His mood grayer than the weather, Ram stared out the window at the steady rain, exhausted from days without sleep and keeping constant watch for a change or a spark of hope that didn’t come. What if it never came and she remained forever lost to them?

He rubbed his hands over his face, blowing air out through his dry lips. Dwelling on dire thoughts helped no one.

He turned from the grim view to the even-grimmer scene in the hospital room behind him. Cluttered with machines, nurses and doctors streaming in and out, the space became claustrophobic, the walls closing in, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave her.

Different from the vibrant woman he remembered standing toe-to-toe with him, arguing her rights, which included her freedom and that of every woman on her ship, to see her brought low like this tore at his heart.

Eryn exuded passion for life, her career, her mission, and her people. He couldn’t forget her fiery response to his touch. How her cheeks flushed with color, her eyes darkened, or the breathy sounds of pleasure she made in her throat. And although she fought hard to deny it, with little more than a touch, he could spark the flames of her desire like a wildfire.

She was stubborn, too, more than trying his patience with her denials. His water use tripled during their time together from the number of cold showers he’d taken to keep his need under control.

Now, lying so still, the spark had been extinguished, just like the color that had faded from her skin and lips. He would give anything to have the sharp-tongued, strong-willed, rebellious Eryn back, to see the mischief in her beautiful green eyes and the sparkle of vibrancy that had once surrounded her.

He glanced up at a beeping noise. Juna had entered, checking readings on one of the multitude of machines monitoring her vital functions as well as the baby’s.

“How much longer can she sleep?” he asked her.

“It’s a coma, Ram. A deeper state of unconsciousness.”

“I understand, but she seems restful, like she’s sleeping.”

Small worry lines appeared between Juna’s eyebrows when she looked from Eryn to him. “This is difficult for me to bring up, harder because she’s a friend of mine. It’s been a week, and the swelling in her brain isn’t abating.”

“What are you saying?” he questioned sharply, although he suspected what would come next. It had been the same with his mother who had been struck by falling debris during the Rain of Fire. She had lingered for days, his father keeping vigil, like he did with Eryn. In the end, his mother had succumbed no matter their efforts.

“She’s critical. If it comes down to a decision—”

“Stop. It won’t come to that. I won’t allow it.”

“I understand you want to save them both, Ram. It’s my most fervent wish, too, but Eryn’s brain injury may be too severe. If she does make it, she could be…different, not the strong, determined woman we all knew before.”

“If so, I will deal with it, doctor. She is my mate.”

“You have accepted her, then?” Maggie stood in the door, holding two cups of coffee. She’d sat with him day and night since she’d heard the news. “Regardless of this terrible thing she says she did?”

“She spoke of it?”

“Vaguely. She said she betrayed you, doing something so terrible you can’t ever forgive, and believes you hate her for it. She also said you planned to go to the elder council to seek dissolution.”

He stood and faced the closest thing to family Eryn had. “I don’t hate her, Maggie, although our parting was contentious. What she did is between us, yet it is done, and I have forgiven her.” He walked to her bedside, running the backs of his fingers along her downy cheek and placing his other hand on her swollen belly.

At first, his emotions had been intense—anger, resentment, even contempt, or something close to it. Betrayal was hard for anyone to bear when it came from your mate… As the weeks and months passed and she haunted his dreams, his body aching for her, his emotions changed and the harshness had faded somewhat. Disappointment still simmered inside him when he remembered that day, but, most of all, he regretted his role in it all—especially now, with her unconscious, her life in the balance, and carrying his child.

The Princep, the elder council, and Kerr’s leaders, including him had known taking another species as captive mates would have challenges and had weighed the risks long before they encountered the Earth women. They’d considered it at length. But rather than fade from existence, they’d all agreed they would do anything to save their people. Taking the Earth females and his claiming of Eryn had been part of that “anything.”

One real possibility they’d discussed, and the most difficult to overcome, Eryn had displayed throughout their time together—resentment. As had Eva, and to a lesser extent, the other women. Their mates had managed to prevail over this obstacle, and Ram had thought he was getting close, but Eryn’s determination to fulfill her duty to her people and complete her mission had been insurmountable. She had a sense of loyalty and commitment to an extent the other mates didn’t possess. But they were scientists. Eryn was in the military and a warrior like him. Could he say he wouldn’t have fought as hard, used every tool available, as she had, to keep his oath to his Princep, his people, and himself?

