Rynan sensed Elana move up beside him.

“How is she?” he asked.

“Resting.” Elana let out a huge sigh. “She’s not doing well, Ry. She has Praxta Syndrome.”

“What?!”

“She’s been taking meds, so she’s not contagious, but the strain her body is under is clearly letting the disease win.”

Shit. They’d already lost two people, and he didn’t want to lose any more, especially not funny, lively Goldie.

And he sure as hell didn’t want to lose Elana.

A heavy guilt crashed over him. He was in charge of security, and it was his responsibility to keep them all safe. He’d failed. Big time.

Just like he’d failed his brothers so long ago.

“Hey, I know that face.” Elana reached up and touched his jaw. “You are not responsible for this.”

He pressed his cheek into her palm. “Things aren’t looking good, Elana.”

She nodded. “I know. But we’re in this together. Whatever we have to do, we’ll do it together.” She glanced past him at the cavern. “Do you think we’re safe from the creatures here?”

“I don’t know. I’ve looked around, and seen no signs of animals living here. No food scraps, scat, or nests.”

“Okay, that sounds promising.”

“Let’s get some rest.” He fingered her hair. “You look tired.”

She smiled. “I have a very demanding boss, and I also have a very demanding lover.”

His arm slid around her, his hand curving over her hip. “Yes, you do. And they both have lots more plans for you.”

Feeling lighter than he had in the last while, he moved back to where Goldie was resting.

“Why don’t you grab a quick nap?” Elana suggested. “I’ll keep watch. It takes a lot for you to look exhausted, and you passed that a few hours ago.”

Apart from his brothers, there was no one else he trusted to watch his back while he slept in enemy territory. A quick doze would help clear his head.

He pulled out a sleeping bag and settled down. But instead of sleeping, he watched Elana. She leaned back against the rock walls, holding her almost-dead laser pistol. The minutes ticked by, and he watched her as she watched the beautiful glowing ice crystals above.

He must have drifted off, because the next thing he knew, he was jerked awake by a long, mournful howl that echoed through the cavern and reverberated off the rock walls.

“The ice monsters are back.” Elana was standing, her weapon up.

He pushed to his feet and grabbed his rifle. “You see them?”

“Not yet. They still sound a long way off.”

“We need to move.” He wanted higher ground, and somewhere more defensible than this little corner of the cavern.

Elana nodded and moved over to Goldie. Ry shoved their gear back in the pack.

“No.” Elana’s harsh whisper.

He spun, and saw her kneeling by Goldie, her fingers pressed to the woman’s neck. Goldie’s eyes were open, her face sheet-white, and her mouth agape.

Fuck. It was like a punch to his gut.

Elana’s sorrow-filled eyes lifted to his. “No pulse.”

He saw that Goldie’s eyes were covered in a white film and she was clutching the Viking coin in her hand. The crazy, wild woman who’d lived her life on her terms was gone.

Ry pressed his hand to Elana’s shoulder. She gripped his hand, and together, they grieved quietly for the woman.

“We have to go,” he said quietly.

“We can’t leave her here. Those creatures…”

“Not leaving her,” he said, his voice gritty. “You take the pack and I’ll carry her. We’ll find somewhere to bury her.”

Elana nodded. Ry lifted Goldie’s body and they set off.

They moved somberly out of the cavern and into a new set of tunnels.

Suddenly, Elana stopped, her eyes widening. “Ry, look.”

The walls were engraved with ancient rock art. They both paused, studying the images.

They were earlier, more simpler versions of what they’d seen in the ruins. The images depicted a cold, but livable climate. Clearly, the world’s climate had changed at some point over the centuries. He stared at the people in the art, going about their lives. Beside them were small creatures…just like the ice dog they’d seen at the ruins. He cocked his head. Actually, they also sort of resembled the ice monsters that had attacked them, just smaller. But these creatures were standing with the people and looked domesticated.

“They look similar to the creatures that attacked us,” Elana said, echoing his thoughts. “But tame.”

“The ones out there definitely aren’t tame,” he said.

“Maybe the ice monsters ate most of the small ice creatures.”

“We’ll probably never know. Let’s keep going.” He carefully hitched Goldie’s body more securely in his arms.

They moved on and entered into another cavern. This one was larger than the previous one.

“Oh, wow.” Elana’s gaze was straight ahead.

A large waterfall tumbled over some rocks and down into a big thermal pool. Steam hung in the air.

“Look up there.” He pointed to a ledge above the waterfall. “That’ll be a safer spot for us to bed down for a bit. We can see anything that enters.”

She nodded, then pointed to a pile of stones nearby. “And we could use this…for Goldie.”

