Mating Ritual

Shifting Priorities: Mating Ritual Anne Kane All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2008 Anne Kane

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Shifting Priorities: Mating Ritual Anne Kane When Jexx finds out the man she’s just had fantastic sex with is one of the legendary Imperial were-panthers, she’s impressed and flattered. But when he tells her he’s decided to claim her as his bond-mate, she’s less than thrilled. She’s not in the market for a bossy male to order her around. They’ve got more than just technical problems to work out if they’re both going to make it back to Earth in one piece.

Prologue Legend has it that long after the fall of civilization in the 23rd century, a special breed of mutants were created with the two-fold purpose of defending His Imperial Highness, the ruler of all Earth, and to protect humanity. Known as the Imperial werepanthers, they could shift from human to panther form at will. In time, the heirs to the Imperial Dynasty became corrupt. They adopted an opulent lifestyle and demanded ever-increasing amounts of tribute. The Imperial werepanthers saw that humanity suffered greatly from their greed. The shifters were torn between their duty to the throne and their loyalty to mankind. They tried to reason with His Imperial Highness, but he refused their counsel, threatening to banish the shifters from Earth if they continued to defy him. And so, the Imperial were-panthers decided to protect humanity with one last, heroic act. In a bloody battle they wiped out the Imperial Dynasty. From that day forth their entire race disappeared back into legend and myth, and no one has seen an Imperial Were-Panther since. Or at least that’s what Jexx had believed…

Chapter One Jexx eyed up the two males stalking cockily toward her. The one on the right, a scrawny excuse for a man, had a sickly yellow cast to his naked torso. The arrogant swagger of his hulking partner, not to mention his toothy smirk, made her blood run cold. She flexed her hands, feeling the tingle of her battle implants coming online, and for the first time in her life, wondered if they would be enough to give her an edge. Why the hell did I obey the stupid rules and leave my weapons aboard ship? She shifted her stance, tossing her head so that the bells and trinkets woven into her long braids tinkled defiantly. She started as a big arm circled her waist and drew her back against a hard body. A warm, musky smell invaded her senses and caused her pussy to tingle. Tome Rimmer. “So this is what you get up to when I let you out of my sight.” His low voice was every bit as sexy as she remembered. She forced herself to relax into his hard body. “Nice to see you. Just happen to be in the neighborhood?” She kept her voice steady and looked up at the two males who were surveying the newcomer with disgruntled expressions on their faces. They’d obviously thought they could take her without too much trouble. Now they had to consider whether she was worth a fight. Jexx twisted her head to study the harsh face of her ally. A strip of leather around his forehead restrained his shoulder length jet-black hair and gave him a raffish look. His angular face sported a Roman nose and high aristocratic cheekbones. Seven feet of solid, mouthwatering muscle flexed beneath a skin-hugging body suit. She licked her lips and tried not to think of how he looked without that body suit. The two men locked eyes and came to a silent agreement. The yellow one drifted left, leaving the frontal assault to his companion.

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Tome sighed theatrically and turned to place Jexx’s smaller body protectively behind his. “I was really hoping you guys were smarter than you looked.” Jexx squelched the urge to slap him for his patronizing dismissal of her fighting abilities. She might be smaller than he was, but she was far from helpless. Typically alpha male, he insisted on treating her like a little lady in an Ancient Earth romance novel. She’d quickly learned that Imperial were-panthers had a wide protective streak when it came to females. He’d also insisted she belonged with him -- he referred to her as his bond-mate. Just because she’d made the mistake of bedding him rather enthusiastically when she’d needed a little action did not give him any rights. Every time she’d pointed that out, he’d just smile and say it was part of the mating ritual. She eyed up the heavy muscles roping across his back and licked her lips as she remembered how those muscles felt beneath her hands. Mating ritual be damned. She just appreciated his skills in certain areas. She’d have to make sure he got a nice, personal reward for handling these two cretins for her. She watched him bare his teeth in a predatory smile as the two closed in on him. He looked edgy and restless. Jexx knew he’d spent the last week tracking her down and she felt an unfamiliar twinge of guilt. She’d snuck out in the dead of night shortly after discovering the man she’d just slept with was one of the mythical Imperial werepanthers. That wasn’t what had spooked her though. No, she’d run when he’d casually claimed her as his bond-mate. She wasn’t in the market for a bossy male to restrict her freedom. She took a quick look around the yard. High fences on three of the four sides limited their options. The only exit from the courtyard was located behind the two men, which meant they couldn’t just cut and run. Cement posts displaying statues of dubious artistic value ringed the perimeter and could prove dangerous obstacles in hand-tohand combat. An uneven layer of gravel on the ground made footing treacherous. “Come on, boys.” Tome crouched low on his heels, gesturing the two in closer with a mocking flip of his hand. “You’ve got me two to one. You’re not scared, are

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you?” He raised his brows and stared at them, a dismissive smile curving one corner of his mouth. Predictably, the insult goaded them into attacking. The heavier of the two charged directly at Tome, surprisingly quick on his feet for such a massive creature. Tome turned slightly and used his shoulder to deflect the force of the charge, sending the man staggering into one of the cement posts. The other male circled around behind him, obviously intending to grab Jexx while his partner kept Tome distracted. Fat chance. Unless he had some weapons hidden under those filthy clothes, she could easily handle him. Grunting as he slammed into the post, the larger man turned and fixed Tome with a malevolent glare. A cold smile tilted his mouth and he wiped a thin trickle of blood off his chin with his shirtsleeve. His gaze flickered to his partner for a second and then returned to Tome. He circled to the right, forcing Tome to turn away from the second man in order to keep facing him. They’d obviously worked as a team before. “Don’t worry. If you can handle the whale, I’ll take care of the guppy.” Jexx didn’t want Tome worrying about her when he should be concentrating on his opponent. She’d been in lots of scrapes and she knew how to defend herself against a lone assailant. She watched the big man circle around Tome. Slower this time, sizing up his foe. Tome crouched low, his strange amber eyes darkening as he focused on the man. Jexx gave a wistful thought to her blaster, left onboard ship per standard landing procedures. Hindsight. The feel of a nice solid blaster in her hand would have been worth running the risk of detection by random scans. His opponent feinted with a beefy right hook, and Tome blocked it with his forearm, jabbing in to sink a quick fist into the man’s belly. His attacker staggered back out of reach, the evil grin still plastered on his face. “I’m going to enjoy your little green-eyed pet.” The man licked his lips and flicked a quick glance at Jexx. “I like it when they fight back.”

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Tome danced in and aimed a roundhouse kick at the man’s head. “I don’t think you’d like her fighting style. She’d enjoy slitting your throat.” His foot glanced off his opponent’s shoulder as the man slid sideways. Jexx pivoted to meet the smaller man as he rushed her from behind, the noise of his clumsy feet warning her of his intentions. She angled sideways and extended her arm, letting his momentum carry him straight into an uppercut to the throat. His eyes widened in shock. He gasped, struggling to drag oxygen into his lungs. His eyes clouded, grew dull. He dropped to the ground at Jexx’s feet with a meaty thud. She hadn’t even worked up a sweat on that one. She looked at Tome’s back and saw him tense. She realized he didn’t know which one of them had fallen. He should have more faith in me. But she took pity on him. “That wasn’t much of a challenge. You need a hand?” He relaxed at the sound of her voice. “No, I’m good.” She watched the two men circle, each looking for an opening. Tome feinted with his left. His opponent took the bait and lunged forward. Tome instantly extended his claws and slashed bloody furrows down the unprotected arm. The man didn’t pause, his left fist still driving straight for Tome’s face. Tome pivoted and let the blow glance off the side of his head. The brute danced out of range, that disgusting leer still plastered on his face. “I think he must be the ugliest male I’ve ever seen.” Jexx backed away and leaned against the wall, giving the two men plenty of room. The man in question glanced over at the sound of her voice. Tome took advantage of his momentary distraction, coming in low and extending his left foot to sweep the man’s legs out from under him. The annoying grin vanished and a look of utter disbelief replaced it as the brute tumbled backward, unable to break his fall. His head hit the rocky ground with an audible crack and the massive body went limp. Tome bent over the still form to check his pulse. “He’ll live. Good. I’d hate to spend the next eon answering questions from security.”

