Sedrik buried his fingers in Rebecca’s hair and inhaled her scent. Her lips were parted and waiting as his mouth covered hers and he shook with his need to claim her. Desire pounded through his system, driving caution to the wind as he focused entirely on pleasuring his mate.

He traced her bottom lip with his tongue, not wanting to overwhelm her, but unable to live without her taste a moment longer. She moaned and touched her tongue to his, guiding him deeper into her mouth. Requiring no further encouragement, he shifted her neck into the bend of his elbow and deepened the kiss. She tasted so damn sweet. He wanted to lick every inch of her body. But he’d agreed to her restrictions and breaking his word now would obliterate the tenuous trust he’d managed to build.

She tugged his uniform top free of his pants, not stopping until she found bare skin. Her hand glided over his abdomen and onto his chest, exploring with obvious interest. Grabbing the back of his shirt with one hand, he ripped the offending garment off over his head. His undershirt came with it.

Their mouths separated for half a second, then she dragged his face back to hers, kissing him with just as much fervor as he was kissing her. They tasted each other deeply, sharing their breaths. She stroked him, her hands warm as they traveled in never-ending patterns across his flesh.

He pulled her T-shirt upward until it caught in her underarms. Without prompting, she raised her arms and he whipped the shirt off, tossing it aside as they continued to kiss. Her breasts were still covered by her undergarment, but he left well enough alone for now. He caressed her back and shoulders, pressing her against his chest and abdomen.

His pulse throbbed in his ears, the rhythm much too fast. He felt lightheaded and restless, desperate for something she was not nearly ready to give. He wrapped his arms around her and eased her down onto the sleeping bag. Her knees parted and then her thighs as she made room for him between her legs.

A memory stirred, surging to the surface of his passion-muddled mind. He’d thought the images were fantasies when he first caught her scent. Now he wasn’t sure. His mother was a powerful psychic and he occasionally had flashes of insight, uncontrolled glimpses into the future or the past. Had the images been prophetic? He’d seen the sleeping bag clearly in the second psychic flash, but the third had been more sensory impression than vison. He had no doubt he’d been inside her and she’d welcomed their joining, but her surrender could be weeks, even months from now.

The possibility that he had psychic confirmation of their eventual bonding fueled the fire already burning inside him. He drew her hands above her head and held them there with one fist. She immediately tugged against his hold and protested with throaty noises. He ignored her objections and found the clasp on her bra, thanking the gods that it was in the valley between her breasts. The annoying device opened and he slipped his hand beneath the loosened cup to cover her breast. The soft mound fit perfectly in the palm of his hand.

It felt so good he groaned and she quickly turned her head.

“Let go of my hands.”

The sudden tension in her voice drew his gaze to her eyes. “I won’t hurt you. Ever.” He loosened his hold, but didn’t let go.

She stilled, then licked her lips. “I wasn’t done touching you.”

That might be true, but it wasn’t the only reason she didn’t like being held down. “I’ll let go, but you have to stop touching me if you want me to keep my promise.” He paused, making sure she understood the significance of his statement. Their gazes clashed and she looked as if she’d argue, so he tried a different approach. “I’m too close to the edge, love. I need you to cooperate.”

She relaxed beneath him, her fingers unclenching. “All right, then kiss me again.”

“In a moment,” he promised then reached for the snap at the top of her jeans. They stared into each other’s eyes as he slowly lowered the zipper. “You said your panties stay on. You didn’t say anything about your pants.” He grinned and let go of her wrists so he could grasp her waistband with both hands.

For a second, he thought she’d protest, but then she lifted her hips, allowing him to pull her jeans down and then off. Her legs were well-shaped and smooth, perfect to wrap around him while their bodies were joined.

He automatically reached for the fastening at the front of his pants, but she shook her head and caught one of his wrists. “Yours stay on. You promised.”

Damning himself for a fool, he nodded and guided her hand back into place above her head. Then he covered her mouth with his, rewarding her compromise with tenderness. This would be so much easier if he could hear her thoughts and sense her emotions. How did humans live like this? It was so limiting.