He gently laid Goldie’s body down by a stone pillar. He made sure the Viking coin was tucked securely in her hands. He and Elana worked quickly, covering her body completely with the stones.

“Wherever you are, Goldie, keep having those adventures,” he murmured.

He saw tears in Elana’s eyes and pulled her close.

“Come on,” he murmured. “We need to rest.”

It only took a few minutes to climb the rocks beside the waterfall. At this height, near the roof of the cavern, the temperature was pleasant, and a wide thermal pool eddied at the top of the waterfall before the water washed over the rocks to the pool below.

But the best thing about their hiding place was that Ry had a perfect view of the rest of the cavern.

Ry pulled out his small security drone. It was a small ball that fit into his palm.

“Surprised this is still going after being out in the cold.” He tossed it into the air and the small drone buzzed away to keep guard.

“You invented it, so I’m not surprised.” Elana dropped down on the ground.

Her quiet confidence felt damn good. He opened his pack and handed her a packet of rations.

“We’re nearly out of food.” She munched on the dehydrated meal without much interest.

“I’ll hunt, if I have to. Maybe the ice monsters are good eating.” He opened his own food packet. He didn’t bother reading the flavor…it wouldn’t taste like whatever it was supposed to be, anyway.

She snorted. “Or maybe they’re poisonous.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” He studied the water spilling over the waterfall. “I think that since we have the opportunity, I’ll clean up.”

“Ry?”

He looked at her.

She smiled. “I wouldn’t have wanted to crash on an ice world with anyone else.”

God. He cupped her cheeks. “Me, too, gorgeous. But let’s not do it again, okay?”

“Roger that. We’re safe here?”

“As safe as we can be for now. Drone will let us know if we have any visitors.”

She picked up her rations. “Go wash up.”

Ry walked over to the top of the waterfall. He quickly shed his shirt and splashed some water on himself. It was scalding hot. Too hot for him to actually submerge himself.

He sensed movement behind him and turned.

Elana was walking toward him. Naked.

Ry froze, everything in him standing to attention. His cock filled, pressing against his trousers. She was gorgeous. All slender, toned limbs, gentle curves, and subtle strength. Such a smart, competent woman, and, as he took in the dip of her waist and the curves of her breasts, so damn sexy and feminine as well.

All the grief and tiredness inside him morphed into something else. Something that needed to prove to the universe that they were still alive.

Rynan reached for his woman.

* * *

As Rynan yanked her into his arms, Elana gasped. Desire arrowed through her.

He pulled her off her feet, his hands pressing into her bottom. She wrapped her legs around his waist, loving his rugged strength.

She arched into him, her breasts rubbing against his bare chest and moaned. “Now, Ry. Please, now.”

He hitched her higher and his mouth found hers, hard and demanding. Pure Ry. He kissed her like a starving man, and she felt one of his hands slide between their bodies. He yanked at his trousers to free his cock.

“Fuck, Elana. I’ll never get enough of you.”

She rocked against him, her body already wet and ready. He guided his thick cock into her. She whimpered.

“Elana!” He thrust up into her with a desperate edge.

Everything they’d endured the last few days seemed to fuel their hard, frantic loving. Elana slammed herself down on his cock and he moved her, using his strength to slide her up and down on him.

“So tight and wet, gorgeous,” he growled. “Always like fucking heaven.”

The need was so fierce, and Elana felt herself careening toward an orgasm. Their ragged gasps for breath were loud and hurried, and her own frantic cries echoed around them. She dug her nails into his shoulders, trying to find more leverage.

Then everything inside her imploded. She arched her back, trying to contain her scream. His mouth came back to hers, swallowing the sound. Pleasure rose, shattered, and left her shaking.

Ry pounded into her, his grunts fierce expulsions of air. Then he shoved into her one last time, his release jetting within her. As he came, her name was a low, desperate groan against her skin.

For a moment they stayed there, locked together. His cock still pulsing inside her, and ripples of aftershocks contracted her muscles. Finally, Ry shifted, dropping slowly to the ground and lowering Elana onto his lap.

He pressed his lips to her temple. “One way to prove we’re still alive.”

She gave a hiccupping laugh, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Let’s try to keep it that way. I’d like to do that again.”

One of his hands tangled in her hair, tugging her head back. “I will do everything, everything, in my power to get you out of here.”

A sweet pleasure hit her, but it was followed by an undercurrent of fear. “Nothing stupid, Ry. We’re in this together. We are both getting off this hunk of ice.” She knew him. Rynan wouldn’t hesitate to give his life to save her.

His thumb brushed over her lips, something softening in his eyes. “You want to wash up? The water’s too hot for a swim, but you can splash yourself.”