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Straightening, he stalked over to Jexx and pulled her into his embrace. When she tilted her head to look up at him, he brought his mouth down on hers with savage intensity. Her lips parted under his onslaught and he thrust his tongue inside, exploring every corner. She stiffened in his arms, hesitating for a split second before surrendering, her tongue mating with his in an erotic duel. His hand dropped to her ass, and dragged her hard against him to feel the outline of his massive erection through the skintight body suit. He lifted his head and scowled. “What the hell were you thinking, running to the out-ports when you knew I ordered them closed to females traveling alone?” Jexx shrugged. “I thought you were overreacting.” She raised her head to look him in the eyes. “I’m capable of looking after myself.” Tome raised an eyebrow. “And if I hadn’t shown up, exactly what were you planning on doing with Ugly and his sidekick?” He jerked his head at the pair lying unconscious on the ground. Jexx looked down at them and a tiny grin curled the corner of her mouth. “I might have been able to play them off against each other. Asteroid jockeys aren’t the brightest bunch in the universe.” Tome snorted and shook his head. The amber streaks swirling within the changing golds and browns of his slanted eyes betrayed his arousal. “Well, lucky for you our little interlude on the base station left me wanting more, so I decided to track you down.” He traced the rounded shape of her ass through the thin layers of her flight suit. “I’d ask ‘your ship or mine,’ but it’s going to be mine.” “Really?” She wrinkled her brow and stared up at him, perplexed. “Why?” He smiled and reached out to pin her hands between their bodies. “Because your ship was impounded on orders from the Earth-base stationmaster.” He paused for a moment. “It’s being towed back planet-side as we speak.”

Chapter Two Jexx blinked and stared at him in disbelief. “You can’t be serious! You had my ship impounded?” His mouth curved up in a wickedly handsome grin. “Yeah. Guess you’ll have to hitch a ride back to Earth with me.” Jexx pushed against his hard chest with her imprisoned hands. “The hell I will. Let me go, you jerk. I need to get to my ship and stop them.” Tome shook his head. “Too late. They were activating the anti-grav leads when I came looking for you.” His grin widened. “I’m sure you can do something to earn your passage aboard my ship.” “Dream on.” She squirmed in an attempt to work her hands free. Battle implants weren’t much good if you couldn’t activate them. Tome sighed theatrically. “Well, if you don’t plan on coming along quietly…” With a quick flip of his arms, he had her pinned face down on the rocky ground, his larger body straddling hers while he twisted her arms behind her back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jexx turned her head to glare up at him in growing alarm. Tome reached into his pocket and produced a length of blue metal connected to a glowing dial, and wound it around her wrists. A click of the dial and the device snugged itself firmly to her wrists, preventing her from flexing her fingers. “Officially, I’m escorting an unauthorized female back to Earth.” He leaned down and his breath feathered warmly against her ear. “Unofficially, I’m hauling your pretty ass back to my ship so I can punish you for running. It’s not nice to worry your bond-mate.”

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“You can’t do this.” Jexx squirmed helplessly under his superior bulk. “And I am not your bond-mate.” “Actually, I can.” He stood and hoisted her up over one shoulder. “Besides being your bond-mate, I’m the Earth-base stationmaster.” Jexx found herself hanging upside down, staring at the outline of his tight butt. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against the disorienting feeling of bouncing along upside down. He’s so going to pay for this.

*** Tome shifted his grip, letting her slide down him to land on her feet, casually holding her by the restraints. He waved his credentials at the two uniforms manning the station checkpoint. “New slave?” Jexx gritted her teeth at the interest in the man’s voice. “No.” Tome’s tone was casual. “Bond-mate. She needs to learn a little respect.” The man licked his lips, his eyes glued to the outline of her breasts beneath the snug suit. “Need some help? I’m almost off shift and I wouldn’t mind a little action.” Jexx expected a quick denial. Tome wasn’t the kind of man who’d willingly share his mate. When he hesitated, she twisted her neck to glare up at him. He caught her gaze and a taunting smile spread across his face. “I’m on a tight deadline, so I’ll have to put off her education until we’re off-planet.” He pocketed the paperwork and casually tossed her back up on his broad shoulder. “I think I can handle her, but thanks for the offer.” You thinks you can handle me? Yeah, he was definitely going to pay for this.

*** It annoyed her that they passed through security without anyone questioning his right to haul her around as if she were a sack of grain. They entered the sleeping quarters of his shuttle and Tome lowered Jexx to the deck, holding her close so she slid down the full length of him, the friction causing her breasts to stand up in eager peaks.

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“Time to pay for making me chase you.” The low growl in his voice warned her he was close to losing control. Keeping one hand behind her, he lifted her chin and engulfed her mouth. Nibbling on her lips, he slid his tongue deep to tease and taste, withdrawing only to thrust it in again. His kiss spoke of a desperate hunger, a need he could barely control. Jexx kissed him back with unbridled passion, pouring her frustration into the play of her lips. She wanted this man more than she’d ever wanted anything else in her life. She’d never felt this agonizing mix of lust and need and want before. She wasn’t willing to do the whole bond-mate thing, but she couldn’t deny the attraction that sizzled between them. She tilted her head, dancing her tongue teasingly along his, breathing in the musky male scent so uniquely Tome. She raised her head, her breath coming in aroused little pants, and twisted her hands in frustration. She wanted to run her fingers over those gorgeous biceps, to drag his hips closer and grind her aching sex into the bulge in his groin. “You can take the restraints off now,” she suggested hopefully. Tome cocked his head and grinned down at her, eyes dark with passion. “I don’t think so. I don’t fancy the idea of a mutiny onboard my ship. I think I’ll enjoy having you laid out, awaiting my pleasure.” He lowered his head and proceeded to devour her mouth with an intensity that left her dazed. Sliding an arm under her knees, he picked her up and tossed her onto the sleeping platform. He backed off a few steps and proceeded to strip, dropping his clothing carelessly to the floor. His heated gaze roamed her body, amber streaks swirling darkly within the browns and golds of his eyes. Jexx stared at his naked body, flames of desire racing along her nerves and pooling low in her belly. Lean and hard, he had the sleek, muscular physique she’d expect of a Were-Panther. She licked her lips and eyed his bulging biceps and rock-hard abs. If I wanted a mate, he’d definitely be in the running. His cock rose hard and long from its nest of dark curls, a single drop of pre-cum glistening on the tip. She longed to reach out and touch it. Damn these restraints.