She tilted her head to the side and returned his kiss, obviously content with this level of intimacy. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. He needed more, so much more. He rocked back onto his knees, lifting his chest off her and allowing his free hand full access to her breasts. He gently squeezed the mounds, then teased the nipples until they gathered into hard little peaks. The points felt so intriguing to his fingers that he had to experience them with his lips.

So he kissed his way down her neck, licking and nipping as he went. She gasped and arched, pushing her breasts toward him in a silent offering. He caught one nipple between his lips and sucked until she moaned. Her lips tasted wonderful, but her nipple was even sweeter. He moved to the other side, captivated by her body’s response to his attention and the sexy sounds she kept making when something pleased her.

He swept his hand across her quivering abdomen and eased it between her thighs. Heat sank into his fingers along with the realization that her panties were soaking wet. Lust spiked inside him and his cock bucked against the material confining it. His groan was part pain, part need.

“I’m wet, aren’t I?” she whispered against his lips, sounding uncomfortable with the development.

“Very.”

“It’s been a really long time since anyone touched me like this.” Now she sounded embarrassed.

He growled and nipped her lower lip. “I’m your mate, Rebecca. No one has ever touched you like this and no one else ever will.”

Concern flickered in her expressive eyes and she started to say something. Unwilling to risk compromising the momentum they were building, he silenced her with a deep, demanding kiss.

His fingers moved against her folds and he cursed the material separating him from her heat. He’d agreed to leave the cursed panties on, but he hadn’t said anything about working around the barrier. With his mouth still plundering hers, he slipped his hand inside her panties.

She caught his wrist and tugged. Her attempt was halfhearted at best, so he ignored her. He could bear ending this interaction without enjoying his own release, but he’d be damned if he’d leave his mate unsatisfied.

“Let me,” he whispered against her kiss-swollen mouth. “You need this and so do I.”

She tensed as his middle finger slipped between her folds, but she released his wrist with a helpless little sigh. She stared into his eyes, and rocked against his hand as he gently caressed her clit.

He watched her closely, thrilled by the wonder and obvious pleasure taking over her expression. She bit her bottom lip and her thighs began to tremble as her orgasm neared. “Come for me. Come for your mate.”

Flicking her swollen bud with a bit more pressure, he sent her over the edge. She gasped and arched against his hand, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

He should stop now, let her relax, but her scent was overwhelming. He drew his hand out and sucked her cream off his fingers. Big mistake. Jarring hunger, ripped through him, demanding more of the same. He slid down onto his belly and draped her legs over his shoulders.

“Sedrik, what are you…”

His mouth covered her slit through her panties and her words trailed away. Her taste transferred through the barrier, faint and unfulfilling. Unable to help himself, he gathered the offending material to one side and pushed his tongue into her folds.

“That’s cheating!” Her hands flew to his head, but his tongue found her clit and she failed to shove him away. She moaned softly, assuring him she didn’t want him to stop.

He explored her cream-slickened flesh, reveling in her taste and in the knowledge that she needed him as badly as he needed her. She pushed her fingers into his hair and angled her hips, giving him better access to the center of her body.

Desperate to be inside her with any part of him, he shifted his arms so he could reach between her thighs. The material of her panties made it difficult, but he slipped two fingers deep into her core, then focused on her clit with his mouth.

She came almost immediately, so he continued, pushing her to an even higher peak. She rocked her hips, driving herself onto his fingers as he licked and carefully sucked on her clit. A fresh rush of liquid arousal coated his fingers and trickled onto his palm. She was literally dripping for him, only for him.

Her taste filled his mouth and her scent filled his nose, his lungs, his very being. He wanted her pleasure more than he wanted anything else in the universe, except for claiming her, making their union complete.

“Oh God!” She threw back her head, breasts thrusting upward as pleasure gripped her again. Her inner muscles rippled around his fingers and he prolonged the wonderful spasms with his tongue. She shook and moaned, then shook some more.

He lifted his face from between her thighs and watched her drift back down. He’d thought she was beautiful before, but lost in passion, she was glorious.

