Hera clung tight to Damon’s neck. Everything whizzed past her as if she were on a runaway roller coaster. She could barely breathe, and her beating heart lodged in her throat. She’d never known a man could run this fast, but then again, he wasn’t a man. He was a Zalarian–an alien.

And her mate.

Like she didn’t have a choice.

Fiddlesticks! He was in for a big disappointment–especially, since he’d admitted to kidnapping her and refusing to return her to Earth. Being ordered around by a He-man was definitely not in her stars.

Damon’s heart was pounding as fast as hers. At least she thought it was his heart. She had no idea if Zalarians possessed the same anatomy as humans.

But what really rattled her brain was the heat swelling inside her whenever he touched her. It was as if he were setting a smoldering fire inside her–a passion that wouldn’t be denied. She’d never experienced anything like this before. Or at least, as of three months ago, she hadn’t.

She should be screaming and pounding her fists on his hard chest, but she’d learned with the street gangs that aggressive behavior was useless–especially when the opponent was twice her size. Losing her temper always landed her on the short end of the stick. She’d have to win Damon’s trust, then hope he’d return her to Earth.

Or if that didn’t work, she’d be forced to betray him.

Besides, he’d practically admitted he didn’t want to be mated to her. She didn’t understand why a bit of disappointment pinged her rattled heart.

Suddenly, elevator doors opened, as if by magic, and they rushed inside. Surprisingly, there were no buttons except for a blinking, red rectangle light.

“Bridge,” Damon ordered.

The elevator whooshed so fast it took her breath away.

Maybe the ship could sense the Zalarains’ very thoughts. If she could figure out how, maybe she could use the technology to return herself to Earth.

Damon’s face was set in a hard scowl, but he was still handsome. He wasn’t all bad. He’d saved her twice from Desmond and his crowd. If it weren’t for him, she’d have been brutally raped.

But that didn’t mean she had any intention of being his love slave.

In less than a minute, the doors slid open to a busy bridge where men scrambled around big and small, blinking computer consoles. A surge of energy flushed over Hera, and her skin tightened. When Damon took a step to go inside, the doors shut, barely missing them.

He jumped back just in time, cradling her close. “Blazes, that has never happened before.” He looked down at her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes.” Uneasiness settled in her gut, and a pulsing headache formed. Images formed of rugged mountains. She recognized them but couldn’t recall them.

When the door whizzed open again, her mind slammed shut, as if a light switch was turned off. She groaned, but when Damon stepped onto the bridge, she forgot about the familiar mountains. The glittering points of stars and the orbiting Zalara shrank her breath.

Anonghos grumbled under his breath. “What is she doing here, Damon? You should be protecting your mate.”

Damon lowered her to the ground. “I am. I need to know what we’re facing.”

A man whirled around in a chair. “An unknown foe.” His muscular frame was much too large for the chair, and he stared at them with piercing blue eyes. He would have been handsome if he didn’t possess such a fierce scowl.

“Damon, I thought I told you to notify me when your mate awakened.”

Hera didn’t like his sharp tone. He was a bully. used to getting his way. She edged closer to Damon.

Damon wrapped his arm around her waist. “She had many questions, and I needed to tend to her needs. Hera, let me introduce you to Captain Taog.”

Taog flipped his hand. “Enough of the formalities. Get her off the bridge, Damon. This is no place for a human.”

“I–”

“Captain,” a man said. He wore headphones and sat at a console. “We have ship-to-ship contact. It’s Ualan.”

“Put him on speaker, Iagan.”

“Aye, sir.”

Taog pushed a button on the arm of his chair. “Ualan, are you there? I order you to turn away. That’s a direct order.”

But there was no answer. The ship continued its present course, shaking violently.

Hera whispered, “Damon, who is Ualan?”

A vein in his cheek twitched. “He’s a Bravian dragon, and his assignment is to guard the Queen. He’d never leave his post unwillingly. Something’s wrong.”

“Answer me!” The captain slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair.

Hera clutched Damon’s hand. He squeezed hers, as if trying to send reassurance.

“Ualan, you’re too close to Blosto. If you don’t turn away now, you never will.”

But there was no answer.

Hera shielded her eyes. The glare of the sun illuminated the bridge like an exploding star.

