Captive Temptation

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Captive Temptation By Leah Vaughn

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Dedication

I wanted to thank everyone who helped keep me going and very much sane when things were too tough. Special thanks to God for giving me the imagination to create. My wonderful family for encouraging me, and a very special thanks to my friends Chane, Anna, and Lacey, for not thrashing me when I wanted them to read my work. My super awesome editor, Lisa, for having patience with me along with some outstanding ideas. And last but not least the readers for having a passion to step inside my world.

Thanks!!

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Captive Temptation by Leah Vaughn Red Rose™ Publishing Publishing with a touch of Class! ™ The symbol of the Red Rose and Red Rose is a trademark of Red Rose™ Publishing Red Rose™ Publishing Copyright© 2009 Leah Vaughn ISBN: 978-1-60435-444-7 Cover Artist:Emmy Content editor: Lisa J. Jackson Line editor: Zena Gainer All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any ebooks away. This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Red Rose™ Publishing www.redrosepublishing.com Forestport, NY 13338 Thank you for purchasing a book from Red Rose™Publishing where publishing comes with a touch of Class!

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Captive Temptation By Leah Vaughn

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Chapter One

Gabriel „Gage‟ Tallon slammed the perp on the ground hard, seeing the rush of green blood splatter from his badly busted nose. The Regnot thrashed wildly, hissing unintelligent curses.

“Told you not to run, Drex. You didn‟t listen.” “I‟m not going back. The Alliance‟ll have my hide.” Gage didn‟t give a damn about his hide. Especially when he took shots off of his ship, had him hunting all over the galaxy to find him, and now running after him on the waterlogged planet. Gage snorted. “Not my problem.” “Awe, come on man. You know me. We go way back. Remember the Caranas?” “Yeah, where you shot me in the arm, took credits and my dart, and left me in the mountains.”

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He heard Drex cough. “Uh, still mad about that, huh? Well, I‟m sorry. Thief‟s honor, I‟ll replace your dart. Now, will you let me go?” Did he really think that was going to work? A pitiful apology and it would all be better? Gage didn‟t think so. “No. Should‟ve thought of that before you stole that last shipment of tyrilium.” Whipping the magnacuffs from his back pocket with one hand, he quickly snapped them around Drex‟s wrists with the other, hearing the familiar magnetic snap as the cuffs locked in place. “But I needed it. See, I knew this guy who could convert tyrilium into fuel for me so I wouldn‟t get caught at the fueling stations. All I had to do was give him a few credits and a caseload of liquor and he would convert anything. It was important.” Gage snorted. “Again, not my problem.” Peeling back the eye shields, Gage scanned the large perp for weapons. Four inch dagger in left boot, his inner computer sounded in his mind. He raised off of Drex enough to stab his knee in his back. Ignoring his angry howls, Gage pulled the dagger from Drex‟s boot. “Planning to gut me in my sleep, were you?” “I‟ll do more than that…”

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A flint of anger flashed through him, but he quickly pushed it back. Drex was in no position to threaten him and Gage didn‟t take threats lightly. All perps were just alike. Try playing it nice one moment then stabbing you in the back the next. But this was one who wasn‟t going to get his chance. Gage hopped off Drex, hearing him take a deep painful breath. The words of his threat died away on a gasp. He pulled Drex up short, ripping the leather collar, making sure the five-foot-seven-inch Regnot‟s feet dangled from the ground. “Threaten me again and I‟ll make sure the Alliance puts you in the smallest hole on Seophnar they can find. Do you understand?” Drex‟s eyes widened as he gulped. It wasn‟t an empty threat. Gage knew life on the prison planet wasn‟t favorable now that it was given to the Craen who believed the prisoners could better serve their time as test subjects for Craen science. “You wouldn‟t.” Gage glared at him. “Oh yes, I would. And with the bounty on your head, the Craen would pay a hefty price to get their hands on such a well-conditioned Regnot. Sound good to you, lab rat?” He had absolutely no patience for a lowlife perp who had no regard for the law whatsoever. Drex remained silent, obviously too overcome by the thought of being a Craen test subject.

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“Didn‟t think you‟d like that. Listen up, dirt bag. I‟m taking you in on the charges of „Theft of United Alliance Property, Assault of a Public Official, Theft of a Motorized Space Vehicle, Illegal Purchase and Sale of United Alliance Property, and Revocation of Parole from Sotalia Correctional Planetarium‟. Oh and just so you know, if you do anything I don‟t like, I‟ll add whatever charge that comes to my mind and make sure you go straight to Seophnar.” He didn‟t need an all clear. He knew by the look in Drex‟s beady green eyes and the pure shock on his face that he took him seriously. Tapping into his mental computer, he contacted his ship. “Daegan, I‟m ready. I got him.” Mentally, he cringed at the thought of going back to the ship. Brea, his little sister, should‟ve found her way out of the lav by now, madder than a helliot. He locked her in there for her own safety. She‟d snuck off on one of the missions and had nearly gotten killed more times than he could count. Because he was a bounty hunter and well known, she wasn‟t safe on a planet where he couldn‟t keep an eye on her. No, if she was on his ship and in his sight he could sleep better knowing she was safe. Since Daegan signed on, he had help to keep Brea on the ship as well. One look from the blue-eyed Terran and Brea usually walked away without a fight.

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Instead of Daegan, Brea came through over his internal communicator loud and clear. He heard the sharp claws of her anger simmering in her voice. “It‟s about time you got back. I hate it when you cut off your communicator. Where the hell do you get off locking me in the lav just so you can hunt on your own? Do you know how dangerous LeJester is? Why didn‟t you take Daegan with you?” Gage shoved Drex ahead. He wanted to get closer to his ship before he attempted a transport. With the tree density shutting out all sunlight, the sensors worked overtime to get a lock. “Gripe at me later, Brea. I‟m not in a safe area right now. Tell Daegan to transport me.” Impatience colored his thought. He would let her chew his ass out when he got back to the ship. Right now, his sensors picked up more than small furry life forms, and something told him they were not friendly. Brea scoffed. “Fine. Be prepared for the full deal when you get back here.” Gage rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming. “Cool. Gage out.” Drex took the wrong time to drag his feet. The last thing Gage wanted to do was stay another minute on this damned dark-ass planet with Goddess-knows what watching. Giving Drex a generous shove, Gage continued forward, ignoring Drex‟s grunt.

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“Pick up your feet, Drex. I want to get off this planet within this lifespan.” The proximity beacon on his belt chirped. The ship‟s transporters had a lock on their signal. Using his implants, he boosted the signal tapping into the ship‟s transporter systems. “Gage Tallon. Authentication accepted. Standby for transporter sequence.” The computer sounded in a synthesized female voice as he beamed onto the ship. The shimmering lights clouded his vision as the tingle took over his body on the molecular level. Within moments, he found himself on his ship standing in front of an empty brig cell. Drex stumbled forward. “Don‟t I get one communication? I need to call my amani.” Gage raised a brow. “Not right now, you don‟t. Your „mama‟ can wait.” Gage gave Drex a careless shove inside the cell. He pressed the keypad on the side panel to activate the force field. A wave of blue sparks washed across the opening, met in the middle, and disappeared. The field was invisible to the naked eye. “Enjoy your stay, Drex. It‟s going to be a long ride back to United Alliance space.” With a sly smirk, Gage turned and left the brig heading for his quarters. Goddess above, he needed a shower in the worst way. The stiff humid jungles of LeJester left a strong stench of mold and swamp water on his clothing that the few

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nanites in his system couldn‟t fight. He was an enhanced human, not a war droid. He didn‟t have „fragrant repeller‟ nanites to mask his scent. He just dealt with it until he got back to the ship and let the sonic shower do all the dirty work. The moment he turned the corner, he collided into Brea. Well, her head hit his chest. On impact, she gave an „oof‟, the wind knocked out of her lungs. Startled, he wrapped his arms around her out of reflex. “Stars above, Brea are you all right? I didn‟t see you.” She righted herself, pulled out of his grasp, and stared at him with angry hazel green eyes. “I just bet you didn‟t.” He found it amusing the way she rolled her neck as she talked, but didn‟t dare let her know that. “I had a feeling you weren‟t going to the bridge. You know, one day, you‟re gonna get yourself killed on one of these no brain missions.” Gage sighed and rubbed his temples. He didn‟t need this now. After chasing Drex through the dark swamps of LeJester, nearly eaten by something which he could only make out with his ocular implant, he was bone tired. Every slippery piece of sludge slid into the crevices of his body and he was in terrible need of a shower. Not to mention, the bed called for him like a siren‟s song. “Not now, Brea. Can‟t you see I need a shower?”

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Moving around her, he continued to his room. He heard her footfalls on the bulkhead behind him and tried hard not to sigh too loud. “I don‟t care. I‟m supposed to be your partner, but you always lock me in the lav, Gage. What do you have to say to that?” He could almost hear the steam shooting from her ears as she talked. He didn‟t dare look back at her. “You are not my partner. I only bring you along because there‟s not a safe place for you.” “And locking me in the lav every time you go on a mission is a good place? Be serious, Gage. I‟m well past sixteen now, bro.” Okay, so it wasn‟t such a good idea to lock Brea in the lav, but how else was he going to keep her safe? He‟d known where Drex was for hours. It took lots of cunning to trap her in the lav. He thought nothing of it to lock her in, get his gear, and set out to find Drex. He told himself he would deal with her wrath later. “Daegan is supposed to be my pilot. You‟re supposed to be my medic.” “I‟m surprised you haven‟t ran him off. Someone has to step in and protect your bionic butt or you‟re gonna end up doing something stupid and get yourself killed. Then what will I tell Terras? That Gage finally bit it trying to catch some perp while I was locked in the lav…again?” Terras didn‟t give a rat‟s ass about him. All he wanted were his credits, and his ships in one piece. Oh, and maybe a piece of ass from Brea to sweeten the deal,

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but that was a cold day in hell coming. He‟d never ask his sister do something like that with a slimeball like Terras. He‟d rather build on that pirate-like rage and run him through like he thought about doing so many times when Terras pinched his sister‟s ass. He pushed the surge of brotherly rage aside. “I don‟t think Terras gives a shit about me or you. Just give him a few thousand credits and he‟s fine.” Brea rolled her neck, obviously offended. “Well, I care about your dumb ass. Isn‟t that enough? Couldn‟t we stop hunting down perps and find a nice planet to settle down?” He needed this job. Since he was old enough to get away from the orphanage, he had only one goal, to find a better life for Brea. She didn‟t need to pay for their father‟s idiotic mistakes. After their father lost them in a bet, Brea came close to being raped by Cylians. The Hudani government rescued the siblings and sent them to an orphanage on the outskirts of Thean. “Not enough for me to stop.” There weren‟t a lot of prospects out here on this side of the Alliance. After the Altarians defeated the Cylians, doors opened for his people, the Hudani, but not by much. Still behind by a hundred years, stuck on a desert planet, Hudan wasn‟t warp capable. When the Altarians came, and he was old enough, he got off the water-deprived planet and searched for any work he could find in order to get

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his sister in his care. The more money to pay off his father‟s gambling debts, the better off Brea would be not knowing what kind of life their father lived. That being the fuel for his ambitions, Gage had to keep going. For Brea. “Did you ever give Setia a thought or Zytera? Maybe you can quit this and go to a better job.” “It‟s not that easy, Brea. You need money to do that.” “What about all the credits you have saved up?” Gage raised a brow. “How do you know about that?” Brea blew him off with a shrug. “That‟s not the point, Gage. I think it‟s time to settle down and get out of this damned ship.” She paused for a second only to take a deep breath before she really started drilling him. Reaching his quarters, he quickly keyed in his code. He looked down at his baby sister with her eyes blazing blind fury, one hand on her rounded hip, her chest jutted out in defiance and the other finger pointed high in the air. “Are you even listening to me, Gabriel?” It was a battle to keep down the grin that threatened to surface. Of course it would make her mad, but to see him tower over her little five-foot-four-inch form while she chastised him again for leaving her on the ship during a mission was a lot more amusing than he could hold back.

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“Sorry, sis. Had to be done. I‟ll lock you in better next time.” He gave her a quick kiss her on the cheek before he dashed into his room. The door slid closed behind him. He made sure he locked it or she could come barging in to finish griping at him. Not wasting any time, he stripped from his mud-caked clothes and dumped them in the cleaning shoot as he headed for the lav. The door slid away and he whispered a command through his implants to the sonic shower. He let the cloud of steam engulf him as he stepped into the shower. The vibes and water vapor tingled his aching and tired muscles through his skin. He leaned against the wall, letting the shower do its magic. Gage allowed his mind to wander. This one moment of peace until his next mission. In the shower was the only time he ever got the chance. As always, one person in particular came to mind. Naeva Orien. His mental computer displayed an image of her as commanded, the only one that he had of her. Her brown hair cut short to taper her heart-shaped face, stylish and sophisticated, her full kissable lips slightly upturned in a sly smile. Her deep brown eyes shined with the twinkle of promise, a spirit that could never be conquered. When they were children, she‟d come to live with them at the orphanage on Hudani. Her father worked as the resident doctor. Though she was always alone, she could never be overlooked. Her personality and spirit seemed to shine like the

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brightest nebula star, with the hopes and dreams of being accepted by her father. Yet, Naeva was always the target for her brother Lechan‟s rage because of the lack of attention her father showed him. That‟s where Gage stepped in. He watched over her and protected her as if she were his own sister. Together, Gage, Naeva, and Brea formed their own unbreakable bond and it had worked for a while, until Naeva and her family had to leave the facility when her father accepted a job at ChemaTech. Naeva never lost contact with them. She always wrote them, sent them holo-vid letters of herself, and told them how well she was doing. For the first few years, the letters came every week. She would send the communication and make sure there was some special trinket for Brea who at the time was ten seasons. As time passed, the letters became less frequent. First, once every two weeks, then once a month, until they stopped. When he left the orphanage, he searched for Naeva, not knowing what had happened to her. For a while, he was a United Alliance officer serving as a security chief on the U.A. Starship Galatea. He was young and inexperienced, but willing to give being a U.A. officer an effort. For two years, he worked up from cadet to lieutenant commander, using his status to find Naeva until the weight of his duties started to take a mental strain out on him.

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With the mounting pressure of finding Naeva, and fighting over Brea‟s custody, he eventually left the Galatea and the U.A., to be alone. He teamed up with a group of bounty hunters that taught him all about hunting for criminals for the Alliance, earned enough to pay for his own ship, and had his sister placed into his custody. With everything in order as it should, he continued to look for Naeva. That was before the bar fight that nearly killed him. Two Santiryian runners kidnapped Brea from a Lyarina outpost. He hunted them down, vengeance and fury fueling him. He found her alive, but badly beaten. In a fit of rage, he killed them, but not before their venomous blood infected his own. He hovered close to death. The poison ate away at his system. He lost his right eye, his left arm and leg, both of his kidneys, his heart, and a good part of his brain. The only way to save his life was to infuse his body with the latest cybernetic technology. When he came to, the angel looking over him was Naeva, now known as Dr. Naeva Orien of ChemaTech. She saved him by implanting him with the best of her medical inventions and stayed by his side to make sure they were working properly. Call it the patient falling for the doctor, but it was something much more. Since then, Naeva has always held a special part in his heart. As a boy in the orphanage, he looked forward to seeing her, talking to her. As a man, he wanted to see more of her.

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Every couple months, he scheduled appointments just to see her or if too far from Alliance Space, he called her. He memorized her scent down to the exact fragrance she purchased, the exact color of her hair. What had him reeling every time were her eyes. Dark as Gurillian chocolate and just as rich and full of life. As a woman, she was lovely. Her hair had grown longer across her shoulders, though she always kept it pulled up tight into a serviceable bun. Full breasts shyly hidden by the bulkiness of her lab coat accented full hips he‟d loved to see more of. The thought of them sent a powerful jolt of awareness straight to his cock. Lately, she was the only woman he thought about. Every time he saw her, he wanted to tell her how much he wanted her. The fire inside him had always burned hot for her, which often took long, cold showers like this to sate him for a time, but it wasn‟t enough then or even now. The short reprieve always ended, leaving him aching and hard. He needed her, wanted her. His cock hardened as the vision of her in his mind changed. He knelt over her as she welcomed him into her waiting arms. The softness of her body contrasted to the hardness of his muscles. He took his cock in his hand, using his implants to command the jet to open the water main for the showerhead. “Naeva.”

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With a groan, he leaned against the wall, bracing himself with one hand and sliding his other hand up the length of his shaft. He was hard, the thick part of him jutting in his hand, the vein pulsating, throbbing with pent up need. As was always the way when he thought of her. The vision of his thick shaft sliding into her hot slick opening as she moaned his name was enough to bring him to the brink. He groaned, moving his large hand from the base of his cock up to the mushroomed head. He imagined taking her roughly, her moans and hitches of breathing driving him over the edge. His hand moved faster, his face rigid with tension. Fulfillment, at least for the moment, would happen soon. He moaned her name once more and felt his release shoot up from his scrotum, erupting into his hand, yet it wasn't enough to imagine it was her hot center. Gage leaned against the corner as the shivers slowly subsided. The woman had an effect on him even when she wasn‟t near him. It had been too long since he talked to her and that wasn‟t like her. Patience was not his forte, but Naeva never went longer than two weeks without a single letter or call. A year of steady communication and now, nothing. Three weeks had come and gone and his patience washed away a moment ago, down the drain.

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The last time he talked to her, on a two-minute stint, in which she promised to call back, she was working on a new formula that would change the way medicenters would help patients. The call never came. He tried a couple of times since then, just to put his mind at ease, but she never answered. Deep down in his gut, he knew something was wrong. He didn‟t need his implants to tell him that. Naeva wasn‟t the kind of person to drop out of the universe. Especially now, since they just found each other, since he realized his feelings for her were growing again. His mind still ran over facts as he finished his shower. Lying across the bed right now was out of the question. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked into the bedroom. The red message light blinked on his desktop communicator. When he touched the screen, Tara‟s smiling face flashed onto the screen. Her dark eyes showed concern, yet her smile never faltered. “Gage. Check out this latest news stream and call me as soon as you can.” The stream played the moment Tara‟s message cleared. A gray picture of Naeva flashed across the screen before being replaced with a view of the ChemaTech Science Facility. Now he knew for sure something was wrong. Naeva was never in the news, no matter what her accomplishments. The newscaster in the corner never stopped through the pictures.

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“Computer, increase sound.” It complied with a chirp, allowing the sound to filter through the cabin‟s sound system. “Doctor Naeva Orien is wanted by the United Alliance authorities for questioning in the murder of her father, ChemaTech CEO John Orien.” At the mention of the company name, Gage‟s stomach hit his feet within seconds. “Also murdered on the scene were doctors Tyrlan Zoiltan, Liz Goldberg, and Gobrak Letchan which occurred at the ChemaTech facilities on Devola three weeks ago. Details are sketchy, but…” Gage waved a hand over the communicator, ending the communication. He‟d heard all he needed to hear. No, she wasn‟t in trouble. Deep shit was more like it. He watched the swirling silver screensaver for a second thinking how many times had he called ChemaTech only to get Naeva‟s message center telling that she‟s on vacation. Or calling her home on Rixa to get the same thing. He couldn‟t bring himself to call there anymore. “Computer, hail United Alliance Law Enforcement.” After a long pause and several beeps, Tara‟s smiling face lit the small screen. “Gage. It‟s about time. I‟ve been trying to contact you for days now. Did you get my message?” “Yeah. When did this happen?”

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“A couple weeks ago, Gage. Jesus, where have you been? It‟s been plastered all over the Net.” “Hunting Drex on LeJester. I lost communication.” “I figured you did. That‟s why I took the liberty to have the news stream sent to you on high priority with the U.A.‟s blessing.” “Can you really do that?” Tara shrugged. “What they don‟t know ain‟t gonna hurt them and they only know what I tell them anyway.” The Naeva he knew would never hurt anyone. Let alone her father. Someone went through a lot of trouble to get to her. “What‟s the bounty on her?” “Seven-hundred-fifty thousand credits alive or dead. All I can say is whoever wants her doesn‟t care about price.” Only a desperate person would put such a high price on a dead body. With that amount there was no telling who would be willing to go after her. Tara frowned. “I see that look in your eye, Gage.” Gage blinked. He could feel his face setting like stone with his emotions. “I don‟t know what you‟re talking about.” “Don‟t give me that. I‟ve known you for years, Mr. Tallon, and I know when there‟s a story in those stormy green eyes.”

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Gage shrugged. “And who could hide anything from you, the best sleuth this side of the temporal rift?” “That‟s right.” She chuckled. “Grease the squeaky wheel. Change that look on your face.” ”What look?” “That „I‟m gonna kick some ass‟ look.” She shook her head. “Might as well give you the information. If not you‟ll just go charging in there anyway. Even the universal tracker coordinates.” “How did you come across those?” “That‟s the fishy part about this whole ordeal. You were requested to this job.” “Me? From what company.” “ChemaTech.” When he didn‟t say anything, she continued. “Uh-huh, probably because of your doctor-friend.” At his raised brow, she added. “I have a nose for these things.” The download completed with a couple beeps. “Good luck, Gage. Watch your back and try not to beat the hell out of everyone you see.” “You always this concerned about the other bounty hunters, Tara?” Tara laughed. Her full breasts bouncing with each giggle. “Only cute ones.” “Ouch.”

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“Seriously, Gage. Watch your caboose.” “Will do. Gage out.” There was little time to waste. His need to find her overpowered everything, even his will to sleep. He opened the file and viewed the tracking coordinates. Credit account statements, Gallactic Passport activity, and data chip identifier scrolled through the screen. The last time she used anything was near the Praxian Pleasure district. Two weeks of no activity and the records took on the look of a missing person, until a few days ago when her credit account was emptied then blocked…from Praxa. “Gage to Daegan.” Daegan‟s yawn was the first thing he heard before he said anything. “Yeah, Cap. How can I help ya?” “You sound tired, Daegan.” “I feel tired, sir. What‟s up?” Daegan never like the formalities. His Earth English and Deep Texas twang were more pronounced when he was sleepy. “You know anything about Praxa?” “Just that it‟s a crowded planet full of gambling, sex, and hormonal rain water. Why?” “Because it‟s our next job. I have to pick up a potential murder suspect who‟s wanted for questioning. A seven-hundred-fifty-thousand credit bounty. I‟m

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sending up the coordinates.” To the computer he said, “Computer, configure the sensors to the Universal Tracking coordinates and set a course.” The computer beeped. “Tracking…Coordinates for Naeva Orien have been entered. Destination: the Praxian Pleasure colonies.” “Someone‟s going through a lot a trouble to get one little woman. Do I want to know why?” Gage heard the apprehension in his voice. Daegan had a reason to be worried. Praxa was known for being the gateway to hidden trouble, and if Naeva was there, she was in great danger. “I‟ll fill you in on the way.”

Naeva Orien woke to the sound of thunder crashing around her. Lightning streaked across the sky. The brief flash shed some light into her dark compartment. She ran a shaky hand across her sweat-streaked face. Dark strands of hair were plastered to her, playing with her vision. Her thigh-length silver nightgown clung to her body as if it were her very skin. The vision of blood and sounds of gunfire faded, but Naeva could still see it when she briefly closed her eyes. The night a few weeks past when her colleagues died haunted her as if it happened that very night.

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She could still see their heads, pale in death, and exposed from the halfzipped body bags in the morgue. She had awakened alone, covered in her own blood, with no one there to greet her save the faces of her dead colleagues. She was grateful to be alive. Then again, she was not. The serum worked, but what a horrible price to pay for science. Tyrlan, Liz, Gobrak, and Haiyani were all dead. She went to her father, the only one besides herself who would know what was going on, seeking answers, only to find him dead also. A bullet hole marred the smooth brown flesh of his forehead. The only clue that she had been there were her recent fingerprints on the keypad at his door. The whole night was still a blur, but she did manage to identify her killers. The men who stormed the research lab had to be employees of ChemaTech. She closed her eyes briefly, trying her best to remember as much as she could. The killers didn‟t have normal energy pistols. No, they carried antique semi-automatic handguns that had been banned nearly a century before. The loud bang still sounded in her mind, along with the acrid smell of the spent gunpowder, and the after effects of carnage left in its wake. Tears welled in her eyes anew at the thought of seeing her father slumped low in his seat, his eyes dark and lifeless staring ahead. She wiped away the tears, running a shaky hand through her hair. She could still see the blood on her hands,

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caking her once white lab coat and the ChemaTech fatigues she wore. The thought of blood, dead bodies, and the smell of the crematorium ablaze with burning flesh, sent Naeva‟s stomach into a violent twist. She dashed from the bed to the lav. The hideaway toilet slid in front of her before the contents in her stomach spilled from her lips. Naeva stood from the commode and grabbed a small hand towel by the sink. She didn‟t want to look at herself in the mirror. The strong, self-assured, and confident woman was now dead. A small, frightened mouse of a woman looked back at her with haunted dark eyes. Naeva activated the sonic shower, ignoring the sonic pulse over her own thoughts, always thinking of the next step. Gabriel taught her that. I never let down my guard for a second. One slip and I‟m dead. If something happens, you‟ll have to do the same thing. But lately, it didn‟t help that she always kept one step ahead of law enforcement. No matter what, she still felt in danger and alone. Here on Praxa, she could be discreet. No doubt she had a tracker on her heels who could find her at any moment, but with the block on her credit account, she used what little resources the little planet had to offer... She got a job. Being a serving wench wasn‟t so bad. No one asked her questions about her bruises, and with the way she dressed, they probably thought it was part of the

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job. Yet what would you expect from brainless buffoons who wanted to look up her skirt. She had to be careful who she told, a selected few. Mylea, her childhood friend, ran the Pleasure Hotel where she slept. It was for that reason, and the fact that Mylea wouldn‟t stop pestering her, that she told her. Even though it took a while to tell her, Naeva felt her trust was always safe with her, like so many other secrets that were kept. Naeva glanced quickly at the time. Mylea would be here soon to take her to work. She sighed, bathed quickly, and dressed. The silk togaq slipped off one shoulder, revealing the remains of an ugly purplish bruise on her otherwise cinnamon brown skin. Only thigh-length, the small dress showed off her long brown legs, with three-inch high heels encasing her feet. The purple bruises made her self-consciousness. Revealing them meant more questions she had no intention answering. Yet, since tissue generators were banned on the entire planet, there was nothing she could do except rearrange, deal with it, and go on. She pulled the flower clip out of her hair, allowing it to fall across her shoulders. She arranged it around her to hide the bruises, and used the hair clip to keep it in place.

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The small rap on the door startled her so much her heart nearly stopped. A sharp spike of fear raced through her. Reaching under the table, she unsnapped the energy pistol and aimed it at the door. “Who is it?” The hostile edge in her voice showed she was all business. “Nae, it‟s me.” Mylea sounded through the door. “Open up.” Naeva lowered the pistol, sighing in relief. On command, she released the lock and allowed Mylea to come in. ”Don‟t you get tired of being in here all day?” Naeva didn‟t answer. It was always better to be safer than sorry. She placed the pistol on the table the moment the magnetic lock secured the door. She could feel the steel of Mylea‟s stare on the back of her head. “Stop looking at me. I‟m fine.” “Well, you don‟t look fine.” Mylea sighed. “Nae, you don‟t have to do this. I can give you the money to get a transport to wherever you want. Unless...is there anyone else you can trust to protect you?” Naeva looked at the sadness in Mylea‟s face, wanting so bad to take the money and run, but it wouldn‟t be right. Taking it would put her in danger. She shrugged. "I can't call him." Naeva closed off her expression, a sign that part of their conversation was at an end. No, Gage was the last person she wanted to get

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involved. Regardless of what happened between them years ago, she doubted he would say no to her if she asked. But she didn‟t want to. The pride within her wouldn‟t let her. “Thanks, but I don‟t want to bother him with my problems.” “If you were a bother, Naeva,” Mylea said, placing her hands on her hips, “then you would not be here. Are you afraid someone will recognize you?” Of course she was afraid. There wasn‟t a point in time when she had not. “Have they?” Mylea shook her head. “No. To everyone you‟re just a working girl and I like to keep it that way.” Mylea smiled, a little mischievous twinkle danced in her eyes. She gave Naeva the once-over checking out her uniform. “You look perfect. No one is ever going to suspect you are Dr. Orien.” Regrettably, she took a look at herself in the mirror. She could still see the faint bruise on her shoulder and the fading scar of the near-fatal wound through the fabric. No one else knew it was there, but she always knew, a constant reminder that what happened to her and the danger she was in was real. Her eyes, which usually shined, now stared at her, lifeless and withdrawn, full of caution. Dr. Naeva Orien, the loving, caring hematologist was gone. She looked way from the mirror, closing her eyes against the pain in her heart. “She‟s dead. I don‟t know who I am anymore.”

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Mylea gave her a sideways glance, shook her head, and then chuckled. “Stay here like that and you‟re bound to find out.” She placed a set of cards down on the table. “These are your access cards. They will get you anywhere on the pleasure planet. Keep up with them. I pulled some strings and got you a job with a bartender in Leander who owes me a favor. Draxus is waiting downstairs to take you there. It‟s near the hotel and transports, just in case.” As Naeva reached for the cards, she felt her shoulder catch. The pain shot up her arm like white-hot lightning for a second, causing her to stop and hiss at the pain. Though she was more focused on her shoulder, she didn‟t miss the sudden downturn of Mylea‟s full red lips. “Are you sure you won‟t have the medical examiner look over your bruises? Make sure everything‟s okay?” Naeva shook her head. “Yes, I‟m sure. It‟s too risky. The moment I‟m scanned, they‟ll know for sure who I am and will report me to law enforcement. I‟m fine, really.” That didn‟t instill enough confidence in Mylea. Her look never changed. “Look, My. I‟m really grateful for all you‟ve done. I‟ll pay you back. I promise.”

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Mylea sighed through thin closed lips. Naeva wondered if she was thinking of a good reason to just haul her down to the nearby medlab, but Mylea‟s eyes soften as she cupped Naeva‟s face. A gentle, restrained smile tugged on her lips. “Just be okay. That‟s payment enough. Spirit knows you‟ve had enough excitement.” Naeva nodded, trying not to cry. Mylea was like an overprotective sister to her ever since she‟d been on Praxa. Patting her on the shoulder, Mylea made her way to the door. “We‟ll meet up later at Satara‟s for dinner. You look as if you could use a drink and a good time. I‟ll be outside,” she said before walking out the door. Naeva took one last look at herself before heading out. This had to be a good idea. Yet no matter what little confidence she felt, it was always overpowered by the fear of discovery. She squashed it quickly, looking at herself stern in the mirror. I‟m okay. I‟m safe. No one‟s going to find me here, she told herself over and over before walking out the door.

Mylea watched the transport pull away with Naeva inside before she reached between her breasts and pulled out the communicator. The small blue viewer brightened waiting on her command.

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“Hail Gage Tallon.” After several beeps his voice came back with a couple beeps. “Tallon here.” “Okay. It‟s all set. She‟s going to work on Leander. Now, can I trust you not to fork her over to law enforcement until you see what‟s going on?” “You wouldn‟t have called me if you couldn‟t, My.” Mylea waved down a passing transport. “No games, Gage. If I find out this girl is in any danger, I‟m going to personally find your ass and skewer you in the tar pits on Taurus.” Gage let out a whistle. “Yes, ma‟am. You have my promise. Gage out.” Mylea stepped into the transporter, pulling in the tail of her dress. “I just hope little Naeva could find it in her heart to forgive me for doing it.”

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Chapter Two

Naeva finished cleaning the empty tables at the end of her shift. The bar was hopping, getting ready for the hot evening of swing. The music thumped through the sound system to the dance floor surrounding the bar. Several couples danced around the floor. The way one couple ground their bodies together showed how the effects of too much drink and too little judgment gets to a person. Colorful lights shined down on the dance floor, hypnotizing onlookers and drunks. In a way, keeping the peace. She tried hard not to think about how long she had been on her feet, but the way they throbbed made it hard not to complain. Since she didn‟t feel like voicing her pain, Naeva settled on a frustrated sigh instead. Every muscle in her body ached as if she were fifty years old. She chuckled. This was harder work than she was used to, but she was grateful for what little credits she could find. No matter how much her feet hurt, her arm bothered her, or she wished she could just leave, this was better than being in the crematorium half-dead.

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“Nae,” Kregg sounded from the bar. The silver-haired Terran never took his attention from the glass in his hand. “Drop those glasses off by the kitchen window and come up here. I have another round of drinks for table seven.” She looked over at the rough bunch of Milans laughing and drinking as they loosely held onto their empty drinking mugs. She tried not to roll her eyes, but the thought of going back over to that table where gray, dirt-encrusted hands ALWAYS pinched her ass was not something she was looking forward to. “On my way.” As she rounded a table on her way back to the bar, she felt a hard smack on her ass. It startled her to almost dropping the empty glasses on the serving platter. The madder she became, the more her ass stung, another ache to add with the others. “Hey, sweet ass. Could we get some service?” Naeva closed her eyes against the white-hot anger boiling her blood. A fucking Crellean. Not just any random Crellean, the same one who gave her trouble two nights in a row and the same one Kregg said to stay away from. She could feel his crimson eyes looking over her in lust. His silvery scales didn‟t hold their usual shine, as if he never kept clean. The pungent stench of sweat, dirt, and an unclean body assaulted her nose, and almost cut off her air supply.

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Calm down, Naeva. Don‟t get into trouble now, she thought over and over. She would‟ve given him a punch in the nose for putting his hands on her, but Kregg had put a stop to that. His words rang through her mind. Keep hold of your temper here. Some dangerous people come through those doors and I don‟t want a pretty thing like you hurt. Slowly, she pivoted, flashing her best smile yet eyes of pure acid. “What can I do for you today, sir?” Thin lips spread into a deviously dangerous smile. The Crellean leaned forward, eyeing her as if she were for sale. “What I want you to do is come to my ship for a real good time.” Oh, no he didn‟t. She wanted so bad to give him a piece of her mind, just once. Let all the anger and the frustration of the few weeks out, just to pulverize one person, but something told her he would like that too much. All niceness left her voice. “I‟m sorry, sir. I‟m not on the menu.” His scaly hand snaked out, gripping her arm as she turned to leave. The harsh yank back to him made her head spin. She landed on his lap, her glasses crashing onto the floor. His bulge pressed into the silk of her skirt. His crimson eyes were as cold as ice, chilling her boiling blood. “Who said you could leave?” Naeva arched away from him. “I did. Now, let go of me.”

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Despite her display of bravery, her pulse raced. She quivered like a mouse caught in a trap. He pressed her hard against the leather vest of his protective gear. She pushed against him, trying hard not to wretch at the rank smell of his skin. His cold laughter chilled her to the bone. “What‟s the matter, sweetheart? You don‟t like a man‟s touch? Maybe you prefer a woman‟s touch instead.” “You can go to hell. Just mad because I don‟t like yours. Let me go.” He pulled her back. Her tired muscles were just no match for his rancid smell. “I could use a little pretty thing like you. You‟d make me a lot of money. I should just take you now and see just how good you could be.” A hand slapped soundly on his shoulder. “Don‟t think so, pal.” Kregg stood behind them, a compacted lightning stick in his hand. “I think what you want ain‟t on the menu, son. I suggest you let her go and leave.” He eyed the Crellean with pure malice, as if weighing the decision to run him through. Make no mistake. Kregg‟s fighting trophies hung throughout the bar in full display as a challenge to anyone. The Crellean took his eyes away from Naeva for a second to look down at the lightning stick. Kregg pushed the button, expanding it to full length. The Crellean scowled yet, it took a second before he released his hold of Naeva.

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Naeva rose quickly, and backed away from him to stand behind Kregg. She fought hard to stop her skin from crawling, but it was going to be a while before that stopped. She straightened her skirt, pulling it back down to mid-thigh. “I suggest you leave my bar now, before things really get ugly.” The Crellean growled at him before standing. His nonchalant stance showed no fear whatsoever. ”I‟ll be back for you, sweetness. Make no mistake about that.” He turned, pushing his way past the crowd. His large hands pushed people out of the way two at a time. She finally relaxed when he disappeared through the door. Her relief was short lived the moment she looked at the broken glasses at her feet. She‟d gone a week without breaking a single glass and now her perfect record was…broken. He‟s probably going to take it out of my check, she thought as she stooped to pick up the larger pieces of glass. Kregg stopped her. His gentle grip on her shoulders as he pulled her back to standing calmed her nerves somewhat. “Don‟t worry about that mess. I‟ll take care of that.” His clear blue eyes touched hers with such tenderness her heart stuttered. “They‟re just glasses” “Rellean crystal glasses.” The correction slipped from her lips faster than she could stop it. She clamped her hand over her mouth to stop anything else from escaping.

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Kregg chuckled. “That I am aware of, but it‟s okay. He‟s a troublemaker. Always coming in here and messing with my girls.” She watched him deactivate the fighting stick and slip it into his pocket. He rolled his shoulders as if nothing had happened. “Aren‟t you the least bit upset?” His eyes flashed angry for a second before dying away in the swell of ocean that was his eyes. He sent her a wink, yet she wasn‟t fooled for a second. He was furious. “Oh, I‟m practically pissed off, but I‟ll get over it. Besides, I‟ll just put it on his tab and send his employer the bill.” Naeva chuckled. Kregg had a point. Why get mad when you could get even? “Tell you what,” Kregg said, taking the drink platter from a passing attendant. “Take this drink to table eight and call it a night.” “What about my shift?” she asked, not knowing if she should take it. He handed her the platter and smiled. “I‟m not a spring chicken, Nae.” She raised a brow. “What?” “I forget you‟re not from my sector of space.” He shook his head, laughing. “We can handle it. Just give this to him,” he yanked his head in table eight‟s direction, “and go home. Besides, you‟ve had enough excitement tonight already.” “Thanks.”

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Before she knew it, the platter was in her hands. Then he spun her in the right direction. The customer who sat at the table was an eyeful. His dark blond hair blew wildly in the slight breeze from the front door. His dirt-streaked face told of his hard work. He must have come straight from the tyrilium mines near here, desperate to relieve himself of a hard day‟s work. He looked at her as she approached, his jewel-like blue eyes flashed with a shimmer of recognition for a moment then morphed back to a cool indifferent stare. “Thanks,” he murmured, taking the clear glass into impressively clean hands. She stared at his large fingers with fascination. It struck her as odd that he would be dirty all over his body, but his hands looked as if he had a shower and scrubbed them clean. This wasn‟t just an ordinary mine worker. When he looked back at her, Naeva quickly turned and walked away, tucking the platter under her arm. Maybe it was a good idea to take Kregg up on his offer and call it a night.

Daegan watched the waitress as she moved through the crowd to the back of the bar. Dr. Naeva Orien, he corrected himself. The woman wasn‟t wearing her

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normal green ChemaTech fatigues and her white lab coat. No, she wore a skimpy little outfit that displayed the best pair of shapely thin legs he‟d ever seen on a woman. “Daegan to the Hunter.” He had to swallow before talking into the communicator. The tightness he felt in his throat while looking at Naeva‟s plump backside almost gave him away. “Hunter here. You find something?” “Yeah. She‟s here.” “You sure?” A couple of Tefari in the next booth looked at him curiously. He sent them a quick nod before turning towards the window. “Of course I‟m sure, and there is no way she‟s dressed as a doctor.” Daegan didn‟t mistake the growl through the earpiece for one second. His boss was ticked off. “On my way.” There was no joy or relief in his boss‟s voice. Only business. “Meet me at the transports near the back of the bar. And don‟t lose her.” “Will do, boss. Daegan out.” Daegan quickly downed the drink then rose from the table after placing a few credits under the glass. He left the bar, heading for the transport cove across the street. Gage stood there a moment later, thanks to the transporter system his computer was linked to. He nodded to Daegan, universal signal to transport back to the ship. His job

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was done. No way, he thought, would he disclose the cretin that practically mauled her. They had enough to worry about, getting to the bottom of things, than having Gage go off on a wild rampage. Instead, Daegan allowed the transporter mist to surround him, taking him back to the ship.

Naeva heard the rain hitting the awning before she made it to the door. Tonight had been long and weird, even if her shift was ending early. The only thing she wanted to do now was get to her hotel room and take advantage of the sonic shower. The rain was light, as always. Though the rain was usually longer, tropical storms were rare because of the satellites which controlled the weather from the sky. She stopped a moment, watching the raindrops hit the tops of covered darts lining the road. The streetlights made it glisten like diamonds in the night. Well, stopping now and waiting was definitely not an option. The transport would be here soon and there wouldn‟t be another for an hour. Sighing, Naeva made a run for the nearest transport cove, covering her head as she ran through the rain. She sat down the moment she was inside, leaning her head against the glass wall to catch her breath.

