Twelve hours later, Kyla was feeling a lot better.

She’d slept most of the trip to the private planet owned by Hall and Lenna’s client, Charlon, who was purchasing the smuggled wool. The medication Hall had injected had almost completely healed her torn shoulder. She was still rather dazed and groggy while they were shown to their rooms by their host’s housekeeping drone, but after a shower and a change of clothes, she felt human again.

She knocked on Patrice’s door, feeling safe and hopeful and excited for the first time in a really long time.

She really hoped Patrice was feeling the same way, but that would likely be too much to expect.

When a faint voice told her to come in, she opened the door and looked around at the expensive, elegant room. Charlon was obviously rolling in the money. He must have even more wealth and property than the royal family of Evalon had had—far more than allowed by Coalition policies. He obviously had a method of keeping his wealth off the radar, and he obviously believed that Coalition laws were nothing more than suggestions.

Kyla found her sister on the balcony.

As she stepped outside, the sound of the waterfall filled the air with a pleasant white noise. It was gorgeous, falling down a cliff right behind the house, the water continuing in a river through jagged hills and expansive plains filled with fragrant wildflowers. The landscape was engineered, just as Evalon’s had been, but it was extremely well-done and gave the impression of wild, untamed natural beauty.

Patrice smiled at her faintly as Kyla came to stand beside her at the rail. “We should have done a waterfall back in Evalon,” she murmured. “It really is stunning.”

“It was all flat there,” Kyla replied. “I’m not sure how we would have managed one.”

Patrice sighed, her eyes focused on the water crashing down over the rocks. “It’s too late now, I guess. I wonder how everyone there is doing.”

Kyla was pleased and slightly surprised that Patrice’s thoughts were with the people they’d left behind. She’d always known her sister wasn’t as heartless as she sometimes acted, but she’d always been rather selfish, and it was nice to know that she wasn’t just thinking about herself. “Hall said he would try to get some news. It will just have to go through channels, so it might take a little while. I’m sure they’re fine, though. They’re not going to fight a losing battle. With us gone, they’ll all go along with whatever the Coalition officials say. None of them know where we are or who we left with, so they can easily get through a drug-induced interrogation without getting themselves or us into trouble.”

“Yes. That’s good, I guess.” Patrice sighed again. Then she glanced down to the bottles Kyla held. “What’s that?”

Kyla raised the bottles up to show her with a rueful smile. “Blonde or brunette? Your red hair is too distinctive. You really need to change it. Even though our chips were reprogramed and even if they don’t know where to look for us, there’s an off chance we might be recognized. You might be, at least.”

Patrice closed her eyes, and for a moment Kyla thought she would object. She’d always been very proud of her hair. “Blonde, I guess.” She took the bottle Kyla offered. “Who would have thought it would come to this? I’m the Empress of Evalon.”

“Patrice,” Kyla murmured. “You really can’t say that again. You’ll put all of us in danger.”

“I know. I know. It’s over.” There was something tired, incredibly bittersweet in her tone. “I think I knew it was over all my life. That’s why I was holding on so tightly.”

“What was really beautiful about our world died before we were even born,” Kyla said. “All we were given was an empty shell. We could try to fill it with something else, but there was just no way of turning it real again.” She reached out to squeeze her sister’s shoulder. “We’ll build something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Do you have any ideas about what you want to do now?”

“What I want to do?” Patrice gave a bitter huff. “I’m not good at anything except being an…” She cleared her throat. “Being in charge. I do like it here, though. This place is beautiful.”

“Sure, but if you stayed here, I think our old, rather sleazy host will expect something in return.”

“I’m sure I could provide.”

“Patrice,” Kyla gasped. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is your chance to be someone on your own, for yourself, rather than just a figurehead or a pretty object.”

“That’s not as easy as it sounds. What do you want to do, anyway?”

“I really don’t know yet. I haven’t really figured out what I’m good at, what makes me happy.”

“Well, you know Hall does.”

Kyla felt a wave of hot self-consciousness, although she didn’t really know why. She stared down at her hands on the railing.

“I knew you had a man,” Patrice added.

“Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But what was I supposed to say—hey, one of your Potentials is actually a smuggler who doesn’t want to be your partner at all. In fact, I’m falling for him pretty hard. You don’t mind, do you?”

“I would have liked to know.”

“I know. But it was an impossible situation. My hands were tied by so many things.”

Patrice let out a long breath. “I guess.” She slanted a look over at Kyla. “It looks serious between you two, though. You’re going to stay with him?”

