“Kage told me he’d set up a surveillance feed, so I can keep an eye on Wenny without endangering myself,” Sara told Xorran as they reached his cabin.

“It’s a great idea, but when did the overlord become Kage to you?” Xorran did not sound happy with the development.

Jealousy, in small measures, was flattering, and Sara allowed herself a pleased smile. “Kage also assured me that the communication ban will be lifted, so I’ll be able to do video conferences with my family.”

“I’m thrilled to hear it. Stop calling him Kage.”

She laughed. “He’s a nice guy and you know it, so stop scowling at me.”

“He’s a ruthless killer, and you know it. Don’t let his charm fool you. It’s one of many weapons in his arsenal.”

She sighed. “I’ve heard the stories, but they’re hard to believe once you’ve spent time with him.”

“They aren’t stories, love. At least not most of them. I’ve never seen him in action, but Torak certainly has and he willingly bows to the overlord’s authority. The only reason he’d do that is because the overlord is even more deadly than he is.”

“Fine. We’ll agree to disagree on the subject of Kage Razel.” She waved away the topic as she went to the sofa and sat down. “Tell me about the raid. How in blazes did Torrin open the door?”

Xorran joined her on the couch before he began his explanation. “There is much more to Torrin than meets the eye. Torak called him a cyborg, though Torrin objected to the label.”

“A cyborg? If he has a bunch of robotic parts, they’re certainly concealed well.”

He stretched out his arm along the sofa’s padded back, his fingertips lightly stroking the nape of her neck. “He...scanned the area with his hand and located a foot trigger. He wasn’t using any sort of equipment, so I can only conclude that he is the scanner.”

“How strange. He looks completely—” She laughed and shook her head. “I almost said human. It’s so easy to forget that none of you are.” He moved his entire hand to her neck and gently squeezed, massaging the tense muscles. She moaned. “Do that for five minutes and I’ll be asleep.”

Immediately he stopped and tangled his fingers in her hair. “Can’t have that. I’m not finished with you yet.”

She poked him in the side. “You are unless you take a shower. You reek of sweat.”

“Fair enough.” He stood and stripped off his shirt. “Get naked and get in bed.”

Her brows arched at his bossy tone. “And if I don’t?”

“Stay right there and you’ll find out,” he warned, then walked into the bathroom, which could be accessed from the living room or the bedroom.

The rebellious part of Sara wanted to test him, but common sense won out. The last thing she wanted was conflict. Their relationship should be a haven, a shelter from the rest of the world—or worlds.

She went into the bedroom and undressed, then slipped into bed, propping herself up against the sleek headboard. Sonic showers were much faster than water, so she was sure he would choose that option. A few minutes later, he opened the door and walked into the bedroom buck naked.

“Wise decision,” he praised. His features were tight, gaze intense.

“Are you always like this after a mission?” She licked her lips, heart thudding wildly. “I’m not sure if I like it or not.”

He chuckled, but his fierce expression didn’t soften. “This is why so many babies are born nine months after a battle.” He ripped the sheet from under her hand and crawled onto the bed.

She gasped, then giggled, horrified that such a childish sound had just released from her throat. If she didn’t know him as well as she did, this aggression would have been frightening. Instead her nipples peaked and her clit tingled in response to his obvious need.

He grabbed her ankles and pulled her down the bed, until she lay flat on her back. Then he moved over her, wedging his knees between her thighs. “I need you.” The words sounded gravelly, his tone even deeper than usual.

Rather than speak, she opened her legs and bent her knees.

He growled in response to her offer and found her entrance with the tip of his cock. Her body had just started to respond, so she hissed when he tried to push inside. She was wet, but apparently not wet enough to take his girth.

Crawling off the end of the bed, he knelt on the deck and pulled her hips to the edge of the mattress. With one quick motion he draped her legs over his broad shoulders and buried his face between her legs. He wasn’t gentle or finessed as he usually was when he aroused her with his mouth. He thrust his tongue into her core over and over, claiming her with possessive jabs.

She tilted her hips and stroked his hair, thrilled by his abandon. This was the savage side of Xorran that she sensed but never saw, and she wanted to know all of him. Their link came alive and emotions, raw and consuming flowed into her mind. Desire, bonfire hot, burned through her consciousness, making her gasp and moan. The pull could be intense, but this was different, darker, rooted somewhere in his past.

Mine. The word echoed through his soul, part demand, part plea. She opened her mind to him, offering her being as freely as she offered her body. He surged across the link, drinking in her emotions, soothing himself with her affection. And her surrender.