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Other people ran by with looks of pleasure on their faces. Though the rain was a beautiful sight to see, she hated the rain, especially on Praxa. Not because of the cold that followed, but because it made her extremely horny with no one to share it with. The rain always sped up the hormones as programmed by the weather satellite, giving everyone a sense of pleasure and well being. That‟s what made Praxa so popular. One of the many secrets, Mylea told her. Staying at the Pleasure Suites wasn‟t on her high list either. Every night during the rain since arriving on the planet, she could hear other couples taking advantage of their good feelings, yet leaving her so aroused to the point of bursting and extremely ticked off. This was the last place she needed to be. But why should she complain? At least she was alive and not burned to a crisp at the bottom of ChemaTech‟s incinerator. Naeva closed her eyes on a growl of frustration. She could already feel the chemicals work their wonder on her. She never expected to end up on Praxa. Never expected to be alive, for that matter. She didn't want to ponder why she was, but the question echoed in the deepest regions of her conscience. Lead bullets encased within her chest muscles were still in her body. She wasn‟t dead because the healing serum she was working on happened to be in her hand at the time. The bullet must have shattered the glass casing making it easier for it to get into her system. That was a pretty logical explanation, one that she

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could live with for now. Yet if testing it meant being shot, then there was no way she was going to go back to ChemaTech for answers. There was no doubt someone wanted her dead. Besides, how would it look if she were to waltz in there demanding answers when she wasn‟t supposed to be alive? The moment Naeva felt a presence enter the small cove, she opened her eyes just a slit. The man leaning against the opening stood with a hand braced against the wall. She couldn‟t tell past her thick eye lashes, but she didn‟t mask the awareness sweeping through her as he watched her. Eyes opening a little further, she got a better look at him. Spirit, he was tall. The top of his head almost brushed the threshold of the door. His shirt was damp from the rain and it dripped on the ground. She shrank back against the darkness, not wanting to draw his attention. Her heart stopped when he ran a large hand through his wet hair, revealing impossibly green eyes. “Some night we‟re having.” His voice came out in a low drawl, sending spikes of awareness through her body. She recognized his voice. Sheer coolness and strict authority laced in every syllable. The air practically stopped in her throat. Gabriel stood directly in front of her. Spirit, how did he find her here out of all the places in the galaxy? She had been so frantic about leaving clues that she scarcely used her account. It only

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dawned on her a couple of days ago that she never emptied one of her accounts or closed it. She swore to herself for being so foolish. He must have used it to track her. Willing herself to stay calm and breathe, she put her mind to work trying to figure out a quick way out of this. Maybe he didn‟t know it was her. He crowded the door, blocking her escape with his big body. His size alone made her shrink further against the cove. Oh, no. He knew it was her. Long legs carried him to the open spot right beside her. The gleam of his U.A. Law Enforcement badge caught her attention before he sat down. She inched away from his delicious warmth. As long as she didn‟t touch him, she was safe. The dark hid her features, not the touch of her skin. One touch and his sensors would know it was her. She had designed them that way, her own downfall. “Not much for conversation, I see. It‟s okay. Waiting on the transport?” Naeva nodded, willing herself to remain silent no matter how much she wanted to wrap herself around him. It had been months since she‟d lain with a man and his rich male scent invaded her senses, intoxicating her until the point her neither lips creamed. Or was it the rain water aphrodisiac? Either way, it was a good idea not to say anything at all. She knew his implants well. He could pick up her voice and identify her by pure sound alone. Another mark against her.

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The sudden urge to leave combated with the overwhelming notion to remain still, making her tremble as the fear began to take hold of her. Why the hell did I have to be the only one in the cove? He shifted on the seat, dropping his communicator on the ground. Out of reflex she bent down and picked it up. She dropped it into his waiting palm without making contact with his skin. She kept her head down out of the light, praying to the Goddess above he didn‟t gain her scent through his implants. “Thanks.” He said gruffly. She shrank back, afraid any contact with him might alert him. When a couple entered the cove, Naeva decided to make a quick getaway. “Wait.” She was almost home free and out of the door when he called to her. “You forgot your pack.” “Shit.” The silent curse left her lips. Naeva closed her eyes. She didn‟t want the damned bag, but everything she owned at the moment was in it. She walked back to him. It shouldn‟t be that hard. The bag sat several inches from him. She could just take it and run. Simple as that. Naeva stopped a moment, debating over taking the bag. Taking a reassuring breath, she reached for it. His grip quickly snaked around her arm throwing her guard to the wind. She yelped in pain, but the look in his eyes cut it short. The couple who had

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entered left as fast as they could, not wanting to be witnesses to what was about to happen. “Naeva Orien? What are you doing on a place like this?” She scowled, her fear dying down a little. “What do you think? I‟m waiting on a transport. What does it look like? Now, let me go.” She struggled against the steel of his grip, but it was useless. It was like fighting a magna steel trap. “Not until I take you back…” She cut him off. Be damned if she was ever going back to Devola. “We‟ll, you‟re going to be waiting a long time.” He jerked her hard against him. Naeva tried to block out the feel of muscles touching her almost-bare skin, but again, another useless try. The heat of his body assaulted her, heating her blood. “Spirit, woman. I don‟t have time for this. Do you know what kind of trouble you‟re in?” “Naw.” The sarcastic drawl in her voice rang through the cove. “I like hiding on seedy pleasure planets dressed as a serving wench. What do you think?” “No more running.” He dragged her towards the cove opening. “You‟re coming with me. There‟s a bounty on your head, which means there‟s plenty of people looking for you. If you come with me…” Naeva dug her heels into the ground. “Oh no, I‟m not. I‟m not going anywhere with you.”

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Again, she was pulled up against his hard body. “Look, Ms. Orien…” His attempt to keep himself civil betrayed the obvious anger in his eyes. “Friend or not, my ass is at stake here, too. If you want to end up dead, then fine. I can leave you here for the next batch of bounty hunters to find. I doubt they will be friendlier than me.” She scoffed. “Friendly? You call bruising my arm, friendly?” He scowled, staring down at the tight grip he held on her arm and released her. Seizing the little bit of freedom, Naeva back out of his arm‟s reach. All the fear building within her, she pushed as far to the back of her mind as she could. Now was not the time to be a little mouse. She squared her shoulders, giving her chin a defiant lift. “I‟m not going anywhere. Not with you or with anyone.” His stone-set face never changed. “Ms. Orien, I just want to see you safe.” When she backed up again, aiming for the opening, he matched it, one step to her two. “I can‟t trust you. You might work for them.” She saw the sudden tick in his jaw when he growled again. The fear in her willed her to stop, but she couldn‟t. Her very life depended on her getting the hell out of here.

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"I don't have time for this." Lunging, he grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her to him. For him, it was the wrong move. Before she knew it, Naeva had planted her foot to the ground. The other, though, had other plans. She connected her knee with his groin with such a firm punch that it sent him to the ground. Every movement was as if she were moving in light speed through her eyes. One minute, she was too afraid to move, pinned helpless by his gorgeous eyes. The next, he was on the ground groaning with his wounded pride in his hands. She backed away. Her mind was unable to wrap around what had just happened. His eyes locked with hers. “Naeva,” Gabriel groaned. “Don‟t do it.” The pain in his eyes overlapped the fury that had been there. “Can‟t,” she whispered shaking her head. “Don‟t trust anyone.” She bolted, her heart hammering hard in her chest. She took her chance and ran as fast as she could down the crowded streets. It wasn‟t long before she heard his heavy foot falls thudding against the concrete as he gained on her. She didn‟t dare look back. It was bad enough that her body was running on a dangerous adrenaline fear cocktail. One false move and she would be on her ass, her head spinning violently, and magnacuffs around her wrists. Naeva kept heading straight, moving through the crowd. Praxian streets were still unfamiliar to her. She hadn‟t been here long enough to explore them and

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didn‟t have the nerve to try. Yet now, every decided good turn was becoming confusing. They all looked the same to her. She couldn‟t help the lost feeling that began to consume her. A hand snaked out of the crowd, wrapping around her upper arm with such strength she staggered to a halt. “Going somewhere, little one?” The Crellean. Of all times, he‟d pick this one to come back. “I told you I would come back for you.” He moved in front of her and blocked her path with his smelly body. Naeva pushed back the bile she felt rising from her stomach in time to roll her eyes. “I don‟t have time for this.” The cruel upturn of his lips chilled her blood. “Where you‟re going, sweetheart, you‟re going to have all the time you‟re ever gonna need.” What is it with this „capture her‟ bullshit? This was the third time tonight that she had been threatened to be taken away . . . bound or not. Then, she took an eye-opening look at her clothes. The togaq barely clung to her shoulder, barely hid the dark circles of her nipples. Not to mention the three-inch high sandals and the short skirt that made her legs look so endless. She had the look of a submissive, ready to do the bidding of her master. Damn hormones and damn this place! She had to get off this planet.

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She pulled her arm free, ignoring the grimy touch of his scaly fingers scraping across her bare skin. “Look, jerk. I already have someone on my ass. I don‟t have room for one more.” She moved around him, but he pulled her hard against him, knocking the wind out of her. “I‟m not letting you go again. No matter what happens.” The undeniable whine of an energy pistol powering up gained Naeva‟s attention. “I think an energy cap in the brain will change your mind.” The Crellean stood deathly still. Naeva stole a peek around his big head. Gage stood directly behind them, the business end of his energy pistol aimed into the Crellean‟s skull. By the cold, murderous gaze in Gage‟s eyes she knew he was all business. “Care to change your mind?” The Crellean hesitated before releasing her, as if debating whether taking her was worth a bullet to the brain. He growled in aggravation, shoving her hard. Naeva caught herself before she fell to the concrete. His sneer didn‟t change as he fastened his hard eyes on her. She backed away, putting as much distance between them as possible. “She‟s more trouble than she‟s worth anyway.” The minute Gabriel turned to the Crellean, she slowly backed in to the crowd. She saw the Crellean take a haunted step back, his eyes never moving from

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the barrel of Gabriel‟s energy pistol. She didn‟t stick around long. Using it to her advantage, she took off, moving through the crowded streets. Naeva ran down an alleyway thinking it would give her a chance to escape, but it made a sharp right straight into a dead end. She stopped, trying to gather her breath and her thoughts. There was no way out except to go back towards the crowded walkway, and that meant walking backing into Gabriel. “I guess I‟m just gonna have to take that chance.” She headed back to the main street. There was no sign of the Crellean or Gabriel, just a lot of people and merchants lining the sidewalks. The moment she turned to the other direction, she collided into a solid wall of muscle. Two arms clamped around her, entrapping her and pushing her back into the darkest part of the alley. She fought, trying her best to get an arm free to scratch, hit, something, but it was no use. His strength easily overpowered her. Gabriel‟s angry eyes glared down at her the moment she looked up. Her heart did a summersault slamming, into the wall of her chest. “Let…” His large hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her plea for him to free her. Gabriel pushed her back until she felt the cool brick wall against her back.

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“Shhhh.” He hissed, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down her already over stimulated skin. “Do you want to get us both captured? Think about what whoever wants you would do to you if they got their hands on you. Do you want that?” Just then, the Crellean trader, followed by several U.A. soldiers, walked past the front of the opening, oblivious to them. Fate had a horrible sense of humor and right now she mocked Naeva to no end. “Yeah, I know the wench. Got a big Hudanian chasing her, too,” the Crellean told them. “I was going to bring her to you and claim the money. I got mouths to feed, you know. They went this way.” The sudden streak of bravery that surged through her before was gone, replaced with cold icy tendrils racing through her blood. The shivers started within her body until her skin rippled with them. Going with Gabriel at the moment sounded better than being anywhere near that nasty Crellean who wanted to do Goddess knows what to her. She stilled, then shook her head. “Then you‟ll need my help. I‟ll remove my hand if you promise not to scream. Do you promise?” Hell no, she didn‟t promise, but she didn‟t have a choice either. When he asked her again, she nodded. As much as she hated being in the hands of a bounty hunter, she needed him to stay alive now more than ever.

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Slowly, he released his hold on her mouth, lowering his hand. When she threatened to move away from him, his big body crowded her further into the wall. The closeness of his body made it hard for her to think, like being stuck between a hard place and a harder place wrapped in silken tan skin. He planted one hand against the wall, the other stayed snuggly against the flat of her stomach. His heat pulsated through his hand into her body, warming her blood. She tried to keep her mind focused on what to do next instead of how well the heat of his body soothed hers. Naeva swallowed, trying her best to form her words. “What are you going to do to me?” His eyes were no longer angry green storms of fury, but now they were encased in stone. “No doubt you have more friends who would come looking, right?” “Probably,” she said, shrugging. “Then I‟m taking you back…” “You can‟t take me ChemaTech,” she hissed, pulling away from his warmth. She couldn‟t think. There was no way she was going back there, dead or alive. She‟d come too far to just stop running now. “Please. I‟ll do whatever you want if you don‟t take me back to ChemaTech.”

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She saw his eyes soften for a second, then switch back to unreadable stone. “If you‟d let me finish…” he growled with impatience, but stopped himself. After several breaths, he continued. “I wasn‟t planning on taking you back there.” He ran a hand through his slick dark hair. “You know me better than that.” “It doesn‟t matter. You‟re still law enforcement. You still have a job to do and there‟s not many people I can trust now.” Naeva tried to fight the hot gritty tears that threatened her eyes, but it was no use. Warm droplets spilled onto her cheeks. Yet regardless of how frightened and alone she felt, through her blurring vision she saw his green eyes glowing slightly in the darkness. She had to trust someone, why not the man who‟s life she saved. “You can trust me.” “Can I?” She looked at him, the fear in her slowly leaving her, trying her best to see the friend she had once known. But he wasn‟t there. “Even when I have people running around trying to catch me? No matter who they are?” “That‟s not important to me. What‟s important right now is getting you back on my ship.” “Can‟t you just let me go? I‟ll do anything if I could just forget you ever saw me.” She wasn‟t above pleading. There was no time to just sit around and try to find answers. Right now, all she wanted to do was run and keep everyone else at

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bay. The visions of the night of the murders danced before her eyes. Fear welled inside her once more until the air in her chest began to constrict. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. Her breath gone, she could do nothing but wrap her arms around her shoulders and weep. Strong arms gripped her shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. “Naeva. Naeva, calm down. I‟m not going to let anyone hurt you.” His beautiful green eyes seemed to break through the tears grounding her. They no longer held a hard-as-stone edge to them, but a softness she couldn‟t place. “It‟s time to start trusting someone. Why not me?” “But I thought you‟re a bounty hunter. Don‟t you have to take me back?” Gage frowned. “I didn‟t say a damn thing about taking you back there.” She could have sworn he cursed “women” under his breath. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and gently wiped away her tears. “Now, stop crying. There‟s a warrant on your head that wasn‟t issued by U.A. Law Enforcement. Any thoughts on who would want you that bad?” That‟s the million-credit question. But instead of saying what she really thought, she just sniffed and shook her head. “That‟s what I thought. Until we find out who and why, you stay with me.” “No, Gabriel,” she protested. “I don‟t want to put you in anymore danger.” “I‟m a bounty hunter. I‟m always in danger.”

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She still wasn‟t convinced. “Sure it‟s not too much trouble?” “I‟m your friend, Naeva, and I came to help you.” Gage frowned, sighing in frustration. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose before running a hand through his hair again. ”That is, until you kicked me in the nuts. Do you know how bad that hurts?” Naeva winced. She hadn‟t intended to kick him in such a private spot, but who could blame her. She‟s been on the run for weeks, living on edge. Someone was bound to get…kicked in the nuts. Might as well been him. She tried so hard to keep the smile off her face, but it was a losing battle. “Sorry.” She knew the smile on her face betrayed the sincerity in her voice. When he scowled at her, she added, “I thought you were here to kill me.” He boldly stroked himself, groaning. Naeva‟s eyes didn‟t miss a beat. Deep inside, her overactive hormones cheered loudly and hungered for more. He scoffed. “After that, I might.” He took her hand, pulling her to the darkest part of the alley away from the crowd. “Hand me your wrists.” Naeva flinched when she saw the magnacuffs he dangled between his fingers. “You don‟t have to use those. I‟m not going to run.”

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“I know. And these will make sure you won‟t.” When she opened her mouth to protest he added, “It‟s just a precaution. If it makes you feel better, I won‟t activate them.” She debated a moment. She really didn‟t want the cuffs on her at all, activated or not, but it didn‟t look like she had much of a choice. Sighing, Naeva complied. He didn‟t waste time. The silver cuffs were on each wrist before she could blink. Now I really look like a submissive, she joked with herself. “When we get back to the ship, you‟re going to tell me everything.” Now he was demanding information? I don‟t think so. Naeva raised a brow. “Am I?” “It‟s either me or taking your chances with U.A. soldiers.” She thought it over for a second. One bounty hunter had to be better than power-hungry law enforcement that could be bought to say anything. “Right now, you‟re all I have.” Tapping his belt, he signaled his transporter. “Good choice.” The communicator beeped twice, letting him know it was ready to transport both of them to the ship. “Initialize.”

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Chapter Three

Transporter tingles rippled through Naeva‟s body as they materialized on the pad, causing her to shiver. It had been a while since she used a transporter. All of the transporters developed were designed to scan a person‟s DNA as they dematerialized and link it with the Central Law Enforcement database. One scan by the transporter and it was all over. The authorities would be notified and she would be on her way back to whoever wanted her. Then she looked around and realized where she was. She was in custody. Friend or not, Gage was a law enforcement officer, even though he was contracted. Why did she agree to go with him? For all she knew, she was as good as dead now. The thought of being captured after so many weeks of being on the run hit her like a blow to the gut. Her vision swam by too fast for her mind to catch up, and her stomach rolled. Her body sagged forward, leaning on Gage. “Whoa, there. You okay?” His strong arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her. The heat of his body warmed her. It had been so long since she‟d been in his arms, she‟d forgotten how delicious his warm body felt against hers. Her words were lost at the mere touch of him. Her hands wrapped around the thick cords of muscle in his arms, unable to push out the feel of his smooth skin

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under her fingertips. Steel cover in deeply tanned skin. The strength in his hands soothed her as he held her with such care. “Uh-huh,” was the only thing she could say as he held her. She couldn‟t think straight to save her life while in his arms. She leaned into him, lost in the mini-euphoria of over-excited hormones, ill-spent adrenaline, and the delicious tingle of the transporter running through her body. Stealing the moment, she took a good look at him. Spirit, he was taller now and even more handsome than she remembered. His black hair was cut short, military style, yet small curls betrayed the short straight cut around his forehead. The color of his green eyes had change. No longer where they as green as emeralds as they had been when they were children. Now they glowed as part of neural implants. Every delicious inch of him touched her body. She didn‟t mind the bulkiness of his pants. It was his warmth that enticed her, something she hadn‟t felt in a long while. Little electrical shocks lit their way through her body, then lowered to her cunt. She didn‟t dare stop it. The heat of him, his scent, and his mere closeness had her teetering on the edge of a dark chasm towards sexual gratification, as always. Gage frowned. “Got your land legs yet or do I need to carry you to the brig?” That snapped her out her girlish haze. She blinked, trying to wrap her mind around what he said…and come up with a really good retort.

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“What?! Brig? You‟re not going to put me there are you?” He must still be mad at me for kneeing him in the balls. His eyes flashed angry for a second before he laughed. Oh, yeah he didn‟t forget a thing. “Yeah, you‟re going.” She couldn‟t help feeling bereft as he released her and stepped back. She pushed her feelings back with a vicious shove, not wanting them to show. “But, I thought you were helping me.” His frown deepened. “I am.” Then a maniacal smile slowly spread across his lips. “But I‟m still debating on showing you how it feels to be kicked in the balls.” Taking her hand, he pulled her out of the small transporter room and down the corridor. “What? I said I was sorry. What do you want me to do? Kiss it and make it better?” Gage stopped, took a long heated look at her, stopping at her mouth. She licked her lips in a dare, wanting him to say something. His gaze blazed hotter than she‟d ever seen as he growled, “Maybe later.” Hot damn! Her hormones were screaming for more, craving the dark promise hidden in his voice. She creamed with anticipation, the hot slickness sliding between her legs.

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Naeva cleared her throat. “Look, Gage. We can forget about this whole thing and you can let me go. You never saw me.” She snapped her fingers. “Easy as that.” “Not so easy, love. You have hunters and soldiers on your neck. I‟m still wondering why they‟re after you.” “It‟s a long story.” And one she had no intention of going into at this point in time. “Too many bad memories.” “One that, I‟m sure, you‟ll explain while you‟re in my care.” Obviously, he didn‟t hear her, or didn‟t want to. He never knew when to let go. He pushed the key panel, releasing the lock. As the door slid away, she saw two small holding tanks. The first cell held several large cargo containers stacked to the ceiling. The other housed a very angry Regnot. He paced in front of the invisible barrier, thrusting his fist into the air. Small beady eyes zeroed in on her as she walked through the door, before moving to Gage. By the way the Regnot looked at her with his dilated pupils, she could tell he was in distress. Sweat dripped from his face, pouring from his clothes, and drenching the floor panels around him. The doctor in her never missed anything when it came to symptoms in humanoids. This one was in deep trouble. “Gage, I got to get out of here,” the Regnot said. Gage shook his head. “You‟re not going anywhere. You‟re going to stay right there all cozy in that cell until I can get you back to Central.”

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“You don‟t understand.” The Regnot heaved a deep labored breath before continuing. “I got to get out of here. I‟ll pay you. Anything you want. You just have to let me go.” “I don‟t think so, Drex. This isn‟t the post. You can‟t bargain your way out. That ain‟t how this train runs. So just sit tight and we‟ll make this trip nice and sweet.” Her fingers itched to get a better look at him. The doctor in her already worked over several symptoms in her mind. He needed help and if he didn‟t get it soon, he was going to die. Naeva edged towards the force field wanting a closer look, but Gage stilled her with a strong hand on her shoulder. His frown deepened, including his dark eyebrows. He backed up from the field, taking her with him. “What are you doing?” “Something‟s wrong with him,” she whispered to Gage. “Yeah, that‟s kinda the point of having him behind the field.” Naeva frowned raising a brow. “No, something‟s seriously wrong. Look at him.” He didn‟t believe her. The unchanging frown on his face told her so. “I have.” Damn the man for being so thick-headed. She yanked away from his grip, placed her hands on her hips, rolling her neck in anger as she scolded.

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“Not enough. Take a good look, Gabriel. Use those damned implants for something else beside a way to see up a girl‟s skirt. He needs help.”

Gage sighed. The woman was becoming more trouble than she was worth. He was starting to think they had the right idea by having her bounty so high. Yet, how could he resist her beautiful brown eyes pleading with him, even if she had her hands on her hips scolding him as she would a child? He couldn‟t, and never had. As asked, he took a good look at Drex using the help of his internal computer. The Regnot‟s blood pressure was well above normal, past stroking level. His eyes were fully dilated and his heart raced to a point it was barely keeping rhythm. Not to mention, he was sweating out of every pore in his body. Gage‟s computer link hummed in his mind. Body temperature, one hundred seven degrees. Blood pressure, three hundred over two fifty. Heart rate, three hundred seven bpm. Diagnosis: Blood infection. Irreparable. Vessels and arteries will fail in approximately thirty seconds. Adding to it all, a stream of blood began to ooze from Drex‟s nose. “What the hell?” Gage gasped in alarm.

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“Get the field down, Gage,” Naeva ordered him. He pushed back the thought that no one orders him on his ship, for later. Now he needed to help Drex. He barely had enough time to take down the force field before Drex slumped forward and fell to the floor. His body convulsed, banging his head against the floor panel. “Goddess! He‟s seizing!” Naeva said in a near shriek. “He‟s going to bleed out if we don‟t help him. We have to get him to the medlab.” Gage doubted he would live long enough to get there. “No time,” Naeva said, as if reading his mind. She kneeled down beside him. “He‟d die long before we get there. Hand me your dagger.” “What?” No way in hell was he going to give her his dagger to do Goddess knows what with. She pinned him with a cool professional gaze. “If you want me to save his life, then give me your dagger.” She thrust her hand into the air, her eyes ever challenging. If she was anything like the teenage version of Naeva, she ALWAYS got her way, regardless of what she had to do to get it. Gage pulled the dagger from his boot, placing it into her hand. “What‟re you gonna do?” “Save his life.” That was all she said before she sliced the dagger across her hand. Blood ooze out of the deep cut pooling around her hand.

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Gage jumped, grabbing the dagger from her. “Are you crazy?” He gave his shirt a vicious tear, ripping of a piece for a bandage. “You know what Regnotian blood poisoning can do to humans?” For some reason, he could tell it didn‟t matter to her. She completely ignored him, her mind focused. “Hold his mouth open.” Regnot blood became volatile in the human system, shutting down their major organs. The human either died or ended up losing many of their organs and body parts. That is, if they were lucky enough to be helped within moments. “It won‟t hurt me, Gabriel. Trust me. Hold his mouth open.” Against his better judgment, Gage pulled Drex‟s bottom lip down, revealing his small jagged teeth. Naeva held her hand over his mouth, moving his throat with her free hand for him to swallow. This was crazy! Never had he seen someone mix blood with a Regnot. It was too dangerous. Regardless if she was a doctor or not, it was a pretty stupid thing to do.

Naeva pulled her hand back, watching Drex carefully for any changes. She can‟t believe she violated one of the most sacred ChemaTech rules. Never share fluid. Yet this was a totally different situation. This man needed help and who was

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better equipped to help than her? Ever since the accident, she had the ability to heal herself or heal others with her blood. The mutation took effect the night she was supposedly murdered and the vial shattered in her hand as the bullet pierced it. The healing formula entered her blood changing it, changing her. From then on, she couldn‟t let it fall into the wrong hands. Drex slowly opened his eyes. His green eyes, not quite focused, looked at her. “You saved me?” She sighed in relief. There was no more bleeding, no sweating, and she could see the pulse in his neck beat slow and steady. Smiling, she cupped her uninjured hand to his face. “How do you feel?” “Much better.” His scratchy voice sounded extremely grateful. She smiled at Gage, only to see him raise a brow. His jaw ticked through its stern setting. Her heart hitched. He actually looked concerned, but she wouldn‟t hold on to it right now. It would be like holding on to a false hope. She returned her gaze to Drex, seeing his faint smile. “That‟s some poison you had running through you.” “No poison. My blood.” He stopped and closed his eyes for a second before he continued. “I have a bad birth condition and if I don‟t take my medicine at a certain time, the infection will spread throughout my body and kill me. I dropped

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my medicine on the planet and was looking for it when I was captured.” He closed his eyes again, his energy spent. Naeva scowled at Gage. “You should have known about this,” she mouthed to him. “How was I supposed to know?” he mouthed back. She rolled her eyes. “Transport him to the medlab. We have to keep him comfortable.” “There‟s no guard in there.” She didn‟t care if he didn‟t have a bed in there. Drex needed to be in a medicenter, but a medlab was the next best thing. “Put a force field around his bed. He‟s not going anywhere. He‟s too exhausted.” To Drex she said, “Stay there and don‟t move. Let the medicine I gave you work.” He didn‟t need to know that she‟d given him her blood right now. Some things would just have to wait until later. “We‟ll talk in the morning.” He nodded and closed his eyes. Without a word, Gage commanded the computer to transport Drex to the medlab. When Drex disappeared in transporter mist, Naeva stood staring down at the empty spot surrounding blood and sweat. She could feel angry eyes on the top of her head. Gage looked at her. By the stabs of mental energy piercing her head,

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she knew he was far from happy. When she finally got up the nerve to look at him, his eyes glowed bright and hot right through her. “Let me look at your hand,” he barked. She shrank back slightly, a knot of fear forming in her throat. “My hand is fine.” His lip twitched as if trying to hold back his sneer. “I wasn‟t asking.” No, he did not just demand from me, she thought, placing her uninjured hand on her hip. “So you‟re demanding me now and I‟m supposed to obey and give in?” His eyes challenged her to do more, dared her to push him. “Yeah, something like that. Wanna make something of it?” And lose the fight? Hell, no. Though she had the power to heal quickly, she would lose miserably. Though, it wouldn‟t be a bad idea to have that big, hard, muscled body pin me down again. “I‟m waiting.” Naeva sighed. It was only a matter of time before he grabbed her hand and found out for himself anyway. Why not show him now? “Fine! Here, dammit.” She thrust her closed fist into his hand. “But don‟t say I didn‟t warn you.”

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Gently he peeled her fingers open. His eyes widened in shock, then looked at her puzzled. There was no scar, no oozing blood. Just perfectly pink skin with caked blood. Naeva shrugged. Every excuse she could think of flew out the airlock. “What can I say? I‟m a fast healer.” He smeared the cloth across the blood, seeing her pink skin whole as though she never cut it. Then he frowned again. This time she knew there was no way of getting out of telling him. “If this is the reason why you‟re running, I want to hear every detail. Now.”

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Chapter Four

Naeva blinked at his obvious command. Squaring her shoulders, she placed her hands on her hips. “I don‟t know how far to trust you.” Hurt quickly flashed over his eyes before it was replaced with a cool icy glare. “Trust? I haven‟t given you to law enforcement, have I? If I‟m going to stick out my neck, you have to tell me everything.” As much as she hated to admit it, Gage was right. Fear had kept her from talking to anyone, yet he‟d showed her he could be trusted. He hadn‟t flown her back to the nearest U.A. outpost. For the moment, she was safe. But, to tell him everything meant to find a place to start. There was so much to tell, but there wasn‟t a definable place to begin. “I don‟t know if I should.” She heard his fist clench; his knuckles cracked against the strain. The very air around him crackled with his anger. Yet, what stole her heart the most was his piercing green eyes. “You better tell me something.” She stepped back, just out of his reach. “Would you believe me if I told you?”

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His eyes softened a bit, but she still saw the sharp angry edges. “It‟s not believability, but likeability.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Come on, I‟ll take you to my cabin, then we can talk.” “What about these.” She raised her hands showing the cuffs. “Oh, no. Those stay on.” So much for trust, she thought as she lowered her hands. There was no telling when he would take them off. Maybe when she wasn‟t such a flight risk. At this moment she didn‟t see leaving him as part of her future. Yet, why did her heart pick up a notch at the mention of his room and magnacuffs? As he urged her out of the room, his warm hand melded to the small of her back. Oh, Goddess, she thought. That doesn‟t make things any better either. His cabin was only a short distance from the brig, to keep a better eye on his „cargo‟, no doubt. He quickly keyed in the code, unlocking the door. With a gentle nudge, he pushed her inside. She turned to see the door closing, the cruel snap of the lock setting into place. From the look in his glowing eyes, she could tell he was angry. No, past that. The man was pissed, and with all that muscle, he could do to her whatever he wanted. “Come here,” he said in a low growl. Didn‟t this man say anything in a normal tone?

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Swallowing the lump in her throat, she took a tentative step forward, then another, until she was directly in front of him. He towered over her, looking ever so intimidating. She wasn‟t about shrink away like a little mouse, no matter how the fear surged through her. Instead of shrinking back, she squared her shoulders and met his gaze. She wasn‟t about to let some six-foot-four hunter intimidate her, no matter who he was. This wasn‟t the same boy she left on Hudani or the man she‟d saved a year ago. This man looked crueler, had the face of a mercenary, with a heart of silver, unbiased. Gabriel was gone, replaced with a harder, meaner-looking Gage who always had a „my way, no highway option‟ attitude, and to her horror she felt compelled to be with him every time. Old feelings began to surface the moment she saw him. The ice chipped off her heart enough to let him in, always, her mind thinking back to the time she‟d given herself to him, teenagers in love. The heartache that followed the next day when she had to leave him behind. There was no doubt she had hurt him. She never truly got over leaving him on Hudani. The pain of it all still fresh in her heart. How could she tell him how much she really missed him? That she still loved him in some way? That she was grateful that it was him who found her of all the hunters registered in law enforcement? Trusting him would be a good start. “Computer, engage magnetic lock antigrav.”

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Naeva shrieked as her hands jerked into the air connecting with the invisible force of the magnetic lock. The strain of the cuffs pulled on already sensitive skin. Ignoring the sharp pain encircling her wrists, she looked at him, eyes widened with shock. Her feet dangled several inches from the floor. “What the hell are you doing?!” She jerked when the warm touch of his rough hands smoothed against the silk around her waist. She shivered despite her shock and anger. “Searching for weapons.” The low whisper of his voice in her ear threatened to damage her calm. He circled her, his hand never leaving her waist. She felt his warm breath fan the gentle hairs on her neck, causing another shiver to escape. He growled as his gentle touch scaled down her arms to her shoulders. “You‟re shivering. Scared I‟m going to do something to you?” Nothing I don‟t want done to me already. “N-no.” Her voice still held a tremble. “Why?” “Your heart is racing.” The warmth of his gentle hands on her fevered flesh stole her breath. He smoothed the fabric underneath her outstretched arms to the front just below her breasts. She remained still, but a brutal battle waged within her. If he would only

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move his hand a little higher...by the Goddess! Just touch me. Her breasts adamantly screamed. She whimpered in surrender when he finally cupped them. He paused, seemingly fighting a dilemma within himself as well. Strong fingers tested their fullness, molding, almost caressing her taunt nipples. The torment nearly sent her over the edge. His hands lingered there, gently cupping her breasts before slipping over the expanse of her stomach. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs at his slow and endless torture. She had to fight everything not to allow her head to drop back or even whimper. His hands felt so good on her body…so right. Great Goddess, he still has the touch. The Touch -- a single act where his energy passed into her, strengthening and weakening her at the same time -- pitting deep inside her womb with a throbbing ache that couldn‟t be denied. And the whole time she craved more of it. More of him. Naeva bit her lip, fighting back the strong urge to moan. “Find any weapons yet?” she grounded out. “No,” his voice a low sensual purr. His hand came back to her breast to pinch her nipple. A delicious shiver rippled through her. “If I find any, it would make this an interesting search.” Goddess, wouldn‟t it? The fire within her burned hotter.

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“Spread your legs.” The fight in her gone, and the antigrav at her disposal, she spread herself easily. His hands gently moved to her inner thigh to help. Behind the thin layer of her thong, her clit ached to be touch, caressed. Her blood boiled, threatened to burst from her very veins. She felt him bend down as he continued his sweet torture down her legs to her feet, releasing her shoes. One by one they fell to the floor, thumping against the bulkhead. Then he made his way back up, molding her ass with sheer possession. His hot breath fanned her neck again. She heard the loud roar of blood rushing through her ears. She shivered so badly that by the time he finished, she shook in midair. Had her knees been together, they would‟ve knocked. Then it was over. He moved away from her, taking the warmth of his body with him. “Why do they want you, Naeva?” Her heart shattered at his words, the mystic spell between them broken. It was her stupid feelings for him that took his touch to another level. To him, it was just a job. The realization hit her hard, rattling her already frazzled resolve. Her blood roared in her ears. As close as she felt to crying, she wasn‟t about to show it again. She lowered her head instead, fighting against the pain and the sting of tears.

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Gage tried his best to still his racing heart, but it wasn‟t doing any good. One look at Naeva and he was lost. Her chocolate brown eyes connected with his, sending a shock straight to his heart. He thought he was immune to her after all these years, but the moment he touched her, his hands had a mind of their own. The only thing he wanted to do was touch her, explore every inch of her body to his fill, and when he had enough, do it all over again just for the hell of it. By the Goddess, he didn‟t want to relive all the old feelings he had for her. He‟d spent so long trying to bury them deep, only to have them resurface just by the thought of her. Calm yourself. He chided himself. He should be slapped, no, kicked in the ass for not staying on task. There were more important things to think about than touching her. Wanna bet? The question rang through his head as if it were another voice in the room. Was his heart really at her mercy again? Could he take the heartache again? When she looked away, taking away the gift of her beautiful eyes, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He knew then he was already gone. “Naeva,” he rasped. “Answer me. Why do they want you?” His voice sounded so husky. If it weren‟t for the nanites running through his blood and the computer in his head, he would have a hard on beyond belief. “Does it have something to do with your blood?”

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She looked up, tormented eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “I have something they want and they have to kill me to get it.” At the announcement of her words, a streak of anger raced hotly through his blood. He didn‟t have time for games or cryptic messages, whether she was serious are not. “You‟re not serious. Is this some sick, twisted game?” He saw the glint of anger brewing in her eyes and knew he‟d hit a nerve. “This is no game. Remember that secret project I told you I was working on a few months back?” How could he forget? She was never around when he called or if she was, she seemed distracted. “Yeah, what‟s the point?” “It was for a healing serum I was developing called Zenodrine. It was originally supposed to be for building and maintaining lost blood cells in humanoids on Mulculla, but when tested with a few drops, it did much more. I could actually heal the body. Sores, gashes, no matter how old, the scarring was unexplainably gone.” “That still doesn‟t explain why they‟re after you.” She sighed as if battling over telling him before she continued. “There was an accident. Well, let me say it better. There was an attack on the facility. My lab was destroyed and several of the colleagues I worked with were killed. I‟d put the

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serum in a tube for storage when it happened. There were bullets and one pierced my hand.” She chuckled slightly. “I‟d show you if I wasn‟t so tied up at the moment. But the glass shattered, cutting my hand, and the serum seeped into my blood system. Everything after that is just a blur until I woke up.” When he remained, quiet she continued. “In order to see how it worked, they needed a live test subject. I denied several requests for a living test subject. The serum was still under development. There was no telling how it would affect a person let alone a lab rat. I would never approve of putting a living person in such a risk; neither would the U.A. So they staged an attack on the lab. Trying to kill me.” Gage stood there looking at her, his mouth open in shock. It was hard to believe that the majority of the problem was caused by a blood serum. “How do you know this?” “When I came to, hours later, I was in a body bag in the crematorium. I overheard them. They must have thought I was dead. Saying that it was just another failed experiment. Like they‟ve staged one like this before.” Gage fought everything in him not to go off on one of his tangents and start seriously fucking people up. From the slowly vanishing bruises on her shoulders, she had been through a lot and he was surprised she was still standing. He reached

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out to touch her shoulder, wanting to smooth away the pain, but decided against it. One touch and he was lost. “Why aren‟t your bruises going away if you have the serum in your blood?” “Not everything is healed. The serum is laced with a few nanites programmed to look for extensive injuries only. Small injuries, like bruises and scratches, are allowed to heal naturally. I‟ll still have my bruises another week or so unless I get a medical scanner and remove them. Call it a fail-safe for discovery.” Smart, he thought. The nanites going through his own system never identified hers. He scanned deeper, finding the small bits of technology vaguely traceable, pulsating within her. He bit back a curse as his rage climbed a level higher. “Who could have done something like this to you?” “I wish I could tell you, but I‟m still in the dark about that one too.” He pressed her further. “Didn‟t you see a face or anything?” She didn‟t answer the question. Instead, she began to wiggle around, crossing her legs. “Look, Gage. I know you have lots of questions, but I need to get down from here.” “Not until you finish telling me what‟s going on.”

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She frowned. “I told you all that I know. Now, get me down from here. There are certain things I don‟t like to do in midair. Going all over my legs is one of them.” She still had her temper. The hellcat in her never changed for anyone. Gage released the magnacuffs with a mental whisper to his implants. She stumbled as she hit the floor, but quickly righted herself. She pinned him with a defiant stare, her pretty breasts pointing high. He noted the red areas around her bands and winced. She had been through enough without him treating her like a criminal. Yet, she was. She was on the run, a bounty on her head, and he needed answers to find out what was going on. No answers ever came. “Now, if you will excuse me…” She moved around him. “Don‟t think you‟re off the hook, Naeva.” She made it to the lav door before turning back with a half smile, “Who says I want to be?” His heart clenched. How was it possible after all these years she still had this effect on him? His hands still ached with the loss of her heat, her softness. He‟d wanted more than anything to take touching her a bit further, actually making her come as he held her in midair, with his hands and mouth. Her body was extremely receptive to him. Her pupils were dilated, her breath shallow, and she made the slightest noise at the base of her throat that made his cock twitch.

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The implants weren‟t helping like they usually did. They restrained his arousal until the right moment, but now was as if they weren‟t there at all and his cock hardened at every mental picture of her naked. How was he going to help her without helping himself to her pleasure…making a total ass out of himself?

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Chapter Five

Naeva sat in the lav a little longer, trying to slow her racing heart. How could she allow him to touch her, knowing full well what it did to her? The good thing, he was on her side. The bad thing, she hadn‟t been laid in so long her insides had cobwebs. Not that she hadn‟t had the opportunity. All of them who had crossed her path had seemed a little too eager. She closed her eyes, leaning against the door panel. She had to get a better grip of her raging hormones before she threw him on the floor and fucked him right here and now. “You all right in there?” She heard his voice through the door. “Yeah. I‟ll be out in the minute.” She went to the sink, rinsing off her face with cool water. “Sounds like you‟re stalling.” Naeva frowned at her reflection in the mirror. “Didn‟t I say I‟ll be out in a minute?” She unlocked the keypad, releasing the door. She walked through the door and stopped dead. There was a table in the middle of the room covered in delicious Hudani dishes. Large dishes of Teblarstyle meat and bread and fruit covered the small table, topped off with a large

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bottle of smooth Hudani honey bourbon. It had been so long since she had a traditional Hudani meal that her mouth suddenly watered. Her stomach gave a gentle yet fierce growl. Goddess, he knows how to tempt a woman. “Hungry?” She wanted to smack the smirk off his face. Of course she was hungry and Kumalus bread with honey steaming was her downfall. “You know, you haven‟t changed a bit.” Puzzled, he pinned her with his emerald eyes. “Why do you say that?” “You‟re still just as pushy as you were on Hudani.” She watched him lean back, folding his arms across his massive chest. His emerald gaze studied her, as if calculating her next move. “Well, darlin‟, I wouldn‟t be in this job if I were a pushover, pillow-beaten pansy, now would I?” No, he was no pillow-beaten pansy. She thought about the brig cells, seeing all the criminals who passed through the bay doors. He had to be as ruthless and cutthroat as some of the perps he brought in. Yet there was another side of him. She‟d felt the strength within his arms. Every finger held the skill of his profession. She could still feel them on her body, no matter how hard she tried to push the memory away. The smoldering heat, licked with emerald flames, blazed in his eyes, igniting her own fires. Oh no, he was no pushover at all. “Sit, Nae. You haven‟t eaten in a while.”

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She arched a brow at him, placing her hands on her hips. “How do you know I haven‟t eaten?” He raised a dark brow. “Implants. I heard your stomach growling from the bathroom.” Did he have to read her like a book every time he saw her? She was tired, exhausted, and now added on top of that, extremely hungry. She clamped her mouth shut to hold back the slobber as her mouth watered. “Look, I thought we could talk over dinner. Yes, I scanned you, but I scan everyone.” His slow-spreading sexy smile and dangerous eyes warmed her beyond belief. “Besides, the fat is wearing off and you know I like my women thick.” Naeva blinked, taken back by the comment. “Whoa there. I didn‟t say anything about being your woman. I‟m not your woman.” Okay so he saved her ass back on the planet, big deal. Being in a relationship was close to ownership nowadays and for that she didn‟t have time either. Any other man would have taken offense to the comment. Gage sat there calm, like he had all the time in the world, with his arms still folded over his chest. The heated blaze in his eyes seemed to kick up a few notches along with her pulse. “If I were to touch you now, you would come to me willing. All that with a simple touch. I‟ve always had that effect on you. Should we try it out?”

