Desert Heat

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Author: Wyndfield Leigh

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eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 512 Forest Lake Drive Warner Robins, Georgia 31093 Desert Heat Copyright © 2007 by Leigh Wyndfield Cover by Anne Cain ISBN: 1-59998-715-5 www.samhainpublishing.com All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: October 2007

Desert Heat Leigh Wyndfield

Dedication To Jennifer Skully and TL Schaefer, critique partners who have gone above and beyond so many times, I can never repay them. To my husband Chip who believes in me, even when I don’t believe in myself. To the FictionFems—especially Tracy Dunham who said, “Whatever happened to that desert story anyway?” and then insisted I finish it. To Durden, Flagger, Jenzen, Deith and Ayne, who will never read this, but who amuse me every time I log in and keep me dreaming about other realms and magical places.

Desert Heat

Chapter One Tannar peered through her spyglass, studying the mounted Alterian slavers on the desert plane a few leagues away. From her hiding place in a nest of rocks and sand, she scanned the twenty or so men until she sighted Jorash’s sun-ruined face. It didn’t surprise her that the small, wiry renegade had picked up her trail. He was a worthy opponent and had actually caught her once. She lowered the glass and rubbed the scars on her wrists, feeling them sting even though they had healed well over a year ago. What surprised her was that he followed her so quickly. She’d only entered his territory hours ago. The Alterians were known for their practicality. She’d hoped her last skirmish with Jorash had convinced him she wasn’t worth the effort. She drew her sign into the sand beside her as a warning to her pursuers, then put the glass back to her eye. Unease prickled along her neck as she examined the five men dressed in long, black capes riding forward from the rear of the column. Off-Worlders. There could be no doubt with their queer-looking clothes and short hair. So the whispers were true. Word had reached her village that the Alterians were hiring themselves out as guides to other races. It had become a great prize to capture women of her race and make them sex slaves. The thought made Tannar’s stomach roll. Her people, the Morjan, had been dying out over the last generations. Male babies often died in childbirth, but those few who survived were kept hidden, safe from the Alterians who attempted to kill them on sight. Now Off-Worlders were capturing their women for sport. If this continued, her people were doomed. The only thing she could console herself with was that half of the Off-Worlders below would come down with Desert Sickness, which would force them from the planet or kill them in the slow, painful way they deserved. No one understood what made them ill, but just as many of her people died if they left the planet, so Off-Worlders died when they came here. Focus on now, Tannar. Leave these other issues for when you’re safe.

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She studied the men, wondering who led the newcomers. The one with light hair flung his arms wide to make some point to Jorash. He had a royal look about him, well fed and pampered. The other four sat watching him. Three of them were not leaders. She could tell by the way they eased back from the confrontation, their posture buckled and unengaged. The fourth man sat a few steps apart, his black hair cut so short it revealed his ears, something the few men left of Tannar’s race scorned. She watched him, noting the way the blond man glanced his way repeatedly, as if the royal needed his support to accomplish whatever he was after. The black-haired man was big, his body motionless, but alert, like a scorpion honing in on a place to sting. He was the only Off-Worlder who hadn’t rolled up his sleeves. Smart, since the mid-summer desert sun would fry their exposed skin once it reached its zenith. Even from this distance, her body hummed at the sight of his broad shoulders and commanding presence. She’d always known her true preference was not for the delicate, lazy men of her own race, but for a man who was strong enough to protect her, even though she herself was a Protector of the Morjan Tribe. Her hands trembled with a shiver of need. “Stop it,” she hissed at herself. Now was not the time to fall apart. She’d gone into her Phase early, three lunar rotations before she was due. There was no doubt that while she’d been fine a day ago when she’d left the village, she was now at the beginning of her bi-yearly time. She had to invoke the ritual. She needed a warm, hard cock to fill her up and relieve the pressure, or she would soon be a writhing mass of need, unable to move or care for herself. The Wise Woman had warned the summer would bring changes to her body, mind and spirit. This was certainly a change for her body. Her core clenched as she thought of what sex would be like with someone stronger than herself. Like all Morjan women, she was tall and muscled, bigger than their men from generations of protecting their tribe. For all her height and weight, this dark-haired Off-Worlder was larger, stronger, a true warrior. She closed her eyes to return her focus to her present problem, but found behind her lids a vision of a man’s shoulder under her teeth, his body driving to the very depths of her being, filling that place no one had ever touched. Sex facing your partner was reserved for mates only. Since the men of her village had dwindled to ten unattached males, the tribal council had ruled that her generation would not take mates. Once mated, 6


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the men could never sleep with another. Instead, the remaining men would assist the women through their Phase, a strictly reproductive, heat-driven intercourse. The thought of having sex with this stranger in the mated position had her moaning in annoyance at herself. As if he heard her from across the plane, the big man’s head snapped up. Tannar’s stomach tightened as she watched him study the landscape in a slow sweep. She relaxed as his gaze passed her by. Then he stopped his scan and returned to examine the hill where she sat hidden by an outcropping of exposed bluntrock. He wasn’t looking at her. Not exactly. But she had an eerie feeling he knew she watched him. He reached a hand inside his cape and came out with his own spyglass. “Zounds,” she mumbled, scrambling backwards down the incline as fast as she could. When she knew she wouldn’t be outlined by the sky, she tossed the spyglass into her pack, stood and dashed for her horse. Banta watched her come, jerking his head and giving a soft whinny of alarm. Tannar swung onto his bare back and set off at a gallop, plunging out of the foothills away from her pursuers. *** Nickolas Rentard sat on his horse and prayed once more to the gods not to let his King die any time soon. Because with the King of Mark IV dead, the imbecile before him would rule. Nick watched Prince Dante as he spoke with the leader of the slavers and silently cursed his luck at having to accompany the fool on yet another of his time-wasting boondoggles. His prince’s love of women, wine and adventure were legendary and he had so little self-control, the King had sent Nick to watch over him. This trip centered around obtaining a Morjan female. Someone had told Dante that these women were almost impossible to capture, but if you did, they were the best lovers known to any race of men. Twice a standard year, they went into bouts of heat. They could have sex for hours without stopping, excreting a hormone into the air which allowed the man to stay erect and ready with her. The stories Dante had told them on the journey here had been too good to be anything but a myth.


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As with anything so fantastic, there was a catch. The women died within weeks of being acquired for reasons no one seemed to understand. Nick thought it was a waste to capture something that would perish in captivity and secretly hoped the prince would be unsuccessful. This planet made even the biggest armpit in the universes, Lak Sui, look like a vacation spot. While it didn’t have bloodsucking slugs that attached themselves to your ankles with every step, something deep inside the crust of the planet interfered with telecommunications and electronic equipment, rendering them useless. Just getting onto the planet had taken a special craft which could only stay on the surface for a handful of minutes before it had to take off again. The planet was a throwback to another era that Nick had no desire to visit. Give him blasters and spacecraft any day. Further adding to the misery, there was a strange illness visitors contracted at random, which would have at least half of his men throwing up uncontrollably or even seizing within the next few hours. As if all that wasn’t enough, they’d come during the middle of this planet’s summer, and it was hot as hell. He shifted in his saddle to vent a little of his irritation and stir the air. A strange flicker of sensation had Nick scanning his surroundings. The cold run of icy fingers on his neck told him someone watched them. No, he corrected, searching the nearby hills. Watched him, most likely through an old-fashioned spyglass, since whoever it was would have to be in the hills or he would see them out on the cleared plane. He scanned for movement in the rocks which surrounded him for 180 degrees on his left side. Then he returned his gaze to the area he’d felt the watcher the strongest, pulling out the inferior spyglass Jorash had given him from his cape. Nick sat with it unused in his hand as the prickly sensation stopped abruptly. He held still for a moment, flaring out with all his senses to see if he could feel the intruder once more. He didn’t. “Nick!” Mort’s voice held a warning, bringing Nick out of the small trance he’d put himself in. “Hmm?” Jorash and the others had already started riding toward the area Nick had just examined.

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“I know you’re bored stiff, but try to stay awake. This is supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime.” His best friend’s voice oozed sarcasm, the frustration with the King’s son universal throughout the Palace Guard. “I felt something,” Nick admitted, although he was reluctant to confess his mutant ability was acting up again. “Great.” His friend snorted. “This is the perfect time for you to be having one of your attacks.” Nick didn’t reply, kicking his horse forward, but he kept an eye on the place where he’d felt the watcher. Only Mort knew his greatest secret, a necessity since if the word got out, he would not only be banned from any Inter-World Federation land, but it would lose him the only thing he’d ever cared about—his post as one of the elite palace guard to the King of Mark IV. Somewhere in Nick’s genetic pool one of his ancestors had mated with a Trilec, despite the centuries-old law against breeding with non-humans. Trilecs might look human for the most part, but they ran like cats on all fours and communicated through an animalistic, guttural language, their minds incapable of learning the One Dialect. The mixed blood resulted in an overdeveloped hunting instinct that had saved his ass more than once, but the ability was a double-edged sword. He couldn’t control the urge to run someone to ground once he picked up the scent. Right now, his hunting instincts struggled for freedom, even though his mind argued it was a complete waste. He wasn’t about to use his mutation to help Dante capture some poor creature who would die within weeks of being caged. He hung back as the party circled around a sharp windfall of rocks and climbed to the apex where he’d felt the presence. His curiosity piqued, he dismounted when Jorash and Dante did and followed them to the crest of the hill. Jorash ran his finger along the outside edge of a strange marking in the sand. It was a drawing of a flower of some kind, hastily sketched, beautiful for all its simplicity. “We’ll need to give up the chase for this one,” Jorash said, his back-world Alterian twang making the words hard to decipher. “Why?” Dante asked, and Nick could already hear that note of demand creeping into his voice. The prince didn’t like to be told no. Jorash stood, his head barely reaching Dante’s chin. “Won’t be worth it. She’s too hard to catch.”


