“We can’t wait to see you at the arena fight.”

Dayna smiled at her friends on the screen. She was sitting in her new office, after several hours spent pouring over all the information on Zaabha.

“Me, too,” she told Mia and Winter. She mostly meant it. She wanted to see them. Desperately. They hadn’t known each other before their abduction, but the three of them had forged strong bonds in the darkness and nothing could break that.

But last night’s horrible episode left Dayna feeling shaky.

“You look great, Dayna,” Winter said.

She focused on her friend. Dark hair framed Winter’s face. She had one blue eye and one milky white. The Thraxians had experimented on the former doctor and left her blind, but thankfully, the House of Galen healers had restored some of her sight.

“I had a good night’s sleep.” Thanks to a sneaky, bossy casino owner. The man had knocked her out and she’d had her first good night’s sleep. Still, it didn’t mean she liked his methods.

Winter nodded. “Essential for healing.”

“Did you talk to your father?” Mia asked.

Dayna nodded. “A few days ago.” She’d made the call using Zhim’s fancy wormhole communication technology. “He was upset, but glad I’m alive.” It had been an awkward, sad conversation. She and her father had never been close, but their relationship had been damaged long before the Thraxians had taken her. Dayna shook off the old sadness. “So, enough about boring old me, how’s life for you guys being all loved up with alien gladiators?”

Blonde-haired Mia grinned. “Ah-mazing.”

Winter’s nose wrinkled. “Mia’s man does everything he can to make her happy. Spoils her rotten.”

Mia snorted. “And Nero doesn’t do the same to you?”

“Nero has grumpy and overbearing down to an art. He likes to do things he thinks are in my best interest. Without asking me first.”

Sounded like someone else Dayna knew.

“He loves you,” Mia said. “And you’re educating the barbarian gladiator on a few things.”

Now Winter smiled, love in her eyes. “He does, and I sure am.”

The women both looked over their shoulders. “Hey, we have to go,” Mia said. “We’ll see you at the fight. Nothing like watching half naked, muscled gladiators battling each other to make you feel better.”

Dayna laughed. God, she was so thrilled these two women were safe and happy. “See you then.”

But when the screen winked out, she sat back in her chair, worry niggling at her. She was stronger, fitter…but this thing inside her meant she didn’t trust herself. She blew out a breath. She needed to get a handle on controlling it.

Eyeing the time, she realized the casino would be starting to get busy. She usually did a lap of the place, testing her ability to be in a crowd. Besides, the cop in her liked checking out Rillian’s security. There were a few improvements she’d make if she owned the place.

She headed out of the conference room. Rillian was shut up in his office, no doubt wheeling and dealing. She’d heard him earlier chewing someone out with an icy, cutting voice. Dayna had almost felt sorry for the poor sucker. She made it to the elevators and stepped inside.

As the elevator descended, Dayna pulled in a deep breath. She ran her hands down her fitted, black trousers. The doors opened and she stiffened her spine.

You can do this.

She stepped out onto the main floor of the Dark Nebula Casino.

The rush of sounds and sensations hit her and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply. One. Two. Three.

She would control this thing inside her. She was no danger to the people here. Her two shadows stood behind her. Everywhere she went, two of Rillian’s security guards appeared out of nowhere, as they always did when she left the penthouse.

She scanned the casino. Black walls were accented by huge vases of flowers in purple and red. The alien gaming tables were all red as well, and packed with people. She looked up, wonder making her chest tighten. Didn’t matter how many times she saw it, it was still the most beautiful thing she’d seen. The ceiling was covered in twinkling stars and the gorgeous hues of a multicolored nebula. It looked so real.

The place was all glitz and class. It was filled to the brim with people…or rather, aliens. She glanced at a tall woman, over six feet, who was wearing a stunning silver dress, with space for a tail that flicked back and forth behind her. Not far away, a tall red-skinned alien was laughing as he threw something on a table. He made her think of the biblical demons from her Sunday-school classes. She turned and came face-to-face with another alien male. He towered over her and sported a set of horns that made her gut tighten. His skin was pearly white, but he still reminded her far too much of the dark, horned Thraxians.