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The light from the blue holo-lamps danced in his eyes, full of mischief. His lips slowly gave way into a devilish smile, showing off perfect white teeth. He was right. His warm velvet hands on her body were her drug of choice. Call it a weakness for pleasure. If he touched her again, as bad as the hormones were racing through her blood, she wouldn‟t refuse. She knew that for a fact. “Uh, no.” “Good. Sit. Eat.” He gestured to an empty chair across from him. Reluctantly, she sat down, placing the napkin across her lap. The few bites she ate in silence nearly killed her, leaving her at the mercy of her own thoughts. She was out of one mess, so to speak, and now she was thrown, head first, into another. The one person she didn‟t think would come after her now sat across from her at a table, on a ship that flew to Goddess knew where. Not that she complained, but just being near him was as dangerous as being in the same cell with the Regnot. The most damaging part of him was his eyes. She felt them on her head even as she ate. She didn‟t dare look at them, not just yet. There were so many things she wanted to ask, so many feelings coursing through her concerning him that she didn‟t feel like dragging them back into the light right now. Naeva looked up occasionally, seeing if he were looking at her. Sure enough, his steady gaze never wavered. A slow smile spread across his full lips as if he had a

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window into her thoughts. She took a drink of her bourbon to hide her eyes from him. The smooth sweet liquor lit a bright path down her throat to her stomach, warming her like a pulsating ball of energy. After several more drinks, even Gage‟s stare didn‟t bother her. “Do you know who‟s after you?” The way he stabbed the meat on his plate made her think of him causing harm to something in his thoughts. “No.” What‟s to tell? There could be any number of people that wanted her dead. She wasn‟t the friendliest worker at ChemaTech. “I wasn‟t in the position to see faces.” “Not even a name?” She scowled, yet he seemed unaffected. “You know, this doesn‟t sound anything like a conversation. It sounds a lot like an interrogation to me.” Gage shrugged. “What do you expect? I‟m the mean bounty hunter and you‟re my pretty little prisoner in magnacuffs.” Gage wagged his brows naughtily at her. Naeva added a growl to compliment her scowl. “I wouldn‟t be in this mess if some idiot didn‟t put a bullet through my shoulder.” Gage lifted a brow. “Bullet? As in energy cap?” “No. Energy caps don‟t pierce the skin. I mean like metal, iron, steel, or silver. It was a relic from the twenty-first century, the kind the Terrans used on

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Earth. The only one I‟ve seen close to it was…” Naeva stopped as the revelation hit her like a fist to the stomach. “Oh, Goddess.” “Seen it where?” The last time she seen an actual revolver was in Dr. Shamtara‟s office, her boss. “Why didn‟t I notice it before?” she gasped. She was usually so observant, getting everything down in the slightest detail. She rose from the table and paced the room. Her mind rambled with random thoughts, equations, and scenarios all at once. She didn‟t notice Gage move until he gripped her by the shoulders, his eyes bearing down on her. “Notice what, Naeva? You‟re not making any sense. You‟ve gotta talk to me. I‟m not a mind reader.” Bile rose from her stomach, threatening to erupt. She took a deep breath, trying to force it back down. She had to gain control of her nerves. If not, she was going to end up a tangled mess on the floor. No good to anyone. “The gun. There was one like it on the bookshelf in my boss‟s office.” “Dr. Shamtara?” Naeva arched away from him in shock. “You know him?” “Of him. I did a little background check on you to see who were your acquaintances and colleagues.”

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“Why? You wouldn‟t do that unless…” She stopped dead, her eyes widening with shock. He must have been planning on taking her back all along. Her mind played over the thought of him dumping her on the nearest of a U.A. outpost just to get rid of her. Gage shook his head. “It‟s part of the job, Naeva.” Job be damned, she wanted to say, but couldn‟t find her voice. Naeva pushed harshly at his chest until he freed her. Fear pitted deep into her chest, stealing her breath. She needed air, needed to get away from him. She backed out of arm‟s reach of him. “You heartless son of a bitch! You planned on taking me back all along.” She battled with the sudden onslaught of tears, trying to hold them at bay, but lost miserably. “If you knew what they did to me, why do you want to take me back there?” “Naeva, you don‟t understand.” He reached for her, but she pulled away. She watched his face change several times, frowning then unreadable. His jaw ticked as he set it in place. He‟d better have a good explanation why. A damned good one, or she would ditch this ship and him at the next fueling. “Naeva, please try to understand.” Good start. “I don‟t want to take you back, but we need to go to the U.A. about this.”

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She shook her head. “I‟m sorry. I can‟t understand why it‟s so hard to just disappear. I can‟t go back there, no matter how bad I want to. Someone wants me dead.” A haunted chuckle escaped her lips. “No, better yet, to dissect me and see if I come back together better than Humpty Dumpy.” Gage tried again to reach for her, but she quickly moved away from him. “I have a few contacts in the U.A. A captain I used to serve for. I trust her enough to go to her with this. She‟ll know what to do.” Though his face was still in a wall of stone, his eyes pleaded to her for reasoning. Naeva would have none of that. She scoffed, rolling her neck. “Are you serious?” He nodded. “ChemaTech owns the U.A. Where do you think the forensics department receives their supplies, and ChemaTech, the funding to do scientific research? They sure as hell didn‟t give it to Center Chemical. Those quacks blew a lunar planet out of orbit.” Naeva punched a fist into the air. “I can‟t believe I trusted you.” Gage growled and pulled her into his harms. She struggled, but the magnificent strength in his arms held her immobilized. “You can trust me. I don‟t want to turn you over any more than I want them finding you. I have an idea.” When she pushed against his chest again, he held her fast, wrapping her arms around her body. Damn him for fending off her punches.

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“If you would listen to me and stop beating the shit out of me, I‟ll tell you my plan.” Naeva didn‟t want him touching her. She couldn‟t think with his warm body so close to hers. Or the clean scent of his body assaulting her senses. It was getting harder and harder to keep up her anger. “I don‟t want to hear your plan. Let go of me!” “Fine then. Suit yourself.” Gage picked her up as if she were nothing. Naeva gasped in shock at the rush of heat at the contact. “What the hell are you doing?” He walked the both of them into the bedchamber. “Getting you to listen to me.”

Gage fell onto the bed with her still in his arms, pinning her with his body. Grabbing her wrists, he stretched them high over her head. By then, she had stopped her fight, resorting instead on giving him a look of pure death. He leveled his gaze on her. She was so remarkably beautiful. Her angry eyes blazed like the black fires of Taurus, dangerous and just as beautiful. Her long brown hair fanned the bed beneath her, adding to her luster. He couldn‟t stop the smile of pleasure that spread across his lips at the thought he had used her hot temper against her.

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“Ready to listen now?” Naeva had always been hot tempered. He noticed it the moment he saw her, but being the daughter of the orphanage head doctor, she had to keep her temper in check. She had blown a fuse the day her father told her they were leaving the orphanage. He kissed her, the last resort to calming her down. Yet, kissing her had only led him to making love to her in the caverns of Ni‟Ru. Naeva scowled. “Nothing you have to say is going to make me change my mind.” A devilish streak took hold of him. “I don‟t necessarily have to talk.” He took both of her wrists into one large hand, freeing the other for tickle torture. When it came to Naeva, it was her favorite kind of pain. She hated it and he loved to hear her laugh. It worked out really well. He caressed his way down to her ribs, purposely brushing the sensitive side of her breast. She squirmed away from his hand. The look she gave him would have made him flinch, if he had been a lesser man. “You wouldn‟t dare.” A sly smile spread across his lips. The look of sheer defiance in her eyes burned into his. With his sensors he could hear her heart rate pick up, her breath quickening at the slightest touch.

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“You know I would. Will you listen to me?” She shook her head. “Okay, time for the interrogation.” “No, Gage don‟t….” Her composure was lost to a fit of helpless giggles as his fingers tickled the tender flesh at her sides. “Please!” she cried in between gulps of air and more giggles. The word, the breathless sound of her voice, made his cock twitch, begging for more. "Are you ready to hear my plan now?" She arched her back, still giggling. Her breasts pushed against his shirt. The pebbles of her nipples tickled his skin through the fabric, giving his cock a second twitch. “Okay! Okay! Anything, just don‟t tickle me again.” Her delicious shiver rippled through him. A chuckle escaped him. “I didn‟t expect the little outlaw to give in so quickly.” The scowl of pure death was back with full force. "It's either listen or be tickled again." Gage shrugged "That's the idea.” Then a devilish smile spread over his lips at the whisper of a naughty thought. “Unless you can think of other ways to spend time."

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A shiver went through her. He wondered if being this close to him again was having the same effect on her. The warmth of her soft body melded with his so nicely, it was as if she was made for him. The shear material did nothing to hide her luscious curves or mask the softness of her skin. He could see right through her togaq to the dark circles around her nipples. Just thinking about licking those tempting dark chocolate morsels made the blood in his cock swell. It was like fighting a losing battle. He should have given her a flight suit to put on. The sheer material of her outfit felt as if she had nothing on. Quickly, he instructed his implants to stop his cock from getting hard, but it was too late. This far gone and his computer wasn‟t listening at all. Fury burned in her eyes. "Tell your idea. Then get off of me." By the look in her eyes, he knew she felt him press into her thigh. His cheeks heated in embarrassment as he moved his hips in an attempt to raise himself off of her. That was a big mistake. The movement only made matters worse. The slight brush of her warmth against even his breeches was going to send him over the edge. Gage took a deep breath before trying to speak. He would have shivered if he didn‟t have better control of himself, and even that was questionable. "I‟m going to ChemaTech to get answers. Someone is bound to know something.” Her eyes widened with shock. “What! You can‟t go there.”

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Gage raised a brow. “Why not? They‟re the ones who hired me to bring you back.” “Why?” The angry edge in her voice cut him deep. “Did they think I would come to you willingly?” “If you call running around Praxa like you‟d lost you mind and kicking my in the nuts willing, then I‟d hate to see if you fight.” He saw the slight tick in the corner of her mouth. The little minx still thought it was funny. “Something funny to you, Naeva?” “No.” She turned her head and coughed. “Not at all. Keep going with your diabolical plan.” She rolled her eyes. “Even though I think it‟s not a good idea.” “Don‟t you have questions about what happened to you?” Naeva scowled. “You know I do.” “Well, I think we should get answers for what happened. Not to mention find out who did this to you.” She toyed with her full bottom lip, looking away for a second. He was transfixed at her perfect lips between pearly white teeth, wanting so much to play with them using his teeth and mouth. “I don‟t know. It‟s too dangerous.” The edge in her voice was betrayed by the worry in her eyes. He didn‟t need his implants to know that she cared for his safety over her own. The feeling was mutual.

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Gage let the slow smile bloom across his lips. “If I didn‟t know any better, I‟d say you actually care about me.” Naeva scowled, the worry in her eyes gone in a flash. “Well, you‟re wrong. You‟re the only one who can help me. That‟s it. Everything before and after doesn‟t matter.” “So what we had on Hudani doesn‟t mean anything to you? When you left, you didn‟t have any feelings for me at all?” Where in the hell had that come from? But since it was out of his mouth, he might as well go with it. Her face set in stone faster than he could blink. “No.” The single word sliced his heart like a hot light saber. Yet, by the look in her eyes, he could tell she was lying. The chocolate brown orbs blazed hotter than a cluster of Quasars. “Prove it. Kiss me.” She shrank further into the bed. “I am not going to kiss you.” “Fine. I‟ll kiss you.” He met her widened gaze with a challenge. “Unless you‟re afraid a little peck on the lips is going to bring up some long-dead feelings between us?” Gage felt her go rigid, but the moment his lips touched hers, his one concern about her resisting him went sailing out the window.

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Chapter Six

His hot lips took hers in a slow gentle kiss that set her blood boiling. Naeva reveled in the heat as he possessed her. His tongue teased her bottom lip, begging to enter. Against her sane wishes, she obeyed and hungrily drank him in. The heady taste of age-old, dark Hudani honey bourbon blended with the warmth of his mouth. His tongue danced with hers and sent her mind spinning with desire. Each stroke sent liquid heat pooling between her thighs. Goddess, it had been a while since anyone touched her, a timeless age since Gage possessed her body. All thoughts of her wanting to be another place died away in a whimper. She wished he‟d free her hands so she could feel him, revel in the blend of his body heat dancing with hers. It had been so long since she felt his smooth skin under her fingertips. Her body arched as her inner core heated, ready to burst into flames at any moment. His free hand cupped her breast, rolling her nipple through the satin material. More heat pooled behind the thin lace thong. She sighed, surrendering to his sweet torture. He trailed hot kisses down her throat, stopping to nip at the pulsating flesh before trailing to her ear.

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“Do you still think about us?” His breath fanned hot on her neck. The gruffness of his voice told her only one thing—he wanted her just as she wanted him. If she‟d answered „no,‟ she would be lying out of her front teeth. She thought of him every passing moment. Each time her blood boiled, her womb ached, and she came hard while masturbating in hot steamy baths. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “I thought about you at every waking moment. What I would do to you over and over again if I finally caught you.” “Wh-what did you wanna do to me?” “This.” Gage sucked greedily at the hollow of her throat, letting his teeth rake across her sensitive skin. Her pulse hammered in her throat against his tongue. She gasped, a shiver taking hold of her. “Gabriel.” She moaned, freeing her hands to run through his hair. He dipped his head, pulling the thin satin away with his teeth, revealing one large breast. His warm mouth covered her dark areola. She felt the gentle nip of teeth on nipple. She gasped, arching towards his mouth. She lost herself as his tongue wreaked havoc on her sensitive flesh.

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Gage turned his attention to the other breast. Every lick of his tongue had her lifting off the bed. He caressed his way down her body. She loved the feel of his rough hands on her skin as they stroked her thighs. Her rich cinnamon brown skin blended with his sun-tanned hands in the light. Her skin was hot, feverish. She was close to burning and the flames of her desire were consuming her. She shivered as his hands gently smoothed away the togaq. The thin material of her thong surrendered as he pulled it off as well. Her shivers increased when the cool air hit her aching mound. Naeva nearly jumped off the bed at the slightest touch of his hand. She remembered this all too well. She knew what his hands were capable of. Her body sure remembered and quivered just the same. Her breath came in gasps. She looked into his eyes, seeing the fire behind the glowing green orbs. When he slipped a finger into her hot aching cunt, she was lost. She whimpered in surrender. Slowly, he pumped his finger in and out. The friction sent shocks of ecstasy racing up her body, pitting in the middle of her chest, and stealing her breath. She was almost there…so close to coming. She could see the mini starburst behind her eyes as she rode his thick finger. His thumb strummed her swollen clit mercilessly until, finally, she exploded, the starburst going supernova.

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Gage felt her inner muscles clench around his finger as she came hard, spilling her juices across his hand. Her fingers gripped in to his bare shoulders. He gave her a rakish smile, taking his fingers into his mouth to taste her. Gage growled in animalistic satisfaction. He loved the taste of her as it filled him. A floral scent lightly coated her skin, blending with her female one. It shot straight to his cock, making it strain against the seam of his pants. He‟d always kept it in his memory. He watched her. Her eyes closed, mouth open, softly whimpering. He wanted to do more to her. Wanted her hot and wet like he remembered, wanted to make her come harder. The urge to taste her again was so overwhelming, it over powered everything else. Rising above her, Gage peeled off his shirt and pants, tossing them to an unknown region of the cabin. He took a look at her. She was simply beautiful. Her dark hair spread around his pillow in a mass of dark curls. Her dark nipples tempted him. Her thick thighs were very much a handful, just like he loved them. Thick, yielding, with the ability to squeeze around him as he pumped into her. His cock hardened further, threatened to burst from his pants. Her knees raised and parted, and very invitingly, glistened with her hot cream. Her deep brown eyes burned into his, begging him to come closer. He growled in pure male satisfaction.

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His hands smoothed over her soft skin, skin that was just days ago on the forefront of his mind. As he covered her body, he could scarce believe they were at this junction, together, now. Her long legs wrapped around his lean flanks, knotting securely around his waist. Taking his time, he devoured her mouth, slowly plunging in, swallowing her soft moans. A gasp tore from him when she grabbed his cock and placed it at the junction of her wet core, guiding him to her slick opening. By the Goddess, she was tight. He pumped his hard length into her, slowly circling each thrust as he drove deeper and deeper. Every clench of her muscles around him nearly sent him over the edge. “Gabriel!” Naeva gasped, grabbing his ass in her fingers, her head thrashing from side to side. “I can‟t promise to be gentle, Naeva,” he growled, nibbling on her ear. His body quaked for release, quick, hard, and merciless. He wanted to bury himself deep within her until he was no more. “I don‟t want gentle. Just make me scream!” Gage gave a grunt before picking up the tempo, slamming into her. She was so tight, so hot surrounding his hard shaft. It took all of him not to come right then and there. Inch after mind blowing inch, he impaled her. Her hot breath panted on his neck.

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Suddenly, he couldn‟t hold back. Fire mingled with dire need within, threatening to consume him in an unquenchable storm. Streaks of lightning flashed behind his tightly closed eyes. He was so close to coming. “Goddess, Gabriel. Come now!” she moaned. He pumped into her satin folds with relentless fervor until he felt her quaking uncontrollably beneath him. A low growl erupted from his lips upon hearing his name high on the air as she climaxed hard, gripping his cock in her tight, milky walls. He rocked steadily forward, pumping, pistoning his hips downward in long sure strokes, her inner walls still quaking, riding the waves of completion. The heat of their friction and her warm juices spilling on his legs and stomach brought about the end of his rigid control. He grunted, pumping as deep as he could, hitting her womb. His body shuddered as he came, filling her with hot seed. Gage continued to pump, wanting to fill her with all of him, driving out all others. Spent and sated, he collapsed on top of her. He felt her arms around him, but could not find the strength to move. This was where he wanted to be. Her body was still in shock. He could still feel her muscles clenching around his cock. Every movement sent little tremors shooting through his body. Even though he had come, he was still hard and wanted more.

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He pulled himself up, gazing down into her dark eyes. He could still see the fire burning within them, but there was something else he couldn‟t name. It was only there for a moment before it vanished. He frowned. “Did I hurt you?” It was a moment before she shook her head, a smile blooming on her beautiful full lips. Unconvinced, he raised a brow. “Are you sure?” “That was amazing. Goddess, you nearly wore me out.” Gage chuckled. “I think that‟s the whole point.” As the shocks died away, his mind was in a whirlwind. One minute he was questioning her, the next he had her in his arms, in his bed, making love to her . . . and wasn‟t about to stop now. He growled as his cock hardened again. “I‟m not done yet, darlin‟.”

Gage stared at the ceiling as he tried to slow his heart and his mind. He pulled Naeva close to him, wrapping his arms around her. Never in his life had a woman satisfied him. Funny thing, he didn‟t want another one. His woman lay next to him. Naeva, the only one he ever wanted. Sure, he‟d had some really good sex traveling across the galaxy, but this was something different. She touched every part of him, mind and body. His heart skipped a beat when he felt her breath

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even out, too exhausted to stay awake. He couldn‟t help gazing down at her sleeping face and feeling the powerful tug on his heart that was still there after all these years. He cursed his heart and his over-active libido. They always complicated things. How in the hell was he supposed to get out of this without hurting her? Sleep called to him. His eyelids drooped as he commanded his computer into a light sleep. He needed to think about this again. If not, he was going end up hurting Naeva and he didn‟t want that at all.

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Chapter Seven

Naeva felt around the empty bed for any sign of warmth. Gage‟s side of the bed was just as cold as if he‟d never slept beside her. The vivid memories of last night flashed through her mind, heating her blood. A slow ache sank low into her sex causing her to shiver. The man was like a drug, a cure to long nights lying awake alone and wanting, with no one there to ease her pain. The only thing she wanted to do right now was easing the ache and have Gage come inside her one more time. She was so totally addicted. Hearing the soft hum of the sonic show, she smiled. Gage was in the shower. Suddenly every naughty fantasy played in her mind. She pictured herself stepping into the shower with him, touching him, caressing his swollen cock, before kneeling to take his thickness in her mouth. To see that beautiful head of his thrown back, face relaxed in passion, was enough to make her wet all over again. She eased out of bed. As she stared at the lav door her boldness died in a pitiful puff of smoke. Pulling the bed sheet around her body, she walked toward it. Anticipation rose inside her, sending little slivers of electricity to her already

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moistened lips. Her hand hovered over the keypad. Heartbeats ticked away as she debated on going through with her plan. Better now than never. With shaky fingers, she pushed the button. The door slid away. Steam filled the doorway, spilling into the room. Slowly, she stepped inside, trying to see. A section of it cleared, showing off a portion of suntanned skin leaning against the beige wall. Her breath hitched at the sight of him. Gage‟s head leaned against the wall, his hair dripping wet from the shower. His arms were spread over his head, stretching powerful muscles that traveled down his beautiful back to a tight little ass she had no problem grabbing. He turned, pinning her with his beautiful green eyes. The shock within them quickly turned to molten fire lust, their power making her knees weaken. Great Goddess, this man was beautiful. His smile heated her blood even further. “Didn‟t know you were awake.” She couldn‟t say anything. Her voice had failed her. The only thing she could do was stare at him, down his hard chiseled body to his hardening member. Goddess, she wanted to see how his cock tasted in her mouth. She met his gaze, seeing the fire in his eyes, and immediately she cowered. Maybe this wasn‟t such a good idea. “I—I better go.”

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“No, wait.” Before she could reach the door, he was there. “Don‟t go.” He grabbed her wrists, gently pulling her to him. The heat of his body engulfed hers. Gently, he untwined the sheet from her fingertips, letting it drop to the floor. His eyes roamed over her body possessively, coaxing a shiver from her. When he lowered his lips to hers, she lost all the cares in the world.

Gage took his time taking deep pulls from her full bottom lip, relishing the taste of her. His tongue danced with hers for a time before he pulled back. He heard her moan in desperation as he ended the kiss. He just had to look at her. He‟d felt her when she entered the lav, but when she dropped the sheet, seeing her in glorious naked splendor, had him wanting her all over again. Slowly, he pulled her into the shower. Her curls glistened with water, her eyes as wide as dark saucers. He couldn‟t help the shiver which flowed from his body to hers. Gage pulled her into his arms again, the need to be inside her becoming overwhelming. He took her lips more feverishly this time, feeling her give back as much. She kissed down his neck, down the valley of his chest, across his abs to kneel in front of his hard shaft. She wasn‟t about to do what he thought she was going to do, was she?

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“Naeva, what are you doing?” She shrugged, the wide-eyed scared look gone, replaced by heat and fire. “Experimenting.” She ran a finger along the side of his shaft, making his cock twitch with more anticipation for what was to come. “S-so, I‟m the experiment now.” He was so breathless by her touch alone, all he could was pant. When she took him into her palm with small little strokes, while cupping his sack with her other hand, he nearly lost it. “Uh-huh,” she breathed before taking him into her mouth. Sweet Spirit, the woman drove him over the edge, the warmth of her mouth his undoing. He leaned his head back, relishing the feel of the little shocks her mouth did to him. He tried not to overwhelm her with his hands, his shaky fingers resting at the base of her neck. “Naeva,” he moaned, his hips slightly pumping her mouth. Her head rose and fell on him, her little tongue licked his sensitive head, making him shiver more. She moaned as she pumped faster. Goddess, he was about to come. He held off for a few moments, fighting it until it was too much. His fire burned brighter, hotter, as if blatantly showing her just how much he wanted her. The slow devilish smile that crossed his lips only gave her a hint of what he planned. “Now, my turn to experiment.”

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Gage kissed her hard and deep, tasting himself in her mouth. His hand wrapped around her waist, gripped her ass, and pinned her back against the shower wall. Naeva wrapped her legs around him as he slowly slid into her. Goddess, he was so thick. She moaned as he pumped his way into her with small thrusts until he was inside. Then back out and in again, faster, until she was clawing his back in a fierce need she never felt before. It swept her up on a river of hot ecstasy, drowned by his kisses, his scent, everything about him. She panted with each thrust, the need to quicken coming swift and hard, engulfing her sense into a ball of pure energy. “Gage!” She screamed his name as she shattered into a million pieces. Gage came a few pumps after her, roaring as he filled her once again. His body quaked as her muscles clenched around him. He rested his head against hers for a moment as if trying to gain his center. There was no way in hell she was going to be the same after this. Brea‟s voice burst through the comm., destroying the magic. “Gage to the bridge. You‟re needed, bro.” Damn communicators. They all should be shot with the wires hanging from the bowels of the ship. “I gotta go.” She felt his frustrated growl rumble through her. “I can tell her I‟m busy.”

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“She sounded pretty urgent. You better get up there.” He gently nipped the cove of her neck, sending shivers through her anew. “Don‟t remind me.” Naeva stroked her fingers through his think wet hair, then pulled him away on a moan. “I know. Go. We can play later.” He chuckled, pulling away from the wall, taking her with him. As much as she hated to let him go, she untwined her legs around his waist. He slowly lowered her to the floor. With a quick soul-shattering kiss, he was gone and somehow she knew her heart was gone with him.

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Chapter Eight

The moment Gage made it to the bridge, he heard Terras blasting through the comm speakers. He stopped at the door, not yet wanting to push the door release. Terras always popped off his loud mouth when things weren‟t going just according to schedule. His. “Where the hell is Gage? He was supposed to be at the check point six hours ago.” “We had a little problem, but we‟re getting on track.” “What do you mean by „little problem‟?” Gage could hear the scowl in Terras‟s voice. “Well, Drex got really sick. Something about blood poisoning…” He could hear Terras pounding on his desk. “I don‟t give a damn if the whole ship came down with the Cubellean Flu. I pay enough money for that damn busted bag of flying space debris to stay in business. You tell that lazy sack of shit if he wants to get paid, he better damn well get to the drop off points.” That did it. No one dare call him lazy. Gage spent weeks on missions just to bring the perp in, only to be told that he wasn‟t doing the job right or that he wasn‟t going to get paid. No one talked about him like that. Employer be damned.

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Gage punched the keypad, releasing the door. Daegan sat in the command chair with his arms folded across his chest. Brea stood behind him, but the minute Gage entered the bridge, she moved past him and out of the door. Just as the doors closed she said, “I‟ll be in the mess if you need me.” Gage glowered at the view portal. Yet instead of hurling a chair at the portal, like he felt like doing, he folded his arms easily over his massive chest. “Lazy, am I?” Terras‟s face quickly changed, brightening into a fake smile. “Gage, buddy. Good to see you. I was worried about you when you didn‟t show up at the drop off. Everything‟s okay?” No matter how Terras tried to hide behind the falsities, Gage still could see the fear in his eyes. “Cut the bullshit, Terras.” Gage slid into the empty command chair. “The only reason you called is to get the money Drex is going to bring you.” He didn‟t dare tell Terras about Naeva. There was something about this whole thing that kept him on edge, especially when it came to Terras. He didn‟t trust the Terran as far as he could throw him, let alone with knowing about Naeva. Besides, with Terras, even the slightest possibility of more money made him happier. Terras‟s frown deepened. “And you could see my concern. Drex is…” “In my custody until I can get to an access point and give him to Central. Until then, there‟s nothing to worry about.” He paused for a second, thinking.

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Come to think of it, this whole damned thing was starting to become a little too peculiar. There was one rule he had in space. Never break communication silence. It was too risky out here. Pirates were around every corner and pretty much all of them could hack into a ship‟s computer within seconds and steal vital information or even kill the crew without a second thought. He couldn‟t risk them being found out by anyone, let alone his money-hungry employer. Gage held his gaze steady despite the anger he felt boiling his blood. “Terras, why did you call? You never call, even to break communication silence. Or to tell us we have a check to pick up.” “Uhhh,” Terras stammered. His bald head beaded with sweat. “I told you I was concerned.” “Tell me why.” Gage leaned into the screen, making his threat clear. “Or so help me, I will fly this busted bag of space debris to Zexel IV and land it in your office.” He watched Terras‟s face turn beet red before he gave into a fit of coughs. Waving his arms, he pleaded. “No need to be so hasty. I‟ll tell you.” Then he murmured. “I‟m still recovering from the last time you landed in my office.” “Terras…” Gage growled, moving his hands over the controls as he readied the ship to change course.

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Terras‟s face turned white. “All right! All right! I heard about the girl. You know, the doctor from ChemaTech. She was a friend of yours, yes?” If Gage could get his hands on the son of a bitch that told, they were dead. For now, he reluctantly decided to keep a cool head. “Yeah, what of it? Who told you?” “N—no one.” Gage could tell he was lying by his nervousness. Yet if Terras said one thing he didn‟t like, there would be hell to pay. “Heard she had a bounty on her head. A pretty high one too. A friend like that I would hide on my ship too. Lots of money if you catch her. Three-quarter million creds, buddy. That‟s a lot of bread to just throw away on another hunter. You could bring her here and we‟ll split. This time I‟ll actually give your fifty percent of the profit.” Daegan turned sharply and looked at Gage, confirming the same thing he thought. There was a leak somewhere. “I never told you I had her on my ship. I never told you anything. Who‟s been filling you in?” Terras‟s words faltered. “I-uh-” “Save it, Terras. Your excuses aren‟t worth the air to breathe them. Don‟t call me again about Ms. Orien or any other bounty until I call you. Understand?” He didn‟t wait for an okay. He just cut the comm., setting Terras‟s messages on a twenty-four hour block.

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Daegan turned his chair to Gage before running a hand through his blond hair. Gage could see the worry in his blue eyes. “How the hell did he find out? Tara would‟ve never told him about something like this.” “I know.” Gage shrugged. “Something‟s not right about the whole thing.” Daegan raised a blond brow. “As if someone‟s been fishing to find her.” “Exactly.” “So what are you going to do?” Daegan asked, turning back to the viewer. Gage had a working theory, but he needed to do some detective work. First thing was to start at ChemaTech. “I‟m going to find out what‟s going on. And the sooner I do, the sooner Naeva will be safe.”

Lechan looked at the viewer, listening to the message. He could tell by the look on Gage‟s face that he knew something was up. Gage had always been smarter than he looked. Even as children, nothing got past him. Yet not smart enough to see that the message had been buffered to go through a server first. Better to keep Gage in the dark, than to let his whole plan blow to hell in front of his eyes.

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“Sorry, boss,” Terras said, turning away from the viewer. “He didn‟t buy the whole routine.” Terras had always been a money hungry fool. Lechan shouldn‟t have trusted him to do this. Lechan wanted Naeva dead more than anything. The one thing stopping him from gaining full control of ChemaTech was on Gage‟s ship. “Don‟t worry. I have other plans. You did your job.” He tossed a twothousand credit chip to Terras and walked out the door. If he knew Gage, the man would be heading for ChemaTech right now to find out what‟s going on. Now all he had to do was sit and wait. Naeva would be coming to him soon.

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Chapter Nine

Time seemed to stand still while Naeva stood in the shower. There were no cares, only Gage, his sexy body, and the power he possessed over hers. Yet, the moment the lav doors slid open, life picked up where it left off. She was halfway across the galaxy with a bounty hunter who needed to do his job and take her back, but also wanted answers on what happened. Naeva took her time getting out of the shower, enjoying the feel of the water on her skin. She dried and wrapped a large towel around her body and a smaller one around her hair. She opened the door to an empty cabin. Gage left her some time ago in a hurry, but he left a few things for her. A silver flight suit lay across the back of his desk chair. Several bottled lotions sat on the desk, lined up perfectly. One in particular had a red X across the front of the bottle. A holo-pad sat underneath it. Not only did he resort to bossing me around, but now he expected me to smell a certain way? Naeva scoffed at the thought. Then she peeled back the paper tag. Sexual Chocolate. She could have guessed that one since chocolate was his favorite candy

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of choice. A thought crossed her mind. This wasn‟t the only time he‟d thought about her covered in chocolate. He‟d said several times her skin was as smooth as warm chocolate pouring through a vat. It never helped that his mouth and teeth gently nipped at her neck. She shivered then just as she always had. Chuckling, she picked up the bottle and the pad. She flicked her thumb over the sensor. Relax as long as you like. If you need me, I‟m on the bridge. So much for another romantic interlude. He was working and now she was sex-deprived. She stopped. Here she was, thinking about having sex with the man again. You just got out of the shower with him where he fucked your brains out, you sexaholic, her logical sense argued. Yet, it made perfect sense. There was no such thing as too much when it came to Gabriel. She was addicted and had been for a very long time. There wasn‟t much anyone could do about it. Sighing, Naeva grabbed the suit and the bottle and made her way to the bed to lotion her body. She took her time, enjoying the exotic scent of chocolate and a dark promise of hot steamy sex, then put on the small thong. She dried her hair, running her fingers through the long mass. She looked at the flight suit and frowned. The pants looked too little. She bit her bottom lip as she thought of a different way of putting the pants on without any damage. There was none. She

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took her chances and unzipped the pants and slid her legs in. It stopped at midthigh just as she knew it would. She tried several times to them up, but with no luck. Naeva sigh. “This is a rip waiting to happen.” She was actually starting to work up a sweat. She tried one more time, getting them up around her butt before giving up. She fell across the bed out of breath and exhausted. Putting on skin-tight pants was like walking a mile in the Terori Desert with no water. Suddenly, the suit began to move on its own. “Auto adjust on. Adjusting to new body dimensions,” the suit‟s computer sounded. The pants loosened around her butt and thighs, giving her more room to zip them closed in the front. Naeva sighed in relief, relaxing against the bed. “Blessings to the Goddess for modern technology.” After that little bit of exercise, she didn‟t feel like going through the same thing with the jacket. She settled instead on one of Gabriel‟s loose-fitting white t-shirts from the closet. By the time she finished combing through her hair, the door chimed. Brea‟s voice sounded through the door. “It‟s me, Naeva. Can I come in?” Naeva pressed the lock and released the door. Brea entered, carrying a small case. She smiled at Naeva. Her pale green eyes gleamed with happiness.

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“I‟m so glad to have another female on the ship,” Brea said, pulling Naeva into a tight hug. “You don‟t know how frustrating it is not to talk to another woman. Men are such blockheads.” Tell me about it, Naeva thought, but didn‟t dare voice her opinion. She pulled back, wanting to take a good look at her. “My goodness, you‟ve grown. The last time I saw you, there were pigtails in your hair.” Brea laughed. “Just make me feel old then. The last time I saw you, you had short hair.” Self-conscious, Naeva ran a hand through her thick, dark brown locks. “It‟s too long. I thought about cutting it.” Brea raised a brow. “I don‟t know. Looks better with it long. Besides, Gage has this thing with long brown hair.” “He does, does he?” It came out a lot drier than Naeva wanted, but she couldn‟t hide the small jealous streak that ran through her at the thought of another woman being in his bed. Brea nodded as if spilling her guts. “He says brown is prettier to him than blonde. But you know he likes all women.” “I bet.” Naeva ran another absent-minded hand through her hair. Brea gasped, clapping her hands together. “Let me do your hair. It must be such a hassle with it being so long.”

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More than it was worth. Since Brea was offering, she was willing to accept. “Sure.” Naeva grabbed the brush from the bed, then headed for the desk chair. Brea followed and waited for Naeva to sit before she picked up her hair, and moved it to the side. She heard Brea‟s gasp and knew she had seen a bruise. “When Gage told me you were in trouble, I couldn‟t believe it. What happened?” Naeva took a deep breath, trying to push down the sudden overwhelming urge to cry. She didn‟t want to talk, but Brea turned her around. “Naeva, you can trust me. Whatever it is, it‟s weighing heavy on your heart right now.” “You have no idea.” Naeva cleared her throat. Her voice choppy with tears. The pain was too heavy for her heart to carry around. Yet, she had been all these weeks, only telling who she needed to. There hadn‟t been many she could trust. She saw no malice when she looked into Brea‟s eyes, nothing that screamed DON‟T TRUST HER! Brea frowned. “Either open your heart, or close it off forever, Naeva. You can‟t do both. You have to talk to someone.” “My heart‟s not closed.”

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“Yes, it is. You still do that thing where you close yourself off when you get hurt.” Brea took a curl and wrapped it around Naeva‟s ear. “I‟m not going to hurt you. I just wanted you to talk.” There was no mistaking the hurt in Brea‟s eyes. It twisted her heart to see it. Sighing, Naeva made her decision. “I developed a serum that helps the body to heal at a phenomenal rate. It was supposed to do some good. I hoped to have it tested and distributed to some of the colonies dealing with hemophilia, and other blood-born disorders that would prevent the body to heal. One night, a couple weeks ago, a group of men stormed into my lab and killed my father and several of my colleagues trying to get it.” Naeva felt the pain in her heart as the poor vessel ripped anew. Tears welled in her eyes, but she pushed then back as she continued. “They tried to kill me, but I didn‟t die. All I remember is being shot. I was holding the serum the moment before, trying to put it back into containment, but they shot through the container and the bullet lodged into my chest. After that, I blacked out. Now, I‟m being blamed for their deaths.” Naeva stopped fighting the tears. Holding in all the pain from the past few weeks was taking its toll on her heart. Tears pooled in Brea‟s eyes as she pulled Naeva into her arms in a motherly hug. “By the Goddess, Naeva. I‟m sorry. Do you have any idea who it was?”

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“No. I don‟t, but Gabriel says that he‟s going to help me.” Brea sighed in relief. “Good. It must be scary for you.” To Naeva, every moment that passed was scary. Not knowing who‟s going to find me, who‟s going to kill me just for the bounty on my head. Naeva constantly wondered how she even stayed alive. “Sometimes, but I‟m a strong woman. I‟ll get through it.” “You‟ve always been strong. Gage did right by getting to you first. He‟ll know what to do.” “Why do you call him „Gage‟?” The question had plagued her ever since she heard his name over the comm. Naeva found herself calling him Gage, but now she was curious, and didn‟t have the heart to ask him herself. Brea shrugged. “There was an old Terran who Gage used to work for. Said that he had more balls than a man with a twelve-gauge shotgun. The old man was right. Gage is an „all brawn, no-bullshit‟ type of person. I guess you have to be in this line of work.” Naeva chuckled. She could see her point. The Gabriel that she knew now was tougher, almost colder, than the one she knew when she was younger. Yet, she could still see the fire for her burning bright in his eyes, feel his hands on her body. The tingles on her skin made her pull self-consciously at the shirt on her shoulder.

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“Here.” Brea‟s soft voice interrupted her thoughts. She put her hand over Naeva‟s to still her. “Let me get a better look at that bruise.” Reluctantly, Naeva pulled back the neckline of her shirt, revealing the rest of the purplish mark. She heard Brea‟s deep groan. “I‟m no medic, but these look pretty bad. Let me take care of these real quick.” Naeva pulled the shirt over her left shoulder. She heard the snaps of the medkit before Brea took out a tissue regenerator. The red light shined through the air before she placed it on her skin. Naeva felt the small machine do its work. The gentle tingles in her skin eased the pain away. It only took a moment. The small scanner finished with a couple of beeps. Brea set it aside with a smile. “There. Good as new. Now, time to do your hair.” Naeva shook her head. “No, that‟s okay. It‟s fine the way it is.” Brea scoffed. “Stop fighting. It‟s not every day someone does your hair. Plus, I wasn‟t asking.” Naeva chuckled, relenting to her. Handing over the brush, she turned around to give Brea better access. The firm, yet gentle, tugs of the brush made her scalp tingle with delicious delight. It had been so long since someone brushed hair, let alone pampered her. She felt her hair when Brea finished. She swept the thick, cord braid across her shoulder.

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“Much better. Now you don‟t look like someone scared the hell out of you.” Brea chuckled. “Does Gage know? I mean, were you able to tell him?” Naeva nodded. “What I could remember. It‟s still pretty blurry. Like a dream.” Brea scoffed. “I‟m surprised he didn‟t go into one of his rampages. That thickheaded numbskull. I‟m surprised he actually listened without showing off that maniac of a temper he has.” Among other things. Her womb clenched at the thought of last night…or this morning. “No, he seemed real understanding.” Brea laughed. “I heard you two in here.” Naeva frowned horrified. “You did?” She nodded. “He was very understanding all right. I could tell by the way you were moaning.” Naeva‟s dark cheeks blushed with embarrassment. “I-uh…” Brea waved her off, still chuckling. “No need to apologize. I know what goes on between a man and woman. Besides, since then, he‟s been a lot nicer. Still not talkative, but not growling at us either.” Us? Naeva thought it was only the two of them on the ship, yet there were more. “And just how many people live on this ship?”

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“There‟s Gage and me of course, but we have a pilot named Daegan. You‟ll meet him later. He‟s so nice and kind, but he‟s a fighter. He was a Torillian soldier before he left the service to come and work for Gage.” Naeva listened while Brea doted on Daegan and smiled. She‟d notice that tone anywhere. Brea was infatuated with Daegan. “If you ask me, I‟d say you like this man.” Brea blushed, a deep red spreading from her cheeks and down her neck. “I didn‟t say that. Besides, he works for my brother and he‟s not as talkative or interested. Besides, that would be weird.” “I don‟t know. The way you talk about him, it sounds like you really like this guy.” “Like him? Me? No.” When Naeva lifted a brow at her, Brea changed her tune. “Well, a little. Besides, I don‟t want Gage hurting him.” Naeva chuckled. “He wouldn‟t do that.” Brea‟s eyes widened. “Oh, yes he would. He always said that if any man wants me, then they would have to go through him.” Naeva coughed back her chuckle. That was Gage to a tee. Kick ass first. Ask questions way later. “Oh, yeah. That sounds like Gage alright.” “I wouldn‟t dare tell him. I can see it now. Gage and Daegan fighting. Daegan because he shows interest in me, and Gage because he can‟t stand another man

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trying to touch me and being an overprotective thorn in my side. I‟m still a virgin, Nae.” At Naeva‟s slight chuckle, she added. “That‟s not funny.” Naeva waved away her laughter. “I‟m laughing at the story, hon. Not you. I would never do that.” “But, you see my dilemma. Because Gage is such an overbearing parent, Daegan doesn‟t even look at me. Yeah, he speaks to me, asks me about different computer diagnostics, but it‟s as if he doesn‟t have any interest in me.” Naeva loved the sisterly flutter of her heart as she talked to Brea. She remembered having the same conversation with Mylea about Gage when they were teenagers. Back then, there wasn‟t this cold and calculating Gage. There was only Gabriel, strong willed and very stubborn, but extremely noble. And she was in love with him from the moment she saw him. “Have you pointed this out to either of them?” Brea laughed. “And watch them fight like titans? No. I don‟t think that would be such a good idea.” Naeva gave in to a softening smile. “Talk to Daegan. See what he thinks. If it helps, don‟t imply that it‟s you that you‟re talking about.” “But Naeva,” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I don‟t know what to say to him.”

