Things went from roaring loud to eerily silent.

As though my eardrums were pierced, and everything funneled out of me. I stared at the stalactites my vision blurring blue.

“It’s time to leave, Leila.”

Macca’s voice seemed so far away.

“I have learned you, and I know that you will not be defeated by this blow.”

I blinked, and my breath returned. No . I wouldn’t be. Perspective, Leila . There’d been worse I’d gotten through than being deceived.

Heart-break was survivable.

Been there. Done that. Dealt with it.

“Get up it’s time to look after yourself.”

I sat up. Yeah, that I could do. Taking care of myself had always been my own job. I swiped at my face, then gathered up my feelings—took Thor, folded and squeezed him into the box that housed Johnathan, my father, my mother, and all those who’d let me down.

Except, this box never felt so tightly packed. Or harder to force closed.

“Hurry, Leila he’s left the energy cell and returns for you.”

I scrambled for the beak mask, pressing it over my face. This time the suction didn’t jolt me.

“Get in the water now.”

I grabbed the satchel, and climbed into the water, striding over to where the water funneled down. This mask had better work. I took a breath and dived in, swimming for the tunnel.

Current sucked me forward, and in one kick I propelled through the hole. Space closed around me.

I shot into darkness.

My arms pinned ahead of me, leaving only my legs to kick with. Panic struck a lightning bolt through me.

My legs flailed.

“Relax. The current will take you.”

My lungs burned with pressure.

“Leila, breathe normally through the apparatus.”

Pressure pushed against my chest. The water moved me forward.

I gasped.

Bubbles swarmed around the tip of the beak, and air, actual air, filled me.

The twitching in my limbs eased.

I kicked my legs, taking another breath even though it was the most unnatural feeling.

The tug of the current grew more aggressive, sucking me faster.

“Prepare yourself, you are about to be deposited into a conflux. You must swim in the direction instructed.”

The current rushed faster. My scream disappeared into the mask.

Water pushed around me, creaking my ribs.

Then—weightlessness.

I floated, tumbling in a dark blue expanse.

“Up, swim up.”

I kicked and moved my arms, propelling myself upwards.

“Not that up. Turn around before you meet the next current.”

I flipped around and kicked again, pressure baring down on my chest.

“That’s it.”

I kicked harder, taking even breaths through the mask. Light grew ahead. I rotated my arms, satchel still gripped in my hand.

I broke the surface, scanning a wide cave filled with swirling light.

“The drone waits on the other side.”

I turned around. The elegant, helicopter looking drone, sat on ground on the far side of the underground river.

Light bounced off its silver surface. A moat of rock formation separated the water from the drone.

I swam for shore, my movements slowing under the weight of exhaustion.

My hand met stone—finally.

I threw the satchel up then dragged myself out of the water, and flopped down in a gap of dirt, prying off the mask.

I panted.

Achievement unlocked.

Survived an underground waterway escape on an alien planet. I let out a gasp of relief. That whole experience had felt ridiculously deadly.

“Drone, Leila. Rest once inside.”

I rolled onto my knees in between boulders, grabbed the satchel and scrambled in the direction of the drone waiting beyond the mass of rocks. I paused and glanced behind me. The mask lay on a small boulder. I strode over and collected it.

My gaze darted across the river one last time.

I swallowed, feeling for an instant underwater again.

It was all over. Everything . Even with the mask there was no chance I’d make it back through the tunnel while swimming against the current.

I ran my wrist over my dripping face.

Pain radiated through me. Thor . But I put that hurt to bed.

A trick. It’d all been a trick…

A distant rumble froze me in place.

“Leila, don’t move.”

I glanced behind me, my heart a vicious thud.

Oh, fuck.

He’d found me.

I stumbled. There’d been no explaining this.

Our deal was done.

I turned slowly, dropping the mask, palms up. “Thor, I’m sorry.”

My gaze landed on a monster a few yards behind the drone. He wore the horrible Jababeast helmet…I’d never get used to it.

His growl intensified. My pulse rushed. And he was not happy.

“I’m still here, see.” I wiggled my fingers, swallowing. “No harm done, just dropping off the pallets for the kid on the ship.”

He slunk closer, head down low.

I shrunk back. Nope . I wouldn’t buy that shitty excuse either. “Can we just talk about this?”

He dropped onto all fours, head up, sniffing the air.

Realization smacked into me.

My heart plummeted.

Motherfucker .

Different goddamn Baratican.

I reached behind me and snatched the knife from my belt.

