Arton the Heretic stood in the shadow of a tall, leafy tree, watching the brownstone mansion across the street. One of the females inside was on his list, but there was a small chance she’d been claimed by one of the battle born. If she’d been claimed, Thea Cline would be useless to the Outcasts and Arton would move on to the next name on his list.

It was Arton’s responsibility to determine the potential of each female the matching program identified. The final decision involved much more than compatible genetics. These females must be strong, both physically and emotionally. They had to be willing to take on challenges and revel in new adventures. If they were more likely to complain and sulk, bemoaning the loss of their past life forever, they would make everyone around them miserable. For that reason, he only considered females with no dependents, and no romantic interest in their current life. It wasn’t an easy balance to find and Arton was running out of time.

All the preparations had been made. Overlord Kage Razel was anxious to order the exodus. His men were restless, more than ready to embark on their next great adventure. Arton couldn’t blame them. He was excited too. They had been planning this for years, quietly gathering what they would need to survive on an uninhabited planet until they could make their community self-sufficient. At last, the Outcasts would have a planet of their own, a world where the only law was the Brotherhood Charter and the only authority was Overlord Razel.

Well, no long-term community could be successful without breeding pairs. No one liked the term, but that was the reality of what Arton was arranging. He was gathering genetically compatible females for his Outcast brothers. The couples must be able, and hopefully willing, to create the next generation of inhabitants.

He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the females’ willingness would develop overnight. They were being taken from their home world without their permission. But once the pull kicked in and their potential mates had a few weeks to tame them, they would become more logical, more cooperative.

He’d wasted enough time in contemplation. It was time to act or move on. He pushed off the tree trunk and activated his camouflage shielding. The device made him invisible to humanoid eyes and undetectable to most Rodyte sensors. The portable shield generator was new, the design borrowed heavily from the covert shield systems developed for the newest line of ships and shuttles.

Carefully approaching the house, Arton placed his feet with stealthy intention. The shields tricked everyone’s vision. They did not block sound. Guards, both human and Rodyte, milled about in front of the house. They were attentive, if a bit lazy, and much too convinced that there was no danger.

Arton crept up the stone stairs and paused on the wide, railed landing. No one reacted to his presence, so he casually rang the doorbell. The females were in the front room, their silhouettes visible in the window, so it only took a moment for one to answer the door. Lenore Fermont, owner of the lavish brownstone, peeked out. Confusion scrunched up her pleasant face as she let the door swing inward and stepped out onto the landing. She called out to the guards, but Arton didn’t linger to hear what she said. He slipped inside and went immediately to find Thea.

The younger female sat on a piano bench, lightly depressing the ivory keys. She wasn’t really playing the instrument. More like toying with it. He approached her quickly but carefully, not wanting her to detect his presence. Even so, her hand froze over the keys and her head snapped up. He inhaled deeply, then smiled. All he smelled was fertile female.

She swung her legs around and faced the center of the room. He knew she couldn’t see him, but she clearly sensed something was wrong. Her compatibility scores were some of the highest he’d ever seen, so his final decision was easily made. Thanks to the L.A. Massacre, she no longer had anything of importance tying her to Earth. Better still, she was a proven breeder, having produced two healthy children in the past.

He heard the front door close and a primitive, sliding bolt lock engage. Lenore was on her way back into the room. He reached out and placed his hand on Thea’s shoulder as he used the remote trigger embedded in his forearm to activate the bio-streaming engine on his shuttle. She cried out in shock and fear as their bodies disintegrated, but the beam was fast and effective, so the majority of her scream dissolved right along with their physical forms.

An instant after she materialized on the shuttle, Thea twisted out of his grip and put as much distance between herself and Arton as possible. “Who the hell are you, and what do you want with me?” In an instant her fear turned to anger. She planted her feet wide apart and looked around as if for a weapon or an escape.

Arton found her reaction amusing, and encouraging. This one definitely had no lack when it came to spirit. “I am Arton the Heretic. You have been chosen to accompany the Outcasts on our great adventure.”

“I’ve been ‘chosen’?” She laughed, but the sound was harsh and bitter. “Fuck! You! Put me back where you found me. Right now!”

Damn, her voice was shrill. He knew she would be upset. They all were when he first “invited” them, but this was ridiculous. He moved toward her.

She tried to back up farther, but there was nowhere else to go. The shuttle was tiny, meant for short jaunts from its parent ship to the surface or other nearby locations. “You will not be harmed. In fact, just the opposite. You will be protected and provided for. Your mate, once you select him—and it will be your choice not his—will make sure you have—”

“If I’d wanted a mate, you moron, I would have volunteered for the transformation program.” She calmed down enough to stop screaming, which made her voice more melodious. Still, her expression screamed defiance and her stance was threatening. “I will not mate with any alien. Now put me back. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He didn’t have time, nor the patience, to argue with her so he used a verbal command Kage had helped him perfect over the years. “You will sleep.”