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“You‟re all of twenty seasons, Brea. Time to start thinking like a woman going after a great outfit on the net. You want him. Go get him. You‟ll think of what to say when the time comes.” Brea‟s smile widened, including her beautiful eyes. “I knew I could talk to you. I can‟t talk about this with Gage. He always brushes me aside. Got any help with that?” Naeva shook her head. Her version of talking wasn‟t doing any good. Nervously, she scratched her head. “No. One problem at a time, and the easiest ones first. Gage is an enigma. I don‟t know how to take him myself, but when I do know, I‟ll fill you in.” Brea laughed, patting her on the shoulder. “Talk about me. If I didn‟t know any better, I‟d say you like him.” The little minx was mocking her. The evidence gleamed in her beautiful green eyes. Naeva chuckled nervously as she felt the sudden rush of blood to her face. She knew where this was going. If she didn‟t changed the subject soon, they would get on the never-ending conversation about how she felt about Gage. “Is there somewhere where we can get a bite to eat?” “Yeah, sure. Come on, I‟ll take you to the mess hall. It‟s small, but the replicator is the best in the U.A.”

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Naeva raised a brow. The only thing that the U.A. produced was standard class starships. Any replicator for U.A. made the food taste like process plasma rubber. All the good replicators were made on Milan. Brea shrugged. “Okay, so it‟s not U.A. edition, but it still makes good Terran Stew. Don‟t try to change the subject. We‟ll talk about it over breakfast.”

Captain Jema Xhitori sat the pad down on her desk. The report of a small law enforcement vessel leaving Praxa was only twelve hours old, and the leads were coming up with dead ends. Yet, when she looked at the bottom of the holopad she noticed the failed ship signatures of her former security chief. Gabriel Tallon was in some deep trouble. Not only did he miss delivering Drex into United Alliance custody, he was harboring another fugitive wanted for murder. “Excuse me, Captain. What is our next step?” Pulling herself out of the brief daydream, Xhitori looked up to see Commander Jarrod, her second officer, standing in front of her desk. Xhitori tried to put together a plan in her mind, but none surfaced. How could she capture Gabriel? He was not only her former officer, but one of her trusted friends. He had pulled her out of more jams than she could remember. How could she take him into custody over a silly technicality of not checking in?

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“Have the orders come back from Central?” Jerrod shook his head. “No and after twelve hours, I don‟t expect an answer. It‟s as if they want to leave the decision up to you.” Well, she would gladly take the invitation. Maybe it was a small situation easily fixed. His comm. was down and there was no way to send messages to Central. Yet, either way she needed to see what was going on. “Well, we need to get started on finding him then.” Jarrod sat in the chair in front of her desk. “So, there‟s no way of talking you out of it?” Xhitori flashed a dark smile. “Why, Jarrod. I never knew you to be so cautious.” Jarrod shrugged. “Comes with the job. I have a funny feeling about this whole thing since the report came across my desk.” “I know. It‟s as if someone is working hard to get this Dr. Orien sent back to ChemaTech.” Jarrod tapped on the desk for a moment as if his mind were running through different options. She knew there was only one real option. He sat up, his blue eyes glistening with confirmation. “Cover up?” “I thought so too. Time to go find Gabriel and see what is really going on.” “I don‟t think he‟s going to come willingly.”

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Rising from her desk, Xhitori charged towards the door with the commander in tow. “Neither do I, but it‟s worth a shot. We have to figure out what‟s going on here.” She doubted this was going to be a quiet, simple mission after all.

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Chapter Ten

“You‟re still planning on going down there alone?” Naeva watched Gage put the last of his gear into a small bag. For a person who had sex with her several times last night and twice this morning, he sure didn‟t show it. To be perfectly honest, he looked like a man who wasn‟t in the best mood at all. His dark brows furrowed as he forced the blaster charges into the bag. He never once looked up to address her. Instead, he spent his attention on situating his contents. “Yup.” She hated his short sentences. It only pissed her off more. Naeva walked up to him and put her hand over the bag. “And you‟re not taking someone with you? I still don‟t understand why.” He moved her hand a way. “Nope. Not for you to understand.” Naeva almost snapped at that comment. Snappy, smug son of a… Yet, keeping a cooler head, she continued pressing. “What about Daegan? Isn‟t he supposed to be your partner?” He never looked up from the bag. “Pilot and no.”

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Naeva growled, placing her hands on her hips. Her anger swelled to unbelievable heights in a matter of seconds. “You plan on using more than one word in a sentence?” Gage closed the bag and tossed it over his shoulder. His eyes were cool and calculating as he stared back at her. “Nope.” “What‟s your problem? You act like I asked you to do this. I didn‟t, you know, and I don‟t have to be the reason for your foul attitude.” He stopped, stilling her with cold and very angry eyes, the first emotion he showed her since she saw him packing his bag. She actually felt the temperature drop several degrees. “If I didn‟t, you‟d be on some slave trader‟s ship or better yet, back at ChemaTech. If I‟m going to do this, it‟s going to be my way.” “You better listen to him.” Brea came around the corner. “He‟ll lock you in the lav.” Brea chuckled, folding her arms across her chest and enjoying the show. “Don‟t waste your time, Nae. He‟s still as hardheaded as heathen ore. I‟m surprised he‟s saying anything at all.” Daegan was close behind her. “Yeah, Doc. He usually just leaves without telling anyone.” “I don‟t have time to stand and argue.” Gage grabbed the small wrist cloak off the counter, clasping it to his arm. “Brea, keep an eye on her. Don‟t let her near

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the cargo bay. After my transport is clear, I want you to go to hyper for Hidarus. I‟ll contact you later.” Brea clicked her heels, bringing her hand to her brow in a crisp salute. “Aye, aye, Capn‟. Shall I scurry the mates fer ye too sir?” Gage rolled his eyes. “Funny. Just do what I asked. Don‟t let her off the ship.” Reaching over Brea, Daegan patted Gage‟s shoulder for good luck. “You better get that dart out and going. And bring it back in one piece. Terras is going to have our hides already.” “Come on.” Daegan took Brea by the hand, ushering her out of the room. “We have diagnostics to do before we ship out.” With his free hand, Gage pulled Naeva in to his arms. His warmth invaded her body, bringing her own blood to a quick boil. He kissed her slow, taking her lips as if he had all the time in the universe. He ended the kiss and stepped away from her. The vibrant pictures that crossed through her mind of what she wanted to do to him when he returned almost blinded her vision. She tugged her lip between her teeth, relishing the taste of him. “Until later.” He walked away, leaving her standing there. The nerve of him! Leaving her here after kissing her senseless while he goes off to fight her battles. But, she had to admit, he was just too noble for his own good. He didn‟t need to go

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alone. This part of the galaxy was too dangerous for even a badass bounty hunter to go alone. She was going to go with him, whether he liked it or not. Smiling mischievously, she twirled the small communicator in her fingers. Picking a few pockets had helped her on some occasions to get from port to port, and it helped her now. She palmed it from his back pants‟ pocket during the kiss. She peeled the lining, bending the silver strip into a pin. Quickly, she punched in a code that locked onto the dart‟s transporter system. “Computer. Beam one to dart. Save in system buffer. Twelve hour delay.” The small badge beeped, dissolving it and her in a mist of transporter light.

Gage made a quick scan of the facilities before transporting to Anthro‟s lunar surface. The secluded ChemaTech base was hidden in the shadow of the binary lunar orbit around X-class planet Devola. He regretted leaving Naeva, but what was he supposed to do with her? Being this close to ChemaTech with the bounty on her head was too much of a risk to take. She was safest on the ship with Brea and Daegan. Drex had even proven he was more of a pushover when it came to Naeva and often very protective of her. A smile tugged on his lips. He wasn‟t the only one addicted to her charms.

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He stood in the shadow of the main building‟s north wing. With a mental command to his implants, he covered himself in stealth, masking his body signature from the buildings‟ internal scanners. At midnight hours, the facilities weren‟t crawling with workers and scientists. Instead, there was a guard at every corner. He barely made it undetected as a pair of guards stood in front of the lab still taped off from the crime scene. He wasn‟t ready to go in there yet. His job was to find this Dr. Shamtara and squeeze what information he could from him. He picked the code on the keypad gently, pushing open the office door. The room was empty save the furniture. Keeping his stealth and radar on high, he walked to the desk. Papers covered the top and the drawers were open, its contents emptied out. A glass display case sat in the corner, the doors cast wide open, also empty. He could see bright white gun residue on the maroon fabric around the empty gun outline. He scanned the room before turning off his stealth. The moment he did, a secret compartment opened. A balding tan-skinned man stepped into the room, coming to an abrupt stop just before the desk. “What are you doing here?” Gage‟s hand rested on his energy pistol within a heartbeat. “I could ask you the same thing.”

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“I work here. You, on the other hand, weren‟t supposed to get past the guards outside.” “I have resources.” Gage slowly moved his hand away. “You must be Dr. Shamtara.” Shamtara narrowed his gaze. “Yes. You know my name, but I haven‟t the pleasure of gaining yours.” Gage wasn‟t about to tell this man a damned thing. “You don‟t need to…yet. What do you know about the lab killings?” Shamtara actually look surprised. “How did you know about that?” Gage, cool, walked over to the display cabinet, not taking his eyes off of Shamtara for a second. “Like I said, I have resources. Now, are you going to tell me, or am I gonna have to pull it out of you. Who did it and why?” Shamtara raised his hand in defense. “No need for threats. It‟s just that the whole story was a big cover up. Not even the media knows about it.” Gage was in no mood for games. “Answer the question.” “It was a religious group named the Dwellers of Light. Religious zealots claiming that the work we were doing was against God‟s law.” Why would a worship group be interest in something that was supposed to help people of all kinds? It didn‟t make sense. He pressed further. “That still doesn‟t explain why they would want to kill Dr. Orien or the others.”

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Dr. Shamtara looked at him with accusation. “I never told you about one of the doctors unless…” He came closer to Gage to get a better look. “Now I know you. You were the bounty hunter we chose to find her. You wouldn‟t know her name unless…” “Yes, Naeva‟s alive and in good care, but that‟s all I‟m telling you.” “She‟s alive.” He sounded almost hopeful. “Why didn‟t she come here? We could protect her.” He seriously doubted that. “Evidently not. Someone here wanted her dead. She remembers that night, the gun especially. It was your gun out of your case.” Shamtara looked back to display case then back at Gage‟s energy pistol. “Impossible. That gun has been missing for months. I reported it stolen.” Gage aimed the energy pistol at his head. “There aren‟t many vintage nine millimeter semi-automatics from the twenty-first century running around these days. And the bullets in your shelf are the same as the bullets in the gun.” The doctor shook his head unbelievingly. “Impossible.” Gage took a dangerous step forward, trying to curve his rising temper. “Look, Doc. I ain‟t got a lot of time here. Whoever wants Naeva, wants her dead. I can‟t allow that.” “Well, start with the zealots. They would have the most motive. Go to the outside edges of Alliance Space.”

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Not wanting to trust the doctor, but not having many options, he nodded. He touched the communicator on his belt. “A word of caution,” Dr. Shamtara said, before he pressed his button. “Don‟t look for them. They‟ll find you.” With that, Gage vanished. The moment Gage Tallon disappeared in transporter dust, Shamtara walked over to his communicator. “Hail Lechan Orien.” Lechan appeared on the viewer. His cold brown eyes a big contrast from his sister‟s. “It‟s done. He‟s headed for the Badlands.” Lechan leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. “Good. How soon do you think you can have a team ready?” “Within the hour.” “Track them down and kill her. Whatever you want to do with the body is up to you.” “Thank you, sir.” Shamtara reached to end the communication when Lechan spoke. “And Dr. Shamtara?” Shamtara looked back at the screen. “Don‟t screw up this time. You only get one try to redeem yourself.” Then the screen went black.

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Chapter Eleven

The wide view of Devola loomed before Naeva through the portal as she materialized into the cockpit of the dart. A shiver ran up her spine. Being this close to ChemaTech and still not knowing who killed her father and colleagues nearly overwhelmed her. A tear rolled down her face, but she brushed it away. There was no time to mourn their loss. She didn‟t know how long Gage had been gone and no telling when he would beam back to the ship. She walked to the back of the dart. The light brightened the room the moment she passed through the door. The compartment was small, only housing one cot, a foldaway table, a couple chairs, the lav, and a replicator. So much for comfort. This ship was only meant for short term. There wasn‟t a place to hide either. She glanced at the lav door. Too obvious. He‟d look there first if his implants didn‟t give her away. That gave her idea. She would just temporarily block the internal scanners. That should buy her enough time. She scoffed. “If that.” She remembered how well he had adjusted to his implants, able to read her body‟s signature during their treatment. There had to be some other way to mask her signature. A small glint of light caught her attention. The shine of his bag buckle bounced off the light. Remembering the scanners, she

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reached inside for one. She set it to reflect her signal, and slipped it into her pocket. She pushed the bag back with her foot, making sure it looked as if it were untouched. “Now, where to hide.” The space under the cot was just big enough for a person to fit under without being seen. Easily, she shifted her body underneath it, making sure her feet didn‟t stick out of the other end. And waited. Moments had passed before she heard the console beep. The sound of boots pounding the floor panel followed, heading off towards the cockpit. Her heart began to race. She wasn‟t alone in the cabin anymore. Mentally, she cursed as she heard the dart engines power up. She felt the movement and knew they were leaving ChemaTech. Maybe this wasn‟t such a hot idea. What if this wasn‟t Gage and he found a way on to the ship? She was sure as hell not going to climb out of her hiding place just to find out. She prayed the hand scanner held up long enough for her to find a way out of this.

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Gage rubbed his eyes. Fatigue began setting in about an hour ago and he‟d been dragging his feet ever since. The cot in the back called to him and he wanted to answer that call, put the dart on auto and climb back there. But that wasn‟t going to be now. The fueling station loomed ahead of him. The dilapidated old piece of space junk barely hung on to the side of a stationary asteroid. He could at least rest while the fuel androids took care of the outside maintenance. All he needed was thirty minutes. The security android popped up on the view. His blue-tinted face and gray eyes were as cold and lifeless as his body. “Welcome to Whitmore‟s Fill Up. Identification please.” “Gage Tallon. Code six-seven-one-one-three.” “Authorizing.” The android‟s eyes iridescently brightened for a second before coming back to a cold red gaze. ”Denied. Authorization restricted. Code error.” That‟s the last thing he needed. Terras with his cheap way of thinking never remembered to have the correct ship codes authorized. Good thing he still remembered his authorization codes from the Galatea. “Check again. Override Authentication code six-seven-one-one-three and replace with seven-six-seventwo-three-zero.”

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The android‟s eyes blazed a second time. This time coming back a bright green. “Authorization approved. You may proceed.” Gage pulled the dart forward, docking it in an empty port. He leaned back in the chair watching the androids attach the fuel hose to his ship. He needed to contact his ship and talk to Naeva. Just the thought of her name sparked a fire within him. There hadn‟t been a moment when his mind didn‟t think of her. His cock twitched with the thought of having her in his arms again, kissing her, coming inside her. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could get back to her. He stretched long and catlike. It would be a half-hour before the androids were finished with his ship. Maybe it was a good idea to rest before the long trip to the Badlands. He dragged himself from the chair and walked to the back cabin. The lights came alive with a thought to the computer. The cot beckoned him closer and he obliged, not bothering to take off his boots. He stretched across the cot lying on his back His arms folded behind him, he closed his eyes and listened to the soft sound hum of the engines lull him. As he drifted closer to sleep, his mind ran across the image of Naeva sprawled across his bed. Her beautiful brown body called to him. Her deep eyes gleamed seductively to him. He longed to take her breast into his hands. He could almost smell her. The scent of chocolate and aroused female intoxicated him.

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Chocolate… Sexual Chocolate. He inhaled deep, getting a good whiff of it. His mouth watered. Goddess of Nivah, he could smell her. If she was with him now, he would devour her slowly until her body ached for completion. Suddenly, his internal computer sounded through his head, interrupting his thoughts. Detecting signature…Scent Fragrance four-two-one-two-five Sexual Chocolate detected. Naeva Orien. He opened his eyes on full alert and eased off the bed. He had to be losing it. She couldn‟t be here. He would have detected her well before now unless the internal sensors were disabled. He rose from the bunk and raced to the console. The red button blinked back at him mockingly. Sure enough, the sensors had been disabled. “Damn.” Quickly, he activated the sensors. The panel came to life, showing a red dot for him, yet the area surrounding the cot only showed a gray spot. How the hell could he have missed this? Thinking about Naeva and having her in every sexual position. That‟s how, his mind chided him. He took his time walking back to the cot. For the first time, he noticed her black-booted feet sticking out of the other end of the cot. The bag barely hid them. He didn‟t know if he should laugh or be mad as hell for her disobeying him. He settled on a medium between the two. One thing was for sure, it was time to put a stop to this once and for all.

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Naeva‟s heart slammed inside her chest the moment Gage rose from the bed. She knew he‟d sensed her. How could he not. It was only a matter of time before he found her. Had this been an Alliance ship then she wouldn‟t have any problems hiding. Too many access points and tunnel ways for a person to stare at the same four walls all day. Yet, this was something very different. Something told her Gage knew she was there. The way he suddenly jumped off the cot worried her. The curse afterwards confirmed it. Naeva raised her head just enough to look at her feet. The light shined off her boots, exposed for him to see. A curse formed in her mouth, but she willed her lips to stay shut. Maybe if she stayed still long enough, he wouldn‟t see her. That was short lived. She felt the bag brush her boots as it was yanked away. Large strong fingers gripped her ankles. He pulled her out in one tug, straddling her body. The next thing she knew, she was staring into his eyes glowing bright with anger. The full weight of him almost crushed her. By the Goddess, she was in so much trouble. Now she knew this wasn‟t a good idea. His face was so close to hers until she could feel the heat of his breath across her checks. Her heart picked up in tempo, seeing his eyes flicker with anger. “What the hell are you doing here?”

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Still shocked at being caught, she remained quiet. How could she tell him that she cared so much for him that she couldn‟t see him walking into this alone? Or that she couldn‟t stand it if something happened to him. Last night had been so special to her, and just the thought of losing him after being without him, would tear her heart to shreds. His fingers bit into her shoulders. Glowing eyes narrowed on her, pinning her there. “I repeat. What the hell are you doing here?” Naeva shrugged despite his grip, showing her best smile. “I…uh…missed you?” She could feel the anger radiating from him. The thought of what he might do made her shiver. His frown deepened. “I‟m not buying that. I‟m trying to keep you safe, Naeva and where do I find you? On my ship.” She pleaded with her eyes for him to understand. “I can explain.” Gage‟s lip twitched as if holding back a sneer. “I just bet you could.” He released one of her shoulders to dig through his pocket. To her horror, he pulled out a pair of damned magnacuffs. Her eyes widened. “Oh, no. You don‟t really have to use those, do you?” His laughter chilled her. “On you? Yeah. You just proved you‟re a flight risk.”

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She gave a sweet smile and batted her eyelashes. “I was only coming with you to…” Naeva clamped her mouth shut. No, she wouldn‟t tell him. He wouldn‟t believe her anyway. “To what?” he growled. She shook her head. “Nothing.” It came out sounding very high pitched and guilty. “Fine, then you won‟t mind me putting these on you.” Naeva shrank away. “Yes, I do mind. The last time you put cuffs on me we…uh…” “Had sex. Say it.” She shook her head. Her eyes were as wide as a child‟s. “No. Bad things will happen.” Her smile had no effect on him either. The menacing tick returned in his jaw. “So, having sex with me was a bad thing?” Naeva scowled, challenging his stare. “No, that‟s not what I meant and you know it.” He challenged her right back. “Well, what did you mean exactly?” Clam up, Nae. Don‟t spill you really love him. “If I tell you, will you leave the cuffs in your pocket?”

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His dark brow rose briefly. His eyes thawed from dark and unreadable to blazing hot fire shooters. “I might.” Think of something quick, but don‟t tell him. “I wanted to see if you needed any help. I can be really helpful in a medical emergency.” Damn, she knew better than to mess with him when he‟s this angry, but how could she resist. He was the sexiest man to come her way. Okay, so she was goading him a bit, but it‟s not like she could stop herself. Gage laughed, rumbling through the cabin. “Not buying it.” She pulled her hands out of his reach. “I‟ll do anything if you don‟t put those things on me.” He pulled her so close she could feel his hardened muscle through his flight suit. She willed her body not to melt in to him, that it wasn‟t the most wonderful feeling in the world, but it wasn‟t working. The moment his body came in contact with hers, her insides melted. “And what would that be?” The seductive look in his eye matched the purr in his voice. Each syllable was laced with a dark promise. Liquid fire pooled between her legs. Fighting the shivers within her, Naeva squared her shoulders and pinned him with a defiant glare. “I‟ll do anything except sleep with you.”

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His eyes narrowed on her, yet it never decreased the blaze within them. A slow smiled crossed over his lips. “We‟ll see.” He pulled her wrists together, slapping the magnacuffs across them. The magnetic lock snapped in placed. Naeva‟s mouth dropped in shock. “You slick little…you never had any intention of putting those things away.” His mocking grin and the careless look he gave her only made her blood boil hotter. “What can I say? I like to see you in them.” It was her turn to growl. She readied her mouth for a good retort, wanted to really lay into him, but he quickly placed two fingers over her mouth, silencing her. “Don‟t want to hear it. The best thing you can do is sit back and enjoy the scenery. It‟s a long ride to the Badlands.”

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Chapter Twelve

The trip to the Badlands involved thirty-six hours of silence before they finally reached the edge of Alliance space. The long wisps of the Corona Nebula fanned out into space like golden tendrils over the black expanse. Though beautiful to watch at a distance, the nebula was known for ships disappearing when they were too close. It was quaintly named the „Badlands.‟ Naeva watched in awe, seeing the nebula move as if it were a living being in space. It was a shame she couldn‟t reach out and touch it. With her hands bound with magnetic grip bracelets, there wasn‟t much touching she could do. It was a small price to pay for trying to sneak on a ship when she knew to stay put. He didn‟t need to travel all this way alone, enforcement officer or not. Even if all she knew how to do was fire an energy pistol and repair massive contusions, he should‟ve never agreed to come by himself. She stole a look at Gage . . . well, actually glared at the side of his head as if he grew a second one. His hands moved over the console, directing the small dart closer to the nebula. Her heart picked up in tempo. The closer they came to the nebula, the closer they were to finding answers to what happened. The whole ordeal was still a mystery to her. There could have been any number of people who

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wanted to get their hands on the serum. Yet, who would want to be near a highly unstable nebula? Sitting still was getting on her last nerve. Her wrists began to chafe where the cuffs touched her skin. Not to mention her temper was still high. She needed to cool off, but sitting next to Gage wasn‟t doing any good. All she thought about doing was hurling a chair at his fat head. “I‟m stopping here. Any closer and the distortions will start to tear the ship apart.” It was the first thing he said to her the whole trip. Naeva rolled her eyes as she looked away. Why should she tell him that she was uncomfortable? He didn‟t act as if he cared a bit, and by the tightness in his voice she could tell he was still mad. Goddess, all this time riding beside him and he was still upset? If anything, she should be the one mad. She was the one still in cuffs, made to sit in a stiff command chair against her will. Frankly put, she was pissed off. She watched his long fingers dance along the control panel as he activated the communicator, wanting to break every one of them in a fiery womanly fury. A flash of their time in the shower and what those fingers had the power to do to her only fueled her anger. “Who are we supposed to be meeting here?” She didn‟t care to cover her restraint.

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Gage pushed the communicator instead of answering her. Fine. Ignore me then, she thought. “This is Gage Tallon attempting to contact the Dwellers of Light. Please respond.” No one responded. Ha! She thought with evil glee, adding in a harrumph for good measure. Yet, her heart desperately hoped for someone to respond and end this nightmare. He tapped away on the controls until Replay displayed across his monitor. “The message will repeat until someone sends their reply,” he said, as if reading her mind. I wish he would read my mind. Gage turned sharply in his seat, stilling her with his sharp gaze. She felt the daggers of his eyes stabbing into her flight suit. Naeva gulped. All the smart remarks died away in an instant. He folded his arms across his massive chest. “Why didn‟t you stay on the ship like I asked?” Internally, she tried to still the sudden flutter in her stomach. Externally, she rolled her eyes. “You didn‟t ask. You practically demanded that I stay there. I‟m not one of your crew. You can‟t just order me around.”

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She could see his anger practically boiling over in his eyes, feel it crackle in the air. “You asked me for help and I‟m giving it. If you want me to stay in this halfassed partnership then you have to do whatever I say.” Half-assed? Sorry son of a… Her temper reached a new high. “I didn‟t ask you to help me. You decided on your own.” Naeva met his gaze like a challenge. “The key word is „ask.‟ If I didn‟t need you, I sure as hell wouldn‟t put up being ordered around by a selfish, over-implanted Neanderthal.” His sexy lips stretched into a ruthless smile as he quirked his brow. “As I recall yesterday, you liked my Neanderthal side…several times.” Naeva growled, trying her best to ignore the heat rising inside her. “It wasn‟t one of my favorite moments.” She didn‟t know she could lie so well with a straight face. Gage leaned back, giving her body a fiery glare. “Oh yeah? By the way you were screaming, you hated it a lot.” There was no way in hell she was going to fall back into this, but her body ruthlessly ignored her mind, tingling at the purr in his voice. “This ain‟t about sex, Gabriel. It‟s about you ordering me around like I‟m some slave.” “Yes, it is.” He leaned forward, taking her bound hands in his, lips just inches apart. His green eyes glowed with pent up arousal. Naeva swallowed a huge lump in her throat. “What didn‟t you like about it?”

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“E-excuse me?” She couldn‟t keep the shiver out of her voice. “You heard me. What didn‟t you like about it?” She tried to pull out of his steel grasp. “I-I didn‟t like any of it. It was a reminder of the worst time in my…Wh-why are you asking?” The fire in his eyes ignited, shooting flames into her body. “Because I want to make sure to cover everything I missed the first time.” Naeva‟s blood quickened. She was about to protest when Gage lifted her out of the chair and deposited her onto his lap. Her legs straddled his, bringing her aching cunt on top of his bulge. Shocks of electricity shot up her body. The last thing she knew was his lips on hers before she shattered into pieces.

Gage took her lips much slower this time, enjoying the feel of her. He ran his tongue along her full lower lip, teasing her, begging her to open. On a moan, she opened her mouth just a fraction and he pushed his tongue in. The Kanaras juice blended with her taste and the heady concoction intoxicated him. She gently sucked his tongue into her warm mouth. His cock hardened more, straining against the seam of his pants. By the Goddess, he wanted her now, over the console.

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Using his implants, he released the grips‟ magnetic lock, freeing her hands without breaking the kiss. He felt her wrap her hands around his neck, deepening the kiss. He pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her large breasts. He cupped a breast, feeling its weight in his hand. Taking one dark nipple into his mouth, he rolled his tongue around its taut peak. Her moans excited him as she arched to give him more access. Gage turned his attention to the other breast, hearing her sharp intake of breath has he lightly bit down on her nipple. He could smell her arousal as he slipped his hand lower to unbutton her pants. “Stand up.” Her eyes burned as she obeyed his command, her legs wobbling slightly. He took his time with the snap, then smoothed her pants over her rump. She stepped out of them just before he pulled her to him. His chin rested on her stomach, giving her a Cheshire cat smile. His eyes burned into hers as his tongue took a slow turn around her navel. “Gage!” Naeva gasped. She squirmed under his touch as he trailed lower over the slight bump of her stomach and held her breath when he hovered above her aching mound.

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Gage parted the swollen nether lips, dripping with the heat of her desire. Her sharp, heady scent filled him as he slipped a finger deep inside her. Her muscles clenched deliciously around his invading finger. He ran his tongue over her aching nub as one hand gripped her ass. Her body trembled as he tortured her with his tongue on her nub and finger pumping harder inside her. He felt her inner muscles ripple around his finger as she hit her peak. “That‟s right, baby. Come for me.” Naeva screamed as she came. He felt her tremble as the shock traveled up and down her body. There was no way in hell she could deny her satisfaction, but he wanted more. Her breath gone, she panted, trying to save what little breath she had left. He knew if it hadn‟t been for his hand steadying her she would have melted down to the ground. “Oh, no, Naeva. I‟m not finished with you yet.” He eased her to her feet. “Don‟t go anywhere.” Not taking his eyes away from hers, he unbuttoned his pants, sliding them over his slender hips. His thick cock sprang loose, resting on his stomach. With a few kicks, his pants were free from his feet. Gripping his cock, he slowly lowered her down. Her hot cream coated his cock, making it easy to slip inside.

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Naeva panted as he filled her. Gage felt her muscles ripple around his cock, accepting his thickness. With one thrust, he was inside her. There was nothing left to do but start moving. Gently, she moved her hips back and forth over his length. The feel of her tightness surrounding him nearly sent her over the edge. He groaned, pulling her towards him, cradling her head against the crook of his neck. He matched his thrusts against hers, moving as one. His hands gripped her hips, holding her down on his cock. The need to spill himself inside her was growing so close. Her beautiful brown breasts bobbled in front of him temptingly, hypnotizing him with the rhythm. Gently, Gage pulled a dark nipple into his mouth. She panted as he felt her body shiver, her hips moving faster. He picked up the pace, his hard cock ramming into her soft yielding flesh mercilessly. “Goddess, don‟t stop,” she moaned throwing her head back in sweet abandon. “Hadn‟t planned on it.” Her body shook violently, her muscles quivering around his cock as she came. Her screams echoing throughout the dart. He was glad she came before him. He didn‟t know how long he was going to hold on. He pumped faster, cradling her body against him. He came hard, her hot pussy milking him dry. Sweat drenched her face, dripping onto his shirt. The rueful smile he gave her was one of pure satisfaction.

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“Was that better, sweetheart?” The rogue. He coaxed her into having sex again! She didn‟t know what to say. How was it possible for it to be so easy to fall into bed with him? Because you‟ve always had the hots for him. That‟s why. A secretive smile spread over her lips. “I plead the fifth.” He traced a finger along her lips, coaxing another shiver from her. “On this side of the universe, there is no such thing.” “Well, you‟ll never know then.” “By the way you‟re smiling, it‟s hard not to miss you enjoyed it.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “And what if I did?” He smacked her on the butt. The sound echoed through the small cabin. “I‟ll know what to do next time and I promise when we get finished you‟re going to walk funny for days.” She felt a hot shiver down into her bones at his dark promise. Her inner muscles clenched with anticipation. She just might have to hold him to that. Before she ended up fucking him again, Naeva rose off of his softening cock, ignoring the shocks of pleasure it gave. She grabbed her pants and shirt from the floor, clutching them to her breast and walking to the lav. Her mind a muddled bunch of nerves.

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Chapter Thirteen

As they waited on a communication, Naeva decided to take a shower in the small lav before sitting down for dinner. She spent a while in there sorting out mixed feelings. She loved Gage, there was no doubt about it now. Warm tingles surrounded her heart whenever she thought of him. You are so gullible, Naeva thought later, spearing a piece of her meat as if it were his heart. For all she knew, this was another conquest for him. Just another piece of ass until he could sink his cock into another woman. One he wasn‟t obligated to help with her problems. She tried not to look at him sitting across the small table, but it was as irresistibly tempting as a piece of chocolate. Yet, she kept her head down, staring at her plate. No matter how great the euphoria the lovemaking made her feel, a question nagged through her mind, the same one that had bothered her for years. Did he still love her? Sure they had great sex, but if he didn‟t at least care for her this would be another one of those relationships where she would just leave it alone. She had to know where his heart truly laid.

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“Gage?” she said softly, not sure to ask. “Hmm?” he murmured between bites. “Why didn‟t you stop me when I left? Why didn‟t you come for me?”

Gage coughed, almost choking on his food. What a way to catch someone off guard. “Excuse me?” “Why didn‟t you stop me when I left?” The pained look on her face clenched his heart. He looked into her deep brown eyes, wanting to tell her the truth. The pain of her leaving was too much for him to bear. “I couldn‟t.” That was the best answer he could come up with. He hated the painful way her eyes glowered with accusation. Why couldn‟t he tell her that he cared for her so much, that his heart broke when she left? “You couldn‟t. . . or wouldn‟t? I waited for the day that you promised to come to me and tell me you loved me, but that day never came. And now, here I am in your arms wanting to know the answer, and the only thing you can tell me is that you couldn‟t?” Naeva put the fork on the table and stood. “I can‟t believe you.” Gage gripped her hand before she got the chance to pull away from him. “Please, Naeva. You don‟t understand. There was a lot riding on me back then.”

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He‟d already lost his mother and father to raiders, then Naeva to her overbearing father. The familiar pain hit him hard. “But it‟s not like I haven‟t tried. I knew where you were the entire time, but with the job I have now, there isn‟t time for love.” “Only sex.” He thought of so many answers to give her, but none of them were good enough. She was right. A woman like her deserved so much more than a life with a bounty hunter could give her. Not one-night stands, or to be treated as if she were a common convenience. No matter how he wanted to find a lie that would help him, he couldn‟t hide from the pain in her brown eyes. “That‟s what I thought.” Naeva pulled out of his grasp and away from the table. Her back was ramrod straight as she disappeared behind the lav door. Gage slammed his fist down on the table. He was such a cold-hearted bastard for not considering her feelings before he bedded her. All he thought about lately was sinking his cock in her hot center, filling her with his essence until she screamed for more. It never once occurred to him that she would be hurting too. All he remembered was receiving the holo-comm from her after she left, saying that she had to leave the orphanage with her father and that she couldn‟t explain why. But two things stood out in the message more than anything. The

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fear in her eyes and the quivering „I love you‟ at the end. After that, everything was a complete blur. Logic weighed heavy on him. Even if he would‟ve found a way to her, it would have never lasted. The life of a bounty hunter is no way for the woman he loved to spend her life. Their worlds were too different. He would enjoy the sex for now and the time he spent with her. It was all he had left to give her. After he helped her clear her name, he was gone. There was no sense living on false hope.

Six hours passed since Gage heard from another ship. The communicator worked on short-range only. Hunter‟s Fire was just out of reach. He knew effects of the nebula wreak havoc on the sensitive computer systems, so he instructed Daegen and Brea to hold back, just out of the way. He hadn‟t known that he would be totally out of contact with them. His ship wasn‟t the only thing he was out of contact with. Naeva sat at the back of the dart, lying on the cot with her arm draped over her face. She hadn‟t said two words to him since dinner. He hadn‟t touched her since they made love, and his body was already having withdrawals. His cock grew hard, overriding his internal computer. He could smell her scent masked with the scent of flowers from the sanitizer. He fought back the ruthless urge to go to where she was and bed her

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again. It was odd enough he felt like apologizing to her, for breaking her heart, past and future. One thing was for certain. He‟d always hated to see her in such fowl moods. Gage made a quick scan for any ships before rising from the chair. He stood at the opening watching her. She looked so much like the teenage girl he was so in love with. She lifted her head, raised her eyebrow at him, and then rolled over, showing him her backside. “You still don‟t want to talk to me, huh?” Naeva scoffed. “You made what you wanted clear. This is just business.” “It‟s not like that.” Testing her reaction, Gage slowly walked towards the cot and sat down. “Would you let me explain?” “Do I want to hear it?” “You might. I don‟t know.” He paused for a second not knowing where to begin. “What we have is complicated. It‟s always been complicated. Your father didn‟t approve of you going with an orphanage boy, no matter how old I was. He didn‟t think I was ever good enough for you. When you left, I realized it was for the better. I never wanted you to live the life I was living then. Yet, I still wanted to find you and tell you that…that I cared for you.” The word love almost slipped out of his mouth, but he held it back. “The moment I got away from the United

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Alliance, I trained to be a bounty hunter to earn enough for two things: have Brea placed into my care and find you. “Getting to Brea was the easy part. Getting to you, on the other hand, hard because of the close eye your father kept on you.” Naeva scoffed. “He still did. Even after I graduated, he insisted I work at his company.” Gage nodded. “When I saw you last year give a speech at the Hudani Peace Banquet, I knew that living like this, being with me, wasn‟t the best thing I could do for you even if I wanted to take you away. I knew how important your work was for so many people. I just couldn‟t ruin it by stealing you away.” Naeva was silent for a long time before she turned over. His heart pounded as he waited for her response. He‟d sacrificed his love for her, for her happiness, no matter how bad it tore him apart. Though she didn‟t say anything, he could feel her hesitate, trying to find the right words to say. “What about now? After all this is over, are you going to just leave me?” He saw the question in her pretty brown eyes before she asked. Couldn‟t she see the pain in his eyes? Didn‟t she know how much he sacrificed for her? It was never easy to just let her walk away the first time and now, the pain was overbearing. He actually doubted if he could go through the suffering of losing her all over again.

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“My life is too dangerous for you. I don‟t know what I would do if something happened to you. Or, if I could forgive myself if it did.” He knew the weight of his words played heavily on her heart. For a moment, she looked away. The unanswered questions in her mind screamed at him, yet she didn‟t oblige them. “Do you still feel the same way about me?” His warm finger gently traced the outline of her jaw. Touching her seemed to be his weakness. “Babe, I wouldn‟t be here if I didn‟t.” He bent down and took her lips in a slow kiss. The warmth of his full lips on hers sent his blood racing a second time. He traced his tongue across her full bottom lip with ease, asking permission to enter, begging her for forgiveness for not coming to her. She opened for him, taking his warm tongue inside her mouth. Gage growled, his body slightly shivering. He tugged at her bottom lip as he pulled away from her. He rested his head against hers as the small shivers passed. Addicted. A single word described and sealed his fate. There was no way he could ever walk away from her. Not now, possibly not ever. He lost himself in the chasm of her dark eyes. “Naeva, I…” Before he could finish his sentence, the computer‟s voice pushed through their silence.

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“A vessel is on approach bearing one-one-five-six mark two. Vessel is not responding to hails.” Of all the times for a ship to appear out of nowhere. Gage let the oath slide from his lips as he rose from the bed. He headed straight for the cockpit with Naeva close on his heels. He slid into the command chair, his finger sliding over the console. There was no way in hell he was letting some unknown cruiser sneak up on him. “Computer, identify.” “Scanning…vessel is a United Alliance Starship Intrepid class. U.A. Galateafriendly signatures.” Gage ran a frustrated hand through his hair. There was only one person with enough balls to come looking for him on the edge of the Badlands. Captain Jema Xhitori. The name of his former commanding officer rang through his mind. He didn‟t fit in on the Galatea, even if he was the head security officer. Too much time spent in close quarters at the orphanage ruined any chance at fellowship. A loner, he was outcast and finally ousted to find his own way. “What do you need me to do?” Naeva asked. For a second, he forgot she was beside him. At the moment, the situation just stepped up higher on the Oh-Shit-ameter.

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“Nothing. Just sit right there.” A small dart was in no way a match for an Intrepid class starship, no matter what guns he had under the hull. Naeva tapped on the controls to activate the viewer. “Well, what are we going to do, and do I need to replicate a crash helmet?” He noticed the slight tremble in her hands despite the sudden edge in her voice. Galatea‟s dark gray hull shimmered into view against the darkness of space. The closer to the ship, the more the Badlands brightened the color of the hull, changing it to a rusty yellow. “Stay calm. Don‟t worry. I got this.” Doubt furrowed her brow, but she nodded anyway. Now, he could see if all the hours he spent keeping his ass out of trouble would pay off with the one U.A. officer who knew him best.

Naeva swallowed a lump in her throat. She was so close to finding out the truth. She couldn‟t stop now. Not when so much was at stake. She would just have to trust Gage. He‟d gotten her this far. The message indicator sounded over the console. “They‟re hailing. Shall I put it through?” “Yeah. On screen.”

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Captain Jema Xhitori‟s pale green face filled the screen. Her aquamarine eyes looked as large as saucers on the small viewer. Though she displayed a smile on full dark green lips, there was an edge to her eyes that Naeva knew was all business. “Hello, Gabriel. It‟s good to see you again.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he managed a gracious smile. “It‟s good to see you to, ma‟am. How is Ra‟Nari?” “Doing as well as to be expected. And Brea? Still a thorn in your side?” Naeva almost felt the warmth in the chuckle that bubbled from him. “Yes, but decidedly getting better.” Xhitori chuckled as well, warm and good-natured. “I wish the circumstances were different, Gabriel. I‟ve come to take Naeva Orien into custody.” The warmth quickly left his voice. His face grim, letting her know he was all business. “I can‟t let you do that, Captain.” “Do you understand the seriousness of the situation? Dr. Orien is wanted for murder.” “I‟m not a cadet anymore. I understand, but I‟m not going to give her up so easily. Something doesn‟t seem right about this, Xhitori.” Xhitori raised a brow. “Can you prove that?” “No ma‟am.” Gage sighed. “But I‟m willing to try.”