Kyla was afraid to answer that question, since she hadn’t yet talked to Hall. So instead she smiled at her sister and reached out to give her a half-hug. “I’m going to stay with you, for as long as you’ll have me.”

***

A little while later, she returned to her bedroom and gave a little jump when she realized there was a man sitting on her bed.

Then she relaxed and smiled when she saw it was Hall.

“Is your business concluded?” she asked, walking over to sit beside him.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his chest. “Yes.” He sighed as his other arm joined the first and he held her in a hug.

She hugged him back, her heart swelling with joy but still a little nervous about assuming it was real, it would last. “Successfully?”

“Oh, yes. Charlon was very pleased. He gave us quite a tip, and he offered us another job. Lenna is over the moon.”

“Another job? Really?” Kyla’s heart returned to its normal size abruptly, but she managed not to let her body react. “That’s good, then. What is it?”

“There’s some no-name planet that evidently makes this rare wine made from orange grapes. They don’t export it, and they don’t sell it to anyone off-planet. He wants four cases.”

“Wow. Since you love wine, that must be right up your alley.

Hall was smiling down at her as he pulled out of the hug. “I told Lenna she could have the job, but I’m out of the business.”

“What?” Kyla blinked at him. “Why?”

Hall gave a half-shrug. “I only went into that line of work because it was an easy way to make a lot of money, and the danger made me feel…I don’t know…like I was free, like I was being my own person. But I want to be someone else now.”

“Who do you want to be?” she asked, reaching a hand up to cup his face.

“I don’t really know.” He was telling the naked truth. She could see it in his expression.

It was exactly the way she felt as well—like the world had just opened up to her, her jail cell had been unlocked, but she didn’t really know what to do with the freedom, since it was so new and so unexpected. “I don’t know either, but it’s kind of exciting to finally have the chance to figure it out.”

“Yeah,” Hall murmured, tilting his head down to kiss her softly on the lips. “I think so too.”

She sighed in pleasure at his kiss, but before she got caught up in feeling, she knew she needed to say something. So she pulled away and cleared her throat.

Hall straightened up, his brows pulling together as he searched her face.

“Uh,” she began, clearing her throat again. “I did want to say something.”

“What?” His presence felt tense, all of a sudden.

That wasn’t particularly encouraging. Maybe he thought she was going to propose marriage or something. But she pressed on, since she knew it was the right thing to do. “I just wanted to say that I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me, for us. I know you weren’t planning to take any risks with our relationship, and I don’t blame you. The fact that you did means…means so much.”

“Kyla—”

“Please let me finish. I know we want to be together right now. And, uh, being with you is the best thing I’ve ever known. But I want you to know that I’m not expecting…expecting too much. As far as I’m concerned, there are still no commitments between us. So if you want to move on eventually, I totally understand. I don’t want us to be tied to each other by guilt or responsibility or even gratitude. You never have to worry about that, as far as I’m concerned. There are still no shackles. We can just be together…for right now.”

He made a strange little huff, staring at her like she’d grown a second head. Then he opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He closed it again, but there were still no words when he opened his mouth once more.

He shook his head in a fierce little gesture and lifted his hand to cup her cheek.

The connection opened immediately, and she was suddenly flooded with him—with all of his feelings and hopes and deep love for her.

There was no other way to understand the wave of emotions she was bombarded with. He loved her. Completely. Irrevocably. She knew it as surely as she knew her own name.

She gathered all of her own feelings and sent back to him through the connection, knowing he’d understand as well as she had.

He made a soft, throaty sound as his face transformed, and then he pulled her into a kiss.

The inner connection faded as he pushed her back onto the bed, kissing her deeply, hungrily, his warm weight pressing down onto hers.

“I love you, Kyla,” he murmured, pulling away to brush little kisses against her cheeks, her chin. “I don’t want to be with you just for right now. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. I want to be shackled to you—and only you—forever.”

She made a whimper of pure joy, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “I love you too. I want that too.”

“Good. Then we’re agreed.” He was smiling as he lifted his head. “Do you think we could maybe have sex now?”

She giggled helplessly as she pulled him back down into a kiss.

They kissed for a long time, and she felt his erection growing against her belly, pressed between their bodies. She loved the feeling. Loved that he wanted her so much. With his entire body.

Eventually, their mouths broke apart, and he pulled off her gown before he started to kiss and caress his way down her body. She shifted as desire built up inside her, as strong as the emotions in her chest.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, teasing her tight nipple with his tongue. “I can’t believe I get to do this now, whenever we want.”

