Feeling more relaxed and happier than she had in a long time, Zoey strolled next to Dex along the lakeside. “I almost don’t want to leave this place,” she said, leaning against his wide arm and placing her hand on Elodie’s back. Dex held their daughter against his chest, and she babbled happily.

“I know,” Dex said, surprising her. “I admit I did not understand why coming away for a few days was so important to you, but I have enjoyed myself.” He gave her a pointed look, and she blushed, glad that Jaxan, Macon, and Boris were too far enough away to hear his low-spoken words.

“Come, we should get Elodie home to bed.” As Dex turned, a figure half-stumbled out of the trees a few feet away. Immediately, Jaxan, Macon, and Boris were there, standing between them and the small figure who swayed before them.

Zoey glanced around Boris’ back. She got a quick glimpse at the person who stumbled about, looking as though they were drunk or about to collapse before Dex pulled her back.

“Boris, it’s the same person from the market,” she said, recognizing that dark green cloak. She still couldn’t tell if it was a male or female.

Boris nodded but didn’t turn around, his attention on the figure who collapsed to the ground in a heap.

“Oh shit,” Zoey said, managing to peer between Macon and Boris. “Are they okay? Are they conscious?”

“Zoey, stand behind me.” Dex handed her Elodie, knowing that would force her to obey him like nothing else would.

She took a few more steps away; she wouldn’t do anything to risk Elodie. Macon was on his communicator, calling for back-up as Boris knelt beside the prone figure. He pulled back the hood of the cloak and long, matted, dark-blonde hair spilled out. Zoey caught a glimpse feminine features before they found themselves surrounded by their people. Rastian took Elodie from her, and she gave him a quick smile before moving toward the female who still lay on the ground.

“Is she okay?” she asked as she knelt beside Boris.

Dex frowned at her. “Zoey, return with Rastian, Torex, and Jaxan to the villa.”

“She’s obviously in distress, Dex. If she wakes up and sees all you guys surrounding her, she could freak out. Let me stay, I can help.”

Dex growled, but before he could say anything, the woman started to stir. With a groan, she opened her eyes. Zoey’s breath caught in her throat, she’d never seen eyes quite that color. They were a soft, dreamy lavender color

Her eyes widened, and with a gasp, she sat and attempted to scramble backward.

“Wait. Wait.” Zoey held up her hand, using Standard. Hopefully, she understood her.

The woman paused, staring up at Zoey. Okay, so perhaps she did understand.

“We’re not going to hurt you. We want to help you.”

The woman didn’t say anything. She looked wary, but she wasn’t trying to move away. Zoey gave her a reassuring smile. “I know all these guys look scary. But they’re pussy cats when it comes to women. Honestly. They’d chew off their left hand before they hurt a woman.”

The woman still didn’t say anything, and she frowned slightly. Obviously, Zoey wasn’t being very reassuring.

“My name is Zoey. This is my mate, Dex.” She nodded at Dex. “Then next to me is Boris, then Macon, Safan, and Racar who is a healer. We’re here on holiday. What are you doing here?”

Nothing. Zoey sighed as the woman continued to stare around her.

“Maybe she doesn’t understand me,” Zoey said.

“Perhaps she does not speak,” Macon offered.

“Or she just doesn’t want to talk,” Racar added.

“Listen, I don’t know what is going on with you. Or why that ugly beast was chasing you earlier.” The woman’s eyes widened and her nostrils flared. All right, then, so she could understand. For some reason, she just wasn’t talking back. “But you’re obviously in need of some help. Let us help you. We’ll get you cleaned up, get some food into you, find you some clean clothes,” because hers looked and smelled rank, “and if you want to leave at any time, you can.”

Zoey stood and held out her hand. She couldn’t make the woman come with her, but she couldn’t just leave her without trying to help. The others all tensed and Dex reached out and pulled Zoey’s hand back. He shook his head at her as she went to protest. Instead, Macon held out his hand to her.

The woman looked from Dex to her to Macon, then somehow she managed to draw herself to her feet. She swayed, and Zoey wanted to reach out and help her, but she didn’t want to scare the woman by making any sudden moves. Or freak Dex out, either.

The woman gave a regal nod, straightening her shoulders. 

“Well, okay, follow me, I guess,” Zoey said.

An hour later, the woman had bathed, was in clean clothes and was sitting at a small table in one of the bedrooms back at the villa. Zoey sat across from her. Boris stood behind and to the right of the other woman, while Macon stood behind Zoey.

Once she was clean, it had become clear that she was an absolute knock-out. Without all the grime, her hair was a few shades lighter and almost sparkled. Her skin was pale, her features tiny but perfect. She was dainty, feminine, everything Zoey wasn’t.

“My name is Nassir,” she said suddenly.