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Tome grasped the neck of her suit, ripping it down the front to expose the pale globes of her breasts. “Mmm. Nice.” He plucked at the rosy nipples, wringing a low moan from her. Jexx shuddered and closed her eyes as a wave of heat thundered through her. He lowered himself to the sleeping platform, casually propping himself up on an elbow as he continued to toy with her breasts. He lowered his head and circled one taut peak with his tongue, grinning when she gasped. “Seems like you’ve missed me more than you’re willing to admit.” He inhaled deeply and Jexx felt her face flush. She just knew he could smell her wet pussy. “Untie me.” She hadn’t intended it to come out as a breathy whisper. Tome studied her for a minute before he rolled her onto her side and removed the restraints. Jexx brought her arms around in front of her and rubbed her wrists. “Thanks.” She ran her palms down the hard muscles of his chest, a faint smile curving the corners of her mouth at his sharp intake of breath. Time to even the score a bit. She dragged a fingernail over one flat male nipple, watching his eyes darken in response. Tome rolled over and straddled her, propping himself up with his forearms at either side of her chest. He caught her gaze and held it as he slowly lowered his mouth to her breasts. Running his tongue over each one in turn, he licked and sucked, teasing the tender buds into tight peaks, and reducing Jexx to a boneless mass of whimpering arousal. Shifting his weight to one arm, he teased her with light feathery touches, stopping to explore her navel and trace the outline of her hips. Sliding his hand lower, he palmed her sex, rubbing his hand gently over the lips, his thumb raking her sensitive clit. Jexx let out a startled scream as white heat ripped through her body. She arched her back, pushing her pussy hard against his hand in a wordless plea. Tome grinned wickedly and slipped a finger into her slick channel while he continued to lave a swollen nipple with his tongue. She squirmed helplessly beneath

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the duel onslaught, every nerve end flooded with hot erotic sensations: the taste of his mouth, the solid feel of his hard muscles, the musky male smell of his aroused body. She’d never felt so turned on in her life. Tome lifted his head and she bit her lip to stop herself from begging for more. He slid down her torso, ripping the rest of her clothing off. He made sure he had eye contact when he clamped his mouth over her sex and thrust his tongue deep into her pussy. Jexx arched off the bed, gasping as red-hot flames shot straight to her core. Tome threw one arm across her hips, holding her prisoner while he invaded her with his mouth, his tongue, his fingers. Just when she was sure she couldn’t take any more pleasure, he withdrew, gently nuzzling the soft curls guarding her entrance. Dazed, she stared as he pulled himself up over her. His cock probed the slick entrance to her sex and he dipped his head to feather gentle kisses in the hollow of her throat. She held her breath, waiting for that first thrust and the rush of pleasure she knew it would bring. She arched her hips upward, attempting to impale herself on his thick shaft. Tome growled low in his throat and plunged his massive cock deep into her tight channel. “You scared the hell out of me, running off in the dead of night.” He slowly withdrew his cock, making sure she felt every inch of it leaving her aching core. “I kept picturing you dead. Or worse.” He circled his hips and leaned forward to nibble little kisses across her breasts. “If you ever do anything like that again, those restraints will be permanent.” He reared up over her and slammed his rigid shaft into her pussy, burying himself to the balls. “I’m sorry,” Jexx whispered. She arched up to make sure she got every last inch of his luscious cock. “I panicked.” Tome growled deep in his throat and his expression softened. Lowering his head, he took her lips in a searing kiss that left her gasping for oxygen. He settled into a

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steady rhythm, shafting her with long, steady strokes that kept her spiraling higher and higher. She felt small and helpless and female -- and she reveled in it. Abruptly, he stopped. Lay still. Jexx opened her eyes to stare up at him in dazed confusion. “What the hell?” His gaze, dark with lust and something more, bore down into her own. A dark smile curved the corner of his mouth. “You are mine.” He inhaled, his nostrils flaring wide. “Now. Forever. Mine.” He plunged himself deep into her depths, driving her over the edge into an orgasm that caused a million hot streaks to surge through her veins. He roared his possession to the world while he buried himself deep inside her, his cock pumping her full of his seed before he collapsed, cradling her tenderly against him. “You’re mine.” He whispered it softly this time, against her throat. Jexx floated slowly back to reality, her body rippling with tiny, hot aftershocks. She’d only ever felt that incredible an orgasm once before, and it had been with him. The first time with him.

Chapter Three Tome slapped his palm down on the access grid and closed his eyes, savoring the surge of power when his consciousness merged with the ship’s computer. He directed the power-up of the auxiliary thrusters and slowly backed the shuttle out of its berth. He’d left Jexx sleeping in the cabin, and hoped to be well on his way back Earth-side before she woke and remembered how pissed she’d been. He could still smell the sweet scent of her arousal on his body. The shuttle cleared the docking bay and he slowed the thrusters while he brought the main engines online in preparation for the jump to hyperspace. He called up the pre-jump checklists on the overhead monitor, methodically checking each system. Satisfied everything was in order, he mapped the coordinates for the first jump and switched the flight controls over to the A.I. No organic brain could process the mathematical probabilities and solutions quickly enough to ensure a safe jump. He buckled the safety harness over his seat and braced himself as the engines reached full power. At the last critical second, the A.I. released the stops and the ship hurled itself into the hyperspace void. The sudden shift in g-force sent his body straining against the harness for several agonizing seconds before the ship’s gravity field kicked in and dropped him back into the seat. He checked the readouts, making sure all the warning lights glowed a reassuring green before he released the harness and stood, stretching his arms above his head. He flipped the switch to enable the external monitors, blinking as the light from a million twinkling stars filled the bridge. Time to go see how Jexx planned to pay for her passage.

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***

The thunk of a large object bouncing off the stateroom door greeted him as he approached. Seemed she didn’t appreciate the accommodation. He smiled in spite of himself. He didn’t expect her to give in easily. He looked forward to matching wits with her. He released the door locks with a flick of his wrist and ducked as a holo-vid flew through the air. With a blur of speed, he crossed the space between them and nabbed both wrists, forcing her hands down to her sides. “Enough!” He gave her his best I’mto-be-obeyed look. “I expected better from you than a temper tantrum.” “This is not a temper tantrum.” Jexx jerked free, then paused in the act of throwing another holo-vid and smiled sweetly up at him. “That would be childish. This is retaliation for locking me into a strange stateroom and taking off without so much as consulting me.” She tossed the holo-vid onto the sleeping platform. “Now, if you’re a smart man, which I’m beginning to doubt, you’ll apologize.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped one foot impatiently on the floor. “I’m waiting.” She looked so cute with her green eyes flashing temper and her braids tinkling every time she moved her head. That smile on her full lips didn’t fool him for a minute. Sweet and gentle just weren’t her style. He kept his expression neutral as he delivered the requested apology. “I’m sorry for not informing you of our imminent departure.” Jexx dropped her arms to her sides and stared up at him in disbelief. “You’re supposed to be sorry for locking me up and abducting me, you idiot.” “But I’m not sorry for that,” he pointed out. “You wouldn’t want me to lie to you, now would you?” He inhaled and her scent raced through him, hardening his body with painful intensity. She had that effect on him. He’d been in a constant state of arousal since he’d run into her, literally, on the Earth-base station. She’d wanted sex then, and he’d been more than happy to oblige. But afterwards she’d wanted to walk away, and he just wasn’t willing to let her.

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“Of course not.” She frowned. “Is it even possible for an Imperial Were-Panther to lie to his bond-mate?” Tome grinned. She was starting to give in. “No. So believe me when I tell you, you’re stuck with me.” “Not likely.” Jexx tossed her head haughtily and stalked past him out the doorway. “Let’s get this bucket of bolts back Earth-side so I can dump your sorry ass.” Oh yeah. She’s weakening. At their current speed, he had two whole days to seduce her into staying with him. He whistled a cheerful tune as he sauntered out the door behind her.