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The prince narrowed his eyes, his delicate lips stretching into a thin line, but the effect was spoiled by the sweat pouring off his brow. “Not for me she isn’t.” Nick rolled his eyes and watched with interest as Jorash tried to dissuade him. “I have sworn not to chase her again.” The old man shifted, his shadow throwing the flower into darkness, giving definition to where the woman had been lying down to watch them. Wrong move, Nick thought as his hunter’s brain analyzed the imprint of her body. He’d been wrong to picture her as small and fragile like a captured song bird. She was tall, possibly a few inches shy of his height, and the imprint she’d left implied she had some substance to her. “Again? How many times have you tried to capture her?” Dante’s excitement jumped in the words, his face looking like a child who’d just been promised a sweet. Nothing turned on the bored prince more than the forbidden. As long as having it didn’t involve real work. “Many times.” Jorash stared off in the distance, his leather face thoughtful. “I caught her once. Beautiful. Truly beautiful.” He shrugged a scrawny shoulder. “I held her for ten hours before she escaped, killing one of my men in the process. Since then, I’ve chased her only by accident. She is kind enough to leave her sign to warn me off so I don’t waste my time.” A slow smile spread on Jorash’s face, filled with admiration for the Morjan woman. “Then we’ll have to capture her. No one else will do.” Dante’s voice had a snap to it that was final. “You will waste your time and money, Prince. It is not worth the investment. We can capture another for you with a fourth of the effort.” “I want this one,” Prince Dante snarled. “And I’m paying more than you’re worth for the effort. You’re charging by the day, not by the capture.” After a pause, Jorash nodded to him. “Then we need to hurry. She’s already gotten quite a lead on us. We’ll be lucky to catch her if she’s going into the desert.” Jorash and Dante returned to their horses, leaving Nick standing there, looking at the flower drawn into the sand. She’d killed for her freedom. She’d escaped. She could warn off her enemies just by making a mark on the ground. She wasn’t small and wilting, but tall and strong and capable.

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A chill traveled up his spine. His mind warned him of the danger of letting his obsessive instincts take over, even as the Trilec part of his being slipped its cage, unable to resist the challenge. His nostrils flared wide, searching for her scent. His blood pumped inside his veins, whispering for him to catch the prey, bring it down, possess it.


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Chapter Two Tannar filled her pouch before drinking deeply from the waterhole. She was careful not to touch the bottom of the shallow pond, so she didn’t stir the sand and end up with a mouthful of grit. She wanted to leave this water source as empty as possible, in case Jorash decided to follow her this time. She drank until her belly hurt, then drew her flower into the wet sand. The desert Shadowbloom looked beautiful at first glance, but closer inspection of the real thing showed its stem was covered in barbs. How had the black-haired man known where she’d been hiding? Jorash was already enough to worry her without adding some queer Off-Worlder to the mix. The village had moved into a new hiding location, so she had to shake them from her trail before she could go home. Tannar had let Banta go once she’d reached the watering hole, knowing she took a dangerous risk continuing on foot, but her gut told her Jorash wasn’t going to give up so easily this time. Riding would gain her nothing at this point. She needed to lose herself in the gullies and crags, forcing her pursuers to dismount as well. As she’d traveled deeper into the desert, the ground had become more unstable, shaking and shifting on a regular basis, the brittle bluntrock crumbling in on newly formed caves from the last quake. She didn’t want to travel here, but then again, neither would Jorash want to lead his precious, paying Off-Worlders to such a risky spot. Worry twisted her gut, mixing with the hum of her oncoming heat. She would have to hurry or the slavers would find her as a huddled mass of need. She’d have to run now, even though it was dangerous in this climate, especially with the building need inside her. Barely visible behind her were forms which could be Jorash and his men. Even as she watched, they seemed to move closer. The desert couldn’t support more than a small party of people traveling on it at any one time. Jorash had to pack in his own water and even then, his supplies would only last

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for a short while. Water was heavy and he would need quite a bit of it if he kept his horses with him. His other choice would be to pare down to a small hunting group. The possibility of capture increased with this option. Tannar might have actually considered this to be fun—after all, there was nothing like a good chase to bring amusement to a dull day—but now was not the time for it. Her swollen breasts, tongue and aching clit told her the Phase would begin in the coming hours. That alone would have been distressing, but adding to her troubles, she had only two days to make it to the village or Deena and her unborn child would be in serious trouble without the medicine in her pack. The Morjan had been cursed by the goddess Allabandi when they stopped worshipping her and began praying to the One God. After they realized what they’d done, Tannar’s ancestors begged Allabandi’s forgiveness, but it was too late. The Goddess’s ire would not be appeased and the Morjan were cursed forever to lose their male children at birth. Then, several years ago, the Wise Woman discovered an herb which would protect the child during its birth, but it only grew near Jorash’s village. Without the medicine, Deena would lose her boy-child during its birth. Tannar had heard whispers from the other Protectors that it wasn’t the Goddess’s wrath at all, but rather something in the very ground of the planet that killed the babies, possibly the same mysterious substance which caused all modern technology to fail. Since males were the weaker sex, it made sense that they struggled the most. Was this further retribution from the Goddess? That they found a cure, only to see it wasted, unused because of the Alterians? Whatever the reason, Tannar had two days to reach her friend. Wishing she had more than one water pouch, she left the pool and took out her spyglass. “Damn,” she said, watching the shimmering forms that had been dogging her tail all day. They weren’t far behind her now. She knew they didn’t look as close as they really were. Tannar had learned long ago that the shimmering heat of the desert made things appear farther away. She squinted a little to try to see how many followed.


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Six, if her count was right. That meant they’d left most of their people outside, only bringing a small group to chase her through the desert. No wonder they’d gained this much on her. Her stomach twisted and for a moment, worry clouded her thoughts. Jorash could catch her. He had before. She shoved the thought away as she lowered the glass. Spreading jojo cream across her lips to keep them from burning, she pulled her hood back up. Tannar ducked out of the small cave and began to slide down the rock outcropping. She would go north but keep to the broken area of the wash. Their horses wouldn’t be able to follow her there, and she would be harder to track. The sun moved from its zenith and Tannar sighed in relief. Normally she would have gone to ground during the hottest hours, but they weren’t allowing her that luxury. She was exhausted, totally drained from the effort of climbing through land that looked flat but was actually very craggy. The effects of her coming Phase didn’t help, sapping her energy, filling her with a need she couldn’t satisfy until she reached her village. Brileck had already promised to be her partner for this Phase ritual. He wasn’t the worst of them, but the thought of his small erection entering her only for as long as it took for her to reach Narassiss, the state which allowed the women of her race to fulfill the needs of the Phase and release them from the cycle, made her ill. She needed what he gave her, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. The only comfort she had was that the men following her had to be tired too, although they were riding. Poor horses, she thought, scaling up a particularly tricky spot, scraping her knee badly in the process. She stopped to soak up the blood with an extra shirt she had in her pack, tying it quickly to keep the blood from dripping any more than it already had. She forced herself to press on. She had four hours before sunset and she knew they would be riding hard to capture her before darkness rolled in. *** Nick took a tiny sip of water from his canteen. His lips were badly burned, despite the shade created by his wide-brimmed hat. Jorash had insisted that Dante only bring one other person with him into the deep desert. Nick had tried to talk his prince into being one of those left behind, since it was obvious that Dante’s fatigue had been growing steadily worse in the blasting summer heat, but the prince would have none of it. So they’d left 14


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Mort and the rest of his men behind. Their group now consisted of two of Jorash’s guards, Nick, Dante, Jorash and an extra horse to haul the woman out with them. When he’d discovered the woman had let her horse go, he’d thought they would capture her within the first hour. Now Nick thought she might slip away completely. They hadn’t even had a glimpse of her yet, but he’d caught a scent on the wind, spicy and rich, the smell complex with a strange underlying quality to it. What it was, he couldn’t pinpoint, but there was something there he wanted to dissect, rub his face into the hollow of her neck, roll every inch of his skin in the perfume of her. He’d tried to rein in the Trilec piece of himself, but it was too late. She was at a disadvantage, and the beast inside him railed to seize the advantage. All he could do was keep his mouth shut and stay back, letting Jorash do the work until he became stuck. Nick knew he couldn’t appear too good a tracker or people would begin to suspect it was more than skill. Besides, he reminded himself, you don’t want to capture her anyway. “There is water here,” Jorash said, swinging from his saddle. “We’ll have to haul it to the horses from those rocks. I’ll need one other person to help me.” “Go with him,” Dante ordered before Nick could open his mouth to volunteer. Nick felt a flash of irritation, then noticed the tremble to his prince’s lips. Sweat beaded along his forehead and a strange pallor made his face glow in the strong sunlight. Even as Nick watched, Dante swayed on his horse. Not for the first time, Nick wondered what the impact would be to himself and his men if something happened to the prince on his watch. There would be a large price to pay if Dante became injured or died. That alone had him offering up his canteen. “Water, my Prince?” Knocking the offering aside, Dante snarled. “I gave you an order. Go!” Without further argument, Nick swung down and followed the small slaver up into a cave. There, protected from the sun’s harsh rays, sat a small, shallow pool. Jorash and Nick paused to stare at the flower drawn into the bottom of the remaining slick of water. “Shadowbloom,” Jorash murmured. “What?” “The flower is called Shadowbloom.” A grin spread across his face. “Always nice of her to leave a calling card for me.” “Is she warning us off again?” Nick asked, his curiosity with the woman growing.