She fought against the compulsion for so long he was tempted to repeat the command, but that could be dangerous. Once her mind succumbed, she might slip into a comma rather than ordinary slumber. She was seriously stubborn. Whoever ended up with this one would have his hands full. Finally, she swayed. Her eyes rolled back and Arton rushed forward, catching her as her knees buckled.

He swept her up in his arms and placed her in a nearby seat, quickly securing her unconscious body with safety restraints. He had three more stops to make before he returned to the Relentless, so he needed to get moving.

* * * * *

Sedrik took several deep, calming breaths and still wanted to punch his fist through the nearest wall. Unfortunately, the surrounding walls were solid rock so all he could do was clench and unclench his fingers. His next instinct was to push the panic button and return to his ship where logic still existed, but a rescue at this point was counterproductive to his mission. He’d barely begun to unravel Rebecca’s secrets and find out what she really knew.

All of Rodymia’s six deities enjoyed playing tricks on each other, but only Trinza, goddess of the night, amused herself at the expense of mortals. So Trinza herself must have given Rebecca Dayton DNA compatible with his.

Rebecca was intelligent and spirited, both qualities he appreciated in females. Physically he found her very appealing. But her willingness to abandon logic entirely was exasperating. She’d felt the pull of bonding fever, abandoned herself to his touch, so how could she possibly come to the conclusion that he was “playing her”? Even if it was true, to some extent. He desperately needed information she possessed, but that was not why he’d “turned on the charm”. Finding out she was a potential mate had been as shocking to him as it had been to her.

She’s afraid, silly boy. Think of it from her perspective. You’d be terrified too.

His mother’s dear voice was so clear within his memory that it made him smile and release a bit of the tension coiling from the nape of his neck to his knees. She hadn’t been talking about Rebecca, of course. The two had yet to meet. But the past situation was similar enough to the present that the principle still applied.

According to Skyla, his mother, people sometimes attribute bad intentions or ulterior motives to people or situations that frighten them. It was easier to push the person away than admit that they were afraid. Was that why Rebecca had turned on him so suddenly? Was she afraid of him? No, more likely she was afraid of becoming his mate and all the changes that would cause.

Well, he’d never find out what had caused her radical mood swing if he continued avoiding the conflict. It wasn’t like him to retreat before the battle was won anyway. She’d just caught him so off guard that he’d had to retreat and regroup. It was an acceptable strategy, but now it was time to return to the battlefield.

He expelled one last frustrated breath, then crept back toward the archway leading to the outer room. She sat on the sleeping bag, a blanket draped around her shoulders like a cape, legs drawn up to her chest. Her cheeks were still slightly pink and her hair was adorably mused, reminding him of the pleasure he’d given her not that long ago. Her troubled gaze lifted as he moved closer, but she said nothing.

“My mother is a very wise woman,” Sedrik began without preamble. He pulled the cooler closer, arranging it beside the sleeping bag, yet far enough back that he could still face her. “She taught me many things down through the years.” He sat, careful to keep his boots off the bedding. “Some of it I wasn’t ready to hear at the time, but years later it made perfect sense.”

“My mother officially died when I was nineteen, but her spirit went into the ground with my father. I was ten when he died, so I received no wise words from either of them.”

Her tone wasn’t quite as waspish as it had been when he walked into the other room, but clearly she was still on the defensive. “I’m sorry you didn’t have more time with both of them.” Rather than continue his story, he waited to see how she’d react. If she countered each of his statements with some provoking barb, the conversation would have no purpose.

Gradually, she relaxed. She lowered her legs, folding them in front of her as she huddled beneath the blanket. “Why did you bring up your mom?”

“I have a point, but it will take a bit of background. Are you willing to hear me out?”

She shrugged, but already curiosity warmed her gaze. “We’ve got around ten hours left to kill. You might as well entertain me.”

“I’m not sure how entertaining you’ll find this, but hopefully it will be interesting.”

A hesitant smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she nodded. “Interesting is still better than staring at the walls.”

“I agree.” She didn’t reply, so he began his explanation. “There are a variety of relationships between males and females on my planet, but the majority fall into one of two categories, permanent and temporary. From what I’ve learned of humans, the concept of permanent relationships is all but extinct.”

She shook her head. “The ‘concept’ is alive and well, we’re just not very good at making it happen. Most of us set out with happily ever after in mind, but it very seldom ends up that way. A lot of people my age don’t bother getting married at all. They live together for as long as it feels right, then move on to the next relationship.”

