Evolution's Embers

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 2932 Ross Clark Circle, #384 Dothan, AL 36301 Evolution’s Embers Copyright © 2006 by Mary Wine Cover by Scott Carpenter ISBN: 1-59998-009-6 www.samhainpublishing.com All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2006

Evolution’s Embers By Mary Wine

Mary Wine

Chapter One Oh hell, she was going to freeze to death, one damn degree at a time. Jala looked down her bare arm and frowned at the clearly defined bumps covering her skin. She moved around the tiny cubical but couldn’t seem to escape the circulation vents. Of course, she wouldn’t be cold if she had something even remotely worthy of the title “clothing” to wear. A low hiss came from her lips as Jala began pacing in small circles to get her blood moving faster. Her wafer-thin dress fluttered with her movement, making her shove the bottom part of it over her mons. A rather difficult task when the garment was nothing but two lengths of gossamer veiling that draped over each of her shoulders and ended exactly three inches below the junction of her thighs. It was gathered into cups for her breasts and a small gold clasp held the two sides together. That was it. When she moved, the two front sides immediately parted to bare her belly and mons. The back wasn’t any better and there was no undergarment provided. Well, at least the air was fresh. On a space station, that was an extreme luxury. Lifting her head, she closed her eyes and filled her lungs with the sweet, clean air. Life didn’t hold many pleasures. It was best to savor the ones she could. Her mother had taught her that lesson early in life. Jala felt her smile fade. It was too bad she hadn’t learned every lesson her mother had tried -4-

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to teach her. If she had been smarter she wouldn’t be in a cubical waiting to be introduced to her matches. She’d almost done it. Her thirtieth birthday was only four short months away. Thirty was such a wonderful age for a female of the twenty-third century. It held the reward of freedom. Any woman who could reach that age unattached was forever free to make her own choices about mating. She opened her eyes and stared down her bare legs to the swollen knee that had cost her the last Estroko match of her life. For twenty years she’d competed and won the right to refuse to submit to being matched for reproduction. One foul kick from a younger competitor had injured her right leg severely. The girl had been immediately disqualified because it was a knee sweep, but all competitors needed three wins a tournament to remain in the training program. Jala had only two and her leg had swelled impossibly quick. It slowed her down too much in the next round. Knowing the girl responsible was also facing the same fate of being matched wasn’t lightening the blow any. The girl had been young. Too young to understand the mesmerizing effect of watching the years fall away behind you, too innocent to understand that Jala had practically tasted the ambrosia of free will. Her knee throbbed and she grinned at the pain. She refused to let anyone treat it. Pain always made the best instructor. Besides, her life was about to become extremely painful as she was handed over to a pair of males who would hold authority over her. Right now, she was under the control of the distribution branch of Interlink command. Oh, yes, it was for her protection… Jala snorted as she circled her little holding cell. One hallway over was where they housed the convicted fertile females. -5-

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The odd thing about the center was the fact that all the holding cells were identical. The wafer thin, peek-a-boo clothing was the only garment given to each matched female. Along with that lack of modesty there were guards at all the hallway crossings who enforced the fact that each and every female would be in the cell she had been secured in. Her lips twisted into a smirk… Lord forbid they lose even one fertile female. Sarcasm wasn’t much comfort as Jala made another circle. Knowing that all the cells were the same for any woman brought aboard with a functioning fertility system grated against her pride as Jala rubbed her arms to warm her bare skin. What was a swollen knee compared to being locked up like a convicted felon? She could have spent her life cheating others of money and ended up exactly where she was today. Her dedication to honor and integrity held little value now that she had failed to win. She sighed as she circled again, life was about winning and losing. Getting frustrated about that hard fact would gain her nothing but a sore head. Winners were rewarded. Period. Life was not fair. Well there was one thing she would always hold and that was her title of master. She had earned it—won it. She was an Estroko master and that rank was something she had earned through years of grueling perseverance. It reflected so much more than the actual win in the martial arts fighting style. Her rank was a product of integrity, devotion and most importantly—honor. She was still Estroko, peek-a-boo dress and all. Her rank of master was firmly attached to her name and when her five years of law-required cohabitation were over, she would be able to resume her life.

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“Do you or do you not have this female?” Cassian gripped the desk as he stared at the interlink personal assigned to process incoming matches. The T

clerk swallowed roughly as he leaned as far back as his chair would

allow. Cassian followed him. “I’ve crossed twenty parsecs of open space because the Earth Link central command said you had a female with an eighty-seven percent genetic match. Now is she here?” “Genetic match was eighty-seven percent yes…but…there was a mistake…ah…this female doesn’t fit your request profile…sir.” “With an eighty-seven percent match? What’s not to like?” A second disgruntled giant leaned over the desk as the clerk spread his hands widely. This one wore an Interlink medical insignia on his collar. “Hand over her chart.” Both men expected immediate obedience. Interlink officers always did. The clerk fumbled with his terminal. He’d never dealt with officers of such high ranking before and if he were lucky, he never would again. The staff sergeant who ran his little substation was enough stress for him. Sion grabbed the chart the second it materialized on the computer desk. It was a hologram which sat in the hand just as real as any paper would have. His eyes scanned the documents as Cassian leaned in to look as well. “Exactly where is the difficulty? This is an amazing match.” Sion considered the report again. It was truly a remarkable matching. Most numbers were in the low forties. Their female was extremely fertile, as well. Even the psychic numbers were good. Cassian’s finger landed on the lines of numbers and medical explanations. Sion cursed. Right under attitude was the term hostile. The only thing worse would have been violent.

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“I want to see her.” Cassian didn’t request it. He ordered it. He had waited eight long years for a female, after devoting three years to the training and testing required by law to get his name and his DNA into the data banks. No way he was going to let some kind of feminine temper tantrum interfere. Matches were determined by science, not female opinion. She would just have to adjust. “That is strictly forbidden. Females will not be paraded in front of matches like livestock.” That was the law. Cassian knew it because he enforced it on his outpost daily. Controlling the distribution of available females was necessary to prevent human kind from dissolving into slavery. Fertile females were even rarer. The laws were airtight and the waiting lists incredibly long. Frustration made his jaw ache. Sion turned his head to look at him. “I don’t care. Her numbers are too good.” “Agreed. We’ll just have to adjust her attitude.” “Gentlemen! You are quite out of line.” The clerk rose to his feet as anger fueled his courage. “I will not release a female into a negative situation.” Both men turned their eyes to the clerk. He sat heavily back into his chair. The two officers were officials of the Interlink law. It might not have been very wise to suggest they were abusive towards females, even if they looked like they belonged in a museum display on Cro-magnon, cave-dwelling, pre-historic men. “Your match is a senior year master competitor.” A few low whistles came from the men waiting their turn behind them. Cassian felt his eyebrow rise with interest. An Estroko? Now that explained the hostile label. This female had tried to avoid matching by training her body into a weapon. Heat seeped into his cock as he

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considered the will she must possess to maintain her dedication to the grueling martial arts form. “I will see her.” Cassian eyed the clerk as the man reluctantly offered over the affidavits for him and Sion to sign. Females were too rare now that science and pollution had taken its toll on Earth. The quest for more energy had been fed by a new, microwave production method. When combined with neutrons, it had been a cheap method of producing energy. A hundred years earlier, no one had understood just how fragile the undeveloped eggs in a female’s ovaries were. The microwaves flooding the earth had warped the tiny seeds of life, turning an entire generation of women sterile. A silent killer because once a female began producing higher levels of estrogen during puberty, the hormone kept her eggs protected. It was only the tender years that a female child was at risk. But finding the source of that infertility wasn’t the end to the human population crises. A law immediately passed, dictating that all female children had to be relocated to colonies certified safe for their fragile reproductive systems. That left parents with a difficult choice. It wasn’t hard to choose the sex of an child. A simple pill swallowed each day during a woman’s cycle would change her body chemistry to kill off the sperm that were not the desired gender. The male birth rate skyrocketed as parents refused to have children they would not be able to keep on Earth. If a man’s parents didn’t have the money to contract a marriage while he was still in diapers, he could expect to wait years for a possible match. Science refused to take chances on birth defects, sterility or any predisposed form of mental or physical abuse. Prospective males went through heavy screening and then waited for a female’s numbers to match with theirs. -9-

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Monogamist marriage was illegal. Female humans were shipped off to the least polluted sectors for their schooling years. Most human men never laid eyes on an unmatched female, except a prostitute, until awarded his own match. A father didn’t even have the legal right to keep his own daughter at home in most cases. The human woman’s fertility was too fragile. The fact that most females were raised on remote colonies only made Cassian more determined to hold on to the one who had matched up with his numbers. Being shuffled back into the waiting line wasn’t a pleasant idea when he knew there was a woman on station who was his personal match. So what if she was stubborn, so was he. Earth itself couldn’t be cleaned up effectively because the pollution had a half-life of one hundred years. Slapping down laws which forbid any new technology that used the cheap power source was effective but tracking down all the older sources was proving a long task which Interlink Command predicted was going to take another ten years. The planet had begun to balance itself but the clean-up needed to be complete before Interlink command allowed females to grow up on Earth. The risk was too great that the next generation would end up sterile if they allowed girls to stay before they were confident of full containment. Interlink had responded to the dwindling female birth count by creating the Estroko ranks. Females could train in the martial arts form and compete. During their competition years they could not be matched as long as they remained in the program. Only females were allowed in the Estroko program and those that reached the rank of master, in turn, instructed the next generation. The benefit was the fact that Estrokos desired female offspring because their daughters could remain with them in their training studios. The second advantage was that some families were willing to have daughters as long as they only had to enroll that

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child in Estroko training. It was catching on in the outposts that had active Estroko communities. Interlink command was confident the female population would stabilize in another fifty years. Cassian considered his match. She was a master but each Estroko master competed for an additional year after testing for her Master rank, to provide the general population with the slim chance of her being matched if she lost. These were the healthiest women in the universe, so many citizens lobbied for all masters to submit to matching. The Estroko masters bitterly argued that they needed their best to instruct the next generation and that they had earned the right to dictate their own destinies. It was their reward for entertaining the world with a sport which often left them with painful injuries. Besides, an Estroko master did not have to submit to matching in order to have a child, most masters simply chose a lover from among their Interlink military escort. The sport was very popular in the predominately male population and Estroko teams took their competition intently—each studio’s technique was a closely guarded secret. Estroko mothers often guarded the parentage of their daughters with the same zeal. If there was no public declaration of the father, the mother maintained complete custody of her child. Some men spent fortunes in legal battles attempting to force paternity tests. By his participation in the match program, Cassian had assured his own rights to know if any child born from his match was his blood. It was a harsh necessity in a time when humans fought for the most treasured of things, children. Cassian applied his palm imprint to the document without a single second of hesitation. He and Sion had been closer than most brothers. The chief medical officer was the only man he could think of sharing a woman with. Sion’s palm print was imprinted almost in the same second. -11-

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Monogamy was impractical as well. Housing a match would take both men’s financial resources. She would need heavy protection. There were plenty of law breakers in the galaxy interested in kidnapping the rare females. While there was ample employment available, a woman didn’t dare try to step outside any compound without an escort. The horrors that awaited a captured woman weren’t pretty. Their bodies became commodities sold to the highest bidders. “I will have her delivered to your spacecraft.” “Do we look like we can’t transport our own match?” Cassian’s temper rose. Hostile matches were normally sedated and delivered but the idea that this clerk didn’t think he and Sion could handle an unhappy female was insulting. His pride didn’t like the idea that any female wouldn’t be happy about becoming his match. “There will be no sedating.” Sion flexed his fingers until the knuckles popped and the clerk’s eyes widened. They were civilized adults. This female was just going to have to let her temper go. The match system was a proven, superior method of finding the best partners. No feminine pout was going to change the hard data. They would cohabitate well once they had taken a few days to become accustomed to each other. “We’ll be waiting right here, while you go get her.” Sion’s voice was disgustingly polite as he offered the clerk a smug smile. The clerk paled and rose stiffly from his chair. Cassian slowly smiled as he considered the thin frame that clearly didn’t know what a gym looked like on the inside. A senior year Estroko competitor wouldn’t even break a sweat taking the man down. Lifting his wrist, Cassian opened a link with his senior sergeant on their spacecraft. Maybe it was a primitive idea, but this female was his genetic match. Cassian intended to make certain he got the chance to explore their compatibility. -12-

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Chapter Two Jala decided her lousy luck was determined to hound her. Interlink officers. She blinked her eyes and tried to will the crimson uniforms away. Instead, she stepped back and raised her eyelids further to find the two giants striding directly towards her. She ground her teeth together and slammed her bare foot into the deck. She might be forced into dressing like a helpless dimwit but she wasn’t a coward. She could keep her teeth from chattering but not her skin from rising into goose bumps. Their gazes roamed over her body, not missing a single detail. “Won’t be paraded like livestock, my ass.” One of the men looked at her escort and growled. “Where are her clothes? She’s shivering. That means she’s cold.” Her escort didn’t seem surprised by the comment. “Draping allows for immediate inspection. Cuts down on manpower hours, sir.” They both grunted under their breath. The young man escorting her shifted his feet in the face of their displeasure. They might have objections to her attire but both males were inspecting her body with razor sharp eyes. Clearly, their objection was for the fact that other males could see her too, because they certainly held no reservations about taking advantage of her thin dress. She had read somewhere in a history book that brides were inspected before being put to bed with their -13-

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grooms. It was rather interesting to think such a primitive and outdated ceremony was taking place once again between the walls of a space station. She refused to shrink in front of them. She looked like every other human female, more or less. If she had to endure the damn law, then she would do it with her back straight. Whining wasn’t an option in her book and she wasn’t about to adopt it. But they didn’t have to take so long about it! Both men took more than one look at her frame. Instinct tried to make her cross her arms across her nipples but she forced the limbs to remain at her sides. The one wearing the medical insignia was fascinated by her breasts. His eyes lingered there as his companion was drawn to her recently bared mons. Seconds crawled by like hours. Her temper began to simmer as no one seemed interested in putting an end to the public display. The fingers wrapped around her arm suddenly bothered her immensely. “Let go of me. I am not a criminal.” Her escort gave her a bored expression. His fingers tightened on her arm as he looked back at her matches. The idea of that one word ‘match’ made her mad. Covering the hand on her arm, she lifted her opposite arm and dropped it over the man’s forearm. Her grip kept his hand immobilized and at her mercy. He yelped before his knees buckled. She let him go as gravity slammed him into the deck. She stepped back just enough to widen her stance and keep her legs ready to kick should the man decide to attack. The recruit didn’t seem to even consider that possibility, instead he looked at her with his mouth hanging open. Twin rumbles of male amusement made her tilt her head towards her matches. Their faces reflected deep male pride and their lips were twitching up at the corners. -14-

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“Numbers don’t lie, you’re my match all right,” the dark-haired giant with the command insignia stated. His voice was brimming with authority while his eyes suddenly brightened with an interest that made her shiver. “You will fit right in on our outpost, Jala.” The lighter-toned male aimed softer eyes at her as he appeared to approve of her abilities. His lips offered a grin but his eyes lingered on her nipples. Oh damnation! She should have whined. Instead she’d impressed them. She clung to her ignorance of their names. She didn’t want to know. At least she was beginning to thaw out. The Interlink vessel was dedicated to defense but it was neat and equipped with emergency supplies. That included environmental suits which would protect the crew in the event of loss of non-essential life-support functions, like heat. Composed of a jacket and pants, the suit was bulky and several sizes too large for her frame. She gathered its folds against her chilled body as she tried to roll the waistband enough times to bring the crotch of the pants to the top of her thighs. She had already made wide cuffs at the bottom of each leg. She’d treated each sleeve to the same shortening cuffs. There wasn’t much to do about the fact that the suit was just too big for her. Her body heat filled it and her skin rejoiced right up until she moved. Then all the heat went sailing out of the oversized garment. A little hiss of temper escaped her lips as she resigned herself to staying still. Her knee throbbed as it warmed up. There wasn’t much unused space on the vessel and she was currently standing in the mess hall. The -15-

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space doubled as the crew bunkhouse too. Retractable bunks could be summoned from the wall at the flash of a laser eye. Raising her palm, Jala passed her hand over an electronic eye near her. A two-and-a-half foot wide bench slid neatly from the wall. She dropped onto it and indulged herself in rubbing the swollen knee. Bits of male conversation drifted through the hull of the spacecraft as it was maneuvered away from the space station and out onto its course. Whatever that might be. The word outpost surfaced from her memory. The first true grin in days lifted her lips. The expression didn’t last long but at least she wasn’t going back to Earth. The outposts were remote but clean. She had lived her entire life in the most remote ones because females always grew healthier in the rustic and often harsh environments. Despite the harsh living conditions, those outposts were wonderfully free of nuclear pollution and even microwave flooding. The two major sources of sterility in the human female. She didn’t mind the crisp air or the dust that got between your toes. She liked being in touch with the planet surface. Back on Earth, you didn’t dare step outside without coverings over every inch of skin. But it was politically correct to live on the home world. Men spent fortunes on estates there. She didn’t give a hoot for what anyone thought. She’d take the outpost and a small training studio where she was the master. Well that dream was dust. She glared at her purple and brown knee, the swelling going all the way to her ankle. Jala hissed before yanking her comforting hand away from it. She wanted to feel every last twinge of pain from the thing. The weakness had cost her dearly, if she had been stronger, she would have prevailed in spite of her injury. -16-

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“Warming up?” Her eyes homed in on him in a millisecond. Sion grinned as they locked onto him like a targeting system. She looked rather fragile in her cocoon but the sharply defined cheekbones in her face reminded him that her body was in top condition. There wasn’t a spare inch of flesh on her. Even her breasts were little round globes that would fit in his palms. The medical officer raised an eyebrow when she didn’t answer him. She felt a tiny tingle of guilt but refused to appease it. What exactly did you say to a male who fully intended to have complete and total access to your body? Even a simple introduction felt painfully predictable under the current circumstances. “My name is Sion. I’m the chief medical officer at Yefet colony.” “I can read rank just fine.” He nodded before stepping closer. The wall at her back suddenly made her itch to move away from it, just to provide herself with some form of escape. But the room was too small for any safe position. This man was too large to avoid in the confines of the spacecraft. “Of course you would be able to read rank. A senior year competitor would be used to Interlink personnel.” Sion watched her eyes before stepping closer to her again. Jala didn’t like his company. He could see the battle in her hazel eyes as she tried to find an escape route. There wasn’t any. Sion ignored her display of indifference, she wouldn’t warm to him if he allowed her to ignore him but he was going to have to remember that he was dealing with a female who made her own way in life up until now. Most human females were reared by other matched females. They entered into their matches with nervous flutters but happy smiles on their lips. They were raised with the idea of matching being an exciting time in their lives. -17-

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Estrokos were different. They were a warrior caste that mingled with Interlink

personnel

often.

With

women

being

so

rare,

Estroko

competitions had to be supervised by military escort or risk being raided. But these females only ended up matched if they lost a competition between their twentieth and thirtieth years. Each competitor was given five rounds and she had to prevail in three to remain in the ranks. The harsh expression on Jala’s face clearly told him she viewed her current situation as a penalty for failure. An Estroko also had the right to indulge in sexual affairs as long as she remained an active competitor. Possessiveness was a foreign emotion to him but Sion recognized the burn of it as it hit him. This female was his match but could have shared her body with any number of men at her whim. “Yefet is quite warm this season. You won’t be cold once we transport to the surface. Cassian and I have provided a sturdy home for you.” She hissed softly, making him raise that eyebrow again. Jala didn’t care if he did hear her. She wasn’t going to start holding her tongue to keep his ego polished. Even if she’d heard human males expected that sort of master-like treatment from their matches. Listening to gossip wasn’t the wisest idea but every negative comment she’d ever heard about ending up matched was surfacing from her memory to torment her. “I won’t thank you for building me a cage.” “It’s better than your training facilities.” She grinned and showed him an even row of teeth. “I guess that depends on who you ask. What you call a training facility was what I knew as a home.” “Females enjoy security.”