“The answer to your initial question is yes, I have accepted her,” Ram responded after his long silence. “As for the dissolution, I did inquire, but couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. We shall deal with our past difficulties when she is better. I’ll also inform her when she wakes that we are still mates, and she and our child will be joining me on the next ship to Primaria, where we’ll start over as a family.”

Maggie and Juna shared a glance. “Uh, Ram. Although I understand your resolve to see this happen, maybe don’t make it the first thing she hears when she wakes.”

He gazed at the two Earth women and their identical expressions. Urging him to use caution was sound advice coming from Maggie, who had keen insight into mated pairs, being part of one herself. He nodded. “Agreed. It shouldn’t come first.”

They both huffed a long breath and sent him smiles of approval.

“It will be second, after I give thanks to the Maker for bringing her back to us.”

Their smiles faded into frowns.

“Or perhaps third, because I owe her a stern lecture for going off after dark to an unguarded, unsafe area and putting herself and our child in the position to get hurt in the first place. Or fourth, because I need to inform her keeping secrets from her mate in the future won’t be allowed—”

“Maybe I’ll get Roth to have a few words,” Maggie muttered while shaking her head.

---

Lips at her throat curved into a smile before drifting upward. They captured her earlobe and nipped, but the slight sting of the sensuous bite eased the next instant with the soothing, gentle glide of a hot tongue.

Her eyes flew open; her dreams had never seemed so real.

The mouth moved along her jaw, giving her a glimpse of mussed ebony hair and golden-brown skin. This was no dream.

She tensed which made his dark head come up, his passion-filled gaze taking her breath away.

“I thought you’d never wake,” he said in a husky whisper.

No longer slow and reserved, he moved with masterful intent above her. One hand capturing her breast while the other slid up to her chin, tilting it up for his kiss. His lips demanded while his tongue claimed, both searing in their possession, and she couldn’t suppress the moan rising from her throat—an invitation he accepted.

Shifting from his elbow, he dropped down to lie half on top of her, fingers threading into her hair and fisting, keeping her still for his hungry lips. After a firm pinch and roll on a taut nipple, his hand left her breast and slid lower, finding the heat between her thighs.

Needing more and wanting him badly, her body took over; she bent a knee and canted her hips upward, offering him everything. And he didn’t disappoint, stroking over her wet, swollen skin as he parted her slick folds and let his fingers glide through. When his thumb located her clit, he made slow circles at first then rubbed back and forth across the top. After giving it several rapid flicks, he settled in for more sensuous circling, working it expertly, while bringing her close to climax. On the edge of coming apart, she gripped handfuls of his hair, the long thick silky strands an anchor, adding to the tactile pleasure of the moment.

His hips covered hers, and when the hard length of his cock nudged her inner thigh and his knees pushed her legs wide in preparation, she trembled in eager anticipation. At the same time, she heard a sound she couldn’t quite fathom.

“No.” The word came as a whisper, unconvincing at first. Thank God, her mind cried out, when he didn’t stop and instead angled his head to deepen the kiss while sliding two fingers into her drenched channel. Next, he pumped slowly in and out, pushing her closer to a stunning release.

The plea repeated, growing sharper. “Please, don’t. You promised you wouldn’t.”

His growl spoke his frustration as well as her own, yet his head came up and his fingers retreated. Eyes, which had changed to burnished gold, gazed down at her with hungry need.

“You want it, little rebel, so much your body weeps for me.”

I do. Don’t leave me hanging here, her mind screamed, but her mouth would not be stopped.

“Please…”

As her hands slid up his body, her own igniting at the smooth hardness of his chest, like satin over steel, indecision battled within her. She couldn’t decide if her last urgent plea begged for more, or for him to keep his word, and cease.

Another voice whispered a warning in her head. Much more and you’ll surrender fully and be mated to this man. What of your mission? Don’t do this.

At once, her caressing hands pushed against him, and she shook her head. “I can’t.”

Low and harsh, a groan erupted from his throat, but he nodded and rolled away. With a snap, he flipped back the covers and sat up, swinging both long legs over the side.

So consumed by him and his touch, with this slight distance, Eryn now had enough perspective to determine that she was in Ram’s bed, on the Intrepid, the following morning.

But this lucid dream differed from the last when she could only watch. This time, she could see, feel, and taste, experiencing everything. Except her words and actions didn’t come of their own volition, not in this moment.