He didn’t tell her how tragic he found that attitude. To be honest, many Rodytes weren’t any better. But he’d grown up with his parents’ deep and abiding love as an example. Their union flourished despite unimaginable odds. “My planet faces different challenges in our quest for—how did you put it—happily ever after. Because of our fondness for genetic manipulation, we now face the frustration of genetic compatibility.”

Her brows drew together and her head tilted a bit, apparently something he’d said caught her attention. “The need for genetically compatible mates was more or less self-inflicted?”

“Yes. Nature has a way of punishing those who stray too far from her original patterns.”

“So that’s why being compatible with one Rodyte doesn’t mean the person is compatible with all of them,” she mused.

“Correct. Our genomes have been altered in so many ways for so many generations that we’ve almost become individual species with some basic similarities.”

She nodded, letting him know she understood what he’d said, but her question was unrelated. “Are you warm enough? There are a couple more blankets.”

Pleased by her concern, he just shook his head. He wanted to join her on the sleeping bag and wrap the blanket around them both, but it had nothing to do with the cave’s chill. He wanted her pressed against his side, or snuggled in front of him with her legs wrapped around his waist. He didn’t care about the position. He just wanted to touch her.

“Back to relationships on Rodymia,” she prompted.

“Yes. Those with the means often hire investigators to locate those with compatible genetics. Those who can’t afford to hunt down potential mates are left with the sad reality of not being able to reproduce or spending their entire life hoping they stumble across that one person who triggers the pull in them.”

“Are you elite? I thought all the battle born fell into the second category.”

“We do. None of us are elite, but my parents are.” Not wanting to get into the complexities of his parents’ relationship, he rushed on. “When I earned my first command seven years ago, my father rewarded me by locating two compatible females. One of the females refused even to meet me. She wanted nothing to do with any battle born male. The other, however, was curious about me and agreed to a face-to-face encounter. Her name was Izondra.”

He could feel Rebecca pulling away, retreating into herself. How odd. Was she jealous? And why was he pleased by the possibility?

“Did you like her?” She sounded hesitant, almost as if she dreaded the answer.

“Her scent made it hard not to like her, but she seemed cold and secretive.” The emotions he read in Rebecca’s eyes became so convoluted he could no longer untangle them. “We courted for several weeks, but Izondra remained distant, so I suggested a transfer link. The mental connection is temporary and it would have allowed us to share memories and emotions. The exchange is interactive. She would have had as much access to my mind as I had to hers.”

“She refused?”

He nodded. Though years had passed since the incident, the memory still stung. “Izondra claimed I wanted to control her, to force her into a union even though she had serious concerns about binding herself to someone who was battle born. She knew my mother was a powerful psychic and, according to Izondra, everyone thought my mother was training me in secret.”

“Was there any truth to Izondra’s claim, or was she just afraid of what you’d learn once you had access to her mind?”

He chuckled, amazed by her perceptiveness. “You immediately came to the same conclusion as my mother, but I was baffled by Izondra’s sudden hostility. Everything had been going so well, and then all of a sudden I was a villain, not only unworthy of trust, but with malicious intent as well.”

“Oh, I see.” Rebecca smiled, then quickly looked away. “This isn’t about your old flame at all. It’s about me.”

“My mother helped me see that Izondra was lashing out at me because she was afraid, not just of the proposed link, but of what life would be like if she bonded with a lowly battle born commander.”

With obvious reluctance, she dragged her gaze back to his. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

“No.” He paused, staring deep into her eyes. “You don’t fear me personally, but I do think you’re afraid. Will you tell me why?”

“Why am I afraid?” She laughed, shaking her head. “Why the hell wouldn’t I be? A few hours, not days, hours ago you were hunting me like an animal. Now you want to mate with me, to ‘protect and provide’ for me like some dutiful servant. That’s not rational.”

She was still using sarcasm to push him away, maybe even hoping to trigger his temper. “I’m sorry it has happened so fast. That has to be confusing, but this wasn’t planned and I’m not trying to use it to further the battle born cause. Discovering that we’re compatible is separate from all the rest.”

“I have only your word on that, and I don’t know you.” The sarcastic bite mellowed, leaving her tone flat and sad. “I have no way of knowing if anything you tell me is true, yet you expect me to accept it all on faith. I’m sorry, Sedrik, but I don’t trust anyone anymore.”

“Do you trust yourself?”

“I thought I did, until I found myself nearly naked and enjoying things I never should have let you do, never would have allowed under ordinary circumstances.”

He sighed. She was being honest, so he needed to honor her point of view, even if he was frustrated by her attitude. “These are not ordinary circumstances. We’re not just a male and female forced to spend time together. We’re potential mates, so the rules are vastly different.”

“I’m aware. The problem is this pull is like a drug. It alters our thinking and suspends our inhibitions so that we end up doing things that… This is how people end up in Las Vegas waking up with a stranger in their bed.”