She gasped in pleasure, feeling like she had the goofiest smile on her face. “It is a nice perk of being together, isn’t it?”

“Definitely.”

He fondled and caressed her until she was biting her lower lip to keep from crying out. She couldn’t hold still, and her pussy was so hot and wet it was very uncomfortable. But still Hall didn’t change positions.

At one point, he rested his cheek against her belly and breathed deeply.

“What’s wrong, Hall?” she asked softly. “I’m more than ready. Surely you can tell that. And it feels like you are too.”

“I am,” he said thickly. “It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Honestly,” he said, a wry note in his voice, “I’m actually a little nervous, if you can believe it.”

She gasped and raised her head from the pillow. “Seriously? Why?”

He raised his head too, so their gazes met. “I don’t know. This is just so…real. I know it doesn’t make sense.”

“It does make sense. I’m a little nervous too. But I really want to do this. Don’t you?”

“Yeah.” He gave an ironic huff. “I’m not sure how much longer I can wait.”

“Then let’s go.”

He smiled at her as he pushed himself up so he could move higher up her body. She spread her legs to make room for him between them, and he kissed her deep and hard. As he did, his hand slid down to feel between her thighs, finding her wet pussy.

She gasped as he slid two fingers inside her, and then gasped again as he opened a connection and she suddenly felt a rush of him in her mind.

“Sorry,” he gasped. “I’ve got to stop doing that. I just can’t seem to keep control of it around you.”

“You don’t need to stop. I love it.”

He smiled against her lips. “I’m not used to being a man who loses control like that.”

“Well, start getting used to it.”

He was chuckling as he kissed her, and his body shook deliciously against her. He fucked her with his fingers for a minute until she was open and pliant for him. Then he positioned his hard cock at her entrance, and she gasped as she felt the beginning of the penetration.

“You’re ready?” he murmured.

“Yeah. Oh, yeah.”

He gently eased himself in and slid out again, only to slide in even more. It didn’t hurt, but it was very tight, and she kept arching up off the bed as he moved inside her deeper and deeper.

“How is it?” he asked breathlessly, holding himself still for a moment.

She couldn’t stop gasping and clutching at the bedding. “Good. It’s…tight. But good.”

“I promise I’ll be gentle.”

“Well, don’t be too gentle.”

He laughed again and adjusted his position so he was fully inside her. She bent up her knees around his hips and made a funny little sobbing sound.

“You’re all right?” he asked. His face was damp with sweat, and his features were twisted with palpable tension.

“More than all right. Open the connection and feel for yourself.”

He shook his head. “If I do it now, I’ll probably come right away, and that would be very embarrassing. You have to come first.”

“Okay,” she panted. “You can wait a little longer, then.”

He leaned down to kiss her, and he kept kissing her as he began to rock his hips against hers, moving his erection inside her.

It was strange. So strange. But it also felt deep and real and raw and intimate. She loved it. She wanted even more.

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back and trying to move her hips in rhythm with his. It took her a minute to get it right, but eventually their motion together started to feel better and better.

She gasped in pleasure as Hall lifted his head to gaze down at her. His eyes were full of desire and heat and intensity and love. His motion accelerated, and she cried out in response to how good it felt. She tried to wrap her legs around him, wanting to feel him even more.

He grunted as the penetration deepened, and then he took her even harder. Both of them were panting now, and the bed was beginning to shake.

Pleasure had coiled tight at her center, and she desperately wanted it to release. She moved eagerly, shamelessly, trying to chase it, trying to get there with him.

“Fuck, baby,” he muttered. “You feel so good. It feels like you’re going to come.”

“I am,” she choked, her body flushing with heat. “Close. So close.”

“Love you so much. So much.” He panted out the words in time with his rhythm.

Her heart overflowed so intensely that the pleasure broke inside her. Her pussy clamped down around his cock, and her body started to shake helplessly.

Then suddenly she felt the connection open between them, and all of her pleasure and release and emotion spilled out into him. And his feelings rushed into her. And they were together in it, the power of it so overwhelming that it blinded her momentarily.

He let out a hoarse shout as his body started to jerk. He was coming hard. She could feel it in his body, feel it inside of herself.

He collapsed on top of her as the internal connection finally broke. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, could barely breathe.

“Oh, fuck,” Hall muttered, over and over again.

“That was…that was…that was…” There were no words to describe it.

With effort, Hall finally raised his head. “My sentiments exactly.”

She giggled, still exhausted but feeling a little more like herself. She hugged him against her and after a minute he turned them over onto their sides, still tangled together.