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He said it like he believed it. Jala felt her grin turn into a smile. “I enjoy taking care of myself.” “You shouldn’t have to.” “And why not?” She wasn’t smiling any longer. Arrogant, egotistical male! She didn’t have a scrap of patience for their y-chromosome barbarian attitude. “I can provide for myself just fine! Just because I was born a female doesn’t mean I need a free ride. The law shouldn’t force me to be some male’s dependant.” “Match. You will be my match and it’s not a dirty word.” She snorted at him. Sion shook his head and stared at the defiance shining from her face. No one ever snorted at his orders! Hostile attitude certainly seemed almost too weak a word for her current mood. “Sion is a whole lot more even tempered than I am, Jala.” The opposite doorway was filled with the commander of the ship. He had darker features and black hair compared to the light golden hues of Sion. She flinched as she applied a name to one of them. Her fickle hormones were already turning against her. Flooding her blood stream and making certain she noticed little details about her male companions. Those embers of evolution encoded right into her genes, the damn things had been blissfully dormant but now it appeared her allotment of mercy had been exceeded. The Resource Department’s tests had dumped her right into close quarters with the sort of males who she found too attractive for her own good. During a competition, she could focus and avoid the issue. Cohabitating with them was going to be a much more difficult test of her composure. Living among females was nice and uncomplicated. You trained hard and indulged in friendly companionship. Men ruined that balance just by being male. They caused a chain reaction in the body that spelled

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disaster for any woman who wanted to keep her brain from becoming a slave to her uterus. “You seem to have missed a few lessons in manners.” The commander walked towards her with solid steps as his dark gaze cut into her. “Snorting is not an appropriate response to any officer.” Jala very precisely looked at the top of her arm. When a man joined Interlink force, his service number was laser inscribed on his left shoulder. Not that she could actually see her arm through the insulated suit but the commander’s face tightened as he understood her gesture. “It appears I didn’t register to follow your dictates. That’s too bad for you.” Her words sounded spiteful but she refused to care. Their approach was too certain, their words too full of their own authority over her. The walls were pressing in on her as she struggled to just breathe, her lungs felt too heavy to inflate. She felt like was a puppy at a pet store as it was boxed and sent home with whoever had paid the price for it. Forever expected to wait upon the whim of the owner for morsels of affection as well as the most basic of necessities. It was a humble position for a woman who had been so close to earning a living as the master and owner of her own school. “What in the cosmos is that?” Sion’s hand snaked up the pants she wore to clasp around her calf. Her legs were bent with both feet up on the bench she sat on because she’d been rubbing her knee. She hadn’t checked to make sure the fabric was pushed all the way back to her foot. Sion had sat on the other side of her feet and she’d left them there to keep the man from getting too close. That meant he could see up the baggy leg of the suit and his medically trained eye instantly found the brown bruising decorating her leg. He shoved the fabric up her leg as his eyes examined her. His face tightened with rage as he identified the severity of the injury. -20-

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“Why wasn’t this treated?” “Because it didn’t matter once I’d lost my final match because of it. Let go of my leg.” She tried to yank her limb out of his grasp. His fingers tightened as he aimed harsh disapproval at her. “Do you have some kind of fetish for pain?” Sion asked the question in a whisper-soft voice. He was almost afraid to hear her answer. There were rumors about Estrokos liking rough handling. Her little rosy nipples weren’t pierced but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy other kinds of pain. Any female who drove herself hard enough to reach her senior year had to be able to work through pain, and it was possible that her decades of training had warped her senses until Jala considered it enjoyable. His hand was stroking her foot. Jala frowned as the firm strokes felt amazing while they worked at the throbbing agony that gripped her limb. The strength he had in that hand was amazing. It made her want to melt into a puddle and just enjoy the motion of his fingers. Comfort wasn’t something she was used to getting from anyone but herself. Only little girls got tender attention, but once they began to grow up, each Estroko student was expected to appear strong no matter what personal pain they might be enduring. “Let go!” “Answer my question.” Refusing to speak kept her under his ministrations and in contact with his skin. Her pride battled with her choices. In order to be free she had to be obedient to him, she hated both options. A hard hand cupped her chin. The commander’s eyes glittered with challenge as he held her jaw up for his inspection. Her skin actually heated and enjoyed the two touches as she struggled to ignore the sensation that crawled over her body.

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It was just hormones. She repeated that fact as her temper tried to flare up to do battle with both men. The key was to stay calm, she couldn’t be defeated if she didn’t engage them. “You want to fight, Jala? I’ll be happy to meet you on the field but not where your health is concerned. Why is that injury untreated?” “It’s personal and none of your business, commander.” Her words were surly. Her mother would give her fifty push-ups for the grumpy, childish behavior but she couldn’t allow them to like her. She couldn’t let herself give them any chance to grow on her. The smallest courtesy could evolve into affection, for men that meant she would surrender her body for their use. To males, being kind meant you gave them sex. They didn’t know any other way to interact with women. True friendship could only exist between two people of the same gender and that was a proven fact. “Well your health is my concern.” Sion reached further up her leg until his fingers found her knee. He gently felt along the length of her calf, searching for exactly where her injury began. His light-colored eyes were full of anger. “I don’t give a damn why someone actually listened to that load of crap from you, this injury needs treatment. You will report to my health bay the second we touch Yefet territory. Is that clear?” Jala simply nodded. Yes, it was clear that they both lived up to every single thing she’d ever heard about matches. Orders, control and demands for obedience. That’s what being matched meant for a woman. All the science facts surrounding the match laws sounded good but they were labels invented by men who wanted to return females to the pages of history and the estate of chattel. Somehow, she had to find the way to survive with herself intact. She couldn’t become some spineless jellyfish whose purpose in life was to spread her thighs, produce children and cater to male whims. -22-

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She just had to find a way. Cassian didn’t care for the taste in his mouth as he stared at the hard determination flickering in his match’s eyes. What bothered him was how very similar the situation was to transferring a convict. He ran his gaze over Jala again and stared at the rejection simmering in her eyes. Frustration chewed at his elation. Today was a day he’d spent countless hours preparing for. Endless details had needed attention before his name and test numbers could even get into the match system. The bitter resentment being displayed pricked his ego with its harsh edge. Jala didn’t appear to have any intention of giving their sciencebacked compatibility a chance. One corner of his mouth rose as he turned and moved back to the command deck. Sion shot him a glare as he took a seat and inspected their location on the navigation screen. They wouldn’t have a match if Resource Control didn’t have absolute faith in their compatibility. Cassian let a grin cover his face as he considered changing Jala’s opinion. Now that just might be a whole lot more fun than he should admit. The match program had droned endlessly about treating females with gentle hands and soothing words. Somehow, Cassian got the idea Jala would bite the first gentle finger that got anywhere near her smooth skin. Resource Control would have a fit if Cassian admitted how exciting he found that idea. But that didn’t change the heat that bled through his body in response. So maybe, he’d just enjoy the burn and let nature take its course. And if he had to drag Jala along that path…well, there was nothing wrong with a man enjoying his duty. Û Û Û

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Sion didn’t give her the chance to disobey him. His hand curled around her biceps as they stood on the transfer pad and stayed there while he took her through the corridors of Yefet command central. The men they passed offered him salutes as he led her onto the medical facility. “Welcome back Dr. Luth.” Another man wearing a medical insignia on his crimson collar offered the greeting. His dark skin spoke of an African heritage. He considered her from head to toe as he sent her a single nod. “This is Jala, my match. She needs treatment.” The younger doctor turned his immediate attention to Sion. “Knee injury. My guess would be a sprain.” Command flowed with Sion’s words as he took control of her treatment. His staff all fell into their assigned positions as he turned back to look at her again. “Jala, please lay down on the scan table.” Sion wasn’t certain she’d comply. He watched her intently as he reluctantly let go of her arm. The medical scan table had lowered to just below her hip level, all she had to do was sit on it and lay back. The unit would then rise to the doctor’s set work level. She sat on the unit and let her body lower to its surface. Keeping her match at arm’s reach didn’t include wrestling with the man. He was twice her size. Her back was going to end up on that medical table one way or another. “Thank you, Jala.” If the younger doctor thought there was something odd about Sion’s statement he kept it to himself. Jala didn’t care what anyone thought, she wasn’t a normal match. Young females who passed fertility scans were organized into Pathrothics at the age of fourteen. They bonded with each other and -24-

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those friendships lasted their entire lifetime. In the Pathrothics centers they learned everything about becoming matches, they were raised to look forward to their eighteenth birthday when they would meet their intended husbands. If they ever doubted that matching wasn’t a dream, it was drilled out of them long before they ever met their males. Jala was different. She knew the truth about life, the options and opportunities that most fertile girls were never told about. Their young minds were filled with child-raising tips and, most importantly, sexual technique. They came to their matches with full knowledge of a multitude

of

pleasuring

actions

designed

to

please

and

ensure

conception. The burden of becoming pregnant rested squarely on the female’s shoulders. If she didn’t conceive quickly, it was her fault for not enticing her matches with her practiced and memorized skills in the bedroom. A tiny little ripple of amusement made its way through her thoughts. Estrokos could take monthly injections to prevent pregnancy. Although she hadn’t shared sex with any of her Interlink escort, she had reported for the injections because she did not gamble with fate. An Estroko was eliminated from the training program if she conceived and was immediately matched with the father of her child. The Interlink men who served as escort during competitions often competed harder for the attention of the Estrokos than she did in the ring. Her last injection would see that her next menstrual cycle arrived right on time. At least pregnancy wouldn’t be an issue for another few weeks. Somehow, she got the impression neither of her matches would agree to her continuing the injections. That idea only soured her mood once more as she contemplated the harsh reality of not being able to take any form of birth control without consent from both her matches. Her only option was abstinence. -25-

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Her attention strayed to Sion as he worked. His eyes were intent as he considered her leg and the purple swelling. Control was evident in his every action as the treatment progressed. Clearly the man was well practiced in his field. “Walking around on this must be painful, did it cost you your last match?” “It doesn’t matter. I’m here because I lost the engagement.” Points mattered, not excuses. Just looking at the male faces of the medical staff, her heart twisted with loneliness. Because she was Estroko, even her friends were cut off from her now. Jala faced matching without anyone she knew. When members of her team lost competitions, it cast a dark aura over the studio, very much like a death in the family. Right about now, the senior master would be telling the junior instructor to take her picture off the studio wall and retire it to the back office wall. She had often gone back to that wall before a competition to view the faces of other Estrokos who had once shared her own dreams of making it through their last year of competition. Sion raised an eyebrow at her. “Is winning everything?” He applied a row of numbers into the computer terminal in the medical unit as she shot him an angry look. A low hum was her warning as the treatment began. Little pulses of electricity went up and down her leg as it began to promote and accelerate her healing cells. “Our numbers of compatibility are much higher than most matches. You might find cohabitation far better than training.” Sion actually reached over to pet her hair. She jerked away from the coddling touch as she shot him a glare. Sion frowned at the rejection but not in anger, instead the man looked completely astonished. “You are determined to be difficult aren’t you, Jala.” His words were a judgment, spoken in a firm voice as his eyes considered her like some -26-

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kind of disobedient junior recruit who didn’t understand what behavior was expected. “I don’t waste my time on mindless chatter. Maybe it’s best if we get that fact clear from the start.” “A little conversation can help us get to know each other.” Sion considered the firm set of her lips as she spoke. Her mouth stayed relaxed as she was treated. The few matched females on the outpost he had treated required soothing during their procedures and thick application of affection from their matches. Jala’s gaze moved to his collar as she considered his rank insignia before she lifted them to his face, without a single hint of fear anywhere on her face. She didn’t look to him for emotional support and Sion got the feeling she’d slap away any comforting hand he tried to apply. “That seems pointless to me. You are a male.” Jala didn’t look like she intended to explain her reasons either. Sion found himself frowning as he studied the firm set of her face. Jala actually intended to keep her feelings to herself. Females always shared their emotional motivations. It was something he’d been instructed during his match seminars to expect and encourage. Women needed their emotional tides to be witnessed, doing so would build a strong match relationship. Approval surfaced from some corner of his mind as Sion looked at the solid determination staring back at him. The second her treatment ended Jala rolled right over the opposite edge of the medical unit. She landed on perfectly balanced feet as her body fell into what was a practiced stance, designed for defense. Jala appeared completely capable without any displays of affection from him. Approval transformed into admiration as Sion considered the prime picture of health she presented. His staff thickened and hardened -27-

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as he caught the pure rejection of any coddling displayed in her stance. It was like an aphrodisiac flowing from his brain to his cock as the organ twitched for contact with the female who refused to accept his help. Sion moved across the floor too confidently. Jala shifted back as she came face to face with just how much larger the man was than her. His lighter hair and eyes let him slip under her initial notice but now she tipped her head back to stare at shoulders that were twice the span of her own and packed with thick muscle. Her eyes were even with the man’s collarbones and there was an insane little flutter of excitement in her belly which Jala frankly detested. A smaller male would be much easier to keep at arm’s length. Sion wasn’t going to be intimidated easily. He considered her face a moment before he reached for her arm. Jala slipped back smoothly across the tile floor as his lips pressed together in a tight line. “Just because I’m a male doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” His eyes didn’t look friendly. Jala caught his attention moving down her length once again before he came back to her face. Sure, he wanted to get to know her which meant getting exactly what he wanted…her body. Maybe she shouldn’t let it bother her so much. It was just sex. If a child was in her future it was time to think about letting a male close enough to father one. But she couldn’t divorce herself from her flesh. As her focus shifted from dealing with the pain of her injury, she suddenly began to notice her body’s other needs. Her stomach growled and Sion smiled. He extended his arm towards the door. “Maybe you’ll reconsider over a meal. Cassian will be waiting for us to join him.” That flutter hit her belly once again as Jala turned to hide her annoyance. The darker-haired commander was every inch as large as Sion. There was one stark difference. Sion was willing to let her avoid -28-

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him and she got the distinct impression Cassian was the type of opponent who charged in at the front of a battle. Not that it mattered all too much. An opponent who took the time to set you up could be just as deadly. Letting her guard down with Sion could be an even bigger mistake than facing off with Cassian. Looking for a bright side took a lot of digging. “Will there be clothing involved?” More importantly, clothing for her to wear that didn’t leave her tender parts exposed? She didn’t point that out because there was no reason to light a fire under Sion if she didn’t need to. The man would be cranky enough when he took his erection to bed without her. She had noticed the bulge in his pants and Jala really wished she hadn’t. So what? The man had all the normal male genitalia. Just because he was prone to looking at her breasts didn’t mean she needed to develop a mental idea of what he kept in his pants. That sort of information led a girl right into trouble. Big trouble. There were fellow Estrokos who had enjoyed their military escort completely and loudly. They were the same females who tended to end up losers because they lacked concentration on the mat. She might be matched for a solid five years but that didn’t mean she had to fling every principle she had ever lived by into the forces of nature. Mother Nature was a controlling bitch who would land Jala on her back in one hour straight if she let her. The bulge in Sion’s pants told her the male was interested in trying out their “natural” chemistry together. Sion considered her for a moment before moving towards the doorway. “Yes, everything you need is waiting at our quarters.” Jala didn’t snort at his words and Sion smiled at her back as she quickened her pace to get her face out of his sight. Too bad. He was sort of enjoying her stubborn streak. What an interesting turn of fate and one -29-

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he laid at technology’s door step. Jala wasn’t boring. Sure, he had expected to want to have sex with his match but enjoying the time spent outside the sheets was a surprise. No male really thought about their matches when they were separated. Once there were children involved, that tended to change a bit due to the care needed from both parents for growing offspring. Good teamwork skills would be essential to raising successful children. But the interaction would revolve around their children. Males and females just lived different lives. It was a fact which people in the past had deluded themselves into thinking wasn’t so. It was. Everyone knew it. But actually getting to know Jala was certainly a whole hell of a lot more interesting than his required lectures had hinted it would be.

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Chapter Three One bed. Jala stared at the over-wide, padded surface and indulged her fantasies in a moment of pure temper. She shook her head as she picked her feet up and moved towards the closet. Of course there was only one bed, after all she was just a female and should be quite eager to jump into bed tonight…right? Hey she already knew both their names so sex was the next step. Well she couldn’t exactly be mad at either Sion or Cassian for thinking that way. Someone had taught them to expect her thighs to fall open and it was going to be her burden to live with that expectation. The closet door slid open as Jala passed her palm in front of a laser eye and she stared at the clothing waiting for her. Neatly hung were all kinds of flimsy skirts and little tops glittering with rhinestones. Most of the tops would bare her back or belly and there wasn’t a single skirt that would reach anywhere close to her knees. Some of the garments took careful study before she figured out exactly how the things were expected to stay on her body without fluttering to the floor the second she twisted or bent over. On second thought, half the tops in the closet were the type a girl didn’t dare bend over in, unless she wanted her breasts on display. Jala trailed a finger over some of the colors and smiled at the soft fabrics. She always wore a uniform and she did admit to longing for a -31-

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splash of color from time to time. About the only relief for her feminine personality had been to paint her toenails in colors that suited her mood. Polished toenails were the one thing that told you Estrokos were women…looking down you could always find neatly painted toenails in a rainbow of colors. Bottles of nail polish were coveted in the dormitory and traded among the students. Girls often asked their families to send some as a gift. Every bottle that made its way into an Estroko training dormitory was used right down to the last drop. Jala bent and began opening the drawers under the hanging clothes and discovered endless little scraps of lace that some fluffy females might actually call underwear. She let one pair dangle from her finger as she looked at it. Flamingo pink, it was a single triangle of lace with little cords sewn to it. “Bite me” was embossed right in the center of the fabric. She laughed at the garment. Just wearing the excuse for clothing would have gotten the message across that she was interested in having sex. Writing instructions across her mons hit her as hysterically funny because it was so very blatant. Humm…but Cassian looked like he did bite. The panties dropped back into the drawer as Jala stood up and rubbed her cold arms again. She gazed around the rest of the room as she absorbed how many empty drawers and racks there were. The entire space was for her, and she just couldn’t understand needing half the garments there now, much less adding to the whole jumble. She fingered through the hanging items, trying to find anything reasonable to wear. Parading back out to dinner in one of the fluorescent, ultra-feminine outfits wasn’t an option as far as she was concerned. Besides, being matched didn’t mean she was expected to freeze. There was a whole range of discomforts she’d been trained to ignore as an Estroko, but when it came to sitting down to eat, she was not going to shiver between -32-

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her salad and main course. Cassian and Sion both had their uniforms and she considered it rather idiotic of them to not figure out that she had to live in the same climate they did. If they wanted to see any skin, maybe they should turn up the heat setting. Jala looked at the other closet and passed her hand in front of its laser eye. The racks of male clothing made her heart sink with the stark reality of her new status. She felt unbalanced as she walked among the rows of large garments and reached out to touch one here and there. Uncertainty clouded her thoughts as she tried to consider just how to coexist in the same living quarters with two males. She frankly did not know where to begin. She understood how to talk to new Estroko competitors, she was experienced in keeping up relationships with her instructors and enjoyed the fellow Estrokos that she’d trained with for years. But males? Did you talk to them and if so, what about? Sex…well that was a given. She frowned as she pulled a soft-looking pair of pants from a pile neatly stored in a drawer. They were huge but looked rather similar to the same cut of her training uniforms. Her eyes burned as she stepped into the pants and began flipping the waistband over to pull up the excess fabric. She tried to dismiss her emotions but they refused to leave her in peace as she searched for a shirt. She felt so lost. It almost felt like if she fought hard enough, she could get back to that place where there was friendship and respect and achievement. Instead, she pulled another male garment from a hanger and slipped it over her head. The tail hung to her knees, reinforcing her out-of-place depression. Was sex really the place to begin? If so, it would certainly be a humbling first session for her. The only information she had were stories from other Estrokos and the rather humorous information tapes she’d been forced to watch on her way to the -33-

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distribution station. So she knew what all the genitalia looked like and the way it fit together but Jala didn’t have a single clue as to how to transform that bodily function into any kind of sense of belonging in Cassian and Sion’s world. All of the details of her duties at her studio flashed through her brain. It was tiny little things that made it home…like knowing when it was your turn to sanitize the showers or stock them with soap. Emerging from the closet, she stared at the single shower stall and felt those tears pick at her eyelids again. She brushed an angry hand over her eyes, silently berating the weakness. Crying was for little girls. And she was an Estroko master no matter where she laid her head at night. Estrokos did not let their emotions lead them, they contained and challenged their energy into precise execution of their art. She could not let being matched change that because it was the only thing she still had. She was still Estroko. “We’re supposed to wait.” Cassian grunted at Sion but turned on a boot heel and paced back across the living room of his living unit. The carpet was marked from his passes as they waited for Jala to reappear from the bedroom. “I took the same damn classes you did, Sion.” “True.” Sion toyed with a napkin before grinning at Cassian. “Apparently, I was the only one paying attention. No need to thank me.” Cassian tightened his fingers into a fist and sent it smashing into his opposite palm. Sion jerked his head to the side in a mimic of being hit. He lifted his foot from the deck and kicked it towards Cassian’s crotch. Cassian snickered at the implication. Sion often balanced their relationship with humor. His high rank made Sion a good choice for -34-

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Cassian to link up with for the match program but their personalities blended well too. They had poked around the issue for three years before shaking hands and filing the first application. Although both of them wanted a female to cohabitate with, the fact was they had spent far more time living with each other. His cock gave a twitch as Cassian swore he could almost smell Jala in the house. His body was acutely aware of her presence despite having barely touched her yet. It felt like a chemical reaction happening at a cellular level. He kept listening for her movements in the other room like it was critical data. Even jealously was winding its way through his brain as Cassian noticed the same sharp attention in Sion’s eyes. The other man used his humor to mask his growing lust but the rising attraction was still making their to-date comfortable relationship…irritable. The door to the sleeping area slipped open and Cassian lost all interest in debating with Sion. His jaw clenched as he took a long look at Jala. She resembled child playing dress up because the shirt she had on was several sizes too big and hung on her frame like a sack. That was because it was his sleep shirt. Beneath the hem, a pair of workout pants covered her legs and were rolled into cuffs at her feet. The drawstring waist accounted for them staying around her trim figure, but his cock still jerked as Cassian stared at her. His brain was acutely aware that she was female. Maybe that was a side effect of living in a predominantly male society but tonight he felt like he was meeting his first woman. “Well, I guess you’re not cold any longer.” Sion made the comment and Jala considered his less than happy companion. Cassian frowned at her as his dark gaze moved over her body. It was really rather odd, in a way. She was very used to her body being critiqued by her instructors. -35-