There was a vast difference between the pull and temporary intoxication. They wouldn’t sober up in the morning and regret their actions. The pull would grow stronger, making them irresistible to each other until they got as far away from each other as possible or finally bonded.

She wasn’t ready for that particular analogy, so he said nothing as he struggled for a new strategy.

“This transfer thing,” she said a few minutes later. “Is it something we can do?”

The question surprised him. He’d brought up the incident because of the similarity in their reactions, not because he wanted to create the bond with her. But it wasn’t a bad idea. “It is, but you need to know that exchanging emotions could make the pull stronger.”

She shivered and her tongue peeked out to wet her bottom lip. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

Desire cascaded through his body, stirring the smoldering embers of his aching need. He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably on the cooler. “What are you hoping to learn?”

“Everything, hell, anything.” She paused, tensing as something occurred to her. “If you allow me access to your memories, can you manipulate what I see?”

“No. There are no lies, no deception within this sort of exchange.”

Her gaze, which had been reflecting curiosity, suddenly turned cunning. “And you’ll have access to my mind as well?” He nodded. “Can you go anywhere you like, or can I choose what I show you?”

“It can be set up either way.” What was she planning? She clearly had some sort of mischief in mind. “If you’ll feel more comfortable passing me specific memories, I can leave your mind shielded.”

That seemed to surprise her. “You would really allow me to wander around in your mind, to look at any memory that caught my attention?”

He shrugged. “My life has been rather boring. My childhood was happy and uneventful. Izondra is about the most embarrassing thing that happened in early adulthood, and I already told you about her. The rest has been endless routine, lots of battles, training, the occasional promotion, and combating boredom. Why do you think we’re fighting so hard to make our lives better?”

 

Rebecca stared at Sedrik for a long, silent moment, unsure what to think. He seemed sincere, earnest, yet her past had taught her that looks could be deceiving and everyone lied. This would be a test in more ways than one. If she was able to change one of her memories as she passed it to him, then she’d know he was full of shit. But if her memory reached his mind unchanged, despite her best effort, she’d know she could trust what he showed her.

“I want to try it.” She lowered the blanket and patted the sleeping bag in front of her. “It’s not like we have anything else to do anyway.” Other than finish what they’d started last time he joined her on the sleeping bag, of course. Her nipples tingled and her core clenched, obviously liking the idea.

“Are you sure?” Emotion textured his voice, but his careful expression made it impossible to identify exactly what he was feeling.

She nodded. “So much of what I know is tainted by RF propaganda. I want to see things from your perspective for a change, maybe bring some balance to my ideas.” That was true, but she was far more interested in Sedrik personally. If they really were locked in some sort of bonding fever, she needed to know a whole hell of a lot more about him.

“All right.” He sounded a bit hesitant, as if he didn’t quite believe her. That was only fair, after all, he’d expected her to believe with nothing but his word as evidence. He pulled off his boots then mirrored her position. Their knees touched, but he rested his hands on his thighs rather than touching her face or reaching for her hands.

She placed her hands on her legs too, waiting for instructions.

“Close your eyes. You’ll feel me brush against your mind and then a quick sting as I establish the link.”

Her lids started to close then flew back open. “If Rodytes can’t work magic, why do you know how to do this?”

“Learning how to create and maintain links is part of puberty for Rodyte males. It’s the male’s responsibility to claim the female, so we must know how to instigate mental connections.”

He made it sound so simple. Still, it was all just words to her. She’d never experienced anything like what he described. “Do you just instinctively figure it out or did someone teach you?”

“It’s largely instinct, but my upbringing was unusual.”

“Because your mother trained you in secret just like everyone thought?” She laughed at his startled expression. “Rumors generally have some basis in fact. They’re just twisted and distorted as they’re passed along.”

“There was truth in the rumors,” he admitted. “She taught me some basic skills in the hopes that I would be able to use them one day. That day has yet to come.”

There was much more to the story than he was telling she was sure, but she didn’t want to complicate what they were trying to accomplish by asking him a bunch of questions about his mother.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“I suppose.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Nothing happened for several seconds, then a strange sensation occurred near her temple. Stronger than a tingle, yet not quite a prickle, the sensation intensified suddenly and she gasped. As he’d said, there was a fast sting, then warm, soothing energy flowed into her mind. “Is that you?”

I’ll just be a moment. I need to anchor the link.

Her eyes flew open again. “I heard you in my mind. How did you do that?”

His eyes were already open, or still open. She wasn’t sure he’d bothered to close them in the first place. But then, he was used to this sort of thing. The link has to stay active for us to be able to speak mind to mind. I thought you wanted me to close the door on my way out, so to speak.

