Neve had come back. Corsair lifted his head, drowsily feeling his body going into the healing stasis.

She was here, fighting the witch.

He wrenched uselessly against the bones holding him and groaned at the pain.

Then, Neve cupped his face. “Hey, take it easy.”

He glanced past her and watched as the witch disappeared beneath the surface of the pool. “Good…job.”

She grinned at him, then gripped one bone shard. Without warning him, she yanked it out.

“Ahhh!”

“I’m sorry, pirate. Just a couple more.”

More? Swiftly, she yanked the other bones out of his body. When she pulled out the last one, he pitched forward.

But Neve was prepared and caught him, taking nearly all of his weight.

“Easy.” She lowered them both to their knees.

Corsair lifted his head. He raised a shaky hand, cupped her cheek, and yanked her in for a kiss. Long, slow, and thorough.

“Why did you come back?” he asked.

She stilled, and he slid a hand into her hair, forcing her gaze to stay on his.

“Because it was the right thing to do.”

“Is that all?”

Her eyes flashed. “No, damn you. Somehow, you made me feel…made me start…”

“Come on, Neve. You can do it.”

She scowled at him. “You made me start falling in love with you.”

Seeing her face so cranky at her admission made so much inside him smooth out. Elation filled him. She was falling in love with him. Neve Haynes of Earth was falling for him and he had every intention of making her fall all the way. He smiled and kissed her again. “Good, because I’m right there with you.”

A moan echoed from nearby, and they pulled apart.

“Dayna!” Neve stood, helping Corsair up, and together, they hobbled over to the woman. Neve knelt down and turned Dayna over.

She was still unconscious, her skin deathly pale, and her clothes in tatters. Then Corsair muttered a vile curse.

Dayna also had an orange stone embedded in the center of her chest, her skin growing around it.

“What the fuck?” Neve murmured.

“Drak.” Corsair shook his head. “Just like the witch’s one. It was the source of her power, I think.”

“What is it?” Neve demanded.

“I think the witch had a symbiont.”

“A what?”

“Another life form living inside her. The witch fed off of biological energy. I don’t think her physical body needed it, but her symbiont did.”

“You’re saying that Dayna’s got some sort of parasite inside her?”

Corsair shook his head. “Symbionts live harmoniously with the host, parasites kill them.”

“And now Dayna has…something else living inside her?” Neve’s shoulders fell.

“We need to get her to the healers. They’ll know more. For now, she’s alive.” Corsair realized he couldn’t stand up any longer. He dropped down to his knees. Neve crouched, wrapping an arm around him. “Need to rest now. Heal.”

She nodded, pushing his damp hair off his head. “I’ll take care of you, pirate. And then we’ll find a way out of here.”

* * *

Rillian touched the controls of his ship, feeling it respond quickly and smoothly.

Just how he liked it.

He checked the readouts on the console, before looking forward through the tinted glass to the sand flying past below them at a high rate of speed.

“Thanks for the loan of the ship,” Galen said, the imperator leaning in beside Rillian’s seat.

Rillian nodded. “It’s my pleasure to help.” He glanced back into the main part of the shuttle.

A couple of gladiators sat silently, looking tense and ready to fight. And two of Corsair’s people—the beautiful, competent Mersi and the giant Bren—took up the rear seats, looking concerned.

“The ship needed a test run.” It was an experimental ship he’d been funding research for. A ship specifically designed for travel in Carthago’s unforgiving desert. He eyed the controls, watching the engine temperatures and metal integrity.

He wasn’t sure exactly how long it would last. There was a certain mineral in the desert sand that was attracted to hot metal, and could eat through ship engines and metal like a sword through an enemy’s flesh.

“I hope we get there in time,” came a female voice.

He glanced up at Harper. In her fighting leathers, she looked like she’d been a member of the House of Galen for years. But he knew that only months before, she’d called Earth home, and survived her abduction at the hands of the Thraxians. Like so many of these brave women of Earth.

“It’s been a day since we got the message from Corsair’s people,” Galen said. “They had no idea how long it had taken the desert shrike to get the message to them. Perhaps a few hours.”

All they knew was that Corsair and Neve were in trouble.

Rillian spied something ahead. “There’s the Solitude Oasis.”

Soon, they were landing, sending up a spray of sand around the ship. Rillian powered down the engines, turning on the passive sand-repellant field. As the ramp lowered, he spotted movement.