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Often, they corrected without asking, just moving whatever part of her body was not in the right place. She did the same to many students, gripping their fabric belt and using her own feet to move theirs into proper position. Cassian’s look wasn’t the same though. His gaze moved down her length in a far different manner. It felt like he was stripping the fabric from her body. The frown on his face said he didn’t like the barrier one bit. Why he might want to see her body eluded her, surely he’d been expected to view the same information tapes that she had and understood what her genitalia looked like, too. Until they were having sex, she didn’t see any reason to display her body to them. “Women don’t wear pants on Yefet.” Cassian watched her as he spoke. Jala raised an eyebrow at his gruffness. “Really? Well, I guess Yefet is about to get a shake up. I don’t show my thighs off at the local market. Besides, all those skirts are too tight. I wouldn’t be able to separate my legs in them.” Cassian’s eyes flickered with something as he looked at her mons again. Her remark was reduced to sex once more and it made her mad. “I meant in order to kick. Don’t you expect to be able to defend yourself when you go out? I find it hard to swallow you’d wear something that strapped your thighs together and forced you to walk like a penguin.” Sion’s face mirrored Cassian's as the doctor stood up. “Everything you need will be delivered, Jala. You cannot go into town.” It wasn’t that she held any great desire to shop but hearing it wasn’t allowed chafed her pride. “Without you, you mean?” Two male grunts were her answer. “And while you big, strong males are off working…exactly what am I expected to do with myself?” Even if her question sounded surly, Jala almost cringed when she saw that neither man missed the plea hidden in it. They looked confused -36-

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for a moment as they pondered her words. She wasn’t exactly sure what to do if there wasn’t training involved. She trained or taught everyday. She had no clue what non-Estroko females did. Cassian scanned her body once again and lingered over her belly. “There will be a baby to tend to shortly enough. You can study until then or whatever amuses you.” He sounded relieved to have stumbled upon a response to her question. A shudder shook her body as she watched the way he pulled his gaze back up her body and never made it past her breasts. Hunger brightened those dark depths and she felt her breath lodge in her throat. “That’s assuming there is going to be sex.” Her voice was full of determination as she glared at both men. “What?” Jala wasn’t sure who shouted the word first. But Cassian and Sion were finally both looking at her face once more, making it far easier to breathe. The idea of having sex with them was exciting, she would give the match program its due. If she was ever tempted to engage in intercourse, these two males were certainly tempting partners. Exactly her type…so to speak. She had to admit that both males were extremely arousing…if she were going to allow her hormones to notice anything connected to reproduction practices. At the moment, it wasn’t on her critical list. “We will be getting to know each other, Jala. You were matched to us.” Sion was trying to explain his point of view to her like she was some frightened child. But his fingers were gripping the edge of the table with enough force to turn each digit white. “What possible reason could you have for refusing to begin our introduction?” Jala shook her head. Males always reduced everything to cock and cunt. Knowing each other meant fucking together. “I don’t spread my -37-

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thighs for strangers.” She wasn’t sure just what else she did mean but the idea of trotting off to that oversized bed in the other room made her stomach twist into a knot. Sion clearly thought she’d lost her senses. He released the edge of the table before curling his fingers into a tight fist. “You must be exhausted from the injury and travel.” His words weren’t soothing, instead he uttered them like a judgment. Cassian crossed his arms over his massive chest and grinned at her. The knot in her stomach tightened again as her lungs froze. The glint in his eyes promised her he wasn’t going to be anywhere as accepting of her position. He unfolded one arm and spread it towards the meal laid out on the table. “You should eat, Jala. It looks like you might need all your strength tonight.” Her temper fueled her stride as she moved towards that table. Challenge burned in Cassian’s eyes and there was something stirring in her brain that eagerly anticipated meeting the man head on. The spirit of competition was something she thrived on and apparently so did Cassian. The commander of Yefet was in for a shock though. She did not lose engagements. “So will you.” Jala sat and filled her plate as both men joined her. Sion’s eyes searched hers as tension tightened her muscles. She straightened her back and forced her throat to swallow. Cassian’s hand landed on top of hers and captured it despite her attempt to jerk it from his hold. She glared into his dark eyes as he leaned towards her. “I’m looking forward to it, Jala.” And there was absolutely no doubt that he was. Aggression burned in his eyes as his fingers tightened on hers. He held her hand captive as a warning that she certainly didn’t miss. His thumb found the center of her -38-

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palm and firmly rubbed it. She gasped because she had never noticed the skin in the middle of her hand was so sensitive. Cassian’s touch jolted her with its level of intensity. Her nipples slowly drew into hard little points. She had no idea what to make of the strange reaction, it was all she could do to resist the urge to pull the neckline of her shirt out in front of her and look down at her breasts. She caught a slight movement from Sion and she turned her head to find the man staring at her chest. He pointed his fork at her and grinned. “Now that is more like it, Jala.” “You’re welcome to wear my clothes anytime.” Cassian was also staring at her torso. She glanced down to see her nipples clearly defined against the soft fabric, like twin little pebbles. Cassian’s lips moved against themselves as he swallowed and her nipples tightened even further. Her body had lousy timing. During a hundred competitions she might have enjoyed the sexual response, but tonight? It felt like she was hoisting a white flag of surrender. Waving it high while her body flung every bit of ambition she’d ever had to the wind and eagerly embraced becoming a sex pet that existed for the day it could become a vessel to produce children for its caregivers. Depression suddenly loomed over her mood as she lost her appetite. She might as well go slip on the flamingo pink panties and forgo any further attempt at thinking. After all, what did she need with higher brain function when her nipples wanted to investigate whether or not either male did bite? Jala surged to her feet as her body refused to sit still. Energy was pulsing along her nerve endings as she tried to jerk her thoughts away from the idea of sex. -39-

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A solid arm across her waist stopped her in her tracks. Actually, her feet left the deck, at least her heels did. If she pointed her toes, she could still touch the floor. Her breath froze in her lungs as Cassian’s body connected along her back. She had noticed that he was a large male but now

there

was

a

sense

of

overpowering

strength.

A

surge

of

acknowledgement raced through her that he was stronger than she was. She hissed with outrage because she did not allow herself to be defeated by mere ideas. If you went into the ring thinking the other Estroko could beat you…you might as well hand her the metal. Cassian felt his muscles tighten. It was the sort of sensation he got just before a fight. He clamped his control into place as he resisted the idea of dragging his prize into his lair. That was a primitive way to think about it but at the moment he felt like there was an inner beast shredding his composure. Slicing at the rules that said he couldn’t just toss Jala on his bed and spread her thighs. She shivered against his body and the telltale motion made him growl with approval. There was only one thing better than dragging Jala into the bedroom and that would be to tempt her into following him there. “I thought you were hungry, Jala.” Cassian’s voice was a male rumble she felt as well as heard. He held her against his body as his head turned and she felt his breath hit the side of her neck. Goose bumps raced down her body and collided with the sensation twisting her nipples. A small explosion of delight hit her in the belly as she caught the scent of Cassian’s warm skin. “Maybe not for food? Glad to see it.” A soft chuckle was the only warning she got before his lips nipped her neck. Her body jerked but not just out of anger. Excitement reached for her protesting logic like a -40-

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raptor intent on devouring it. Cassian laid a row of firm kisses on her neck, one at a time. He didn’t hurry but lingered over her skin, pressing his teeth just hard enough to make her nerve endings pulse with surprise. Oh hell…the man did bite and she shivered as her flesh told her exactly how much she liked it. Jala dragged a deep breath into her lungs and forced her eyelids open. A gasp of horror hit her ears as she found herself staring into Sion’s light-colored eyes. Hunger flashed across those blue orbs as he stepped closer. He lifted a hand and stroked one of her hard nipples. She shivered as sensation shot down her spine and she couldn’t control the reaction. Her brain appeared to have shut down as her body took control of her. “Ah, Jala, I am going to consider it my personal mission to change your mind.” Sion’s thumb brushed her nipple again as his eyes dropped to her breasts and hunger washed over his features. Jala stared at the raw emotion. She knew what a leer was, had witnessed it from Interlink men before. This was…well…deeper. The idea of possession came to mind and stuck as Sion found the hem of her shirt and pulled it up. “What—” Cassian’s mouth thrust her words right back into her throat. His kiss was firm as he pushed her lips apart and explored her mouth. Cool air brushed her breasts as Sion bared them and then her mind exploded as both globes of flesh were cupped in a pair of hard male hands. Her feet completely left the deck as Cassian lifted her higher and pressed her neck back further for his kiss. His tongue stroked her own in a bold mimic of what the hard cock pressing against her bottom wanted. Heat pooled in her abdomen as she felt her passage flooding for that cock. Whatever she might think didn’t change the desire clawing at her body to spread herself for penetration. -41-

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The idea shocked her brain enough to grant her a single moment of clarity. She jerked her mouth away from Cassian’s and he growled at her. His eyes blazed with displeasure. A scant second later she heard her own moan. Sion’s lips captured a single nipple and there was no way to contain the pleasure inside her body. It twisted and rippled along every nerve as he sucked the little nub deeply into his mouth and the tip of his tongue flicked back and forth over it. Sion’s hands curled around her hips to hold her in place as he licked the top of her nipple and flickered the tip of his tongue across its surface. Cassian’s growl transformed into one that sounded far more like promise than threat. With his free hand he tore the shirt over her head and tossed it across the room. Pressed between them, she couldn’t decide whose hand did what, only that sensation ruled her, ordering her fingers to touch them in return. Her hands landed on Sion’s shoulders and her fingertips instantly told her how warm he was. She had never once dreamed such a simple touch could send so much delight racing through her. But it was more than just her fingertips, she caught the scent of both males as Cassian’s taste lingered on her lips. It was a potent combination that unlocked buried yearnings she had never suspected her body harbored. She brushed Sion’s chest and found his smaller male nipple a bare second before the lights in the room flickered and died. All motion stopped as her feet were lowered to the deck. Two pairs of male hands stroked her bare skin, hesitating to break the contact. She heard a pair of frustrated grunts as they left her alone. “Stay here, Jala. We have to report back to command central. The power grid is down.” Cassian’s voice promised retribution for the officer in charge at that moment. Cassian was gone a second later, Sion right on his heels. Reality slammed into her brain as she listened to the silence -42-

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around her. All power was gone, leaving the housing unit as still as a confessional. All the tiny sounds that filled a house were silent, making it eerie in the dark. Jala was grateful. There was mercy in the cosmos. Because her eyes weren’t adjusted to the darkness, she couldn’t see the shine of Sion’s kiss on her nipple, only feel it as the air brushed across the moisture. She couldn’t see the little bites trailing down her neck, only feel the lingering burn. The scent of her own arousal rose up her body as she felt around for her shirt. A curse came out of her mouth as her breasts complained bitterly and her passage protested at being empty. She had never craved sex. The word need was right behind crave but she refused to acknowledge it. She did not need sex! She might like or even enjoy intercourse but she was not going to become an addict to sensation. So she liked having her nipples sucked…big deal. All that proved was that she was healthy. Noticing Cassian’s cock just meant she was a heterosexual. Absolutely nothing more! Finding her shirt and she jerked it over her head. She repeated her words in a near shouting rage as she tried to force her body to believe them. But her flesh refused to listen. Instead, she felt the air against her face as she moved and little zips of sensation traveled across her body. A soft throb centered between her legs like Sion and Cassian had scraped aside a thick layer of ash to expose the red-hot coals placed in her genes by evolution. Whatever she might want, frustration became the only thing Jala was certain she felt. Damn…damn…damn.

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Chapter Four Jala was sleeping on the sofa. Sion stared at her slumbering form and battled the urge to snarl. The idea of giving in to his temper made him curious. He wasn’t a man used to being prey to the emotional outbursts which often led weaker men to mistakes in judgment that hunted them forever. Immaturity had a way of becoming a man’s worst enemy. If a man failed to conquer his own whims, he wouldn’t get very far in life. Sion was proud of his dedication to duty. Years of work had paid off with his position at Yefet. His attention moved over to Jala. She was a result of his labor as well. His gaze slid over the length of one arm. The limb was bare and starlight cast a glow over her skin. His attention lingered on her as he caught the tiny sound of her even breathing. Odd triggers fired off in his brain. There was the burn of arousal flooding his blood stream as his pride boasted its achievement in earning Jala. But she wasn’t his…not yet. Sion frowned as he looked at that sofa. She was clearly making a stand by sleeping in the front room of their housing unit. A soft step beside him sent his body to rigid attention. His teeth clenched as Cassian moved closer to Jala. It shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did. -44-

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Sion was used to logic ruling him but tonight there was something else flowing through his cells that tempted him to simply react. Cassian’s gaze cut across the dim lighting to clash with his and he recognized the same violence burning in his friend. That restored his balance. Sharing a female was the only option. Two males to every female and they were lucky to be standing so close to one. It was the combination of both their life achievements that had gained them a female match. Alone, Sion didn’t stand a chance and neither did Cassian. Together in matching or together alone. News of their recent success in the match program was already sweeping through the ranks of men who staffed the outpost. Sion had fifteen medical exams waiting for his time for men who intended to make a try for their own match. Once some of them got a look at Jala, that number would skyrocket. Sion would wager money on it. But Jala didn’t see her reaction to their touch as a sign of the match program’s success. It didn’t make any sense, Sion could still hear her little moan. She liked their touch so there was no reason for her to be sleeping on the sofa. Morning was a damn long time away.

“Jala!” Cassian wasn’t sure if he was furious or scared down to his boots. The sofa was bare at dawn, the blanket folded perfectly on one corner. The unlocked front door sent warning signals off in his brain as Sion charged into the outer room. “She left?” It wasn’t a pleasant idea. Sion was one pace behind Cassian as he yanked the door open and charged through it. There weren’t many people up at that early hour, which was the only reason they found Jala so quickly. -45-

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She was running along the main road that cut through the family housing area. She reached the end and turned around to head back towards them. Her body cut through the morning air with training that was clear in every stride. Knowing Jala was in prime condition didn’t live up to the reality of watching her body move with perfect form, her knees lifting high to give her greater speed. A dark sweat stain covered her chest and that didn’t stop her, she was the first female either man had ever seen actually training as hard as males did. Females did exercises to prepare for childbirth or to recover from it, and sometimes they might try some of the body-shaping routines because their vanity demanded it but this was entirely different. Both Cassian and Sion noted the way Jala pushed off the ground with her toes with every step. It sent her legs forward faster. It was a pace that spoke of professional training but more importantly dedication to true body conditioning. Jala was training to fight and it radiated from her as she pushed her body to achieve. Oh damn. Jala saw Cassian and Sion waiting for her. She wasn’t a coward but it sure was tempting to turn around and take another lap. Her breasts vetoed that option. Running without a good support top was a test of her resolve. Somehow, she was going to have to get her hands on some real clothes. Of course that would mean dealing with her matches. She wasn’t sure if she wanted the clothing bad enough. Estrokos couldn’t get attached to personal comforts, that led to being weak. Even now her breasts were aching from running without support but to label it pain made it hurt all that much more. She had learned to make do with what she had her entire life and to not use words that would make her more aware of the pain. So, she vetoed taking another lap, instead of

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recognizing the fact that her breasts were hurting. It was a simple play on words that enabled her to survive without suffering. She tightened her control as she moved towards her matches. “Jala, you cannot leave our living unit.” Sion actually pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke between clenched teeth. His eyes were slits as he tried to keep from bellowing at her. “Excuse me? I just went running. I do it every day, at sunrise and also at sunset.” Cassian stepped forward until their bodies almost brushed, making her tilt her head back to look at his face. Command was staring back at her from his gaze. He was about to crack his whip of authority over her and it looked like he expected her complete compliance. “Jala, you will not expose yourself to danger. When you want to leave our living space one of us will be with you. Is that perfectly clear?” It was certainly loud enough. Her temper strained against years of training to respect authority. Her rapid breath rate pulled in Cassian’s scent and she recognized instantly that this was not an Estroko she had been taught to obey. No, this was a male who every fiber in her soul demanded she shove back before he got it into his skull she could be conquered by his superior strength. There wasn’t any logic to her thoughts and she frankly did not care. She was not going to bow to Cassian’s dictates. “What appears to be unclear is the fact that I will not be laying on my back, awaiting your arrival.” Cassian growled at her and the sound sent a current of excitement down her spine. Her body shuddered as she recognized that deep male sound as an acceptance of her challenge to his authority, there was actually a part of her that was excited even further by the animalistic sound of his growl. She was pushing his limits and her blood went -47-

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surging towards her passage as she felt a wave of hunger wash through her. Hidden at the top of her sex, her clit actually throbbed as Cassian glared at her. “Estrokos do not spend their days being lazy and I refuse to begin doing so.” “Your nipples are hard.” Sion’s voice was like a bucket of icy water dumped over her. Somehow, she had completely shut out everyone and everything besides Cassian. The medical officer studied her breasts before he raised his eyes to look at her face. “I have to say, I really like your breasts Jala, they send a much clearer message than your words.” Blood rushed into her cheeks as her breath lodged in her throat. Sion’s blue eyes were full of promise as he looked back at her breasts. She was suddenly so hot, she could practically see the waves of heat. She sucked in a gasp of air before to avoid crumpling at the two men’s boot tips. Sion had caught her off guard with his sexual comment. Cassian she expected to be blunt but Sion had scored his own point by inserting himself back into the conversation. It was a deadly triangle of stimulation and challenge. Temptation urged her to continue their verbal sparring until one of their control snapped. It was a reckless idea that taunted her with longings she had spent years suppressing as she devoted herself to training. One foot actually lifted before Jala realized her body was going to fall back in retreat. A corner of Sion’s mouth rose as he studied her response. She turned her head to see Cassian’s smug grin as he folded his arms across his chest and raised a dark eyebrow at her. “I like your tits too. Sion always has a way with words.” Cassian’s dark eyes dropped to the hard points of her nipples. “I’ll remember to check your chest for the truth from now on.”

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She hissed with frustration. Temper flared through her body and it only added to the need flickering through her passage. Her clit was pulsing with a desire to be touched as her memory insisted on reminding her exactly how much she had enjoyed Sion’s hands on her bare breasts last night. The blaze of sexual attraction hadn’t died during the night, it had just been laying there simmering as it waited for another opportunity to erupt into flames. But the desolation that had touched her last night rose along with her temper. The blatant sexual topic pushed her further into a shadow of loneliness. Cassian and Sion might be her matches but that went no further than sex and reproduction. She had been born into the Estroko training studio where she had spent her life up until last week. Having her teammates and students separated from her was like having a limb severed with a laser scalpel. She felt like her blood was seeping from the wound, weakening her and making her prey for the carnivores stalking her. Cassian and Sion embodied temptation. They simmered like an oasis, tempting her to take what companionship they could offer her because she was barred from reaching for the family she’d been torn away from. How many days would her resolve hold out? Her mind was schooled to tight discipline but the seeds planted in her DNA weren’t going to lay dormant. Mating was an instinct nature controlled. She might hold it back but the urges would overrun her strongest protests, the burn flickering through her clit was solid proof of the defeat in store. Jala sighed as she shook her head, maybe knowing her body so well was a curse. Her mother had always said a disciplined mind would be her greatest weapon, today it taunted her with the truth and tears pricked her eyes once again. She considered Cassian as he looked at her hard nipples, at least she was not the only victim of nature’s -49-

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dictatorship. Somehow, she doubted the commanding officer of Yefet would be very happy to be told he was helpless against the tide of hormones filling his body as well. Of course, to Cassian’s way of thinking, this was exactly what he desired. “This is pointless.” Jala didn’t care for how dejected her voice sounded. She frowned at the way her voice reminded her of a newly arrived student, freshly removed from her mother’s care. She shrugged before walking around Cassian and back into their living space. Cassian wasn’t used to feeling uncertain. The second Jala brushed past him he felt the harsh sting of guilt. Somehow, he’d managed to forget every code for officer-like conduct while facing Jala. In short, he was being an ass. But that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to finish the conversation. Cassian turned and followed Jala, she might not like it, but gambling with her safety wasn’t going to happen on his outpost. “The point of the discussion is your disobedience to rules set down for your own protection, Jala, and I happen to think it has a lot of value.” Jala jumped around to face him and landed perfectly in a balanced fighting stance. She didn’t think about it, instinct took over in the first moment of her ears picking up his arrival. Cassian had to admire the lightning fast speed she did it with even if he resented her responding to him like a threat. “Are you telling me that I’m a prisoner inside these walls?” It was a harsh word but she wanted to know exactly what Cassian was trying to impose on her. “Or are you always grumpy in the morning? Surliness isn’t tolerated in Estroko communities.” The commander of Yefet’s face darkened in response but she couldn’t resist raising an eyebrow at his temper, making a doormat of herself was only going to gain her a -50-

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position under his boots. “Rudeness gains the least enjoyed chores, rank regardless. Even masters are expected to be polite.” A tiny chuckle shook her as she recalled more than one senior year competitor cleaning the toilets due to sharp comments they’d flung at the undeserving. “You could have been attacked, Jala.” Sion interrupted with a calm voice that didn’t match the look in his eyes. She felt her cheeks heat because they did have a valid point…at least to a certain degree. Women did have to watch their backs in a society overpopulated with males. Some outposts were extremely dangerous. “Are you saying that I can’t run on the open road? Is this colony really that rough?” Cassian rolled his eyes. “You are trying to dilute the issue, Jala.” “I don’t think so.” She stepped forward and looked out the open doorway. People were awake now, transports moving over the road and even a couple of women walking their dogs. “Maybe you should go slap some of that concern on those gals right now. I think I might have a better chance of fending for my own well-being than they appear to be capable of.” Jala shifted her gaze to her matches as they cast their vision out the door to see the dog walkers. One of the females was in the advanced stage of pregnancy and her swollen belly kept her pace slow. Cassian caught her by the shoulders and turned her to look up the block. Another Interlink uniformed man was in sight and he was keeping watch over the two women as he stood talking to another man. She only got madder at the proof that the men in Yefet actually did think women needed to be watched like toddlers. There was no visible threat, no transports full of rowdy males, no groups of males lingering on the corners just waiting for a female to venture too close. “Or is this really about the fact that I didn’t agree to share sex with you last night?” Jala wasn’t sure why she brought the topic of sex up -51-