She wasn’t even sure why the possibility of telepathy appealed to her, but it did. Still, she needed to know whether or not she could trust him before she gave him unrestricted access to her mind. “No. Let’s start with the basics. You just surprised me.”

Sorry. Habit. Our com-bots make many conversations feel like telepathy. I forget everyone is not used to the sensation. His gaze became unfocused for a second, then he smiled. “All done and your shield is restored. You can push or pull whatever you like through the barrier, but I can’t enter unless you let me in.”

“Thank you.” Despite his claim not to be able to use the skills his mother taught him, she couldn’t help feeling he could have done all sorts of things while he was in her mind. Instead, he’d done only what he said he’d do and then he immediately withdrew. “So how does this work if my mind is shielded?”

“We both have access to anything that’s in the link. Think of it as neutral ground. Either of us can push images, memories, even emotions into the space connecting us. Then the other can access it, but it has to be intentionally offered.”

“Can I try?” Here came the test. If she was able to feed him false information, she’d know he could deceive her too.

“Of course. Choose whatever you like and simply push it through your shield.” She must have looked confused because he asked, “Can you still feel where I entered your mind?”

“Yes. At least I think so.”

“Good. Think of that spot as a doorway and pass me an image.”

She thought of Thea, but pictured her with dark hair instead of blonde and gave her a beaming smile, an expression she’d never seen on Thea’s face. She tried to manipulate the image while she looked into Sedrik’s eyes, but he was too distracting, so she closed her eyes. It was easier to locate the entry point, but when she attempted to push the altered image through the barrier, it automatically morphed into Thea’s correct appearance.

“Thea Cline.” He touched her hand and she opened her eyes. “Were you trying to show me something else? I felt some sort of struggle.”

Embarrassed to be caught, she shook her head. “You said there are no lies, no deception in the link. I was trying to find out if that was true.”

“It’s not my rule. It’s the creator’s.” He smiled. “Do you believe me now?”

She nodded, hoping he wasn’t too annoyed by her doubt. “Your mother sounds interesting. Will you tell me more about your family?”

“Would you like to meet my parents?” he offered with another smile.

“You mean in your memories, right? You’re not going to do some sort of psychic conference call, are you?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll just show you an image of them first, then maybe a memory. Close your eyes. It will help you concentrate.” He lapsed into silence for a moment as she followed his directions then asked, “Can you see them?”

She shook her head. “Nothing yet.”

“I’ll push the image closer. Tell me when you can see them.”

She waited, searching the darkness in front of her closed eyes. She saw a strange wavering motion, then a shadow separated itself from the darkness. The shadow slid toward her slowly, gradually coming into focus. “Oh, I can see them now.”

“Good thing.” He laughed. “That’s as close as I can get them without having you drop your shield.”

She tried not to be insulted by his playful criticism, but it still made her feel inferior. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I know. I was just teasing you.”

Not wanting to argue with him, she let it go. “Wow, you really look like your father.” The man in the memory was very tall and his military bearing was obvious even though he wore civilian clothes. Short dark hair and regal features, both very much like his son’s. Only their eyes differed. Sedrik’s phitons were purple, while his father’s were sapphire blue. And she realized she couldn’t say how handsome she found his father without admitting she thought Sedrik handsome too. “Does he always look so…mean?”

“Unless he’s looking at my mother. She’s the only one who can get that scowl off his face.”

She laughed. “Like father, like son.”

“I smile much more often than my father. But I admit, I mimic his expression when I’m trying to look fierce.”

She shifted her attention to the female image. The woman had brown hair rather than almost black like her mate and son. Her eyes were sky blue and the rings separating her irises from her pupils were blood-red. “She’s very beautiful. What’s her name?”

“Skyla. My father’s name is Kryton.”

After looking at each more closely she asked, “Is this image recent? They both look so young.”

“Rodytes age much slower than humans. Those with access to magic live even longer.”

“That’s right. Your videos claim longevity is one of the things females will gain if they mate with Rodytes.” Still not opening her eyes, she asked, “Is it true?”

“Yes. Mating with a Rodyte will more than double the human lifespan.” There had been no hesitation in his statement. He simply stated a fact.

Not ready to consider the information in a personal context, she digressed. “I’ve never seen red phitons before.”

“My mother is Bilarrian, not Rodyte. Red is the most common color on Bilarri.”

Rebecca stilled, then slowly opened her eyes. She knew Sedrik was battle born, so she’d presumed this was Kryton’s mate, not Sedrik’s biological mother. “Skyla was his war bride?” she whispered the phrase, horrified by the possibility.

He looked confused by her reaction. “Their relationship is complicated, but yes. They met for the first time when my father kidnapped my mother.”

Her eyes rounded and her jaw dropped. She tried to hide her distress, but it was no use. Her heartbeat sped and her hands began to tremble as anxiety swept through her. “Why in God’s name would she stay with him?”