Her throat tightened, memories rising up like dark bubbles. Turning away, her gaze fell on a neatly hidden camera. The place was riddled with them and she’d spent several hours mapping them all out. She imagined Rillian up in his office, watching those screens. Nothing went on in his domain without him knowing.

All too easily, she recalled that chaotic, wild moment in his office the night before. Their fight, the blood pumping through her veins, the energy pumping off him. When he pressed her palm to his warm skin…

She shifted, pressing her thighs together. She was acutely aware that her panties were wet.

Dayna closed her eyes. Rillian’s handsome face filled her mind. When she’d been rolling around on the floor with him, she hadn’t missed the hard bulge in his trousers.

She crossed her arms. It had probably just been a reaction to the heightened emotions. She straightened her shoulders, determined to put it out of her mind. The last thing she needed in her out-of-control life was a man.

She strode into the casino, steeling herself against the onslaught of sensation.

If she narrowed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was back on Earth. She’d taken a trip to Atlantic City once with some friends from the forensics lab. She’d hated the tired, worn casino they’d stayed at. It had been so seedy. There was absolutely nothing tired or worn or seedy about the Dark Nebula.

Dayna did a lap of the floor, looking at the different games on offer. People were flashing medallion-like coins, which she knew acted as a sort of credit card on Carthago. Others were piling coins up on the tables. She shook her head. She couldn’t understand tossing good money away for the spin of a wheel, the roll of the dice, or the…she wasn’t even sure what the dealer was throwing.

“Dayna,” a bright, cheery voice called out.

She turned and saw one of the casino cocktail waitresses standing nearby with an almost empty tray of drinks. The woman was gorgeous, with a long, sleek body sheathed in a black, slinky dress. Her green hair fell in a stunning wave to her waist.

“Briella. Hi.” Dayna smiled.

“Taking your usual walk around?” the woman asked with a grin.

Dayna nodded. She’d spent a fair bit of time meeting the casino staff and discreetly pumping them for information on Rillian. But the man ran a tight ship, and he had his staff’s loyalty. None of them would talk, except to say he was a tough but fair boss.

“How are things?” Dayna asked.

Briella lifted a shoulder. “Great. Busy today and my feet are killing me.” The woman tilted her head. “You look…rested.”

Dayna made a face. She didn’t want to think about her forced sleep. He didn’t have the right to go around zapping people into unconsciousness. She was tired of having her choices taken away from her.

“Something like that. And now I’m hungry.” The regular kind of hungry, thankfully.

Briella grinned. “Oh, I bet Chef Derol has saved something for you.”

Dayna snorted. “He threatened to chop my fingers off if he caught me in his kitchen again.”

The waitress laughed. “That grumpy, temperamental man doesn’t let anyone in his part of the kitchen. Last time you were there, I saw him smile at you. He doesn’t even smile for Rillian.”

Thoughts of the barbs she regularly traded with the slim chef made Dayna smile. Chef Derol took temperamental to new levels.

“I’ve got to get a new load of drinks.” Briella shifted her tray with practiced ease. “I’ll see you later.”

Dayna lifted a hand as the woman hurried off. She turned and headed in the direction of the kitchens. When she pushed through the large doors, she was assailed by the smell of cooking food and a bustle of frenetic activity.

She walked along the long benches, nodding at several chefs she’d met before. Most of the food on the benches, being mixed in bowls or cooked in pots, was unrecognizable. Her stomach did a slow turn. She’d discovered a lot of alien food did not agree with the human palate.

Spotting a bowl of tiny, bright-purple fruit, she snatched one up and took a bite. Mmm, braxha were tart and delicious.

“I don’t tolerate thieves in my kitchen.”

The grumpy, high-pitched voice made her spin and swallow a smile.

Chef Derol stood nearby, glaring at her. He held himself like the master of his domain, chin lifted. Despite his silver-gray skin, bald head, and long, painfully thin body, he wouldn’t have been out of place in a posh French restaurant with his attitude.

“Derol, a pleasure to see you.”