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again but being locked inside the living quarters was worse than opening up the jar of temptations that went along with her reason for being there to begin with. “Maybe it does.” Cassian’s arm captured her wrist and gave it a jerk that sent her stumbling into his body. Jala raised her opposite hand but Cassian held onto his prize and bent her arm behind her back. Her breasts were thrust forward and pressed against his chest as his breath hit her lips. “Let’s go share some sex and see if the conversation topic changes.” “Jerk.” Jala muttered the word but Cassian looked like he enjoyed the label. His arms bound her to his length with pathetic ease. Her body liked that idea far too much. Her clit pulsed in response as her belly decided to notice just how hard his cock was pressed between their bodies. She opened her lips to protest and Cassian’s lips sealed the words inside her mouth. The kiss wasn’t sweet, it was a declaration of war, a warning of an incoming attack that promised her no mercy. But the crazy twist of excitement that wrung her body made her gasp and Cassian’s tongue tangled with hers as the taste of his mouth mingled with hers. It was incredibly intimate. She felt his breath on her cheek because his head was angled so that their lips fit together. His arm was a solid steel bar across her back, holding her against his torso. She felt the strength in his grip but Cassian wasn’t actually hurting her and that level of control made him even more attractive as the tip of his tongue stroked her bottom lip. A thousand nights of listening to other girls confess their escapades with their military escort whispered across her brain as her mouth responded to Cassian. She kissed him back as she learned how to move her mouth against his harder, male lips. Her nipples tingled with pleasure as Cassian slowly rubbed his chest against her, brushing -52-

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against her breasts, making sensation zip from her hard nipples into her passage. She felt the slow seep of fluid easing from her body as her clit begged for the same treatment her nipples were receiving. Thoughts refused to form in her brain as she pulled his scent deep into her lungs and savored the fact that Cassian smelled very male. Being clasped in his embrace actually excited her on that primitive level where the coals of evolution were ready to ignite with just a single kiss. Two hands rubbed over the curve of her hips from behind and she heard a tiny moan escape her lips. Sion’s body moved closer until she felt his cock pressed against her lower back. He found the exposed curve of her neck and gently bit her. His hands smoothed down over her thighs until they reached the end of her shirt and slipped under the fabric. She shuddered as Sion stroked his hands back up and over her waistband until their bare skin connected. A jolt of heat made her gasp as she pulled her lips away from Cassian’s. Her eyes flew open and the look in Cassian’s eyes made her shiver. A promise flickered across his face as Sion smoothed his hands around her waist and up to her breasts. Cassian watched her as his companion cupped her bare breasts. “It’s amazing, isn’t it, Jala? The way the flesh responds to the opposite gender. Even someone you don’t like. Desire has a mind of its own. Either it’s there or it isn’t.” Cassian released her wrist and for a moment she was free. Sion still cupped her breasts but she stood between both males as Cassian reached for the tail of her shirt. He pulled the garment up and over her head in one swift movement that drug her arms above her head. Sion’s hands followed the shirt and captured her arms at the elbows. He pulled her arms back towards his body until her hands were touching his shoulders. She shivered as her fingertips landed on the hard muscles packed onto his wide frame. The

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match program really did know its art, her eyes had lingered over broad shoulders far more often than thin ones. Cassian’s gaze lowered to her bare breasts as his hands clasped her waist. The skin to skin contact was so hot she panted and itched to get rid of her pants. The fabric was suddenly rough, abrading her skin. Her feet shifted further apart because the folds of her sex were too crowded and pressing against her clit. That little bundle of nerve endings demanded freedom as it burned for a direct touch. Her passage felt so empty, it amazed her. She had never noticed how much she yearned to be impaled. The idea of both men thrusting their cocks into her body mesmerized her as Cassian captured one nipple with his lips. Pleasure rippled down her spine as he pulled her waist up and she bent back to offer her breasts to his tasting. Sion’s face loomed over her as his hand cupped her neck and he leaned towards her mouth. His lips were warm and seductive as they tasted and licked over hers. Cassian feasted on her nipple as she heard his growl rise up over her bared body. One of his hands left her waist and traveled over her belly. It was a firm touch that moved over her body to her parted thighs. Cassian rubbed his palm over her mons as she gasped and struggled to straighten up. The sensation was too harsh, too hot. Her blood was surging so quickly, she didn’t know if she needed to let go or pass out. Her nipple popped out of Cassian’s mouth with a little sucking noise as she separated her lips from Sion’s. Cassian’s gaze held hers as he stroked her clit and refused to let her snap her thighs together. He was insisting on dominating her and she still wanted to snarl in the face of his demands. The urge to bare her teeth at him actually crossed her mind as one corner of his mouth rose into a smug smile.

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“When I fuck you, Jala, you’ll wrap your thighs around me.” Cassian’s voice was husky as he leaned closer to issue his demand to her. A frustrated hiss broke through her clenched teeth as Jala flattened her hands on Cassian’s chest and shoved him away from her body. It didn’t help to notice that he was coated with thick muscle and only moved away because he decided to. When it came to matching strength, she would be the loser. There were parts of her body that embraced her weakness. Sion wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his body. She shivered as he nuzzled her neck and gently laid a row of soft kisses along her throat. It was such a tender touch compared to the hard declaration of intent staring at her from Cassian’s dark eyes. Sion lingered over each kiss as he cupped her breasts once more, his fingers surrounding the sensitive flesh before moving to the nipples. His cock was hard too, but she understood that Sion was going to seduce her softly as opposed to the hard clash of flesh that Cassian planned. She couldn’t say just which excited her more, she only knew her body was torn between the options of turning into Sion’s embrace to encourage another deep kiss or hissing at Cassian and waiting to see if he pounced on the bait. She shuddered as her desire twisted into pain and she struggled away from Sion. Turning her back on them both, she ran towards the bathroom. A frustrated scream was locked behind her clenched teeth as she stepped into a cold shower and felt each and every nerve ending shriek with pain when the cold water hit her skin. She shuddered with relief because pain was familiar. She understood it and could muster the strength to endure. It wasn’t so much the idea of sex that made her dig her heels in but the feeling that she was following a neatly ordered set of directions where her will had no part in the -55-

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execution of her actions. She had never approached her life with a careless attitude and her pride rebelled against embracing that mode of operations now. Stepping out of the shower, Jala looked at the two boxes of birth sex determiners sitting on the counter waiting for her. One was pink and the other blue. She sighed as she caught sight of her nude body, her nipples still beaded and her breasts swollen. Trailing one edge of her towel over her torso, her skin registered the contact with heightened sensitivity. Need still twisted through her blood, mingling with her well-ordered ideas. It all became a kaleidoscope of swirling temptations and warnings that her brain was hopelessly behind in sorting into any kind of understandable order. So she was being swept along with the rising current, not able to see what her body was washing headlong into, only able to feel the turbulence of the water as it drug her along with its superior strength. The thing that made it so intense was the fact that she was as excited by it all as much as it frustrated her. Well…life wasn’t fair, it never had been and at least that still hadn’t changed. Jala smirked at her reflection as she put the two boxes into a cabinet. There was one thing she had that was uniquely her own. If she became pregnant, it wouldn’t matter what sex her child was, as an Estroko master she had the right to train her daughter herself. Either a son or a daughter could and would remain with her in the event she had a child. So she sent the cabinet closed and went searching for something to wear among Cassian and Sion’s clothing. She smiled as she walked away from that cabinet, she’d wager that both males would be checking to see if she’d broken the seal on either of the boxes and she was delighted to be able to deny them any hint of her plans to share sex or not with them. It was a small comfort but she intended to savor it. -56-

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Chapter Five “You certainly shower efficiently, Jala.” Sion tossed a small cooking pan up into the air and caught it with a confident hand as he grinned. He wiggled his eyebrows. “Good, that means you can help me decide what’s for breakfast.” Sharing cooking duty sounded fantastic to Jala. Her stomach rumbled. She watched Sion as he considered what was in their cold storage unit. He looked over the food like he enjoyed the task and Jala felt her mouth curve up into a smile. “So you like to cook?” Sion shot her a grin. “Sure do and a lucky thing it is for you too. Cassian can burn water.” “No kidding.” That sort of fit the male image, to her way of thinking. His mouth had practically burned her nipple too. She frowned at her sexual thoughts and moved into the cooking area. “So, where is Cassian?” Sion smirked as he pressed a control panel to begin heating the pan. He coated it with a non-stick spray before dropping in ground meat of some kind. It sizzled as it hit the hot pan. “Running. I think you’re a good influence on us. We’ve decided to take up the sport after witnessing how light you are on your feet.”

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The cage grew larger as Jala caught the warning look in Sion’s blue eyes. Oh she got it but…she had still got her way too. In an odd sort of way. Sion suddenly chuckled before he grasped the handle of the pan and flipped the cooking meat with one skilled motion of his wrist. “The look on your face says you want to stick your tongue out at me.” She couldn’t prevent the smile that split her lips. Sion had pegged her correctly, the idea of pushing her lower lip out in a pout sounded great. “You two are being ultra-possessive. Maybe I should take up whining, I might just chase you off if I did that.” Sion’s amusement dissipated as he considered her face. She looked right back at him because she was curious to see what he made of her comment. Whining was against her code of conduct. Even if she hadn’t been reared to avoid spoilt behavior, Jala got the impression that she still wouldn’t do it now. There was something about the way both men looked at her that made her proud of her strength. These two males wouldn’t have a weak female. Being worthy of them stroked her pride in an unexpected way. She got the impression Cassian and Sion didn’t hand out praise lightly or to the undeserving. Maybe her pride was going to lead the way to a hard fall too. “You didn’t take a very long shower.” The return to the mundane topic didn’t escape her attention. Jala shifted her stance as she recognized Sion’s attempt to have a conversation with her. She had never just stood around and spoken with a male, it was an uncertain territory that held a strange appeal to her. Living with her matches without any females to share common comments with felt rather bleak. The simple topic offered her a small measure of normalcy that she discovered she was craving after a long week of being in the hands of Resource

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Distribution. It was amazing how long a single day could feel when the sprit was heavy. “I was raised in Ruthimia, supplies were limited. All citizens were expected to use only what they needed for the benefit of the entire colony.” Sion nodded before he turned back to the cold storage unit. He tossed an onion at her and she caught it. He winked and pointed at a small chopping board on the counter behind her. “It’s the same here…so make yourself useful, Jala. Dice that.” The smell of cooking food filled the area as she picked up a knife. Sion began to question her on benign topics, like what she enjoyed eating. The attention he gave to keeping the subject matter sterile hit her in a soft spot. Jala found herself relaxing and answering him while she diced the onion into tiny little bits. Her eyes teared up as the strong vegetable vapor rose to her face. “Ah, Jala, I didn’t realize Sion was going to reduce you to tears.” Cassian appeared in the doorway and glared at his fellow Interlink officer. Sion turned with sizzling pan in hand to glare right back at Cassian. “Better kitchen duty than your cooking my friend.” Sion flipped the contents of the pan and smirked at Cassian. “Jala would be sobbing if I let you near breakfast before it was ready to eat.” Cassian laughed. Jala stared at his face as he lost the stern mask he normally presented her. His dark eyes actually sparkled when he smiled and she felt her lips twitch up in response. Cassian considered at her for a moment before his gaze dropped down her body, inspecting as he went. Command was something he thrived on. She could see it in his stance and the manner he looked at her newest clothing choices, but the thing that surprised her was the way Cassian lingered over the comment he -59-

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wanted to make. Jala didn’t think a single other resident on Yefet would have gained consideration from the huge male. They would have heard his thoughts without any regard from their commander for their tender feelings. “I guess you need to spend some time today ordering some clothing that suits you. I’ll show you where the links to our payment accounts are.” “I have my own funds.” Jala kept her voice even. She did have her pride but there was no reason to be surly about it…just firm. Her matches paid for the living space and all the food they were about to eat as well as all the other things that went with comfortable living. Somehow, the idea of letting them pay for her shoes chafed. Maybe it wouldn’t have bothered her if she’d shared sex with Cassian an hour ago, but her pride reared its head as she thought about earning anything but pleasure while on her back. There were non-fertile females who sold their bodies to the highest bidder. To Estrokos, that was considered dishonorable. Sex was for reproduction or relaxation but not for money. When a female placed a price on her body, she cheated both herself and her partner of the shared intimacy that could come from the flesh. Honor was something Estrokos held in the highest esteem, it built the foundation of their training studios. That code was part of her, no matter where she went. “From instruction, duty.” Jala needed to make sure both males understood that she had never sold her body. Cassian nodded with approval as Sion sent her another wink. “Estrokos do not sell sex.” Cassian chuckled again and the husky sound made her nipples tingle. It was a immediate reaction that didn’t give her time to think about it. Cassian closed the space between them with two long strides and cupped her chin in one huge hand. -60-

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“I think I already got that message, Jala.” He leaned close enough for her to feel the brush of his breath on her lips. A shiver raced down her body as her clit flickered with another demand to be touched. Cassian’s eyes burned into hers as he looked down at her breasts and the tattletale points raising her shirt once again. “But it will be my pleasure to seduce you.” His mouth landed on hers in a hard kiss. The hand cupping her chin held her in place as Cassian pressed her lips apart and his grip firmly pulled her jaw down. She could have resisted and escaped but the taste of his kiss intoxicated her too quickly. She moved her lips slowly in response. Cassian schooled her mouth with his as his chest pressed closer and her hands landed on his shoulders. She needed to feel his strength as well as taste it. The craving was rising up inside her again, so strong it blinded her to everything else. There was only the hard kiss and the firm muscle beneath her fingers. Cassian broke their kiss and Jala lifted her eyelids to find him watching her. He waited until she was staring into his eyes before he placed his hands on top of hers, pressing her palms flat against his body for a long moment. It intensified the fact that she had reached for him this time, their embrace was a shared one no matter who had initiated the contact. There was no denying her response. “Good morning, Jala.” Cassian stepped back from her despite the demand she saw flickering in his eyes. He turned and presented his wide shoulders to her as he left the room. She shivered as her body lamented the loss of his touch and she found Sion watching her. Heat burned across her cheeks as she blushed. It was another one of those reactions that her body appeared to have stored in abundance for her matches. Sion winked at her before he turned back to their food. Her -61-

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nipples were so tight they hurt and the tops of her thighs were wet as her passage heated in response. Need clawed at her so strongly, she was tempted to try and relieve the urge burning in her clit with her own hand. It was the first time in her life she had ever consider gratifying herself and her blush burned hotter as she crept out of the food preparation area. Facing her inner demons was enough, she didn’t need Sion to witness the battle. Oh…damn. She was in way over her head and had no clue what to do next. Uncertainty only robbed her of more control, leaving her prey to the riot of emotions assaulting her body. The temptation to find Cassian and put a final end to it was strong but the idea of allowing the man to make good on his promise was even more enticing. Seduce her…now there was an idea she had never considered. The really ironic thing about it was she had a suspicion Cassian had never thought about it either. Seduction was certainly far more exciting than matching. It was something even an Estroko master might be interested in testing her strength against. A blush burned her face as she considered the idea of Cassian being her opponent. Hummm, Cassian was definitely worth entering the ring to test. Û Û Û “Admit it, Jala…I’m not such a bad guy.” Sion raised an eyebrow as he waited to see what she thought of his culinary skills. She wanted to purr instead of respond. The man could cook. Oh sweet mercy, she had never enjoyed breakfast so much. She looked at her plate and tried to decide just how Sion had managed to get an onion, eggs, meat and vegetables to taste so good.

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“I think I’d better add in a noon run if you are going to be on kitchen duty very often.” Sion clicked his boot heels against themselves before he offered her a deep bow. “You’re welcome.” Jala wrinkled her nose at Sion and he laughed. He watched her eat the last bit of her food as his blue eyes sparked with enjoyment. “Time to pay the chef.” Sion raised one finger and pointed to his lips. The request was obvious but she couldn’t quite manage to get cross with his demand. His cooking did deserve a kiss. It was an awkward idea though. Although she had kissed Cassian back this morning, she had never been the one to initiate such a tender touch before. A little flutter of nervousness flickered across her belly as she looked at Sion and suddenly noticed once again how large a male he was. That shouldn’t have surprised her, males waiting for matches actually competed against other males to make sure their fitness score kept them at the top of the list. Sion hadn’t been slacking off either. His cheekbones were cut roughly because of the lack of fat on his frame. Sion slowly curled his finger at her as he grinned. “Come here, Jala, I won’t bite unless you ask me to.” She actually shivered. Sion watched the tiny tremble as it shook her body. The knowledge that he could affect her sent a bolt of desire through him. It was a bit surprising because he’d always planned on being in a position to cause physical response from his match. Jala was different and maybe that was what accounted for the surge of accomplishment that flowed into his ego as he observed her little reactions to him. That was something she could not deny. The evidence was solid, so much so even Jala’s stubborn determination couldn’t dismiss it. Sion grinned as she frowned and tossed her head. The

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defiance only made him smile because it was the honest truth, he was enjoying the chase. Her skin rose into little goose bumps as Jala stood up and flattened her hands on top of the table. It was absolutely amazing how exciting it was to be the one to begin their kiss. She had never once considered being the aggressor. Leaning across the table she gently pressed her lips against Sion’s. She angled her head so their mouths could meet and she shivered as she remembered Cassian doing the exact same thing when he kissed her. Sion’s lips pressed back against hers as she caught the scent of his skin. One of his hands smoothed over the side of her face as he licked her lower lip and tried to entice her into allowing a deeper kiss. The table suddenly bothered her with the obstacle it presented. She let her jaw relax and Sion took advantage. His lips moved over hers as his tongue stroked the length of hers. A soft step behind her made her pull her head away from the kiss and she was startled to hear her own breath. Her heart was racing, making her lungs labor to keep pace. It was an emotional response that rose from her body. An instinct she was excited to discover in herself. Cassian stood in the doorway with a grin on his lips as he raised a single dark eyebrow. But Jala didn’t get mad. Sion was smirking at Cassian and she bit into her lower lip to keep from laughing at their actions. It was a playful sort of competition but she could still feel the deep emotions that underplayed it all. Right now, Cassian and Sion were toying with the idea of battling for her affections but there was a part of each male that truly would have defended their claim on her. They held off that darker urge with their control, just as she used her own strength of character to fend off the need to mate. The kitchen was a swirling combination of primitive impulses all being controlled by logical thinking. -64-

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She couldn’t help but wonder how long any of them would last cohabitating together. A sarcastic smile lifted her lips…well, it did look like Resource Control knew exactly what they were doing when they matched the three of them up. Nature never had it so easy. Û Û Û By evening Jala was ready to beg for mercy. Even with injuries, she had never spent a day just doing…nothing. There was always some task she could help with. Estrokos trained seven days a week, at least at her studio they did. Holidays were the only time they did not go to class and on those special times, there was plenty of work for everyone as they cooked favorite foods. Even with her lack of culinary skills, there was always chopping and cleaning to help out with. Her real problem was loneliness. She walked around the living space once again and looked down to see a neat trail marking her path. She had been circling for two hours now, longing for evening and the excuse to go running because it was something to do. She had discovered that training wasn’t much fun when you were alone. Being surrounded by other students drove up the energy level, motivating her in a way she was just now really noticing because it was missing when she tried to train by herself in the middle of the living room. Privacy was something she’d often heard other girls longing for but the honest reality was, she didn’t like it. Not one bit. She was looking forward to her matches returning. Even the certain knowledge that Cassian and Sion would walk back through the door with sex on their minds didn’t keep her from wishing the time would move faster. She had always been surrounded by her teammates. The younger girls were the responsibility of the older students after training hours, when they all turned to enriching their minds. There was -65-

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always a girl who needed help with her reading or some new math concept for Jala to learn. Being left alone with her thoughts was almost frightening. It was a depressing truth to embrace. To think that she was afraid of being alone, when Cassian and Sion were so concerned about her placing herself at the risk of being kidnapped. A sarcastic laugh filled the room as she admitted she would far rather face off with a pirate than spend a month of days like today. She would be sharing sex with her matches before one week had passed, if she was forced to spend the next few days like today. Her body was restless now. Accustomed to long hours of exercise, her muscles were sore from inactivity. Since Sion had healed her leg, her body was now eager for the routine it had always known. The week of waiting had made her feel like her blood was turning into jelly that didn’t flow through her veins. It all just sat, allowing her to slip into depression. She snorted as she passed the window again. She had always thought Mother Nature was the one that turned females into willing sex servants, now she knew that males employed boredom to break through any resistance a match might bring to their relationship. Well she wasn’t having it! Jala stalked towards the front door to pick up her shoes. The females had to do something at Yefet during the day and she was just going to go out and discover what that was. At the very least, she could look around her new home. Cassian wasn’t used to distraction. His career was built on iron will that didn’t deviate for fantasies. His staff sergeants were treading light after six hours of his strained temper. But that wasn’t what bothered Cassian the most. The thing that was digging into his brain like a mining drill bit was the amusement on -66-

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Captain Asota’s face. Asota was the officer in charge of security on Yefet and he answered directly to Cassian. Today, Asota’s eyes twinkled with amusement that made Cassian ready to throw the first punch. His door chimed in warning before it slid open and Cassian growled as his captain walked into the command office. Asota had never grated on his nerves before and Cassian just got madder as he saw the smile sitting on the man’s face. “You mind sharing what is so damn pleasing to you today, Captain?” Instead of masking his emotions with a hard expression, Asota grinned at his commanding officer. “It’ll get better sir.” “What will?” Cassian roared his question and Asota looked like it was an effort to maintain enough control to keep from laughing. “The stress.” Asota lost his amused look as he stared straight at Cassian. The collar on his uniform suddenly felt too tight as Cassian recognized what an ass he was being. Asota had pegged him square on the money. Stress over Jala was eating a hole in his skull and that was no excuse for lashing out at his men. Asota had a match, which explained his amusement with Cassian’s temper. Rank aside, men did enjoy laughing at each other and a female was one of the best reasons for a little harassment. “Thank you, Captain.” “Anytime, sir.” Asota lifted his palm-held communications grid and fingered the touch screen. “Now, it appears that we have an unidentified person loose.” Cassian instantly dropped every thought but the business at hand. Security was the highest priority on his outpost. They mined Stinhey at Yefet, a rather powerful mineral which was often used in the production of explosives. The men working the mine were screened every day to

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ensure smuggling was kept under control. One unidentified individual was one too many as far as Cassian was concerned. “Detain immediately.” Cassian was amazed Asota hadn’t already had the person arrested. Yefet was a level eight security colony, which gave Captain Asota the authority to detain any person who stepped one foot on the planet without identification or clearance. “I thought about that, sir.” Asota jabbed his finger at the screen and then looked back at Cassian. “But I figured I could let it slide a little, since it’s your first day with a match. But I do have a duty to remind you that it is your responsibility to ensure that your match understands and respects the security necessities in place here at Yefet.” That smirk was right back on the captain’s face as Cassian felt his throat tighten with his own stupidity. “Besides, my men found a whole lot of other things to do in the face of having to go out and arrest an Estroko master. They seem to think I should go arrest her.” Asota lost his amused expression as he sent a stern look at Cassian. “But she just happens to be heading towards the mine, so maybe you should go defuse the situation before your match hurts any of my men.” Cassian stood up so fast his chair went crashing into the deck. Two seconds in her company and his brain had yielded all control to his cock. Hitting a man because Cassian had let his cock overrule his brain wasn’t exactly a command trait. But it was his responsibility to make sure Jala wore an identification band, he had managed to forget to give it to her. Even if it felt like a good idea right then. Captain Asota cut a sharp salute before his lips twitched up again. “Now, technically, I have to place you on report sir…but since that report only goes to you, I can’t see wasting the time.”