His lips pressed into a disapproving line and he glanced away from her hostile stare. “Is it really so hard to believe that they fell in love?”

“Yes!” Memories came rushing back, filling her mind with situations she kept at bay through sheer force of will. “I know there’s Stockholm Syndrome and all that, but the entire war bride thing makes me sick.” Her heart beat so fast her chest began to ache and those hated memories rushed through her mind, a continual stream of misery. She pressed her fists against her temples, frantically trying to force the memories back into the past.

“I know what you must be thinking, but it wasn’t like that for—”

“You have no idea what it’s like,” she snapped. “I know what it’s like to have someone force their will on me. I know what it’s like to be utterly helpless. I’ve been terrified and beaten.” Her voice rose with each sentence until she was shouting at him. “I’ve been raped and humiliated! I’ve been locked up and kept under guard. You can’t imagine… How could she ever…” Emotion clogged her throat and her entire body shook. She wasn’t crying. She just sat there vibrating with trauma that had been suppressed for much too long.

He closed his long fingers around her upper arms and pulled her up onto her knees. “Breathe, Rebecca. Take a deep breath for me.”

She hadn’t even realized she’d stopped breathing until she gasped in a lungful of air. The motion released something deep inside and tears flooded her eyes. “Damn it.” She squeezed her lids shut and clenched her fists, but it didn’t stop the deluge.

He pulled her into his arms, pressing her against his chest. “You’re safe, love. That’s all in the past.”

She shook her head, wanting to believe him, needing to believe, but Jim was still out there. And so was Abaddon. She hated tears, found them pointless and childish, but she couldn’t control the sobs and torrents of tears flowing from her eyes, wetting the front of his uniform. She wrapped her arm around his back and buried her face against the warmth of his neck.

He rocked her gently and stroked her hair, patiently waiting for her emotions to run their course. In fact, he was much more patient about the outburst than she was. She couldn’t wait for the humiliating weakness to recede and fought against its power every step of the way.

“I never cry,” she said when her emotions were finally finished embarrassing her.

“It’s not healthy to hold it all in. Everyone needs a good cry now and then.”

She sat on his lap, which put her face almost on a level with his. “When’s the last time you had a ‘good cry’?”

“I generally access a different outlet for my emotions. It’s called the training cage.”

“Blood sports.” She smiled. It was easy to picture him stripped to the waist working out his frustration on one of his crewmembers. It was a pleasure just to picture him half-naked. “That sounds like way more fun than this.”

“I’ll turn you loose with a spar-bot once we reach my ship.” Which presumed she would now go with him like a dutiful captive. She tensed, ready to let him have it, when he whispered, “None of my men are going anywhere near you.” He wiped the last of her tears with his thumbs, then his gaze drifted down to her mouth.

Awareness arced between them, hot and electric. She pushed against his chest even as she licked her lips. If he kissed her, she’d forget all about this transfer and she really wanted to know more about him. “You were going to let me see your parents in action.”

With an audible sigh, he took one of her legs and bent her knee, maneuvering it over to the other side of his body. Understanding what he had in mind, she settled into the space between his folded legs and loosely wrapped her legs around his waist. The position was intimate without being sexual. At least it was while they were fully clothed. She placed her hands on his chest, absorbing the strong, steady rhythm of his heart.

He lightly brushed his fingertips over her eyes, closing her lids. The still image of his parents faded and a different scene formed. Skyla sat on Kryton’s lap, her legs draped over the padded arm of his high-backed chair. They kissed tenderly for a moment, then Skyla eased back. “Listen.” She looked at her mate and smiled, love warming her bright blue eyes.

“I hear nothing.” Kryton’s voice was deep and slightly rumbly, rather like his son’s.

Skyla laughed. “That’s the point, silly man. The house gets so quiet once the boys have all gone to bed. It’s finally peaceful.”

“But they’re not all in bed.” Kryton dipped his head to the side and looked at whomever was standing on the landing halfway up the twisting staircase. “Did you need something, son?”

The memory ended and Rebecca realized it had been Sedrik who was watching from the stairway. “Did you often spy on your parents?”

“I wasn’t spying on them. I forgot my datapad in the library and was heading down to get it when I saw them sitting there.”

“How old were you?”

“Early teens. Old enough to understand they probably didn’t want to be interrupted.”

The touching scene had been so different from her own childhood that she felt slightly jealous. Did he realize how lucky he was? “Are they always so affectionate?”

“Always. I mean they argue like any couple, but their love for each other, and for us, is unquestionable.”