* * * * *

James Dayton, better known as Big Jim, reached into his pocket and withdrew a keycard. His hand trembled badly as he tried to slide the encoded card through the reader, so he paused and took a deep breath. He much preferred communicating with Abaddon via laptop or even when Abaddon appeared as a hologram. But Jim was an ambassador, and ambassadors were the only humans allowed to see the Evonti’s true appearance. Not that seeing an Evonti in the flesh was a reward. One glimpse at their amphibian features and soulless black eyes could trigger Jim’s nightmares and panic attacks for weeks.

The door swung inward suddenly, making Jim gasp.

“I don’t have all day. Get in here!” The warbling, reedy voice echoed inside the hotel room, making the shabby space even less appealing.

Slipping the keycard into his pocket, Jim crossed the threshold. He fought to keep his gait steady and his features calm. The Evonti despised weakness and often disposed of anything or anyone they found unworthy. Jim knew from experience how ruthless the Evonti could be. His heart thudded so hard that he thought Abaddon would hear it, so he drew air in through his nose and released it through his mouth.

“You reek of fear, human.”

The door slammed shut behind Jim, even though Abaddon stood across the room. He was shrouded in a hooded cloak that concealed everything but his gleaming black eyes. “Is Thea Cline dead yet?”

So much for the pleasantries. Jim had to clear his throat before he was able to speak. “Not yet, sir.”

“Why not?”

The force of Abaddon’s displeasure rocked Jim back and made his eyes water. “The battle born are protecting her. We can’t get near enough to—”

“Try harder! Bribe whomever needs bribing or slit some Rodyte throats. I really don’t care how you do it. I want that bitch dead, now.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll see to it myself.”

That seemed to pacify him. The cloak rippled. Had he crossed or uncrossed his arms? “Station Five. Is the portal operational yet?”

This was the question Jim had been dreading. Five of the six stations he’d been assigned had to be activated simultaneously for the final objective to be met. And thanks to the battle born destroying the portal on Lunar Nine, he no longer had a spare. Station Five had been badly damaged by the L.A. incident, but the rubble was easier to access than finding a ride to the moon.

The deadline for completion on Station Five had been nineteen days ago and still the engineers failed to complete the task. This was the third time he’d had to make excuses for their work and he was unlikely to escape punishment this time.

He started to perform the speech he’d been practicing for days as he waited for Abaddon’s summons. Abaddon snarled and raised one spindly hand. “Don’t bother. You obviously failed—again.”

“Yes, sir, but we know what’s wrong and—”

Blinding pain stabbed into Jim’s brain, forcing a shrill scream from his dry throat. His knees buckled and urine soaked the front of his pants as his entire body convulsed violently. The cramping pressure released just as abruptly and he collapsed on his face, moaning as Abaddon circled him.

“Of all my ambassadors, I had the highest hopes for you.” Abaddon kicked him in the ribs, but Jim was already in such pain the blow barely registered. “You have proved to be the biggest disappointment.” He moved around Jim in a slow circle, kicking him in-between each step. “You failed to recruit enough men to drive off the Rodytes.” He kicked him in the shoulder. “Failed to kill Thea Cline!” Another kick, harder this time, followed by another complaint. “You failed to breed!” Kick. “Failed to convert your female!” Kick. Kick. Jim braced for more abuse, but the next kick never came. For a long time all he heard was Abaddon’s wheezing breaths, then one final threat. “Fail me again and I will end you.” Without another word, Abaddon teleported out of the room.

Jim lay on the dingy carpet in a pool of his own piss, unable to move, barely able to think. Abaddon meant every word, and Jim knew there was nothing he could do to stop it if Abaddon wanted him dead. Jim was an “ambassador”, a chosen servant of the Evonti. Chosen by them. Jim didn’t want any part of this.

He’d grown up on stories of evil aliens who kidnapped helpless humans. His father swore he’d been abducted and studied, that he’d endured torturous procedures, pain worse than death. And Jim hadn’t believed any of it—until the Evonti abducted him too.

He experienced everything his father had undergone and so much more. Apparently, the Evonti had learned and adapted their techniques because Jim’s father had died a few months after his abduction. Jim lived, all the while wishing he were dead.