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“No.” Jorash barked a harsh bray that could have passed for a laugh. “She’s stirring up the silt so we’ll have to drink sand with our water.” He shook his head, worry replacing the amusement in his voice. “We couldn’t have picked a worse person to go after, and this desert is dangerous. I’m worried about your prince. He is sunburned and showing signs of desert sickness. If he comes down with it, we’ll need to move him back to your ship or we could end up burying him.” “If he dies, he might not be the only one.” Nick imagined what his king would say to the death of his only son. The strange illness caused some people to go into convulsions and others to become so ill, they wouldn’t stop vomiting until they left the planet. Dante’s pale face and sweat– soaked clothes worried him. “Jorash,” a guard yelled from below, alarm riding in his voice. Nick left the cave at a run, knowing it had to be Dante who’d caused the panic. As a unit, the palace guard could stand before a loaded blaster without flinching, but the king’s son made them feel helpless. It wasn’t their job to save the royal family from themselves. He found the prince convulsing on the desert sand. “What happened?” He stood with his hands by his sides. Guards didn’t touch royals unless specifically told to do so. “He was okay, then toppled from his horse.” “Desert sickness,” Jorash said, squinting at the prince. “We need to move him back to base camp when the seizures stop. He has to have treatment to reverse the effects, then be removed from the planet.” Watching Dante jerk in the sand, Nick had to fight off the urge to touch his shoulder. What must it be like for the prince to grow old, with no one to hold him when he was sick, no one to embrace him in the deep part of the night? Nick’s Trilec nature loved touching of any kind, both as a sign of comfort and friendship, and as an expression of love. Since he’d hit puberty, his dreams weren’t of sex, but of a woman running her hands over every inch of his body in long, amazing strokes. He now knew that some humans didn’t like to be touched outside of coupling. He knelt. “My Prince,” he said, keeping his voice even and calm. “My Prince?” Dante quieted and opened his eyes. “We need to move you to base camp as quickly as possible and call in the transport. May I have permission to lift you onto a horse so we can return?”

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Faster than he thought possible for a man who’d just been seizing, Dante grabbed his shirt, pulling him down. “I want her, so you will hunt her down, Captain. I brought you for your tracking ability. Come back without her and I’m leaving you on this godforsaken trash heap.” He shoved Nick away, wheezing for breath. “You have two days.”


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Chapter Three Tannar knew she was in trouble. The Phase was accelerating, need spiraling through her with the force of a sandstorm. Sweat dripped from her body. Her breasts were swollen to the point of pain. Her tongue ached with a heady brew of chemicals Goddess Allabandi had intended for the mate Tannar would never have. Morjan legend said that Allabandi bestowed the heat on women to increase their ability to conceive and to help bolster the population. Over generations, Jorash’s people had killed Morjan men on sight, hunting them to the ground, prizing above all things Morjan women in their beds. Now her people hid their males, keeping them safe from Alterian hands. Sadly, the men of her tribe had turned worthless. Waited on hand and foot by the women they serviced in bed during the Phase Ritual, they were as a group soft and prone to lounging in the shade, drinking Woosa, a strong alcoholic beverage once only served for celebrations. But the ten men left in her village were the only people who could ease the women’s time of need. The chemicals in their come stopped the Phase from returning again and again until it overwhelmed Morjan women to the point of death. She’d heard that the women who were captured died after only a few months. Death was better than going into heat then out again, the cycle speeding up as time passed, until she was used up completely. Only the chemicals in Morjan males could stop the madness. If she was captured, she had no problem using her captor to help her through the first round of the Phase. True, she would be prostituting herself to a man of another race, but wasn’t she doing the same thing with the men from her village? After her Phase subsided, she could then simply slit his throat and escape back to her people in time for the next cycle. She wasn’t going to be taken if she could help it, though. Panting, she staggered, her body on fire. Her time was up. She had to go to ground.

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With relief, she spotted an outcropping of bluntrock marking a wealth of hidden caverns and hiding places. The planet frequently shifted and rolled, making the softer rock a dangerous place for her to hole up, but at this point, she was desperate. On the good side of things, the rock would hide her passage from even Jorash’s keen sight, especially with the coming darkness. Crossing the rock plateau, she was careful to step lightly and not leave any marks. Her head swam and her mind stumbled as the Phase rose inside her. It took a few precious minutes to find an opening to a deep cavern, but finally she did. Even if he does miss you in the darkness, by morning he’ll know he’s lost your trail and will circle back to find you. As much as it pained her, there really wasn’t anything to do about it now. By morning, she’d be firmly into the Phase, and without invoking the ritual, it would last for at least a day. If Jorash caught her, she’d gladly invite him, his men and the Off-Worlders into her bed. Ducking past the low entry, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a small cavern which could hold her with extra room to spare. Even better, in the corner was a pocket spring. Her hands shook as she lit one of her few candles, but she needed the light to calm her fraying nerves. Then she fashioned a bed from her one blanket, knowing soon her skin would be too sensitive for clothes. Taking off her sweat-soaked shirt and pants, she tossed them over a rock to dry during the next twenty-four hours of hell, then used a small amount of precious water from the corner pool to cool her scorching skin. With nothing left to do, she lay down to wait for the Phase to take her. *** Nick released his horse when he realized the animal was more trouble than he was worth. No wonder humans had built their first transports. They didn’t want to deal with animals that had to be fed and watered and rested. The lack of technology bothered him more than he’d expected. For some reason, he’d thought his Trilec genes would buffer him from the loss. The humanoids on Trilec lived even more barbarically than the people of this planet. It was miserable.


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He knew in his gut this was a no-win situation. If he caught the woman, he’d have to turn her over to Dante. As time went by, he found that idea bothered him more than it should. If he didn’t catch her, he’d be stuck on this planet forever. He had no choice but to press on, despite the fact that if he brought the woman to Dante, he’d end up responsible for her death. Could he live with that? Shut up, you idiot. Do your job. His chase led him deeper into the desert with every step. Two days was an impossible deadline, especially since he’d wasted precious time arguing with Jorash that he should track the woman alone. He had a better chance of catching her if he let his Trilec nature run free without witnesses. Darkness approached as he felt the gap between them closing. He could smell her vague scent on the air. Twice he’d corrected himself using that alone, since she hadn’t left much of a physical trail to follow. Her spicy, womanly fragrance had gotten stronger through the day, especially once he’d scented, then seen, her blood on the rocks. The deep metallic tang pulled him along as if by a string. As the hours rolled by, her choices of terrain became so familiar, he found himself anticipating her. An evil wind whipped up from the west as the sun set, lowering his vision and whisking her trail away. He watched helplessly as the tracks he’d been following were erased forever, blowing her scent from his nostrils. A growl rose in his throat. The Trilec piece of him drove him on. Marking the place where he stood with two rocks, he began a slow sweep of the surrounding area. Exhaustion tugged at him, but he shoved it away. He’d find her or die trying. Going back to the prince without her in tow would mean the end of everything he’d ever wanted. Failure wasn’t an option. That being said, there were other reasons, personal reasons, he wanted to find this woman. He knew a lot about her, even though he’d never seen her. Her intelligence showed in every choice she’d made on the path. She had strength and stamina that rivaled his own, although over the last few kilometers, he’d sensed something wrong. She wasn’t limping exactly, it was just a subtle change in her stride, as if she was injured in some way. Perhaps she’d been hurt more than he’d thought when he’d found her blood. But even injured, she still whispered over terrain without leaving a scratch, ghosting along with nerve and cunning.

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With every passing hour, his respect for her had grown and he wondered again how he could turn her over to the prince only to die. It nagged at him with every step, but the thought of losing everything he’d spent his life working to gain, for a woman he’d never met, spurred him forward. He had to admit that if he hadn’t been able to track her with his Trilec powers, she would have escaped him completely. He stumbled back onto her scent as he approached a jumble of rocks. She’d been here. He could almost feel the shadow of her. He’d been tracking her quickly since he began hunting alone and as she’d slowed down, he sped up. He stopped when he saw the cave entrance. Silently, he worked his way to the opening. The ground trembled, just a small shift, making him pause. Had he really felt it move or was he imagining things? Desert birds chirped in the distance, signaling everything was okay. He held still, scenting the air and waiting for it to happen again. After a few minutes, he shook his head and turned back to the cavern. It could be a trap, but the cave lured him, a siren’s song he couldn’t resist. Trap or not, he crawled through the low entrance. Pausing, he inhaled the scent of her, which now surrounded him completely. The more her essence filled his lungs, the harder his cock became. This woman called to the beast in him on a visceral level and as dangerous as that thought was, he wanted her. Now. He paused, lying still while his eyes adjusted to the dim light. A sound echoed in the small space. The low moan ran along his skin like a caress. He knew it wasn’t from pain. “Oh.” The sound bumped off the walls and his body. Working his way forward once more, he saw her. A single candle splashed weak light against the craggy rock walls, catching the sweat on her naked body as she arched her hips from the floor. She was tall, but thin, covered in lean muscle which corded as she bowed upward. Her hips rocked against the hand between her legs. Faster, harder, until she rolled to her stomach to get more leverage, moaning the word, “please” with agony and desperation. The growing desire inside him exploded, forcing a groan from his lips. She turned so slowly to look at him he suspected she’d already known he’d arrived, but she didn’t stop the buck of her hips against her hand.