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“I‟m sorry to hear that. I really wanted you to, but I‟m under strict orders by high command to bring her back. You know I‟ll do whatever‟s necessary to bring her into custody.” “I know.” Naeva saw Gage‟s wall building again within his eyes. Xhitori‟s eyes softened. “Isn‟t there a way that we could talk about this? Maybe there‟s something I can do to help.” Gage chuckled, shaking his head. “Xhitori, you were always a diplomat more than a soldier. Are you planning on taking her back to Central?” “You know I have to. I do have my orders.” “Then there‟s nothing we need to talk about.” Gage turned and winked at Naeva and cut the communication. “What are they going to do?” Naeva strained as she strapped herself in. “If I know Xhitori, she‟s going to put up a good fight.” Gage already knew what was coming and the computer‟s warning sounded over the comm system confirmed it. “Alliance vessel weapons armed.” “Do you know how to man the weapons?” Fear crossed her face for a second, but she quickly masked. “No, but I‟m a fast learner.” “Good. I‟m gonna try to get us out of here in one piece.” Gage sent the ship into a roll before the Galatea could fire a shot. Naeva strained in her seat, grasping

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the control. The Galatea bobbed in front of his view, shooting energy blazer fire in their direction. He felt several shots bounce off the small hull. Naeva answered, sending a volley its way. He headed for the Badlands. If he could lose Galatea in the plasma storms, they might just have a chance. Electric charges singed the outer hull as he maneuvered the ship. “Watch out!” Naeva‟s scream rang through the cabin. A large electric charge sliced through the middle of the ship. Gage pushed away from his console, and grabbed Naeva. He gripped her belts, and with a hard pull, the belts shredded under his strength. He hit the floor hard, shielding Naeva as best as he could with his body. The power surge fried the main console. The lights dimmed on the entire craft, bathing the dart in total darkness before the emergency lights flickered on. “Are you okay?” Gage smoothed a curl from her face. Droplets of blood streaked down her face from a cut on her forehead. “Uh-huh. You?” Naeva blinked as if trying to clear her head. “Yeah, but I think my ass got fried.” Naeva chuckled. He was glad she could laugh at a time like this. He helped her up from the floor and steadied her when the ship rocked. “Check the systems and see what works.”

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Naeva tapped on the panel. It was sluggish, but after pounding it with her fist, the screen finally flickered to life. The smell of burning wires singed her nose hairs. Yet, it was only half of the panel. Half was better than none when you were in space. Naeva leaned closer. Her eyes stung from the smoke in the air as she tried to focus. They were dead in the water, that she pretty much knew from just looking around, but what caught her off guard was the steadily dropping oxygen levels. Her heart literally tripped. “Gage, we got a problem. We‟re venting oxygen.” She was already starting to feel lightheaded and doubted it was from the cut on her head. He leaned over her shoulder. “From where?” “Don‟t know, but by this,” Naeva said pointing to the monitor, “we have about ten minutes before we suffocate.” Naeva didn‟t mistake his growl for one second. The Terran law, „Shit happens,‟ seemed to be a drastic understatement. I think they forgot „always.‟ “Come on. I got an idea. Can you get the communicator working?” Gage race to the back of the ship, stumbling over fallen bulkhead panels lining the floor. Naeva was close behind him. “I think so, but what are you doing?” He tossed the thin cot mattress away revealing a couple of environmental suits. He held up one for her. “Buying us some time. I‟ll help you suit up.”

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She returned his rueful smile. “You just want to touch my body again.” Her heart picked up the tempo at his burning green eyes and cocky quirked brow. “I might.” She shook her head as she snatched the suit from him. “Not now, lover boy. Air first, then play.” Time seemed to be the true enemy at the moment. Naeva didn‟t dare waste any precious seconds suiting up. She snapped her oxygen mask in place, relieved when she heard the familiar surge of air through the mask. “Okay, I‟m all snapped in. How are you coming along?” Her vision was distorted for a second while the front visor went through a brief system check. Gage touched the communicator on his suit. “I‟m ready. Get the comm working and see if you can send a message to the Hunter. I‟ll keep a look out.” Naeva pushed the broken command chair out of the way opening the electric panel. She switched the energy crystals, used the remaining power from the environmental systems, and routed them into the small control panel. It came to life, sparking and smoking at first, before stabilizing. With a couple of punches, she opened a small channel. “Okay, Gage. Try now.” Gage raised a brow. “I never knew you were such an engineering expert.”

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“I‟m not, but that doesn‟t mean I don‟t know how to rig a few things. You get one shot. After that, the juice is gone.” The comm gave a sickening chip before opening a channel. “This is Gage Tallon of Hunter‟s Fire. We are stranded in the Badlands. If you can hear me, we would greatly appreciate a lift.” “Do you think they heard you?” She bit her bottom lip. It was a force a habit, especially when she was worried. He ran a hand across her helmet as if it were her cheek he caressed. She took it as such, relishing in the small endearment. “We won‟t know until they transport us out of here.” The sudden beep of her suit stole her attention. Naeva looked down at the monitor, the red blip for her oxygen monitor blinked back at her close to forty percent. She was low. Anything under seventy-five percent wasn‟t good at all. Her heart began to pick up speed, and not in a good way. “Damn. I‟m running out of oxygen.” “Here, you can share mine.” Gage pulled a spare hose from his suit and connected it to hers. It touched her that he didn‟t think twice about his own safety, yet again, but someone had to be awake when the rescue ship arrived. Naeva put a hand over his, stilling him. “What about you? We don‟t both need to be lightheaded.”

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“I‟ll be fine. I don‟t want you getting lightheaded.” His was concerned for her. How could a man who never opened up his heart actually care for her? Yet, she didn‟t argue. It would only use up what little air they had left. With a couple of taps from his console, she had new air pumping into her suit. She read her monitor, hoping what air he gave her at least put her into the yellow status, but it didn‟t. It wasn‟t enough. Though the monitor no longer beeped, it was still dropping, but slowly. At this rate, they would both be out of air in twenty minutes. To her, time seemed to tick by a little too fast. There was so much to tell Gage. So much reminiscing she wanted to do with him. Definitely not enough time to feel his lips on hers or tell him that she really truly loved him. Naeva smiled at the thought. There hadn‟t been a moment when the rush of excitement hadn‟t raced through her blood when he was near. Or when her heart nearly tripped over itself at his touch. Or reveled in the touch of his skin. No, it was so much more than lust. Lust involved only the body, not the heart. Lust didn‟t play on her emotions, or infuriate her beyond the point of reason. Love did all of that for her. The love for him set her body into an endless fire that she had no will of controlling, her mind into a constant frenzy of nerves that she couldn‟t untangle. Truth be told, she couldn‟t see herself without him. She was grateful he was with her. Even if this was to be her last time in her existence with him, she wanted him to know how she felt. Even if he didn‟t feel the same way.

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It didn‟t take long before the oxygen monitors started to beep again. She sighed. Another moment later and her vision began to swim. Her body tingled as her brain prepared to shut down in self-preservation. She needed to tell him. Now or never. Her strength and courage would be gone in a few moments. Naeva mastered her courage as much as her clouded brain could spare, then faced him. “Gage.” She reached to touch his arm, but it was as if the suit and her arm itself were lined with lead. “Hmm?” His head lolled to the side facing her. His green eyes were already dull from lack of oxygen as his lids slowly rolled open. “I have to tell you something.” “Yeah.” His voice severely slurred every word. “In case we don‟t make it out of this…” Gage shook his head. “Don‟t talk like that. We‟re going to make it.” “But in case we don‟t, I wanted you to know I love you.” She closed her eyes for a second trying to stop her spinning head, but she was so damn sleepy. “I think I always have. I just never told you.” When she finally opened her eyes, Gage had closed his again. Alarm flashed through her, but it was so hard to fight the fatigue that was engulfing her. “Gage?”

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She called his name again and he didn‟t move. Using the last of her energy, Naeva tried to push up from the chair, but she was too weak, too tired to do anything else by flop back down. Taking one last look at him, Naeva closed her eyes, succumbing to the deep abyss that awaited her.

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Chapter Fourteen

Aiden slid into the command chair. He received the distress signal thirty minutes ago on the way to meet Gage Tallon. Now the guy was in trouble. That was the last thing any space traveler needed was to get in trouble out here in the Badlands. One good discharge from the nebula and any ship was as good as dead. Sometimes permanently. He came across the tiny dart being hammered by electrical waves. “Any life signs, Lottie?” Loxoltia nodded, displaying the sensors on the viewer. His pretty Xhidorian wife‟s blue eyes sort of glazed over when she was deep in thought. “Can you hail them?” He watched Loxoltia as she stared at the console, deep in concentration. Finally, she lifted her head, shaking it in confirmation, her unvocal answer speaking volumes. She hit a button on the console, letting the computer explain. The sound of the computer‟s voice came through a small speaker on the main console. “Unable to reply to message,” the tense female voice sounded through the speaker. “The ship communication is not functional.”

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Even though his wife didn‟t have a voice of her own, he could see the concern in her eyes. “Can you get a lock?” The concern in her beautiful blue eyes turned to impatience. Her jaw ticked as she typed away on the console then hit a button. “Why do you like bothering me while I work?” His mouth slid in to a slow smile. The anger flared in her cheeks, giving her the prettiest pink blush across her hairline and around her cheeks. Her crystal blue eyes always shined like gorgeous blue diamonds in the light, but now that her temper began to flare, they glistened as if the precious jewels were lying in the sun. When his wife was really angry, her pretty cream breasts heaved up and down as she tried to control her hellish temper. Just the sight of her angry always made his cock twitch hard. Aiden couldn‟t help to chuckle. Yep, the poor Xhidorian was just as temperamental as ever. “You look so good all hot and mad. Makes me want to take advantage of you.” She didn‟t look up, but did let the computer do her talking. “Go jump in a radioactive cesspool, Aiden. I got work to do.”

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Despite how weird it sounded having the computer‟s stern female voice insulting him, Loxoltia still sounded sexy to him. No matter what conduit her voice came from. She scoffed. “Is sex all that you think about?” “Can‟t help it if all I think about is you. Across the bed, the consoles. Pinned against the wall in the shower…” He looked off, growling as his mind played through different positions to have her in. She cleared her throat while typing another message. “Okay, lover boy. Work now. Play later.” Aiden pouted. “You‟re such a spoiled sport. Can you get a lock on them?” Loxoltia swung the chair around to face him. Folding her arms over her chest only made her pretty breasts look fuller. With every breath, they pumped up, tempting him to bury his face between them. “And you‟re full of it. If you must know, they‟re unconscious.” She stood, walking past him to the door. “I beamed them out a minute ago.” Just to piss her off even more, he grabbed her arm, pulling her against his chest. The smoothness of her skin tempted him even more. He leaned in to kiss her generously exposed neck, but she quickly swatted him away, giving in to fits of silent laughter. Goddess he wished he could hear her voice as he always envisioned it, deep and sultry.

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Loxoltia touched the keypad, opening the door. It jaggedly swung to the side sticking about halfway through, just enough for a body to get past. The moment she saw the two bodies lying on the floor, she stilled for a second, then hurried to them. Aiden was quickly at her side. She motioned for him to take the helmet off of the larger suit. The moment he unsnapped the clasps, the air seal broke with a loud hiss. Shocked nearly stilled him. The deathly-still face of Gage Tallon stared back at him, his deep brown skin a slight shade of blue from lack of oxygen. If this was Gage, then the women he held was Dr. Naeva Orien. “Computer, vitals signs.” Aiden commanded. The computer chirped in compliance. After a few seconds the stern female voice came back. “Heart rate extremely low; oxygen blood level, extremely low. Carbon Dioxide levels extremely high. Blood pressure in both victims approaching bear minimum for life expectance. Death due to oxygen deprivation extremely probable.” He‟d take probable than imminent any day. Right now he needed them alive. He reached to the side for the small oxygen canisters he packed along just in case. Lottie did the same, fitting the large nose piece over Dr. Orien‟s mouth and nose. Then Dr. Orien inhaled sharply. Her chest heaved up and down unevenly for a moment before it leveled out. Tallon slowly took a breath, but his was very uneven.

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“We need to get them to Zipporah before it‟s too late.” He took the medical scanner out of stashed medical supplies and scanned them. They would be alright for now, but if they didn‟t get to fresh air soon, the distress would start all over again. “I‟ll stay here and watch them. See if you can get a transmission through all this mess to the planet. Tell them we‟re coming in.” Loxoltia nodded sharply, then hurried for the cockpit. If they didn‟t hurry, it wouldn‟t matter if he would be able to help them or not. They would both be dead.

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Chapter Fifteen

Naeva cracked her eyes open enough to let the light filter in. A slight pain shot through her eyes for a second before she adjusted, opening her eyes a little more. Sunlight? She felt the warmth of the sun on her skin. Wherever she was, it definitely wasn‟t a starship. So where was she? The last thing she remembered, she was in the battered cockpit of Gage‟s dart. barely hanging on to what little air they had left. She gasped as her memory fully returned. She was damn near dead. Gage wasn‟t far behind her, and the ship was nearly destroyed by the nebula they were trying to hide in. She closed her eyes against the white hot needles stabbing through her eyes, tears welling within them. She ruthlessly pushed the pain away in order to get a better look around her. Naeva eased up onto her elbows. A bookshelf caught her attention. She could see old books mixing with the holo-novels. Beside the bookshelf was a small window that displayed the beautiful blue sky. They were on a planet of some kind. Someone heard their distress beacon and come to their rescue. She was just grateful she wasn‟t a frozen space popsicle.

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A gasp near the door caught her attention. A tall woman with long dark hair looked back at her with glimmering blue eyes. She stood near Gage, who was still out cold. Knives of fear sliced through her heart seeing Gage lying on a nearby medbed. His brown skin was more gray than brown, a sign of oxygen loss. Naeva wanted to touch him, see for herself if he was alright. Just looking at him wasn‟t enough. She glanced from Gage to the woman standing over him. If she‟d hurt him…. The woman stepped back quickly, not wanting to get too close. “What are you doing?” Naeva‟s word came out slurred, almost not recognizable. The woman took a hesitant step towards her. “Where are we?” Her smile warmed Naeva, though she could still feel her apprehension. “You are safe.” Her mouth never moved, but the communicator on her shirt sparkled. “We found your ship and brought you here.” A wave of dizziness nearly knocked Naeva back on the bed, but she held fast. “Where is here?” “Zipporah.” Naeva raised a brow. “In the nebula?” She nodded. “My husband and I were coming to meet Gage when we got your distress call. Your ship was badly damaged.” She helped Naeva sit up. “I‟m Loxoltia, but most just call me Lottie.”

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Naeva smiled gently. “Dr. Naeva Orien.” “I know. I saw your picture plastered across the newscasts in this sector.” Naeva glanced at Gage, wanting to look into his eyes, but knew that wasn‟t going to happen. “Is he all right?” Lottie shrugged. “Don‟t know. He‟s been unconscious since we rescued you. I scanned him, but it said that everything was normal.” Naeva tried to push the rest of the cobwebs away from her brain enough to think. She needed to see for herself. “Do you still have the scanner?” Lottie nodded, yet Naeva didn‟t miss the hesitation in her eyes as she handed her the scanner. Naeva pointed the scanner to Gage and swiped it from his head to his legs. No head trauma, broken bones, or damage to any of his implants. He was perfectly healthy and should be awake, yet it was like his computer induced a coma in self-preservation. Until the computer released its lock down, there was no way Gage would wake up anytime soon. Sighing, Naeva closed the scanner and handed it back to Lottie. “So you are a real doctor?” Lottie‟s eyes held the question more than the mechanical voice.

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Naeva nodded. “I was anyway. I worked for ChemaTech. Until…” She stopped the guilt of living on when the others didn‟t, made it too hard to talk. She couldn‟t stop the tear that rolled down her face. Lottie‟s gentle hand rubbed her shoulder. “I know what happened to your father and your colleagues. It‟s all over the Net. I know you didn‟t do it.” Naeva looked at her. “How do you know?” Lottie smiled reassuringly. “Because I can feel your emotions. I‟m Xhidorian, an empath. I can feel emotions from others. I believe the remorse you feel is genuine. If not, I would know.” “Do you know why we were told to come here?” Naeva‟s hope rose slightly, the end of this whole ordeal seemed in sight. Lottie shook her head. “No, I don‟t. My husband might, but he‟s not here.” Naeva sighed, trying to stamp down her disappointment. “Don‟t worry. He will return later today.” At least that would give her time to think of some questions. Naeva pulled herself off the bed. Lottie gasped in alarm. “What are you doing?” There was no emotion in the synthesized voice, but Naeva could see the concern in her eyes. “I have to get out of here. If I don‟t, I‟ll go crazy.” She lied. The urge to touch Gage was so strong her fingers tingled.

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Lottie‟s concern softened as she smiled. “Wait here. I‟ll get you some clothes to freshen up. Then I‟ll take you to see the infirmary.”

The moment Loxoltia was out of the newcomer‟s sight, she called her husband. She tapped the communicator on her chest activating it. It took a moment before Aiden‟s voice crackled through the small earpiece lodged within her ear. “Aiden here.” No matter she had just seen him not two hours before, hearing his voice was such a relief. Loxoltia pushed open the door to her cabin, not missing a beat. “One of the newcomers is awake. The woman, Dr. Orien.” She could hear his sigh in relief. “I‟m glad. Is she all right?” She looked around the cabin making sure everything was still in order. “A little groggy, but otherwise coherent. You know I‟m not a doctor.” Aiden chuckled. “True, but you have seen your share of oxygen deprivation to know if they‟ve suffered any brain damage. Besides, my pretty little wife is the smartest, sexiest woman I know.” She rolled her eyes. No matter the distance, his persistent nature still bugged the hell out of her. “They‟re fine.” She needed to keep him focused. If not,

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his mind would go back to the gutter where it constantly lived. “What about their dart? Is there any way you can fix any of the systems and bring it back here?” “Sorry, hon.” Aiden raised his voice around the static in the communicator. “That ship is pretty much fried. Their dampening field wasn‟t even set up, which would have helped them for the time being. Without it, they were as good as dead. They were lucky to survive.” Loxoltia picked through a basket of freshly washed clothes for a shirt close to the doctor‟s size. She was much smaller than the doctor in the chest area. Aiden‟s shirts should be big enough to fit her. She remembered the neatly folded trousers she put in the drawer just yesterday and snagged a pair for the doctor. “Do you think they are a threat to us? We don‟t need to be discovered, Aidan.” “I know.” More static drowned out his words. “Thinking the same thing. We have to see before we just let them loose in the colony.” “What do you want me to do with them? I can‟t sit and hold their hands all day.” The static in the communicator began to worsen. “Didn‟t ask you…that. Just keep close tabs on them. Need…trust…just…we…theirs. Don‟t you think?” “I do think, but…”

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“I know, you…doubts. But…trust me on this. You…doubts about everyone, but this…time when…need your empathic ability and not your doubt to judge them.” “I‟ll try, but I‟m not promising.” The static was too much in her ear. The window for communication was passing as the planet moved into the nebula blind spot. “You‟re breaking up pretty bad, Aiden.” “I know…interference from the nebula…sucks. Keep me posted.” “I will. Loxoltia out.” She tapped her communicator, closing the link. The colony was starting to get large with them picking up the stranded in the nebula, but what had they gotten themselves into now? She thought of Dr. Orien, of her trusting brown eyes. It had been so long since she‟d seen a doctor, when the butchers of Xhidori took away her vocal cords and nearly her life. Her trust was few and far between if it didn‟t concern the colony. Yet, she felt this doctor was different. Maybe her husband was right. Maybe she could learn to trust the doctor. Who knows, in the long run it might work out better in the colony. The need of a doctor was growing so much greater day by day. Yet, every person that came into the colony brought them closer to discovery. She had to be ready, even if her ever-trusting husband wound up

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bringing more trouble to them than they could afford. She just hoped they would be able to pull out of another close call.

“This is it.” Loxoltia stood back, allowing Naeva to take a better look at the infirmary. “It‟s not much and the medical equipment is badly under code, but it does the job.” Though resourceful, the infirmary housed only the bare minimum to service the entire colony. Not to mention, a couple pieces looked as if they were snatched from a couple ships. Naeva spied a couple of tissue regenerators charging on a nearby table, along with a few first aid bandages neatly stacked on the shelf near a medbed. The other three beds had the same things sitting on their shelves. Just enough to supply what was needed. “This is actually great. It does the job, I gather.” “There haven‟t been many doctors come by. Sometimes the supplies the medships „say‟ they‟ll send to us never make it. It‟s been almost a year now since the last drop off.” Naeva could feel her brows knotting together in frustration. It was one thing for a shipment to get lost, or stolen by pirates, but flat out negligence was something she couldn‟t stand. “No medical ships ever come through the nebula?”

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Loxoltia shook her head. “No. It‟s too dangerous. The fear of getting to close to the plasma charges makes most of them change their minds. We‟re lucky to get the shipments. What we don‟t receive we, uh…” “You steal it.” Naeva shook her head unbelieving, but this was a need. Pure and simple. “I know. It‟s okay. Sometimes you have to do what you have to in order to survive.” Loxoltia‟s eyes pleaded for understanding through a gracious smile. “Life out here isn‟t as harsh as it seems. Sometimes we are lucky. We farm our own food. The land has nurtured us well, and what supplies we do receive we have learned to ration, or do without.” “But you shouldn‟t have to do without. Not with proper medical attention. Have you ever gone to the U.A. Senate about what‟s going on? Maybe they can help.” Loxoltia fumbled with a worn blanket covering an empty bed. “Pointless, actually. Believe me, I feel the same way. It‟s kind of hard getting our feelings across to the U.A. for aid when no one is willing to get past the nebula to help us. Or you don‟t have the kind of credits to make them listen.” That would have to change, Naeva thought with vehemence. Once the whole ordeal was over with, she would see to it herself that more time and effort

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would be put into getting colonies like Zipporah proper aide and not let the suffer needlessly. “Lottie! Are you in there?” A voice called from the door. “Yeah, Dayanara. I‟m here.” A few seconds later a woman came in holding a small child. Naeva didn‟t miss the woman‟s girth as her gown barely hid her stomach swollen with child. She stopped, not moving, holding her child closer to her chest as she stared at Naeva. Loxoltia walked to her, taking the child in her arms. The child‟s eyes brightened up and reached for her. His cheeks caked with already dried tears. “What happen to Ryden?” “He fell and cut his leg playing near the water bushes.” The woman finally took her eyes away from Naeva long enough to inspect the cut on her son‟s leg. “I think the cut is pretty deep, but he‟s so tough. He only cried for a second. Could you take a look at it?” “Sure, let me get the scanner.” Lottie placed Ryden on the bed before heading for the scanners. The moment Lottie stepped away, Naeva‟s mind went into medical mode. The child had to be no more than six or seven seasons, his golden eyes still held a childish twinkle, but spoke of things he had seen well beyond those years. His dark brown curls wildly fanned his thin face. High cheekbones poked out of sun-tanned skin. His body was thin, his arms reedy. The

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nearly tattered clothes covering his body hung from his shoulders. She knew if he were standing again, his pants would fall to the floor. The boy looked as if he wasn‟t getting enough to eat, but the muscles on his arms told otherwise. The mischievous smile on his face spoke the truth. He had too much energy, so much so that the others couldn‟t keep up. His warm smile made her heart take a sudden flip. This little heartbreaker had stolen her heart from her. “Do you mind if I look at him?” When Dayanara frowned, she added, “It‟s okay. I‟m a doctor.” Lottie shrugged, handing Naeva the scanner as if thinking nothing of it. “You don‟t mind, do you?” Naeva saw the doubt on Dayanara‟s face. She would feel the same if her son was being treated by a doctor she‟d never met before. “No, not at all as long as you don‟t make him cry.” Naeva winked at the boy gifting her with his adorable smile. “I know you‟re a brave boy.” He nodded happily. “Good, I‟ll be extra special careful.” Naeva opened the scanner, taking a quick sweep of his body. He was perfectly healthy. He could stand a little more meat on his bones, but that was coming from the non-doctor, almost motherly side of her. For right now, she would just tend to the cut on his leg. Small starts to get bigger results, she thought. “Now. Let‟s look at that sore.”

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By the time dusk came around, Naeva was bone tired, yet completely satisfied. Word of mouth traveled faster than Naeva anticipated. Though, with a colony this small, and she being the only doctor these people had seen in a long while, she expected nothing less. She‟d seen at least twenty patients in four hours. Gratefully, all complaining of minor problems from coughs and sore throats to minor cuts and bruises, namely from the children. She was glad to receive the work, and if things had turned out different, she would have loved to do a residency here, give herself a change in scenery. Being in a lab all day with no one to talk to but glass beakers and flasks began to weigh heavy on her concentration. As focused as she needed to be, being a hematologist in a lonely lab all day gave her a need for excitement. Being here fueled her excitement, the difference in environment. She could easily get used to being in a place like this. She closed down the infirmary at dusk, making sure she straightened up before she left. Her muscles ached from a good day‟s work, but she felt a beacon of light within her heart as the ice chipped away, letting the goodness of Zipporah seep in. „Bout time, she thought. She was so tired of running, tired of looking over

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her shoulder. Not knowing whom to trust. All that time alone only gave her an excuse to close herself up and not let anyone in. She couldn‟t do that now. As a doctor, she loved feeling needed, like the work she did would do some good. To see those results up close and personal on the faces of the people she came in contact with gave her a sense of purpose. As it should be, as a doctor. Naeva pushed open the door to the cottage, seeing Gage still lying there on the bed. A man sat nearby in a chair in one of the corners. This must be Aiden, Loxoltia‟s husband. Blond hair, blue eyes, and an extremely nutty sense of humor is how she described him. She also said he was caring and Naeva could see that. Not many people would come and stand by the bed of a person they have never met. Aiden crossed his leg over the other and gave a slight snort, then propped a large hand under his chin. Thick blond lashes fanned his cheeks and never once fluttered to recognize her. He looked as if he watched Gage for any sign of movement, but a closer observation told her otherwise. Aiden was dozing. Naeva‟s heart gave another lurch. He seemed to actually care about them and wasn‟t afraid of them. She placed the holo-pad on the table nearest Gage to get a better look at him. She had pulled the cover around his large chest earlier, but now it was pulled down a little lower. Hope surged in her chest. Even though he infuriated her

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beyond comprehension, and his bossy way of handling things really got on her nerves, she truly missed him. Seeing his green eyes so confident and sure centered her resolve. Centered her. Without him, the fear would easily creep back into her heart, turning it back to ice. Her hope fell when she touched his face. He didn‟t move. Not even a moan or a grunt in recognition. Sighing, she straightened his coverlet across his bare chest. “He‟s still out cold.” Naeva started at Aiden‟s voice. She turned around to see him staring at her. Gorgeous blue eyes still dull with sleep gleamed back at her. He stood to his full height, towering over her, then extended his hand. “I‟m Aiden Jewel. I know that I haven‟t been around much for an introduction, but I am glad to see you are well.” The warmth in his voice lit up to his eyes as he took her hand, giving it a firm shake. “Don‟t be. We were in very good care.” Aiden nodded. “That, I am glad to hear. I am concerned about him. He should be awake, but it‟s as if he‟s in a coma. Have you seen any change?” His concern was genuine from the look in his eyes. It touched her heart the way that everything else on this planet had.

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“No. He‟s different. It might take a little longer for him to pull out of it, but I have faith.” Aiden nodded. “Faith is good. Prayer is better. I have sent up many for your speedy recovery . . . and your thanks. I heard you have been running medical check-ups at the infirmary.” Naeva gave a nervous chuckle as if she her secret had been told. “Wow. News travels fast.” “Yeah, it does.” Aiden smiled. “Don‟t worry. All the talk about the new doctor has been very good. In fact, you‟re the first doctor I‟ve seen come this way in long while. My wife told me that you have a real passion for helping people.” “It‟s the least I can do to show my gratitude for saving our lives.” Aiden waved her off. “Think nothing of it. A favor for a favor, I suppose. But while you‟re here, I would very much hope that you would keep seeing patients. Just to see if everyone is all right.” “I will.” A yawn escaped her before she had time to catch it. “My apologies, Doc. You must be exhausted. I‟ll leave you now.” He gave her a pat on the shoulder then headed for the door. “If you need anything, please let me know. I‟ll do my best to get it. No promises, but I‟ll try.” She smiled. “I sure will and thank you.” He nodded before closing the door.

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Naeva went to the clothing screen and pulled off the trousers, folding them before she placed them on a nearby stool. She rubbed her tingling skin in relief, but the ache in the rest of her body wouldn‟t be easily satisfied. She walked back to the bed where Gage laid. Seeing him lying in the bed so still tore her heart apart. The handsome features of his face were perfect. Not a scar marred his tan skin, save the ones before he was implanted. He looked so peaceful, and though he wasn‟t awake she could still feel his resolve, his comfort. She pulled the cover back on her cot then thought against it. The cool covers against her fingers were not appealing to her. Not when Gage slept just a few feet from her bed. Instead, she went to Gage‟s cot and glanced at his relaxed face. She didn‟t want to spend the night in her own bed watching him sleep from across the room. Pulling the cover over them both, she curled up next to him, draping a leg over his with care. Her hand rested on the rippled muscles of his chest. His heartbeat thumped slow and steady against her palm. She needed to feel him next to her, conscious or not. Maybe her closeness would pull him out of the coma and back to her. Maybe . . . It wasn‟t long before sleep called to her. The slow and steady beat of his heart and his gentle breath help soothe her troubled mind, lulling her in to a dreamless sleep.

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Chapter Sixteen

“Doctor, can I have a word with you?” Naeva looked up from holo-pad of her list of things she needed for the infirmary to see Loxoltia standing by the door. “You‟re not too busy are you?” Her lips never moved as she spoke and the synthesized voice on her chest never showed the apprehension in her voice, or the worry in her eyes. Naeva pushed the pad aside then gestured to the empty desk chair. “No. I‟m just going over a few things. Come, have a seat.” She saw Loxoltia‟s reluctance as she moved forward and took the empty chair. Naeva smiled trying her best to ease her worry. “Now, what can I do for you?” “I know you‟ve notice that I haven‟t talked like normal people. I was wondering if there was any way you could help me.” Of course she noticed. The doctor inside her noticed from the moment Naeva met her. The scientist in her thought of different ways to fix it. “Let me look and see what I can do.” Naeva directed her to a nearby medbed. Taking a medical scanner, she scanned Loxoltia‟s throat and vocals. Her cords were missing along with the nerves that connected them to the brain.

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“Goddess,” Naeva gasped. “How long have you been living like this?” Loxoltia looked away. “For the better part of four years.” Her cords were surgically removed. More like transported out of her body as an experiment. Naeva took a look at the scanner one more time just to be certain. “What in the hell happened to you?” A moment passed before Loxoltia spoke. “Several doctors came here a few years ago, claiming to be part of the United Alliance‟s goal at improving the health and well-being of the colony. Well, it was all a lie. The head doctor, a very cruel man, experimented on us. He tortured so many, taking out vital organs just to see their reaction, or to do experiments on them, distorting their bodies beyond recognition. Many didn‟t survive. My husband and several of the men stood up against them and removed them from the planet. Since then, I haven‟t really trusted another person to help me. Afraid that they would do the same to me. Or worse.” No doctor in their right mind would do such a thing to his patient. Yet, lately, she‟d been mistaken. Her deluded world behind her degree was a shade of darker more sinister people who chose to call themselves doctors. Loxoltia had experienced cruelty within the last decade well beyond Naeva‟s imagination. It infuriated her and left her at awe for the strength of the human spirit, the will to live.

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Loxoltia‟s genuine, yet nervous smile, touched Naeva‟s heart. “But I‟ve seen how you are with the other colonists. I wanted to come and ask you, but after all this time, I guess I‟m still afraid.” “Understandably so. No doubt I would feel the same way.” There was no way in hell Loxoltia withstood all that pain. Yet, here she sat in front of Naeva needing her to fix another doctor‟s mistake. “Do you trust me to help you?” “I don‟t understand? I‟m here, aren‟t I?” “This is different. In order to treat you and have your full consent, especially since you‟ve been through so much, I wanted to get your full trust in me as a doctor. As your friend, before you proceed.” Naeva waited for her reaction before she continued. “I‟m not going to give you a false promise that I can fix it, but I can tell you that I would do everything in my power to make it right. No one, human or otherwise, should have to go through what you‟ve been through, and I‟ll do my best, if it‟s out of my hands, to find you the best doctors, whom we both trust, to truly help you. But only if you‟re ready.” Warm droplets of tears streamed down Neava‟s cheeks as she waited for her answer. She could see the trust Loxoltia gave through her eyes and she wanted it, needed it. Without her trust, she couldn‟t go any further. “I do trust you. I know you are a good woman, one of your word. You have been extremely good to us. I have noticed it. My husband has also. That‟s what

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made it so easy for me to come to you. If not, I wouldn‟t have thought twice about coming in here.” Loxoltia wiped away her own tears. “How soon can we start?” Naeva chuckled at her eagerness. “Not so fast. I have to do some research. Your condition is delicate. Give me some time to find the proper way to approach this. In the meantime, go and talk to your husband. This is going to put a lot of strain on you and him, so I‟ll need his consent as well.” Loxoltia smiled. “That should be easy. Aiden says that I sound like an unsatisfied old hag sometimes. Especially when I‟m griping him out.” “All men say that.” Naeva chuckled. “But don‟t worry. We‟ll see what we can do, and then go from there.” Loxoltia embraced her in a sisterly hug before she left. Naeva was in awe. She‟d never been asked such a personal request. Most of the time, she was just wanted for her job, nothing special, but now she could see the good she would do. She just prayed to the Goddess that what she did would help Loxoltia. Help them all. She took a look at the clock on the scanner. It was time to check on Gage. To be perfectly honest, she looked forward to this time of day. Loneliness began to creep up on her yesterday during one of her visits. There was no change from his coma and no matter how much she touched him or talked to him, he didn‟t seem to respond. If it took forever, she would be by his side.

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The cabin was only a short walk from the infirmary. A quick peek and back to work just to see if he was okay. Naeva gave the door a gentle push, holding it as it opened. She kept the room dark, save the sunlight shining down from the ceiling. To her surprise, Gage had actually changed positions. The sheet had fallen away from one leg as if he had pulled it off, his deep tan skin in contrast with the white sheet. “Naeva,” he moaned her name around the arm that was draped across his face. Her heart pounded in her chest as she hurried to his side. “Gage. It‟s alright. I‟m here.”

He heard the soft call of his name and gentle hands on his face as he came awake. He blinked his eyes open, his implants quickly adjusting to the brightness of the light. But this was natural light like from a warm, sunny day. His vision focused enough for him to see the light-colored canopy covering the surroundings. “Gage, are you all right?” Naeva. A picture of her smiling face quickly popped into his mind. Then, his thought changed, seeing her slumped over, her body covered in an environmental suit, mumbling something to him. The last thing he remembered was sharing oxygen with her. There wasn‟t enough and he couldn‟t pull himself out of the sleepy haze.

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What if she‟s dead? The oxygen deprivation pulled her into a deep permanent sleep. He couldn‟t take the thought of losing her. Especially her. Regret pummeled into him with brute force, stealing his air. His heart began to ache, his head throbbed along with the pain. Their time was too short. If only he had a few minutes to tell her how he really felt about her. Fate had to give him that much. Just one more chance before it was too late. “Gabriel?” Naeva. He was thinking about her and she appeared. Yet the concern in her voice when she called him gained his attention. Betraying the ache in his heart, Gage slowly opened his eyes again. He noticed two things immediately. One, he was no longer on the ship in space. Two, Naeva stood over him. Her beautiful smile lifted the heaviness of regret from his heart. He pulled her into his arms, wanting to feel the warm tangible touch of her body. To make sure she was real, and not of part of his imagination. She melted into him and exhaled. She was okay. No, she was better than okay, she was alive and well. He wanted to shout his happiness, but his exhausted body wouldn‟t allow it. Weakly, he sank back to the bed with Naeva‟s help, resolved to look at her beautiful face. He would praise the Goddess that she was still by his side. “Naeva.” His voice hoarsely scratched the back of his throat.

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Her full lips stretched into a beautiful smile. The worry was still there in her eyes, but relief joined the little twinkles. “Hey, big guy. You scared me there a minute.” Gage rubbed the bridge of his nose and tried desperately to wipe the cobwebs from his brain. “How long was I out?” “A little over a day. When you wouldn‟t wake up, I had your implants checked. And since they were fine, I just let you sleep.” He looked around the room slowly trying to adjust his eyes. “Where are we?” “On Zipporah, on the other side of the Badlands.” His eyes widened. “Rydon Sector? I thought there weren‟t any planets out here.” Naeva shrugged. “Not planets. Planetoids, but this is the only one habitable.” Gage closed his eyes against the constant throb in his temples. Lying in bed wasn‟t doing him any good, especially when he needed answers. Though there wasn‟t much to complain about. The view of Naeva from this angle was breathtaking. Her chocolate brown eyes glistened in the light with a soulful charm. He lost himself whenever he looked into them, forever falling for her. His heart

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skipped a beat at the dimple in her cheek as she smiled. He had never noticed its presence before. Now that he thought of it, he never took the time before. To see the small gift of her beauty caused his heart to skip a beat. Dark brown stands of her hair had fallen from the loose braid in her hair. He stifled a sigh. It would be a cold day in Taurus before he would ever become tired of looking at her. Yet he needed to get out of this bed. After spending a full day asleep, there were certain things he was in dire need of doing. As he started to sit up, Naeva‟s hands rested on his shoulder. “Where do you think you‟re going?” “I‟m gonna to find a lav, then find this Aiden Jewel and get some answers.” He felt the surprising strength in her gentle hands as she pushed against him. “I don‟t think so. And besides, he‟s off-world and won‟t be back until later tonight.” He arched a brow, then smiled. “If I didn‟t know any better I‟d say you care about me.” He allowed her to lower him back down. She rewarded him with a beautiful and strangely innocent smile. “Whatever gave you that idea?” She reached over him to the table beside the bed for a pain packet. He couldn‟t help looking down at the gracious view of her breasts as her shirt gaped open. His mouth watered suddenly, wanting so much to feel the dark brown globes in his hands or taste her skin in his mouth.

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She tore the silver wrapper and slipped the citrus-flavored tablet into his mouth. “Wait before you get out of bed. Give it about twenty minutes to work, then get up.” I‟ll give it twenty minutes all right. Giving in to his devious streak, he sucked her finger into his mouth, gently nibbling on it. Her soft gasp only fueled his excitement. He wanted her now, hot, breathless and just as wanting as he was. Reluctantly, he released her finger, seeing the fire ignite in her eyes. He smiled devilishly. “That‟s for later.” “Promise?” Her breathless voice was like music to his ears. “Hell yeah,” Gage growled. Naeva chuckled and pulled away, then walked to the door. “Not too soon. You still need your strength.” He began to rise then looked down at his bare legs. Where were his clothes? He pulled back the sheet and received the biggest shock of his life. He was as naked as a newborn babe. “By the way, they stripped you when we arrived. I wouldn‟t go far, if I were you.” “What? No one‟s interest in a cheap thrill?” Naeva gave him a seductive once-over. The heat from her gaze could have burned holes in the sheet.

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”Not today. Just so you wouldn‟t get far without good reason.” His mischievous smile didn‟t waver for a moment. “You play dangerous, woman.” “Always with you.” Naeva chuckled as she closed the door. He relaxed against the bed, his mind filled with images of her. His Naeva. He told himself once he would never get close to her. She didn‟t need to be close to him, yet he wanted her there. Always. What‟s worse was when he was separated from her, his heart raged to be near her. Even now, he wanted to get up and be near her. Hear her warm voice, feel the soft curves of her body, drive his aching cock deep into her hot center. Her body, her spirit, was forever branded to him, in every part of him. It was going to be even more difficult now to leave her when they were finished. Frustrated, Gage tried to think of something else besides pulling Naeva back into bed with him. He accessed his memory logs trying to see if he‟d missed anything while he was a sleep. The majority of his logs were missing. He remembered everything was there except when he blacked out. After that everything was a blur. He tried his audio implants. Even though he was unconscious, the implants in his ears would still record. He tapped into the recording files, playing the most recent ones first. Several were of Naeva sitting next to him, talking to him, asking

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if he felt her touch or knew that she was near. He could hear her lips smack his cheek as she kissed him before she left. He automatically touched his face, the skin on his cheek tingling at the thought of her lips there. He skimmed past several others while he used the lav and returned back to bed. Yet when he came across one log, he stopped. He‟d heard it once, but he needed a second time just to be sure he was hearing it right. Naeva‟s voice came through his mental implants as if she was right next to him. “In case we don‟t, I wanted you to know I love you.” There was a slight pause before she added, “I think I always have. I just never told you.” His heart did a sudden leap it had never done before. “Naeva loves me? After all this time?” That couldn‟t be possible. They were so close to death. She could‟ve said anything to him at her last moments. That had to be it. No one ever said they loved him before. Not any of the women he bedded. Well, maybe during the high end of a great fuck, but this was different. It was as if his heart was waiting on her to say those words. But he needed proof. He wanted to know if she meant that she loved him. Yet, if she took back her words, he didn‟t know how his heart would react to the shock.

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Twenty minutes felt like an eternity on his back looking at the ceiling. Gage rose from the bed and wrapped the sheet around his waist. A pair of cloth pants, some shorts, and a white shirt lay in the chair not far from the bed. He moved the clothes out of the way, looking for his energy pistol. It wasn‟t there. Damn, he didn‟t like being without his weapon. A hunter on a different planet without a way to defend himself was unheard of. He let finding his belongings be on his list of priorities. For now, he needed to get out of this cabin before he went starkraving mad. He quickly dressed, then tossed the white sheet over the bed. He‟d worry about neatness later. Now he needed to find out more about the Dwellers of Light and why they were planning on hurting Naeva. The moment he stepped outside the cottage, he noticed he‟d just stepped into a different world. This wasn‟t a poor little planetoid with starving, needy people. No, this was a thriving community. Men walked around the colony carrying in wood from the forest. The women and children plowed fields and planted vegetables. He could hear their singing carried on by the light breeze throughout the colony. Gage couldn‟t mistake the feeling of peace as he heard their carefree notes in perfect pitch, time, and rhythm. It drew him to the field where they worked.