She nodded, and he helped her up. She grabbed a cloth from the pack, moved to the edge, and sponged herself with hot water. It had the pungent aroma of minerals, but it was hot and wet. She quickly bathed herself all over, and when she was done, she felt much fresher.

Then arms were wrapping around her. “Elana, whatever happens—”

She turned in his arms and cupped his cheek. He had really good stubble going on now, and she liked it. “I have no regrets.”

He sighed. “I should have faced my issues sooner.”

“You beating yourself up again?” She smiled. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here, Ry. After that, we can talk about us.”

He made a face. “And have lots of sex.”

She giggled, shocking herself. She never giggled. “No complaints from me.”

They redressed, and Rynan suggested they explore the cavern below. He swung his laser rifle on his back, and climbed down from their ledge. Elana followed.

The ice-and-rock cave was really magnificent. The farther they moved from the thermal pools, the icier the rock surfaces were. Closer to the warm water, the ice had melted away to expose the rock. In the center of the cave, she looked up, staring at the incredible array of colored icicles. They were simply amazing and so pretty.

She kept walking slowly, making a circuit of the space, when the glint of something shiny on the ground caught her eye.

Frowning, she knelt to investigate. “Ry.”

She heard the soft brush of his footsteps, and she snatched up the small object, her pulse spiking.

She held up the metal coin. It was exactly like the earlier one they’d found and buried with Goldie.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ry muttered, “Another Viking coin.”

“I wonder if there are any others.”

Ry scanned the cavern, and then strode a few meters away, farther from the pool. Elana jumped up and followed. She gasped.

A whole pile of coins lay on the cave floor, like someone had scattered them like confetti.

There was also a long piece of rusted metal lying in the center. Ry leaned down, and with a sense of reverence she rarely saw in him, he lifted it up.

Stars, it was a sword.

It was heavily rusted, but the shape was still clear. This was no pretty, ceremonial weapon; it had a short, strong hilt, and a solid, long blade. It wasn’t ornate or delicate. It was a solid piece, made for fighting. It reminded her of Rynan.

Ry carefully turned it over, studying every inch of it. “Amazing.”

Elana shook her head with a quick smile. Ry and his weapons. Apparently, it didn’t matter if they were high-tech or thousands of years old, he loved them anyway.

So where had this treasure come from? And why was it just lying here in the center of the cave?

She peered around the cavern again. Had the survivors of the Ventura ended up in these caves, trying to survive, just like them? Then, something made her tilt her head upward and she hissed out a breath.

The roof in this part of the cavern was also decorated with the stunning icicles, but here, trapped in the ice, was the Viking treasure hoard. Stuck in the icicles were jewelry, coins, more swords, and several things she couldn’t identify.

“Rynan.”

He followed her gaze and his gray eyes widened. “Stars.”

“It looks like the entire hoard,” she murmured.

“Look over there.” He pointed to a patch of the ceiling a few meters away.

Elana’s mouth dropped open. Other, larger objects were also trapped in the ice. What looked like the remnants of a tent, metal objects, possibly a chair. Her gaze shifted, and landed on the contorted shape of a frozen human body.

Oh, God. The survivors of the Ventura had made it here. And they’d never left.

Ry wandered below the grisly remains. “How the hell did they get stuck in ice on the roof of a cave?”

Poor souls. Elana instantly thought of Goldie buried nearby, and knew the woman would be happy to share her resting place with the crew of the Ventura and the treasure she’d longed to find. Rynan moved again, and Elana’s gaze snapped back to him.

Ry was frowning, his gaze on a boxy, metal object stuck up in the icicles. She studied it, but couldn’t identify the piece of ancient tech.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“What is it?” She watched him pull his small, handheld scanner out. As soon as he flicked the device on, it started beeping like crazy.

Ry cursed again. “It’s a generator,” he said. “A nuclear-powered one. Really old tech from Earth, and it looks like it’s leaking radiation. The readings are off the charts.”

“Lucky you make us take regular anti-radiation shots, then.”

All of a sudden, a growl echoed through the cavern. They both swiveled, reaching for their weapons. She saw one of the shaggy ice monsters slink out from behind a rock.

The mangled remains of Ry’s drone were in its mouth.

As her gaze swept over the creature’s deformed face, realization burst inside her. “Oh, stars.”

Rynan lifted his rifle. “The radiation must have mutated the native creatures,” he said, clearly reaching the same conclusion.

Several more creatures appeared from the shadows, moving toward them, slowly and steadily. Their ice claws clicked on the rocky floor. Their hungry gazes were fixed on Ry and Elana.

Without warning, the animals attacked.