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Her haunted gaze tracked him as he crawled across the room. The cave danced in shadows, the low ceilings making the small space appear even smaller. He didn’t bother to stand, knowing the ceiling wouldn’t allow his height. The scent of her was overwhelming, filling his lungs and hazing his mind. The musk of pure woman swirled with a spicy aroma that enticed him to taste. He had to put his mouth on her as soon as possible. Instead, he ran one finger down her sweat-soaked back, watching the track he left along her skin. She cried out, her hips never ceasing the ride against her hand. Rolling her face into the blanket, she didn’t look at him when she said, “Help me. Please.” Without understanding how he could be so sure, he knew she hadn’t wanted to ask. Something had been wrong with her for miles as he tracked her, something that was causing her to turn to a stranger to relieve the pressure of her desire. The heat Dante had bragged about was on her and it now impacted him as well. He had no right to judge her. How many times had he been forced into meaningless sex to relieve his need? So many he couldn’t count. He hadn’t wanted to, but it had been the best he could do. Somehow he knew for this woman, it was much worse to turn to him than it had been for him to sleep with the faceless women on hundreds of planets he’d visited. Sympathy and protectiveness washed through him. He flattened his hand on her back and smoothed across her buttocks, then down her long legs as far as he could reach. “Widen your legs, Shadowbloom,” he murmured, liking the jump of surprise on her face when he named her flower. She complied and he ran his hand back up the inside of her thigh. Her face hid again in the thin blanket, partially muffling her moan of need. “Hurts,” he thought she whispered. It wasn’t time to give her slow loving. She needed relief and she needed it fast. He knew some non-humans had heats—Trilecs did for example—but this was the first human race he’d heard of having some sort of mating frenzy. “Arch your hips for me,” he ordered, and when she did, he drove a finger deep inside her soaking channel. She screamed in pleasure, her hips following his hand as he set a rhythm that would bring her fast relief.

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Her sex was tight and grabbed him tighter as her desire spiraled higher. He rested his thumb against her back passage, pressing lightly to stimulate another erogenous zone. It was enough to tip her into orgasm, sending her body into shivering convulsions, the insides of her sex gripping and releasing him over and over again. He realized he’d never had a woman respond to him like she had. And he knew he wanted to bring her to orgasm once more, just to feel that response again.


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Chapter Four “So it’s over,” she whispered, her voice cracked and hoarse from moaning for what had felt like hours as she’d tried unsuccessfully to bring herself some relief. This was the man who’d felt her watching him on the plane. The Off-Worlder. His hair was black as midnight, his features all sharp lines, ending with a strong chin and a full, frowning mouth. But it was his eyes that held her captive. Predator’s eyes, like a cat’s, dark green and piercing. He was massive in the small cave, dwarfing her. He picked up the cloth she’d used to wash herself earlier. “Yes. You’re done running.” Dipping the cloth into the small pool beside her with one hand, he pulled her to a sitting position with the other. Then he carefully bathed her face. She closed her eyes as he cleaned her cheeks and neck, surprised by the gesture. She was caught like a fly in a web, unable to do anything but ache until the Phase was over and she could escape. And she would escape, she promised herself. His behavior puzzled her. He should be throwing her down and thrusting inside her, like the men of her tribe when they entered the ritual hall. There was no chance he’d escaped the chemical lure of her sweat. It should have him wanting her with an unstoppable force, but while his hands had a slight tremor, his eyes were clear and filled with intelligence. “How long will this last?” He ran the cloth along her neck under her hair. His question took her aback, yet she sensed he truly wanted to know. It was there in the intensity of his gaze and the stillness of his body. At her hesitation, he paused in his bathing. “For miles now, you’ve been hurting as I’ve tracked you. I thought you were injured, but I should have known from the prince’s stories that your time was on you.” He drew her forward to bathe her back. Her head was now against his chest and she was almost lulled into a trance by the amazing feel of cool water on her skin and the alluring heat of his body. It was such a

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nice feeling, the gentle stroke of the cloth against her aching flesh. She could sit and let him caress her forever. Then she remembered her plan was to use this man and kill him so she could escape. Stuffing the softness away, she drew back and met his gaze. Now is the time to turn the tables, before the next wave takes me under. “You aren’t the one who paid Jorash for me.” This man wouldn’t have to hunt women. They would flock to him in droves. Why was he being so kind to her anyway? Suspicion flared through her. He wanted her to follow him to her death without a fight. His eyes narrowed and his hands stilled, but he let her slide a few inches away. “No.” “Are they with you?” She peered around his shoulder, searching for Jorash. Why would they send this huge stranger when Jorash would be the smarter choice? “No. It’s just me and you, Shadow.” His low, deep voice sent a bolt of need driving through her. She shut her eyes to fight it, then realized she didn’t have to. Really, she was lucky. One man instead of a mob of them. The Goddess was smiling on her this day. “Your scent,” he whispered into her ear, his large body invading her space. “It lures me like a drug.” She opened her eyes and met his gaze, seeing his nostrils flare as he drank her in. She only had to tip him over the edge and he’d be her slave instead of the other way around. The thought almost made her smile. “Yes, like a drug,” she whispered, hating that her body responded with another twist of longing at his growing need. She had to stay sharp and control their mating. Rising to her knees, she straightened her shoulders to display her breasts, watching his gaze follow her movements. She’d never seduced a man in her life, but the Phase gave her confidence and shored her will. Trailing a finger across the tip of her erect nipple, she hissed as it beaded tight. “You can’t fight it. Neither of us can. We’re trapped until the Phase has passed.” For a moment, he watched her hand as it traveled down her belly, then, with a small growl, hauled his gaze to hers. “What are you doing?” She couldn’t let his sanity return. She needed his body to respond to hers. Pressing her mouth lightly to his, she ran her tongue across his lips in a quick swipe, putting pheromones directly onto him.


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Faster than she could anticipate, he grabbed her arms and jerked her back. “What the fuck are you doing?” “Seducing you,” she told him honestly. He blinked and licked his lips. A bolt of pure triumph filled her. Moving slowly, she brought her hand up to his face in a gentle caress. He was almost too beautiful to kill. “You can’t fight it. The Phase will take us both now.” His eyes grew deep and dark, the drug working rapidly on his system. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.” But his hands loosened to run along her arms in a long sweep. Everything he touched now would feel a million times more intense with the drug inside him. Her skin would feel like heaven, the taste of her would be like wine. She’d been living with the Phase since she’d hit womanhood. To fight it would only intensify everything. She leaned forward, whispering, “You’ll want to have sex with me soon, more than you’ve ever wanted anything else in your life.” She kissed him, turning her head so she could fit their lips closer together. His mouth opened under hers and she plunged her tongue inside to make sure he had enough of the drug in his system to completely fall. His hand caught the back of her head, dragging her to him as he deepened the kiss, drawing lightly on her tongue. A thrill rode through her. She had him. He was hers. It was unlike any other feeling she’d ever had. The zoom of power filled her with triumph. Always before, she’d followed the strict rules of the Phase Ritual, entering the hall, kneeling, letting the male who was chosen for her suck her tongue, then presenting her sex to him by leaning forward, so he could mount her from behind. It was an impersonal procedure. But this male’s devouring mouth was anything but impersonal. He slid along her neck, tasting her along the way. Her skin lit on fire, flushing her whole body and flooding her sex. When his mouth closed over her nipple, she realized she’d never felt anything so wondrous.

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Nick knew he was being drugged. He was completely out of control, but part of him just didn’t care. He’d never had a woman like this before and he wanted her, had been wanting her since long before he’d even seen her. She was almost as tall as he, strong and vibrant, creamy skin over tight, lean muscle. There was no crushing this woman beneath his great weight, no accidentally squeezing her too hard. He laid her back on the thin blanket like a sacrifice. Candlelight danced along her body, highlighting her breasts and the blond thatch of hair at her sex. He ran his calloused hands over her, enjoying the most luscious of sensations. He’d never felt skin so soft before and was content to explore her, touching her long legs, strong arms, flat stomach and finally returning to her breasts. Covering them with his hands, he enjoyed the feel of her tightened nipples pressing into the center of his palms. She moaned and arched, her chest heaving with need, a fine sheen of sweat covering her. He flipped her to her stomach, continuing his exploration. She pulled her knees under her and tipped her buttocks into the air. Her sex spread for him, giving him the same view he’d had earlier. “Let the ritual begin,” she said, her tone flat, but still full of need. “I am ready.” “Well, I’m not ready, beautiful, so stretch back out.” Sure, his cock raged and pressed angrily against his pants, but he wanted to touch every bit of her, so he would. Rubbing her rear end, he reined in his desire. He finished what he started. Always. “Lie flat again.” She hesitated, turning her head to look back at him, her gaze filled with confusion. “I can pick you up, if you need help.” In slow motion, the action a mixture of uncertainty and sexuality, she stretched out. He resumed his exploration, unable to resist the urge to kiss her lower back. She rewarded him with a moan of sheer longing. “I know,” he whispered. “We’ll get there, I promise. I need you with a fire that is consuming me, but it will be better if we wait, I promise.” He licked along her shoulder blade. “Please,” she begged, almost breaking his resolve. He turned her, resisting the strong urge to set his cock free and plunge inside her. He raised her hips in his palms and buried his mouth in her sex, searching for her clitoris with his tongue. When he found it, her body bowed and strong fingers grasped his hair. “What are you doing?” Panic laced the words.