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The efficient way they picked the ripe vegetation surprised him. The older girls worked, as well, while the younger girls sat with the elderly women weaving baskets and other materials. The scene reminded him of the ancient Native Americans of Earth, from a U.A. book he read as an officer on the Galatea. “The women are gathering fruits and vegetables for tonight‟s feast.” The man had walked up as silent as an Altarian assassin. He sure carried himself like one. His stance, though casual, was alert and ready. One arm was folded across his massive chest, the other hand casually stroked his chin. He was the sentry, the watch guardian of the women and children, and by the look in his eye, he took his job seriously. Yet, all that was gone in a flash the moment he looked at Gage with warm golden brown eyes. He extended his hand to Gage. “Halon Tylen.” Gage took it, squeezing it for good measure. “Gage Tallon. How long have you been here?” “Long enough. I‟ve been with the Dwellers for six years now.” He paused for a second, watching the women. “Most of us are former slaves, or falsely convicted prisoners, war refugees, like me. We come here for a place to belong again, be wanted. There isn‟t much left out there for us. We‟re much safer here cut off from the rest of the universe.”

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The faces around him voiced Halon‟s point in volumes. Everyone looked comfortable, and more than just at peace here. They belonged. Working together in harmony, not fighting or killing, or on a dangerous conquest for money. Something Gage longed for. He could see himself here, living happily with Naeva. Brea wouldn‟t be far away. His children would be safe here, happy, free from the certain death bounty hunting brings. Children. He never thought about having a family of his own until Naeva. Now he pictured little cherubs with Naeva‟s soulful brown eyes and black ringlets cascading down their little shoulders. Children that would be safe from harm, and wouldn‟t have a need for anything in the world. Yeah, I could get used to that, he thought. “So you‟re the ones who were brought in the other day. Aiden told me about you.” Halon‟s words brought him out of his deep thought. Gage raised a brow. “Did he now? How much did he tell you?” “Enough to know that you‟re a bounty hunter. Anyone in particular you‟re after?” “I‟m not looking for anyone. I just have some questions about a certain situation.”

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Halon shrugged. “No need to be secretive. I already know it‟s about your woman.” My woman? Naeva? He liked the sound of that. “Yes, she‟s in trouble and I‟m trying to clear her name. “ “Well, that would have to go through Aiden. He‟d know more about that than I would.” Gage nodded. Though his anticipation knotted deep in his chest, he ruthlessly pushed it aside in an attempt to remain calm. “Have you seen my woman?” Halon chuckled. “I knew you were going to get to that some time. Dr. Orien is in our infirmary. A really remarkable lady. She took care of my son yesterday. Not many of us are used to having a real doctor around, and not some quack with a scalpel wanting to hack a person to pieces. She‟s a really good person.” Naeva was more than just a good person. She also held his heart. His apprehension eased to know that she had warmed up enough to let someone in and now an entire colony. His heart swelled with pride. “She told me you would be looking for her.” He pointed in the direction of a building in the far corner of the colony. “That‟s the infirmary. Second building to the right. It was good to meet you.” Halon extended his arm as a sign of welcome. Gage took it gratefully, clasping his forearm just as Halon did the same.

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“The same to you and thanks.” “By the way, Gage,” Halon whispered close to him. “I‟m really glad to know you like clothes. Can‟t have a man going around scaring the folk, now can ya?” Gage chuckled, unable to keep it from bubbling to the surface. “Is there anything you don‟t know?” “No, not much around here. It‟s kind of public knowledge and word travels fast.” He turned his attention back to the women, waving at one who waved back. As he walked towards the cottage, he heard the warning loud and clear. “Watch your back, Tallon. I can‟t have you getting into trouble during your stay here.” He didn‟t bother to turn around. “Point taken.” Gage entered the infirmary, stopping at the door. He didn‟t want to disturb her yet. Naeva looked very confident as she held a medical scanner over a very pregnant woman‟s belly. Her giggle sounded like the soft tinker of precious jewels to his ears. She looked so at ease here, just as comfortable as the colonists around her. Her dark hair was loosely braided with curled tendrils fanning her face instead of in its usual tight bun. He hated that damn style with a passion. When she took care of him at the facility, he always pulled down the bun only to see her hair cascade over her shoulder in a dark array of loose curls.

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The loose-fitting shirt tied with a belt accented her voluptuous waist. Tight pants hugged her ass, gaining his attention as she shifted from one foot to the other. The slight bounce sent a jolt of electricity straight to his cock. It had been too long since he had her in his arms, kissed her, made love to her. His recent fix from her had long since worn off, and he was going through a massive withdrawal. If he didn‟t have her soon, he was going to rip her clothes off and fuck her on the floor. Spirits be damned. Naeva helped the woman to a sitting position. Her smile was genuine, like a beacon of hope. “Your baby is very healthy, Dayanara. A very fine baby boy.” The woman‟s brow furrowed. “What about the birthing process? The stories the old women tell me frighten me a little.” Naeva rested a hand on her shoulder. “It‟s too early to predict by the tales of feeble old women, but from my medical perspective, everything is fine. I won‟t lie to you. I am concerned about the baby‟s position this late in pregnancy, but he still has a month to turn. Having a baby naturally is a serious and grueling experience, but if you have your mind set on it, then your midwife should be sympathetic to your wants.” The woman looked down at her knees almost ashamed. “I don‟t have a midwife or a doctor. You‟re the first one I‟ve seen since I‟ve been pregnant.”

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Naeva‟s eyes widened in shock. “There hasn‟t been a medical transport stop by the planet?” “Because of the nebula, we‟re cut off. Occasionally, a medical ship passes through, but they beam down supplies. They never actually come down to the planet.” Determination sent the brows in Naeva‟s face as she folded the medical scanner. “Well, I know a few doctors who would come to check on you and the baby.” “But I like you.” Dayanara rested a hand across Naeva‟s arm. “You are nicer and more patient than some of the doctors I‟ve had experience with. Will you be here for the birth?” Naeva looked as if she didn‟t know what to say. She opened her mouth, but closed it, toying with her bottom lip. He could see the home she just built with the woman being dashed to bits. She worked hard to build trust and open herself up to people, especially these colonists. “Dayanara, I don‟t…” Gage quickly stepped in. He couldn‟t stand by and let it be dashed to bits. “There‟s no place she would rather be.”

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Dayanara yelped in joy, ringing her arms around Naeva‟s neck in a sisterly embrace. The frustration edged with pain in Naeva‟s eyes twisted his heart, yet she quickly masked her emotions and pulled away. “You don‟t know what a relief this is for me. I can‟t wait to tell my husband. He‟ll be relieved, too.” “I don‟t doubt it.” Dayanara hopped down from the table with the help of Naeva‟s extended hand. ”Just take care of yourself like you have been, the next few weeks. No heavy lifting, drink lots of water, and keep cool. Things like that, and the rest will take care of itself.” “Thank you so much, Doctor.” The woman beamed as she wobbled out of the door. The moment she was gone, Naeva leaned forward on the bed. “What have I gotten myself into?” Before he could respond, she turned on him, her dark eyes glinting with outrage. “I can‟t believe you told her that.” She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “Gage, there is no way I can stay here. There are people chasing after me who could put them in danger. I don‟t even know if I will make it back here alive. I don‟t want to make promises that will just fall through. What if this doesn‟t work? What if I get…” Gage placed his fingers over her full lips to quiet her. “Hush, love. Everything‟s going to be fine.”

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”You don‟t know that.” Gage watched her clamp her jaw as if fighting back her growing temper. “No, I don‟t, but I have faith and that‟s something that has been keeping us safe since it happened. We‟ll be fine and so will they. Don‟t worry.” “I worry because I care. I don‟t want to make promises I can‟t keep to these people.” He understood how she felt. Promises are something he, himself, didn‟t take lightly. Yet the moment when he looked at the woman‟s face, his heart wanted to make as many promises as it would take to keep the hope in her eyes. And everything within him willed his spirit to keep that promise. No matter how drastic the cost. “The woman, Dayanara. Did you see her face when you told her the baby was healthy and not to worry?” Naeva sighed, frustration written on her beautiful face. “No, I was too busy not overloading her with information and answering her questions.” He smiled at her. “Well, I noticed. Naeva, she trusted you. Even if all you did was hold her hand, the gentleness you gave her, anyone, gives them hope. Something I don‟t think these people have seen in a while.” Gage took her gently in his arms and cupping her face with both hands. A man could get lost in her dark brown eyes. He felt their pull beckoning him to lose

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himself in them every time. “I have faith this is going to work. Someone‟s bound to know something about what happened to you. Stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine.” Naeva snuggled in closer to him. He basked in her warmth, the floral scent in her air, the feeling of complete trust radiating from her. Being so close to death as they had been changed things. Naeva was so precious to him. He loved her spirit, her willingness to help, the fight she showed just to prove her point, everything. Nothing about her had ever turned him off. In fact, she was the most attractive little woman he ever met. He wanted to keep her beside him forever, but he knew that wasn‟t going to happen. Their time together destined on haste. Tomorrow wasn‟t promised. Today was all and he would treasure every moment. Gage gently traced her jawline with the pad of his thumb, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. Everything about her drew him like a magnet and he was helpless to fight it. Hell, he didn‟t want to fight it. Having her in his arms, feeling the warmth of her body, is where he wanted to be. He lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Sweet torture, he was headed straight for insanity. Her moans goaded him on. She opened for him greedily, taking his tongue in her mouth. The way she swayed her body against his quickly heated him to the point of burning. He ached to hold her full breasts in his hands. He felt them pressing against him through the

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thin material of his shirt. Her nipples felt like hard pebbles against his chest. He groaned, his cock hardened to the point of pain. He‟d be insane to deny himself of her because of his stupid bounty hunter‟s moral, never get too close. Well, that was pretty much shot to hell. She was now in his blood, as much a part of him as his own body. He could no more deny himself of her than she could of him. He took a moment just to look into her eyes. The hot blaze in their dark depths told him she felt the same way. Reckless, out of control of their emotions, yet there was no fear. The slow, seductive trace of her tongue over her lower lip sent him teetering one step closer to that chasm of desire. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Her playful smile goaded him, all the while heating his blood with the burning desire in her eyes. “I think I can arrange that.”

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Chapter Seventeen

Midday on Zipporah had to be the mildest Naeva had ever experienced. This had to be their summer season near the harvest time. Zipporah was such a peaceful colony, a great contrast to a handful of places that she had been hiding for the past months. “It‟s so peaceful here.” Gage only grunted. He‟d been quiet since they left the infirmary. The path she chose wound near the fields where several groups were gathering their harvest. She spotted Dayanara by the fields in Halon‟s arms. He lovingly placed his hands on her stomach and then bent down to place a kiss on her rounding belly. The beautiful sight touched her heart. Their carefree tenderness, the way they freely expressed their love for their unborn child as if without a care in the world. She thought of the times she and Gage spent together. Hot and reckless passion while they were private, but he never clearly showed how he really felt for her in public. She could feel it in his touch, almost see it in his eyes, but the love she felt for him was not something in which he felt the same way. At least not to her.

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“It amazes me that they have very little, but they are as carefree as a rich society.” Gage grunted again. She cut off a growl as Halon looked up and waved at them. She waved back, but Gage only nodded. His hand slid possessively lower on her back. What was up with him? One minute he was all lovey-dovey, then the next he was acting like someone shoved a stick up his ass. Naeva stole a glance at him. His beautiful face was set in stone. His green eyes shielded, yet she could tell there was something wrong. She could feel it. There was something in his touch she couldn‟t put her finger on. She raised a puzzled brow. “Are you all right?” “Yeah.” That one word made her blood boil. The urge to slap his arm itched the back of her hand. “Yeah? That‟s it? Just „yeah‟?” “Yeah.” Mr. Stonecold wasn‟t about to tell her anything. Just for once, she wished she was a telepath. Then she would know how he really felt about her, instead of guesstimating and having her heart shatter when it didn‟t work out. Loving him this much hurt, and for him not to share his feelings felt worse. Well, it was time to put a stop to that. She picked her pace a little, feeling Gage‟s hot gaze on her back and stifled a needy growl.

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When the path winded away from the colony towards a wooded area, Naeva stopped, blocking his path. The look she gave him was one of pure death. “You know I hate it when you talk in one-word sentences.” Had he been one of her subordinates at ChemaTech, he would have been trying to get back into her good graces. But this was no subordinate. This was Gage. “Got a lot on my mind.” She waited for him to say more, but he never did. She stepped in front of him, the top of her head meeting the middle of his chest. The bad ass smiled at her now as she stood a whole foot shorter than him, trying to be as tall as a mountain. She already felt the effect of that smile on her melting resolve. She had been thinking about Gage from the moment she woke, the things she would do to him once they were alone. Even seeing him in the infirmary surrounded by any number of beds that they could occupy for the time being would have been okay, but the floor would be better. She didn‟t care. She just had to have him inside her, and in any way that she could get him. “Speak mouth, ass won‟t.” His chuckle rumbled deliciously through her body, but she wasn‟t about to back down now. Oh, no. He needed to know what was on her mind. There might not be another chance. “What do you have on your mind, Gage?”

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“You.” It infuriated her that a man could bring out such passion and such rage with just one word. She either wanted to strangle him or throw him on the ground right here and now. He brought out the wildest desires within her with every gentle caress. Her most private and naughty thoughts mirrored in his emerald eyes, a window of what he thought about doing to her. “Me?” She took a cautionary step back when his glowing eyes blazed hotter than she had ever seen. “Why do you have me on your mind?” He matched her step, the heat in his eyes and his smile never wavering for a second. “Ever heard the Terran story of „Little Red Riding Hood‟?” She backed up again and again he matched it. “Yeah? Wah- What about it?” “Well, the wolf wanted her so bad he could taste her, smell her. He‟d do anything to get to her. And when he caught her…” Faster than she could blink, his arms snaked out and grabbed her, pulling her against the rock-solid hardness of his chest. Naeva gasped, but she quickly swallowed it, her breath suddenly lodged in her chest. “He would devour her.” The deep rumble in his voice, the shear heat of his body, rocked her to the core. All she could do was smolder as his lips crushed hers in a hard kiss. He feasted on her as a starving man on his first meal in days. The hard edge of his shaft pressed in to her stomach, grinding her with delicious circles. Her will left long ago. All she wanted to do was surrender to him.

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To feel him inside her, to taste his lips, feel his body underneath her fingertips. It was maddening the way her uterus contracted, her inner muscles flexing almost painfully with anticipation. His hands trailed down her back to cup her lush ass. Her knees weakened as the flutters of every little tantalizing stroke assaulted her senses. He sufficiently swallowed each of her moans in his mind-numbing kiss. This man was hers as much as she was his and doubted she wanted it any other way. Her knees weakened as the flutters of every little tantalizing stroke assaulted her senses.

Gage tore his mouth from hers, barely able to contain what little control he had left. She was his prey he was hell bent on devouring. He growled low and deep against the hollow of her throat. “By the Goddess, Naeva, I missed having you in my arms.” He took her hand, placing it on the hardened bulge in his pants. He needed to feel her soft hands on his body. “You see how bad I want you. I need you.” Her fingers trembled as she gently squeezed his erection. His legs nearly buckled at her touch, at her gentle whimper as he nipped her neck. The need within the soft throaty sound made him harden beyond maddening proportions.

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Though, instead of surrendering to him as he wanted her, she pulled out of his arms quicker than his sex-blurred mind could comprehend. Taking the first button of her shirt, she slowly unfastened the button. A slow sultry smile spread across her full lips. “What are you doing?” He reached for her again, but she sauntered just out of his reach. The growl escaped him before he could grab hold of it, the last of his restraint waning. Her toying smile only fueled his fire. “Naeva,” he warned. She played dangerously and as bad as he wanted her right now, it was a good chance he could turn into the wolf at any moment. “If you want me so bad, then come get me.” Damn the woman! Didn‟t she know how close to the edge he was to knocking her to the ground and fucking her right here? “You‟re playing with me, right? As hard as I am, I don‟t think I could take it.” “Uh-uh,” she said wiggling her finger. She swayed her hips as a master seductress, running her hands down the sides of her full breasts to the fullness of her hips. Didn‟t she know what this was doing to him? He was already on the edge of losing control. Just wanting her made his cock throb painfully. The moment her delicate fingers rounded her hips and slipped into the sweet juncture of her thighs, his control snapped like a fragile twig. “If you want it, you‟ll come get it.”

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Oh hell yes, his mind trumpeted. It was on. He released the hold on his inner wolf to run free, howling for just a taste of her. To Naeva, he only said one word. “Run.”

Naeva blinked at the raw lust she saw within his green depths. The cool confident man was gone, leaving a dangerously sexy wolf in his wake. Oh, hell. She just set herself up as prey. The wild look in his eyes made her heart lurch, her panties further wet. He meant to catch her and when he did…her body shuddered at the thought of what he would do as explicitly as he knew her sexbuzzed mind would go. His sexy lips flashed a body-melting smile, with a lift of his dark brow that made her insides liquefy. When he took a step towards her, she leapt back, nearly falling over a broken branch. Her feet didn‟t dare stop and have it end too quickly. Not a chance in hell. The thrill of the run sent her heart pounding through her chest, coaxing an excited shout of laughter. Through the thundering sound of her blood in her ears and the whirling sound of the wind, she heard his deep laughter. His heavy foot

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fall trampled the leaves as he ran after her. Damn, this was turning her on. It was getting harder and harder to run with her panties dripping wet. Screw it! She was tired of running, tired of never being able to have what she wanted. Never being able to relax and love freely. Always being on guard, not once taking a moment to enjoy her life. It was time she stopped running and started living for once. The moment she rounded a tree, the chase came to an abrupt end. One moment she knew she had a good lead, the next moment Gage grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against the hard wall of his chest. He took her mouth hard almost bruising, perfect. His tongue gently pushed past the barrier of her lips to play with hers. She felt herself being lowered to the ground. The glorious pressure of his body on top of her sent her into physical meltdown. Her moans drowned away with every sweep of his tongue. A groan of protest escaped her as he tore away from her mouth to trail hot little kisses down her throat. It was as if her world tilted on several axes. By the time he unbuttoned her shirt, Naeva didn‟t think she had the strength to stand. His rough hands pushed the shirt folds out of the way, baring her large breasts, her sensitive nipples pebbling at the soft caress of the cool breeze. “Please,” she pleaded. It was the only word she could think of. The only word that pretty much summed up everything. She surrendered to him, to the

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gentle touch of his hands. The power within each caress was enough to set the universe on fire. He pulled back for a moment, struggling to pull his eyes away from her beautiful brown breasts. He looked so wild and untamed. His glowing green eyes devoured her body inch by inch. “Goddess, the things I thought about doing to you all day. You drive me crazy.” Her body craved him until the point she thought she was going to burst. Every moment she had with him, the only thing she thought about was having him in any way that she could take him. As many times until her fill, which would be never. She moaned. “Yeah, if I don‟t come soon, I‟m going to burst.” He stilled. His piercing green eyes held hers. Hell, no don‟t stop now! “And I plan on making you come. Over and over and over again.” “Goddess, yes.” She lost herself on a moan as he kissed his way down her throat, taking one aching nipple into his mouth. The things his tongue did to her made it hard for her to think. Her brain was too mottled to even think about consequences. All she wanted was him. His hands all over her body, his hot gentle kisses on her most secret part. Just thinking about it made her body temperature spike to unbearable heights.

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Taking one of his hands from her breast, Naeva slide it low under the band of her pants to cup her aching sex. She felt his fingers delve through her curls to the hard little nub. The flick of his finger of her clit caused electricity to shoot through her. Before she could lose herself on a moan, she said, “I need you now.” It was like joy to his ears. He took her mouth more gently this time, deepening the kiss until both of them were breathless. Her hands worked on his shirt, finally freeing the buttons as he worked to shrug it off his shoulder. He pulled back for a second, taking in the view of her large brown globes. “You are so beautiful to me.” Naeva‟s heart melted away like the rest of her body. He cupped one breast in his large hands, stroking her sensitive nipple with the pad of his thumb. The feel of his roughened fingers on her flesh sent shivers through her. “Your skin is so soft.” He lowered his head, covering her nipple with his mouth. His tongue stroked it, sending swirls of ecstasy to pool between her thighs. He licked the tip, laved the valley between her breasts with a satisfied growl, and continued his sweet torture to the other breast. She moaned, unable to control the shivers that ran through her body. Caution long since thrown to the wind, she ran her fingers through his hair, holding him closer.

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“And you taste good. I want more of you,” Gage growled against her nipple. Have me! Her body practically screamed as his free hand worked the clasp of her pants. “Too many damn clothes between us,” he growled as he bit her nipple. She whimpered, arching at the exquisite pain, but he quickly soothed it with a couple licks of his tongue. Naeva reached between them and pulled the clasp free, shimmying out of her pants. He made his way down her body, leaving a trail of hot kisses in his wake. He stopped just before the dark curls of her sex. She waited. Wasn‟t the man going to move? How could he get this far and then stop. The torture was driving her insane. She raised her head, arching a brow at him. “Uh…did you lose something down there?” Gage flashed a large grin. Uh-oh, he‟s up to something. “There‟s something I‟ve always wanted to do to you.” Naeva frowned. “Am I going to like this?” “Shhh. Just lay back.” He reached in his pocket for a small metal pack. Pulling out a piece of chocolate, he held it up for her to see. “Gage?” Her breath hitched as he rubbed the chocolate against her swollen clit.

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“I always thought of what you taste like. Adonian dark rich chocolate crème,” he purred. The heat of his warm breath on her sensitive nether lips, and the melting chocolate against her clit made her cream even more. “You always had such a sweet tooth,” she panted. He stopped, piercing her with the heat of his gaze. “You‟re my sweet tooth. I‟ve been addicted to you since the very first day we met.” He licked her chocolatecovered clit, lapping her up with every sweep. Naeva gasped, arching as the electricity shot through her body with every enticing lick. He growled as he lapped up her cream as if she were his just desserts. He licked, suckled her, until she came in a bone-shattering release. She relaxed against the ground. Aftershocks rode her hard, each one made her legs twitch. Gage‟s smile was that of pure male satisfaction. “I‟m not done yet.” He stood before her, his golden brown chest glistening in the sun, rippled with hard muscle. He unsnapped his pants, his cock springing free, hard and ready. Her eyes zeroed in on it, hungry to feel him inside her. Long, dark, thick, pulsating. The tip glistened with his pre cum. So eager, so ready. “I want to be inside you. I don‟t want to fuck you. I want it slow.” His deep drawl coaxed a low moan from her. “I want you inside me now.” She held her arms out to him. “Come to me. Make love to me. I can‟t wait anymore.”

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Gage felt as if he were going to burst if he didn‟t come inside her now, but that wouldn‟t be fair. No matter that she looked like a sultry dark goddess lying among the leaves. Her dark brown hair spread across the leaves. Her face had a slight pink flushed and her deep brown eyes were heavy-lidded and wanton. Her beauty took his breath away. He felt every much like a powerful king who, at last, found his one and only queen. Not wasting another moment, Gage sank between her legs as she wrapped her arms around him. He grazed her opening with his thick swollen head. Sweat was already beading on his brow and he wasn‟t even inside her yet. He‟d had sex with countless other women, but it wasn‟t like this. Naeva was not some other woman. Somehow, among the leaves, out in the middle of nowhere, this union seemed perfect. He pushed passed her swollen lips, slowly filling her. The walls of her slick heat clamped around him, sending a shiver through his body. Goddess, he wanted to come. It felt like heaven to been inside of her. Like it had been forever since he‟d last bedded her. “G-G-Gage!” she whimpered. She stiffened at the intrusion for a second, but then relaxed as he moved. Her hands grasped his broad shoulders, nails biting into his skin.

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“Naeva,” he groaned, pushing a little further inside. He thrust his hips in small circles, going deeper each time until he was all the way in to the balls. Her moans coaxed him on. Slowly, Gage pulled out only to enter again, each movement of sweet torture was killing him. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, fighting the urge to come. “Goddess, you feel so good,” he moaned close to her ear. “Sweet Goddess, yes.” He could feel her inner muscles rippling around him as he increased his pace. She wrapped her legs around him, urging him deeper. “I‟m gonna come. Come with me, Gage.” Rising above her, he pumped harder into her, pouring his life and soul into each thrust. He wanted to brand her, claim her, place his mark on every inch of her body and soul until she shined with it. He felt the fingers of his climax grab hold of his cock and balls. Light as bright as a million quasars flashed behind his lids. There was no holding back now, as if he really wanted to. “G-Gage, Goddess, I love you!” She screamed just as she came hard, her juices soaking the ground under her. Gage almost stopped, but he didn‟t. He pumped harder and faster until he came, shooting his seed deep within her. He just looked at her, stunned wordless. Did she just say what he thought she said?

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“Yes,” she panted as if hearing his question. “I love you, Gabriel Tallon. There‟s no one I could love more.” No, it was a trick. Like the last time. She said she loved him, but then she was gone. There was no way he was going through that again. He pulled out of her and stood, ignoring the ripples of her pussy as if it were nothing. Gage ran a shaky hand through his hair trying to gather his thoughts. Sure it was something he wanted to hear her say, but not like this. It didn‟t seem real. He heard her rustle the leaves as she stood. He couldn‟t face her right now, not when the old pain of losing her pounded away on his already fragile heart. He wasn‟t a fool to hop into something more than just a quick tumble, was he? He wanted more, but in the end, „Right now‟ was all fate granted. “Is something wrong?” He shook his head. Admitting he loved her too was scaring the hell out of him. What if he‟d said it and she ran away again? What if it did actually work and something happened to her? “Well, then, aren‟t you going to say something?” He didn‟t trust himself to speak, not yet. “We can‟t, Naeva,” he finally spoke, his voice softer than a whisper. He didn‟t want to face the anger in her eyes, but he turned around anyway. “We can‟t. I don‟t want…” His words failed him. The pain in her eyes stole his words.

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“Don‟t want what? To fall in love with me, Gage? Is that was this is all about? I‟m just a quick lay for you? Convenience?” She bent down and picked up her clothes pulling them on with sharp jerks. “Nae, please…” He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away from him. “No, Gage. I told you I was sorry. But I don‟t know if this is because your lifestyle or because I left you so many years ago. I just don‟t know what to believe anymore and I‟m tired of being set up like a fool into thinking I really do love you.” When she had her shirt over her head, she quickly ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it back into a tight bun. Gone was the sultry goddess. In its place was the hellion warrioress, yet both equally beautiful. “Don‟t worry. I won‟t let it slip again.” With that, she turned her back, storming away into the woods. “Gage, you idiot,” he murmured pulling on his clothes. “The one time she pours out her heart to you and you bash it to pieces.” He had to stop and tell her. It seemed a cheap, inexcusable delay in words, but if he didn‟t, he would never get the opportunity to tell her he really loved her.

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Chapter Eighteen

He had to be the biggest idiot in the universe. After all the things he had done over time, this had to be the one tremendously stupid thing that he could ever done. Naeva loved him. He knew this and deep down he felt the same way about her, but why couldn‟t he just say it? Why was it so difficult for him to say three little words? Twice she had told him that she loved him. Though, this time they weren‟t close to dying. And what did he do? Stick his foot in his mouth and say something stupid. Sure, he wanted to tell her how much he loved her, to express his feelings for her, but why? What‟s the point? There was no room for love in this business. Danger always lurked around the corner. The implants coursing through his body were a constant reminder of that fact. She deserved a much better life than living on a starship chasing after criminals. His only option was the promise he made himself. After he cleared her name, he was gone. It was for the best. His stomach churned at that thought. Could he really do that? How could he find her just to lose her all over again?

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Gage pushed the thought away viciously. Gaining her forgiveness was the only objective on his mind. The only one he was willing to do. He hated seeing her upset, and especially angry at him. “Naeva, please talk to me.” But she didn‟t. She walked into the cabin and held the door, waited for him to get close, then slammed the door in his face. He stood there in shock, but understanding her actions. Oh yeah, he thought, I really screwed up this time. She wouldn‟t even open the door, and he didn‟t dare knock. To do that would be to start up a huge fight. And he wasn‟t willing to do that at all. Gage leaned his head against the door, trying to will the pain in his heart from tearing him to shreds. “Woman troubles, Gage?” Gage looked up to see a man leaning against the side of the cottage. “My wife does me the same way. But there‟s a lot more cursing to go with it.” “I guess you could call it that. Do I know you?” He walked out of the shadows and into the porch light. Short blond hair blew in the gentle breeze. The dusk light only darkened his light blue eyes for a fraction, but they still shined as bright as stars.

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“You could say that.” He extended his hand. “The name‟s Aiden. Dr. Orien told me you were looking for me when your ship was attacked.” Gage leveled his gaze on the man. He wasn‟t anything that he expected. This was no religious zealot hell bent on dominating the sector on a warped sense of religious refinement. No, this man had a gleam in his eye and a crooked smile on his face, disarming him all the same. “That was no attack. Someone is trying to stop us from getting to the truth.” “About what happened to Dr. Orien, right? It‟s plastered all over the Net.” Aiden waved for him to follow in his direction away from the cabin. Good idea. Naeva didn‟t need to hear this. Not now. She was too upset right now to think clearly. He would tell her later, but for right now, he needed to get all the information he could. Gage raised a brow. “How are you able to get any communication way out here?” “We‟re not that cut off, Hunter.” Aiden shrugged. “Once you get past the nebula, all sorts of important information is updated in the ship‟s systems from the central computer satellite near the nebula. Dr. Orien‟s picture and situation were the first to come through.” But that still didn‟t explain how Aiden and the Dwellers fit into the whole thing. Before he could open his mouth Aiden held up a hand, stopping him.

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“I know what you‟re thinking. How do we fit into all this? Let me guess, Shamtara sent you.” This just keeps getting better and better, Gage thought. “You know him?” “Unfortunately. A group of doctors came here a few years ago claiming they wanted to provide us with medical attention, and a stationed doctor to keep up standard medical care. But what they failed to tell us was that we all were to be part of a revolutionary drug call Zenodrine.” Gage stifled his shock, instead giving in to a growl, not wanting to voice that Naeva actually had the drug in her blood. Not yet. He needed an explanation first, to see how the pieces fit into this little fucked up puzzle he was working. “It wasn‟t supposed to be that way,” Aiden continued. “I really thought the medical help would be good for us. Medical help from the United Alliance meant bringing on colonial recognition, an upgrade for the living standards for a lot here. But I was wrong.” Aiden stared at his feet for a moment, shuffling the dirt, not hiding the regret in his eyes. “When I started to get reports of some of the colonist disappearing or coming back with disfigurements, I wanted to put a stop to it before it was too serious. But I wasn‟t as quick as I needed to be.” He paused for moment as if trying to form the words in his mouth. “My wife, Loxoltia. They surgically transported her vocals out of her throat then gave her the drug. I wasn‟t shocked it didn‟t

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work. It hadn‟t worked on any of the ones they had disfigured, but I still held that hope.” A maniacal smile crossed his face. “And a husband‟s fury. I demanded they put her organs back. That they give her back her voice, but they wouldn‟t. Me and a few others transported the entire team off the planet and back across the nebula.” Gage‟s words were gone. There was no way to explain the rage he felt for him. The same anger he felt as a man. He thought and felt the same way every waking moment since he found Naeva, the feeling of helpless fury after something had happened to his woman. “Since then, have you notified the U.A. about what happened?” Aiden shrugged again. “Tried. It‟s hard to get them to listen without colonial recognition or enough money to feed hungry pockets. After a while, you just stop trying one way and start doing things another.” “Raiding ships.” Shock crossed Aiden‟s face, but it was quickly gone. “How did you know?” Gage folded his arms across his chest. “It‟s what I would‟ve done in your situation. If I can‟t get help from the U.A. one way, I‟d get it another. It‟s always worked for me.” Aiden chuckled. “Me too. Sometimes we bring back a little bit more than just medical supplies or food. Sometimes there are others who come back with us

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who need to disappear, running from something they had no control over. They stay here and rest. We don‟t ask questions. We only accept them so they can have some peace.” Gage didn‟t know about just letting anyone in the colony. There were too many fools out there, dangerous fools, hell-bent on causing nothing but pain. “Isn‟t that a little dangerous?” “Don‟t worry. I have a secret weapon. My wife is also a strong empath. If she doesn‟t feel right about a person, they don‟t come to the planet. I think I‟m a rare man. I actually value my woman‟s opinion.” Gage laughed. “Good to know. So I owe you my thanks.” “No need,” Aiden said, choking back his laughter. “I don‟t do thanks all that well. Kinda makes my head swell.” He patted Gage on the shoulder. “But my wife does and the more thanks she gets the more sex I get.” The thought of this man even having a wife boggled Gage. He was obnoxious and carefree, but he could see his nobility, his sense of family and caring. The man practically plucked him and Naeva from a dead ship moments before their deaths and brought them here. Aiden Jewel was the kind of person who always needed to be in bounty hunter‟s back pocket. A man who could be trusted.

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“Since we‟re going to be here for a while, is there anyway I can get in contact with my main ship?” “So, the little dart wasn‟t your only vessel.” “Not exactly. It‟s part of my main ship, the Hunter‟s Fire, and right now I needed to see if my sister has torn it apart.” Aiden chuckled. “I‟ll see what we can do. Up for a little space flight?”

Sunrise barely peaked over the horizon before he made it to the cabin. Gage wanted to give her enough space. Hopefully, she had calmed down enough to talk. When he slid into bed next to her, the thought changed drastically. Instead of her snuggling up to him, Naeva growled and turned over without even opening her eyes. Adding more insult to injury, she bunched up the covers on the bed between them, a solid and cold barrier between him and her soft warm body. “Naeva, I know you‟re not a sleep. Please talk to me.” Gage didn‟t dare miss the roll of her head as she scooted further away from him. Sighing, he let it go. She was still too angry. It was far too late for him to start up another argument. He laid back on the make shift pillow, folding his arms behind his head. Closing his eyes, he let his mind drift, his sensors wander. The smell of her, the shear closeness was enough to drive him mad.

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Yet, since when had he let a woman interfere with how he felt? There had never been a woman like Naeva before. Only she mattered for the simple fact that she had gotten past his barriers far better than anyone could ever accomplish. He let her into his heart a long time ago, and thankfully she had never left. Now, all he wanted was to make her happy, for her to forgive him just for being a stupid, insensitive male. Gage opened his eyes at the sound of the shutting door. Naeva was gone. He must have dozed off between lying down or he would have stopped her from leaving, just to get her to talk to him. Hopping out of bed, he grabbed his shirt from the nearby chair and quickly slipped it on. If he didn‟t catch her soon and make up to her, then he didn‟t know what he was going to do. She hadn‟t gotten far from the cabin. She was only about five paces in front of him with her back straight and stiff, a regal queen not to be messed with. “Naeva, wait.” She shook her head. “You made it clear. There‟s nothing left to discuss.” Gage was nearly huffing trying to catch up to her. “Would you stop walking so fast?” Her hips never swayed as she walked, but her ass still had that cute little bounce that drove him crazy.

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“I don‟t have time for this, Gabriel. I have to be at the infirmary so say your peace at my back or not at all.” Since when had she started back calling him Gabriel? Nowadays, she only did that when she was utterly pissed at him. By the way she stomped the ground beneath her, he had no doubt that her anger was steaming out of ears. If she wasn‟t so damned cute being angry, maybe she wouldn‟t tug on his heart. But his heartstrings were pulled tighter than a Terran violin. Mad at him or not, he was so smitten with her that there was no turning back. He caught up to her in a couple strides, wrapping his arms around her. He got as close to her ear as he could, wanting to drown in her soft clean scent. “Now, will you talk to me?” Naeva jerked back, trying to break his grasp then turned around. The fire flashing in her eyes was enough to scorch his soul. “No, I don‟t think there‟s anything left to talk about.” She kept her voice cool, but Gage could tell she was lying. The slight tremor in her voice sounded through his audio implants. “I know you‟re still upset…” “HA! Big understatement,” Naeva sounded, cutting him off. She rolled her eyes. “And you said that because?”

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“Because I care about you, Naeva.” Gage ran a shaky hand through his hair. Damn his twisted heart. “There, are you happy? I care about you.” “It‟s not that simple, Gabriel.” Naeva‟s hands rested on her hips, bringing her pretty breasts high in the air. Her dark eyes seemed to look straight through to his soul. “What happened to the boy who always recited poetry to me?” He died of a broken heart. He wasn‟t about to say that even if it was the truth. “He‟s gone. I‟m not Gabriel anymore. The life I live isn‟t kind. There‟s no time to cite poetry for love. You can die. The bad guys I chase can find you and kill you quicker than it would take you to pull out an energy pistol. Don‟t you realize that?” “I don‟t care!” Naeva sighed pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “I love you, but if you can‟t accept that I do, then there‟s nothing for me to talk about. And I‟ll stop wasting your time.” His gut twisted at the hurt look in her eyes. She masked her emotions quickly, her eyes laced with cold professionalism. Her next words cut him to the core. “When this is over, you don‟t have to worry about me ever saying „I love you‟ ever again.” Her sharp turn was like a slap in the face. That‟s not what he wanted. He wanted to say that he loved her, not have her storming off. Why couldn‟t he tell her?

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You‟re afraid to get hurt all over again. That‟s why. He watched her back as she entered the infirmary. If his knees were able to bend backwards, he would kick his own ass. This was more than he planned to do when he decided to take this mission. Sure, he worried about clearing her name and finding the people who did this to her, but now his worry turned to dread. The very real feeling of losing the woman he loved wrapped its cold tendrils around his heart and squeezed, the porcelain holding it together cracking. Maybe it was a good idea to let her go after this. Hopefully the Goddess would be kind enough to let a piece of his heart remain with her.

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Chapter Nineteen

How dare he try to apologize! Naeva slammed a broken scanner down on the table with a little more force than she wanted to. It wasn‟t enough that she totally made a fool of herself and told him that she loved him, but now to know that he didn‟t even share the same feelings for her was too much for her alreadyfragile heart. She had opened up, allowed him in, and now she felt as if her heart had broken into shreds. There was no way she was ever going to be that foolish again. She‟d made a mistake. She couldn‟t love a man that would never be able to come home to her at night, or even be there for her when she needed him. Always on some dangerous mission, on some noble quest, to catch some fugitive escaping from the law. . . or could she? “Who am I kidding?” Naeva slowly sank into her desk chair. She loved him. How could she not? The man heated her blood hotter than anyone in the existence of time. He was her darkest fantasies brought to life. The scent of clean and male haunted her even in sleep and the feel of his body inside hers was permanently burned into her brain. Even now she craved him, longed to be near him. No matter

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how he infuriated her, his touch always made her surrender to him without a second thought. Her anger died in a pitiful puff of smoke. Angry or not, she still loved him and wanted to be with him always. Regardless if he didn‟t feel the same way about her. A friend was better than nothing at all, at least for now. She needed him more now than ever. She had to find him and tell him. “Miss Naeva!” A group of children exclaimed the moment she opened the door to the infirmary. To her surprise, they crowded around her legs, hopping up and down for her attention. She stooped and picked up the smallest one, placing the child on her hip. She smiled at their bright eyes and dirt smudged faces. “Don‟t tell me you all have boo boos.” Their laughter brought a chuckle of her own. “No,” Kelvi, the little one on her hip, spoke. His dark blond curls were ruffled and full of sticks. “The visitors are here. You have to see the pretty ship they came in.” Her heart dropped at the thought of another ship coming here. “Guys, I don‟t know about this. Maybe I should stay here just in case they need medicine.”

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They all groaned. How could she resist their little faces and big eyes pleading with her to go? But that quickly changed. Suddenly, all of them smiled, adding a „please‟ to the torture. There was no way she could say no. “All right. I‟ll come and look, but only briefly. Then I have to get back.” Whooping in excitement, they pulled Naeva by the hand. Kelvi clung tight to her neck while the other children ran around her heels. Warmth spread through her heart. No matter how upset she was, the welcome she received chased away all the anger she felt at the moment. She placed the smiling child on the ground. Her small legs pumped to catch up with the other children. Naeva heard the sound of ship engines and the rushing sound of air as two ships landed at the edge of the colony. She watched a couple people walk towards the dock. When a woman walked past her, Naeva decided she better ask. “Is it true there are new visitors coming?” She tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice, but it wasn‟t working. The woman smiled, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Do not worry. The visitors friendly. Aiden knows.” That told her absolutely nothing and the warmth in her broken Galactic Standard English did little to help either. “Come. You meet, you‟ll like.”

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Naeva gave a weary look over her should to see if Gage was behind her, but he was nowhere to be seen. It would have been a lot better if he were with her instead of the old woman, but beggars can‟t be choosers. Aiden made his way up the path to her. His blue eyes smiled, but there was still a determined glare within them. “Dr. Orien, have you seen Gage?” Worry and anxiety picked up in waves within her. ”Not since earlier. Why?” Aiden gently took her hand. “Brea and Daegan are here, but that‟s not the problem. There is someone with them asking about you. I wanted him to talk to Gage first just in case.” Naeva‟s defenses went up and she pulled back slightly. After what she‟d been through, she didn‟t feel like running again. “Who?” She fought to stop the blood from roaring in her hears. Before he could answer, Brea ran up to her. “Naeva.” She pushed Aiden aside and grabbed Naeva in a tight hug. Daegan wasn‟t far behind her. “By the Goddess, am I glad to see you. We didn‟t know what happened to you and Gage. Is he all right?” Though she was glad to see Brea, she couldn‟t escape the fear in the back of her mind. “Yeah, he‟s around here.” She didn‟t see him now, but somehow, she knew he was close. “How did you get here?”