“Look.”

Two figures stumbled out of a cave.

Corsair wore a tattered shirt stained with blood. He had an arm wrapped around Neve, who had a makeshift bandage wrapped around her shoulder. They looked like they’d been to hell and back. They limped across the sand toward the ship.

The House of Galen team hurried out of the shuttle, and Rillian followed. Mersi reached the pair, first.

“Drak, you two look terrible.” Mersi threw her arms around both of them.

“Are you okay?” Galen asked.

Neve nodded tightly. “We got the map to Zaabha.” She held up a stone.

Rillian felt a rush of grim satisfaction. He’d been aiding Galen in his battle to take down the House of Thrax, their crudspawn allies, the Srinar, and the repulsive desert arena of Zaabha.

“Well done,” Galen said. Then his tone lowered, taking on a harsh edge. “If you’d asked for help before running off alone, we could’ve helped you. You could’ve avoided this.” He waved at their injured forms.

“We’re alive,” Corsair said.

“And I’ve learned a few lessons on asking for help.” Neve shot the caravan master a quick smile.

Ah. Rillian raised an eyebrow. So that was the way the desert wind was blowing.

“We also found Dayna,” Neve said.

There were gasps all around. Harper pushed forward. “Where is she?”

“She’s badly hurt, and hasn’t regained consciousness.” Neve waved them toward the closest cave entrance.

The group hurried in, and Rillian brought up the rear, checking that they didn’t have any unwelcome guests around. But the Solitude Oasis was living up to its name.

Ahead, a tall woman was lying on her side on the stone floor, her brown hair matted, and her long limbs askew.

Neve crouched down beside the woman, and Galen went down on one knee. Together, they turned Dayna onto her back.

Rillian tilted his head and studied her face. She had bold features and dark brows. She looked like a woman who took no crap from anyone, and made her own choices. He’d heard she’d been in law enforcement prior to her abduction, and that seemed to suit her.

Suddenly, Galen cursed. “What the drak is that?”

Rillian shifted, following the imperator’s gaze. It was then he saw the stone embedded in the center of the woman’s chest. He hissed in a breath.

“We believe she has some sort of symbiont in her,” Corsair said sadly. “Like the desert witch.”

This wasn’t good. Rillian knew that the human women were certainly mentally strong, but they weren’t necessarily as physically strong as other species. How had she survived this?

Suddenly, Dayna’s eyes flickered open. Big, bronze orbs blinked blankly at them. Then, something orange flickered deep in their depths.

Quicker than anyone could have thought possible, Dayna lunged up, reaching for Neve.

Rillian moved fast, and got there before any of the others. He pressed his hands to the woman’s shoulders, holding her down.

“Shh. It’s all right. Ride it out, and the sensation will pass.” He kept his voice low and calm, but with the edge of authority he normally used.

Bronze eyes locked on his.

“What’s happening?” Harper asked.

Rillian kept his breathing slow and easy, and kept his gaze on Dayna’s. “Breathe with me. In. Out. Nice and slowly.” She moved her hand, her fingers clenching on his. He returned the hold. “In and out. Good girl.”

Everyone watched them, the air in the cave filled with tension.

When Dayna had calmed and her eyes closed once more, Rillian looked up at the concerned onlookers. “Corsair is correct. She has a symbiont inside her. To save her, we need to determine what species it is, and what it needs to survive. But it’s quite common for a new host to suffer from intense hunger until they can control it.”

“The witch fed off energy,” Corsair said.

Hmm. That meant it was one of the few species Rillian knew of. Dayna Caplan had a tough road ahead of her.

“We can get it out of her, right?” Harper asked. “The healers can help?”

Rillian shook his head. “Most likely, removing the symbiont will kill her.”

Harper’s face fell, and Galen heaved out a breath. “It’s best she goes with you, Rillian.”

“Why?” Harper looked between them.

Rillian caught Harper’s gaze, and felt a shift inside him. When the woman gasped, he knew she’d seen his eyes flash silver. “Because I have some experience with this.”

He looked down at Dayna. Her eyes were open again, and her gaze was pinned to his face, like she couldn’t look away. She squeezed his fingers, her grip strong.

He looked into her eyes. “I promise, I’ll take good care of you.”

* * *

“God, yes.” Neve lifted her hips up and down, moving in a fast rhythm as she rode Corsair’s thick cock. Desire was a hot burn inside her.