“Activate tractor beam, Daidh,” the captain said.

A red-head man answered, “Aye, Captain.” He pressed a yellow button on a computer console. “Tractor beam activated, Captain.”

“Engage,” the captain said.

Daidh pushed a red button. “Locked on, Captain.

A green beam shot out of the Orion, soaring toward the small space ship.

“The beam is going to tangle with Blosto’s gravity pull,” Daidhl said.

Taog nodded. “Prepare for impact.”

Hera braced herself, but then the Orion lurched forward, knocking her onto her knees. It jerked again. Hera slid across the floor and landed right at the foot of the captain’s chair. Fear strangled her voice. He had a death scowl on his face that would have curdled buttermilk.

Damon was immediately upon her and lifting her onto her feet.

“Captain!” Daidh moved his fingers quickly over the console, pushing different buttons. “It’s too late. Blosto’s gravity pull has him. I can’t pull him back. We’re too far away.”

Hera’s headache thumped into a culminating crescendo, and another memory burst forth. Images of unknown faces, jagged mountains, adobe houses, country roads swirled fast in her mind that she couldn’t see clearly. She didn’t know why, but she lifted her palms and faced them toward the shaking ship. An energy surged inside her, sending tingles through her body, electrifying her fingers. Any minute, she thought lightning would burst through.

Daidh pushed more buttons. “Captain, Ualan’s ship seems to be slowing down.”

Taog leaned forward on his chair and clenched his fist. “Good! Keep the tractor beam up.”

Her hands shook violently, and the power slowly dwindled, along with the fuzzy images. Had these been connected? But once again, her mind slammed shut tight, leaving her spent and stunned.

“We’re losing him!” Daidh quickly moved his fingers over the keyboard.

Hera’s arms fell limply to her side, and her crescendo headache diminished into a diminuendo. She sucked in air quickly. She looked around the room to see if anyone had noticed, but no one seemed to be interested in her. Maybe she’d just imagined that her brief surge of energy had anything to do with slowing down Ualan’s ship.

“Increase ultra speed to three,” Taog said.

“Can’t stand…the pain. Save…the…queen,” a voice panted over a speaker.

Hera thought he was struggling to get every word out.

The captain leaned forehead on his chair. “Ualan, is the queen in danger?”

Damon stiffened. “Taog, she’s obviously in trouble.”

The captain glared. “Stay calm, Damon. Your job is to protect your mate. Not the queen.”

“But it’s Cosima.”

Taog twisted his mouth. “I know the queen’s name, Damon. First, we have to save Ualan and find out what the devil is going on.”

Hera looked at Damon’s stricken face. He obviously had strong feelings for the queen–possibly more than a guard should have.

Damon hurried over to Taog. “We’ve got to contact the surface to make sure the queen is safe. We’ve got to save her!”

“We will,” he said calmly.

Damon grabbed his arm. “Now!”

Taog’s steely blue eyes locked with Damon’s. “I suggest you release me.”

Damon was breathing hard, as if he was going into a full panic mood.

“Control yourself.” The captain brushed his fingers off his arm.

Suddenly, a large pair of orange wings flicked out of Damon’s back.

Hera gasped. “Great horny toads!”

The captain tilted his head toward Hera. “You’re making a fool of yourself in front of your mate. Get a hold of yourself. If you can’t, I’ll have you removed from the bridge. Am I clear?”

Damon hung his head. “Aye, sir. I’m sorry.” His wings slowly embedded into his back, not leaving a tear on his shirt.

He bowed at Hera. “Forgive me.”

All the men stared at Hera questionably.

“No problem,” she mumbled, hoping she’d answered correctly.

He stood next to Hera and put his shaking arm around her shoulder. Gratefulness flashed in his eyes. Hera wanted to say that the queen was fine, but based on Ualan’s deadly course, it would be an obvious lie.

Taog shifted in his seat. “Daidhl, increase speed to ultra four. ”

A black-haired man stood next to Taog. “We are getting dangerously close to Blostos, Captain. If we get much closer, we’ll be trapped in its gravity pull.” Despite his gloomy prediction, his deadpan voice reminded Hera of a computer.

“I’m very much aware of that, Padean,” Taog growled.