“I can’t believe I spent my whole life not doing that,” she said after a moment.

“Me too. I’ve never done that before either.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

“So am I,” he admitted, smiling at her.

He was softening inside her, and her pussy felt raw and sore. She whimpered slightly when he pulled himself out and readjusted them so she was nestled beside him.

They dozed for a while, wrapped up in each other’s arms, until Kyla started to get overly warm and her arm was falling asleep. Reluctantly, she rolled away from Hall.

He blew out a breath beside her and stretched his arms and legs.

“Were you hot and uncomfortable too?” she asked.

The corner of his mouth tilted up. His hair was a rumpled, adorable mess. “Maybe a little. Not that I’d ever admit it.”

“Of course not.”

They smiled at each other until Kyla finally asked, “But, seriously, what are we going to do tomorrow? Where are we going to go? We can’t stay here, since your business is done, and we need to go somewhere to…to regroup and figure out what’s next.”

“Yeah. I know. I was thinking about that. My friends—you know, from prison—I told you they live on this rustic planet on the edges of civilized space. It won’t be what you and Patrice are used to, but I’m sure they’d let us stay with them for a while. There is only one Coalition outpost in the six connected star systems. It’s as far away from the Coalition as we can get.”

“That sounds perfect,” Kyla said, rolling over to face him. “You’re sure your friends won’t mind?”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t. We helped each other out before. I’ve only seen them once since we got off that prison planet, but I think they like me.”

“Great. Let’s do that then.”

“I’ve got to warn you, it’s rather primitive.”

“You’re talking to someone who grew up on Evalon.”

“Yes, but Evalon was intentionally archaic. This place is uncivilized. No replicators, no habitation generators, just raw nature.”

“Sounds good to me. We could use the break to figure out what we’re going to do.” She reached over to stroke his face, feeling the bristles on his jaw. “Maybe you should go with Lenna after all. You’re a wine expert. Maybe you could learn to be a wine merchant or something.”

He made a face and shook his head. “I just want to plant myself somewhere for a while.”

“Me too.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“I know.”

“To tell you the truth,” Hall said, looking like he might drift back to sleep, “I’m looking forward to not knowing exactly where I’m going.”

***

Two days later, Lenna dropped them off at a barely-there launch port on a planet that felt like it was on the fringes of the known universe.

Hall waved at a man who was waiting near the entrance next to a rickety transport that looked about a hundred years old.

“Oh, my,” Patrice breathed, looking as lovely as ever with her newly blond hair and very uncomfortable in the undeveloped environment. “That’s your friend? He looks scary.”

The man they approached did look quite intimidating. He was much taller and broader in the shoulders than Hall. His hair was cropped very close, and he had strong, starkly chiseled features that weren’t exactly handsome but were striking anyway. As they got closer, Kyla saw he had startling blue eyes in his dark face.

“This is Cain,” Hall said, smiling and shaking the other man’s hand. “Patrice and Kyla.”

They both shook the man’s hand. He didn’t smile at them but he nodded, which Kyla took as a welcoming expression from him.

“He’s not as bad-tempered as he looks,” Hall told them in a stage-whisper.

Cain just gave him a grunt and a glare.

Hall did most of the talking on the ride back to Cain’s place, which Kyla discovered was an old-fashioned ranch. She stared around at the herds of real cattle they passed along the unpaved road.

“These are all yours?” she asked, turning to look at Cain with wide eyes.

He nodded, his eyes softening slightly, as if he sensed and appreciated her excitement about his ranch. “Yeah. Why?”

“Don’t tell me you’re a fan of cows?” Hall said with a laugh, putting his arm around her and squeezing gently.

“I was just thinking of leather. Real leather. Can you imagine the kinds of boots I could make? All I’ve ever used before was replicated stuff.”

“You make boots?” Cain asked.

“Yes,” she admitted, realizing it sounded rather silly. “Just for fun.”

Cain smiled for real as he stared out at the road in front of them. “Nice.”

Kyla decided that, despite his stoic nonverbal manner, Cain must be a really good guy after all.

***

At the ranch they were met by Cain’s wife, Riana.

Riana was slim and pretty—and much more smiling and openly welcoming than her husband. Kyla immediately liked her. She saw from the rings on their fingers that Cain and Riana had actually been married in an old-fashioned ceremony. Almost no one did that anymore, since the Coalition frowned on it.

Kyla liked the idea of it. A real rebellion against the Coalition might be decades in coming, although a few groups had tried recently and been mercilessly crushed. But there were small acts of rebellions still available to people.