Somehow, rather than watching from afar, she’d jumped inside cock-blocking Eryn-from-the-past’s head. And although she delighted in reliving Ram’s touch, it was torture because the woman she’d become would never have denied him.

Oooo! None of this made sense, and the frustrating, confusing quagmire stirred up more questions without answers.

As she watched him, tingling from his kisses, body alive with sensation from his touch, she knew everything he would do and say next because this had all happened before. And though she desperately wanted to set history on a different course, she seemed helpless to stop it from repeating.

While sitting on the side of the bed, elbows to his knees, his hands covering his face, she took in his glorious back—the smooth bronze skin, the planes, and contours of his defined muscles as they tapered to a lean waist, and his marking, a dark, intricate scroll resembling a tribal tattoo which adorned his neck and upper back. She memorized every detail bared to her greedy gaze.

Close enough to reach out and touch, her fingers itched to do so, but couldn’t. It wasn’t in the script, dammit.

He speared his hands through the dark tumble of his hair, raking it off his brow then surged to his feet. When he turned, she came face to… Um, yeah…not his face, but rather, his large, very impressive erection. She remembered it well. How could she not when every part of his anatomy came perfectly proportioned to his towering height and broad build? Still, after so long, she gaped at the blatant proof of his desire for her.

He noticed, arching that damn brow. It spoke volumes without Ram having to say a single word. This time it declared, “What did you expect?”

Her face flushed with heat. She had responded to him, opening her mouth and thighs, losing herself in his touch then shutting him down. The hard shaft pointing accusingly at her the result of her unintended teasing, but he didn’t say a word as he bent and retrieved his uniform trousers. He pulled them up his long legs, grimacing when he tucked his uncomfortable-looking erection inside then zipping up.

“Shower while I get us breakfast and you something to wear.” He delivered this brusque order as he snatched up his red tunic and, with it in hand, strode stiffly out the door.

The breath she’d been holding left her body in a whoosh. Flopping back on her pillow, she shut her eyes, needy tremors racing through her. How had she resisted with him naked on top of her, his lips everywhere, and his cock hard and ready for what they both wanted? And no matter how much she fought it, the Eryn of the past wanted him, as much as she did today.

She sat up, tucking the sheet around her. Or, rather, the other Eryn did. If she could just get through to her somehow, she could change what had gone wrong between them. And even better, tell her to quit fighting, to go for it, and do what she wanted—to jump his bones.

A sound from the outer room had her leaping from the bed, taking the sheet with her. In a flash, she fled to the bathroom.

She really didn’t like this dream and wanted to wake up. Already having lived through it once, this déjà vu replay, which she couldn’t control, was torturous. Waking had also slipped beyond her power. With no choice except to go along for the ride, she sat back, watching and listening as Eryn from the past took over.

---

Desperate to bathe to cool her overheated body more than anything else, she stood inside the bathroom, scowling at the door. Yet another sensor and she had no idea how to operate the lock if it even had one. But she didn’t have time to figure it out. He’d told her he would be back soon; if she wanted a shower, she had to hurry. Dropping the linen at her feet, she stepped in and let the half dozen nozzles soothe her with a hot pulsing spray.

“Mmm,” she moaned, not from the lingering arousal still coursing through her body, but rather from the pure bliss of the water against her skin. It had been too long. They took foaming baths on the Odyssey, conserving water for drinking and cooking since they had no idea when they would find more. They had means of sanitizing salt and contaminated water, but it took energy they needed to run the other ship functions. She dipped her head back and let the spray soak into her hair. It had been a year, at least.

Lost in the pleasure of the real thing, she didn’t move until a knock on the door made her jump.

“Breakfast, mate. Hurry it along. This time, you will eat while it’s hot.”

“Bossy, autocratic man,” she grumbled.

She punched a button on the dispenser. A gel which looked and smelled like shampoo poured into her hand. As she began to scrub, her irritation at being ordered about washed away. She finished rinsing, and found conditioner behind another button—with such long hair he’d need it—and the third contained body soap. A razor would have been nice, but she figured if she resembled a Sasquatch, he might not be so eager for the breaching.

After using the sponge-like ball to scrub herself clean, she rinsed quickly, certain he would barge in to fetch her at any moment, and, after skipping dinner last night, her growling stomach sounded like a hungry bear. When she stepped out, she realized she’d forgotten a towel. Using the discarded sheet, which quickly adhered to her wet skin, she still needed something for her hair. When the sole cabinet under the sink produced nothing, and with no towel rack to be found, she resigned herself to dripping dry. She gathered the mass into both hands and with a twist, wrung out the excess water.