She nodded, the lump returning to her throat. “It’s obvious.” She took a deep breath and then another, refusing to lose control of her emotions again. Once had been more than enough. She glanced at Sedrik. He stared back at her with mild curiosity. No wonder he was so obsessed with finding a mate. If his father could convince a war bride to stay with him, Sedrik must be sure that winning her affection was just a matter of time. “Except for Izondra, am I the first compatible female you’ve encountered?”

“Actually there have been two others.”

“Really?” That wasn’t the answer she’d expected. “What happened to them?”

“My brothers,” he said simply.

“Your brothers were also compatible with them?”

He nodded. “That’s not uncommon. Siblings are often compatible with the same female. It has created some interesting situations.”

“I can imagine.” And yet she couldn’t. There was nothing on Earth even similar to Rodyte courting. “So why did the other women choose your brothers over you?”

He shrugged. “Both times they simply got there before me. I didn’t really have a chance to court the females. Obviously, I’m a far superior choice.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Where do you get this ego?” When he just smiled in return, she asked, “Do you only have the two brothers?”

He shook his head. “Three, if you count Arton, but he was not born to Skyla. His mother was Kryton’s first mate.” Easily anticipating her next question, he said, “She had already passed beyond when Kryton first met Skyla.”

“Are your brothers older or younger than you?”

“Arton is older. Kaden and Dakar are younger.”

“You let your younger brothers get the jump on you?” she teased. “Shame on you.”

His brows arched and his gaze heated. “I knew the best was yet to come. That’s why I gave up without a fight.”

Heat rolled across her face then pooled between her thighs, making it hard to sit still. “Flatterer.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, but that was all he did before straightening again. “Now show me one of yours.”

She swallowed with some difficulty, saddened and embarrassed by the contrast between his parents and hers. “I can barely remember Dad, and Mom was… She had other priorities.” Like drinking and wishing herself into an early grave. Losing her husband had been devastating, Rebecca understood that, but her mother grieved at the expense of her only child who still needed her badly.

He searched her eyes for a moment, compassion softening his expression. “Go back beyond the pain. Show me the clearest image you have of your mother when she was happy.”

All of the memories from before her father’s death were more impression than detail. His loss eclipsed anything resembling happiness. Still, she closed her eyes and found an image, her parents walking hand and hand along the shore of a lake as she splashed in the shallow water nearby. She started to push the image toward the shielded opening in her mind, then paused. The opening was easier to find now that she’d pulled his images through the shield, yet it was starting to feel like a needless precaution. “Can you force your way through if you wanted to?” He was too skilled for anything else to make sense. However, she was curious to see if he’d admit it.

“I would never do that to you. I consider it a violation similar to rape.”

The vehemence in his tone made her open her eyes. “That’s not what I asked.”

He didn’t want to tell her, that much was clear in his expression. So it surprised her when his answer was brutally honest. “If I wanted to extract memories or force my will on you, I could do so without too much effort. But it would harm you badly and I want nothing but the best for you.” He paused for a breath and some of the tension eased from his features. “We want the same thing, to stop the Evonti. I believe you have information that will help me and I hope to earn your trust so you will willingly share it with me.”

She searched his gaze, trying to understand the forces that shaped his personality, resulting in the complex man he was today. He spoke of trust and cooperation, but she wasn’t quite ready to surrender her secrets. Still, it was nice to know more about him. It must have been difficult to be surrounded by wealth and privilege and yet be kept slightly apart from it. His parents were elite, while he was not. His mother sensed great potential, yet without the transformation program, the majority of his magic would always remain untapped, wasted. It had to be frustrating. “How much more powerful will you be if you gain access to your latent magic?”

He licked his lips, clearly uncomfortable admitting this as well. “My mother was trained by some of the most powerful mages on Bilarri, so she knows what she’s talking about. She thinks that the reason I keep having flashes of power is because my magic can’t be completely contained. She suspects my gift might even surpass hers and she is remarkable.”

“You don’t just want a mate. You want someone willing to go through transformation with you.” He didn’t deny it. She could barely imagine herself married, much less to an alien. Subjecting herself to some experimental procedure was unthinkable. Instead of starting a fight, she said, “You wanted to see my mother while she was still happy.” She closed her eyes and thought of her parents, producing the image with as much detail as she could remember. They both looked young and full of life as they walked side by side. This was the summer right before he died, when they’d gone to Lake Tahoe with the Dayton family. Both her parents had brown hair, her father’s several shades darker than her mother’s. Her father’s eyes were blue, her mother’s green, and they had a certain glow when they looked at each other.

Their devotion was bittersweet. Rebecca was glad there had been some measure of happiness in her mother’s life, but Rebecca felt cheated. It was tragic and frustrating that three children hadn’t been enough of a reason to make her mother want to go on living.

“Cancer is a horrible way to die,” he said softly.

She gasped and rocked back, extending her arms behind her. “I never said how she died. How did you know it was cancer?”