He was lying back on his pillows, his hands clenched on her hips.

“Drak. You’re so sexy,” he said on a growl. “I love watching your breasts bobbing up and down as I fuck you. I could fuck you all day long.”

She moved faster. She was so close. “I think I’m fucking you.” Her words were fast and breathy.

A groan ripped from Corsair, and she pressed a palm against his muscled chest. He moved a hand between her legs and stroked her clit.

Neve came. Hard.

She threw her head back, and suddenly, Corsair reared up. He shoved her down in the pillows and hammered home.

“I think I love you, Neve.” A hot whisper as he poured himself inside her. “You know when I’m done, you’ll love me back. Completely.”

Emotion flooded her. “Yes.”

As he collapsed beside her, Neve pressed her cheek into his chest. Sweat-slicked skin stuck them together. Hearing him saying those words still made her chest hitch, but she wanted them. Every word. She wanted this man to love her and she wanted to love him back.

After several moments, their breathing and heart rates had finally evened out. Corsair slapped her butt. “Get dressed. We have guests, remember?”

“I seem to recall it was you who dragged me into this tent like some desert emperor.”

Corsair sauntered naked over to his clothes. “Emperor…I like that. Emperor Corsair.”

She rolled her eyes at him and rose. She really didn’t want to leave the tent, but she made herself pull on her clothes. She wrapped a length of beige fabric around her neck, like Mersi had shown her.

Outside, the caravan members and the House of Galen gladiators were sitting around the small campfire, eating some breakfast, and drinking the god-awful d’jar.

After they’d all returned from the oasis of the desert witch, Neve and Corsair had found themselves carted into Medical at the House of Galen. They’d spent several hours with Galen’s Hermia healers.

They were all healed now, with no sign of their injuries. After that, the gladiators had escorted them back to the Corsair Caravan.

Laughter sounded from all around them. People eating, drinking, and sharing stories. Corsair snatched up some fruit and handed it to her.

“Tart but sweet, just like you. You’ll like it.”

She wrinkled her nose, but bit into the purple-shaded fruit. He was right. She did like it. As she munched, she looked out at the open desert. With the chatter of her new friends echoing around her, and the desert rogue she was falling for beside her, Neve realized something.

She was happy.

Except for one thing. The only blot to mar her happiness was her missing sister. She looked to the horizon.

I’m coming for you, Ever.

They had the map now. They’d find the way to Zaabha, and they’d free Ever and Sam, the other prisoner from Earth.

Neve’s thoughts shifted to Dayna. The woman was now safely ensconced in Rillian’s Dark Nebula Casino. He’d promised to take care of her, and he struck Neve as a man who lived up to his word.

Something told Neve that he was also a man who didn’t give up easily. He would help Dayna survive. Galen also trusted him, and that made Neve feel a little better, as well.

Corsair tugged on her arm then, pulling her down to sit next to Galen. The imperator sipped his d’jar.

“Ryan and Zhim have decoded the map,” Galen said.

Neve nodded, excitement spreading inside her. The tech duo could decode, decrypt, or hack just about anything. She reached out and grabbed Corsair’s hand. He squeezed her fingers.

“So,” Galen said. “It’s time to plan a mission to Zaabha.”

Neve leaned into Corsair. “We’re ready.”

“Good. I’ll let you know once we have the preliminary details planned.”

She cleared her throat. “I guess I should tell you that I’m leaving the House of Galen, and joining the Corsair Caravan.”

Galen shot her a half smile. “I can’t say I’m very surprised. Although I’m not happy to lose a good fighter.”

“You can’t have this Earth woman, Galen,” Corsair drawled. “She’s mine.”

Neve smiled. “I need to keep Corsair out of trouble.”

The man in question snorted.

“And—” she sucked in a deep breath “—I think I might just fall in love with him.” She watched his face as she said the words, and saw his face soften.

Raiden reached over from the other side of Galen and slapped Corsair’s back. “Welcome to the group. These Earth women…pure temptation.”

As everyone laughed, Corsair leaned down and pressed his lips to Neve’s temple. “All mine. And my Earth woman is wild, fierce, and everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Chest swelling with happiness, she pressed her lips to his. She planned to enjoy this ride, with a man by her side who would help hold her up, not drag her down. A man she knew would fight for her, and fight with her. A man who was everything she’d never known she wanted. “Right back at you, my desert rogue.”

* * *