*** “So why have you guys been hiding all these years?” Jexx held up her hand to lick the sticky icing from the cinnamon buns off each finger. Tome felt his cock jerk, straining hard against the fabric of his suit as he imagined what that tongue could do to him. She thinks she’s safe with the width of the table between us. He took a big gulp of his coffee and focused on her question. “We’ve been right here in plain sight. People don’t expect to see us, so they don’t. It makes our lives easier.” He moved slightly to relieve the growing ache in his groin. “Interesting.” Jexx studied her hand, flicking her tongue out to capture a stray bit of icing. “I’m guessing you don’t lose control often.” “No, but the smell of your wet pussy did me in.” Her head jerked up to meet his gaze. Her mouth opened, and then snapped shut. “It’s not just me. You were horny and I made myself available. It could’ve been anyone.” Tome shook his head. “It was you. I’ve smelled lots of wet pussy and no one else has ever caused me to lose control and start to shift.” He reached across the table, placing one finger under her chin to lift her head so he could see the conflicting emotions scrolling across her expressive face. She shook his finger off and dropped her gaze, concentrating on her breakfast tray.

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“Scared of me?” He couldn’t help grinning as he taunted her. Jexx looked up at him and lifted her hand to her mouth, sticking her tongue out to lick her lips so they glistened with moisture. She inserted her index finger and sucked, her cheeks hollowing suggestively. Tome spluttered, coffee spraying out of his mouth as he choked on the hot liquid. The little minx had no idea what she did to his control. Or maybe she does. She released the finger with a suggestive swirl of her pink tongue and grinned mischievously. “Too hot?” She picked up her own mug and took a sip. “Mine’s fine.” Tome surged to his feet, all pretense of civil conversation dropped. “Hot, yes. But I’m sure I can handle you.” He paced around the table to capture her wrist and draw her up hard against his muscular chest. “If you bait the panther, you pay the price.” “Really.” Jexx tilted her head to look up into his eyes, her grin faltering just a bit. “And what would the price be?” Tome ran a finger down her beautifully sculpted cheekbones. He lowered his head slowly and ran his tongue over her lips, tasting the sweetness she’d been licking off her fingers. “You know what I want,” he whispered against her lips. “You want it too.” “Sex.” She sighed and melted into him, her arms going around to hold him close as she rubbed her groin against the bulge in the front of his suit. “No.” Tome cupped her rounded ass and drew her up against his throbbing hard-on. “More. I want all of you. And you’re going to give it to me.” Jexx opened her mouth to protest and he took the words from her lips, engulfing her mouth with his, his tongue invading. Tasting. Swirling. Teasing. Making promises he had every intention of keeping. He swept her up and sat her on the counter between the food dispenser and an old-fashioned coffee brewer. Placing himself firmly between her spread thighs, he recaptured her mouth while his busy fingers cupped the generous weight of her breasts. Jexx moaned and arched her back, thrusting her chest forward into his hands. He plucked at her nipples, teasing them into stiff peaks. He loved how responsive her body

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was, how much she enjoyed sex, holding nothing back. He needed to convince her she wanted him permanently in her life and in her bed. He lowered his head to swirl his tongue around one sensitive peak, grazing it with his teeth, enjoying her whimpers of pleasure. He used his fingers to map her body, memorizing the curve of her hips, the texture of her skin. She shifted her head, the trinkets in her hair tinkling musically and he found the sound incredibly sexy. He nibbled a path down her ribcage and stopped to lick her navel, darting his tongue around it before continuing downward. He stripped the rest of her clothing off with impatient hands and returned to his explorations. At the apex of her thighs, he stopped to inhale the heady scent of her arousal. It tore at his control, pushed him to the limits of his endurance. He could feel the panther, always lurking just below the surface. It wanted out, wanted free, wanted him to claim their mate. He plunged a finger deep into her silken channel and gave a dark smile as she bucked at the sudden entry. Her juices flowed, easing the second finger as it joined the first. When he swirled his tongue around her clit she whimpered and grasped his hair, her fingers twining into the long, dark strands. He settled in to lick and suckle, teasing her with deep stabbing strokes of his tongue, alternating with swirling licks around the hard little nub of her clit. He kept a firm hold on her hips as she squirmed under his attentions, her moans and whimpers spurring him on. He stripped off his clothes without stopping, his mouth taking her higher and higher. He brought her to the edge of orgasm and withdrew his mouth, quickly standing to press the head of his shaft into her velvety folds. Slowly, he sank his aching cock into her slick channel. Inch by agonizing inch he impaled her on his shaft until his balls were snug against her butt, his hands holding her hips still under his relentless onslaught. Then he withdrew and started all over again. In and out. Short, hard thrusts. Long, deep thrusts. Faster. Harder. Deeper.

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Jexx whimpered, her head thrown back as she writhed helplessly on his invading cock. Her inner muscles gripped him with each thrust, tightening around his shaft in an erotic dance that shook his tenuous hold on his control. She stiffened beneath him and a scream tore from her throat as multiple orgasms ripped through her. She threw her arms around him, clawing his back with her nails while she twined her legs around his hips and ground her pussy into his groin, taking him as deep within her as she could, milking the smooth shaft with rippling spasms of her inner muscles. Tome bit back a growl, gritting his teeth as he slammed into her one last time, his hips grinding into hers. Wave after wave of heat washed through him, sending his seed spurting deep within her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight into his embrace. He brought his mouth down on her lips, tasting her satisfaction. Slowly, they came back to reality and cuddled into each other. Their ragged breathing echoed loudly in the room, almost drowning out the high-pitched whine of the portside engine as it struggled to keep up with its twin. Tome jerked his head up as the sound penetrated the foggy aftermath of his orgasm. What the hell’s wrong with that engine?

Chapter Four “What’s wrong?” Jexx frowned. She’d never had a lover who could push her as high as Tome. Pity he was stuck on the damn bond-mate thing. “Listen.” Tome cocked his head and Jexx followed suit. “The portside engine is overloading. Sounds like a fuel surge.” He grabbed the bottom section of his suit and pulled it up over his lean hips. “I’d better go check it out.” He gave her a hard kiss before he strode out the door and headed for the drop-tube. Jexx stared after him in dazed annoyance. Did it occur to him to ask her opinion? No. Did it occur to him she had a ship of her own and could tune a helix coil as well as he could? No. It would serve him right if she didn’t offer to help. She shook her head and grabbed her abandoned clothing from the floor. Males! Can’t live with them. Can’t shove them out the nearest airlock. She entered the drop-tube, making sure she kept her arms close to her sides to slow her descent. Landing on the lower deck, she headed in the direction of the engine noises. When she focused, she could hear the sound that had him worried. The engine almost screamed. It must be running close to redline. She frowned, concerned despite her annoyance. On a well-kept ship like this, there shouldn’t be that kind of malfunction. She entered the engine room and looked around. The two engines were mounted on opposite sides of the compact space. The rest of the tiny room contained the usual computers, monitors and power converters that kept the ship on course instead of ending up adrift in space. Tome stood staring up at the portside engine, hands on his hips and a frustrated expression on his face.