A quiet, happy marriage like Cain and Riana’s was one of them.

Maybe one day she and Hall could get married too.

She wasn’t about to suggest it, of course—not so soon in their relationship—but it gave her hope. Possibilities still waiting for her in a future that was still unknown.

As they started toward the house, a large dog ran toward them, barking enthusiastically. He reached Patrice first and jumped up on her, panting loudly with his large tongue hanging out.

Patrice squealed—either from fear or outrage.

“Max,” Cain ordered. “Down.”

The dog got down immediately, sitting obediently but still shifting his rear end, as if he was hard pressed to obey. He was still panting eagerly and looking between Patrice and Kyla.

Kyla laughed. “He seems like a very friendly fellow.”

“He doesn’t get many visitors,” Riana explained, giving the dog a scratch behind the ears. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Patrice still looked rather dazed from being jumped on by the dog. She brushed at her clothes and managed a smile. “Oh no. It’s fine.”

Kyla tried not to laugh again—since her sister was obviously trying to be polite. She wasn’t an animal person.

To make up for her sister’s lack of enthusiasm, Kyla crouched down to pet the dog, who wiggled his body ecstatically. When she stood up, Hall was smiling at her, and Cain was giving her a nod.

Evidently, treating his dog well was the way to Cain’s heart.

They had very little luggage, but Cain and Hall carried it in for them to a clean, pleasant house that looked simple and comfortable but without any of the luxuries they were used to.

“Wow,” Patrice said, looking around.

Kyla knew what her expression meant. She’d probably never imagined that anyone could live in such a primitive way. To cover for her sister, she smiled at Riana, “I love it. Thank you so much for having us.”

“Of course,” Riana said with a returning smile.

Kyla aimed a discreet glare at her sister before she turned back to Riana. “It’s really nice of you to have us, when we’re fugitives.”

Riana chuckled and wrapped an arm around Cain’s waist when he came to stand beside her. “We’re fugitives too. And Hall must be a fugitive about a dozen times over.”

“What’s that?” Hall asked, coming out of the bedroom where he’d been setting their stuff. “Did you just say a dozen times? Don’t insult me. I’d say at least two dozen.”

“If you keep this up, you’ll have a planet full of fugitives here,” Kyla said.

While the others laughed, Cain gave a soft grunt and muttered, “I could live with that.”

***

That evening, the moment Kyla climbed under the covers, Hall pulled her into his arms and rolled over on top of her.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well, hello to you too.”

He was smiling as he kissed her. “So what do you think?” he asked, as he pulled back enough for them to look at each other.

“About sex?” she asked. “I’m in.”

“That’s good to know, since I’m going to be in very soon. But I meant about this place, about Cain and Riana. Will you be all right staying here for a few weeks?”

“Of course! I think they’re great, and I love this ranch. Cain said he’d show me how to make leather.” She could barely contain her excitement at this possibility.

“Good. Good. He really likes you.”

“How can you tell? The man almost never smiles.”

“That’s just his way. You know it’s not real, don’t you? Once you get to know him—”

“Oh, I know. I could tell right away. He’s a good guy, and I really like Riana. You don’t have to worry about me. Now, Patrice, on the other hand…” She trailed off, torn between amusement and worry.

“I’ve got to say,” Hall murmured, “I wouldn’t have missed for the world Cain telling her to help Riana muck out the stable.”

Kyla giggled, not even feeling guilty for laughing at her sister. It might do her good, to see what the rest of the world was like. Patrice seemed so lost right now. Far more lost than Kyla felt. “And when he reminded her that she wasn’t an empress anymore. You should have seen her expression.” She sighed then. “Poor Patrice.”

“She’ll be fine. If she doesn’t want to work, she could always hook up with a rich man. I know Charlon was interested in her. She’s gorgeous. Other men will be interested too.”

“Yeah, but I don’t really want her to sell herself that way, just so she could live comfortably. She’s got a lot more to offer than that.”

“I know,” Hall agreed, his tone changing. “But you can’t always control what other people do—even the people you love.”

“Yeah.” She sighed again. “I know you’re right. Hopefully, she’ll find her way.”

Hall kissed her again, as if trying to comfort her. “I’m sure she will.”

Kyla decided they had better things to do right now than talk about her sister. After all, she had a big, warm, strong, handsome man between her legs—a man who loved her and never wanted to leave her. “So you really think she’s gorgeous, do you?” she teased.

Hall shook his head, his eyes very soft. “Not nearly as gorgeous as you.”

“Good answer,” Kyla said, right before she pulled him down into another kiss.