“Chef Derol, Dayna Caplan.”

She smiled. “Having a good day?”

“I have several hundred mouths to feed, most who will mindlessly shove my creations in their mouths as they gamble.” He held up an imperious hand. “They will not appreciate the skill, the talent, and the mastery of the delicacies that they are eating.”

“You’re such a humble guy, Chef. It was the first thing I noticed about you.”

His eyes narrowed. “And you are a respectful, reserved woman. It was the first thing I noticed about you.”

She almost laughed. She wasn’t sure how this daily exchange of barbs had started, but it was one of the highlights of her existence right now. “Ooh, good one.” She leaned against one of the benches. “How long have you been saving that one?”

“A few days.” He snatched the fruit from her hand.

“Hey!”

“That braxha isn’t ripe.” He sniffed and handed over a larger green fruit that had been partially hollowed out and filled with…something yellow. “Try this.”

When in Rome. She prayed the man wasn’t trying to poison her. She took a bite and her eyes widened. She chewed and swallowed. Oh, God, it was the most delicious thing she’d ever eaten. Derol was watching her expectantly.

She took another bite. “It’s okay.”

Derol’s eyes narrowed and his lips twitched. She was pretty sure the man was trying not to laugh. “You are an unrefined pain.”

“I love you, too.”

“Rillian requested I make it for you.”

Oh? She took another bite of the luscious fruit, her mind once again turning to the man she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about.

Suddenly, the chef looked past her and straightened. She heard the chatter in the kitchen decrease. She sensed him coming, so didn’t need to look.

“Rillian.” Derol sketched a small bow.

Dayna fought not to roll her eyes, and took another bite of the deliciousness in her hand.

A female chef stepped forward. “What can we get for you, sir?”

Rillian held up a hand. “I’m fine, thank you.” His silver-threaded gaze landed on Dayna. “I’m here for Dayna.”

Damn her stupid heart for going pitty-pat in her chest. That was one stupid reaction she was happy to blame on her symbiont.

* * *

Rillian led Dayna out of the kitchen, watching several chefs wave goodbye. He frowned. He was pretty sure Chef Derol was smiling. Derol might be the best chef on all of Carthago, but the man never smiled.

Dayna had that effect on people. When people talked, she listened. They liked talking with her.

He’d just stepped through the door when a young server grabbed Dayna’s arm.

“Hi, Dayna. Wanted to thank you for that advice you gave me.”

Rillian scowled at the enthusiastic young man holding Dayna’s arm and grinning at her.

“Robi. How did it go?” Dayna smiled back.

“It was amazing. I did everything you suggested—” The young man stepped closer and spotted Rillian.

The man’s face froze. He swallowed slowly. “Uh, sorry to interrupt, sir.”

Rillian’s gaze fell to the man’s hand. Robi took the hint, releasing Dayna and stepping back.

“I…uh, I have…things.” Robi waved a nervous hand in the air.

“Don’t mind him,” Dayna said. “Did she say yes?”

Robi didn’t take his eyes off Rillian. “Who?”

“Your girlfriend. When you told her you were in love with her?”

Robi’s attention finally turned back to Dayna. His face was glowing. “Yes. She loved the flowers and the meal. She’s moving in.” A wary glance at Rillian. “I’d better get back to work.”

Dayna fell into step beside Rillian as they continued on their way.

“Do you make friends with everyone?” he asked.

“Do you intimidate everyone?”

“Not you.” He bypassed the main casino area, heading for a bank of private staff elevators. The shiny metal doors opened and he waved her inside.

She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “I’m not easily intimidated.”

They moved upward. “So I’ve learned.”

“And I’m still pissed at you.”

“I sensed that.” He leaned over, watching as she went still. He might not intimidate her, but she noticed him. He swiped his thumb beside her lips.

“What are you doing?” Her voice had lowered.

“You have some Tnarrian cream there.” He wiped it off her skin, wondering for about the hundredth time what she tasted like. His gaze locked with hers, he lifted his thumb to his mouth and sucked it clean.

He tasted her through the rich flavor, a hint of something bold and spicy. “Intimidated?”