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Yeah, that’s going to fix the problem. She padded over to stand behind him, squelching the urge to reach out and caress his gorgeous butt. “Telepathy?” she inquired sweetly. “I’ve never seen that work on an engine before.” Tome threw a distracted glance in her direction. “According to the readouts, there isn’t a problem.” He gestured at the lights cheerfully glowing on the readout screen. “No fuel surge, no hardware malfunctions.” He flicked his finger at a neon green display. “And according to those, the engine isn’t running hot enough to melt the seals right off.” His frustration showed in the stiff lines of his body. “We’re going to have to shut this one down until I can figure out the problem.” He turned to give her an apologetic look. “It’s going to take longer than I thought to get back to Earth base.” As the consequences of a disabled engine sank in, she gave him a suspicious look. “You didn’t rig this to strand us out here so you could convince me to bond, did you?” The smile on his face was pure male arrogance. “I didn’t figure I’d need more than forty-eight hours to convince you to stay with me.” He gestured at the malfunctioning engine. “This just means I’ll have to spend time finessing Katy instead of concentrating on you.” He stroked his hand down the metal bulkhead. “Could be she’s jealous of you, acting up to get my attention.” Jexx eyebrows shot up. “The ship is sentient?” His grin widened, spreading to those amazing eyes. “No, I was just teasing. Only a fool would give his ship the ability to counter his commands. Katy here just reminds me of a female. Annoying as hell some days, but she always comes through for me in the end.” He turned his attention back to the engine. “I need to shut this down before it damages the helix coils.” He strode over to the main control panel, tossing her an unfathomable look over his shoulder. Jexx admired the way his wide shoulders narrowed to lean hips and a tight butt that rolled in a sexy rhythm with each step. Little flames of lightning licked their way down her spine and settled in a pool of liquid fire in her belly. She couldn’t tear her

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eyes away. She felt like a moth circling a flame. Knowing she shouldn’t. Knowing it could be fatal. Not caring. He placed his hands on the access pads. When he closed his eyes she knew he’d merged with the A.I. The portside engine slowed, the high-pitched whine of its overtaxed drive dying away. The ship lurched for a second, and then steadied when the stabilizers came online to compensate for the uneven thrust. He stood there for a few minutes more before he broke his connection to the A.I., hands dropping to his sides. He opened his eyes and she could see worry etched in the lines around them. She didn’t like the implications of those lines. “Did your A.I. determine the cause?” Tome shook his head. “It can’t find anything wrong. The electro-magnetics just started to go haywire. I’ve shut the engine down for now. We’ve lost hyper-drive.” He ran a hand through his hair, dragging it back from his forehead. “It’ll take us three solar weeks to limp home on one engine.” “Do we have enough supplies and life support for that?” Shuttles didn’t carry unlimited amounts of supplies. “Should be fine. There’s two solar cycles worth of staples onboard, and the atmosphere is scrubbed and recycled. The filters are good for another six solar cycles.” He paused, as if wondering whether to continue. “I’ve sent a message out on the emergency broadcast system, but the solar flares wreak havoc with ship-to-planet communications.” Jexx cocked her head, studying the malfunctioning engine. “Well, hopefully you can get the ship up and running quickly. I don’t fancy being stuck here with you indefinitely.” Liar. She couldn’t believe a bolt of lightning didn’t appear to strike her down for that whopping fib. Truth was, the thought of spending more time with him made her pussy cream in anticipation. And that terrified her.

Chapter Five Jexx rummaged through the onboard pantry. Pre-packaged meals vied for shelf space with flash-dried meats and energy bars. Mr. Were-Panther obviously didn’t spend a lot of time prepping his meals. He’d gone back down to the engine room after giving her a quick tour of the ship and warning her against touching anything on the bridge. It seemed he’d booby-trapped the controls. She grinned at the mental picture of him carefully setting traps for any surprise visitors. Paranoid. She could respect that. She pulled out a package labeled Martian Stew. As far as she knew, there were no life forms native to Mars, animal or plant. She shuddered at the question of what it might contain and quickly exchanged it for a couple of packages of flash-dried noodles and meat. Not gourmet fare, but it’d keep the hunger pangs at bay. “Ah, now there’s a picture to warm a male’s heart.” Jexx whirled to find Tome leaning against the entryway, arms crossed on his chest. Humor danced in his eyes while a sexy grin curved his generous mouth. She ignored the sudden dampness between her thighs and lifted one brow haughtily, trying to calm her racing heart. “And what would that be?” He pushed himself upright and paced over to her, encircling her with his muscular arms. “His mate in the galley deciding what would please.” He paused for a second, his grin widening. “It’s part of the mating ritual.” She lifted her head and all rational thought fled. Damn, his eyes were gorgeous. She could drown in those eyes, especially when they went dark with passion. They were dark right now.

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She wet her lips, and watched as his gaze dropped to them. She could feel her cheeks go hot at the thought of this morning. Bringing her arms up between them, she pushed on his chest and squirmed out of his embrace. Tome let her go without a fight, but she could see the knowing glint in his eyes. He knew the effect he had on her. “I’ll just reconstitute these. Be ready in no time.” She ducked her head, refusing to look up at him. It just wasn’t fair. That much raw sex appeal should come with a warning label. She busied herself preparing the food, fussing a lot more than necessary for a couple of flash-dried meal pouches. Tome sat in one of the two chairs; positioning it so he could watch her, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Jexx snuck a quick peek at him from under her lashes. He looked way too tempting for her peace of mind. “Can you get the drinks? I think these are about ready to eat.” She extricated the foil packages from the dispenser and slid them onto serving platters. “All out of Xylin rum,” Tome announced cheerfully, “but I have a nice bottle of Heran wine.” He fished a bottle of blood red liquid out of the storage chest. Jexx ignored the reference to what she’d been drinking at their first meeting. “Wine sounds lovely.” She sat down in the remaining chair and watched as he expertly popped the cork and filled two long-stemmed glasses. He offered one to her and lifted the other up with a flourish. “To our bonding,” he toasted. “May it be long and fruitful.” Jexx raised her glass and clicked it against his. “To our journey,” she countered. “May it be quick and uneventful.” Tome sat, placing his glass on the table and flashing a wide, white smile at her before he started in on his meal. “So have you figured out what the problem with the engine is?” Jexx took a sip of the wine.

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“No.” He dug into his food. “I’ve run the diagnostic programs three times and they keep coming up clean. I’m going to have to pull the coils and inspect the whole thing manually.” He shook his head in disgust. “I haven’t done that since I flew a patched up mining freighter fresh out of the den.” Jexx smiled at the annoyance in his voice. Seems the Earth-base stationmaster wasn’t used to things not going his way. “Don’t you Imperial types have some sort of super power that lets you fix things without actually touching them?” she teased. Passion lurked in the dark depths of his eyes. “I save my powers for convincing my bond-mate that she is, indeed, mine.” His gaze dropped to skim possessively over her, stopping to linger on the cleavage peeking out of her unit-suit. “Every nicely rounded piece of her.” Jexx rolled her eyes. “You don’t honestly think a line like that is going to impress me, do you?” Tome forked the last of his meal into his mouth, chewing thoroughly before answering. “I didn’t intend to impress you. I’m just stating a fact.” He dropped his eating utensils onto the platter and tossed the whole mess into the cleaning unit. “If I wanted to impress you, you’d be on your back under me, begging for more.” Jexx’s jaw flapped open. And shut. She was speechless. Totally speechless. The man had more nerve than a Kevorkian dragon, and the ego to go with it. He stood and bent over to place a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll be down in the engine room if you want me.” He straightened up and sauntered out of the galley, whistling cheerfully off-key.

*** Tome wiped a tired arm across his brow and stared at the mess on the deck in front of him. He’d methodically disassembled the entire engine piece by piece and he couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it. Nothing. This made no sense. Machinery did not have temper tantrums, and they were far away from any of the magnetic particle clouds that played havoc with helix-based propulsion systems. He tossed the wrench he was holding back into the tool chest in disgust.