“Step back in the shower and hit the last button. It’s an air dryer.”

His voice in the quiet of the bathroom echoed like a sonic blast. She jumped, letting out a girlie scream. With the soaked sheet molded to her like a second skin, she turned her back, sending him an incensed glare over her shoulder.

Arms crossed over his chest, he stood in the doorway while leaning a shoulder against the sliding panel, holding it open. Her lips parted to say something snippy about the lost art of knocking, but her words caught in her throat as his eyes did a slow, thorough scan over every inch of her.

“Adjust fast to being mated, little rebel. Lovely as you are, I’m not sure how much of this torment I can take.”

After one more heated glance, the door whooshed shut behind him. She stared at it for a moment, the tingling ache of desire igniting within her again. On rubbery legs, she stepped back in the stall and raised a trembling hand to the control panel. Warm air swirled around her, drying her hair and her skin. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to be strong because she didn’t know how much more she could take, either.

The real Eryn, the one watching in consternation, shook her head, realizing what a damn fool she’d been.

---

“Can I trust you to be good, little rebel?”

After a silent breakfast, where she’d wolfed down every bite, he announced he had a meeting to attend. This set fine with her—less temptation to deal with, and more time to figure out a way to escape.

All wide-eyed innocence, she answered with an agreeable and out-of-character, “Of course.”

His brows gathered into a frown which made her smile. Let him sweat for a change.

After he left through his broken door, she shifted her attention to Dray, the green-shirted workman, who’d been summoned to make the repairs.

About half a foot shorter than her alien, he still topped her by several inches, and by her guess, outweighed her by at least sixty or seventy pounds. This meant tackling and subduing him were out, and she’d have to move to plan B, which she still had to come up with.

“When you’re done there,” she began, getting up from the couch and walking up behind him, “could you check the dryer in the shower? It never got hot this morning. Or, maybe it isn’t something you do.”

“I’m in engineering, Ram’s mate.” He eyed her with undisguised suspicion. “Everything on this ship is something I do.”

Ram. What an odd name. Despite all the kissing, touching, and sleeping in his arms, she realized she hadn’t asked his name, nor had he offered it.

“I will check it when I’m done here.”

“Um, what?”

“The dryer,” he reminded her with an air of impatience.

“Oh, right, thank you.”

That Ram had distracted her by the mere mention of him in conversation bothered her. If she didn’t get away from him and back to her ship soon, she would be in big trouble.

“I’ve heard the warriors talking about you, so don’t get any ideas.”

“Oh, I won’t.” She gave him a sweet smile.

He shook his head. “Due respect, but I wasn’t born yesterday.”

The old Earth expression being universal surprised her. That her behavior had already earned her a reputation didn’t. She had fought him after transport, and in the med-bay, with plenty of witnesses. Evidently, gossip on a Primarian vessel ran rampant, which meant men were just as guilty at spreading it as women.

While leaning against the wall, watching him rewire the sensor, she caught a few suspicious glances aimed her way. When she smiled, he said nothing and continued with his task. After just a few minutes, he had the door gliding open and shut.

“Now for the dryer.” He packed his scattered tools into his box.

“You know the way?” she asked, although she knew he did. There were only two rooms—if she counted the miniscule excuse for a bathroom, two and a half.

Once he’d disappeared in the bedroom, Eryn stepped aside, revealing the screwdriver on the floor she’d hidden with her long skirt. She’d taken one look at the long dress he’d brought her this morning and refused, stating she’d wear her flight suit. He’d forbidden it, giving her the option of the old-fashioned dress which was the standard dress for Primarian females, or nothing at all. She’d put it on, grumbling the whole time, although the soft material felt wonderful against her skin, the fit flattering, and the emerald-green color perfect for her.

At least now, she’d found a use for the impractical attire. Tiptoeing across the room, she peeked through the bedroom door. When the dryer came on in the bathroom, she raced across the room, popped off the sensor panel—the right tool for the job making a difference—and jammed the metal shaft inside, shorting it out, like she’d done to the front door.

If she was lucky, while he tinkered with the broken dryer that wasn’t broken at all, she’d be long gone.