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Brea blushed slightly. “Well, when Daegan and I lost contact with you, we came searching around the Badlands. We found energy blasts and ship debris, but that‟s all. Aiden found us and brought us here.” “But that‟s not all,” Daegan said. His blue eyes gleamed seriously. “We picked up this traveler in Nucama. He said it was urgent that he speak to only you.” No one knew she was with Gage. No one. She hadn‟t used a communicator in days. Now someone was asking for her personally. She didn‟t want to take the chance of the U.A. finding her. “Tell him you haven‟t seen me.” She pulled away from Brea, but she held her fast. A worried look crossed Brea‟s face. “Where are you going, Nae?” “I don‟t know. I—I have to go.” She didn‟t get far before Aiden‟s voice called out to her. “His name is Tyrlan.” She stopped dead in her steps. That‟s not possible. Tyrlan died the night she was shot. Slowly she turned around, shock stunning her words. Aiden made it to her in a few strides. “He said he was a friend of yours.” “No.” Naeva breathed, shaking her head. Her stomach dropped at the mention of his name. She saw Daegan‟s muscles bunch from under his shirt. “Naeva, who is he and do I need to be prepared to fight?”

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She hastily shook the cobwebs loose in her mind. She ran her fingers through her hair, unintentionally releasing the bun. Her dark locks cascaded down her shoulders. Instead of answering him, she pushed past them, trying to find her friend. Her eyes locked on Tyrlan‟s tall lanky form walking up the path. No, it wasn‟t true. Tyrlan was supposed to be dead. She watched him fall to the ground after he was shot, felt his pulse while he lay in the body bag. She still remembered the cold feel of his body before she zipped the bag close. Shaking her head, she backed away, stumbling over her own feet. A strangled sound escaped her mouth. She couldn‟t breath. The air was caught somewhere in between her lungs and her throat. “Naeva. Spirit, I‟m glad you‟re safe.” Tyrlan attempted to capture her hands in his massive ones, but she backed out of his reach, the only thing she could do at the moment. Her body was in total shock, the power to run away left her. Swirling black spots danced in front of her as her vision tunneled. “It can‟t be.” She felt her knees weaken, but her will to remain strong stayed with her. Goddess, where was Gage when she needed him. She regretted fighting with him, and practically demanding that he love her, and for pushing him away when she was so pissed at him she couldn‟t see, but she wanted him here beside her. She didn‟t think she could handle this alone. “This can‟t be real. You‟re not supposed to be here.”

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Tyrlan smiled, though the pain still clearly showed in his eyes. “I know. I thought the same about you too. There is so much I have to talk to you about.” Naeva shook her head, trying her best not to pass out. “No. No. No.” The spots before her eyes swirled faster and faster. “You were dead. I saw you. I felt your pulse. There‟s no way that you should be alive. I don‟t understand.” Large warm hands gripped her arms, stopping her retreat. “Naeva,” Gage‟s deep voice vibrated over her, gravitating and clearing her thoughts. She felt the steady beat of his heart thumping hard in his chest. His warm hands gripped her arms, alerting her to his presence. “Are you all right?” For some reason, she couldn‟t speak. Words wouldn‟t come to her. All she could do was look at Tyrlan standing before her. His deep brown eyes pleaded for her to understand, but her brain hadn‟t wrapped around that fact that he was still standing in front of her. Tentatively, he took a step forward, reaching for her hand. Gage protectively pushed her aside, the look on his face nothing short of menacing. “I would never hurt her, hunter. She is my friend,” Tyrlan murmured, his cultured accent calm. When she didn‟t back away, he secured it with his other. The warmth of his hand sent a wave a relief to her heart. Overcome with joy, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him. She let the tears fall.

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“I thought you were dead.” “And I was, physically. But something miraculous happened. Your serum worked.” The last thing she remembered, she had been holding the vile, no one else. That had to have been the bullet that entered her chest and went straight through. She touched is face trying to see around her clouded vision. There were no scratches, no scars of any kind. She checked his arms and hands for the same. Amazingly, they were clear. “That‟s impossible.” He gripped her hands, holding them over his heart. “Naeva, I can explain all of this.” Before she could protest, he stilled her with a hand, his smile reassuring her. “Let me explain it to you.” Naeva glanced at Gage, needing his reassurance more than anything. His eyes coolly held Tyrlan‟s gaze, yet the stern set in his jaw told her that he was far from collected. The man had switched into protective mode. His hand rested protectively at the small of her back, a silent gesture to show he wasn‟t going anywhere. “Don‟t worry, Nae.” Brea whispered. “He told us everything. Talk to him. It‟ll be all right.” “Come,” Aiden placed a hand on Naeva‟s shoulder. “We can talk in my cabin.”

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Aiden led them to a large cabin near the center of the colony. Several children played around the door, but after a pat on the head, he sent them away. Light sensors activated several lamps around the room upon entering. The floor was lined with large pillows and throws. There was little light that filtered in from the outside. “Come and sit.” Aiden gestured for them to join him on the soft cushions that lined the floor. Sitting was good, she though. She didn‟t think she had the strength to stand any longer. Gage was right behind her, never leaving her side, sitting between her and Tyrlan, just as protective as ever. She couldn‟t take her eyes away from Tyrlan. The Fates had a seriously strange sense of humor. They brought Gage back into her life, gave her a reason to keep going, and now Tyrlan was sitting in front of her, healthy and well. She didn‟t dare stop the tears from running down her face. “How is this possible? You died. I saw them shoot you. I felt your pulse.” Tyrlan nodded. “I was dead, but before they shot me, I saw them do the same to you. The last thing I remember was holding the other vial, a different version than Zenodrine. I don‟t remember much about the shooting, only seeing you shot, then the glass in my hand shattering. The next thing I knew, I was waking up before they put me in the crematory. When I didn‟t see you there, or

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anyone, it frightened me. It‟s kind of hard to explain, and I‟m not sure how I did it, but I escaped out of there without anyone seeing me.” Tyrlan smiled. “Don‟t know. But it has something to do with the serum in my blood. Yes, the serum worked to heal me, but it also mutated. I don‟t have the ongoing ability to heal, but I can make myself invisible.” Tyrlan raised his hand, concentrating on it for a second before it disappeared. Naeva gasped, shrinking away, but Gage wrapped his arms around her. Tyrlan‟s hand materialized a moment later as if it hadn‟t disappeared at all. Tyrlan shrugged. “Made it easy to steal a dart headed for the outskirts of Nucama.” Yet, it didn‟t make any sense. Here she was on the run, trying to keep whoever it was off her tail, and now Tyrlan tells her that no one has been after him. “If you had abilities, why didn‟t they come looking for you?” Tyrlan shook his head, looking down before returning her gaze. “Don‟t know. Sounds strange of them, but I guess I didn‟t matter to them. From what I heard, you were who they wanted.” Nothing added up. All of this told her nothing about who was after her. Hiding the disappointment, Naeva smiled and patted his hand. “I‟m glad that you made it out alive.”

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“As am I, but that‟s not all.” Tyrlan continued. “You were misled. Aiden isn‟t interested in what goes on at ChemaTech. In fact, it was Brea who told me where you were and why.” This shit was starting to piss her off. She scowled, anger heating her blood. “What do you mean Aiden has nothing to do with what‟s going on?” “I came to him about a week ago and told him what was going on.” Naeva looked to Aiden for answers, but all she received was a quiet smile. “At first I didn‟t want to get involved. It was enough that we couldn‟t get help from the U.A. I got enough trouble as it is, but when my wife told me he was telling the truth, I had to listen. Maybe I could help. Didn‟t know how, but I would be willing to.” Her head throbbed painfully at her temples. The gentle massages did nothing to ease the tension. As much as she tried to focus on the gentle warmth of Gage‟s thigh against hers, with all the excitement in the room, it was hard to concentrate. “If that‟s true, then why were we led here? I mean, if you have nothing to do with what happened to me, then this could all be a trap.” Aiden shrugged, mirroring her own puzzlement. “Naeva.” Concern showed in Tyrlan‟s eyes, but calmed with the warmth of his smile. “I need to ask you. Do you still have a vial of the serum?”

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“The healing serum is inside me.” Despite the gasps, Naeva continued. “During the shooting, the vial broke and it seeped into my blood stream. Now, I can heal at an extraordinary speed.” The look on their faces told her they didn‟t believe her. Well, it was time for them to believe her. Time to find an end, if not, her attackers were going to come soon to finish what they started. Naeva pulled the small knife from her pocket, readying herself for the sting of pain once she sliced her palm. Her hand trembled as it hovered above her open palm. Gage placed his hand over hers reassuring her. The concern in his tormented green eyes was a contrast to his unreadable stone-set face. “You don‟t have to do this.” “Yes, I do. It‟s the only way.” Before he could argue further, she sliced her hand. The clean cut seeped with her deep red blood. She hissed as stinging white-hot tendrils of pain traveled up her arm. Warm droplets of blood oozed down the back of her hand. Gage acted fast, tearing a piece of his shirt and gently wiping her hand. He held it there for a second before pulling the cloth away. The wound had closed, leaving a bright red line along the pink of her hand. “That has to be the single most amazing thing I‟ve seen in months,” Aiden said, entranced. “But what does this have to do with us? Shamtara told Gage that

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we were responsible. Okay, so we might have stolen a few medical supplies from a few of the cargo ships, but we are not terrorists. And we sure as hell don‟t kill people.” Aiden rose from the mat on the floor, running his hands through his hair. An oath escaped him. “Besides, I just declined meeting the ChemaTech CEO. After he tried to do some experiments on us and now this, I didn‟t want those people around here. Not even in the same sector.” “You were attacking the medical ships out here,” Naeva breathed her confirmation. “That‟s why very few met their destinations. The crew and the ship were okay, but you commandeered the medical supplies, and some of the equipment.” Aidan nodded with no remorse in his eyes. “It was the only way some of us would get medical care. Until you came, a lot of us haven‟t seen a doctor. It‟s impossible for a person to sit idly by and watch his people die.” Naeva could see his point. That explained why some of the ships were taking drastic measures and arming the medical supplies, even the equipment, with tracking beacons. Why hadn‟t she thought about it before? These people had been acquiring medical supplies for months without being detected. Her eyes widened with a thought. If the nanites tracers hadn‟t been disabled, then they were all in deep trouble.

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“Did any of the cargo come with trackers?” Aiden shrugged. “It‟s a possibility. Why do you ask?” Fear sunk low in her stomach. “You mean you haven‟t noticed a black strip on the back of even a medical scanner?” Aiden shook his head and the blood began to roar in her ears. “You have to get the medical cargo away from the planet. There‟s tracking beacons laced in the casing.” Aiden frowned, concern creasing his beautiful face. “The Badlands muffles any signal close to it.” “Not these.” Naeva pulled out the damaged medical scanner she placed in her pocket earlier. Sure enough, the little black tack was stuck on the back. She ran her finger over it out of reflex. “These are long range, highly traceable, and laced with the latest in Nano technology. Feel the back.” Aiden ran his hands along the tag frowning. “It‟s warm.” “And still active. The nanites draw power from the battery pack. Even though this device is dead, the battery isn‟t making it an easy trace, if someone were looking.” “Okay. Okay.” Aiden waved a hand around as if he were trying to clear the air while the other rubbed the bridge on his nose. “So, you‟re saying that even

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though this medical scanner is not working, the nanites are still transmitting a signal?” “Exactly.” Gage‟s brows furrowed. “How would you know about the cases?” Despite his gentle voice, Naeva could hear the accusation within the words. “I designed them. I should know what they do. They‟re the same technology as your implants. Despite your theory about the Badlands, these tags are still transmitting. There isn‟t much time before…” A blast close to the colony shook the lodge with so much force it nearly rocked off the foundation. The words were barely out of her mouth. It‟s too late. “We‟re under attack!” Aiden yelled over the deafening sound, energy blasts, and shattering debris. Another blast sent Naeva and Gage flying across the room. The air quickly left her chest as Gage landed on top of her, debris pounding his back. Gage slowly stood, knocking big chunks of debris away. With one hand, he pulled Naeva up with him. Still dizzy from the blast, she clung to him to keep from falling again. “Can you stand?” She nodded to him as he guided her around the debris. Aiden and Tyrlan stood just out of view of the gaping hole in the wall, energy pistols ready.

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Several soldiers dressed in black United Alliance uniforms trimmed in silver stripes stood not far from the lodge. “Who are those guys?” Tyrlan asked, patting his dusty shoulders. Aiden cocked his pistol. “Don‟t know, but they came to the wrong place.” Naeva caught a glimpse of the weapons they carried. Photonic rifles clearly outnumber energy pistols any day. “Dr. Naeva Orien.” It was the sound of her name that chilled her to the bone. “Come out peacefully and no one will be hurt.” Naeva looked at Gage, dread all but consuming her. It was over. All the weeks on the run were at an end. She could no more endanger these people after they saved her. She cared too much about them to see anything bad happen to them. “It‟s over. I have to turn myself in.” “No!” Gage whispered. The desperation in his eyes pulled on her heart. “I can‟t let you go now. We‟ve come this far.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. “I don‟t want these people hurt because I came here looking for answers.” Aiden flashed a ruthless smile. “Don‟t worry about us. We‟re a lot stronger than we look.” He tapped the comm on his wrist. “Halon, you there?” No one answered.

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“You‟re not going with them, Naeva,” Tyrlan remarked softly. “Something‟s not right about all of this.” Gage nodded at them. “See? That solves it. You‟re staying.” But Naeva wasn‟t so sure. She cared a great deal for these people. Over the last few days, she actually had a chance to relax and enjoy what this little place had to offer, beginning new relationships with people she never knew existed. She opened herself up again, and now, to see the very people who helped her attacked because of her, broke her heart. “Dr. Naeva Orien, we know you‟re here.” Heavy boots stomped the ground, walking towards the lodge. “We don‟t want to hurt anyone. We‟ve just come for the doctor. Cooperate and everyone here will stay alive.” Several of the soldiers pushed a few of the colonists into view of the gaping hole. The sunlight bounced off their weapons. They huddled together, frightened faces blending in the afternoon light. “We‟ll kill a person every minute the doctor doesn‟t appear.” The lead soldier grabbed a woman out of the crowd. She yelped has he pulled her hair in a harsh vise grip. Naeva knew that round belly anywhere. Dayanara stared at the house, frightened, yet fighting his hold on her. “Let go of her!” Halon strained against four soldiers holding him. Though he had been captured with a rifle pointing into his back, and the odds were

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immensely against him, he fought for her. His eyes glowered at the soldiers in pure death, a husband‟s promise if harm ever came to her. Naeva couldn‟t watch anymore. Either go with them and die, or stay to fight and die. Yet, one thing was for sure. She didn‟t want to take these people down with her. Gage grabbed her arm. “Come on, Naeva. We can escape out back there‟s a…” “No. I‟m not going to leave them here to die for me.” Gage frowned. “Going with those soldiers isn‟t going to save them either.” “I‟m going with them. They said they wouldn‟t hurt anyone.” “Can you believe that?” No, she couldn‟t, but she had to do something. If not, a lot of people would die. “I didn‟t think so. We‟ll go out back and. . . . “ Naeva tuned him out, her decision made. Time to go, no more running. Before she could make a move towards the opening, Gage stopped her, gripping his large hand around her arm. He pulled her hard against his body and out of view. His green eyes pinned her in place. “What do you think you‟re doing?” “I have to go to them. They‟ll kill her if I don‟t.”

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“Can‟t you see that‟s what they want you to do?” Naeva pulled herself out of his grasp. “I don‟t care! I just don‟t want them to die over me.” Gage growled. “No, we‟ll think of another way.” “There‟s no time and if you‟ve noticed, Gabriel, we don‟t have one.” She sighed, gently cupping a hand to his face. The roughness of his beard tickled her palm. “You‟ve done all you can for me and I love you for that, but I can‟t stand here and have these soldiers hurt them over me.” Gage was silent for a second. Finally, he sighed, surrendering, touching his forehead to hers. He returned his eyes to hers. “I‟ll find you. I‟ll come for you.” Naeva shook her head. “Don‟t get yourself killed over me. Take Brea and Daegan and get out of here. I love you, Gage.” She kissed him gently, willing herself not to cry. It had to be this way. The Spirits had an awful way of playing tricks with the heart. She pulled away before he could deepen the kiss, escaping his grasp. She stepped out of the gaping whole in the wall with her hands raised. “I‟m here. Now let her go.” The soldier pushed Dayanara out of the way into Halon‟s waiting arms. His smile held no warmth, only triumph. “You‟ve gone through a lot of trouble to hide, Doctor.”

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Naeva rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I wanted to make your job interesting.” The soldier chuckled, deep and chilling. “Not hard enough.” “I want you promise that no one will be hurt.” Dark brown eyes glowered at her. “I said that a minute ago. You don‟t trust me?” “About as far as I can throw you. Now, your word, sir, or this is going to be one, long night for us both.” It‟s never good to make threats when she was staring down the barrel of an energy pistol, but she was desperate. “You have it. We‟ll leave quietly.” He tilted his head in a silent command to his subordinates. Two soldiers appeared at her side and forced her arms behind her back. White hot pain quickly shot through her shoulders from her arms being at an abnormal angle. The gleam of something off to her right caught her eye. She gaped at the soldier with no emotion on his chiseled face and cold gray eyes thumbing a HALO. Fear paralyzed her, stealing her breath. Oh, Spirit, not that horrid device. The device was designed for law enforcement for the most dangerous of criminals who pose a threat to run or kill. The HALO made the wearer totally immobile for the time they were under its

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power. If left on too long, it caused permanent paralysis and even death. It was the very reason why she banned it for law enforcement use. Naeva jerked against the soldier‟s hold. “You don‟t need that. I said I would come willingly.” The leader‟s eyes gleamed at her with malice. “I don‟t know about willingly, but I‟m damn sure not taking any chances.” She heard the snap open on the HALO, watching them position it over her head. “Don‟t worry, Doc. It‟ll be over soon. You won‟t feel a thing.” The soldier fastened the HALO on her head. “By the way, your brother sends his regards.” Stunned into silence, all she could do was stare ahead as the realization hit her hard. Her brother? Alive? It wasn‟t possible. Questions immediately fired in her mind, but one stayed at the surface. How did he survive the fire? Before she could open her mouth, the soldier activated the device. White hot electric tendrils traveled through her within a split second. She felt her body tense, but she was powerless to stop it. She wanted to yell out, to pull the damned thing off her head, but she couldn‟t move. Then her world went black.

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Chapter Twenty

How in the hell could I just let them take her, Gage thought as he slammed his hand down on the desk. “We have to get her back!” Aiden held up a hand, stilling him. “Gage, I know how frustrated you feel, but we can‟t just barge in there without thinking things through.” “Don‟t you understand?” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “They‟re going to kill her. That‟s why she was running in the first place.” “I know.” Aiden frowned, setting the data pad down on the desk. “She filled me in about that, but there‟s little we can do. The soldiers disabled the ships. I don‟t doubt that they‟ve been hit with an EMP.” “Doesn‟t that strike you a little odd, that they would disable the ships?” Aiden shrugged. “No. Because they weren‟t real U.A. soldiers.” The blood in Gage‟s veins heated until it boiled over. “Well, who were they then?” “Who knows, but I do know the U.A. doesn‟t send in a full task force just for one woman. Whoever they were, they were desperate enough to hire mercs to

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come after her. We need to have a plan before we go in and just start hunting people down.” “There has to be a ship, or a dart, or something available where we can just go after her.” Aiden sighed, placing his hands on Gage‟s shoulders. “Gage, friend, I know how upset and anxious you want to get her back, but believe it or not, we need a plan and help to do so. Right now, we don‟t have either. How about you go and tend to the repairs and try to calm down. Don‟t worry, we‟ll get her back.” In his line of work, loss of time meant loss of life. And time was not his best friend right now. Rage flowed hot and free through his blood without her beside him. Just her nearness soothed him. Yet, he did see the logic in waiting. Going in there now, while everyone was still riled up, would only get them killed. They needed a plan. No, they needed better reinforcements. A handful of colonists wasn‟t enough to defeat an army of imposters. For now he‟d take Aiden‟s advice and calm down. Besides, if anyone was going to be killed saving her, it was going to be the guys who took her. Gage took a good look around. Several of the men were working around him, helping with the colony repairs. The women tended to the injured while the others helped with the repairs. Lottie looked up and smiled slightly as she and

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several others tried one of the large wooden beams. Through the warmth in her smile, he could still see the heat of anger in her eyes. “You mind giving me a hand with this?” Her lips never moved to speak, only slightly hitched into a smile. As much as he wanted to run off and find Naeva, the need to help them rebuild their tattered community weighed heavily on him. He pushed the worry aside now. “Sure.” Walking over to them, Gage took the large log into his arms, lifting it onto his shoulders, bracing his feet shoulder length apart for leverage. The ones who didn‟t have a hand on the log, gripped the ropes to steady the tall pole. Within minutes the pole was back to standing. Lottie stepped back, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Thanks. We would‟ve been here all day had it not been for you. We have a few more to put up if you‟re willing.” “Just point me in the direction.”

After an hour of working, Gage had the poles steady and the covering draped across the top to finish off a makeshift lodge for Aiden. The last finishing touch, a thick Nomalian Oak now faded by the sun‟s rays, sat not too far from the

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original lodge. The light brown pole stood taller than his own height and thicker than his two calves put together. Yet, he didn‟t complain. With his enhanced strength, it felt as if he picked up nothing at all. He needed the work. Needed to cool his rage, which did no good to any of them. Anger coursed through him at the thought of letting Naeva walk away. Not just with the soldiers. He‟d pushed her away every time he‟d hurt her, not let her get too close to him, not returning her love. Pain shot through his chest as he realized how many times he let her down. Too many. He was supposed to protect her. The urge to punch something made the muscles in his arm twitch. Perhaps the bastard captain who put the HALO over Naeva‟s head. If he ever got his hands on whoever was responsible, they were as good as dead. Point blank. No one messes with his family, especially his woman. By the time he‟s done, the officials will be lucky to identify them with Central dental records. “Gage!” Halon yelled his name from behind. When he finally pulled his mind out of his rage-like trance, Halon was in a full-blown sprint, heading his way. He stopped in front of him, hunched over, with his finger in the air. “You all right?” “Yeah…gotta…catch my breath.” After a second of deep breathing, Halon stood up, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

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“Damn,” Halon gasped. “You‟d think a man caring a tree trunk would be easy to catch. You walk like you‟re marching a marathon.” If only Halon knew how he felt. As he lowered the log to the ground, Gage didn‟t miss the triumphant grin on Halon‟s face. “What‟s the grin for?” He was in no mood for games or surprises. Getting to Naeva was his only objective. “You will never believe what we found in the woods.” Gage waited for him to say something else, but he didn‟t give him any more clues. Halon just stood there grinning like a lazy cat. “Well, do I have to guess what it is?” Halon laughed, snapped out of his triumph quickly. “No, but you do have to follow me.” Gage dusted off his pants and followed him down a path leading to the woods. They walked a short distance until they came to a clearing. Halon moved some branches aside revealing an alliance soldier tied to a large tree. Daegan stood vigil with an energy rifle across his arm. His blue eyes stared at the soldier with menacing calm. One slip up, a single word, and the man was as good as gone. Aiden stood on the other side of the soldier, his pistol drawn and ready.

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Upon seeing Gage and Halon, the soldier scowled. His mouth was gagged with a thick piece of cloth, but it didn‟t stop muffled curses from seeping through. Gage raised a brow at Daegan. “What?” Daegan shrugged. “It was either gag him or listen to him yak on and on about his boys coming back to get him.” Gage shook his head, trying to hold his glare as he looked at the soldier. “Where did you find him, anyway?” Daegan adjusted the rifle in his arms. “Besides outside of transporter range, he was near the caverns trying to force himself on Brea.” Gage didn‟t mistake the sudden rage that leaped into Daegan‟s deep blue eyes. The man was beyond pissed. Daegan had always been protective of Brea. It wouldn‟t have been a surprise if Daegan tore the man apart himself. Gage held his own anger at bay, pushing the urge to break the guy in half to the back burner for now. “Don‟t worry, big guy.” Daegan said, patting him on the shoulder. “You should have seen her. She had the guy on the ground, pinned at the throat with her knee, with an energy pistol at his head until I got to her. Broke her arm though. The bastard.” Gage yanked the gag out of the soldier‟s mouth watching his eye widen with sparks of anger.

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“They‟ll come for me! They‟ll come.” Gage chuckled darkly. “I highly doubt that.” “You want me to shoot „im, boss?” Daegan cocked the rifle. The soft whine as it powered up gained the soldier‟s attention for a second. Gage shook his head, holding Daegan back. “No, I‟ll handle him.” He dropped down to eye level with the soldier. “I advise you to start giving us whatever information you know. Now.” Despite the anger that boiled Gage‟s blood, his voice filled with deathly calm. “I don‟t have to tell you shit.” He practically spat in his face. Gage pulled the dagger from his belt loop, stabbing it under the soldier‟s jaw just enough to scrape the skin. He glared at the soldier. “Well then you‟re going to die a long painful death, unless you tell me everything I want to know.” The soldier took a second. He cleared his throat. “Well, since you put it that way…” “Where did they take her?” Gage pressed on. “Dr. Orien?” Gage jabbed the knife a little deeper, letting him know he meant business. A drop of blood snaked down the knife‟s blade.

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“Oh, that Dr. Orien.” He chuckled nervously. “They took her back to ChemaTech.” “Tell him the rest,” Daegan prodded him. The soldier didn‟t dare look away, keeping his eyes trained on Gage. “Shamtara knows she carries Zenodrine in her blood and he wanted to cut her open and watch her heal back together.” Gage‟s hand shook with pent up anger. He itched to shove the knife deep into the soldier‟s chin, wipe that smirk off is face. Instead, Gage punched him hard with the back of his fist. The soldier slumped over, out cold. It was more than what he deserved. “Worthless piece of shit,” Gage growled kicking his boot. “Daegan, throw him in the brig on my ship. We‟re going to pay Shamtara a little visit.” Aiden stopped him, stepping in front of him. “Hold up, Gage. You‟re going to charge in there, alone? That‟s suicide.” “The man‟s right. We‟re out numbered here.” Daegan agreed. “Well, what do you expect me to do? I‟m tired of waiting to see what‟s going to happen.” Gage growled. “I don‟t exactly have an army sitting on the back burner, do I?” Halon cleared his throat. “Actually, you do.”

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Several men peeled into the clearing carrying large cubs, energy rifles from the fallen soldiers, or whatever they could carry as weapons. Captain Xhitori walked through the brush clothed in regular clothes, an energy rifle firmly in her grasp. A ruthless smirk stretched across her lips. “Sorry I couldn‟t get here sooner. I had a little engine trouble.” She looked down at the tied-up soldier and tsked. “Halon told me what happened and thought I could lend a hand.” The last thing he expected was to get help from a respected and revered United Alliance Captain. Gabriel raised a brow. “What about the strict orders from Central?” Her smiled never wavered. “Gabriel, if you could come up with proof for Dr. Orien, then to hell with the orders.” Gage returned her smile amazed. “Thank you, ma‟am. I owe you one.” Xhitori shrugged. “We‟ll talk about it later.” "Dr. Orien wasn‟t just another person,” Halon said touching Gage‟s shoulder. “She was like family here. She made us all feel safe. She sacrificed her safety for ours. It‟s time we do the same for her.” Gage fought back a wall of emotion as he stared back at all the people willing to come to the rescue of one woman. Naeva left her mark on everyone here. Their determination was apparent on the faces of the men desperate to get her

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back. They were once pirates, refugees, or slaves, just wanting to belong and she showed them a type of kindness they had rarely seen from many. How could he turn them away? Gage nodded, not trusting himself to speak. “Fuel as many ships that will fly,” Aiden said to his men. “I want to be off the ground within the hour.” He patted Gage on the shoulder. “Looks like we‟re going to see some excitement after all.”

The alarms sounded, letting Daegan know the ship checked out to fly. The Dwellers did a good job on repairing the damages to the engines in no time. He sat in the cockpit with Gage, finishing the systems check, his mind still filled with chaos. A small knock sounded on the bridge door before Brea pushed it open. His eyes zeroed in on the brace encasing her arm. Anger slowly seeped into his blood again. The bastard soldier nearly ripped it off before she overpowered him. Her green eyes wavered with something, but she quickly masked it, hiding her emotions behind a restrained smile. “All the repairs are complete, Gage. You‟re ready to go.”

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Gage looked up from the console. “Thanks, Brea. You okay with staying here?” Brea chuckled nervously. “No, but I know I‟m no good with a broken arm and can‟t hold an energy pistol. I‟ll stay here on Zipporah. It looks like they need help with some of the repairs. I can‟t lift, but I can delegate.” Daegan hated Brea having to stay, but he knew she was safer on the planet than on the ship if they came under heavy fire. He put his feelings for her aside. Being that Gage is her brother, she was pretty much off limits. Never had he even tried to explore his feelings for her. To him, Brea reminded him so much of his little sister Natasha -- short, sassy, and with an extremely short temper. He smiled at the thought, an image of his sister playing in his mind. Brea also differed from her. Those pale green eyes twinkled on a constant level, dazzling even brighter in anger. She had the most beautiful pale, full pink lips he‟d ever seen accenting her heart-shaped face and almond eyes. Soft sunbronzed skin tempted his touch every time she came near. A beautiful full figure, the perfect hourglass shape with full hips and large breasts had his mouth watering at the thought of just a peek. Sometimes it was hard just to keep his eyes on his work, often sending her away so that he could concentrate.

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Daegan watched her carefully, noticing how she rocked back on her feet as she stood there. Had her other arm not been in a sling, she would have wrung her hands together until they chafed. She opened and closed the hand at her side, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. A flash of white teeth tugged on her full bottom lip as she‟d always done as a nervous habit. She opened her mouth several times before finally speaking. “Daegan, could I speak to you for a second?” He eyed her skeptically. “You okay?” “Yeah.” She shrugged “I just want to talk to you a second.” Daegan looked to Gage who gave him a quick nod that it was okay. Pushing away from the console, Daegan walked behind her to the door. His eyes were drawn to the powerful sway of her hips with each step. The small bounce of her butt made his cock twitch. He was a man obsessed with watching her walk around the ship all day. A secret pleasure he didn‟t dare tell anyone. Something about her had him falling hard for her, but a relationship with her would put him in so much trouble with Gage, and probably get him kicked off the ship. No, he didn‟t want that. His place was at Brea‟s side. Daegan pulled the door closed behind him, hearing the magnetic snap. Brea had her back turned to him yet he could still feel her apprehension. The urge to pull her into his arms was strong enough to make his muscles twitch. As

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he had the moment after he found her. She had been fine, but extremely shaken and needing something to hold on to. Carefully, he stepped up to her. “What did you have to tell me?” Brea turned around as if just remembering he was there. “I wanted to say thank you.” He noticed the look in her eyes again and his breath caught. Was it love? At the bright little twinkles in the emerald depths, his heart quickly turned to mud. “You don‟t have to do that.” “Yes, I do. See, it‟s always been me and Gage and he‟s always watched after me, but when you saved me, it meant a lot.” Daegan felt the lump forming in his throat and tried desperately to make is voice sound normal. “You‟re welcome, Brea.” He had to end this now. If not, he was going to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Despite his impulses, he extended a hand to her. The less body contact, the better. Brea shrank back from his outstretched hand as if offended. Her eyes clearly displayed her hurt. “That‟s not how I want to thank you.” He tried to ignore her pain, but it was hard. His heart betrayed him with every beat.

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“Well that‟s the way I‟m accepting,” he said, keeping his voice neutral, all business. She squared her shoulders meeting his challenge. “Well, I‟m not.” Suddenly, she grabbed his hand, pulled him into her arms and wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck. On her tiptoes, she crushed her lips to his in a kiss hot enough to scorch the sun. The warmth of her full lips was like a shock to his system. He moaned as she deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue in his mouth. He caressed her body, wanting to feel more of her softness pressed against his hard length. But it was over too soon. She gently pulled away, tugging on his bottom lip. A sly smile played on her lips as she licked them. The small movement nearly sent him over the edge. Months with no way to have sex between missions left him aching far too much in the middle of the night. He wanted her, but with his usual one-night track record, one night with her wasn‟t going to be enough. “Come back to me and I‟ll show you more where that came from.” With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him to stand there with his mouth wide open and his cock very hard. How in the hell was he supposed to walk back inside the bridge with him barely contained inside his pants? Taking a deep breath, he ran his fingers through his hair. God, he‟d never had a woman stir

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up this much blood flow in his lifetime. He wanted to come back just to be with her. Brea Tallon just might be the one woman to tame him after all.

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Chapter Twenty One

The moment Naeva opened her eyes, she noticed the pounding headache first. Her back felt as if there was a large kink at the base of her spine. When she tried to adjust herself, her hands wouldn‟t cooperate. Looking down at her arms, she eyed the thick leather strap across her wrist holding her to the bed. Turning her head was a chore of its own, another band pinned her neck in place. She looked around, trying to gain her surroundings. There were no lights on the ceilings. Instead, the only light sat in a corner, the beams shining off the steel wall. From the small amount of light, she spied a lone table covered in tools. Her vision wavered for a second and she blinked. When it cleared, she looked at the table again. Those weren‟t tools. They were surgical instruments like the ones she personally used during certain experiments. Her heart pounded with dread. Had someone expected to use them on her? The instruments look too perfect, obviously sanitized. Prepped for a surgery she wanted no part in. She heard the door slide open, her heart picking up its pace. Heavy boots clanked against the floor as they walked towards her.

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“You put us through so much trouble, Dr. Orien.” Dr. Shamtara‟s deep cultured voice sounded in her ear. He leaned over her, coming into her view. Naeva sneered, the only thing she could do. Had she been free, she would have decked him. “Come up in the ranks haven‟t you, Shamtara?” He shrugged modestly. “What could I say? When you left. . . oh no, sorry. Ran, they gave me your job.” Naeva rolled her eyes in disgust. “You mean when I was killed.” “It doesn‟t matter.” Shamtara meaninglessly shrugged. “The job was vacant and I happily filled it.” Naeva gave him a glare of pure death. “You always had your head shoved up my dad‟s ass. Now that he‟s out of the way, you actually may have a shot . . . at being a complete psychopath.” Anger flashed in his eyes before he hid it behind an unreadable mask. “I‟ll stop beating around the bush, Naeva. You know why you‟re here?” “Let me guess. To be your guinea pig.” “Call it „test subject.‟ Since you wouldn‟t approve of human research with the healing serum, I did the next best thing. I made my own human test subject.” “So it was you who organized the shooting.” Naeva tried to keep the surprise out of her voice. “I wouldn‟t give myself all the credit. I did have a little help.”

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Shamtara pointed up towards a dark catwalk overlooking the operating area. The dark area concealed anyone who stood up there. Yet the shadows parted, emerging a figure. Lechan, her long dead brother. Her heart fell further into her feet. “Lechan?” How in the hell was this possible? The man had practically burned up in the last facility fire. His remains were positively identified by the coroner, yet here he stood like an interstellar cockroach risen from the dead. A dark smile stretched across his lips. “Some reunion, huh, sis? If Dear Old Dad would‟ve just agreed to the research…” Naeva cut him off quickly, her anger reaching its peak. “He would never agree to anything that would put a person‟s life in danger and neither will I!” Shamtara laughed. “Funny you say that.” He picked up what looked like a surgical cutter. Activating it, the blue light shined on his evil face for a second. “Because your life is very much in danger.” She looked to her brother, but he had slipped into the darkness like the coward he was. There was no help coming from him. “Time to begin.” A scream erupted from her mouth as she felt the white hot pain shoot through her body. Every muscle constricted as she fought with the binds to stop

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the pain. The deeper he drove the hot scalpel into her skin, the more pain it increased, overpowering her. Her mind spiraled out of control as the pain pushed her into the dark chasm of unconsciousness.

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Chapter Twenty Two

Twelve hours in hyperspace on a normal day seemed short. There was always something to pass the time. Ship diagnostics, looking over criminal reports from Central, the occasional stop to a nearby pleasure planet, always something. Today, however, it seemed like time spun on backwards wheels. Gage packed his carry bag, trying to prepare for the mission ahead. He wanted nothing but to get Naeva back safely by his side. Xhitori offered her help, and he had been truly grateful, yet it still came to him as a shock. He never expected her to go against the U.A. for someone like him. Now, the destined-tobe-rogue captain flew her ship side-by-side with his in hyper for a woman she barely knew. Aidan‟s voice came through the comm, interrupting his thoughts. “Gage, you might want to come up here. We‟re almost there.” “On my way.” Gage left his cabin, heading straight for the bridge. They slipped in speed as they came out of hyper into open space. The viewer greeted him as he stepped onto the bridge. Aiden and Daegan had already made it there, watching as a small

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battle dart passed directly off their port. He slid into an empty command chair, his eyes still on the viewer. “Back us off a bit,” Aiden said. Lottie did as he commanded, backing away from the dart. The dart didn‟t arm its weapons. The cloak Lottie designed had worked. Yet, it was still a little too close. Gage eyed the screen skeptically. “Are you sure they can‟t see us?” “Are you crazy? That‟s a standard United Alliance cloak surrounding us. They have to do some serious rigging to find us,” Lottie said, her fingers not stopping once over the controls. “Besides, they‟d be shooting energy beams up our asses if they could.” Aiden looked at him, his brow raised. “Do you worry this much all the time, Gage? You‟re such a side seat driver.” Daegan chuckled. “Yes, worse since Naeva came aboard.” Aiden smiled. “She means that much to you, huh?” “You could say that. I‟m chasing a mad man, willing to beat the hell out of him for her.” That‟s putting it mildly. Naeva stirred his blood, kept him alive, made him want to settle down, not to mention kept him on his toes with her sharp wit and sense of humor.

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“Gage, you‟re willing to beat the hell out of anyone,” Daegan barely managed between chuckles. Yet when Gage looked up, Daegan was standing near the bridge door. Gage couldn‟t hold back his grin. “I see you‟re standing over there and not over here where I can reach you.” “Are you nuts? And let you beat the hell out of me?” Daegan scoffed. “Man, you got me pegged.” They laughed, letting the exchange lighten the mood for the moment. “Heads up, guys.” Lottie‟s communicator droned. “Captain Xhitori‟s hailing us.” Lottie activated the viewer bring Xhitori‟s pale green face and aquamarine eyes onscreen. “We‟re almost ready for transport, gentlemen. We‟ll give you about five minutes then we‟re going to start transporting men down to the surface. In the meantime, Lottie is going to fill you in on the area so you don‟t go in there totally blind. Once you get down there, it‟s pretty much radio silence until you damage the scramblers, but that‟s the easy part.” With a sharp nod, Xhitori cut the communication. Short and to the point as always. Lottie signaled them. Her fingers flew over the controls before a holographic image of ChemaTech appeared in the middle of the room. She stood and pointed at

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a small area of the map. The grid widened at the touch of her finger showing off a small cluster of buildings. “I can get you close to the bunkers, but after that you‟re on your own.” “What about near the field generators?” Gage asked adjusting the pack on his back. “Not certain. The lead shielding is too thick for the sensors to penetrate. I can get you outside, but that‟s it. No promises.” Gage nodded in approval. It was better than nothing. “We‟ll take it.” As he turned to get his energy pistol, Lottie grabbed his arm. “I hope you understand the risk, Gage. I might not be able to get you back.” Gage nodded. “Let me worry about that. Just keep them busy while you‟re up here. I‟ll signal you when we‟re ready. You just get the hell out of here.” Her worried brow told him she wasn‟t convinced. He felt the need to reassure her. “Look, Lottie. Aiden told me you were the best. I know you can do it. We‟ll be fine.” He gave her a smile, then tugged her on the chin. She reminded him of Brea in so many ways, even the little temper. Gage slung his pack on to his back as he stepped on to the transporter pad. The hopeful twinkle in her eye made his heart catch. “Good Luck, Gage.”

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“Thanks.” He needed all the luck he could get. “Initialize.” He winked as the transporter surrounded him in a blinding white light.