He placed his hands under her arms and gently pulled her forward until she sat upright again. “I have spontaneous flashes of perception. I can’t control them or predict when they’ll happen. If I overstepped my invitation, I apologize.”

She waved away his concern, but her heart still ached with all that could have been. If the Evonti hadn’t abducted her father, her mother wouldn’t have been left a miserable widow. Her childhood might have been more like his if the Evonti hadn’t come to Earth.

“My past is so unhappy,” she pointed out. “I want to learn more about you.”

For the next five hours, they passed memories back and forth. As they gradually became more comfortable with the exchange, the scenes became more personal, more revealing. He used gentle smiles, and soothing touches to coax her into sharing much more than she’d expected to share, but he offered just as much in return.

His life hadn’t been nearly as boring as he claimed. Frequent danger and a growing sense of responsibility began to accompany the more recent memories. He carefully avoided specifics, but she knew intuitively that he wasn’t some random commander. He was important, maybe even vital to the rebellion.

It was well past midnight and her turn to share. She was debating what to show him when a scene surged to the surface of her mind. The image seemed to pass through the barrier without conscious effort on her part. She tried to yank it back, but it was too late.

“What was happening in that scene?” he asked. “The audio was garbled.”

She tensed. This was definitely not a scene she’d wanted him to see. He already knew enough to make her feel vulnerable. “It was just a fight. I didn’t mean to show you that one.”

His warm fingers trailed across her face then pushed into her hair and his thumb stroked her lips. “Apparently your subconscious needed to share. Tell me what I’m seeing.” When she didn’t immediately answer, he wrapped his other arm around her hips and pulled her closer, lightly pressing her breasts against his chest.

With a sigh of defeat, she rested her head on his shoulder and explained. “Jim was so horrible to me at dinner that Jacob told him to cut it out. I knew it would be even worse when he got me alone, so I avoided going to bed for hours. He finally ordered me upstairs. I braced for another beating, or worse, but he just grabbed my arm and used the disk to bring me here.”

“Was that the first time you’d seen the caverns?” He caressed her back and stroked her hair, his voice soft and soothing.

She shook her head. “I’d been here twice before but that time was different. He told me the disk was the only way in or out of the caverns. He stressed that there was no back-up key. If he accidentally ‘lost’ it while I was here I’d be stuck, abandoned, forgotten. And best of all, the entire world already thought I was dead, so no one would miss me.”

“Did he leave you here?”

“Yes, for hours, alone in the dark.” A violent shudder made her press even closer to his warmth and wrap both her arms around his back. “I’ve never been so terrified.”

“You’re safe now. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

For a long time, she just clung to him, absorbing the comfort like a sponge. She ran her hands up and down his back, marveling at the strength so evident in his shape and breathing in his scent. “Round about hour three anger replaced the panic,” she told him. “That’s when I realized he’d given me a way to escape. All I needed was to get my hands on the transport disk and he wouldn’t be able to follow.”

“But the transport disk returns you to the same place you departed. Doesn’t it?”

She eased back far enough to see his face. “It stores the past three departure points.”

“It has no visible controls. How do you make your selection?”

“Swipe once, twice, or three times. The only challenge is remembering where it’s going to take you.”

He nodded, his gaze narrowed and bright. “If you departed from a locked room, I’m sure you wanted to return to an earlier departure point. How did you find out the other two locations?”

“It was a risk, but Jim almost always departed from the garage at one of our rental houses. He stashed things there before bringing them here for long-term storage.”

He trailed his index finger across her forehead, then tucked her hair behind her ear. “How did you get a hold of the disk if you were being guarded?”

“It was worse than that after our fight. He locked me in our bedroom and wouldn’t let me see or talk to anyone but him. Luckily, I needed to eat and he ordered Thea to bring my meals. He chose her because he didn’t want to waste the time of anyone important. Arrogant idiot sent me the only person brave enough to help me.”

“Thea stole the disk and gave it to you?”

“He kept it locked in a desk drawer. She swore it wasn’t even a challenge, but he would have killed her if he caught her in the act. She risked her life for me.”

“I promise, all I did was question her. She was never my prisoner.”

She arched her brows. “Only because she caved before you got angry.”

A guilty smile parted his lips. “Maybe. But she wouldn’t have been harmed even if I’d decided to detain her.”

Rebecca took a deep breath and expelled the memories as she exhaled. “I’m done sharing. The past can’t be changed and I’m tired of thinking about it.”

Desire erupted in his gaze as he whispered, “Then what would you like to do?”

“I still don’t want to have sex, but…” She sighed, frustrated with herself for being so timid.

“But?” he prompted.

“Will you kiss me?”

“Always. Never hesitate to tell me what you need.” He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, finally ending their long conversation.