He’d been fifteen when they first snatched him. His mother patiently listened to his semi-hysterical story, then dismissed it all as a bad dream brought on by his father’s “ridiculous” stories. Jim had just about convinced himself she was right, when he was taken again.

After his fifth episode, he realized no one believed him when he spoke about what happened during those horrible hours, or was it days? Even those who swore they had an open mind about aliens eventually rolled their eyes or treated him with such condescension that he wanted to scream. So he stopped trying to make people believe what he told them. The only exception was Rebecca. She at least attempted to understand. And her kindness had nearly gotten her killed.

He’d been thrilled when the battle born revealed their presence to the world. They’d proved that aliens were real, and suddenly Jim wasn’t quite so crazy.

The pain gradually receded, leaving merciful numbness. He still couldn’t move, but at least his mind was beginning to clear. Unfortunately, Abaddon’s rant sent a stream of images looping through Jim’s memory. You failed to recruit enough men to drive off the Rodytes. Guilty as charged. One of the reasons the Evonti had chosen him was because of his family’s connection with the military. Why bring an army to Earth and risk Evonti lives if they could convince humans to fight their battles for them. So Jim had gone through the motions, as he did so often. There was no other choice when the Evonti could activate their implants and ascertain his actions at any time night or day. He was a prisoner in his own body, and any disobedience was punished with excruciating pain.

Failed to kill Thea Cline! Abaddon’s second charge was accurate too. Jim had sent his men on several wild goose chases to ensure they didn’t find Thea. Now she was protected by the battle born, giving Jim a legitimate excuse for failing to kill her.

Eventually, Abaddon would run out of patience and Jim would die in agony. But for now they were locked in a stalemate. Abaddon needed Jim’s contacts and Jim was powerless against Evonti control. If Jim tried to expose them, he would die in agony. There was no way to escape. The implants tracked his every movement and allowed them to eavesdrop without warning.

He rolled to his back and draped his arm over his eyes. He’d even tried suicide, twice, but the Evonti brought him back. He couldn’t disobey, escape, or die. That only left surrender. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so damn pathetic.

“If my friends could see me now,” he muttered to the empty hotel room, then dissolved into desolate tears.

* * * * *

Knowing Sedrik was watching her, Rebecca covered her face with her hands.

“Don’t hide from me.” He crawled up along her still tingling body, which dislodged her legs. They ended up wrapped around his waist. Then he gently pulled her hands away from her face and moved them back above her head. “I love looking at you.”

“I can’t believe I let you do that. I don’t even like you.”

He laughed, unfazed by her playful slur. Rocking back onto his knees, he said, “You might dislike me, but you certainly liked what I was doing a moment ago.” As if to prove his point, he raised his hand to his mouth and licked her juices off his skin. There was so much liquid that a drop trailed across his hand before he could lap it up.

Mortified by what she’d just seen, she quickly glanced away. “Dear God, was all that me?” Heat spread across her face and down her neck as she looked at him again. His only reply was a triumphant grin. “How humiliating.”

“It’s humiliating to want your mate and find pleasure in his attention?” He shook his head, his confusion appearing genuine. “That makes no sense.”

“I’m not your mate.” She scooted back, quickly refastening her bra and positioning her panties to cover as much as possible. Quickly looking around, she snatched her T-shirt off the stone floor and pulled it on so she’d feel less vulnerable. She still felt hot and breathless, so she didn’t immediately reach for her pants. Carefully leaning against the cool stone wall, she extended her legs to one side of him and crossed her feet at the ankle. “I can’t be your mate. I’m…screwed up emotionally.”

“That’s nonsense.” He waved away her concern. “You were traumatized by an abusive human unworthy of any female, much less one as extraordinary as you. Does his failure mean you can never love again?”

“What do you know about it?” she snapped defensively. “You just met me.” Compassion filled his eyes and the one thing she dreaded most, pity.

“Thea gave me a few examples of how you’ve been treated,” he admitted, his voice almost tentative. “I was going to arrest James Dayton. Now I’ve decided to kill him.”