Elana focused on shooting, the whine of her pistol joining the deeper sound of Rynan’s rifle. But she was horribly aware that the weapons were almost out of charge. A creature leaped high into the air, flying at her. Her shot took it down, and it hit the ground with a howl.

At the rate that the creatures kept coming, she’d be out of ammunition long before they stopped.

She and Rynan were driven back, closer to the nearest cavern wall. Elana’s heart clenched. She didn’t want to die here. She’d finally gotten through Ry’s hard shell. She finally had a chance at something that she’d wanted forever. A chance at love, and a life with Rynan.

She wasn’t going to die here.

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed through the cave. It sounded like the noise starship engines made when they were firing up, but deeper.

“Ry?”

“No idea.”

The rumble eased off, but the attacking creatures all went as still as stone. A second later, they turned as one and bounded away.

“What the fuck?” Ry frowned.

Elana’s blood turned to ice in her veins. This couldn’t be good.

The rumble came again and she stared at the huge tunnel entrance that led into the cavern.

The sound grew, becoming a deafening roar. Ry shifted closer to her, and they both stared.

A massive avalanche of ice and snow poured out of the tunnel, like someone had turned on a faucet.

Elana stared, frozen. She couldn’t move. They were right in the path of it.

She opened her mouth to scream…but suddenly, Ry knocked into her, hard. He shoved her out of the way and she flew through the air before tumbling over the rocky ground.

She looked up, her gaze meeting Ry’s…just before the wall of snow hit him. It washed him away like a giant tsunami.

“Rynan!” She scrambled to her feet. She was literally only centimeters away from the rush of snow. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest.

The snow covered her boots and started sliding her way. She was forced backward, wedged in against the rock wall.

Ry. She had to find Ry. Pain and panic thundered through her. He was buried in all this snow, somewhere. Damn the man for being a fucking hero.

Finally, the roar died away and the deluge of snow stopped. Elana leaped on top of the snow, striding forward. She sank to her knees with each step, but she hurried to where she guessed she’d last seen him. She was much closer to the ceiling now, and could almost reach up and touched the treasure-filled icicles.

“Rynan.” Oh God, pain was tearing her apart. He couldn’t be gone. She couldn’t lose him.

She started digging, flinging snow behind her. Soon, she was panting from the exertion, but she refused to stop. She had to get him out. He’d be running out of air.

This must have been what happened to the survivors of the Ventura, and their treasure. And then they’d ended up frozen in ice for eternity.

Fuck that. She dug harder. God, how long could Ry survive down there? She couldn’t lose him. She wasn’t going to lose him.

It became a mantra that kept her digging.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her, and yanked her backward. Elana swallowed a scream, falling back awkwardly on the snow. She looked up and her stomach dropped away. No.

She was surrounded by space pirates.

The hard-faced brigands were dressed in a mishmash of clothes, common for people who stole and took whatever they wanted from those they preyed on.

“Well, you’ll sweeten my day,” one man drawled. He was tall with a long, lean body.

“How the hell did you get in here?” Elana asked.

“Snuck in just before that fucking avalanche,” one of the pirates bit out.

She blinked and looked past the fur-lined coat the man was wearing. He was wearing the most expensive light body armor she’d ever seen. It was matte-black and his weapon was a top-of-the-line assault rifle from the central systems.

She looked at the others and noted the same armor and weapons.

“You aren’t space pirates.”

A faint smile appeared on the man’s cold face. “No. Mercenaries.”

Realization washed over her. “You’re after the treasure.”

“We were hired to follow Ms. Dangent on her hunt and acquire anything she found.”

“The old lady opened her mouth one too many times,” a female merc said. “That attracted the attention of people who pay mercs like us a lot of money to get the job done.”

Oh, Goldie.

The lead merc turned his head, looking up at the treasure caught in the ice above. “And that makes my day even better. Old Earth treasure.” He smiled now, showing teeth that had been plated with metal.

Elana fought back her panic. She needed to get to Rynan. She didn’t have time for these bastards.

There were only four of them. She could take them.

She lashed out, catching the leader with a hard kick to the gut. He went down in the snow with a sharp cry.

A female merc lunged at Elana. Elana grabbed the woman’s arm, spun her, and drove her down to her knees. A hard chop to the back of the neck, and the woman faceplanted into the snow.

“Get her!” the leader shouted.

No. Ry was running out of air.

But the last two mercenaries jumped on her. There was no skill involved. Both men weighed more than her, driving her into the snow.

She struggled but her arms were yanked back, and she felt something looping around her wrists. She kicked and jerked. No!

Then she was yanked upright. She spat snow out of her mouth and glared at them.

The leader stepped forward, his face hard and unforgiving. “It seems this one has some spunk. I think we should show her some merc justice.”