Gradually, he calmed. The frantic urgency eased and he remembered why he was down there. He pulled back slightly, brushing her folds with his lips. She let out her breath slowly, not trusting his new mood. His tongue gently traced her slit, teasing, caressing.

She held perfectly still and focused on the sensations building beneath his lips. Whatever demon that had been driving him was contained for the time being. His hands slid up and down her legs while his tongue explored her folds. His refusal to touch her clit drew restlessness to the surface. The rest felt nice, but she needed his tongue right there, circling and flicking the sensitive knot of nerves.

“Please, Xorran.”

Please, what? Instead of lifting his mouth from her sex, he pushed the question into her mind.

Why did males insist on making females beg for pleasure? It was so annoying. She knew the answer. Exerting control over their mate’s body made them feel powerful. Well, she needed an orgasm badly, so starting a fight would be foolish. “Lick my clit,” she whispered. “Make me come.”

If he’d tried to make her say please, he’d probably get kicked in the face. Luckily for both, he left it alone and gave her what she needed. His lips closed around her clit and sucked ever so gently. She moaned deep in her throat as pleasure swelled and twisted through her core. Then his tongue circled the ultrasensitive nub, teasing it with all the skill and patience she’d come to expect from him.

The orgasm built slowly, like a storm hovering on the horizon. She raised her arms over her head and just let go. He pushed two fingers into her sopping-wet center, thrusting in and out, while he continued to tease her clit. She tightened her inner muscles, pushing the tension higher. His lips suddenly closed around her again and she came with a startled cry. Sharp yet blissful sensations pulsed through her abdomen, blurring her surroundings until her mind was incapable of thought.

He shifted her legs to the bend of his elbows as he surged to his feet. This time when he tried to enter, she accepted him easily. They both moaned as his length filled her completely. Unable to restrain himself a millisecond longer, he pulled his hips back, then thrust back in, burying himself to the balls in one sharp move.

“Yes,” she gasped. “Hard. Make it hard.”

Xorran chuckled as he continued his slow, deep thrusts. “I don’t think it’s ever been harder,” he teased. He wanted to pound into her like a madman, but it had to be his idea. He felt raw and restless, savage in a way he hadn’t felt in years. The mission, though a success, brought up unwanted memories.

Refusing to be distracted by the past, he focused on Sara’s lovely face. She had her arms raised overhead and her gaze was unfocused. She was so damn beautiful she didn’t seem quite real. Then her inner muscles tightened around his surging cock and reality returned with a vengeance. His balls burned and his shaft ached, his need to come literally painful.

He kept her legs hooked over his arms as he reached up and grasped her waist. Then he sped his thrusts, giving her fast and hard, because now it was his idea. She arched and wiggled, completely lost in the sensual storm. Her mind was open and accepting, a rare gift he would cherish always.

Deeper and harder, he took her, until his control finally snapped. He ended with a super-fast flurry of thrusts that made release impossible to withhold. He dropped his head back and closed his eyes as pleasure blasted through his body. He gasped, holding her still while he jetted deep inside her.

She came half a second later, the rippling pulsation of her core, drawing him deeper into her body. He shuddered and she shivered, wrapping her legs around his waist. “‘He’s got to be fresh from the fight,’” she whispered with a dreamy smile. “Okay. I get it now.”

“What?” Her words made no sense.

She laughed, her body tightening around his with each chuckle. “It’s a song. My mother used to sing it whenever she wanted to annoy my dad. It’s about finding a man who’s brave and fierce, and not afraid to fight for the woman he loves. All the things my father was not.”

“Why did she marry him if he lacked the qualities she desired in a mate?”

“Damn good question.” She sighed. “I don’t know the answer.”

He carefully separated their bodies and joined her on the bed. She generally curled up and went to sleep after they shared pleasure. He wanted to understand why this time had made her talkative and melancholy. “I know they’re no longer together. Do you still have a relationship with both, or did you feel obligated to join one side or the other.”

“They both behaved so badly during the divorce that I didn’t speak to either for almost a year. Then Mom showed up at work. She looked so miserable that I couldn’t be mean to her. Dad called a few days later, said if I was going to talk to her it was only fair for me to talk to him. Now I stay in touch with both, but comments about the other one are off limits.”

He settled on his back and she curled up against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. “I think it’s hard for you to be mean to anyone, except the warlord.” He grinned, pleased by the memory.

“Torak deserved it. He’s a jerk.” She pushed up, bracing her upper body on her forearm so she could look at him. “Will one of the human females have to bond with him?”

“I presume. Arton’s goal was to give each Outcast at least one match. I guess it’s possible that he didn’t achieve his goal.”