She spun and ran to the living room, prying off the plastic cover he’d just fixed. After disabling it, again, she used the screwdriver to pry open the doors. Out in the hall, she slid them shut, not wanting to invite suspicion from passersby. Having accomplished the last step of her ill-conceived plan, she weighed her options, glancing first left then right, down the long corridor with multiple, non-descript doors. Everything looked identical.

“Crap,” she muttered then took a gamble and went right. Jogging down the hall, she slowed at the end and made another gut decision, turning left this time. Voices from around the next turn brought her to a stop. Heart thumping, she pressed against the wall. If they came her way, she’d be caught. But the voices grew faint, moving in the opposite direction, and she sighed with relief. When quiet again, she peeked around the corner and smiled, seeing the doors to the lift.

They opened when she approached. Decision time again. She assumed, like on an Earth ship, the cargo bays were down and the bridge was up.

“Down,” she commanded.

Nothing happened.

“Shit.” She tried again. “Lower level.”

This time, the lift moved, descending so fast she became a little dizzy. It could have been from the speed or from the adrenaline pumping through her system or the nagging fear of coming face-to-face with a warrior when the doors opened. Worse for her if the warrior was Ram.

When the doors slid open at the bottom, she found another empty corridor. Thinking it all too easy, she eased out of the lift, screwdriver in hand, expecting her luck to end any minute.

Again, she faced a maze of hallways and gut decisions. Before long, she came to a large set of double doors leading to the docking bay—she could tell right away because these, unlike all the others, had windows. Standing on her tiptoes, something she rarely had to do—dang these Primarians for being so tall—she peered inside and saw shuttles, four in all.

As a bonus, she counted just a few green-shirted Primarian’s inside. These appeared to be technicians, not warriors, which she had deduced their size and red tunics signified. Could she overpower them and board one of the shuttles? If so, she could get back to the Odyssey and plan a full-scale rescue.

Several problems stood in her way. Namely, getting onto the shuttle without being seen, opening the bay doors without alerting the entire ship, let alone figuring out how to fly an alien craft. Her biggest challenge? Catching up with the Odyssey. They’d been traveling for two days. Her ship would be long gone. If they pursued her, which she couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t, a shuttle against a full-sized ship didn’t stand a chance. She’d be captured at once and returned to her already-ticked-off alien.

Dejected, she slid down the wall and sat on the floor to wait. What other choice did she have? She couldn’t retrace her steps and hope to get to Ram’s quarters without him knowing because she had no inkling how to get back. Every damn hallway was identical. And if she did, Dray would’ve already finished with his bogus repair job and alerted Ram of her escape.

Feeling foolish, she stretched out her legs and considered her fate. He’d warned her several times what disobedience would bring, and, after this, she didn’t see any way of escaping it. As heavy footsteps—many of them—echoed down the hallway from the direction of the lift, she didn’t bother to look up and see what destiny had in store for her next.

Even with her stare fixed on the screwdriver she rolled back and forth between her hands, she didn’t miss the large pair of gleaming black boots when they entered her field of vision. A second later, an open hand extended downward. Without being told to, she laid the tool in his palm. She glanced up.

Ram towered over her, controlled anger on his handsome face. Her eyes shifted to the man at his side, another red tunic-wearing warrior she recognized as Lana’s prospective mate. He had the same black embellishments on his sleeves, but twice as many. His features were also stern, but he seemed more concerned than anything, and she swore she saw a hint of sympathy.

“You’ve got it from here?” the man asked Ram.

“I’ve got her.” His steely voice lacked any of the usual warmth he had when addressing her. “Thank you, General.”

The title rattled around in her mind. Great, one of his superiors had witnessed her defiance. In his shoes, she’d be furious to be embarrassed so.

“I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Ram murmured, his beautiful eyes not breaking their hold on her.

“Transport rather than shuttle down when we arrive. We don’t want her mischief stirring up the others.”

“Yes, sir.”

The general clapped Ram on the back, cast one more glance her way, and left, several other men she hadn’t noticed, following in his wake.

“General?” she whispered.

“My direct superior. It doesn’t speak well of me when I can’t contain and control my own mate.”

She swallowed, her ill-conceived and futile attempt at escape, making things much worse for herself.

“Get up,” he ordered. When she was standing, he clasped her upper arm, his fingers an inflexible band of iron.

“Ram—”

“Silence.” Anger roughened his voice. “We will discuss your behavior in our quarters, in private.”

“But, I—”

“Obey me, mate,” he growled. Without looking at her, he marched down the hall, taking her with him.