Naeva didn‟t know how long she had been strapped to the table before they decided to pull her up, but decided to send a silent thanks to the Spirits above for hearing her prayers. There had been countless times where she had passed out only to waken to a part of her missing, a hole in her abdomen, or shocked back into existence. Blessedly, she would pass out again, grateful for the darkness that overtook her, even for a little while. Where did they take her now? She didn‟t care, just as long as she wasn‟t tortured again. The one thing that came to her mind over and over was how could her brother do it? How could Lechan call himself her brother then leave her to suffer over and over? Though they were blood brother and sister, her father had always favored her more than him and Lechan had hated that, but never to the point where he wanted to hurt her. Never to the point where he wanted to kill her. Now all that had changed. He had changed. This wasn‟t the brother she‟d grown up with. He died long ago in the fire. Two guards carried her limp body down a dark corridor. Though she was very much conscious, she didn‟t have the strength to fight any longer. And what

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was the use? She would only be overpowered and probably strapped down to that cold hard table again. It wasn‟t long before they came to the cell and tossed her inside. “Should we guard the door?” Naeva heard one guard ask. “Nah, just lock it. After what they did to her, she‟s not going anywhere.” She heard the click of the magnetic lock on the door before the sound of their feet on the concrete died down the hall. She hadn‟t eaten. Her stomach rumbled, feeling as if it would eat its way out of her back. She didn‟t think they really cared if she ate or not. Her strength gone, the only thing she could do now was curl up in a corner and get as much rest as she could before the next bout of torture treatment came knocking. Her hopes of surviving much longer became dimmer and dimmer. It was too much pain for one person to go through. It‟d been a miracle surviving this far. She placed her mind elsewhere, away from the pain. No, better yet, on Gage. His green eyes were always easy to think about. He never admitted he loved her and she didn‟t care. All that mattered was that she told him how she felt. It had been too long since she had told him and she was tired of hiding it from him. She hid it once, wanting to please her father, but not wanting to leave Hudani with him. She knew situations were getting too out of hand. They were too young to have a serious relationship, but weren‟t they serious? She loved him then even if

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she didn‟t admit it. Her father thought she was too young, and being that, she bought into his speech about duties and responsibilities. She left Hudani behind, left Gabriel and her chance of love. There was no imaging the amount of hurt she caused him. It had changed him. His heart wasn‟t as reachable as it had been when they were together before and couldn‟t she blame him. The pain was still there. She felt the sting and power of it mingling with the gentleness of his touch. He never spoke much about it, but his eyes always yielded so much emotion. She didn‟t dare ask, yet her heart yearned to know, wanted to find any way to ease the ache. It felt like an eternity since she was near him. She missed his warped sense of humor, the warmth of his touch, the heat in his eyes whenever he looked at her, his smell. She missed the connection she had with him. Talking with him came easy, right along with fighting with him so passionately and loving him without a fault. Now, that time was over. She had given it all away. Sacrificed it so that others may live, others she had come to care for as deeply as Gabriel. A sudden fire began to build within her. She wanted him back. Wanted all of it. She wanted the love with Gabriel, no Gage. Personalities so different within the same person, but she‟d love him no less. She wanted to live long and happy with him, have his beautiful green-eyed babies, free of the Alliance and finally at

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peace. More than anything, she wanted that. To be with him. Her heart, mind, soul needed him as her body needed air to breathe. Building on borrowed strength from the Goddess, Naeva pulled her battered body from the floor. She staggered slightly, but righted herself against a nearby wall. She searched the walls of the cave for a hidden service panel. If there was one, there might be a way to unseal the magnetic lock on the door. It didn‟t take her long to find it, half-hidden on the lower sidewall near the door. She struggled to pull it off with her blood-bruised fingers. Ignoring the pain lacing through each fingertip, she pulled the panel. It finally gave way, revealing the glowing data discs inside. Quickly, she switched the order. The lock on the door clicked as the magnetic lock failed. Smiling ruthlessly, she replaced the panel and tried her luck against the door. It opened with ease, knocking softly against the wall. Naeva pushed back the leap of joy she felt. She didn‟t have time to celebrate. She needed to escape. It was time to get her life back.

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Chapter Twenty Three

The moment Gage materialized, he knew it was like stepping onto the steps of an insane asylum or maximum security prison. Guards stood on almost every corner, their weapons ready within their hands. A personal cloak surrounded them, making it easy to sneak in unnoticed. They managed to make it past the guards and quickly entered the main building. Gage motion to the others with his hands, a silent gesture to split up to cover more ground. Aiden and Halon nodded in understanding. Immediately, the men split into teams, shifting down the hallway. They disappeared into different corridors shrouded in darkness. Gage and a couple others made their way through the familiar part of the facility. The employee offices. He noticed the string of offices from his first visit. Remembering what Tyrlan told him about Shamtara, Gage cautiously walked into his office. Are you sure about this Gage? Daegan‟s voice sounded through the communicator. He could barely make out Daegan‟s signature save the slightly outof-focus blur standing beside him. It‟s a little late for that now, Daegan.

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Daegan‟s voice held his concern. It‟s just that I have never seen you this bent out of shape over a woman before. Naeva‟s not just any woman. Gage tried to hold his anger out of voice. Not in his eyes. Naeva was more than that. She has been the keeper of his heart since they were children and he planned on helping it stay that way. Search the room. Find anything that will help us. Okay, Daegan said, walking over to the desk. He searched for papers while Aiden stood posted at the door, keeping an eye out for anyone. Gage, take a look at this. Daegan called him over. A holo-pad floated in midair in front of him. He took the holo-pad, activating the reading panel. The words appeared almost leaping off of the screen. Test subject 8: Dr. Naeva Orien Test Analysis: Subject has been subjected to numerous field tests of strength as well as endurance. With knives, Orien heals exceptionally well regarding small wounds across the arms and legs. Deeper wounds take a longer time to heal and sometime resulting in death. Orien has died a total of 6 mortal deaths resulting in total resurrection without the needs of medical intervention. Yet each time takes longer to come back from. Unlike every test subject, the Zenodrine in her blood remains strong, actually replenishing itself after a period of rest.

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As with previous subjects, Orien has exerted apprehension about decapitation as well as with other body parts. With the removal of certain body parts such as hands and feet, Orien grew these appendages back in record time with very little discoloration. Through experienced periods of disorientation, Orien is lucid and knows her surroundings and displays a willingness to break free at times, which requires heavy sedation. He couldn‟t read anymore. The contents in his stomach threatened to rebel with revulsion and ill-spent anger. Gage restrained himself from slamming the holo-pad down on the desk after downloading the contents onto the communicator. How could someone do this to another human being? Only if they weren‟t human themselves. Regardless what Naeva had flowing in her blood, she didn‟t deserve this. They really did this to her? Daegan voiced his shock. Yeah. I don‟t doubt they plan to kill her when they‟re done. We have to get her out of here. You got a plan yet? Hell no, he didn‟t have a plan. Mentally, he commanded his implants to check his ammo stores. Go in shooting and try to come out alive. I‟m playing this one by ear, kid. Daegan scoffed. I thought you might. Good thing Aiden‟s here. If not, by the looks of this we would be screwed.

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Don‟t think so dim. We‟ve been in tighter situations than this. It just didn‟t involve the woman you love. He could hear the smile in Daegan‟s voice. Yeah, he did love her. He‟d risk his very life for her and still that wouldn‟t be enough. He wanted her always beside him, never letting her go. And with every fiber in his being he was going to have his wish. Checking his cloak, he moved down the corridor to a string of laboratories. The sound of female screams drew his attention coming from the end of the hall. Naeva, he thought frantically. Her tortured screams weren‟t filtered by the thickness of the walls. His blood burned with rage. He had to do something. Down that hall. Hurry. I‟ll take them out. Aiden volunteered. Tell every one to be ready to turn off the cloaks for transport. Aye, aye, Cap‟n. He saw Daegan‟s wavered salute just out of phase. Drawing his energy pistol, Gage rounded the corner. Two guards were posted at the door. He pumped a couple of shots of his silenced energy pistol, watching the shots hit the middle of their chests. The guards slumped to the ground lifeless. They never knew what hit them.

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He turned off his cloak, letting the sensor catch his movement and open the door. He quickly took out two guards sitting by the second entry while Daegan worked on the others. Aiden and his men spilled into the room immediately covering the exits. . “Make sure no one else gets in,” Gage commanded. He spied Dr. Shamtara hovering over a woman with a laser scalpel cutting into her abdomen. The nurse at his side had backed away almost against the wall. Relief flooded through him when he saw her face. She had the same hair, but her eyes were blue, not brown. His Naeva wasn‟t here. When his relief subsided, rage flooded through him replacing his relief. The woman on the table might not have been Naeva, but they tortured her as if she was a meaningless lab rat. He didn‟t need his sensors to tell him the woman was far from sedated. Pain and fear radiated through her so tangible he felt the heaviness within him. Angry, Gage pointed the energy pistol directly at the doctor, making his intent clear. “Where is she?” Gage growled, moving in between the woman on the table and the doctor. Shamtara glared at him. “I don‟t have time for this, Bounty Hunter. Your woman is not my concern right now.”

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He cocked the pistol, setting it to full blast. “Don‟t fuck with me, Doctor, or I‟ll splatter your guts all over this lab. Now tell me where she is.” The doctor gulped, but didn‟t flinch. “Tala, dear. Close up and sedate the patient while I show these gentlemen to Dr. Orien.” The nervous nurse nodded. Daegan walked up behind him, stabbing his back with an energy pistol. “This way, Doc. No games now.” “Hadn‟t intended on it.” Shamtara walked them down a dark corridor to the prison ward. Cells lined the wall passing one every few feet. The moment they came in view with the cell, a person stepped out of the darkness closer to the light. Some were covered in nanotechnology, others had malformations to their hands and bodies. The sight sickened and angered Gage further. He heard a gasp from the group of men behind him and knew they were taken back. “What are you doing with these people?” Disgust colored Aiden‟s voice. Shamtara stuck his chest out a little. “They are part of a mass experimentation to see how well the implants do on other species.” The bastard actually seemed proud. “You‟re monsters.” Daegan growled. Shamtara shrugged. “You could call us that. But it is in the good name of science.”

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Gage yanked the doctor up by the collar, pinning his face to the wall near a cell opening. The force field buzzed at the contact. “Look at them, Doctor. They are humanoid. Every one of them. They have feelings and are breathing and you experiment on them as if they are worthless.” The doctor stuttered hesitantly. “The cost of the many…” Gage pulled him away from the cell, pushing him down the hall. “Don‟t give me that bullshit. Find Naeva or I just might do some experimenting myself.” They stopped at the dead end of the hall in front of the last cell. The door had been thrown wide open. Gage loosened his grip on Shamtara enough for him to look inside. The doctor gasped in shock. Gage took a look for himself. The access panel lay on the floor with the inner chips exposed. She had been in here recently. He could see the heat signatures with his implants. Footprints covered the floor, signs of a struggle within them. He made out the imprint of a body curled up on the floor in the far corner. He looked back at Gage, shocked. “She‟s gone.” Gage glowered at him. “Gone where?” “I don‟t know,” Shamtara pleaded. “I told them to deliver her here until later. She should still be here.”

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Gage‟s heart made a sudden leap. She was all right. No, better than all right. She probably wreaked havoc on the station, letting her anger take control. He pushed Dr. Shamtara inside and slammed to door shut. Taking the old metal chair, he bent the leg until it tore away. He didn‟t waste any time sliding it into the door handle for a makeshift lock. He flashed a dark smile back at the doctor. “Let see you try to get out of that.” Shamtara yelled, banging against the door, but Gage walked away. “Open the cells and get these people out of here. Make sure they get back to the ship for medical attention.” To Aiden he said, “We have to find her before they do and get the hell out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

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Chapter Twenty Four

The lab was crawling with guards. Two stood in the corridor like two statues against the wall. They blocked the main corridor which led to the transport bay. How in the hell was she supposed to take both of them down? A sudden idea came to her mind. Create a diversion. Naeva passed an empty chemlab on the way here. Maybe she could cook up a quick bomb to send them running. But that would send everyone else running too. She had to think of something else. Quietly, she went to the lab and mixed the ingredients, saving the last two for something more important. No, it was a bad idea. She thought of something simpler. Naeva waved her hand in front of the light sensor, flashing the lights on and off. Pulling off the sensor, she ripped away the wiring, making sure it dangled off the wall. The lights flickered, giving a strobe light display. She hid inside an unlocked cabinet, arming herself with a glass beaker. Hopefully, if they were stupid enough, they would come running. “Greg, do you see that?” she heard one of them ask. “Yeah. Radio it in. I‟ll go see if it‟s clear.”

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She heard footsteps coming down the hall towards her. The nose of his energy rifle appeared through the door first before he pushed it open. He looked around, stopping in front of the broken light sensor. “Lieutenant Durgan to Command. All clear. Looks like the light panel fell off the wall again. Send a repair team to fix this.” His communicator beeped. “Will do, Lieutenant.” Just a little closer… The guard stood just out of her reach. If she opened the door now, he would surely catch her. Her leg began to tingle as she waited. Her hands grew sweaty, making the beaker slippery. He backed up close to the cabinet. Her heart suddenly lurched with anticipation. If she was going to do this, it had to be now. She pushed the door just enough to give it an eerie creak. The guard turned around, peering close to the door. When he opened the door, she slammed the beaker down hard on his head. It shattered around him as he dropped to the floor. Quickly, she stepped out of the cabinet and took his weapon. Lowering the power to stun, she fired two quick rounds into his chest. He was out for sure. The sound of heavy boots hitting the floor made Naeva‟s heart stop cold. “Durgan? What are you doing down there? Jacking off?” She completely forgot about the other guard. Before she knew it he pushed open the door and stared at her.

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“What in the hell…” Naeva aimed and fired the energy rifle as if second nature. The electric shock passed over his body as he dropped to the floor. He never got the chance to say another word. She grabbed him by the arms, pulled him out of the doorway, and left him by his unconscious partner and closed the door. Suddenly, the air around her changed, making the hair stand up at the nape of her neck. She couldn‟t mistake the feeling of being watched. Instinctively, she looked to the darkness, dismissing her jumping nerves. That was, until Lechan stepped into the light. His brown eyes held a cold glare even if his mouth stretched into a smile. “Happy to see me, sister?” Naeva took an instinctive step back. “Not in particular. No.” Lechan matched it. “If I didn‟t know any better, I‟d say you didn‟t want to see me.” Naeva scoffed. “What you know and want I think you should know are two totally different things.” He was almost upon her now. “Are you angry I didn‟t die?‟ Naeva growled. “When I found out it was you who killed father over this, I wished you would have stayed at the bottom of the ash.”

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His dark laughter chilled her to the core. “Now where was that going to get me? As far as Father knew, I was dead and you were all he had left. If he would have just sold the company to Zavarius, none of this would have happened.” Rage nearly consumed her. “None of this? You caused all of it! The drop in stocks and consumers, the loss of our most important clients to Zavarius. It was all you.” He shrugged carelessly. “Guilty. But I couldn‟t have done it without help. Dr. Shamtara gave me the regenerative serum first, but it had its side effects.” He raised his other arm, pulling up the sleeve of his lab coat. Her eyes widened as she watched his transformation. His skin constantly changed from deep brown to a dark purple. Moles and spikes formed on his skin for an instant, then they were gone. Once again his skin restored itself back to its deep brown texture. “I can change into any shape, meld into any structure, texture, surface, or element. I am the ultimate changeling.” Her heart was too hardened to be amazed. “Freak is more like it.” “That‟s a little pot and kettle talk isn‟t it, sis?” He waved her off, dismissing her remark. “But no matter. When I transfuse your blood with mine, I‟ll be unstoppable. I‟ll be able to create my own race of super humans.”

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“And how do you plan on doing that? The United Alliance will shut you down.” “The U.A. is too busy trying to find the killer of ChemaTech. You‟re a murderer now, Naeva. You‟re more important than some small little medical facility.” Naeva squared her shoulders, not about to show any fear. “I don‟t know. Sounds like you‟re trying the do the Goddess‟s job. I think they‟d want to know.” Lechan laughed. “You‟re right. I‟ll be a god.” “An ass is more like it.” She could see the rage shooting through his eyes into her like daggers. “I can‟t believe you killed Father over this. If he were alive, he‟d have your…” “He wasn‟t my father!” It took a moment for the shock of his words to register with her mind. The shock of it stole a gasp form her. “What?!” “Devin Orien was not my father. He was just another man who wanted Mom‟s money and when she died he got it all.” Naeva shook her head in disbelief. “You liar!” “I‟m a lot of things, but I wouldn‟t lie about that. He never loved me. He only loved you, took care of you. He treated me as the stepchild I was and I‟m glad to take him out of this world.”

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Naeva allowed the rage to consume her fully, overtaking what little coherent thought she had left. With lightning speed, she closed the space between them in a couple steps. Her fist connected with his jaw with such force it jarred up her arm. The blow to her stomach stole the wind from her lungs. She bowed over in reflex and regretted the action. Using her moment of weakness, Lechan drove his knee upward, sending a powerful blow to her head. The force of it knocked her back, but not down. Her world violently spun around her, but she pushed the dizziness back, feeding on the rage. She wiped the blood from her mouth, giving him a merciless grin. “You still hit like a bitch, Lechan.” In a blink, he was standing in front of her. “Well, let me change that.” He gave her a series of punches that sent her sprawling on the ground. Gripping her shirt, he yanked her up, ripping the fabric to shreds. “I don‟t see your protector here to save you now, Naeva. Maybe he‟s tired of you.” Naeva pulled out of his grasp, slightly crouching into a fighting stance. Ignore the pain, she told herself. Yet, the white hot tendrils of pain laced through her body with its debilitating sting. “I don‟t need anyone to protect me from you. I can kick your ass all by myself.”

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Lechan laughed “I seriously doubt that.” His arm suddenly morphed into a large sword. The shine of the metal gleamed off of the lights above. Naeva quickly looked down for anything to knock the son of a bitch out with. A long piece of broken pipe lay next to her foot. She picked it up, taking little time to adjust it in her hands. Lechan launched at her with impeccable speed and no remorse. He sliced the air with renewed strength. Neava matched him blow for blow, each one like an explosion in her body. Every movement depleted more and more of her strength. She managed to get a couple of hits before her strength gave out. The last one she sent straight to his jaw, causing him to stagger, but that was all. Before she knew what hit her, he‟d overpowered her, driving her down to floor. The pipe in her hand abandoned, rolling just out of her reach. Naeva locked his gaze, seeing the blood lust in his eyes. The cold point of his blade sat on the bare area of her stomach. “I thought I could make your death quick and merciful.” Then an evil smile stretched across his lips. “I changed my mind.” Lechan forced his blade through her stomach.

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The shear shock at the invasion had Naeva staring in wide-eyed shock and horror. White hot pain numbed as a chill set in her body almost immediately. She felt the warm gush of her blood as it left her body. Vaguely, she heard his dark laughter over the thundering beat of her own heart, yet knew he enjoyed seeing her agony. He gave his blade a wicked twist, then pulled it from her body. Cold long-since set into her bones making it difficult to move, to think. Darkness had its cold grip on her. The cold tendrils of death seeped deep into her bones as her life force started to painfully drain away. As her thoughts began to fade, she suddenly thought of Gage. His smiling face appeared before her, wavering as if in a dream. “Gage…” she whispered. Lechan laughed darkly. “Looks like your little savior isn‟t here to save you now.” “NOO!” The deafening roar filled her ears. Using the last of her strength, Naeva turned towards the sound, her vision fading. Gage stood in the door. His eyes wide with shock and outrage. He was really here. He did love her. Now the bastard was going to pay.

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Chapter Twenty Five

Gage stopped dead in his tracks at the doorway with Daegan and Aiden close behind him. The sight before him nearly stole his sanity. Lechan stood over Naeva, stabbing with a sword through her stomach. All reason rushed out of him, leaving a warrior high on berserk. A merciless grin stretched across his lips, as he let the rage run hot through him. Lechan pulled the knife from her stomach, his swagger filled with fiendish pride. Instinctively, he pulled the katana from his side holster wanting to run the bastard through. “My God,” Daegan gasped in shock “Spirits in heaven,” Aiden breathed. “What have you done?” Lechan glared at them. “Something I should have a long time ago. Secured my future.” Daegan ran around Gage to Naeva, cradling her head. Aiden quickly pulled his shirt over his head and placed it over the wound to stop the bleeding. Gage stepped towards them, keeping the katana trained on him. Lechan backed away,

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the smirk never leaving his face. Gage had to see if Naeva was all right, to see if she was alive. Priority number one above anything else. Second, kill the bastard. He touched her arm. Feeling the cold clammy touch of her skin against his palm, he knew she was in bad shape. He heard her shallow ragged breaths at her effort to live. He let his implants confirm what he already knew. With the massive wound in her stomach, marring her beautiful brown skin, and the bleeding, she was dying. He‟d seen firsthand what Lechan did to her when she was little. Seeing the bruises on her body and the blood flowing from the open wound in her stomach brought a cold murderous hatred to him, made the fire in his blood burn hotter. Warning, the computer chimed in his mind. Approaching extreme adrenal levels. Possible overload is… He cut the communication. He didn‟t need to be told he was pissed. He had two objectives. First, get Naeva to safety. Then, kill the bastard. Over his shoulder he called to Aiden and Daegan. “Get her out of here. Beam back to the ship.” “What about you?” Aiden asked. “I have some unfinished business.” His voice held no room for complaint.

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Gage didn‟t have to look to see if Daegan activated his homing beacon. His implants gave off the signal. In a matter of seconds, they were beamed away. He felt the steam of his anger rise from his body. “I told you a long time ago to stay away from her. Told you that if you ever touched her again, I‟d kill you.” Lechan laughed, as if brushing off the threat. “You couldn‟t do anything to me then, and you can‟t do anything to me now.” Gage adjusted the katana in his hand. The cool metal of the curved blade melded to his hand. “We‟ll see about that.” With the sweep of his blade, Gage lunged at Lechan. Lechan quickly moved out of the way, turning as if in a dance. Gage quickly overpowered Lechan, bringing the sword down against the morphed metal of his arm. The blade cut through it as if it were air. Lechan howled as his arm fell away, flopping to the ground in a pool of blood. He cradled his bloody stump, stumbling out of Gage‟s path. He looked up to Gage with frightened eyes as he approached him. Gage sneered. “Now, how does it feel on the ground helpless?” Lechan gasped in pain, but managed a smile. “I‟m never helpless, and I won‟t be when I have Naeva‟s blood running through my veins. I‟ll never stop hunting for her. I‟ll never stop coming for her until she‟s dead and her blood fuels my strength.”

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Gage wanted to be the bigger man and let him live. Every human fiber in his body wanted Lechan to stand trial for the crimes he had committed, but he was right. He would never stop until Naeva was dead and his very reason for living would die with her. “I will never let that happen.” “You can‟t stop me. No one can.” He gave a haunting laugh that chilled Gage‟s bones. Gage held the katana close to his throat, the point piercing his skin. The trickle of red blood contrasted with the white of Lechan‟s shirt. His hand itched to push the blade further. “I should kill you like you tried to kill Naeva, but I would be no better than you.” Gage pulled him up from the ground by his collar, ignoring his cries of pain. “You‟re going to serve time for what you did and clear you sister‟s name.” Using his implants he opened a comm signal to his ship. “Did you get all that?” Captain Jema Xhitori‟s voice came through the comm patch on his suit. “Loud and clear, Gage. You did real good. Prepare for transport.” Lechan tried to pull away, but Gage held him in an iron grip. “I‟m not going up there!”

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Now it was Gage‟s turn to laugh. “Oh yes, the hell you are. And I‟m going to watch as they throw you on Cremeria where you belong.” The fear in his eyes paused as the transporter took hold of them. The moment they materialized into the transporter room, a full security team waited stood erect, energy rifles pointed and ready. Captain Xhitori watched him with unyielding eyes as if promising to deal with him later. “Take the prisoner to the brig and prepare him for transport.” Gage gladly handed him over, ignoring the cold look in his eye. There were no retorts about avenging his injustice. He stood quiet as they led him down the hall, the door sliding closed behind them. Xhitori stepped up to him. The rogue captain was gone upon the return of a distinguished U.A. Captain. “Gabriel, may I have a word with you?” Her tone was strictly all business. “I really wanted to get back to Naeva.” “Just a word,” she reassured him. “Then you can do whatever you want. Join me?” She sauntered out of the room, her back ramrod straight. They walked to her small office near the bridge. Xhitori leaned against her desk, studying Gage with cool aquamarine eyes. “You surprised me today, Tallon. I thought you were going to kill him.”

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Gage laughed nervously. “Believe me, ma‟am. I wanted to, but that wouldn‟t be right.” “Have you ever thought about coming back to the Alliance?” “As job wise?” Gage shook his head. “No. I lack the discipline to serve on a starship again.” When a pained expression flashed in her eyes he added, “No offense, Captain.” She brushed it off easily, but the pain didn‟t leave her eyes. “None taken. I just don‟t think the woman you love deserves to be dragged along from port to port chasing the bad guys with you. Dr. Orien‟s not that kind of woman.” He looked at her skeptically. “Permission to speak frankly.” “Cut the crap, Gabriel.” She laughed. “I‟m not your commanding officer.” He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Still feels like I‟m in the hot seat.” She chuckled. “Go on.” “What does any of this have to do me and Naeva?” Xhitori looked at him with measuring eyes. “I‟ve been looking for a better way to help you, Gabriel. The Alliance always needs medical transporters, independent and contracted. It‟s not as much as you would make as a bounty hunter, but I‟m sure, given your experience, that could be negotiable.” A steady job? Him? The same guy who felt his luck was running a quart low?

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Gage pushed around the steadily forming cobwebs in his mind. “How steady is the schedule?” “Two weeks on and off. Paid off weeks and no work on U.A. holidays. Shipwide upgrades, spending allowances? Did I mention living quarters anywhere in the U.A. territories? It‟s better than what I got starting in the academy.” This had to be too good. “What do I have to do?” Xhitori laughed, reaching for a holo-pad laying on her desk. “Stay out of trouble. For you, that‟s an amazement on its own.” Gage took the holo-pad, skimming the contents. It was all here. The job details, everything. The only thing it needed was his signature. But there were so many things he needed to do first. Too many loose ends he needed to tie up. “Can I have some time to think about it? I have a lot of things I need to do before I can accept this.” “Sure. It‟s waiting on you. Just say it‟s an early wedding present.” Gage stared at her in shock. “Whoa, boss. I haven‟t even asked the question yet.” Xhitori laughed. “Hell, you went after her. It‟s good enough for me. Besides, knowing you, you will…eventually.” She slapped him on the shoulder. “Now go. Be with Naeva. She needs you right now. And tie up your loose ends and get back to me. The job will be here waiting for you when you get back.”

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Gage could barely contain his happiness. He thanked Xhitori, heading down the corridor to the infirmary. His heart fell the moment the doors closed. Naeva lay lifeless on the table surrounded by medlab surgical machinery. Her beautiful brown skin was pale and fragile against the blue of her smock. Long brown hair spilled unbound over the table. The doctor walked up to him. Her gray eyes sympathetically glanced over to Naeva. “She‟s tough. When they brought her in here, she was already dead.” “What?” Gage had a hard time wrapping his mind around that. The sudden pain in his heart nearly took his breath. “Yes, but we managed to get her heart going again and are now working to repair the rest of her wounds.” “But I don‟t understand. I thought she was supposed to heal herself.” “She is, and eventually she will get back to that, but whatever they did to her zapped all of her strength, which put her in danger of truly dying.” Realization hit him hard like a fist to the gut. This could happen every time if she were with him. He lived a dangerous life. He didn‟t want that for her. He loved her too much to ever want her to go through this again. Something had to change.

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“Could I have a minute with her?” The doctor nodded. “Yes, but be brief. She‟s still recovering.” “Thank you.” His heart pounded in his chest. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. He wished more than anything to give her some of his strength to live. Sitting in the chair beside her, he gently stroked her head. “I love you, Naeva Orien. You may never remember this moment. I‟m sorry it took me this long to say it to you and while you were unconscious, but I love you with all my heart. I can‟t see myself with anyone else.” He let a tear fall from his eye dropping onto the small head pillow. “I‟m going to do right by you. I don‟t want you to live with me always on the run after perps. That‟s not how I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You won‟t see me when you wake up, but I promise I will come back to you.” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She moaned, her eyes blinked, but she didn‟t wake. He wished he could see those beautiful brown eyes or hear her chastise him for coming after her. He would hear it later. He would make sure to always love her and be here for her. His silent vow.

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Chapter Twenty Six

“Are you ready?” Naeva asked Lottie, holding the medical scanner in her hand. She scanned Lottie‟s throat before they began making sure her new voice box was firmly in place. To be sure it wasn‟t rejected, she couldn‟t use it for a week. The small viewer showed the small piece of technology taking the place of her destroyed vocal cords. The nanites had fused with her tissue, holding it in place. Lottie said through the communicator on her chest. “I don‟t know if I‟m ready. I‟m so used to using communicators and ship comms to talk.” “No better time. It‟s been four years since you heard your own voice.” “Yeah,” Lottie laughed. “That‟s why I don‟t want to hear it any time soon. What if I sound like a grate piece of metal?” Aiden gripped her hand and looked to Naeva with a reserved yet nervous smile. “Yes, no grating piece of metal.” Lottie took her hand back and slapped him on the shoulder. “You‟re not helping.” Aiden just shrugged. “Then I‟ll adjust it,” Naeva reassured her. “It‟s really painless.”

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Lottie frowned. “I‟m not ready, but I‟ve come this far.” Naeva smiled. “Now that‟s what I‟m talking about.” Naeva touched a couple of buttons on the medical scanner. It activated the device with two beeps. Taking the communicator from Lottie‟s chest, Naeva turned it off, setting it aside. “Okay. Now take a deep breath and say something.” Trembling, Lottie gripped Aiden‟s hand and took a deep breath. The moment she spoke, her true voice came through her mouth, deep sultry, perfect. “What should I say?” Joy filled Naeva and a nervous giggle escaped her. “Say anything you want.” Tears filled Lottie‟s eyes looking to Aiden. “I have my voice back.” Tears filled his eyes at will, not caring to wipe them away. “Now you don‟t sound like that old battle axe ship computer. I was getting sick of her.” Lottie chuckled. “I love you too.” Aiden smiled devilishly wagging his brows. “You could show me how much you really love me.” Naeva rolled her eyes. “Ugh, get a room, guys. You‟ll peel the paint off my office with all the pheromones in the air.” They laughed. “Lottie, take it easy for the next couple of days. Adjust to it. If you begin to have any double voice undertones, let me know.”

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She nodded. “Will do, Doc.” They slid off the bed and walked out of the infirmary. The day seemed quiet. She‟d delivered Dayanara‟s baby with very little problems a couple days ago, with Dr. Zoiltan‟s help. The beautiful baby boy came screaming into this world in Dr. Zoiltan‟s arms with Naeva propping Dayanara‟s back. Without her, Dayanara would have fallen out from exhaustion. Naeva‟s life was full here. She felt free, but so alone. Gage was nowhere to be found. She remembered Aiden telling her Gage left for Central to take care of some business. That had been a week ago and he never called. Since then, she passed the time by helping with repairs and even tended to some of sick while recovering. Sitting in bed drove her nuts, but being without Gage was ripping out her heart. She often dreamed of him. His handsome face always came to her with a sexy smile. His green eyes blazed with fire. He wore no clothes, the better for her to explore to her full potential. She longed to touch him, run her hands over taut hard muscles and smooth skin. Kiss the sensitive areas of his neck. Run her tongue hotly over every ripple of his abs to the tip of his shaft. The thought of making love to him brought a frustrated growl from her. It had been too long since she had him inside her. She needed him now and was tired of going without for the better part of a month now.

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Naeva felt the heat of a person behind her, waiting. “I‟ll be with you in a minute.” She had to compose herself if she was going to be able to treat anyone else today. “Does the doctor have time for one more patient?” At the sound of the voice, her heart started and she closed her eyes to suppress an excited shiver. Gage stood directly behind her. The heat from his body practically radiated into hers. She felt liquid heat pool between her legs. Her speech had suddenly left her. What was she supposed to say? She couldn‟t find a single thing that would come close to what she wanted to say right now. She turned around, trying to hold back the urge to run into his arms. He looked simply beautiful. Gone were the dark leather gun holsters, replaced by a dark flight jacket covering a deep blue tunic and dark pants. His face was cleanshaven, revealing his perfect skin. His beautiful eyes held no hardness, or anger. Only love. She ached to touch him, but for right now all she could do was stare at him in shock. “You‟re really here,” she breathed, not trusting her voice. Gage nodded smiling. “Are you going to stand there, or do I have hunt for a kiss again?”

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Oh, what the hell. As fast as her feet could carry her, she ran into his arms. The warmth of his body surrounded her. His clean scent intoxicated her, heating her blood. She inhaled deep, taking his scent deep within her. “Goddess, I missed you.” She lifted her head, staring into his deep green eyes. “I missed you too.” His lips covered hers in a soul-shattering kiss. His tongue claimed her like a man starved. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the kisses. He was really here with her. Kissing her. Holding her. Her heart swelled until it threatened to burst from her chest. She pulled away from the kiss, wanting to take a better look at him. Questions began to fire off in her mind. “Wher…”Before she could utter a single word, he covered her lips with his fingers. “I know what you‟re thinking. I had a lot of things to take care of. I didn‟t want to come back here until all of it was done.” She pulled his lips down. “What about calling? Didn‟t they have communicators where you were?” Naeva didn‟t want to sound as harsh as she did, but her emotions played through her voice. “I thought that since you helped me clear my name, you were done with me. That it was your turn to walk out on me.” She looked down, almost ashamed the words escaped from her mouth.

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Gently, Gage lifted her chin. “Nothing could keep me away from you. I love you too much, Naeva.” She stared deep into his eyes. Did he truly love her? His emerald orbs shined with the truth of his love. “You love me?” “I wouldn‟t have come back for you if I didn‟t.” He took her lips again in a slow blood churning kiss, then trailed down her throat. “I‟ve thought of you the entire time since I‟ve been away. The scent of your hair, your deep brown eyes, your sexy butt.” He gave her butt a generous squeeze, nipping at her neck. “You‟ve haunted my dreams and the only thing I wanted to do was come back here and make love to you. Over and over again.” His purr rumbled through her, causing her to shiver. Naeva‟s mind spun around her as she looked in his eyes. Her breath came in gasps as she trembled. The hungry fire in his eyes stole the words from her mouth. Before she could gain her composure, he hoisted her into his strong arms. His deep growl rumbled through her. “Gage!” She screamed in protest. The man was kidnapping her again. “Where are you taking me?” He charged out of the medlab, making his way down the path to her lodge. “I refuse to make love to you on a medlab bed.”

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Gage kicked in the door of her cabin, not even taking the time to let her unlock it. By the way his blood boiled, he wanted nothing more than to lay her down and love her until she screamed. He kissed her as he walked through the threshold, loving the feel of his tongue dancing with hers. Blindly, he made his way to the bed without breaking contact and lowered her down to the soft mattress. He ran his hands over her full breasts, pulling back the collar of her shirt to expose them. Her dark nipples hardened, begging for his attention. He gladly accepted, covering his mouth over the tempting morsel of flesh. She moaned, arching from the bed. Hot hands ran over his shoulders, pushing his own shirt out of the way. “Gage!” she gasped, his name sounding like music to his ears. He growled as he devoured the other breast, loving the sweet taste of her skin. Naeva was an indulgence, his drug of choice. Being without her had caused such withdrawal pains to where he couldn‟t think straight without having a hard on. Now he planned on having her until he went crazy with her. She panted as he trailed his hot kisses lower. How one woman could set his soul on fire with just a touch was beyond him. But he knew one thing, he craved more of it. His body ached to fill her. He felt her feverish skin quiver with need.

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She teetered on the edge of insanity under the torture of his kisses and he didn‟t see a better reason to fall off the edge with her, losing every bit of himself to her. “Goddess, Gage,” she panted, almost losing herself on a moan. “I can‟t wait any more.” Gage peeled the shirt away, revealing more beautiful dark skin. In a couple of quick jerks, her pants were free as well, thrown to some foreign part of the room to which he had no care. He wanted to be inside her to the point his own arousal nearly overpowered him. He stood above her, looking down at his beautiful dark goddess as he peeled away his pants. Her dark hair spilled around the pillow wild and free. Dark nipples teased him, hardened to pebble-points at the coolness of the air. She opened herself to him, inviting him in. Goddess, I‟m home, he thought covering her body with his.

Naeva heard him growl as he took her mouth again, making love to her with his tongue. His thick shaft found the swollen nether lips and gently stroked her. Finding his hands, she laced her fingers in his, holding on for the ride. Her mind rolled over into submission. The thick head of his penis dipped between the folds, finding the swollen nub aching and awaiting his attention.

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“My Goddess,” he groaned. Her breaths came in short pants as she rolled her hips to meet his delicious strokes of heat. She felt him enter her slowly, her inner walls contracting at the intrusion. The fullness alone was enough to drive her mad. He continued to impale her inch by mind blowing inch, until he was inside her to the hilt. He buried his head in the crook of her neck as he slowly moved out of her and back again. The heat of his breath fanned her neck as he panted. She was lost as he increased his tempo. She gladly surrendered to him, reveling in the feel of being totally stuffed. The more she moaned, the faster he stroked her. She gladly creamed for him, bathing the thick head of his cock in her juices. A vicious cycle, building faster and faster with each pass of his cock over her, sending her hurtling into the mouth of a vortex built on their fired ecstasy. “Gage!” Naeva screamed his name, clawed at his shoulder as she came in the biggest orgasm she had ever had. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she inhaled his male scent.

Gage pumped harder, feeling himself quicken. The need to come inside her gripped his balls until he could no longer hold himself back. “I love you!” he roared as he came hard, filling her with his essence. He collapsed on top of her, gladly sated.

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For a long time, aftershocks of ecstasy ruled over his body. The only thing he could do was look at her in awe of how much he loved this woman. “I love you,” he panted, his voice hoarse and scratchy. Naeva cupped his face. He could actually feel her love and his heart held on, to never let go. “I love you too, Gage.”

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Epilogue

One month later Naeva woke slowly. Even though the rain steadily fell, the morning light filtered through the window, gently lighting the room. Everything seemed to be perfect. She‟d decided not to go back to ChemaTech, instead making a home on Zipporah. Gage had just returned from a two-week-long mission to deliver medical supplies. Yet, when she turned over to greet Gage good morning, his side of the bed lay empty. He didn‟t go far and she sighed with relief. He stood next to the bed, looking out the window. His dark brown skin bathed in the soft light. His black hair was still slick and dripping from the shower. His tight pants hugged his slender hips, cupping his perfect ass. He was a sight of beautiful male perfection, ripe for the ravaging. Every morning had been wonderful waking up next to him. Loving him came so freely she didn‟t mind expressing it, even going as far as kissing him every time he was near. Every night promised wicked things, hot steamy sex. No, not sex. He made love to her. Slowly, loving every inch of her body until she convulsed

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and cried out his name. Just thinking about the things he did to her made her want to come. Gage turned to her, a slow sexy smile spreading across his lips. “You‟re supposed to be resting.” Naeva pushed herself up to her elbows. “Who can sleep when dreaming about you makes me hot?” He chuckled, walking back to her. He gently covered her lips with his. “Who said it has to be a dream?” She tugged his full bottom lip between her teeth. “What about work?” “Daegan and Aiden can handle the transport and Aiden practically pushed me out of my own ship.” “Well, smarty, do you have my work figured out for me, too?” He nibbled on her ear and she moaned. “Mhmm. Dr. Zoiltan said he would man the infirmary for today while you took a break. He said you needed a vacation anyway.” The movement of his lips on her sensitive neck made her womb clench. “You asked him?” “Yeah, how else was I going to have you all to myself to ask you?” He slowly moved up her neck to her lips kissing her. Naeva grinned. “You greedy man.”

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“Yeah and proud of it.” He kissed her again. His warm tongue branding her mouth. Her hands ran through his wet hair and down over his broad shoulders. She couldn‟t help going lower, finding his tight ass and filling her hands with it. She was lost on a breathless sigh. This was where she wanted to be. Forever. Never moving out of his arms and always wanting him hot and hard for her. There was a question he wanted to ask her. Damn it! The coherent side of her brain just won‟t turn to mush! All she wanted was a little sex in the morning. She didn‟t feel like wrecking the mood—especially one where she and him ended up naked—so that she could have him ask a question. Couldn‟t he ask it later? Naeva pleaded with the conscious side of her mind. No, came back the answer. Groaning, she began to pull back. Great, just freaking great. My mind had nearly turned to mud before it decided to snap back to reason now. “Ask me what?” she said from around his lips. “Marry me.” It was more of a hungry growl than a question. If she hadn‟t been so mind-numbingly horny she would have caught the statement the first time, but after the third sweep of his tongue, she felt he needed to repeat it without his tongue down her throat. “Marry me.”

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“‟X-x-xcuse me?” It came out more of a stutter. Her mind went blank, shocked that he would say something like this. “I think you heard me the first time.” She frowned, pushing against his chest. “Yeah, but think my hearing‟s a little rusty. Did you just ask me to marry you?” “I didn‟t ask anything.” When she gave him a more definite push, he eased back, resting back on his knees. “Don‟t be funny, Gage. This is serious. Do you really want me to marry you?” His green eyes studied here still blazing with fire. His silence nearly killed her patience. “Yes.” She tried to hold the anger out of her voice, but it wasn‟t going to work this time. “Why?” Why in the hell didn‟t he say any of this sooner? And here she was thinking that all she had was probably, maybe a few weeks of really great sex left before he got tired and booked out. Or sooner if the United Alliance called him back. Love or not. Running a hand through his hair he took a deep breath. “Because I realized something. I don‟t like the life I lived before I met you. That‟s not how I want my wife and children to live.” Wife and children?! But she didn‟t dare interrupt him.

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“I want you. I love you. I need you beside me. When I didn‟t have you with me, it tore me apart until I could have you in my arms again. My world before you was a bleak and endless line of torment and despair and I don‟t want that. I want to be happy and if I don‟t have you in my life, I have nothing.” She couldn‟t move, couldn‟t think. Her mouth hung open in shock. He loved her and it wasn‟t just the sex talking or him trying to be nice and not hurt her feelings. Oh, the Goddess. He loved her. He cupped her face, his hands bringing his face to hers. “I love you, Naeva Orien. I want you to be my wife forever. You are the only woman who fits my soul. Without you, I‟m nothing but a heartless bounty hunter without a cause. I‟m tired of being in this world alone. I need you. Be my wife. I promise to always love you…” She kissed him hungrily. Spirit, he loved her. Was there anything better right now? She was free, she was healthy and now she had the man she loved beside her. Gage pulled away, a sexy half smile cocked the corner of his lips. “Is that a „yes‟?” “Yes, Gabriel Tallon. I‟ll marry you.” She leaned in for another kiss, but he stopped her half way. “Wait.” He reached behind her to the nightstand for the communicator and activated it. “She said yes.”

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The cheers that erupted on the other end echoed through the room. “That was the entire colony wishing us good luck.” Naeva laughed, grabbing the communicator. She turned it off and then tossed it to the other side of the room, hearing it thud against the wall. She gave him a sexy smile, wrapping her legs around him. “Good. Time for a nice, long celebration.”

The End

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www.freewebs.com/ladyofgrace25 www.myspace.com/leahvaughn www.ladyofgrace26.blogspot.com

Author Bio

Leah Vaughn writes in her spare time in between working and going to school for her Associates in Computer Science. Currently she is writing for Red Rose Publishing along with many other talented authors. With a wild imagination and a funny sense of humor, she takes her readers on a wild ride through time and space, visiting different worlds and species and dreaming of the delicious and provocative ways to bring them to life.

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