The Orion shook and jerked. If it hadn’t been for Damon holding her tight against him, she’d have fallen again.

“I’m free! I’m free! It’s dead,” an elated voice cried out on the intercom.

“Ualan! Ualan!” Taog yelled.

Flames flickered from the sun, as if volcanoes were all erupting at once. A blood-curdling scream stopped Hera’s heart. A small explosion exploded on the sun’s surface.

“Captain,” Daidh said softly. “He’s gone.”

Tears blurred in Hera’s eyes. She turned her head into Damon’s chest, not wanting to burst into hysterics on the bridge. She struggled to breathe. She’d never seen or heard anyone die before, and she couldn’t stop shaking. Damon rubbed her back, comforting her.

“Decrease to ultra one,” Taog murmured. “Daidh, go into orbit around Zalara. Iagan, contact Royal Command.”

Buttons pinged and ponged. Iagan frowned. “Captain, I can’t reach Royal Command.”

Damon stiffened. “I told you, Taog.”

Hera turned her head and quickly wiped away the wetness on her cheeks.

“Try again, Iagan,” Taog ordered.

Iagan hit several buttons. “Still no answer.”

Taog rubbed his chin. “Padean, scan for any life forms on Zalara.”

“Scanners report that our people are alive, but not out in the open. The kingdom is strangely quiet.”

“Taog,” Damon said. “Try to contact the Royal Guard. They would never leave their post.”

“Ualan did,” Anonghos said dryly.

“Taog?” Damon unwound his arms from Hera, and her body immediately felt cold.

“Iagan,” Taog nodded. “Contact the Royal Guard.”

Iagan shook his head. “I’m sorry, Captain. No answer.”

Damon paced back and forth like a nervous, expectant father. “Then, we have to go down and investigate.”

Taog leaned back in his chair. “Not yet. For all we know the Kamtrinians could have led another attack. Iagan, can you at least tell if they are reading us down there?”

“Affirmative, Captain. They are reading us but not answering us.”

“What do you think of that Padean?” Taog asked.

Padean put his hands behind his back and lifted an eyebrow. “I believe it could be a trap. Something or someone has them down there. Ualan must have been suffering from some kind of madness. Why else would he fly into Blostos?”

“Ualan was loyal to the queen,” Damon said. “He must have had a good reason for abandoning his post.”

Taog nodded. “Or he wasn’t in right his mind. We need to find out what happened.”

Damon stood at attention. “I volunteer to go, Taog.”

“No, your place is with your mate.”

Damon flashed a disgusted look at Hera, as if she was a brat in need of a babysitter.

She stuck out her chin. “I can take care of myself.”

Taog didn’t even acknowledge her.

He stood and pulled on his shirt. “Anonghos, Padean, and I will go. Daidhl, you’ll have command of the ship.”

Damon blocked Taos’s path. “No, Captain. You can’t do this to me.”

Taog’s eyes glowed like two red-hot coals. “Are you defying a direct order?”

Hera shrank, hoping his menacing gaze didn’t fall on her.

Damon didn’t back down from the menace in his voice. “I’m of the Royal Guard.”

“Step aside, Damon,” Taog growled. “Before I have you thrown in the brig.”

Damon grabbed Taog’s massive shoulders. “You know how I feel about the queen. You can’t do this to me.”

“You have a duty, Damon. Our race depends on it.”

“But I don’t want this. I’m a Bravian dragon. You’re a Dominan. The Fates should have chosen you.”

Hera winced. He might as well have thrown a freezing cup of water in her face. Refusing to show how much pain rippled through her, she held her head up.

Taog glanced warily at Hera. “You have your orders, Damon. I suggest you follow them.”

“My duty is to protect the queen. I swore an oath. I refuse to let her die.”

Taog looked between Hera and Damon. “Very well. Obviously, the queen needs to tell you that your duty lies with your mate.”

“She’ll not deny me.” He looked longingly at Zalara.

“I think the king will have something to say about that,” Anonghos muttered.

Damon stormed out of the room without saying good-bye, leaving Hera alone in a strange place with strange people.

Oh, hell’s bell’s, the man was in love with the queen. She lowered her head and stared at feet, wishing she could disappear into the floor and fall back to Earth.