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Nick knew some cultures didn’t enjoy oral sex, but he needed to taste her, needed to have her come with his fingers, then his mouth, then his cock. He didn’t know why. He just had to have her climax in every way with him. Holding her still, he set a steady pace, licking her clit, enjoying the rich taste of her. His mind hazed with need with every swipe of his tongue. All he could think was how much he wanted to fuck her, how much he had to have her. Now. Make her come and then you can have her. It will be so good, worth the wait. You know it will be. Just hang in there. She’s never had this. The confusion in her voice is real. Give her this gift, because once she gets into Dante’s hands, she won’t have something like this. He’ll abuse her and use her up. The thought sobered him and his mind cleared. He increased his pace, listening to her breathing, feeling the tremble of her hands in his hair. Her legs began to shake with her need. Still, he held off, trying to make sure when she came, she’d orgasm so hard, she’d remember this moment for the rest of her life. Then he felt her tumble over the edge, and her body bucked under his hands as she reached climax. Without waiting for her shaking to stop, he pulled down his pants and thrust inside her. All the way in, pressing past her tight folds, loving the feel of her sex grasping him. Holding himself in a pushup position above her, he searched her gaze to see if he’d hurt her. “Nick.” “What?” She blinked up at him, desire hazing the word. “Nickolas Rentard. That’s my name.” He moved deep inside her. “Say it.” “Nickolas Rentard.” He kissed her, driving his tongue into her mouth. She sucked on it, like he’d done hers, and he had to rock forward with the bolt of desire that flashed through him. It was too much, but he had a question that had to be answered. “Your name?” he gasped, unable to stop the thrust of his hips. “Oh, so good,” she whispered. “I never knew it could be like this.” “Name,” he demanded, unsure why it was so important to name a woman who wasn’t going to be his after this night. But it burned inside him. He had to know. Forcing his hips to still, he framed her face with his hands, meeting her gaze. Her breath heaved and her body shook with need. “Tannar, Protector of the Morjan.”

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“Tannar, Protector of the Morjan,” he repeated. “Thank you for this, beautiful.” Her hand cupped his cheek and sadness filled her eyes. “You may not thank me later.” “You may not thank me, either,” he said, fighting his own sadness. Then he picked up his pace, unable to wait any longer. Their bodies worked in perfect unison, thrusting in time, increasing speed as if they were one. Higher and higher he spun, finally letting the fire overtake him. Sweat poured off them, coating their bodies, mingling their essence together. They spiraled up to climax, shouting their completion. And after, he shuddered with her, knowing something had happened to them, something that had bound them together in some way. Possession overwhelmed him, racing through his bloodstream as he tucked her body next to his.


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Chapter Five Tannar woke from a deep sleep, confused and disoriented. It was pitch black and cool, the air tight and close. Her back was warm where it pressed against the flesh of the man behind her, his arm draped across her waist, holding her tight against him. Then, in a snap, she remembered. Running from Jorash. Hiding in the cave. The Phase. Nickolas Rentard. Having sex facing him in the flickering candlelight. What had she done? It wasn’t part of the ritual, not part of what she’d been taught. For a moment, panic welled up inside her. She fought it with a deep breath. What was the worst that could happen? Nothing that she hadn’t known already. Her Phase wasn’t complete. Well, she’d already accepted that when she’d thought she’d be getting through her time by herself. Although the burn of need didn’t run through her veins as it should. That was most likely because exhaustion and anxiety were winning the emotional war raging within her. She felt complete and free, better than she’d ever felt after sex. Oh, the feel of him had been amazing. He had given her experiences she’d never even dreamed of. The Phase was a necessary hardship all women of her race endured. He’d turned it into pure bliss. How was she supposed to kill the man who’d brought her so much pleasure? The thought had her flinching from her original plan. But she had to do it, because she knew he wouldn’t set her free. Why would he? He didn’t even know her. Deena must have the medicine, and Tannar had very little time left to get it to her. Her people needed the child Deena carried, more than they needed Tannar’s conscience. Slowly, she worked her way out from under his arm. The Off-Worlder’s arm. A stranger. No one she cared about. She would kill him because she had to, because not to kill him would jeopardize her people. She’d vowed to protect the Morjan at all costs. She wasn’t going back on that vow now.

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Silently, she found her clothes in the darkness and pulled them on. She felt for her pack, finally locating it across the cave. Deftly, she slid out her knife, then a candle and flint. Lighting it, she stared across the cavern, meeting the green-eyed gaze of the man she’d had inside her body only hours before. A man who’d helped her. A man who had treated her in a way she hadn’t even known was possible. His gaze slid to her knife, then back to meet hers, an eyebrow rising in question, no fear on his face. He was strong and sure of himself. “I must return to my people. I have medicine they need to survive.” Maybe she could outrun him? Or somehow escape without taking him down? “So you plan to kill me?” His voice was lazy, but his body tensed as he gathered himself. She had no doubt he wouldn’t let her go without a struggle. “Yes.” Her voice was stark. “I have no choice.” An odd crack split the air, the reverberations shaking the inside of the cavern, raining down dust and small rock. Nickolas launched from the blanket into a crouch, his gaze searching for the noise. She knew what it was. The earth was shifting. They had to get out before the cavern caved in on itself. Sheathing the knife, she grabbed her bag, but had only just turned toward the entrance when the next tremor hit. She dove for the doorway. Behind her, the ceiling crumbled. One last look backwards showed Nickolas staggering as rock rained down upon him. For a moment, he stayed upright then he fell. Fighting the urge to return to help him, Tannar made herself run from the cave. All that mattered was Deena and the medicine. That’s all that mattered now. Summer morning sunlight showed bright and clear, belying the fact the ground had just rolled and tossed in anger. Tannar should have been exhausted after her Phase. Instead, energy coursed through her. She ran. Away from the man in the cave. Towards her tribe. Protecting her people as she’d sworn to. Saving her friend’s boy-child. Saving herself from an Off-World death. Nickolas wasn’t the man who had paid Jorash to hunt her. He might have treated her so sweetly, but that was only the pheromones in his system forcing him to want her. Most likely his desire manifested so differently from the men of her village because he was an Off-Worlder.


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Kilometers passed unnoticed as the sun climbed and the day became an inferno of heat. Dread and sadness swept her. What she’d done was wrong. She had to go back and save him! But still she ran on, towards the people she loved. Away from the man who was dead or dying in the cave behind her. *** Nick came awake slowly, his body aching with pain. His whole being throbbed, but his right leg hurt the most. When he tried to move, he found he was trapped beneath part of the cave roof. For a moment, he had a vision of himself dying a lingering, horrible death here on this trashhole of a planet. Any place else, he could simply call someone on his transponder, but not on this piece of barbaric backwater. Taking a deep breath, he tried to wiggle his leg out from under the rock. It didn’t budge and ached in a teeth-grinding, stomach-churning way that made him wonder if it was broken. Damn Tannar for leaving him here. He cursed her, loud and long, calling her every name he could think of, in every language he knew. Seconds spiraled into hours. Time crawled and thirst threatened to overwhelm him. How could she have left him here, after what they’d shared? He searched his mind for an answer. She must not have felt the same connection he had. She’d just used him for sex and left him here to die. But you were going to bring her to Dante. She would have died with him. That was before. I hadn’t known what I would feel when I touched her. Maybe she felt it too, but doesn’t trust it or you. After all, you’re an Off-Worlder. Or maybe she was a using whore who tossed me away like so much garbage? He shut his eyes, fighting against the tightness in his chest. He didn’t know her. She was a stranger. These feelings he was having were insane. If he didn’t return her to Dante, he’d be left on this planet, and yet he knew he’d never hand her over to die. That wasn’t an option.

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*** Finally, Tannar passed the guard towers protecting her village and wound through the natural maze of rock walls which protected them. They’d only been here for less than a month, but already the orange and brown mud huts were completed, forming a circle around the Ritual Hall. She was exhausted now, her spirit dragging low. She’d left him to die. It wasn’t right. Not right at all. It wasn’t who she was. She was a Protector. Someone who saved people. And this wasn’t just any person. This was a man who’d done so much for her. Someone who’d been there when she needed an act of kindness. He’d treated her with decency and made a horrible situation into something so beautiful, she’d remember it for the rest of her life. She’d never known sex could feel like that. When she was small, she’d overheard some women whispering that mated couples joined often for pleasure, not just during the Phase, but she hadn’t truly believed it. Until now. If she could have that kind of pleasure every day of her life, she’d be the luckiest Morjan woman alive. Reality had her stumbling as she entered the village. They had nothing in common outside of sex, and she knew he’d try to capture her if he could. Vaguely, she was aware that the people of the village had stopped to stare at her as she lurched to Deena’s mud hut. She didn’t turn to look at them, didn’t stop her limping jog. Off-Worlders never stayed on this planet. Never. They loathed how backward and primitive life was here. And they were right. The atmosphere and the constant shifting of the ground made modern telecommunications and luxuries impossible. A flash of memory made her pause. Nickolas washing her face and neck with gentle care. That was not the actions of a man who would hand her over to die. He’d been more than kind to her. He’d been possessive and instinctively she knew he was a man of honor. And something had happened. Something that twined them together on some level. She’d felt it and she was sure she couldn’t have been the only one. Whatever his earlier intentions, he wouldn’t turn her over to Jorash.