She nodded, then paused, hesitating to broach the next topic. “What was going on with you earlier? The mission obviously upset you. Why?”

He was tempted just to show her, but the memories were so horrendous, he didn’t want to subject her to the nightmare. “I was taken prisoner by Ektovians about eight years ago. They’re a vile race that preys on trade routes and unarmed ships. They’re despicable cowards, yet incredibly savage. We were held for almost a year. Me and my team members were subjected to...evils you don’t want to imagine.”

She tensed and unshed tears glistened in her eyes. “Seeing what Alonov was about to do reminded you of your captivity?” Her voice strained as compassion and dread pulsed across their link.

Unable to speak the words, he nodded.

“Were you—”

“No. We were tortured, horribly abused, but never raped.”

“Then why did Alonov remind you of the past?” she asked carefully.

A lump formed in his throat, making it hard to speak. “The Ektovians had been spotted in the area, so this passenger convoy hired us to escort them. The Ektovians ambushed us, descending like locust on the unarmed ships. I’d never seen anything like it before or since.”

“Did they murder all those people?” She pressed her hand to her upper chest, clearly dreading what he’d say next.

“Worse. They rounded everyone up and loaded us onto their ships.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, encouraging him to move on.

She might not want to hear the details, but he needed to talk about it, needed to purge his mind of the festering pain. “The civilian males were sold immediately, but the Ektovians held on to us. They figured they could make more by ransoming us back to the RPDF. My team was chained right across from the cell where they kept the young females.” He gritted his teeth and fought against the hate. The emotion was pointless. There was nothing he could have done then and there was nothing he could do now. “They were to be sold as breeders on planets even more barbaric than Ektovia. They were careful not to get them pregnant, but they saw no reason not to ‘try them out’. I’ve never felt so godsdamn useless in my life.”

“I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

“We all went crazy the first time. Screamed and yelled, kicked and jerked on our chains until we were bloody. Jorton broke his own thumbs to get free of the chains, but it didn’t help. He couldn’t get past the force field in front of their cell. The angrier we got, the better those bastards liked it.” He paused to lick his lips, nearly finished with the purge. “Sometimes they forced us to watch, restrained us to chairs and taped our eyes open.”

“Oh my God.” She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body close.

“You’d think you’d get numb after a while, but it went on for months and I never went numb.” He took a deep breath and blew it out through his mouth. There were no secrets from mates. If he hadn’t told her, she might have stumbled across the images, and he refused to subject her to that.

She hasn’t agreed to bond with you yet, his inner voice reminded, and his hands closed into fists.

“Why did it take so long for the RPDF to ransom you?” she whispered after a long pause.

“It’s their policy never to negotiate with terrorists. There are no exceptions.”

“Then how did you finally escape?”

“We didn’t escape. General Paytor—this was before his promotion—defied orders and launched a rescue mission. We were under his command, and General Paytor refused to abandon us. It took him some time, but I don’t think I’d be alive today if it weren’t for that male.”

“No wonder betraying him hurt so badly.” She said nothing else for another few minutes, just stroked his chest and soothed him with her nearness. Then she stressed, “You got there in time to spare Heather. I know that’s small consolation, but—”

“I’ll take it.” He kissed the top of her head and willed his body to relax. This was supposed to be a celebration of their success, not a morbid trip through the past. “I wanted you to know about this, so you’d understand why I found the overlord’s decision to kidnap potential mates so objectionable. I don’t care how he justifies it. Taking you away from your home world without permission was wrong.”

She raised up again and looked into his eyes. “You never told me that before.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was just saying what you wanted to hear in order to endear myself to you. But I want to be perfectly clear. You have to want this as much as I do, or I won’t claim you.”

She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “That just moved you closer than you’ve ever been before.”

He pulled her down and kissed her mouth, savoring rather than plundering. Now that his demons were exorcised he was hungry for tenderness.

After long moments of slow, deep kisses, she pushed him flat and swung one of her legs over his hips. She settled on her knees, straddling his groin, eyes gleaming with desire. “Would you like to know what I’ve been thinking about all evening?”

“You were with the overlord so it better not have been this.” He grabbed her hips and arched, rubbing his erection against her slick folds.

She reached down and guided him to her entrance, then slowly sank onto him as she said, “I was comparing this life to the one I left behind.”

“Were you now?” He rested his hands on her hips but let her move, content to watch her, fascinated by her mood.

Her breasts swayed as she rolled her hips, dragging her body up and down his shaft. “My life wasn’t terrible before. I enjoyed my job and love my family. I thought that was enough for me.”