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Cassian made it to the door before Asota finished talking. He turned and shot a glare at Asota. “Enjoy this any more and I just might have to challenge you to a round or two.” Asota snickered but held up his hands. “Trust me, sir, I’m not the person you need to be wrestling with. Not that I don’t like you or anything. But I think your match can take you.” It was definitely a possibility. Cassian turned his back on Asota before the man witnessed the curl of lust the image sent across his face. Cassian took the hallways of the command center at a run. His own stupidity drove him to intercept Jala before she walked into a security checkpoint and his stubborn match decided to let some of her frustration out on his men. A curl of excitement flickered through his cock as Cassian thought about Jala’s frustration level. A huge part of his brain didn’t give a damn about the fact that he’d failed to introduce his match to her new life properly. What rose to the foremost part of his brain was the hard desire to make damn certain he was the one Jala worked out her emotions on. There was the hot burn of lust mixed with a deeper need to ensure that not a single other male got into contact with Jala. In fact, Cassian had the feeling he just might be the one who ended up arrested if he didn’t intercept Jala first. She was his and that idea burned through each and every civilized thing he knew. It was a chain reaction feeding off the memory of how she tasted and moved against him. Evasion wasn’t something Cassian had ever endured willingly. Today was no exception. He pushed his transport through the streets as his muscles tightened just a bit for the coming confrontation. His lips curled back into a grin at that idea. He and Jala had a few things to settle and there wasn’t anything more important to his way of thinking. -69-

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Û Û Û The guards were looking for an excuse to confront her. Jala was used to judging a competitor and today her instincts didn’t fail her. She stopped short of the checkpoint and watched disappointment cross the faces of the men who manned it. But she knew better than to cross a security station. She considered the street before turning around. The sidewalk was rather empty for the amount of businesses that lined it. She turned to look at the checkpoint again, whatever Yefet’s chief industry was, it appeared most of the inhabitants worked there during the day. All of the shops were closed, telling her customers only showed up when they got off work. It also confirmed that Sion hadn’t been kidding about expecting her to spend her day in their living space. There wasn’t a single female in sight, only a few males who snapped their heads around and openly stared when they caught sight of her. She held her chin level as she kept her pace even and her arms ready. She detested the little prickle of tension running down her spine. Caging herself because she feared her own colony stroked her temper. As empty as the street was, the transport was easy to spot. Her temper rose to a simmer as she watched Cassian turn the command vehicle around to rest on the side of the street she was walking on. He stepped out of the machine with a harsh expression on his face but she actually enjoyed his displeasure. She wasn’t his pet and there was no way she was going to hide out at home. If Cassian didn’t like it…too bad. Cassian moved right onto the walkway to block her path with his large body. He didn’t say a word as he opened the passenger side of the

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vehicle. The expectation that she would drop into the seat because of his temper made her even madder. “I’d prefer to walk.” She moved around him but Cassian clamped a hand over her biceps and pulled her to an immediate halt. It was stunning just how much strength there was in his grip. To someone who trained every day, she understood instantly from one touch that Cassian was two things. First, he held a great deal of control over his body, it was something she was forced to admire in the man. The second thing she noticed caused a shiver to travel down her body. Cassian was without a doubt stronger than her. She had to tip her head back to look at his face and she noticed exactly how vulnerable she was in his company. It wasn’t that she feared he’d do her harm, no, it was far worse. Jala felt a rising craving to let Cassian become her mate. He was the strongest male she’d ever encountered and there was something yearning inside her for this man to be the one she allowed close enough to let their DNA to mingle. “Yefet is a level eight colony, Jala. I neglected to give you your identification band this morning.” Jala hissed softly but ducked into the transport. Level eight? She was damn lucky she wasn’t in a cell. But everyone knew who she belonged to, females were too rare on colonies like Yefet. She would bet news of her arrival had been the topic of most of the inhabitants’ breakfast. Cassian dropped into the driver’s seat and pushed the vehicle into drive. His jaw was tight as he held back his thoughts and Jala left her own unsaid. It was his duty to give her that band but she knew she needed one too. She should have thought about that detail before striking out for her exploration. She was out of the transport before it stopped completely. Cassian secured it before he moved towards her. The frustration drawing his face -71-

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taut suddenly amused her. Jala bit into her lower lip but couldn’t keep her emotions buried. Cassian flung a harassed look at her amusement but one dark eyebrow rose in question. “You and I bring out the worst in each other.” She laughed over the friction because it really was so bad it was funny. In a satirical sort of way. Jala followed Cassian into the house as she pulled herself into order. She caught a shimmer of boyish enjoyment lurking in his eyes before he went into a bedroom that was set up as an office. Sion had one on the other side of the dining space. Cassian emerged with a slim blue bracelet in his hand. The little bit of technology would transmit her location if there was an emergency and it also held all of her medical information. It would serve as her identification for interplanetary travel. In short, you didn’t leave the house without one. Younger students at Ruthimia wore ones that they could not remove. As an adult, she knew better than to take off without one. Resource Control had taken hers and, after a week, she had fallen out of the habit of wearing one. “Sorry, I guess your office lit up because I left without identification.” Cassian shook off her apology. “It was my responsibility.” He caught her wrist and actually placed the blue bracelet on her. Jala stared at him and waited for him to look back at her face. Cassian frowned when he noticed her displeasure. “You know something, Cassian? We are going to lock horns a whole lot if you don’t stop treating me like a pet. I’m all grown up and I sure do know that I need to take my identification with me. I’m not a child.” “You’re my responsibility.” Her eyes flashed with resentment and Cassian felt an answering flame of anger flare up. He clamped his control over that urge as he tried to keep from rushing into another argument -72-

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with her. He tightened his grip over her identification band as he watched her face. “I’ve noticed that you’re a mature woman, Jala. But when I mention that, you tend to get a little angry with me.” Cassian was teasing her. Jala blinked her eyes and stared at the mocking expression on his face. It transformed him into someone almost likeable. “I meant in relationship to knowing that I need identification, Cassian.” Cassian held onto her arm as he savored the sound of his name on her lips. It was a strange thing to notice so intently. For some reason, he was noticing a whole lot of little details in relation to Jala. At that moment she was letting him touch her, the skin under his fingertips was soft in a very feminine way. It was strange really, the way his body was registering just how smooth she felt. But her eyes snapped at his treatment of her, the need to prove her independence, refusing to allow him to shoulder responsibility. Cassian nodded at her. “Except you are the one that is a stranger here. It was our duty to introduce you to Yefet. Concede the point.” Jala laughed instead. She shook her head as a smile curved her mouth. “There’s another thing that we will always clash over. I never give away points. You have to win them, the hard way.” Her eyes flashed with that stubborn determination Cassian was beginning to understand was what made Jala the force that had survived ten years in a gladiatorial sport. But he was still going to get her to concede. The need for her to yield was becoming more pressing than just gaining compliance from her. Sex was a given when you factored in their age group, lack of other partners, and close living conditions, but seducing her would be so much richer. For the first time, Cassian understood just why men were so -73-

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eager for duty with the Estroko competitors. He’d always reduced that request from his men as a need to have sex but it really was more. Those females only had sex when they wanted to, it was a huge compliment to the male and Cassian might even call it a gift. No matter how you looked at it, when an Estroko joined you in bed, she was there because she made the choice to be there. She came because she found you attractive and that was exactly what he craved from Jala. “I intend to win you Jala. The hard way, if you insist. In fact, I think I like it better…the hard way.” His voice was rich with male determination. A twist of excitement raced through her body as Jala recognized there was a big part of her that liked his idea. Cassian lifted a hand and stroked her face. He did it slowly, giving her plenty of time to move if she wanted to avoid the touch. Surprise flashed across his face as she stood still, she wasn’t even sure just why, only that it was ridiculous to flinch away from something she knew she would enjoy. She felt each finger as his hand stroked up her cheek towards her hair. Sensation rippled down her body to her nipples like it was a current connected by wires. Those ripples kept moving down until her clit awoke with a flicker of heat. It amazed her to feel the instant attraction between them. It was shocking, too, in its intensity. One single touch awakened every nerve ending she had, the tiny hairs that coated her skin rising into little goose bumps as her entire body begged for the same simple touch. Her clothing was suddenly too hot and the fabric uncomfortable against her sensitive skin. She caught Cassian’s scent and it flipped a trigger that doubled the heat moving through her body. It all flowed towards her clit as her body begged for freedom from the constriction of her will. Jala shifted away from him and Cassian forced his feet to stay in place. A battle was waging in her eyes as the tip of her tongue appeared -74-

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and ran over her lower lip. His cock jerked as he watched that little pink tip taste what his mouth watered for, but taking a kiss from her wouldn’t really quench his thirst. He needed to understand her resistance, it was like searching for the source of an infection that you wanted to kill. He needed to find the root of the reason that kept Jala out of his bed. Sex would be one thing but Jala was his mate and Cassian wanted more from her. He needed to understand why she resisted taking the place he and Sion had spent three years preparing for her. Every time she flung his authority back at him, he recognized just exactly how correct their compatibility numbers had truly been. A less confident female would have bored him already. The flash of denial in her eyes suddenly struck Cassian with the heart of her resistance, Jala was a warrior and she refused to surrender to him because he had yet to conquer her. Heat flared through his blood as Cassian bared his teeth at her, she would yield to his will and it was going to be his pleasure to use her body against her. “What does your hair look like?” Cassian had reached the base of her head and found the spot where Jala kept her hair tucked up under a braid she had pleated down the back of her head. Even wet, she hadn’t left it free last night. “It’s just hair.” Jala shrugged but Cassian didn’t relent. He stepped closer and sent his fingers into her braid, searching for the pins that secured it. Her cheeks burned with a blush because her hair was so personal. The strands allowed loose only when she was alone and bathing. Somehow, the idea that Cassian wanted to see her hair down struck her as…intimate. Cassian found one of the clips she used to hold the tail of her braid. She had just always tucked it up inside the French braid to keep her hair under control. She cut it when it got too long but appearances had never -75-

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held a high priority so it was a little long right now. The dark brown strands reached her center back and Cassian appeared intent on seeing it with his own eyes. “It’s only hair.” Jala lost all attempt at holding on to her composure as she jerked herself away from his hold. Cassian frowned at her as she saw one hair clip still held between his fingers. “Show me.” Authority coated his voice but this was a male demanding submission from a female. She could actually smell the aggression, like she was being reduced to a primitive animal that used its senses instead of its brain. Cassian threw the hair clip onto the table and closed the distance between them. The wall kept her from escaping but he didn’t touch her. His body was so close she felt his heat on her skin. He leaned down next to her ear. “Show it to me, Jala. I want to see you, without limits. Let your control go.” Temptation had never glimmered so brightly before. Jala looked at the hard need staring at her from Cassian and felt her self-confidence soar. She felt pretty for the first time that she could ever remember. The way he looked at her said she embodied everything he found attractive in a female. It was something words fell short of communicating, instead it flowed between them as she felt the desire to do exactly what he wanted. Her hand lifted before she thought any further about it. There was only desire in that moment, his demands and the enjoyment she gained knowing she was the one Cassian wanted to fulfill those cravings. She pulled the second clip from her hair as Cassian’s gaze moved to her hand and flickered with hunger. Jala was suddenly too hot for clothing. She felt smothered, almost frantic to free her skin from the fabric covering her. The idea of freeing -76-

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her hair was strangely enjoyable as she tugged the tail of her braid from under the pleat. Cassian watched her every move. She watched his control wearing thin as she removed the little elastic band holding the end of her braid. A low rumble came from Cassian as he reached for her hair. He threaded his fingers through the braid, pulling the pleats out and down the length of the strands. He leaned forward and actually smelled her hair. Her clit throbbed because his action hit her as deeply primitive. Words didn’t hold a whole lot of meaning when her back hit the wall and Cassian moved forward so their bodies were against each other. He growled against her neck as he spread her hair with his hands. She arched her neck, offering the tender skin to his teeth. There was the brush of warm breath before Cassian bit her, exactly like she hoped he would. Excitement raced through her blood because the harsher touch fit her image of him. Soft kisses weren’t what she wanted, she needed to feel the hard strength she sensed inside him. She smelled good. Cassian felt her body quiver against his and that small response made him growl at her. It was a confirmation of the fact that she acknowledged his superior strength. The way they responded to each other wasn’t politically correct, it was primitive and harsh but Cassian embraced the surge of heat carrying them towards a hard clashing of flesh. He didn’t want soft penetration, it wouldn’t feed the hunger in either of them. Jala listened to her own moan like it belonged to a stranger. The sound rose from her chest as she lost the battle to contain all the sensation inside her body. It felt so good right there against Cassian. Her body twisted against his harder one and she enjoyed the stark difference between their forms. Her breasts were soft and pressed against his harder chest. Cassian’s hands left her hair and stroked all the way down -77-

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her body. A second later, the oversized shirt was ripped up her torso and flung over Cassian’s shoulder. Victory flickered through his dark eyes as Cassian leaned back from her. His hands slipped under her arms and clasped her back to raise her bare breasts up for his gaze. Her hands rested on his biceps as she watched him look at her breasts. His eyes moved from one puckered nipple to the other before he dipped down and captured one between his lips. She gasped as the heat speared through her belly and her clit begged for the same treatment. The yearning shocked her with its carnal edge but that did not change what her body was demanding. It was hot and primitive but Cassian was too, so it fit. “Let’s go to bed, Jala.” Cassian snarled the words as he released her nipple and stepped away from her body. The air was cold as it rushed into the corner where she’d been surrounded by his larger body. Doubt assaulted her as she stared at the harsh light of day washing over Cassian’s intent face. He pulled the first fashioning of his uniform top apart with a harsh motion of his hand before he turned to investigate why she was still in the corner. That dark eyebrow rose as his lips pressed into a hard line. Frustration drew his face taut as she witnessed his battle to control the urge to just press her back against the wall. There was part of her that wished for that loss of control. It was a streak of cowardice that shamed her. It was the first time Jala had longed to relinquish responsibility for her own desires by letting someone else overwhelm her. It would be so simple but it was also dishonorable. She hung between warring emotions as Cassian frowned at her. His body drew tense for a moment before he closed the distance and used his larger frame to imprison her against the wall. Her body screamed approval as his scent filled her lungs and her bare breasts rasped against his uniform top again. -78-

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“Does this make it acceptable for you, Jala?” Cassian leaned next to her hair and smelled it. She quivered as her mouth went dry and she longed for a kiss to moisten her parched lips. “Should I lift you up right here and take what you are too stubborn to give me? I could.” Cassian spread his fingers out on the wall next to her head. She was so aware of how good those fingers would feel on her breasts, the idea was intoxicating. “Would you wrap your thighs around my hips, Jala? Welcome me as long as it was here, hidden away like a dirty afternoon secret? Accept me, as long as I take up the aggressive approach?” Cassian pressed his body away from her with barely suppressed violence. His blood raged with the urge to prove she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He could smell the heat of her body and his cock jerked in response. But it would be unconditional surrender or nothing. Cassian looked at her breasts for a long moment before moving away from the temptation to answer the urge from his cock to prove how much she would enjoy their encounter. She would wrap her thighs around his waist, Cassian knew it because he could smell the arousal on her skin. But it wasn’t enough. He had no damn idea when he’d gotten such a soft idea into his skull but it clung to his brain, refusing to be thrust aside for even the short amount of time it would take to relieve the swollen cock in his pants. “In bed or not at all, Jala.”

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Chapter Six Sometimes, your own criticism was harsher than anything else. Left to her thoughts, Jala didn’t like what she found. At what point did sex become so complicated? Cassian’s demand hung in her mind like some kind of life changing decision. Instead of the blunt flesh-to-flesh contact, the man was demanding more from her. A sort of declaration that sent her searching through her mind for the exact reason she resisted. Sion wasn’t willing to let her avoid the issue either. Her second match appeared with the little boxes of sex determiners in his hands moments after he returned home that evening. A clear question was written on his face. “Don’t you want a choice, Jala?” Sion placed both boxes in front of her as his lips pressed into a hard line. “Isn’t that what’s bothering you the most? Lack of choice?” The hard truth of his words hit her and she wanted to flinch because Sion was deadly accurate. While she’d been fooled by his easy humor, the man had been observing her intently. “Choosing the sex of a baby isn’t going to substitute for the career that I’m being denied by the match laws. Somehow, Sion, I get the idea that you wouldn’t take very kindly to having your uniform stripped from you as you were shipped off to an Estroko colony to take up residence as a stud.” Surprise flickered across his face as Jala looked at the two boxes -80-

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he’d placed in front of her. “I really don’t think you’d be so ready to pick out baby colors a week after having that medical insignia that you earned pulled off your collar and tossed aside as insignificant compared to your ability to produce healthy sperm.” “So maybe I should stop bothering you about it?” Sion’s voice dipped to a chilly level she had never heard before. He moved around the counter and closed the remaining space between them. “Too bad.” His arm snaked around her body and pulled her towards him. She hadn’t really recovered from her afternoon frustration with Cassian, now it was Sion’s chest pressing against her nipples and all she wanted to do was lean on his larger form to soak up the moments of intimacy he offered. Sion cupped her chin and tilted her head up until their eyes met. “Maybe in another time I could care about the details Jala, but we’re here and now. Do you think it’s simple for me? I spent the day thinking about you. The way you smell, move and a hundred little details that my brain managed to memorize.” His eyes flared with hunger as he leaned down until their lips were only an inch apart. Jala felt her lower lip quiver as she yearned for Sion’s kiss. “I can’t turn it off anymore than you can.” Sion’s mouth landed on hers and pressed her lips apart. It was a kiss born of common need. She rose up on her toes seeking companionship. The hand on her chin moved around to her neck as Sion sent his tongue into her mouth to mingle with her own. His other hand moved down her body until he found her bottom and cupped one cheek. Sion pulled her forward so their bodies were flush. She couldn’t miss the hard cock pressing against her belly but more importantly she didn’t want to. Her body savored that detail as it clamored for her to surrender. “Right...wrong…it just is, Jala, and there are plenty of things we can explore about our compatibility and sex is one of them.” His eyes were hard as he watched her reaction, gone was any hint of gentle teasing. In -81-

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its place was hard demand and Jala felt an answering flame inside herself. A shrill whistle broke their embrace and Sion cussed. His arms actually pressed her harder against him before they released her and he turned to punch the control on the communications panel. Cassian’s face appeared on the screen as Jala felt the blood drain from her face. Defeat was flooding her as she looked at both males and felt overwhelming need flow through her. As old as time and encoded in her own genes, those embers were heating up now that tinder had been applied. Jala turned and fled. She heard another male curse as she left the kitchen but she wasn’t sure whose voice it was. Both men were becoming one force, storming her defenses. Separated, she held onto a slim hope of resistance against succumbing to one of them but together they became a potent combination. The sun had set as Jala stepped onto the porch. She chose the backyard because it offered her privacy. The cool air felt good on her overheated skin and she laughed at her own body. According to science, human females didn’t go into heat but at the moment she would have argued with any doctor on the matter. Tipping her head back she let the night sounds fill her ears as she placed a hand over her heart to feel its accelerated rate. Excitement was a double-edged sword. Something she’d been taught to avoid but still craved. It could send you into rash decisions and take you through fear, cutting it away to leave a person in control. The range of that one little emotion amazed her. Sion glared at the door and cussed. He wanted to chase Jala and force her to look at him. It felt like she was trying to blind herself to the attraction between them. Sion felt his temper flare in response to that idea. She was his only chance for that often spoken of treasure called -82-

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love. He witnessed it every time he delivered a new baby to a match unit. There was a rapture that filled the medical bay and filled him with envy. The need tore at him, driving him to sit through classes on female handling which honestly disgusted him. Jala was the best reward he could ever have imagined. She defied everything he’d been told to expect. Instead of a delicate doll, he was facing a warrior and every red blood cell he had screamed with appreciation. But the look in her eyes made it possible to turn back around and keep his desire in check. Flickering in her eyes had been a hunger as great as his own. Sion grinned as he considered how much better it would be when she turned around of her own free will. It would happen, he could feel it, almost taste it in her kiss. Now that would be something worth waiting for and sometimes the best treats were the ones you let sit before you bit into them.