She tensed, horrified that he might know even part of what Jim had done to her. It was bad enough that Thea knew. If Rebecca had had her way, she would have escaped without assistance and assumed a new identity in a faraway place where no one knew her. The past was best forgotten, not relived and analyzed. “What specifically did Thea tell you?”

“That you’re in desperate need of a champion, someone to protect and care for you. I intend to be that champion.”

The sentimental drivel was so uncharacteristic of the stoic commander that she felt blindsided by the statements. He wanted to protect and care for her? Protection was often offered in exchange for information, but he had no reason to care for her.

I’m your mate, Rebecca. No one has ever touched you like this and no one else ever will.

His words echoed through her mind. Tingling heat followed in their wake. Even in her memory it sounded insane. He’d hunted her down because of her connection to the Resistance Force, and now he wanted happily ever after instead. It didn’t just sound crazy. It was crazy.

“My divorce won’t be final for another two weeks,” she told him. “Technically, I’m still married.”

“Do you love him?”

“Of course not,” she cried. “He’s an evil bastard, but this isn’t about love.”

“Not yet.” He smiled. “But I’m working on it.”

She reached over and slugged him in the arm. All that did was bruise her knuckles. The man was solid muscle. “You’re unbelievably arrogant.”

His gaze traveled from her head to her toes, lingering on her bare legs before returning to her face. “And you’re unbelievably beautiful.”

With a frustrated hiss, she stood and grabbed her jeans, quickly pulling them on. She’d taken her shoes off earlier, but the stone floor still felt cold through her socks. She needed to remind him what this was really about, apprehending Jim and stopping the Evonti. Maybe if she offered some of the information he wanted so badly, it would snap him out of this love-sick haze.

“If you stop with the pointless flattery, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” It was more than she’d meant to offer, but shifting his focus was imperative to her emotional survival. “I’m probably a fool to trust you. However, you’re the best option I’ve got right now.” Was he really? He was Rodyte and male. Either made him untrustworthy, so why had she let him kiss her mouth, much less everything that followed? Admittedly, she was sex starved, but nothing excused her wanton behavior. And worst of all, she had been incredibly selfish. He stood too as he retrieved his uniform top and the angle of his body made it impossible not to notice his erection.

“Do you need to do something about that before we talk?” She made a vague motion toward the affected area then quickly averted her eyes.

“I just need to calm down.”

She hadn’t heard him move, but suddenly he was right in front of her. He was so tall her eyes were on a level with his chest, his amazingly shaped, naked chest. Helpless to resist the temptation, she raised her hand and stroked his smooth, gold-tinted skin. “Are Rodytes naturally hairless?”

He caught her wrist and moved her hand away. “Do you want to talk or play some more?”

Honestly? She stopped the question just before it slipped past her lips. “We need to talk.”

“Then let me dress.”

He was all serious commander again and it made her sad. She much preferred warm, loving, occasionally playful Sedrik.

She lowered her hand and stepped back. He pulled on a clingy undershirt she didn’t remember him taking off, then his uniform top. Once his appearance was restored, he dug through her supplies until he found something for each of them to sit on. She appreciated the effort. Even with the sleeping bag insulating her from the cold, she found the floor uncomfortably hard.

Fully dressed again and feeling more composed, she took her place on the box of canned goods. He sat on the cooler, facing her. He’d helped himself to another bottle of water, this one flavored with strawberry and kiwi.

He noticed the direction of her stare and smiled. “Was this all right?”

“You’re welcome to anything in here.” His brows shot up in silent challenge and she shook her head. “Anything edible.” He laughed and she blushed to the roots of her hair. “You know what I mean.”

“I do, now relax. You seemed more comfortable without your clothes.”

“I was high on pheromones.” She shivered, trying not to think about the pleasure he’d given her. It was impossible. Three orgasms! Never before had she come three times in one night. In fact, she’d been lucky if she came at all. Jim had been her only lover and even in the beginning he had not been attentive in bed. “I feel better now.”

A hint of smugness crept into his smile as he motioned toward the case of flavored water. “Do you want something?”

“Can’t we share? It’s a little late to worry about germs and I don’t want a whole one.”