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He would, however, leave her, and that thought sent a stab of pain through her body. Even still, she reached a decision. She would repay his kindness by going back to help him. She had to get Banta and Deena’s horse, Silt. There were rocks blocking the entrance to the cave and she’d need their help to move them away. With that decision, her pace quickened and her heart released its grip of worry. Bursting through the door to Deena’s hut, she found her friend lying on a pallet in the center of the floor surrounded by women. The Wise Woman bathed her forehead as the others sang a low chant. The birth-time was upon her. Everyone stopped and turned when Tannar stepped into the room. “The medicine,” she said, her voice cracking on the words. She fumbled in her pack for the vial then held it out. The Wise Woman rose, her face pinched and her eyes narrowed. She crossed the room, but instead of taking the herbs, she cupped Tannar’s chin and turned her face into the light. “When did you mate, child?” she asked, her wizened features twisted with concern. “I did not mate…” Tannar stopped herself, remembering the odd feeling of forming a connection after they’d joined. The dread and worry and sickness at leaving him. The front-facing sex. Somehow they’d bonded, despite the fact she didn’t even know the rite to tie them together. She met the old woman’s gaze. “He’s an Off-Worlder. He wouldn’t have the chemical in his body to stop the Phase.” “Are you still in heat, my child?” She leaned closer. “Your eyes are clear, your body steady, your need fulfilled.” Could the Phase really have ended? Could Nickolas be from another race which carried the antidote to the Phase in their bodies? She had to see him, touch him and find out for herself. “Take the medicine. I have to go.” The Wise Woman closed her hand over the vial. “Follow your heart and you will return to us,” she said, her voice sure and steady as always. “I hope you’re right,” Tannar whispered. “I’m always right, child,” the Wise Woman replied.

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Chapter Six His throat was on fire and he was mad as hell. Dying here hadn’t been his plan. He’d been sure his destiny would be leading an army. Instead, he would perish under a rock on a planet no one even wanted, despite the fact some humans could actually survive here. If the environment could support technology and didn’t have the strange illness, then it would have so many people jammed onto it, it would turn into an overpopulated mess, like the hundreds of spaceports across the galaxies. Even Mark IV had stopped granting entrance visas due to the massive populous. In fact, it was the lack of people he found most disconcerting. His personal space on Mark IV consisted of a three-foot-tall, eight-foot-long box, stacked in a sea of boxes going from floor to ceiling. Even though he’d always felt alone because of his secret heritage, he realized that until this moment, he’d never been truly by himself. He hated it. He’d spent most of the day waiting for Tannar to return. He’d been sure she’d come back for him, but now he realized the folly of that. A day had gone by, then the night, and it pissed him off that she hadn’t returned. He’d felt a connection with the woman, even as he’d tracked her. She knew he was in the rubble. She should have come back and dug him out. Deep in the night, he’d made peace with the fact he’d be stuck here on this planet one way or another. Dante would make good his earlier threat when Nick didn’t hand over the woman. Inside, he’d always known he was different, the secrets pressing down on him like a transport sitting on his chest. But being in the Palace Guard had finally given him a place to call his own, a family, acceptance. Now he’d lost that, lost the woman, and most likely lost his life. It was extremely annoying on every level. Nick pushed again at the boulder on his leg, wondering if he could live through cutting off his own limb. Probably not, but he was running out of options.


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For the hundredth time, he thanked the gods he was still in his clothes. He’d planned to take them off, but had rushed the end of their lovemaking and hadn’t bothered to shed them. It would have added insult to injury to be naked through this. Craning his gaze around the boulder pinning him, he could see the sun rising through the pile of rocks. He’d spent a day like this and was no closer to getting free than he’d been when the ceiling first caved in on him. Adding to the discomfort of extreme thirst was the pain which was rapidly building in his leg. He dropped back with a thunk of frustration. Then he heard the horses. Many of them. Mort. “Here!” he yelled, his voice harsh from the lack of fluids. “I’m here!” Tannar watched Jorash and the Off-Worlders find her mate. She’d been so close, but now she was losing him. The sun rose behind her as the men ducked into the cave. Tannar stayed in the rocks, wanting to catch a last look at Nickolas Rentard. They would take him away with them and that would be it. Would it really matter? After all, she’d spent her life without him. But now that she knew he was alive and near, the thought of never seeing him again broke a piece of her. An odd thought popped into her mind as she watched them slowly bring him out, supporting him between two people. She’d always known that men could not have sex with another when they mated. But didn’t that also mean the woman couldn’t have sex with another man? No one ever spoke of it, because what woman would ever cheat on her precious mate? And who would she cheat on him with? But if she was repulsed by other partners, how would she get through her Phase? His leaving would be her eventual death sentence. Yet how could she ever ask him to stay here, when he probably lived on a beautiful and modern planet somewhere else? She shoved her fears and questions away. Now was not the time to do anything rash. Dying in the company of her fellow Morjan would be better than being caught by the slavers. Even if he wanted to save her, he wouldn’t be able to fight them all. It was best to let him go. He was alive, but limping badly on one leg. Guilt swam inside her. His people could care for him better than hers. She knew that, but wanted to touch him in the worst way, just to say goodbye.

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Across the plane, Nickolas’ head turned and he stared right where she was hidden. Chills raced along her body, but she now knew why he was able to sense her. They were chosen for one another. His people loaded him onto a horse and they set off across the desert, their dark outlines barely visible in the twilight. Unsure why she had to do it, she followed him. It was dangerous. She could be captured. But she had to see him leave. Had to make sure he was all right. Nick groaned when they laid him on the pallet at the base camp. His leg was seriously mangled, but just drinking water had solved a large part of his discomfort. “We must get him to the ship,” Mort said. “The doc needs to look at that before infection sets in from whatever parasites are floating around here.” Jorash cleaned his wound, then sprinkled a strange white powder over the slash and wrapped it in bandages. His leg wasn’t broken, but it throbbed with every heartbeat. Closing his eyes, Nick let his senses flare out, locating the woman. Tannar wasn’t as far away as he’d wished she would be, but something inside him was soothed by the fact she’d come back. He’d been more upset than he’d realized at the thought she’d left him to die. Prince Dante sat on a makeshift throne nearby, his face an odd sweat-covered shade of yellow. “I told you to return with her or I was leaving you on this trash heap.” “Yes.” Nick nodded, careful not to look where Tannar hid in the rocks above them as he sat up. “But I didn’t find her.” “I warned you that she’s not worth the trouble,” Jorash murmured. “Chasing her brings misfortune.” “Shut up, old man. I didn’t pay you for your opinions.” Dante turned to Nick. “Your time is up. I must return to the ship or the desert sickness can’t be reversed.” His voice quivered with frustration and anger. “But you will stay on this planet and rot.” Mort strode forward, his body stiff with anger. “I don’t think the King would appreciate a member of his elite guard being left here to die.” “My father’s likes and dislikes are none of your concern, Guardsman.” The prince’s voice turned high and strained, the sure sign an impulsive temper tantrum was coming. “Mort,” Nick said, his voice low. He put authority into the word, reminding his friend that, for now, he was under Nick’s command. www.samhainpublishing.com

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Mort spun towards him. “You can find her, Nick. Leave now and I’ll help you ride her down. You can track anything.” Nick took a deep breath and completely accepted his fate. “I could, but I’m not going to.” He struggled to his feet, wincing as he placed weight on his leg. The thought of Tannar being in Dante’s possession made his skin crawl. Mort leaned close to growl, “Nick, are you crazy? You’ll end up staying here on this godforsaken hole.” “I’m not turning over someone to die simply because their genetics make them a good fuck, Mort.” He met his friend’s gaze and lowered his voice even more. “Besides, I plan to keep her for myself, even if it means I have to stay here to do it.” His friend blinked, then a small grin twisted his lips. “You’re kidding?” “No.” Mort shook his head, turning his back on the prince. “Are you sure about this? You’re giving up everything for a piece of ass.” “Yes.” He let out a breath. “I am.” If it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have given an explanation. “It isn’t that she’s beautiful. Well, not just that. She’s strong. She’s a fighter. She lives by the same code as I do. And she came back for me.” “You were pinned under the rock when we got there.” “She arrived to get me out right after you did.” Mort’s eyes flared wide. “Is she here now?” Nick couldn’t stop one side of his mouth from kicking up in a small grin. “Yes.” “Prepare to leave. I want the shuttle called down here immediately.” Dante’s voice cut through their conversation like a knife. Nick wouldn’t be missing him. He held out his hand. “Godspeed, Mort.” His friend met his grasp, then pulled him forward to slap him on the back. “Godspeed.” Nick grabbed his pack and turned to limp from camp. He would miss technology, but part of his nature was primitive. He’d finally have to embrace that piece of himself. Stopping on a small rise, he lifted his head and scented the air. Somewhere to his left, his destiny awaited in the form of a beautiful warrior woman. For the first time in his life, he felt right inside.

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Tannar watched him limp from the camp, her stomach tumbling with a wash of emotions. He was returning to her. No one followed him after he shook one of the other Off-Worlder’s hands, as if he said goodbye. It didn’t feel like a trap, but to make sure, she led him to the horses without revealing herself. Backtracking and circling, she marveled in his easy ability to follow a trail that could barely be seen. With every step, her heart lightened, hope filling her. Swinging into the saddle, she watched him make his way up a wash without even looking at the ground. He spotted her in a patch of scrub and gnarled desert trees, a small smile stretching his lips. “Worried about me, Shadow?” She nodded. “I was.” He draped his arm on the neck of her horse. “Something happened to us when we coupled,” he said, his blunt honesty almost startling. “Yes.” “Do you know what it was?” She glanced up at the sun, gauging the amount of time until midday. Too little for this conversation if they were going to get to one of the few water sources that was worth visiting. She wanted to show him the falls there. “We have a ways to travel and not enough time to make it there before the sun reaches its peak. We need to move while we still have a chance.” He nodded, not questioning where they were going. “Brought a horse for me, I see.” “I thought I needed him to get you out from the cave-in.” He gathered Silt’s reins and hauled himself awkwardly into the saddle, adjusting his injured leg so he could ride. “Can you make it a few hours? We’ll be at a nice place to rest for the night if you can ride that long.” “I’ll be fine.” She turned and led him across the desert. They picked up speed, although she was careful to not go too fast, since she could tell he was in some discomfort. By midday, they made it to a small lake. It had a nice set of shade trees they could sleep under until the sun passed its zenith. Watering the horses, she tied them in the shade to graze, then sat beside him. There was no use drawing it out, so she got to the point. “We somehow mated.”