“No, Leila.” Macca screeched. “You will not strike a single blow before he overcomes you. Then your first mating will be savage.”

“Won’t need to.” I moved while I had courage, and brought the knife swiftly across the surface of my forearm.

My skin parted like butter.

I staggered. Blood dribbled down my forearm. That knife was freaking sharp. Lucky I’d kept the cut shallow. The Baratican paused, sniffing harder.

I put the tip of the knife to my throat. “Do I have your full cognitive attention now, Baratican?”

He rose to his feet. A bellowing growl filled the cave.

I shuddered, and grasped my wrist with my free hand, keeping the knife steady.

That sounded like a yes .

“I know you’re fast.” I inched back. “Very fast. But all it would take is a flinch and there goes my carotid artery…”

His bellow vibrated off the walls.

He darted closer.

I pressed, carefully as I could, blade so sharp, only the dribble let me know I’d broke skin. “Stop.”

He dropped down to all fours again, snarling.

“A dead mate makes fuck-all baby warriors.” I kept my eyes glued to him. “One move closer and not even a Baratican will be able to heal me.”

“Knife down, Crestonian.” His voice was garbled and raw.

Again, with the Crestonian assumption.

“No, I’m not going to do that.” My gaze darted to the drone, then to him. Fuck, fuck, fuck . He now crouched a few short paces from the drone. He’d take the knife from me before I could do anything with it, if I made it that close.

“Macca, send the drone to me.”

The drone rose into a hover.

His attention darted to the movement and he leaped. Metal crunched. He pounded the roof with his fist. The shell crumpled like tinfoil.

My heart somersaulted.

Oh, shit.

“Did you not hear what I said?” My hand shook. More blood trickled down my throat. Dribbled down my chest.

“Said, not closer.” He rose to his feet. “Not closer.”

No. He’d moved sideways, no nearer to me.

I held my wrist tighter. Damn Baratican’s and their literal interpretations.

I stared at the wreckage. “Please tell me there’s another done?”

“There is another, however it must pass the Baratican to reach you, and you have established you will not hurt yourself over the destruction of a drone.”

I swallowed. There was only one thing to do.

“Thor,” I yelled. “Help, Thor.”

The other Baratican paced lengthwise where he stood. Not coming an inch closer. Not moving an inch farther.

“Thor, help,” I yelled. The sound bounced around the cave, amplifying and expanding.

Just how good was his hearing?

My stomach churned. It better be freaking excellent.

“Knife down.” The Baratican tugged off his helmet.

The blade nearly went through my neck.

I squealed. This warrior was not like Thor.

My legs turned jellied like someone yanked out my quadriceps. His skin gleamed lime green. Two slits fluttered on either side of his neck.

Gills, he had fucking gills.

“Holy shit,” I whispered. “Is that even a Baratican?”

“Has it not occurred that each Baratican has his own unique genetic linage?”

I licked my lips. It had—but I’d assumed that Baraticans were like the brown eyes gene, they dominated .

That Thor was standard.

Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was the exception not the rule.

Maybe he was special .

“Shall wait.” He stopped his pacing to face me.

His features were bold and just as masculine as Thor’s.

Strangely attractive, even with the gills.

“Go ahead and hold your brea—” I groaned. They didn’t even really need to breathe. “Just you go on and wait then. I can do this all damn day.”

“Crestonian will fatigue. Will require rest.” He pointed one long knobbly finger at me. “Baratican not.”

Dammit .

“Surrender, and will make careful mating.”

My bicep already strained. I was fucked. Literally . I’d be boned before nightfall.

I cleared my throat. “Not going to happen.”

He folded his arms in a gesture so Thor, my heart nearly broke from it. Oh Jesus. I didn’t want to be fish-man’s bride.

There was only one space dude I wanted to be mated by.

I sniffled. Damn, not this again. Space messed with my hormones. What even was the lunar cycle in here?

Phase crybaby?

Probably designed to mess with a female’s mind like everything else on the sneaky manipulative planet.

Everything that smelled good wanted to poison you.

Everyone who looked good wanted to hijack your uterus.

I switched knife hands.

My arm stung where I’d sliced it, the throb demanding attention. I ignored it. It definitely hurt less than a Warrior boner would in my lady parts.

Another growl joined the sound.

I glanced at the tunnel.

My chest concaved with relief.

He wore his helmet and cape, but even with them I knew him at a glance. “Thor.”

He stared at the other Baratican, and snarled.

The other warrior turned to Thor, and made a gesture with his arm. They both froze.