“And now.” Unable to remain passive, he reached up and carefully pinched her nipples.

She gasped, then shivered, moving her hips a little faster. “I didn’t count on you.” Her inner muscles tightened around him, caressing him with her wet heat. “You’re too damn good to be true.”

He sat up and wrapped her legs around his waist, then carefully rolled her beneath him. “I’m nothing special. There are thousands out there just like me.” He pulled nearly out, then slowly filled her as they stared into each other’s eyes. “I finally opened the message about my potential mates. You’re my one and only match. You are the only female in the galaxy that can make my dreams come true.” Her lips began to tremble and tears escaped the corners of her eyes. “Why are you crying?”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. How can I help but love you when you act like this?”

He froze, his cock deep inside her. “You...love me?”

She laughed and kicked him in the ass with both feet. “I did while you were moving. Now I’m not so sure.”

He laughed, joy bubbling up within his soul. She loved him! She took one of the darkest moments of his life and eclipsed it with her light. “I love you too.” He kissed her, saturating her mind with tender affection. “You have no idea how much.”

She nipped his bottom lip. “Enough with the mushy talk. If you want me to believe you, show me.”

He was happy to oblige.

* * *

A THUNDEROUS POUNDING on her workroom door snapped Isolaund’s attention toward the portal. “Go away. I’m busy!”

“Open this door right now or I’ll kick it in,” Alonov’s deep voice boomed through the barrier.

She wiped her hands on the towel tucked into her waistband. The formula she used to trigger the armor mutation in her karrons required meticulous attention. One drop of the wrong chemical and the formula could turn lethal. She would have to start over once she got rid of this buffoon.

Throwing open the door with an impatient sigh, she leaned her arm against the jam and muttered, “Make it quick. I have important things to do.”

His huge hand grasped her throat and squeezed.

Holy fuck, had he lost his mind? She clawed at his forearm and bared her teeth as she frantically fought for breath. He always managed to confront her when Certice was not around. He just glared into her eyes. His grip was tight enough to panic her, without rendering her unconscious.

“Do I have your attention now?”

She awkwardly nodded and he slowly decreased the pressure on her throat. He didn’t let go.

“Where is your handmaiden?”

“Why?” She licked her lips and blinked back the excess moisture in her eyes. She would never make the mistake of being without one of her cats again!

“When’s the last time you saw her?”

“Let. Go.” She shoved into his mind, triggering a sharp burst of pain.

He gasped and stumbled back, his hand finally leaving her throat. “Spare me your witchery. This is important.”

“What does Arrista have to do with anything? Get to the point.”

He shoved her into the workroom, then slammed the door behind them.

A shiver of fear skittered down Isolaund’s back. Her mother could have incapacitated him with a thought, but Isolaund only inherited a faint echo of her mother’s power. This brute could easily kill her if that was his intent.

“I found your little hostage, and was in the process of moving her somewhere safe when Arrista interfered.”

He was lying. She could see it all over his face. “Heather was perfectly safe where she was. We both know what you were doing if you found her hiding place.”

“Fine,” he snarled. “Well, the bitch must have called for assistance because three of the Outcasts showed up and now Arrista is nowhere to be found.”

Isolaund just stared at him, mouth hanging open.

“My reaction exactly. How the hells did they deactivate the cloaking shield? And how did they find the grotto so damn fast?”

She gave herself a firm metal shake and sorted through what he’d just told her. “Arrista has been taking Heather food. Are you sure she didn’t just stumble upon you?”

“And the Outcasts just happened to pick that exact moment to rescue Heather? I don’t believe in coincidences. Your pretty little servant is a spy.”

She didn’t bother to argue, but it didn’t make sense. Arrista was faultlessly loyal. One of Isolaund’s most powerful spells made sure of it. “Then this visit is about containment?”

He nodded. “The council can never know that those creatures breached our defenses. It would mean my position, and if I go down, so do you.”

“No one will believe a traumatized human,” Isolaund said dismissively, “but Arrista is a problem. If the council questions her, she’ll answer honestly. That’s her nature.”

“Then she dies. It’s as simple as that.”

Isolaund glared at him. It would take years to train another handmaiden. Arrista was smarter than any other Niffal Isolaund had ever met. As well as an obedient servant, Arrista was skilled with the karrons, and had an aptitude for healing. “I’ll take care of it.”

“How?” he persisted. “If the Outcasts are protecting her, you won’t even be able to get near her.”

She hated revealing her secrets, especially to someone like Alonov. But like it or not, they were allies. At least for the time being. “I have a Shadow among the Outcasts. If all else fails, I’ll activate the lenitas and take control.”