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His eyebrows flew up. “You did that?” “We did that.” She blew out a breath to ease her frustration. “The men of my tribe have dwindled to nothing. My generation was not supposed to take mates. I was never even taught the rite to bind us. Somehow we completed it, although I’m not sure how.” “I felt something tie us, like an unseen cord.” He rested against a tree trunk. “What does it mean to be mated?” She shook her head. “I don’t know.” Shrugging, she tried to remember the whispered conversations she’d heard as a child. “We’re suited to each other, matched.” “That’s why it felt so right to have sex with you?” “I think so.” She didn’t like being unsure, didn’t like having no answers. But if this man was her destiny, she wouldn’t shrink from that. He grasped her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. “You can’t leave this planet, can you?” “No. There is something in the air we as a people need to survive. The same thing, I think, that makes Off-Worlders sick when they come here.” “So that’s why your women die when they’re taken away.” “Eventually. But first, the Phase comes and we have no way to end it.” She sighed, closing her eyes against the bitterness in her voice. “Will you go back into heat soon?” She shook her head. “Taking a mate is one way to complete the Phase.” “So you have no desire to have sex with me?” Tannar knew that if he truly was her mate, he couldn’t resist her. Taking a chance, she leaned over and lightly pressed her mouth to his. “I have a desire,” she whispered against his mouth. He pulled her onto his lap with a small growl.

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Chapter Seven She rolled from his lap, dragging him down with her into the thin grass. He grinned, suddenly immensely happy. The gods wouldn’t have paired them if they weren’t perfect for each other. Running his fingers through her hair, he kissed her quick on the lips. “You’re beautiful.” She laughed. “No, I’m not.” Scooting away from him, she met his gaze and stripped her shirt from her body. She wore a thin, white scrap of a shift which highlighted firm, small breasts with dusk-colored nipples. “But I suppose I must be perfect to you, just as you’re what I want in a man.” He sat up and shrugged out of his cape. His uniform was trashed and for a moment he wondered how he’d replace it. Then he shoved the thought away. There were too many things he’d have to work out. For now, all he wanted to do was love the woman before him, celebrate finding her. After years of being alone, now he had someone in his life. He grasped the lapels and ripped the adhesive on his shirt apart. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh.” She ran a finger down an old blaster burn. “We have matching scars.” Lifting her shift, she showed an ugly mark on her side. His heart caught at the pain she must have endured. He pulled her close for a kiss. Then he ducked and ran his tongue along the scar on her side. “Mmmm,” she murmured, tipping her head back in pleasure. He tossed his shirt away, then her shift. “Perfect.” He captured her nipple between his lips and suckled. She held totally still, her arms by her sides, letting him touch her wherever he wanted. He explored her breasts with his mouth, then nibbled across her shoulder. Meeting his gaze, she bit her lip, then she took a deep breath. “I’d like to touch you, too.” “You’re welcome to touch every inch of me.”


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She stared pointedly at his pants. “I can’t reach some of you.” He slid out of them, then stretched before her. “You can always touch me as much as you’d like.” Closing his eyes as she ran her hands over every inch of his body, he realized that this was what he’d longed for his whole life. Someone who touched him with hands filled with wonder and desire. A woman who truly wanted him. A match sanctioned by the gods. Her fingers trailed lightly over his erection. “Take off your pants and straddle me,” he ordered, opening his eyes and meeting her light blue ones. She shimmied from her leggings and sat beside him, resting a hand on his chest. He could feel her reluctance and indecision. Pulling her up so she straddled his waist, he had the unplanned benefit of his erection resting against her bare buttocks. Sunlight filtered down between the gently blowing trees and a small waterfall trickled in the background. Her scent was subdued, but spicy and right. “Morjan women don’t have sex facing anyone but their mates.” “You’ll like riding me, beautiful. It will hit you just where you need it most to feel amazing.” He ran a finger down to her sex, making sure she was ready. She moaned as he touched her clitoris. Then she reared up on her knees and worked him inside her, all the way down to his base. He held her hips, helping her set a slow pace. “Oh, it feels so good,” she whispered, grinding herself tight against him, so her clitoris brushed his body. Somewhere inside his brain, he registered the fact that if she’d always had sex facing away from her partner in the past, she’d never had the sensitive bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs touched by her lover’s body. He wanted her to have an explosive orgasm, one that would make her glad she’d ended up with him. They picked up speed, their bodies moving in perfect unison. Closer and closer to orgasm, until the need roared inside him, making every muscle in his body contract. Then they were falling over the abyss, floating back down to reality. Tannar collapsed onto his chest in a boneless heap.

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Rubbing her back, he realized he had a secret which might tear them apart. What if she was like most people in the Inter-World? What if she despised those with non-human blood running through their veins? He took a deep breath, worried he’d lose her. “I’m a mixed breed,” he said, the words toneless as he secretly prayed that she’d love him anyway. “I don’t know what you mean.” “I’m part human, part Trilec, a primitive humanoid being.” She shook her head. “This means what?” “I’m not full human.” There. His biggest shame laid out before her. Her eyes narrowed. “Is that how you tracked me? I couldn’t shake you from my trail.” “Yes.” She didn’t appear angry or disgusted. She looked suspicious, as if he’d cheated at a game they’d played. He allowed himself a small grin. “You never had a chance.” She rested her palms on his chest and leaned down, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Nickolas, do you know what that skill will bring my village? You’re going to be a much-needed addition to our army.” “You have an army?” he asked, surprised. “Of course. We constantly have to protect ourselves from the Alterian slavers, especially since they’ve begun bringing in Off-Worlders to hunt us. Our neighbors to the north occasionally raid our territory as well.” “But your men are depleted. Who fights for you?” She grinned. “Women are Protectors.” A whole army of women who welcomed his mixed-breed skills. The thought boggled his mind. Then he told her what he’d been thinking for the last few hours. “Trilecs mate also.” Her head tipped, the sunlight playing on her beautiful face. “Perhaps that is why we were able to connect, even though you’re an Off-Worlder.” “Perhaps.” He smiled at her. “I’ve waited my whole life for you and never even knew it.” The certainty of that statement pulsed strong and sure inside his heart.


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“I thought I’d never have a chance to mate.” She stroked her fingers along his cheek, the caress so gentle and right, he had to press his face into her hand. “But we’re together now. The rest of our lives stretch before us.” “Yes.” He was no longer alone. As she placed a gentle kiss on his lips, he knew he’d finally found a home.

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About the Author To learn more about Leigh Wyndfield, please visit www.leighwyndfield.com. Send an email to Leigh Wyndfield at [email protected] or join her newsletter loop for special excerpts and reader contests by sending an email to [email protected].

Look for these titles by Leigh Wyndfield Now Available: Desert Heat

Coming Soon: Secret Obsessions In Heat In Ice

You have been exposed to subversive influences: for your own security and well being, you will now be terminated.

Homeland © 2006 Michael Amos Available now at Samhain Publishing Tracy Dwayne Jocelyn Higgs has a problem. Not only is he a Security Officer saddled with a girl’s name, he has awoken to find himself in a vast shopping mall with no recollection of how he came to be there. Worse still, the mall is under almost constant terrorist attack. The security apparatus operates a permanent state of emergency and none of the other terrified inhabitants of the mall have any idea how they came to be there or how to get out. Stalked by the obsessive femme fatale Mandy, shadowed by the annoying Information Officer Simms and in love with the no-nonsense Doctor Jodi Francis, Higgs must find out where he is, get in touch with his feminine side and save the inhabitants of the mall before he is terminated for his own security and well being. Warning, this title contains the following: violence, cannibalism, disturbing concepts and subversive ideas. Exposure to this novel will result in your immediate termination for reasons of national security. Enjoy the following excerpt for Homeland: Higgs smiled and looked down modestly. “Sir, I still don’t know where I am. I want to go home.” “You are home. You have lived here for the past eight years.” “But it doesn’t feel like home, sir.” “That is because your memories have not recovered sufficiently. If you resume your duties, things may start to come back to you.” Higgs sighed and nodded. Perhaps Jared was right. After all, he couldn’t remember anything and there wasn’t any particular reason why Jared should lie to him. There came a point when you had to trust authority, you had to trust those in command. The people at

the top got there because they knew what they were doing and if you doubted them, the whole system fell apart. Jared continued. “We have a problem, Higgs. The mall is under almost constant terrorist attack. The terrorists have been distributing subversive materials.” He paused and clicked his fingers at one of the androids. It turned slowly and picked up a plastic bag from the desk, holding it aloft for Higgs to see. It contained a notepad and a pen. Joints hissing, the android returned the bag to the desk and placed its hand back on its gun. “So far we’ve been unable to work out how they are operating and where they are based. Before you were injured, you were getting close to finding out what was going on. I need you to pick up from where you left off, find them and stop them.” Higgs considered for a moment. “Did I leave any briefing papers or notes?” For a moment—just a fraction of a moment—Higgs thought he saw the look of a haunted man in Jared’s eyes. Jared shook his head. “Your notes were destroyed in the terrorist attack which injured you.” Are you lying? It wouldn’t make sense for you to lie to me. “Sir, why are the terrorists attacking the mall?” Simms, who had been quietly forgotten up until this point, gasped and ducked back. The two android guards stepped forward and leveled their guns at Higgs, prepared to fire. Higgs stared open-mouthed, surprise dulling his instinctive reaction to dive for cover. “Overruled.” Homeland’s voice filled the room. The androids lowered their weapons and returned to the desk. Higgs looked from Jared to the androids and back again, opening and closing his mouth. Jared seemed completely unfazed by the actions of the guards and continued as if nothing had happened. “Terrorists are the enemies of freedom. It stands to reason that they should attack the freedom of the mall. Only a subversive would suggest otherwise.” Higgs realized he was holding his breath and let it out. Beside him, Simms visibly relaxed. With one eye on the androids, Higgs cleared his throat. “Why can’t we leave the mall?” Both he and Simms flinched as the androids leapt forward, guns leveled at Higgs. Homeland’s voice stopped them again. “Overruled.” Higgs and Simms breathed out.