Zoey jolted in surprise but quickly recovered. “Hi, Nassir, I’m Zoey, but ahh, I already told you that before, didn’t I? That’s Boris behind you, by the way, in case you forgot and Macon is behind me. Oh, Christ, I need to stop talking.” She didn’t know why she was babbling, but there was something about the other woman that had her almost wanting to impress her. Ridiculous.

Nassir just watched her calmly. “I remember.”

“So, Nassir, what brings you to Ulrika.”

“A space shuttle.”

Zoey resisted the urge to smack her hand against her forehead. She looked up at Boris and swore she almost saw him smile. “Don’t say it,” she warned him. Turning back to Nassir, who looked puzzled, she plastered a smile on her face. “I meant why are you here?”

“To evade my uncle. He sent the Ulgy beast after me.”

“Ugly beast? Well, he certainly wasn’t pretty, I’ll give you that. He smelled even worse.” She shuddered, she still caught a whiff of that horrible scent on her every now and then.

“No Ulgy beast. It belongs to a tracker called Tazan. My uncle sent him to find me.”

Behind Nassir, Boris stiffened.

“You know this Tazan?” Zoey asked Boris.

Nassir now turned to look up at Boris as he nodded.

“One of the bad guys?” Zoey asked.

Boris nodded.

“Why does he not speak?” Nassir asked.

“Oh, he’s going for that mysterious vibe. He reckons it’s a killer with the ladies. Just makes them want him more.” Zoey wasn’t going to spill Boris’s secrets.

“Oh,” Nassir said, looking confused. “Tazan is a terrible man but an excellent tracker. Eventually, he will find me.” She shuddered.

“And then what?”

“He will return me to my uncle.”

“All right. Slightly anti-climactic. You’re not exactly a sharer, are you?”

“Sharer?” Nassir questioned.

“Why don’t you want to go back to your uncle, Nassir?”

“Because he will make me marry the man who killed my parents.”

“Umm, okay, I can understand not wanting to return to him then.” Zoey glanced up at Boris, slightly in shock. “Why would he do that?”

“Because he made a pact with an evil, unscrupulous man. My uncle had him kill my parents, leaving the way open for my uncle to take control of their empire, in return he was to give me to the evil one.” Nassir shuddered. “He has wanted me for a long, long time.”

Those lavender eyes turned on her, this time they were swimming with tears. Zoey’s heart leaped.

“I cannot return to him. I would rather die.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Zoey reached over and grabbed the other woman’s hand.

“Empress,” Macon warned.

Zoey waved her hand at him. “She’s hardly going to hurt me with you two here.”

“Empress?” Nassir asked.

Zoey shrugged. “I’m the Empress of Zerconia. It’s no big deal.”

“Zerconia?” Nassir frowned. “That is where you are from?”

“It’s home now. I’m actually human. I mated Dex who you met earlier.”

“And the one behind me? What is he?”

Seemed a bit of a weird question, and a bit rude with Boris standing right behind her.

“Boris is, well, Boris.”

“Is he servant or slave?”

“Neither,” Zoey said coolly. “He’s a friend. A close friend.”

“I meant no offense,” Nassir said quietly. “The man my uncle wants me to marry has slaves. It is a practice I abhor.”

Oh, well in that case. Zoey relaxed her shoulders.

“Tazan will not stop until he finds me. I am growing tired of running.” Nassir clenched her hands together.

“How long have you been on the run?”

“Four months.”

“And you have nowhere to go? No one who can help you?”

“My parents are dead. I was an only child. My uncle is the only other family I had. There is no one to help me. I am on my own.” Her shoulders slumped, her face filled with exhaustion.

Zoey glanced down at the plate of food in front of Nassir. “You’ve hardly touched your food.”

“In truth, I am too tired to eat.”

Zoey thought about how little rest she’d probably gotten over the last four months. “Have a rest. You’re safe here.”

“For the moment.”

***

Zoey sat back with a sigh, leaning against the soft sofa in the living area of the villa. Dex sat across from her. She’d just finished telling Dex about her conversation with Nassir.

Dex leaned forward in his chair. “Another stray, my own?”

“What? What do you mean?” she asked with fake innocence.

He raised one eyebrow, and she gave him a pleading look. “She’s so scared.”

“It could be a lie.”

“I know. But I don’t think it is. You didn’t see her face. There’s stuff she’s not saying. She didn’t use names, except for the tracker. I don’t know where she’s from or what her last name is. But I do know she’s frightened out of her mind and that she doesn’t have anyone to go to. I want to help her, Dex.”

“I know.” He sat back and thought about it. “Very well. But she is never to be left alone. Not until I know everything and can verify it as truth.”

Zoey moved onto his lap and hugged him tight. “Anyone ever tell you you’re the best.”

“Best at what?”

“Best man. Best lover. Best mate.”

“I will remind you of this the next time I make you mad.”

“You do that, big guy.”