“I’m sorry.” The apology startled her. Said, not as ploy to get out of the impending punishment, but because she truly meant it. As her abductor, he deserved nothing except her contempt, but she’d broken what sliver of trust he may have given her, and her behavior had embarrassed him. Her chest felt heavy and her feet dragged; she felt awful.

She said nothing more while they made their way back to his stateroom. The door stood open when they arrived, and, on seeing Dray, once again repairing the damage she had wrought, her face heated. He glared at her, with a fraction less anger than the silent, livid male at her side.

“Almost done, Master Ram.”

“Thank you. Let yourself out and lock it when you are finished.”

He barely slowed his stride as he led her into the bedroom. When the doors slid shut behind them, he let her go.

“Remove your gown,” he ordered without hesitation.

“Ram, please—”

“No. You will not wheedle your way out of another spanking. I’ve tried to be patient, allowing you time to adjust to both me and your new situation, but I see that was a tactical error. No longer. When you break a rule in the future, prepare to be punished.” He walked to the bed. “Another mistake on my part, letting you believe I am a bendable mate. To believe so going forward will prove you wrong and your bottom will suffer for it.”

“I shouldn’t have—”

“This is true. You shouldn’t have done many things. Such as run from me, repeatedly. Or damaged property, again. That you lied to me then created a commotion on the ship are also things you shouldn’t have done. Further, you disrupted the crew, taking them away from important duties to join in the search, not to mention the general who has his hands full with his mate. You also shouldn’t have tricked Dray and locked him in the bathroom. I’m sure I could go on, if we looked more closely at the course of the last…three days.” With his hands on his hips, he stared at her, his usually bright eyes dark with fury. “I believe I directed you to remove your clothing. Do not add stalling to your already lengthy list of misdeeds.”

“I don’t want this,” she whispered.

“I don’t imagine you do, for this will not be pleasant for either of us, but it is happening. Do as I say. Now.”

Still, she hesitated.

“If I must do it for you, it will be worse.”

With trembling fingers, she undid her belt then reached behind her neck and released the hooks fastening the band of material. It slipped to her waist, and, from there, a little shimmy sent the frothy dress to the floor, leaving her naked.

He held out his hand for her. As she drew near, he sat on the edge of the bed. When she stood within reach, his fingers clasped around her wrist and moved her to his side.

“Place yourself facedown over my lap.”

“Shouldn’t you wait until your temper cools?”

“I am in control. If I weren’t, I’d never touch you. Now, obey me,” he said, his tone taut from waning impatience, “with a silent tongue unless I tell you otherwise.”

Left with no choice except angering him further, she used his thigh for balance and lowered herself over his hard, muscular thighs. He didn’t hesitate repositioning her, pulling her in close, angling her head down and tipping her bottom up. She yelped in alarm and, to steady herself, reached for the floor on one side as her feet left it on the other.

“I’ve got you,” he reassured her. “Haven’t you ever been over someone’s lap for a spanking?”

“Certainly not! My people are civilized.”

“Then I am sorry for the surprise you have coming.”

The first searing swat startled the breath out of her. Another followed in the exact same spot, and another. After five blistering smacks on her right cheek, he shifted to the left and repeated the process. It wasn’t until ten had been delivered and he began laying down a swath of fire from the upper crests of her bottom to the tops of her thighs that she found her voice.

“Stop it, you bastard.”

“Name calling is not allowed. Do so again and I’ll add ten to what you already have coming.”

“Who do you think you are, you big alien jerk?” She twisted on his lap, kicking to get free, but with his non-spanking arm clamped tight around her waist, she went nowhere.

“Jerk is derogatory and has earned you ten more. Keep going and it will be twenty.”

He didn’t let up, smacking alternate cheeks one after the other. It stung, a lot, but she didn’t back down, cursing a blue streak, calling him every foul word she’d picked up while living on the streets as a girl.

Pausing, he drawled matter-of-factly, “Surely the count is one thousand by now. Shall I get a gag before you can’t sit for a week?”

The notion sobered Eryn. To be punished like a naughty child was bad enough, to lose her ability to speak by being muzzled, beyond humiliating.

“I’ll take your silence as a negative response and when we continue, it will be without the swearing. Underestimate me at your peril, little mate.”

He resumed with the same stinging force, landing crack after sizzling crack on her vulnerable backside, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. She felt unnerved, vulnerable, and distinctly feminine.