Thor threw back his head, and unleashed a sound that boomed through the cave. Vibration thundered under my feet.

I dropped the knife, clamping my hands over my ears.

Movement swirled around me.

Baratican’s emerged from tunnels like a wave of ants summoned by the sound. They flooded the cave. Cloaks and horned helmets blocked my view.

I scrambled up onto a large boulder, peering over the swarming crowd. “Thor!”

A Warrior in the crowd glanced at me.

I raised a hand but he turned away. A circle formed around Thor and Gill Guy.

The other Baratican placed his helmet back on.

“What’s happening, Macca?”

“A challenge has been issued.”

My churning stomach clenched. “He’s going to fight another warrior for me?”

No. What had I done?

“He must.”

A large, even larger than the rest, Baratican, moved to the center of the circle. Long dark dreadlocks hung out of his helmet, swishing around his waist with movement. He drew two long swords from his belt, and plunged the tips into the dirt, then retreated.

The two Warriors lunged for the swords, each grabbing a hilt, and yanked them from the ground.

“That’s Baratican steel isn’t it?” I raised up onto my toes, frantically trying to see. “They can hurt him…”

Lumps formed in my throat.

The swords clashed, sending warbling sounds rippling. The crowd shifted, cutting off my view.

I jumped off the rock and shoved through the people, bursting through the front. Hands clamped on my shoulders.

I glanced up.

A woman held me—an actual woman .

She shook her head, long floaty white hair swirled around her. The alien woman drew me back against her lithe body, and held me with an arm across my chest. Firm, but protective.

Steel sung.

My attention jerked back to the fight.

Thor lunged. The other Baratican jumped, rising high into the air, and landed on the other side of him.

Thor moved in a whirl, black-flipping to face his opponent.

Gill Guy’s sword dashed out.

Thor’s cloak fell to the ground, but he dodged, and spun. His elbow connected with the other Warriors face.

The Baratican fell back, landing on the ground. His helmet disintegrated.

Then things got fast.

Flashing movements I couldn’t keep up with—until everything seemed to come to a stop.

The green alien sword crossed Thor’s chest.

His skin parted like it had a zipper, falling open an inch to reveal bright red flesh underneath.

I screamed and lunged for him.

The arm around me squeezed tighter. A soft ticking fluttered against my ear. The woman tried to tell me something.

I glance behind me. The taller woman’s striking features rippled with expression. Three round swirling marks raised on her right cheek like tattoos.

Or a brand .

She pointed a pale elegant finger at the warriors.

I looked again, my stomach seizing.

Thor still fought, his skin broken, but—

But, he didn’t bleed…

My head whirled. Macca’s words came back to me.

Baratican’s Cardiovascular system is non-comparable to humans. He has no heart.

I sagged into the other woman and watched.

A Baratican was never going to bleed out from a wound. The couldn’t be staked through the heart.

Husband not so easy kill.

No, he wouldn’t be. Not easily killed at all.

His sword swiped at the other warrior. Something went flying and landed at my feet.

My breath froze.

A fucking lime-green finger—severed at the damn joint.

I covered my mouth and watched the fight. How freaking horrendously would they maim each other in order for one to win?

What would it take?

Decapitation?

My vision blurred. Thor took another hit, this time the skin at his shoulder gaped.

No. He couldn’t be hurt, hacked to pieces, because of me.

I struggled in the female alien’s grip.

Thor staggered, but fought back.

My indestructible, gorgeous, Thor was getting injured because I’d tried to leave. Pain ruptured my middle.

Gill guy gave another leap. His foot met Thor’s throat, sending him sprawling.

“Thor,” I screamed.

He didn’t react. But he heard me. I knew he could hear me.

I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Thor, you’ve won mating.”

My chest heaved. He had won. He’d wooed me right in love with him.

“Finish this, and come get me,” I called, and everything in me meant it.

He had me completely.

Even if I was only a biological imperative to him. He wasn’t for me.

He had my whole heart.

I blinked, and scene flipped. Thor was no longer on the ground, he whirled. Gill Guy’s sword flew into the air—his hand still wrapped around the hilt.

The tip of Thor’s blade touched the other warrior’s throat at the dip that would be a collar bone.

Both Baratican’s stilled.

The giant warrior who’d provided weapons reentered the circle, and gestured to Thor.

Thor dropped the sword and turned to me.

My body unclenched all at once. He won . The woman released me and I ran to him.

He lifted me into the air mid leap.

I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my face into his neck. “I’m so sorry.”

He held me tightly, but didn’t respond, just carried me from the crowd.