“Is it that hard, Jala?” Cassian’s voice was strangely calm, almost like he fit the shadow he was hiding in. “Even Estrokos are human. Why is it so frustrating for you to discover that inside yourself?” “I don’t know.” Jala was beginning to think she never would either. While it was true she had almost reached her thirtieth birthday without being defeated, it was a feat most Estrokos never reached. The vast majority went into the match system, every competitor faced that harsh reality each time they put on their protective body armor and entered the ring. Cassian’s warm hand cupped her chin and she saw the glint of moonlight reflected off his eyes. Darkness engulfed them, helping her relax because she didn’t need to hide the blush staining her face from Cassian. -83-

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“The match program was founded on hard, scientific data.” Cassian tilted his head slightly as he considered her face. “But I still hated those damn tests.” Jala smiled at the image of this man reduced to filling out endless questions in order to be matched. Cassian’s pride must have stung for a month straight. He was the kind of male who enjoyed the chase as much as the capture. “I had to let it go. So do you.” His words were half-suggestion and half-order. It was stunningly seductive. Jala didn’t think many women could have gained even half a gentle comment from this man and the harder tone only reaffirmed how strong he was. “I’m trying.” She heard the ring of honesty in her words. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to embrace the idea of surrendering. It went past her pride and took root in that place in her soul where she recognized she had always been alone. “Good start.” Cassian’s warm breath brush her lips a moment before he kissed her. The fingers gripping her jaw pulled gently to allow his kiss to press past her lips. This kiss lacked the egotistical assumption his others had. Jala listened to her own sigh as she opened her mouth for his tongue. Her fingers traced his firm chin as Cassian’s arm secured her against his chest. The kiss changed as their bodies met. With the night surrounding them, there was nothing to think about. She twisted in his embrace as she sought to get closer. Impulses ran through her, burning away everything but the cravings they were born from. There was satisfaction in his embrace for all of the needs filling her. Jala pressed her hands against his chest as she traced the ridges of muscles, absorbing how much she enjoyed touching Cassian because he was male. Somehow, their gender differences made her impatient to explore his body. She -84-

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wanted to stroke her hands over his chest and marvel at its difference from her own, for no other reason than to feel how different they were from each other. His chest hard and hers soft, like two sides of a puzzle. “Is it easier here, Jala?” Cassian’s voice was harsh now. The hand that cupped her chin stroked her throat on its way to her breast. She knew Cassian would cup the soft mound and brush her nipple with his thumb. “Does having sex out here make it all right, so long as you haven’t joined us in our bed?” Cassian gripped her breast as she gasped. His thumb passed over her nipple as his knee rose between her thighs to press against her mons. Her clit pulsed with the same crazy tempo as her heart. “I’m not having sex with you here, Jala.” The effort might kill him but Cassian refused to hide in the night like their relationship was shameful to her. She would surrender in his bed or he would leave her to her frustrations. Maybe that was harsh but victory was sweetest when it was unconditional. “Come to bed with me, Jala. Now.” Cassian kissed her hard before he released her. His tongue thrust into her mouth in a mimic of what his body craved from hers. Her mouth opened for that penetration, her tongue mingling with his as she reached for Cassian once again. Words didn’t matter, only touching. “I mean it, Jala. Come to my bed.” Cassian pulled away from her and Jala found her hands clinging to his shoulders. Her blood was racing through her veins and nothing felt so right as being pressed against Cassian’s body. She opened her eyes to see the moonlight glittering off his eyes as he watched her. His fingers curled around her hand as Cassian stepped away from her completely but pulled her onto her feet with his grip. They stood there for a single moment that felt like eternity as her body yearned for a return to his

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embrace. Just one more kiss and he wouldn’t care where they were either. But Cassian moved back and took her with him by their joined hands. Light from the house illuminated his face and she gasped at the hard resolution she witnessed there. She should have guessed Cassian would crave surrender from her. Not only of her body but in front of Sion as well. She almost laughed as she considered that they were matched rather well…Sion and Cassian. One had sent her onto the porch and the other was going to chase her back inside. One of Cassian’s eyebrows rose as their arms stretched taut between them. “Coming, Jala?” Her head was nodding before she found any will to speak. Cassian’s lips curled back to show her an even row of teeth and then he stepped forward and scooped her off her feet in one fluid motion. She landed against his chest as he turned and angled her through the doorway. The firm grasp of his embrace told her that Cassian was finished asking. In a way it was a relief to be swept inside. Maybe she would understand her own needs if she let her body go where her emotions led. It wasn’t a tender embrace but more of a capture. Her fingers found his jaw as she smoothed over the taut muscles. Cassian let her feet down as they entered the bedroom and Sion joined their embrace. Just as she’d suspected, being surrounded by both men sent a wave that washed right over her. She ended up being swept along with the greater force of the water. There were hands moving over her body and she forgot to think about just who was touching her where. It all blended together as her hands sought each chest. Her clothing was pulled off as she worked on the fastening holding Cassian’s uniform top over his chest. She was nearly frantic to discover what he felt like without the barrier of fabric between them. -86-

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The first contact was amazing. A little mutter of delight escaped her lips as Jala smoothed her fingertips over the sculpted ridges of Cassian’s bare chest. Crisp hair covered him and she threaded her fingers through the mat. Sion’s hands found her breasts and he cupped them and laid a kiss onto her neck. She suddenly noticed that they were all completely naked. Sion’s cock brushed against her thigh as his thumbs rubbed over her nipples. Heat flickered through her belly as her bottom rose towards the man behind her in an instinctive motion to offer her body to his. Sion growled against her neck as his hands left her breasts and slid down her torso to her belly. Jala was unbelievably aware of how close his fingers were getting to her clit. The little bundle of nerve endings throbbed in anticipation of being rubbed exactly like her nipples had been. She cried out as he touched her, her hips jerking forward with a sharp motion that pressed her clit against Sion’s fingers. The mood suddenly shifted and Jala actually noticed Cassian’s nostrils flare. Hunger flashed across his face and Sion clasped her against his body. A crazy twist of excitement gripped her because there was so much rapture in the knowledge that these male could take what they wanted from her. Too many times Jala had felt superior to her male escorts and now she understood why she had never lain with them. She needed to be taken. It was buried inside her along with all the little sparks that had flared to life under Cassian’s assault and Sion’s covert maneuvering. Sion rubbed her clit and a whimper escaped her throat, everything was spiraling out of control too quickly, she longed to savor the pleasure but it was pushing her to hurry towards that ultimate climax, where the twisting tension would break. Jala leaned back as Cassian kissed her. It was a hard demand that said he was thin on control just as she was. Her fingers curled around his cock because her hand refused to stay away from what she truly -87-

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longed for. Sion’s hand left her clit as he grasped her hips and the tip of his cock nudged at her body. He lifted her and Cassian took her weight as Sion pressed into her body. The muscles protested his entry and she gasped against Cassian’s mouth. He frowned at her as Sion pulled free and then thrust harder into her body from behind. The thick stream of fluid eased his way into her body. Pain twisted through her passage from that first possession. “Haven’t you had sex before, Jala?” Cassian’s voice was rough, like he had trouble threading a complete sentence together. Jala struggled to understand the words when all her body wanted was friction from the hard cock lodged inside her. Her clit pulsed with the same frantic pace as her heart and there was nothing but the need to move. But Sion was frozen as his hands suddenly began to soothe her hips and Cassian quietly cussed an inch from her lips. “So what? I want to have sex now! Not quibble over details.” The cock buried inside her twitched in response and Jala moaned. It felt amazing, she never could have imagined that she’d felt empty before being filled. It was another one of those primitive details that rose from her brain. She lifted her bottom as her hands dug into the hard flesh of Cassian’s chest. She wanted to scratch him and even slap at him. The need to screech and snarl was rapidly overriding every manner Jala had ever learned. Right there, between her two matches, there was only need and a building desperation to push both males to the darkest corner where they could just let their bodies twist and slap against each other. That place where embers became flames and there was no such thing as control. She wanted him. That idea bounced around inside Cassian’s skull making holes in his reason. He growled softly as her nails cut into his skin and he enjoyed it. Sion grasped her hips and lifted her bottom for -88-

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his thrusts but Cassian was going to make sure he controlled her pleasure. Smoothing his hand over her belly he found the little button at the top of her sex. Her head jerked as he rubbed it in time with Sion’s thrusts. The scent of her arousal rose thick between them as Jala lifted one hand and slapped his chest. Cassian snarled in response because the bit of violence fed the beast clawing up from his soul. Her body pushed against his as Sion thrust harder into her body. Sion gasped as he lost control and pumped against Jala frantically, she moaned as her body shivered but Cassian wasn’t going to help her join Sion in climax. Jala had never needed anything so bad. It burned through her clit and up her passage, making her half-insane. Cassian’s eyes glittered above her as she watched his denial stare back at her. She growled at him and hit his chest once again. Her body was far beyond her thoughts, she reacted and struck out to get his attention. Cassian grasped her hips and lifted her off Sion’s cock. Her feet left the deck as Cassian moved between her thighs and her back pressed into Sion’s chest. Cassian’s cock took possession of her body as she wrapped her thighs around his waist. It all rushed together in an endless moment of hard possession and the added embrace of the man against her back who had already sated his appetite. Cassian took her like the beast she felt he was. His cock was a hard invader she sobbed for more from. Climax ripped her away from everything as pleasure ripped into her belly and she actually felt her passage grasping Cassian’s cock. It was the final primitive motion that made her scream like her ancestors must have when they mated. Jala drifted in a lazy slumber that she savored. Her body was relaxed for the first time since losing that final match. Her mind was at peace and her muscles soft. Hands smoothed over her curves, further relaxing -89-

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her as the bed cradled all three bodies, where one began and another ended didn’t matter. They were simply together as pleasure rippled through her body in tiny little waves. “I’m starving.” Cassian’s stomach rumbled almost on cue as Jala lifted her head from his chest. She felt Sion smooth his hand over her hip before he groaned and the bed moved as he swung his legs over the side. She looked around the dark room, searching for her clothing. Cassian stepped into his pants as she watched. His chest still amazed her with its sculpted perfection. He was covered in dark hair all the way to where his waistband covered his lower belly from her eyes. A hand landed on her head to stroke her unbound hair and she looked up to see Sion working the buttons on his shirt. It was really odd the way that touch made her shiver. They would not be sharing sex again for awhile, so Sion didn’t need to make any effort towards her and yet he did. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Come on, Jala, I need an assistant in the kitchen.” Her shirt came flying at her as Cassian balled up her pants and threw them like a baseball. She jerked her head around and caught her pants before they smacked her in the face. “I need to check the command grid and then we are going to talk, Jala.” Cassian moved off into his office as Jala got into her clothes. Sion disappeared towards the kitchen leaving her looking at the rumpled bed. A giggle bubbled out of her lips as she shook her head. Maybe she had been a little harsh in her opinion of Estrokos who shared sex with their military escort. There was defiantly something to be said for the experience. “Hey slacker! Are you going to leave me to cook all by my lonesome?” It was just an everyday chore but at that moment Jala smiled as she went to join Sion. Sharing more than sex felt so…tender, she wasn’t sure how to describe it but knowing she wasn’t going to be dismissed from her -90-

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matches’ attention the second they were done in the bedroom made her feel cherished. It wasn’t a logical thought but emotions rarely were. Jala was just lifting the chopping knife when the front-door chime sounded. She made the first slice in the vegetable waiting on the cutting board because whoever was at the door, it wouldn’t be for her. Cassian appeared next to her as Sion opened the door. “Evening, sirs.” The man wore a uniform with a captain’s insignia on it. He cleared his throat for his next comment but a female pushed her way right past him as she looked around the room. Her blue eyes lit up when she found Jala. The captain lifted his hands into the air as the female marched right across the room until she was standing in front of Jala. “Are you an Estroko master?” Cassian cleared his throat and the woman only rolled her eyes. The action made Jala press her lips together to suppress her amusement. The woman in front of her obviously shared her opinion about not being a member of Interlink, so that meant Cassian needed a more…civilized approach. The captain looked at his commanding officer as a second man filled the doorway. “Sorry, sir. You’ll get used to this too.” Cassian lost a little of his color as he stared at Captain Asota. The man’s match was giving him a harassed look before the woman turned her attention back to Jala. Cassian stepped between her and Jala as he turned to Jala. “This is Regina, she’s Captain Asota and Lieutenant Tril’s match.” Regina propped her hands onto her hips and peered around Cassian. “Are you? A master? Sorry, but I really need to know and everyone was saying that you were, so I made Tom and Rob bring me over here.”

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Regina didn’t give Jala much of a chance to answer. She was a study in continuous motion. Her hair flipped from side to side as she moved her shoulders with her words. Her orange top glittered with little silver sequins adding to the distraction and the ruby shade of her lipstick made sure that Jala wasn’t going to miss a thing the woman said. She was everything that Jala wasn’t. Jala felt drab compared to Regina’s trendy appearance, designed to call attention to her feminine attributes. “Yes, I have earned the rank of master.” It was odd the way her words sounded but Jala heard the pride ringing through her voice because it was the one thing she had that Regina didn’t. It might sound rather harsh but Regina was cute, maybe even beautiful, and Jala saw the way the men behind her watched her little skirt swishing back and forth over her thighs. Regina clasped her hands together and squealed. Her smile was so wide it crinkled her eyes as she threw her arms around Jala. The knife clattered onto the countertop when Jala tossed it down to keep from sticking the incoming woman with it. A second later, Regina was gone, her high heels clicking on the tile floor as she ran back to Lieutenant Tril. She reached for something and reversed course. “This is Megan. I want you to teach her Estroko stuff.” Regina pulled her daughter forward until the little girl stood in front of Jala, blinking her big blue eyes. “She’ll be the best student, I promise.” “Regina, we have already discussed this.” Cassian’s voice rang out with command authority and Regina glared at him. “I am not going to lose my daughter if there is any way to keep her! Do you hear me, sir?” Regina turned pleading eyes onto Jala as she pushed Megan forward another step. “Megan turns four next week. I tried for a son but got a daughter and I just can’t bear to ship her off. You’re a match, you understand that. Please, my matches are posted -92-

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here and the waiting list is years long where Resource Command wants to send my child. But you’re a master, so you could agree to train Megan and that way she could stay on Yefet as long as Megan is studying under an Estroko Master.” Regina turned her attention back to Cassian. “I looked it up and it’s perfectly legal. An Estroko Master can start her own school on any colony that is classified female approvable.” “Oh, Regina, I knew you’d beat me here!” Another brightly clad woman pushed her way through the doorway and a second later Jala was looking at a second little girl that smiled up at her as her mother placed her next to Megan. The kitchen was full of Interlink uniforms but all Jala saw were the two mothers pleading with her. “I’m Paula and this is my daughter, Suzy. I was dumb enough to listen to all that propaganda about having daughters to help balance the population but it’s breaking my heart that I have to ship her off. We’re so glad you’re here. Did you agree to help us keep our daughters?” Sion suddenly laughed, his chest shook with his amusement as he lifted a finger and pointed it at Jala. “You know something Jala? It looks like that career of yours just caught up with you.”

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Chapter Seven Students. Jala sat up at sunrise and grinned. The day was suddenly an amazing gift she was eager to unwrap. Sion grumbled from beside her as he reached for one of her breasts. Even half-asleep he cupped the globe and brushed a thumb over her nipple. Jala considered his half-closed eyes as suspicion crept into her thoughts. She moved her leg until her toes were just below his cock and then pressed her chilled foot against the sacs. Sion yelped as his eyes flew open. “Didn’t think you were asleep.” A lazy grin was her response as she caught movement on the other side of the room. She moved her gaze to see Cassian finishing dressing, his dark eyes considering her as a smug smile covered his mouth. A blind woman wouldn’t have missed that he was extremely pleased to see her sleeping in his oversized bed. A little twist of emotion zipped through her but Jala couldn’t decide if it was excitement or temper. Her body certainly enjoyed being right there but her personality rebelled against that smug male grin. In its own way, it was amazing the way she responded to each male. Together, yet independently. Choosing one in favor of the other would have been very hard. Sion gave her the tender touches that made her relax but Cassian fired her spirit and engaged the part of her that had allowed her to win match after match in the Estroko -94-

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ring. Something deep inside her thrived on the conflict with Cassian’s arrogant presumptions. Cassian slowly raised a dark eyebrow at her and she glared back at him. She rose from the bed and refused to shield her nude body as she moved across the room. Raising her chin she let them look at her, there was something enticing about knowing her body held their attention. It was pride and Jala knew it but she was still grinning as she passed through the closet doorway and began the task of selecting another outfit from Cassian’s workout clothing. Her own clothes wouldn’t arrive for weeks and she wasn’t going to be teaching in the fluffy female garments hanging in her section of the closet. In fact, Jala giggled as she pictured her studio getting a look at her in the flashy little skirts. Cassian was waiting for her when she entered the cooking area. He considered her as some kind of decision crossed his face. “There is a vacant room next to the enlisted men’s gym. You can use that for a studio until I get word from command.” “Good idea. Wish I’d thought of it.” Sion shot a look at Cassian before he winked at Jala. “Resource Control is going to be so proud of how well they did matching you up, Jala.” Jala groaned and she heard a distinctly similar sound from Cassian. Sion, on the other hand, grinned at them both as he rambled around the kitchen. “Except that Resource Command expects me to reproduce with you.” Jala’s dry humor earned a bark of laughter from Cassian. Sion turned and covered his chest with both hands. “Ah, Jala! You’re a cruel one. Have a little care for my heart.” Sion winked again before he smirked at her. “And I really hope you ordered some socks yesterday, your feet get rather chilly.”

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It was just another example of mundane conversation that twisted into her heart. Jala would have laughed at anyone trying to explain it to her a month ago but it was gentle teasing like this that made her feel at home. She expected the same from her teammates as they picked at each other over silly stuff that really didn’t matter, what held the value was the fact that your friends bothered to bug you. She just stared at the two men doing the teasing. It should have been just sex. Everything she had ever known said the genders didn’t form friendships…they mated and that was the kinder word for it. A whole lot of her fellow Estroko masters were blunt about the only thing a male was good for was fucking and sperm. You remembered their names so your daughter could track her bloodlines but you never slept next to a man. But she had and she found herself really wondering just what was so wrong with those hours she’d spent next to her mates. It had been so peaceful, she craved more nights like last night and it had nothing to do with the pulsing need that had driven her insane enough to yield her body to them. Her checks heated as she recalled those long moments when she’d been pressed between them, her body a quivering mass of need and hunger. The only thing she had ever felt passion for had been competition. Confusion swept through her as she looked at both males and felt emotion surge. “Don’t look so worried, Jala. We haven’t done this before either.” Sion winked with his words and Jala felt her breath lodge in her throat. Her eyes flew to Cassian and she stared at his surprise. Sion had a way with words all right, he began to whistle as he served up breakfast and she caught the tune, humming in time with him. Maybe…nothing mattered but what they felt…maybe. Û Û Û -96-

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Cassian growled as he looked at his office. It was full of females. For a man that dealt with men most of the time, the idea of walking into the chattering group of females took a fair amount of courage. Until Jala had been matched with him, his interactions with women were formal and few. Hell, the few prostitutes he’d invested his money in had also been few and far between. This morning there were ten women crowded into his office while their matches cast him helpless expressions Cassian had never dreamed to see on the same men’s faces. It also sent his stomach into a twist as he considered Jala wielding that same power over him. Could her wishes and her happiness make him as willing to stand by while she pulled him along in her wake? The idea of their child suddenly made his knees shake as Cassian recognized the possibility they might have made a baby last night. Nature could be cheerfully plotting to change his life forever right about then and it was the honest truth that it made him want to smile like a lunatic. The women converged on him like a pack of lions on a fresh kill. Cassian held up his hands but they fired off questions without waiting for any response from him. “Is it true?” “When is the Estroko program opening?” “I want my daughter transferred back here!” “Where is the master?” “How much are classes going to cost each child?” Cassian held up his hands as the women pressed forward and began shouting. “Enough!” They fell back with hurt looks and Cassian felt his collar bite into his neck as his men glared at his harsh handling of their matches. His match classes filtered through his frustration with the -97-

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endless reminders to be gentle with females because they were fragile and prone to emotional bruising when a male was careless. Jala suddenly tripled her appeal with her lack of feminine games and needs. “Ladies…class will commence in the room next to the gym. The master is there right now.” The women rushed the doorway, bumping into each other as their high heels clicked on the tile. But it left Cassian with four females that looked like they were ready to cry. Their matches glared through the office windows as Cassian tried to find a kind tone to converse with them in. It took more strength than combat assault training camp had. “How can I help you ladies?” They flashed bright smiles at him before the pack converged around his desk and began to chatter about where their daughters were and how soon could they be returned if the master agreed to teach older girls. The knot in his gut relaxed as Cassian looked at the shining smiles being cast his way. In another few minutes these women would be aiming their demands at Jala. Students meant Jala would be staying and Cassian suddenly breathed easy for the first time in days. It shouldn’t have mattered to him but it struck his chest like a brick as he recognized that Jala wouldn’t just be staying, she would want to. Contained inside that idea was a seed that wanted to grow into her staying because she wanted to cohabitate with him. Cassian discovered that he had a whole lot in common with his men. Females really were the greatest mystery in the cosmos because he was helpless in the face of dealing with just one.

