other up on their individual progress. “You want to talk about his now?” He grasped her bottom and dragged her up nearly off his cock. “I can multitask. Can’t you?” His cock pushed deep again and she shivered. “Not when you do that.” “I need to slow way down or I’m not going to keep my promise,” he warned. “So come,” she echoed. “I want to watch your face when you lose control.” He carefully lowered her to her back and hooked his arms beneath her knees. She was all right as long as he did not loom over her or hold her down. He filled her with

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long, steady thrusts. She canted her hips and watched his face, enthralled by the stark emotions. He gasped and panted, his gaze locked with hers. So hot, so loving, so hers! His hips rocked faster, shuttling his cock with dizzying speed. He cried out sharply and thrust his full length deep into her pussy. His features tensed with each distinct spasm and she felt the hot spurts of his seed. “Now I owe you one,” he grumbled, pulling her with him as he spread out on his side. He drew her leg up onto his hip and kept his cock inside her as he stared into her eyes. “You are amazing. This is amazing.” “‘This’ being my snug passage?” she asked with a playful smile. “‘This’ being the way I feel about you. How quickly and completely I fell in love with you.” She kissed the tip of his nose and traced his lips with her thumb. “I love you too, more than I ever dreamed possible.” “Now can we talk about the temple?” She laughed. “Now I’m sleepy.” He pinched her bottom and she wiggled closer, tightening her leg around his hip. “How have the other priestesses accepted their new leader?” “I was more or less their leader while Perion was alive. It wasn’t that big an adjustment. They are relieved that he is gone and they are trying to acclimate themselves to the new city. So, how are things progressing at the clinic? Have you chosen your staff yet?” “I don’t think the clinic will be fully operational by the grand opening. Xyell will just have to deal. I’ve hired one of the doctors and both the nurses. I still need a pharmacist. Pardon me, an apothecary.” “It will be really frustrating for all of you to give up technology. I know they made concessions for some things, but you are still going to be practicing medicine with one hand tied behind your back.” “Just having access to antibiotics will be a vast improvement for these people. The rest will keep life interesting.” “I suspect boredom won’t be a problem for either of us.” “I suspect you’re right.” They paused for a long, tender kiss then he said, “Have you had any more visions?” “Not so far. We have prepared as well as we can. All we can do now is respond to each crisis as it comes our way.” He rubbed his lips against hers and whispered, “Welcome to New Pompeii.”

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About the Author Aubrey Ross writes an eclectic assortment of erotic fiction. From power struggles between futuristic clans to adventurous mystic guardians, her stories are filled with passion and imagination. Some of her recent awards include an EPPIE finalist, two Passionate Plume finalists and a CAPA nomination from the Romance Studio. With a pampered cat curled on the corner of her desk, Aubrey dreams up fascinating words and larger than life adventures—and wouldn’t have it any other way! Aubrey welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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Also by Aubrey Ross Crimson Awakening Crimson Carousel 1: A Taste of Twilight Crimson Carousel 2: A Taste of Midnight Crimson Carousel 3: A Taste of Oblivion Crimson Carousel 4: A Taste of Dawn Crimson Prey Crimson Thrall Dream Warriors Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy IV anthology Intimate Invasion 1: Forgotten Hope Intimate Invasion 2: Forsaken Desire Intimate Invasion 3: Forced Alliance Sensual Captivity 1: Shifter Sensual Captivity 2: Seducer Sensual Captivity 3: Sorcerer Sensual Captivity 4: Specter Sensual Captivity 5: Seer Soul Kisses Velvet Deception

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