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To top it all off, the solar panels weren’t collecting as much energy as they should be, so the energy reserves were shrinking. Not a problem so far, but one more thing to worry about. He’d planned to spend the flight wooing Jexx and convincing her to accept him as a bond-mate. He admired her independence and her sassy attitude, her ability to take care of herself. He also liked that she’d kept his secret despite her rejection of him as bond-mate. He picked up another wrench with a sigh. Seducing Jexx would have to wait until he got this engine back together and working. He set the helix coil back into its casing, whistling absently while he coaxed the finicky parts back together. “There, all back together.” Great. Now he was talking to himself. He palmed the access panel and merged with the A.I., slowly brining the helixcoil back online. The engine responded perfectly, humming softly as it came back to life. No high-pitched whine. No overheating. No sign that there had ever been a problem. Tome held the merge for a few more minutes, running a quick diagnostic. With a mental shrug, he let the merge dissolve, and packed the tools back into the storage locker. He smiled as he snapped the locker closed and strode out the door, heading back to the drop-tube. Back to Plan A -- seducing Jexx.

Chapter Six Jexx heard him whistling when the drop-tube deposited him back on the main level. She wondered if he realized he was doing it. She plopped herself down on the sleeping platform and pretended to be engrossed in a holo-cube scrolling scenes across the stateroom wall. The pictures showed things long forgotten, pictures of the past, Earth in the glory days of the Imperial Empire, legions of Imperial were-panthers parading in the Imperial Square. “My ancestors.” Tome stood in the doorway, studying the pictures. “Those days are long gone. Some say, best forgotten. If we’d acted sooner we could have saved thousands, saved civilization.” He shook his head. “Hindsight’s always 20/20.” He looked down at her, and Jexx felt a curious melting in her heart. He looked sad. And alone. So very alone. She knew how that felt. Always watching your back. Trusting no one. She gave him a tentative smile, suddenly feeling shy. She’d rejected him. What if he didn’t want her anymore? A slow smile stretched across Tome’s face, spreading to those wonderful eyes of his. He stalked across the space between them and held out his hand. Jexx put her hand in his, marveling at his easy strength as he pulled her into his embrace. She tilted her chin up, closing her eyes as he bent to plunder her mouth. He nipped at her sensitive lips, nibbling his way across from corner to corner before thrusting his tongue deep. Exploring every nook and cranny, his tongue danced with hers in an erotic duel that left her weak-kneed and wanting more. His arms held her up, pressing her hard against him so she could feel the long, hard bulge of his shaft. He brought one hand up between them to loosen the top of her suit, stripping it off her so her breasts sprang free, the nipples pebbling when they rubbed on the rough material of his shirt.

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She reveled in his touch, enjoying the feel of his hands on her naked flesh. It scared her, wanting the touch of a male so badly. And not just any male, but this male. Her male. Tome. She shivered as he used one finger to trace a path from the nape of her neck to the gentle swell of her hips. Fire flared along her spine, following that finger downward to pool low in her groin. She moaned and arched her body, grinding her aching pussy against him. He rotated his hips, causing his rock-hard erection to rub the hard nub of her clit and wring a low whimper of need from her. Scooping her up, he stripped the remainder of her suit off with an efficient tug of one hand and cradled her tenderly against his broad chest while he strode down the corridor to the main bridge. Jexx buried her face in the hollow of his neck and inhaled deeply, struggling to get oxygen into her system. Her head reeled from the combination of his scent and the feel of his tight muscles beneath her naked body. He smelled of engine grease and sweat, mixed with the aroused musky male scent unique to Tome. The hard outline of his broad chest pressing into her sensitized flesh did nothing to help slow her breathing or steady the erratic beating of her heart. She couldn’t resist tracing the outline of his face with her fingers, memorizing it for later. When she had to give him up. When he realized she wasn’t a keeper. “I want you framed against the stars when I sink myself deep into that tight little pussy of yours.” Tome brushed his lips across her forehead as he strode onto the bridge, disabling the alarms with a terse command. He set her down in front of the main viewport while he quickly shucked his clothing. He fiddled with the port controls for a moment, setting the view for maximum resolution. “There.” He nodded at the picture she made, lying naked in front of the vast universe. “Perfect.” Jexx couldn’t resist teasing him. Just a bit. She cupped her left breast, licking one finger before circling it around the tightly pebbled nipple. She could see Tome’s cock jerk in reaction, swelling ever bigger as he ogled her, a look of helpless fascination on his face. She traced a line from her breasts and down her belly, stopping to toy with the

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dark curls at the apex of her thighs. She made sure he was watching while she slowly wet her lips with her tongue. Tome dropped to his knees beside her, his long shaft bobbing just out of reach. A drop of pre-cum gleamed wetly on the tip and she turned her head to taste it, her tongue brushing gently against the dark plum-shaped head. She brought her hand up to cup his sac, and nibbled her way down the shaft, fascinated by the taste of him. She swirled her tongue back across the bottom, tracing the heavy vein throbbing along its length. He groaned and she felt an incredible sense of power and control. He wanted her. Her. Jexx. She sucked the engorged head into her mouth, using her hands and tongue to arouse him, enjoying the knowledge that she could bring him this much pleasure. Tome thrust his hips. Dark hair sprouted along his upper arms and crept across his chest, letting her know he was perilously close to losing control. “You’re pushing my limits.” He growled the warning between clenched teeth. Jexx just smiled around the mouthful of cock, swirling her tongue across the smooth head. The thought of seeing him in panther form didn’t scare her. It might prove rather entertaining. She sucked a little harder, tilting her head to allow more of him to slide down her throat. She hadn’t had this much fun since, well, the last time she’d teased him. Tome gritted his teeth and pulled his engorged cock out of her mouth. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and leg and flipped her onto her belly. “Hey…” Jexx came up onto all fours and Tome smiled grimly. “Just the position I had in mind.” He grabbed her hips from behind and held her still while he probed between her legs, the massive head of his cock finding her tight entrance. He leaned forward, nibbling lightly on her neck while he slowly stuffed his luscious shaft into her one slow inch at a time, his large body blanketing her completely.

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She pushed backward, attempting to force him to bury himself completely, but he held her still with his superior strength. “Uh-uh.” His voice was low and gravelly with arousal. “You take what I give you, when I decide to give it to you.” He nipped her earlobe, his breath hot on the back of her neck. “Say please.” The soft dark fur on his arms and chest rubbed sensuously across her back and down her arms, sending waves of heat racing through her. She wriggled a bit, enjoying the play of his muscles as he held her still for his pleasure. “Please…” He drew back and rammed himself deep, filling her so completely she whimpered, not sure if she felt pain or pleasure, or a bit of both. “That’s more like it.” He settled into a nice easy rhythm, plunging deep with every stroke, driving her crazy with his control. “You have to admit, we’re a perfect fit.” Jexx snorted, twisting her neck to glare up at him. “How about you just shut up and fuck me?” It came out as a breathy whisper. He gave her a dark grin. “You’re not scared of me, are you? Because I promise I’ll be gentle.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Unless you ask me not to…” Jexx rolled her eyes. Again with the ego. She concentrated on the feeling of his massive cock stretching and filling her so completely. Damn. That felt soooo good. She heard Tome’s softly mocking laughter above her, but she didn’t care. He could laugh all he wanted so long as he didn’t stop stuffing her with that magnificent cock of his. Tome kept up the steady rhythm, sliding in and out of her, harder and faster, hot breath fanning the back of her neck. Heat raced through her, driving her higher and higher. Everything melted away except for the feeling of her slick channel being filled and stuffed and filled again. Her orgasm came in a screaming burst of feeling that took her over the edge and left her gasping for breath. She slowly fell back to the bridge against the backdrop of the Milky Way twinkling through the view port. She collapsed in a boneless heap, Tome still buried deep inside her, still surrounding her. “You’re amazing.”