“How in all the gods’ names did you get Shadow lenitas into one of the Outcasts?”

She smiled, proud of her ingenuity. “Certice injected them with her bite. It was a simple procedure.”

“But wouldn’t the Outcast healers detect them when they treated the bite?”

“They’re Shadow lenitas. They’re undetectable to scans.”

“All right.” His gaze swept the length of her body. “I’m impressed.”

She nodded once, acknowledging his praise.

“Take care of it quickly. I don’t want this hanging over my head.”

“Of course.” She didn’t exhale until he left, then her breath rushed out in a telling hiss. What a cluster! If the Outcasts had Arrista, she was doubtlessly another hostage. There was no way she would have left the Underground of her own free will. Mainly because she didn’t have free will.

So, how could Isolaund twist this to her own advantage? Alonov was a pain in the ass. He was one of the few beings alive that she feared. He wasn’t afraid of her, like everyone else. That in itself was a problem.

She paced the tiny workroom, tapping her fingernail against her lips. If she told the council Alonov was directly responsible for a breach in security, would they— No, it had to be something worse, something they couldn’t tolerate. What about rape? Well, she didn’t know that he’d actually raped Heather. It sounded more like Arrista had interrupted his fun. Of course, the council didn’t need to know that.

A thought occurred to her suddenly. She’d given Arrista a pendant and compelled her to wear it continually. Unbeknown to her servant, the pendant recorded whatever Arrista did and said, and everything that transpired in her presence. Isolaund only checked the feed when she had reason to be concerned, and Arrista seldom gave her reason. Had the feed caught any of Alonov’s attack on Heather?

Isolaund pushed up her sleeve and triggered her subdermal control pad. She navigated through the holo-grind and activated Arrista’s surveillance feed. The current image was the inside of some sort of storeroom. Had they taken away her clothes and all her possessions? Arrista wouldn’t have given up the pendant without a fight. Concerned now, Isolaund rolled back the feed until two male images came into view. She continued backward until the start of their conversation. It hadn’t lasted long. One was dark with sharply angled features and a cutting stare. The other was light, though he too looked stern and forbidding.

“Why’d you stop?” the light one asked. “We need to keep moving.”

“Her pendant is bugged,” the dark one responded. Then he lifted the chain from around her neck and slipped the decorative disk into his pocket. The image went black, and the voices grew so muffled she could no longer discern their words.

How in all the frozen hells had the Outcast known about the camera? It didn’t matter. Clearly spying on the Outcasts wasn’t going to happen.

She dismissed it with a shrug and regressed the feed to where Arrista entered the grotto. Alonov had Heather pinned to the ground. He held her wrists with one hand while he tried to pull down her pants with the other. Arrista dropped her tray and ran toward the struggling human. “Let her up, you beast!” She threw herself on his back, hitting at his head and clawing at his arms. Isolaund couldn’t help but smile.

Alonov snarled and batted her aside as if she were no more than a nuisance. “This has nothing to do with you. Be gone!”

“You were told to leave her alone.” She picked herself up and went for him again. Isolaund’s smile broadened. She knew Arrista had spirt, but she’d never seen her this worked up before. Arrista kicked him in the side and slapped his face, until the general released Heather and went after her.

“You want to take her place?”

“This is wrong, and you know it.”

“I know nothing of the kind. Fucking enemy females is part of war, and as long as they have my son, we are at war with the Outcasts!” He turned back toward Heather, who was now huddled against the wall.

Arrista grabbed his arm, clinging to him like a long-limbed primate. “The council forbade this!” Arrista shouted, dangling from his arm.

“Keep it up and you’re next!”

Still, she didn’t release her hold, so Alonov punched her in the face. Arrista collapsed and the camera pointed toward the ceiling for several seconds. The dark-haired Outcast picked her up while sounds of a fight echoed in the background. She sped up the playback, skimming through the images to make sure there wasn’t anything the council couldn’t see.

The attempted rape would infuriate the younger generation. And seeing him punch Arrista right in the face wouldn’t hurt Isolaund’s case either. But Alonov was right, however. The older set would shrug off his intolerable behavior as hazards of war. The council was split right down the middle, six young members and six old. Which meant the high councilor would decide the general’s fate. Her smile was cold and calculated. And it just so happened that the current high councilor was Indrex Farr, her brother. Indrex might disagree with her on, well, practically everything, but they both agreed that abusing females for sport was inexcusable. Once the council saw the slightly edited feed, Alonov’s days were numbered!