She blinked. Where had that last thought come from? And why did being held naked against his fully clothed body make a wicked tingle of awareness shoot through her center, notwithstanding the tanning he was delivering to her behind.

When her eyes were misty with tears, he stopped. Next, he surprised her by rubbing the

hot flesh he’d made ache. His gentle touch such an about-face to the swats of seconds ago, Eryn didn’t know how to react. First to be scolded, made to strip bare, and required to get into position herself for a spanking so sound she expected her burning ass would be fiery red like hot coals. And now, in a complete one-eighty, to be comforted, easing the sting he had intentionally inflicted; the whole episode left her confused.

It became more confounding when he parted her thighs and slipped his hand between them. She squirmed, knowing he’d find the glistening proof of her arousal on her thighs.

“You are wet, little one. Did the spanking arouse you? Or is it my nearness, my dominance, my show of ownership and possession of you?”

Struggling in earnest, with the iron band wrapped around her waist, she accomplished nothing against his superior strength except to give him an eyeful of her most private parts. In fact, he began exploring with his fingers, dipping inside and testing the moisture pooling there.

“Or, perhaps it’s our mate bond at work.”

“What are you talking about? What bond? We didn’t have a, uh…”

“A breaching? No, but we match, near perfectly, which means our chemistries are in tune. The more time we spend together, kissing, touching, lying together, it will grow stronger.”

“That’s insane.”

“It is our way.” He continued working his magic, his thumb homing in on her clit as two long fingers delved into her drenched channel.

Even though she discounted this chemistry bonding nonsense, the excitement of the past few days, the arousal she felt from his touch, or simply his nearness, and being naked like she was now, with him still dressed, not to mention his command over her body, all of it was too much to overcome. In minutes, the pressure building low in her belly coalesced with the tingling aching sensations his agile fingers and thumb created, and the heat suffusing the entire area from her spanking.

“Yes, let go for me,” he encouraged, seeming to know her climax had built to a peak. “It pleases me how fervently you respond to my touch.”

Her body reacted while her mind screamed a denial and she tensed, her interior muscles clamping down on the fingers inside her, clinging to him as if she never wanted to let go. She trembled in the throes of her climax, breathing fast.

In a blink, she was flat on her back on the bed, her thighs spread with his dark head between them. His mouth found her sensitized flesh, licking and devouring her. Still humming from her first release, he built it again. As she spiraled upward, she raised her hips, offering him more as she spread wider for him. Her hands sank into his dark, silky hair and fisted, holding him to her as she came again, this time crying his name to the ceiling.

She quivered in the aftermath, her pulse hammering in her ears, her limbs heavy, as if made of lead. He gentled her, brushing his lips along her inner thighs while his fingers petted her wet folds.

“Beautiful,” he whispered.

But the sentiment snapped her out of her post-orgasm fog, and she twisted out from underneath him, aware she did so only because he let her. “You said you wouldn’t,” she accused.

His black brow arched as he returned her stare. When he broke contact, his gaze skated down to her body, lingering on her breasts still rising and falling where she had yet to catch her breath, before homing in on the damp curls of her sex. From that glance alone, the trembling arousal inside her started again. When his eyes came back to hers, in the play of emotion on his face—hunger, passion—and, in the upward tilt of his mouth, glistening wet from his intimate kisses, she recognized the satisfaction her lustful response evoked in him.

“I said I wouldn’t breach you until you were ready. I never agreed not to touch what is mine, or to take my fill of your naked beauty. You’re stunning, galita, and I intend to touch, taste, and partake of you often, as my duties allow.”

“You’re a beast to use your strength to spank me and use me so,” she hissed, yanking at the linen to cover herself and her embarrassment at her carnal reaction.

He leaned over her, stilling her movements as he caged her with his body. “You screamed my name when you came, little rebel. What’s more, you earned every swat of that spanking and well know it. As for the rest, I’m a healthy male and appreciate a naked female when I see one. Yours, with its abundance of sweet curves, I find particularly tempting. Consider yourself fortunate to be mated to a male with my self-discipline. All of your other teammates have been breached and are well on their way to being transformed.” He caught her chin in his hand. “Be warned, pretty Eryn, my patience is not unlimited. Any more scenes like just now, and I will end this little game you’re playing. That I will breach you, claim you as mine, and initiate your transformation to tell everyone who you belong to is inevitable.”