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“Glad you think so.” He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face before he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “You’re supposed to find your bond-mate amazing.” “You’re not my bond-mate,” she murmured drowsily, but her words lacked conviction. Tome smiled gently and wrapped her in his arms, holding her safely within his embrace while she drifted off to sleep, a galaxy of stars twinkling behind her.

Chapter Seven They both woke with a start when the ship jolted to a stop, dropping out of hyper-space with a gut-wrenching shudder. The lights dimmed briefly before flaring back to life. Jexx struggled to get free but Tome held her firmly against him while he listened to the sudden silence. Silence on a spaceship is never a good thing. Both engines had stopped dead. If they’d been online, there would be some vibration, a slight whine to betray them. “Damn.” He was beginning to believe this voyage was jinxed. Jexx tilted her head, listening. A frown marred the smooth line of her beautiful face. “Why are the engines so quiet?” Tome sighed and released her, pulling himself to a standing position. “I’d better go see what’s going on.” He paused and reached down to help her to her feet. “Care to come check it out?” Jexx gave him a dazzling smile, making him glad that he’d thought to include her. This mating thing took a lot more effort than he’d realized. “Thanks.” She took his proffered hand, gracefully pulling herself to her feet. A quick shake of her head tossed the braids over her shoulders. He smiled at the cheerful tinkling sound. He’d already gotten used to judging her temper by the sound of her braids. He looked down his chest and noted the absence of fur. Seemed his panther was content to let him take charge. At least for now. “Do you normally have this much trouble with your ship?” Tome shook his head. “I’m not sure what the problem is.” He hesitated, considering possible causes. “Unless the solar flares have affected the engines.” He doubted that. “I’ve never heard of that happening.”

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Jexx frowned. “I’ve never heard of it either.” They quickly scrambled into their clothing before Tome put his arm around her and tucked her beneath his shoulder so they’d both fit in the drop-tube. Jexx surprised him by wrapping her arms around his ribcage and resting her head on his chest. An unfamiliar wave of tenderness swept through him and he brushed his lips across the top of her head. He’d be content to stay in the tube forever with her cuddled up against him. The tube spit them out onto the engineering deck, which was eerily quiet without the subdued hum of the helix coils. They entered the engine room and Tome went to the main control panel, keeping one hand clasped to Jexx while he merged with the A.I. As with the last malfunction, every diagnostic he ran came back negative. He opened his eyes and looked at Jexx. “This is bizarre. The diagnostics are all clear.” He shook his head. “Let’s go have another look at those engines.” What could possibly cause both engines to malfunction, but not show up on the diagnostics? And cause them to overload, as the portside one had done earlier, and now shut down completely? He couldn’t see how the solar flares were to blame, but he didn’t have any idea what else could interfere with the systems on such a scale. He glanced up and his heart sank. Power reserves were down to seventy percent and still dropping. The solar flares were definitely playing a role in that. Jexx followed his line of sight and gasped when she saw the readout. “Seventy percent! That’s not good. They’ve dropped ten percent since the last solar cycle.” She looked up, worry etched on her adorable face. “We’re running through our power reserves at ten percent a cycle. If we can’t get the engines back online, we’re in real trouble.” Tome’s heart ached. This was his fault. If he hadn’t decided to play big he-cat and force her to travel with him, she’d be safely aboard her own ship. The worst possible offence a were-panther could commit against his bond-mate was to fail to keep her safe. He snorted in disgust. Not only had he failed to keep her safe, he’d put her

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directly in the line of danger. He’d only have himself to blame if she rejected him completely. Jexx put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his self-recriminations. She stood directly in front of him, legs braced wide, hands planted on her hips and a don’tyou-dare look on her face. “Blaming yourself isn’t going to accomplish anything,” she pointed out. “We need to fix the engines. Now get your furry butt in gear and start working on a solution.” He laughed in spite of himself, raising one eyebrow. “Furry butt?” She grinned. “Well, I’ve never actually seen you in full panther form, but it stands to reason that your butt is going to be furry.” “Wench.” He smacked her playfully on the ass and turned to walk over to the portside engine. He’d done a complete overhaul less than forty-eight hours ago. “There has to be a reason. Solar flares can’t affect helix coils. It’s just not possible.” He motioned her over to his side. “I’m going to go over this piece by piece. I need you to tell me if you see anything or feel anything. Anything that might explain this.” He gave her a wry smile. “Sometimes I make mistakes.” She returned the smile. “Yeah, I made a mistake once too.” She took a step backward, laughter dancing in her eyes. “And he’s still coming back to haunt me.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’ll keep an eye on you.” They went over every piece of each engine, every processor, every computer chip, even the helix coil itself was dismantled, examined and replaced. Time and again they came up with the same answer. There was nothing wrong. No reason they should overload. No reason at all. And yet they had. “I don’t know what else to try.” Tome wiped the grease off his hands and threw the rag into the disposal chute. “And with the solar flares draining our reserves, our life support isn’t going to last indefinitely. We need to conserve energy until someone realizes we’re overdue and comes looking for us.” “How long do you think that’ll take?”

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“At least three days before they notice.” He looked slightly embarrassed. “I might have mentioned I planned to return with my bond-mate, so it could be a while before anyone thinks to come looking.” “Oh great.” Jexx rolled her eyes. “Let me see if I understand this. As we gasp the last of our oxygen, your buddies are taking bets on how long it’ll take you to bag me?” He looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I wouldn’t phrase it quite like that, but yeah.” He hesitated. “There is one way I can conserve life support.” The look on his face didn’t inspire confidence. “How?” “If I shift, I can cut back on my consumption by at least a third. It’ll buy us some time.” Jexx narrowed her eyes. Something in his voice, in his posture, told her he was holding something back. “What’s the catch?” He shrugged. “If life support reaches critical, I won’t be able to shift back.” Jexx frowned, not sure what he was trying to tell her. “And?” He sighed. “Worst case scenario. If life support fails, I’d want to be able to hold you when… well…” Jexx thought about it for a minute. “Could you play kitty for a while, then shift back before things get that bad?” She peeked up at him from behind her lashes, ashamed of the way her voice wavered. “If things go sideways, I don’t want to die alone.” Tome grabbed her and kissed her hard. “Ever had a pet?” Jexx laughed shakily. “No.” “Well, now’s your chance.” He backed off a few steps and closed his eyes. Bowing his head, he brought his hands together in front of him. A shimmering cloud of magic hid him from view, colors swirling from blues to greens to reds. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it dissolved. On the deck in front of her, a large black panther sat staring intently at her out of Tome’s eyes. “Well, hello, kitty.” Jexx cocked her head to one side to admire the sleek animal. “You’re gorgeous.”

Chapter Eight Tome padded over to rub his massive head against her thighs. Jexx dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing her cheek against the soft, dense fur. “This is amazing. I remember all the tales my mum used to tell me about the Imperial were-panthers when I was little. According to legend, you can run faster, jump higher and outsmart just about anyone or anything in the universe.” A low rumbling sound from the panther’s throat made her laugh.

“Still got the ego, even with a furry butt, huh?”

Tome butted his head against her shoulder, purring loudly.

Jexx grinned and ran her fingers through the silky fur on his haunches. “See? It is

a furry butt.” She giggled at the offended look the large cat gave her before he plopped down on his haunches and proceeded to groom his fur, ignoring her completely. “Oh, you’ve got an ego, all right. I bet half the things they say about Imperial were-panthers aren’t even true.” She cocked her head and rose gracefully to her feet. Tome held up one massive paw and carefully groomed his sleek fur, his claws peeking out as he flexed this toes. He reminded her of the tomcats that roamed the alleys back home. Adorable and deadly. She inched her way toward the door.