He held out his bottle and watched silently as she drank. Why did he seem fascinated with everything she did? It was unnerving. She took another drink then handed it back. “You’re the inquisitor. What do you want to know?”

“Is Jim as valuable as I’ve presumed, or should I kill him on sight?”

Memories stirred, offering countless reasons why the bastard needed to die. She’d endured pain, physical and emotional, repeatedly over the past two and a half years. The physical abuse always took place behind closed doors, but humiliation was a spectator sport. Still, Rebecca forced herself back from the past and considered the big picture. “To have any hope of destroying Abaddon, we need Jim.”

He accepted her answer with a nod, then paused, clearly upset by whatever he was thinking. “Have you talked to anyone about what he put you through? Pain like that doesn’t just go away.”

She shook her head angry with Thea for sharing much more than she had a right to share. “The few times I’ve tried ‘talking it out’ were disasters. The nightmares got worse and all the sessions accomplished was making the memories more vivid.” She smoothed down her jeans, needing something to do with her hands. “No one believes me, but the less I think about any of it, the better I feel.”

His eyes narrowed, but compassion warmed his gaze. “You’ve been away from him for a few short weeks. And all that time was spent running and hiding. You haven’t had time to deal with your feelings. You still need to—”

“Change the subject,” she insisted. “I’m not talking about this.”

“That’s the problem,” he muttered, took a quick drink, then obliged her. “We discovered a locked room hidden in Jacob’s house. Do you know what’s inside and what’s needed to trigger the door release?”

“I’ve tried but have never made it inside any of the secret rooms.”

“Secret rooms? How many are there?”

She blew her hair out of her eyes. Already she was telling him more than she’d intended. Her offer had only been meant to distract from the need still pulsing between them. “Three that I know of, but I think there are more. And they’re not all in houses. The one in L.A. was under an office building. Not that it matters now. It was destroyed by the L.A. fiasco. Jim was really angry when he found out about that. Whatever those rooms contain is extremely important.”

“One is in Riverside, one in L.A., where is the third?”

“The middle of nowhere really,” she told him. Revealing Jim’s secrets was getting easier and easier. And it wasn’t just spiting her ex, though that did have its own appeal. She was starting to trust Sedrik, to believe he wasn’t her enemy. “There’s a dilapidated farmhouse off El Mirage Road. The secret room is under the barn. The farm is just west of an itty-bitty town by the same name.”

“El Mirage.”

She nodded. “But I don’t think those locations are important.”

He stared at her for a moment, head tilted as he puzzled through what she’d told him so far. “Triangulation?” Not surprisingly, it didn’t take him long to come to the same conclusion she’d drawn.

“It’s still more or less a guess, but it makes the most sense. I think the perimeter locations power or amplify whatever is in the middle.”

“You haven’t been able to find the middle location?” He sounded disappointed as he set the mostly empty water bottle down at his feet.

Annoyed by his reaction, she glared at him. “You try sneaking around with armed guards shadowing your every move. If I deviated from my routine for even a moment, Jim would…” Tears stung her eyes and her voice failed as emotions swelled inside her. Anger pushed back the sorrow, but the emptiness remained. She would not be a slave to her past. Lots of people lived through unpleasantness. She was stronger now and she would not let past pain affect her future.

Sedrik reached across the space between them and took one of her hands between his. He was so much bigger than she was, his hands literally enveloped hers. “It was a question not an accusation. You’ve already given me more than I expected to learn. You’ve been wonderful.”

She pulled her hand free and shot to her feet. “I’ve been a freaking pushover. I’m humiliated by how easily you played me.”

“Played you?” He stood too, his glower even colder than her earlier glare. “How have I played you?” He seemed genuinely insulted by the accusation.

“You know damn well what you did. You realized I don’t respond well to authority, so you turned on the charm.”

He just stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“The ‘I’m your mate’ thing was clever. I’ll give you that. What unhappy female doesn’t want to think she’s stumbled onto a knight in shining armor ready, and able, to fly her away from all her problems. This world doesn’t work that way.”

Without a word, he turned and walked into the adjoining chamber, apparently unconcerned that it was pitch dark beyond the lantern’s light.