He stood, tugging her to her feet. Then he lifted her, managing her above-average frame without effort, revealing how easily he could take what he felt was his. Placing her long ways on the bed, he pulled the linens from beneath her. But he didn’t cover her or spare her another sensual sweep of her body with his eyes.

“Roll over,” he ordered in a husky whisper.

“Whatever for? I thought you were finished.”

“I am, but I want to inspect your bottom. I have a cream which will minimize bruising if your skin is delicate and prone to marks.”

“Leave it and I’ll see to it myself.”

“Are you always this obstinate?” he growled, flipping her onto her stomach. One large hand splayed across her lower back, holding her still as the other hand stroked over her ass. “Pink and glowing, but no marks. Except for this little upside down heart on your right cheek.” He traced it with his finger. “Lovely. What is it?”

“A birthmark, if you must know. Can I get up now?”

He ignored her question. “We have markings, too. Mine is on the back of my neck. Do yours run throughout your family line?”

“No. They are random and not all humans have them,” she answered, surprised she’d managed an articulate response. To carry on a conversation while a fully clothed man examined her bare ass was a first, and worse than the spanking itself—well, almost. “Please, if you’re done. I’d like to get up.”

“In a moment.” He gave her a gentle pat. An instant later, his fingers applied the cream he spoke of. Cool and soothing to her heated skin, he took his time massaging it in. “You’re barely pink, little rebel,” he said after several minutes had passed. “I went easy on you this first time.”

“You call that easy?”

“Yes. Test me again and you’ll earn double, or a stout strap.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” It sounded as barbaric as it was, but if so, why did the heat rekindle between her thighs?

His hand didn’t stop its tender rubbing, even as he blew out an exasperated breath. “When will you realize you are mine? To spank, to bring to pleasure, to breach when the time is right, and to love into eternity once we are bonded. With you, I dare everything.”

The hand on her back slid into her hair, fisted, and angled her head for his kiss. Voracious, invading, and unbelievably hot, it ended quickly, like it began.

In a blink, he rolled off the bed and strode to the door, saying over his shoulder, “I have business to attend to. Rest. I will be back in time to help you get ready for supper.”

Then he was gone, leaving her on her back, breathless for so many reasons, and staring up at the ceiling, trying to process it all. Although he’d made her come twice, his kisses left her aroused, her body vibrating with need for more of his masterful touch. Never in her life, except with Ram, had she felt this feminine and unusually submissive.

A sense of unease welled inside her, like she had betrayed her people. How could she have succumbed to a handsome face, broad shoulders, the best kisses she’d ever tasted, and his glorious tongue that made her melt wherever he applied it? Scolding herself for the lewdness of her thoughts, she replayed every moment—her senseless escape attempt when she had nowhere to go, Ram’s anger, his dominance, and the consequences he administered for her actions then his tender care after the punishment. She seemed off the rails, while the old-fashioned, domineering, alien abductor seemed like the rational one. Even the spanking had been measured, controlled, and he had discussed her behavior and reminded her of his rules—arbitrary in her opinion—before he’d begun.

She didn’t understand her lack of control, and how easily she’d yielded beneath his hands and few heated kisses. Not an easy lay by any measure, but determined, stalwart, stubborn—the latter something he’d already called her.

Rolling onto her side, she punched her pillow into the shape she liked, while considering her crazy situation. As an officer, she gave orders and took the lead. In what reality would she want to be submissive to a man?

Maybe it’s only for this man, a voice whispered in her head. Admit it, he’s growing on you.

“Yeah, like mold,” came her grumbled response to the empty room.

Scowling, she pulled the covers up to her ears.

He was too potent for her own good, and, if being honest, not as bad as she’d expected—except the spanking, which really smarted. But the sting had passed. If not for the warmth and the residual tenderness on her backside, she would have forgotten it already, thanks to the incredible oral sex… Holy cow! No one had ever rocked her world so hard, and then after, he’d been so gentle. But she couldn’t…wouldn’t let it happen again.

As she snuggled deep beneath the covers, the warmth of the automatic bed seeped into her bones, soothing her muscles. It didn’t do much for her tingling bottom or the ache between her thighs, but she relaxed anyway. And where she hadn’t had much sleep for days, her eyes drifted shut.

---

No, don’t go to sleep. Bad things happen on the other side when we sleep.

But stubborn Eryn-from-the-past didn’t listen and began to doze.

And as she did, the swirling fog of the nothingness between the two worlds swept the real Eryn away.