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covered her face as she considered her day and the lack of control she’d felt. Sure, she’d taught classes before, it was a requirement of becoming a master but she had never been alone…completely solo without a more senior Estroko looking in from time to time to critique her performance. She felt Cassian enter the room. Her skin tingled as her knees felt the tiny vibrations of the floor. Somehow she knew it was her dark-eyed match, her body was so aware of his, Jala was almost sure she recognized his scent. Lifting her chin she looked into his dark eyes and shivered. That simply…her body responded to his. He was near and her blood began to speed up as her nipples drew into tight buttons beneath her shirt. It was all silent but felt like it echoed off the walls. Cassian’s nostrils flared just slightly as his eyes brushed over her nipples. “Let’s go home, Jala.” Hard with authority, his voice hit her with its demand and her passage ached for deeper ones. Cassian held out one hand and she stared at the silent command for compliance. It fit Cassian. He was more than the colony commander, he was a leader, it rose from every inch of his body because it was a reflection of who he was. Sion was playful but Cassian was a predator. When she laid her hand into his, his fingers closed around hers like a trap. He pulled her up and her nose did catch his male scent as her passage heated with the need to be possessed once again. It was a primitive response but that did not change the facts. Between them, there might be trust but there was also this intense flare of need that would have to be answered first. “Damn it, Jala! Your eyes say too damn much.” Cassian jerked her forward and she tumbled against his body. Fear tightened her muscles, making her gasp. Her body shivered as it was once again in contact with his harder one. Cravings surged through her clit as heat raced across her skin, it rose so quickly it was frightening -99-

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with its sheer intensity. Need battled against the knowledge that anyone could see them right then. Her body didn’t care, the hard cock pressing into her belly made her yearn for another hard possession and the location be damned. “So do yours.” It was the truth. Flames flickered across Cassian’s dark eyes as she licked her lower lip. His eyes targeted the little gesture as his fingers tightened around hers. “Come here, Jala.” Cassian growled the words as he walked past her and pulled her after his body. He ducked through a doorway at the back of the room that led to a bathroom and a tiny supply storage area. Another tug on their clasped hands and Cassian guided her into the supply area. There was no lock on the door so he pressed his body against it as he pulled her into his embrace and caught her mouth with his. It was a hard kiss that pressed her lips apart for the stabbing invasion of his tongue. One hand caught the back of her head as Cassian stroked her tongue with his and invaded her mouth with the same force his body had taken hers with last night. Excitement raced through her body as her hands found his shoulders and Jala indulged in their moment of stolen passion. Men were moving all around them but for that moment they had escaped to a place where the body could feast on its hunger. They had escaped reality and her body found the idea that they could indulge…irresistible. Her nipples tingled as she felt the slide of fluid down the walls of her passage, it all happened so fast, like something she had practiced and now had down to a smooth reaction. All she needed was the first touch and she responded before she thought about it. Those primitive urges rose from her DNA like lightning, cracking through the clouds, stealing focus because of how bright it was.

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His cock had been hard all day. Cassian cussed at his lack of control but just couldn’t stop. One look at her nipples and the need to shove up inside her body overrode any idea of gentle seduction. He wanted to possess her, thrust into her body and remind Jala that her students weren’t the only reason to stay on Yefet. Ripping his mouth from hers, Cassian searched for her expression in the dark. “I can’t wait, Jala.” His hand smoothed over her bottom and her clit gave a twist. Hunger gnawed at her body, so intense it bordered on pain. Jala caught a moan before it rose from her throat because Cassian respected strength and she was not going to whimper in his embrace. “Then don’t wait.” She threw her words at his control and smiled as his chest vibrated with a growl. She clawed at his arms and he dug his hand into her pants. He yanked the elastic waistband down over her hips. Jala listened to her own purr of delight as Cassian pulled her pants further down her thighs before he bent at the knees to finish baring her lower body. “God you smell good. Did you know that, Jala? I like the way your body smells right here at your clit.” Cassian snarled softly before he clamped one side of her bottom in each hand and pulled her towards his head. Her thighs spread around his head and a second later she did moan as his tongue found her clit. Pleasure spiked into her passage so violently she grabbed his shoulders to keep her body from flopping like a rag doll. “I like the taste too.” It was such a blunt statement her face burned in the dark. Cassian flicked his tongue over her clit in lightning fast motions that made her buck her hips towards his mouth. Climax twisted her body as pleasure tried to break over her but Cassian didn’t press hard enough to grant her relief. Instead his tongue lapped and flicked over her clit as she gasped and moaned against a fist she’d pressed against her mouth. -101-

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“Yeah, I like the taste a whole lot.” Cassian pushed to his feet and cupped her head between his hands. “I think we’ll explore that again tonight when I get you laid out on your back in my bed.” She whimpered at the hard promise in his words. Need clawed at her as she slapped at Cassian’s chest with her frustration. “Want me to fuck you, Jala? Right here? Right now?” His hands left her face and cupped her bottom once again. “Anyone could walk in, anyone at all.” His cock pressed against her belly as he held her against his body. The darkness heightened her senses because her eyes showed nothing but shadows. “Yes!” She clawed at his uniform and hissed when she couldn’t find his bare skin. She wanted to bite and mark him but more importantly, she wanted to be stretched on his cock once again. Harsh and primitive, the urge held her in its grasp. Cassian lifted her off the floor and turned to place her back against the door. He fumbled with the front of his pants for a second before he lifted her up and the head of his cock pressed the folds of her sex open. Her body was so wet, he penetrated her easily, pushing up into her passage and Jala gasped as pain invaded her pleasure. The newly parted flesh shirked before it gave way to the delight of being impaled. “Easy,” Cassian growled softly against her neck as he held his body still for a long moment. The need to thrust screamed through his brain but he resisted as he waited for her body to adjust. It was pure torment with his cock held in her wet body. “Leave the gentle handling to Sion.” She wasn’t sure where the words came from but they flew out of her mouth before her brain engaged enough to stop them. She wasn’t very sorry either, the first comment was often the most honest. There were things she wanted from Cassian and softness wasn’t one of them. The reason was simple, he wasn’t a tender -102-

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man and that was what she liked about him. It was the harder edge that drew her interest and she understood that their relationship would always have a darker shade to it than her interactions with Sion. Cassian growled at her softly and the sound made her even more frantic for friction against her clit. She wanted the ride hard, just as solid as the male sharing the journey with her. “Yes, ma’am.” He bit her neck as his body pulled free from her and then his hips bucked as he thrust hard into her. Her back rubbed against the door as Cassian moved between her thighs. His hips drove his cock at a quick pace as Jala wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She was a captive in his hard embrace and it excited her even further. The idea that she couldn’t control their mating…only endure it. Being weak had never simmered with so much enjoyment before. A little twist of fear hit her as she understood Cassian could bend her to his will and there would be a part of her that would enjoy it. They were like a glacier where it met the sea, each fighting against the other yet both made of the same thing. Climax didn’t wait for either of them, it jerked her away from her enjoyment of the ride and tossed her into the vortex of rapture. Her spine arched towards her lover as she listened to Cassian snarl. He thrust hard into her body before she felt the spurt of his seed hit her womb. The walls of her passage gripped his cock as her fingers dug into the fabric of his uniform to hold him close to her. It was a moment of sheer intensity that stretched into an eternity. All too soon her brain re-engaged and she felt the door against her back. Cassian snorted under his breath as he lowered her feet to the ground. She heard him shifting his clothing back into place as she tried to make her eyes find her pants in the dark space. A smack landed on

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her bare bottom and she twisted around to land a solid kick into Cassian’s midsection. His breath hissed from his lungs as Jala laughed. “No more of that, in this closet.” Cassian snickered softly before her pants landed in the middle of her chest. “I didn’t hear you complaining, Jala.” And that pleased him too. She heard it in his voice but couldn’t quite muster any temper over it. Their interactions were so explosive, Jala was becoming obsessed with seeing what the next one would produce. She was mesmerized by Cassian and his ability to touch those instincts hidden in her DNA. Maybe that wasn’t overly romantic but the heat was hot enough to blister her skin. Her body ached and her brain was tired, a smile curved her lips as she pulled her pants back into place. Routine and normalcy…wasn’t that what she’d wanted? Her brain chewed on the newest details of her life as she struggled to figure out what it was that held her away from true contentment. After all, you couldn’t have what you wanted, if you never bothered to figure out what that was.

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Chapter Eight Sion was quiet. Too quiet. Jala felt the tension knotting up beneath her shoulder blades. It was such an unexpected emotional response she found herself becoming angry with her own fickleness. Her second match was jealous. Flat out, there was no other reason for the way Sion pressed his lips into a hard line. Hunger flashed from his light-colored eyes as Jala finished her meal quickly. She suddenly understood why monogamy had been so popular in the centuries past. Males were possessive. Yet she found herself thinking she would have made a very poor spouse in those same days. Her emotions were becoming attached to both of her matches and the idea of choosing one in favor of the other made her unhappy. She enjoyed Sion’s teasing and the way he played with their attraction. The man wiggled his eyebrows at her as he taunted her with playful suggestions and little tugs on her serious nature. But she also craved the clash between Cassian and herself. Their battle of wills that her spirit rose up to war against, in spite of the certain knowledge that neither would prevail. It would simply be an ongoing engagement of their strengths because neither of them would ever grant the other quarter. Yet she had to cohabitate with both and tonight was a clear indication that it was not going to be smooth sailing. After last night’s insistence that she join both men in the bed at the same time, she hadn’t -105-

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really considered that anger might flare up because she and Cassian had shared sex without Sion. It would be simple to take Sion into the bedroom and even up the tally but Jala wasn’t going to begin keeping score. That reduced it to sex once more, when she had been enjoying the growing attachment that somehow transformed the physical act into something deeper. Her mood darkened as she cleaned her dishes and crossed to the window. She felt her breath lodge in her lungs as the house compressed inwards on her. Sex…sex…sex… She had been changing her mind about just what matching was all about until now. A week ago, she was firm in her belief that sex was the center of matched cohabitation. Now, she was being tossed around on the surges of emotions and half of them made little sense to her. Her feet were moving as she battled her thoughts. Jala walked down the street, looking up she caught the first stars of the evening. Yefet was peaceful, a fine colony to live on. Her first day of teaching passed through her thoughts and she grinned. It was becoming easier to think of her life here as something that might be worth staying past her mandatory five years of cohabitation. A silly little grin turned her lips up as she considered returning to her matches and confronting Sion. Oh, they would end up in bed but even that firm conclusion didn’t stop her from turning around to go and find Sion. “Now you’re sure a pretty thing.” Jala jerked her thoughts back to her surroundings and mentally chastised the lack of attention she’d been giving to where she walked. She was half a mile from her residence and was making her turn at the end of the residence area. Fifty feet in front of her was a long dormitorystyle building that served as housing for the men who worked in the mines. It was a common living arrangement for a population that had far -106-

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too many males. Once their schooling years were complete there were basically two choices, enter Interlink service or choose one of the labor guilds. Private housing was a luxury that most males did not use their money on until they were matched. The unit she was sharing with Sion and Cassian was new and Jala knew the two men had not lived there very long. “Want to have a drink with me?” The male in front of her was shabby. Stubble decorated his chin and she suddenly thanked her lucky stars for the fact that neither of her matches allowed their personal hygiene to linger in such inattention. But they were officers. Jala suddenly recognized why she’d been matched with them…it was truly a reflection of her personality. She would never share intimacy with this scruffy-looking male. Her body was tightening up like it did before a competition, not tingling with awareness in places only evolution controlled. “No.” Jala cut the single word response out in a chilly voice. “Hey now, no need to insult a guy. I work mighty hard for a living too. Seems mighty fair that I get me a taste of a high-priced female for once. Damn Resource Command always gives you away to them officers. Don’t seem fair when it’s my back that’s aching at the end of every day.” The male stepped closer and Jala smelled the heavy scent of alcohol on his breath. His eyes were alight with a crazy look that made her step back. You could always tell when a competitor lost control, it blazed from their eyes as emotion shattered their control. They became wild animals that reacted like a freshly caught fish, you had to watch them because they would thrash violently without cause. But when they attacked, it was often a wild volley of frantic blows.

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“I said have a drink with me.” The miner’s voice turned nasty as his eyes dropped to her breasts. The tip of his tongue appeared as he licked his lower lip before he cussed. “No.” Jala made her voice firm as she took another step away. Her motion broke the miner’s fascination with her breasts and his eyes targeted her face for a second before he lunged towards her. Sidestepping his attack came from years of practice. She slipped forward towards him and moved to the side. As she turned she gave his shoulder a hard shove that sent the miner stumbling away from her. He turned an astonished look on her that made her shake her head with frustration. The attitude on Yefet that females were helpless was very rapidly making her mad. “Want to play rough, bitch? Fine by me!” He lunged at her and this time Jala wasn’t going to get by him. His eyes were too focused on her. Her brain identified the threat immediately as her muscles responded in accordance with a lifetime of commitment to training. Three moves and she held one of the male’s arms locked into a hold as she used it to push him face first into the dirt. A step over his back and Jala twisted his hand back over his wrist to make sure he would roll over and be unable to use his legs on her. “Now that was impressive.” Jala looked up to find Captain Asota watching her. The man wasn’t alone, Cassian stood next to Sion as men appeared from every residence on the street. Several of them nodded with approval and Jala felt her pride swell under the praise. They moved forward, the captain motioning her away from her victim. The miner spat on the ground as he rolled over and tried to flex his arm. He cussed while he was pulled to his feet.

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“Bitch started it.” His face turned ugly as it became clear no one believed him. He lifted a finger at Cassian before his arms were grasped by two Interlink security men. “It just ain’t right! You get all the good pussy and we working men get nothing but overused whores. Seems about time some of the fancy bitches were sent over to our end of the colony.” Jala glared at the furious assumption that she would spread her thighs for whoever she was told to. The miner thought he could have sex with her if it was allowed by the other men. The stark difference between his attitude and her matches made itself known as she took a good look at the way his eyes roamed over her body. Sure Sion and Cassian liked to look at her but it was different. This unkempt male could have been looking at a corpse for all the concern he gave to her, it was only her flesh that interested him…that and the desire to possess her like some rare, coveted toy. But in all fairness, she couldn’t expect any better of him. Men who worked in the mine were provided with infertile convicts as female companions. They paid for sex and that in turn gave the female her income. It wasn’t mandatory for any woman to take such a job but convicts were no longer allowed to live on the earnings of the law-abiding population. Every convict had to choose a job. Rumor had it that females who traded money for sex earned far more than Jala could ever expect to see training future Estrokos. Males seemed to have ample funds to spend on their service. “You really shouldn’t be out alone.” Captain Asota kept his voice low but there was no mistaking the reprimand. Jala caught several women who were standing behind the men nodding in agreement. The captain’s daughter stood with her mother. Megan was absorbing Yefet’s coddling of their females with her tender eyes and Jala felt her temper strain against twenty-nine years of emotional control. Cassian looked ready to drag her -109-

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home like a naughty child and Sion glared at her with barely controlled concern. “The only thing that shouldn’t be allowed around here is this attitude that gender makes you helpless.” Jala aimed her look at the women. “If you mothers really think Yefet needs Estrokos then you’d better scrape up some self-determination. Your daughters will be your reflection. If your daughters are training under me, you must learn along with them. I refuse to hide in my home like a coward. Yefet will be what we make it.” She moved right past the captain and her matches. She kept her chin level as she walked through the cluster of women and her young students. If none of them showed up in the morning she would accept it. What Jala refused to tolerate was parents who did not teach their daughters courage. That was as essential as breathing to an Estroko. Loneliness kept her company as Jala left her neighbors behind. That feeling she’d first had when she’d lost that final match and been turned over to Interlink as a defeated Estroko. It was a sense of not belonging and the fear she would never feel at home again. Sion stepped through the front door of their house exactly three paces behind her. Jala ground her teeth together as she recognized he’d been shadowing her. Her match watched her with eyes that betrayed his frustration. The communications grid flashed and Sion went to retrieve the message. Jala wasn’t sure if she was grateful or angry that their confrontation had been delayed. “It’s for you, Jala.” Sion was surprised as he transferred the recorded image message to the main screen in the center living space. Jala didn’t have her own communications terminal yet but the lack of privacy didn’t bother her. There was very little private property in her training colony of Ruthimia. -110-

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The face that filled the screen made her smile as her heart twisted. Master Verna greeted her with a bow that Jala felt her body instantly respond to despite knowing the message had traveled through open space and wasn’t a live connection, which was only possible on the same planet. Jala was absorbed in the short communications clip. Master Verna was sending her congratulations on Jala’s first students. It was a moment in an Estroko master’s life that warranted attention from other Masters. “I guess I hadn’t noticed how cut off you must feel, Jala.” Jala jumped as she turned to discover Sion studying her reaction to the message. His face was pensive as he looked at her with something that looked a lot like pity. Sion nodded and grinned at her. “It was nice of her to send you congratulations.” Sion moved closer and cupped her chin with one hand. His light-colored eyes considered hers with a mixture of tenderness and admiration. It wasn’t pity, just understanding. “Give it some time, Jala, Yefet just might surprise you. It did me.” His mouth landed on hers in a kiss that pressed forward with the hunger that had driven her out the door an hour ago. Sion’s kiss was full of tenderness as he slid an arm around her waist to pull her against his body. The embrace was so solid Jala found herself leaning towards Sion. All the emotions became a kaleidoscope of colors twisting into a rope that bound her to him. Her mouth moved with his as her hands smoothed over the uniform covering his chest. Passion traveled through her body but it wasn’t the instant combustion that had consumed her earlier. This time she felt each little reaction. Her nipples tingled before they tightened into hard nubs. Her blood moved faster as her heart increased its pace. All the tiny nerve receptors buried in her skin became ultra sensitive as the blood flow was increased. Her clothing, which had been -111-

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so comfortable, began to irritate her warm skin and as Sion’s tongue stroked her lower lip, her skin began to demand she tear the shirt off. Her fingers reached for the top hook on Sion’s collar. The tips of her fingers detested the feel of his uniform. She craved the crisp feel of his chest hair and her memory taunted her with little recollections of last night. Her increased respiration caught the warm scent of Sion’s skin as she popped that top hook open and one finger slipped in to find his warm skin. A second later Sion scooped her off her feet and tossed her right over his shoulder. Jala smothered a laugh as her head went sailing towards the floor before she was caught by Sion’s shoulder under her abdomen. A solid smack landed on her upraised bottom as Sion set off towards the bedroom. Her amusement died as she caught Cassian watching from behind them. His eyes flickered with heat as his hands went to the top of his uniform and began to open it. He followed Sion towards their bed. In the dim light of the bedroom Jala let herself lose track of whose hands were doing what. All that mattered was the steady removal of clothing and the increasing amount of warm male skin within touching range. She could smell both of them so close to her that her body quivered with need. Her passage was an empty space that ached. The space between her and the two male bodies was too great as she stroked one hard chest but had to break that contact for her shirt to be pulled free of her arm. The small frustrating delay intensified how warm Sion’s skin was when her hand was once more in contact with his bared chest. Cassian cupped her breasts from his place behind her before sliding his hands down her belly to her pants. She felt suspended in that long moment it took for his fingers to slip under her waistband and begin to tug the loose garment down over the flare of her hips. She actually noticed for the first time how her body was curved where her matches’ -112-

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weren’t. Their hips were lean and sturdy but hers were finished off with just a little curve of flesh designed by nature to capture the attention of males like these. They could cup her hips as they rode her and nature had ensured it would be a perfect fit. Her back landed on the surface of the bed and Jala wasn’t sure who placed her there only that it made excitement twist through her passage. She caught the scent of her arousal as Sion pressed her thighs open and his shoulders held them apart. His fingers brushed her sex as pleasure rippled into her belly. The slower pace allowed for so much more pleasure. Jala lifted her eyelashes to see Sion staring at her spread body before he leaned forward and caught the folds of her sex with his mouth. Her body bucked beneath the contact and there was no controlling anything. Cassian pressed her back to the surface of the bed as Sion used his fingers to spread the folds of her sex further apart. The tip of his tongue found her clit, sending a bolt of sensation straight through her nervous system. Cassian growled next to her ear as he bit her neck and she became lost in the moments when Sion’s tongue flickered over her clit. There was nothing but pleasure and the ache for more. Climax shimmered just beyond her reach as her hips lifted from the bed to offer her body up to Sion’s attention. “I knew you’d enjoy this.” Cassian taunted her as he hovered over her breasts. His eyes left her face and targeted one beaded nipple. She held her breath as he captured the sensitive flesh between his lips. Everything raced towards her belly where it twisted tighter and the need to climax became painful. She heard her own moan but simply did not care. Sion did. The sound drew him away from her sex and the look in his eyes made her shiver. He pushed Cassian aside as he climbed up the bed and held her thighs apart with his hips. The head of his cock slipped into -113-

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her body as his back arched to impale her. It was a completion of the need he’d begun with his mouth. Climax refused to be held off any longer, her body contract around his cock as Sion’s harsh grunt joined her cry. Her lover moved a few more times before he lost the battle as well and his seed hit the walls of her passage. Sion rolled onto his back and took her with him as he clasped her to his chest. She never turned completely over. Cassian held her on her side as his body connected with hers and his cock entered her from behind. He used slow thrusts as Sion smoothed his hands over her face and leaned down to kiss her. One hand stroked over her belly to the front of her sex to rub at her clit. Coupled with the hard thrust of Cassian’s cock a second climax tore through her but it was deeper and Jala simply let it ripple along her body. She was held between her matches and it felt completely correct. Right then, there was only their three heartbeats and the brush of their breath against each other’s skin. Time didn’t matter, details didn’t have any value unless it was the way they clasped each other. It was intimacy in the truest form. Nature’s own device that would ensure conception of the next generation and lay the foundation for the family that would raise their offspring. Sex wasn’t enough to describe the tender embrace all three people were tangled in well after desire had been fed. The emotion keeping Jala’s fingers stroking the thigh behind her and the chest in front of her was the same feeling that caused Cassian to clasp his arm around her waist to hold her body flush with his. Sion answered that feeling with long strokes of his hand over her hip and thigh. It was the one thing none of them had ever experienced. Love.