She cleared her throat. “You’ll have to do better than that. Where are we going?”

Fascinating, tempting woman. He straightened. “Back to the penthouse.” He didn’t want to admit that he’d seen her on his screens and had felt the sudden urge for her company. “I didn’t want you to overdo it.”

She spun, her eyes glinting. “I decide how I’m feeling, Rillian, not you. I’ve been an adult a very long time.” She poked him in the chest. “And you do not go around zapping me to sleep.”

“You needed the rest.”

“I know that, but it’s my choice, not yours to take from me. I’ve had the Thraxians and then that fucking desert witch take all my choices away, I won’t let you do it too.”

Rillian froze. “You’re comparing my wanting to look after you to them?”

She sighed. “I know you mean well—”

“I promised Galen I’d take care of you.”

Her lips flattened. “I know you took me on as a favor to him.” She looked at the wall.

Rillian gripped her chin and forced her gaze to his. “That might be how it started, but I feel a very strong need to see to your wellbeing.”

The air in the elevator turned charged.

Then he felt something inside him stir, something else with primal, vicious needs. He let her go and stepped back abruptly. Something about Dayna Caplan stirred up things best left dormant.

The elevator slowed. “How’s your work on the search for Zaabha going?”

“Not good.” They exited the elevator. “The map appears useless and so far, there are no solid leads to where Zaabha is.”

He watched her fingers flex. “Give it time.”

She burst into the office. “Ever and Sam haven’t got time, Rillian. You know the Thraxians and what they’re capable of.” She thrust her hands into her hair. “God, those poor women might not even be alive.”

He felt the emotions pumping off her. Far too strong to be sympathy for two strangers. “This is more than a human looking out for a fellow human.”

“I was a homicide detective. It was my job to—”

“It’s more than just a job driving you.”

She spun to face him. “My sister was kidnapped when she was five and I was eight. Right out of our front yard.” The words burst out of her.

“I’m sorry.”

“My parents…” she shook her head. “It was the worst time in the world. We had no idea where she was, or what was happening to her.” Her voice hitched. “I know what it is to pray, wonder, hope, despair, and drown in the pain when someone is missing.”

And then she’d been through that nightmare herself. “Did you get her back?”

Dayna’s gaze met his, and it was filled with pain and sorrow. “Her body was found a week later.” She dropped the printed images, the light from the projection playing over her face. “She’d been tortured and killed.”

Rillian had seen terrible things, but the death of a child was always the worst. “I’m very sorry.”

A muscle ticked in Dayna’s jaw. “I was supposed to be watching her.”

“Dayna—”

She shook her head. “My parents fell apart and that day, I decided I would help stop other monsters who took the lives of the innocent.” Suddenly a grimace crossed her face. She pressed a hand to her chest.

“What’s wrong?”

She made a choked noise, panic in her eyes. Drak. Her emotions had stirred up her hungry symbiont. “You need to feed.” He stepped closer.

She held out a hand. “No.”

“You’re being stubborn.”

“I’m not an animal or a damn vampire. I will control this.” Lines bracketed her mouth.

“The longer you starve your symbiont, the more dangerous it gets.”

She gritted her teeth and he saw misery in her eyes.

“I won’t let you lose control.” He took another step toward her.

There was a knock at the door and Rillian bit back his frustration. He’d told his assistant to only interrupt him if it was vitally important. Dayna turned away from him.

He let out a harsh breath. “Come in.”

Tannon Gi stepped inside. Rillian’s head of security had brown hair cut short, a rugged face, and colorless eyes that sparkled brightly, like Friskan diamonds. The man looked like he should be out on a battlefield somewhere.

“Rillian, there’s been a disturbance in the casino.”

“Can’t you handle it?” Rillian knew Tannon wouldn’t miss the tension in the room.

“No. You need to see this.”

The man’s tone made Rillian straighten. He saw Dayna do the same thing. If there was one thing Tannon wasn’t known for, it was exaggeration.

“What’s happened?” Dayna asked.

“Someone’s been murdered,” Tannon answered. “On the main casino floor.”