“Why should anyone want to leave the freedom of the mall? Only a subversive would want to leave the mall.” Jared smiled benignly, still apparently unconcerned by the androids’ murderous intentions on Higgs. Higgs felt emboldened to try his luck. “Why is everyone in the mall so afraid?” “Overruled.” The androids did not even get the chance to move this time. Higgs noticed they did seem to glance sideways at each other. They weren’t supposed to think, Simms had said. Jared smiled. “The people are not afraid. The people are happy, safe in the freedom and security provided by Homeland. Only a subversive would think otherwise. Really, Higgs, if it were not for the trauma of your recent injury which is clearly clouding your reasoning, I would have to conclude that you were posing these questions to test my reactions.” Higgs opened his mouth to speak and then thought better of it. Homeland spoke. “You are confused, Security Officer Higgs, and that is only to be expected after the trauma of your injury. Please return to your quarters. There will be some clearance tests before you can resume your duties.” Higgs rose slowly from his chair. “Thank you, ma’am. I think you’ll find that I won’t let you down.” *** As Higgs and Simms hurried away from Jared’s office, and back through the security center, Simms was incredulous. “You are so lucky, Higgs. You came this close to being terminated.” He held up his thumb and index finger a fraction apart. “Subversive questions like that are going to get you into a lot of trouble.” “What the hell was subversive about them?” “You heard Jared, only a subversive would think like that.” Suddenly, Simms put a hand on Higgs’s shoulder and stopped him. He leaned close and whispered, “You’re not really a subversive, are you, Higgs?” Higgs started to laugh but stopped short when he saw the look of deadly earnest in Simms’ eyes.

“No. No, of course I’m not.”

On the run from an intergalactic mob boss, she kidnaps the earthling security expert who helped her. Her plan? Make him forget about tomorrow.

Forget About Tomorrow © 2007 Liz Kreger Available now at Samhain Publishing Larissalyia Ashanti, is hiding out on Earth, a barbarian planet unsanctified by the FOW—Federation of Worlds—and on the run from an intergalactic mob boss who plans to use her as leverage to force her magistrate father to clear his criminal record. Mac, an earthman, witnesses the evidence of aliens when the mob catches up with Lacey. After he helps her fight them off, she does the only thing she can think of—she kidnaps him and takes him with her as she flees Earth. Mac learns the answer to that age old question of whether there’s life out there…in spades. But not only does he have to convince Lacey that his numerous skills are indispensable, he has to find a way into her heart. The chase is just beginning…and so are the romance, adventure and danger as they cross the universe in search of safety and answers. Enjoy the following excerpt for Forget About Tomorrow: “So, now what?” Her attention snapped back to Mac. He hadn’t turned from his contemplation of the stars outside the ship, yet something in his manner told her he was aware of everything she did. “Now we go to Cyber Five where we regroup and make plans.” “We?” “You are along for the ride, Victor.” The use of his name gained her a look of irritation. For a moment she thought he was going to protest her use of his name, but then he shrugged. “Do you plan to wipe my memory there?” he asked.

Larissalyia hesitated. It would be a good place to do it. She had everything she needed for the procedure. There was really no reason to wait. Other than the fact that she couldn’t return Mac to Earth yet. Not while it was likely that one of the Kyrions might be lying in wait. It didn’t make sense to wipe his memory quite yet. Finally she shook her head. “No, as I said, I cannot return you to your world until the danger is past,” she replied as she justified her decision in her own mind. “I have no doubt my father will succeed within another one of Earth’s moon’s cycles. I’d only have to wipe it again after that time.” “That’s reassuring.” She pretended not to notice his dry tone. “Cyber Five is just a stop off for supplies and somewhere I can figure out where to go to create a new identity for you.” “Is that necessary?” “Very. I am not quite sure what the F.O.W. would do with you if it is discovered you are from an unsanctioned planet, but I do know I would be in big trouble.” “So it’s in your best interest that I keep my mouth shut.” She slid him a quick glance. This conversation was entering dangerous space. “It is in both of our best interest.” “I’d say you’re the one who’s ass deep in alligators, honey. After all, you kidnapped me. It isn’t like I had much of a choice.” Larissalyia twisted in her seat to focus on the look of satisfaction in his face. He thought he had a hold over her. Her anger threatened to erupt. “Look, barbarian. It would be just as easy for me to jettison you from this ship.” “I doubt you’d do that.” There was no mistaking the smugness in his tone. He too swiveled his chair until he faced her. “Seems to me you went through a lot of trouble on Earth to make sure I took no harm from that Sinion blade thing. You could have just as easily let me die from that wound. You’re not the type to commit cold-blooded murder.” “And how would you know that? I am an alien to you. You have no idea what I may be capable of.” “Let’s just say I’m a great judge of character.” Larissalyia could think of nothing to counter his self-assurance. He was right. She could not ruthlessly dispose of him in such a manner. Damn, he did have the upper hand.

She’d be a fool to let him know that. Giving him a cool glance, she said nothing and turned back to the console. Checking their coordinates, she made a few more unnecessary adjustments. Once again she was aware of his gaze on her. It slid over her like a warm hand gliding down her body. She could almost feel the brush of it and a response sprang to life deep within her. It uncurled deep in the pit of her stomach and spread outward in everwidening circles. It was not an uncomfortable feeling, just unfamiliar. Frowning, she glanced over at him once more. He hadn’t moved. He merely continued to watch her with that fathomless expression. A slight smile quirked his lips and drew her gaze to that portion of his face. He had a beautiful mouth. Firm, the lower lip slightly fuller than the upper. It was a mouth made for kissing. Made for pleasure. “Look, I’ll make you a deal.” He waited until her gaze returned to his. There was a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. “I promise to cooperate with you in keeping this F.O.W. ignorant of my presence in the hallowed halls of the known universe, and…” “And?” “And in return, you don’t wipe my memory of all of this.” Larissalyia stared at him, stupefied. “Impossible!” “Why?” She blinked. Why, indeed? Standard procedure dictated alien species not sanctioned by the F.O.W. be kept ignorant of the existence of the federation. Harsh penalties ensured this rule was followed. To her knowledge, no one had ever violated the dictum of the Council. Who would know? But if she agreed with the Earthman, who would know? And was it a gamble she was willing to take? Although she’d known him a short time, something about Victor MacNaught told her she could believe him. She sensed an honorableness about him that instinctively made her trust him from the moment he held out his hand to her in that bar. In her business she had honed a highly refined instinct when it came to sizing up people. She had never entertained any doubt he was trustworthy. Still, to take such a chance…? “This is an adventure of a lifetime, Lacey,” he went on when she didn’t answer. “I want to experience everything I can. Savor it. I don’t want to have all of this wiped from my memory. I don’t want to forget what it looks like to stare out that screen.” He nodded

toward the panoramic view, for a moment recapturing the awe of the experience. When he brought his attention back to her, there was something different in his expression. His gaze slowly slid over her face, lingering on her lips with an intensity that made her breath catch and brought a responsive rush of heat. “I don’t want to forget you, Lacey.” He reached out and took one of her hands, holding it between both of his. He smoothed her fingers open before he slowly raised her hand to his lips to press a tender kiss to the very center of her palm. Larissalyia felt that gentle caress all the way down to her toes. He looked up at her. “Do we have a partnership?” “Partnership?” she repeated in a faint voice, completely undone. He was manipulating her. She knew he was, but was powerless to stop him. Didn’t want to stop him. “I will do whatever you say, behave in any manner you deem appropriate. In return, you don’t remove any of this. I give you my word of honor I will never repeat anything I’ve ever seen or done while I’m with you. Even after I return to Earth.” “Are you willing to take a blood oath on that?” Larissalyia felt rather than saw Tutsi stir in protest, yet the Mandujano warrior said nothing. Her cheeks heated as she realized she had forgotten all about the presence of the third person on the bridge. Somehow with a few words and a tender gesture, Mac had completely scattered her wits. “Yes.” For a moment longer she stared into his eyes, searching for some sign of subterfuge. He gazed back at her, his steadiness convincing her of his sincerity. Well, she was the gambler here. How could she blame him? In his place, she would do anything possible to hold onto this experience.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd. It’s all about the story… Action/Adventure Fantasy Historical Horror Mainstream Mystery/Suspense Non-Fiction Paranormal Red Hots! Romance Science Fiction Western Young Adult www.samhainpublishing.com

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