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Chapter Nine Sion was rubbing her feet between his the next morning. Jala awoke as he used both his feet to rub one of hers and then changed over to her opposite foot. His arms wrapped around her waist with one breast cupped in his hand as he nuzzled her neck. “You missed sunrise.” A little bite placed on her neck made her shiver as Sion rubbed her other foot again. Amusement placed a grin on her mouth as she felt how warm her toes were from his attention. But the thick cock pressing against her thigh made her shiver as her body quickly told her how much she was enjoying the morning embrace. It was silly little stuff like this that endeared Sion to her. He certainly didn’t have to cuddle with her in order to get sex. Last night had proven how receptive she was to the idea of mating with both her matches. Whatever her logic might decide, her body had very clear intentions and that did not include refusing. Sion bit her neck again as he slid one knee between her thighs. “Have I mentioned that I am becoming your devoted slave, Jala?” The head of his cock slipped into her body and Jala gasped as she realized how wet she was. Even in slumber she had responded to the touch of her match. Sion pressed his length into her slowly sending a ripple of delight through her womb. The bedding was still pulled up

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around her as Sion brushed her nipple with his thumb. He moved behind her with slow thrusts that she raised her bottom for. “The art of conversation is something we need to practice.” Sion’s voice was husky as his speed increased. His hand left her breast to slide down her belly to her hips. His fingers closed around her to hold her in place for his thrusts. Sion clamped down on his urge to climax. It was too soon. His cock seemed to have discarded any idea of control since coming into contact with Jala. He understood the science backing their relationship but there was something about the way she flung aside his coddling that just urged him to spill his seed the first second he could. His body was in a rush to ensure that his genetic material was deep inside her body at the first opportunity. Pleasure took second place to that need. Today, he clenched his teeth as he reached for her clit. He wanted to hear her whimper as his cock was inside her. It was a harsh need born somewhere deep inside his brain where all the years he’d spent in education fell aside in the face of something…primitive. Sion’s hand slipping over her belly and her eyes flew open. Memory was instant. Her clit throbbed with anticipation as his fingers separated the folds covering the little bundle of nerve endings. Sion rubbed it in the same rhythm he drove his cock into her body. For an endless time they moved and Jala was torn between the need to raise her bottom for his cock or to lift her clit towards the friction that would send her into climax. It was a torment that mixed pleasure and pain so completely, she couldn’t tell them apart. “Come for me, Jala.” Sion’s voice was hard as his finger pressed harder. She could hear the emotion in his voice. Knowing he was as out -116-

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of control as she was sent excitement tearing into her womb. A moment later Sion grunted as his hips thrust his cock deeply into her body and the hot spurt of his seed hit her passage. His arm clamped her tightly against his body as he rubbed her clit faster and sensation broke into a shower of pleasure that made her moan. A gentle kiss landed on her neck as Sion growled against her skin. “I admit, I like it when we get distracted from our conversation practice.” Jala giggled. She slapped at the hand holding her against Sion but not with any real intention of hurting him. Sion smacked her bottom in response. He groaned and laid a last kiss on her neck before rolling out of the bed. Jala turned to look at his sleep-tousled hair and the satisfied smile sitting on his lips. She couldn’t even get mad about the possessive expression covering his face as he looked at her lying in the middle of the messy bedding. The man had been carefully planning for a match for years, devoting his income and free time to getting his name on a list that never promised him a female. Maybe she didn’t like being delivered like chattel, but the honest truth was Jala couldn’t find a better way of matching up females with males. Making her way through arenas filled with Interlink men hadn’t impacted her or even sparked enough interest to share sex with even one other male. But Resource Command’s numbers had indeed brought her face to face with two males who broke through her control in record time. Jala rolled over and headed for a shower. Last night it had felt like love but she still wasn’t exactly sure what that emotion was. There were plenty of things in her life she felt attached to but love was quickly becoming a deep mystery that drew her into its swirling cloud of no return. She instinctively knew it was a one-way trip. Even now as she was weighing it against her logic, she knew nothing short of ripping out her heart was -117-

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going to remove the two men from her life completely. Oh, she might leave when her thirty-fifth birthday arrived but she would never forget the way Sion played with her nipples or demanded help in the kitchen. A shiver raced down her spine as she finished her shower and dried her skin with a towel. She would never forget the way Cassian growled right before he pulled her against his body. A little grin lifted her lips as Jala caught sight of her reflection. She lowered the towel and looked at her body for the first time for nothing more than vanity. She had inspected injuries and inspected her limbs for muscle tone to judge training routines but she had never looked at her breasts and wondered if they were pretty. Her nipples were brown and rather small compared to some of the other Estrokos she’d shared training showers with. Compared to Captain Asota’s match, her breasts were small too. But Cassian and Sion both stared at her nipples. Somehow, knowing their eyes were drawn to her body built her confidence. “Hey slacker! Breakfast isn’t going to cook itself!” A naughty grin plastered itself onto her face as Jala looked at the doorway that led to the kitchen. She turned on her heel and walked towards the sounds of Sion rummaging through the food storage unit. Sion had eggs filling his hand and milk tucked between his forearm and body as he pulled a few more items and sent the door closed with a shove from his shoulder. His eyes homed in on her as Jala grinned. “You hollered?” Two eggs fell to the floor as Sion took in her nude body. He cussed as the fragile shells cracked when they hit. The front door swished open and closed as Cassian returned from the run Jala had missed for the first time in months, not counting the time she had been imprisoned by Resource Command. Sweat soaked his shirt and glistened on his skin as he wiped his forehead on his sleeve before frowning at her nudity. He -118-

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blinked and stared at her for a second before lifting a finger to point at Sion. “Sion, you are going to teach me how to cook or I think I might just kill you.” Jala laughed as she turned and went looking for some clothing, Sion’s amusement filtered in through the doorway as she heard a muffled curse from Cassian. Yeah, she wasn’t sure just what love was, but cohabitation with Sion and Cassian was certainly growing on her.

The room she’d used as a training studio was dark when Jala arrived. She turned the lights on and looked around. There was nothing there but the memory of yesterday. The training tools only existed in her mind because it would take weeks to order them and get them shipped on subspace transports. It wouldn’t matter if her students didn’t show up. Jala moved into the room and began to loosen her muscles with stretching exercises she had done since she could first walk. She was not sorry for her words…they were the truth. No students would be better than false ones. Honor was the most important thing you learned as an Estroko. If the mothers of Yefet colony refused to walk their own streets, there was no place for an Estroko training studio. The silence was so loud it nearly deafened her as she waited for the appointed hour she’d told her students to arrive for instruction. Megan scampered into the room and froze in the center of the floor. Her little checks turned red as she ran back to the door and bowed before flashing Jala a bright smile and running back into the room. Jala was certain that smile was branded into her memory for life. “Morning, Master Jala.”

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Regina appeared in the doorway and Jala felt her smile fade. In place of the sparkly clothing was an oversized shirt and pants that looked very much like the ones Jala had pilfered from Cassian’s clothing. “We all talked it over last night and decided you had a really good point. So, me and the girls need you to teach us a little bit of that kickass stuff you were showing off. You know, just in case any of those miners get any ideas.” Megan giggled and clapped her hands. “Mommy, you forgot to bow! That’s dis…spectful.” Suzy remembered to bow before she stepped into the room. Her mother rolled her eyes as she mimicked her daughter and offered Jala a smile. The room was soon full of more mothers than children because the older girls would have to be transferred back to Yefet once Jala had been officially recognized as an Estroko Master who had opened a training studio on the colony. Cassian watched Jala from the hallway. A dumb smile was sitting on his face and he left it there. There had been too many times he’d wondered just why matched men transformed into idiots. Today he was the one grinning at what he’d always assumed should be easy to dismiss from the mind. Jala wasn’t. She stuck in his thoughts despite his best efforts to evict her. Her face flashed into his brain when he should be thinking about Yefet. He caught the scent of her skin when he passed through the hallway and his cock twitched in response. Sweat was glistening in her hair as she taught and his clothing hung on her frame. There should have been absolutely nothing attractive about her, instead Cassian found reasons to leave his desk just so he could catch a glimpse of her tiedback hair. -120-

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Hell, he’d never really thought about the match program as anything more than a comfort. Something men in his position did and so he had too. The idea that Jala might pack up and leave was eating a hole in his brain. Control was something Cassian was accustomed to wielding. But right than Jala was in command. And Cassian was still grinning when he resumed making his way down the hallway. He didn’t want it any other way. Harsh but honest, Cassian was forced to face the fact that matches like Regina and Paula didn’t interest him. Jala with her no-quarter-yielded attitude shimmered like gold and he was willing to fight to get his hands on her. To Cassian, that only proved how right the relationship was. Nothing worth having came easy. The fight made the possession even better. Jala was worn out again as her students left. She kept her eyes on the doorway. She was waiting to see if Cassian came looking for her. Her body rippled with the memory of last night as she caught his wide frame moving into the doorway. “Did they wear you out?” Cassian was poking fun at her. Jala tossed her head as she hit the light switch on her way into the hallway to join him. “I think we’re off to a very good start on transforming Yefet’s views on females.” Cassian frowned at her. “You mean, you started a revolt among my colony women.” Jala raised an eyebrow at his stern look. “You’d better believe I did.” Amusement danced across Cassian’s dark eyes, betraying his true feelings on the matter. Jala blew him a mocking kiss before she took off at a steady run. She needed the exercise to replace the run she’d missed that morning. Knowing Cassian was stuck in his uniform only made her -121-

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grin. He would have to pilot the transport back to their home, leaving her to run in peace. Revolt? Jala was betting on it!

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Chapter Ten The house was silent when Jala opened the door, almost like it was waiting. She felt it before she even crossed the doorway. She might have thought that Cassian and Sion were both still at the command center but there was a tingle on the back of her neck that said otherwise. Cassian looked very much like the man she had first met. His uniform was a study of perfection and his hands were clasped behind his back. He was watching the front door and his frown darkened when he saw her. Sion was leaning against the kitchen counter with his fingers laced together as he contemplated his palm screen. He raised his head as she entered the room but there wasn’t the warm smile Jala had come to look forward to. Instead, his eyes flickered with something that looked very much like pain before he straightened. “Do I dare ask the question?” Jala couldn’t stop the words. She was almost desperate to discover what had turned the temperature so cold in their relationship. A week ago, she would have been relieved to find her matches so cold, tonight her gut twisted with an emotion that threatened to reduce her to tears if they didn’t have a valid reason for their silence. Cassian stepped forward and held out a palm screen for her. She inspected the report displayed as her temper ignited. “Damn Pultrio.” She hissed through her teeth as she re-read the report. The young Estroko who had swept her knee in that last competition had confessed to taking -123-

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a bribe in order to keep her colony’s studio in the number-one slot. Dirty fighting wasn’t unheard of but it was deeply dishonorable. That signed confession was going to haunt every student at Pultrio studio for years to come. The girl must have found the match program just as unsavory as Jala had to get mad enough to sign a confession. Jala felt a grin lift the corners of her lips. Well, it certainly was nice to know they had to stoop so low to defeat her! She was smiling when she looked back up and felt her elation dissipate at the resolution plastered on both men’s faces. Sion nodded at her as he returned to leaning against the counter. Cassian turned and presented his back to her but the hands he had gripped behind his back were white from the strength he was using. “Ah…what’s the problem? I, for one, am delighted to find out I didn’t go down in a fair fight.” Her smile broadened as she re-read the report. “Pultrio never did have a student that could best me and they still don’t.” Sion shook his head. “Guess you have the right to be happy about it.” Sion sounded like he was telling a family their loved one was beyond his help. The gravity in his voice made the word somber sound sunny. “So what’s wrong?” Cassian turned and glared at her. Jala stared at the man she’d played in bed with only that morning. There wasn’t even a single hint of that mischief now. His face was a mask that hid each and every emotion from her. Jala shrugged as she handed the palm screen back to Cassian. He raised a dark eyebrow at her as Jala tried to figure out what she was missing. The answer flashed through her brain as she cussed. She actually lifted a hand and slapped it over her mouth as the word escaped from her sheer surprise at what that confession meant. She could go back. A signed confession was the legal crowbar that would allow her to pry open the Resource Department’s ability to force -124-

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her into submission as a match. By law, she could return to the ring, compete for the remaining three months until her birthday and never live as a match. Resource Control couldn’t even take back the two weeks she’d been away from her studio. All she had to do was show up for her next competition and win three out of five rounds. Cassian sighed and his eyes flickered with pain as he watched her face. He nodded firmly at her elation as he grasped the palm screen with a hard grip. “I’ll make arrangements for you to depart tomorrow.” Denial screamed through her and there was no stopping it. Jala felt her lungs freeze as she looked at the resignation coating Cassian’s face. Sion was trying to be happy for her and she hated the compassion. Her little students’ faces swam through her thoughts as she shook her head. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Cassian. Resource Command matched us up, so you will just have to learn to live with me.” Jala propped her hands onto her hips as she shot a look at Sion. “That goes double for you, too.” It was amazing what a simple idea could do. Choice. Jala looked at both men as she felt her heart twist and fill with every tender emotion she’d spent the last week trying to ignore. Now that escape was lying on the table for her to grasp, all she craved was to close that door. Cassian cupped her chin to bring her gaze up to his. Her own uncertainty was mirrored in his dark eyes as Jala let her hand stroke his forearm. “I don’t need to go anywhere.” Cassian could have looked at her face for the rest of the night. Willing choice was far more beautiful than he’d ever thought it might be. Shining through Jala’s eyes was the one thing Resource Control could never hold authority over. Love only grew when it took root in the soul. He stroked -125-

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her cheek and grinned when she rubbed her face against the touch. “You’ll go, Jala.” Cassian pressed his fingers against her lips when she tried to blurt out a denial. “And you’d better be back here just as soon as you turn thirty because I’m going to miss you a whole hell of a lot, woman.” Jala reached for his shoulders and her body lifted right off the floor because Sion had joined their embrace behind her. She draped one arm around both of her matches’ shoulders before she pressed a kiss against each of their lips. “I love you too.” Cassian growled at the tender words and Jala lifted her hand away from Sion to seal her fingers against Cassian’s mouth. “Let me translate…you love me.” Cassian smacked her bottom in response as he bit the tip of one of her fingers. Jala yanked her hand away from his teeth as she hissed at him. Cassian raised an eyebrow at her. “You’ll just have to show up again if you want to hear that phrase from me.” Sion chuckled and swept her away from Cassian. He held her in a firm embrace that betrayed how much he didn’t want her to leave. The decision reflected on his face melted her heart even further as she witnessed his respect for her need to finish her competition years. For a non-Estroko, Sion understood honor very well. Sion’s eyes simmered as he leaned down next to her ear. “I love you. Make sure you remember that. Unlike Cassian, I’d like to make sure you dream about me while we’re apart.” Jala didn’t think she would ever forget. Among the years that would make up her life, she didn’t think even death would tear that knowledge from her. Love was so much more than the word she’d spent her life uttering carelessly in reference to things that meant nothing compared to the force that flowed between them at that moment. Cassian stroked her -126-

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back as he joined their embrace and Jala was very, very sure she was in fact…home. Each of their life’s demands would pull them from each other but love was the force that would draw them back to wherever the others were because they were incomplete without each other. It was more than love…it was unity.

Three months later. Time wasn’t the only thing that changed a person. Jala stood at attention to receive her last medal. The surrounding Estrokos were unusually silent as even the rings around them were halted by their referees. It was a moment that wasn’t singularly her own as she had always thought it would be. Instead it was a pinnacle she shared with all the competitors looking at her right then that dreamed of being her. She had looked at others the same way and today Jala wasn’t as filled with the joy of victory as she was the relief of knowing she was going home tonight. She could taste blood from a split lip and her knee was burning from the exertion on the newly healed injury but her heart filled with the knowledge that by losing that match three months ago, she had in fact won. That was the lesson time had taught her. The human soul wasn’t meant to be alone. The genders were complements to each other and love was the greatest gift she could ever hope to receive. Jala bowed to her referee and left the ring. Fellow Estrokos beat their chest-protection gear as she passed but the smile that lifted her lips wasn’t for their praise. It was for the two men waiting at the edge of the competition area. Among the sea of Estrokos and escorting Interlink personnel, Cassian

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and Sion still stood out. To her, they were far more than her science selected matches. They were the men she loved and tonight they were taking her home. Miracles really did happen. Fate still knew how to dictate and those embers embedded in her DNA were the greatest gift evolution had ever given her. Jala had every intention of enjoying it.

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Kindred: The Shadows of Night By Ellen Fisher First in a new trilogy, now available from www.samhainpublishing.com When Katara slid back into consciousness, she felt a throbbing in her skull. Not as agonizing as the pain she’d felt last time, but certainly not pleasant, either. It appeared she was doomed to headaches as long as she dwelt among the Antler Kindred. She opened her eyes to see Hart looming over her, his dark eyes filled with anxiety. “What happened?” she said foggily. Some of the anxiety faded from Hart’s eyes, to be replaced with irritation. “You tried to jump to your death,” he said in a low growl. She thought for a minute, trying to remember exactly what had happened. “I did no such thing,” she said at last, haughtily—or as haughtily as she could manage, considering she was supine on a cold stone floor. “I was attempting to jump to the roof below.” Hart blinked at her. “Are you mad? It was too far away.” “I think I could have made it.” “In your animal form, possibly. In human form? Impossible.” He sighed. “I knew you would try something insanely reckless. I knew it.” “I intended to climb down the tower,” she said with dignity. “Oh, well, that was certainly not in the least insanely reckless.” “It wasn’t reckless!” she retorted. “There were numerous handholds. But I couldn’t get out of the window for some reason.”

“A force field. The windows of our buildings have them, to prevent children from falling to their death, or despairing lovers from taking their own lives. A sensible safety precaution, designed by the Ancestors when the keep was built. It also keeps out insects.” “A force field?” she repeated, perplexed. “You cannot see it, but it behaves like a wall.” She was impressed by the Antlers’ ability to create such a thing, even though it had thwarted her attempt. “A magic wall,” she said, unable to keep the awe from her voice. “It is not magic.” She could see condescension in his smile. “It is technology handed down to us from the Ancestors.” “I see,” she said, although she did not. An invisible wall sounded like magic as far as she was concerned. “Well, I was unable to get to the wall beside the window, but I could reach forward. When I heard you coming, I decided to jump to the roof below.” “So you jumped forward with a great deal of force, only to encounter another force field.” She reached up and rubbed the aching lump on her forehead. “Is that what happened?” He nodded. “There is enough space for a person to lean her head out of the window, but if you attempt to throw yourself from the window, the force field will prevent it.” “I see.” Another escape plan thwarted, she thought ruefully. Getting out of the Antler keep was going to be more difficult than she had originally anticipated. “What you tried to do was incredibly stupid.” “It wasn’t—” She broke off, remembering the distance to the nearest rooftop far below. Very well, she decided sullenly. It had been stupid.

“Yes, it was indeed stupid. But I had guessed you would try something, so I left you alone to discover for yourself that you cannot escape.” Rubbing her head, she began to sit up. He caught her other arm and helped her to a sitting position. “Shall I take you back to the medical chamber?” She cringed, remembering the sharp smells of the room. “I am fine.” “You seem all right. But I will have Otwa come up and look you over, just to be on the safe side. Were anything to happen to you, my father would impale me on his antlers.” “And that would be a terrible pity, I’m sure.” Hart grinned at her sarcasm, lifting her into his arms and dropping her onto the circular bed in the center of the chamber. He looked down at her with a mocking smile. “You wound me, Claw.” “I’d certainly like to,” she said.

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