Tome started on the next paw.

“Bet you can’t catch me!” She darted out the door and down the corridor,

laughing at the sound of the panther’s paws scrabbling on the deck. She hesitated at the drop-tube, not sure if Tome could follow her down it. She glanced over her shoulder to see the panther stalking down the corridor toward her. Total male arrogance radiated with every step.

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She stuck her tongue out at the cat and stepped into the drop-tube. If he couldn’t use it in cat form, he’d have to shift. The roar of the panther followed her to the lower deck, echoing through the ship. Jexx smiled and hurried around the bend in the corridor, looking for a good spot to hide before he caught up with her. She’d challenged him and he wasn’t the kind of male who’d let that go. A large hatch-cover ahead on the right caught her attention, and she remembered Tome explaining it led to a series of maintenance tubes. A loud whoosh signaled the drop-tube depositing Tome on the deck. It made sense that the ship was designed to accommodate him when he shifted. She quickly opened the hatch and crawled in, letting it swing shut behind her. Subdued lighting reflected off the smooth walls of the tube, allowing Jexx to see. The tube was narrow enough that she had to get down on her hands and knees and crawl toward the exit hatch at the far end. She reached it, smirking as she pictured Tome pacing the corridor in search of her. Easing the hatch open, she realized that the tube had twisted up through the ship to the bridge. She took a quick look around before she clambered onto the bridge deck. And froze, unable to move. Too late she recalled Tome’s warning to stay off the bridge. She attempted to move her arm. Nothing. A motion-sensitive immobilizer beam. She had to admire his ingenuity. She couldn’t even grit her teeth when she heard the unmistakable sound of claws clicking casually across the deck. Since she’d been facing the door when the beam caught her, she had no trouble seeing the panther as it sauntered through the doorway, apparently immune to the immobilizer. Not fair. Tome stalked across the bridge, human intelligence and mirth gleaming in his magnificent eyes. He glided back and forth, showing off the muscles rippling under his sleek pelt to his captive audience. Gods, he was magnificent. Pivoting on his hind legs, he bounded onto the railing in front of the view screen, gracefully dancing across the narrow bar before he leapt lightly to the floor and crossed to look up at her. Jexx couldn’t help but be impressed with the display of controlled power. He rubbed his

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head against her hips before he slowly lifted himself up on his haunches and placed his forepaws on her shoulder. Trapped, there was nothing she could do but stare into those mesmerizing eyes. Tome nuzzled her neck with his nose and growled low in his throat, the sound very male and very satisfied. Jexx reveled in the feel of the sleek fur brushing against her. She knew she should be scared, but deep down, on a purely instinctive level, she knew he would never hurt her. Shifting his weight back to his haunches, Tome opened his huge mouth and stuck his tongue out. With loving patience, he proceeded to lick every visible part of her, his tongue rough on her skin. He washed her face, her neck, her throat and her hands before he settled back onto four paws and glided gracefully over to the pilot’s station. Jumping into the chair, he placed a massive black paw on the control pad. Jexx staggered as the beam released her, sinking to her knees. Tome paced back to her, bumping roughly into her shoulder. He was laughing at her. She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. “Okay, I admit it. You can run faster, jump higher and outsmart just about anyone or anything in the universe.” She brushed her lips across the top of his massive head. “Even me.” She reached down and ran her hand through his sleek fur. “I’m exhausted. What say we get back to that conserving energy part and go back to the stateroom and have a nice long nap?” She crouched down and placed a palm on either side of the panther’s head, staring intently into his intelligent eyes. “In case we don’t make it, I want you to know that I’d be honored to be your bond-mate.” She placed a light kiss on the tip of his nose.

*** Jexx stripped her clothes off, conscious of the big cat stretched out on the sleeping platform in front of her. She straightened up stiffly and stretched the kinks out of her tired muscles. All the unexpected sexual activity, followed by hours of meticulously checking the engines had left her stiff and sore.

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She sighed as she remembered how good it felt to have Tome buried to the balls in her. She really wished she could believe they’d have a chance. That she could bond with him. But she couldn’t bear to see the disgust in his eyes when he realized who she was. The Imperial were-panthers weren’t the only ones to go into hiding after the downfall of the Empire. She could trace her lineage all the way back to a concubine in the Imperial Harem. She was what the Imperial were-panthers thought they’d destroyed. Not that it would matter in a couple of days when their life support ran out. She stretched her arms up over her head, spreading her hands and splaying her stiff fingers. She grimaced in disgust when she felt the familiar tingle of her battle implants coming online. They weren’t much help against an engine malfunction or rogue solar flares. The roar of the panther as it leapt off the platform startled her out of her daydreams. And then she realized she could hear the sound of the engines coming back online. The magic shimmered over the form of the panther and Tome emerged from the cloud of mist. She dropped her hands to her sides just as the engine sounds started to falter. He looked confused and frustrated. She could sympathize. She felt a little frustrated herself. She’d called up the battle implants, just to feel the power… and the engines came back to life. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. She shut down the implants. The engines stopped. Tome looked from her to the engines, comprehension dawning on his face. “Do that again.” He gestured at her hands. She held her hands up and slowly spread her fingers, her head cocked to hear the slightest sound from the engine deck. At the precise second the implants came online, so did the engines. She shut the implants down and as soon as the dampening field kicked in, the engines’ power faded.

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Tome looked at her with a big grin spreading across his face. “Of course. I bet you have special protection around your engine room to shield it from the dampening effects of the implants.” Jexx nodded mutely. “But I don’t.” Tome laughed aloud. “I’ve never needed one because I don’t have battle implants. Normally you control the dampening automatically, limiting the size of the field, but when we make love, your control becomes erratic.” He grabbed her to place a hard kiss on her mouth. “The engines only act up when we make love, or when you’re standing right beside them.” Jexx stared up at him as comprehension sank in. A tentative grin started in the corner of her mouth. “So as long as we don’t make love…” Tome’s eyebrows shot up and a knowing smirk curved his attractive lips. “I don’t think that’s going to work. I’ll set up a shield and we can go fuck ourselves silly.” He took her by the shoulders and kissed her hungrily. “Get ready for the time of your life. I’m going down to the engine room and get that shield rigged.” “But…” She really wasn’t sure what she was protesting, but she felt the urge to protest something. “No buts.” Tome gave her a firm push toward the shower.

Chapter Nine She heard the distinctive whoosh of the drop-tube depositing Tome back on the main floor. She’d had a good long time to work up the nerve to tell him the truth. She had to do it now, before he came up with any more foolish reasons why they should bond. Goddess help her, if she slept with him one more time, she might not be able to walk away. And she had to. “All fixed and running smooth as a Martian snow crawler.” Tome strode through the doorway and paused when he caught sight of the look on her face. “What’s wrong now?” She’d planned to stay calm, to explain rationally. She took a deep breath and willed herself not to break into tears. She looked up into his gorgeous eyes. “I’m a direct descendant of the Last Emperor.” There. She’d said it. She waited for the horror and disgust she knew was coming. Instead, he tilted his head and lifted one aristocratic eyebrow. “And?” She blinked. Either he hadn’t understood, or he just wanted her to spell it out. “I’m the enemy. I’m of the Imperial Line.” He laughed. He actually had the nerve to laugh at her. “I don’t think it’s funny.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “We can’t bond. We’re enemies.” “Oh, I don’t think so.” His voice was low and sexy, with just a trace of laughter. “Enemies rarely get this friendly.” He reached for her and drew her into the circle of his arms to devour her lips. When he lifted his head, his eyes sparkled with mirth. “Nope. Definitely doesn’t taste like an enemy.”

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She gave him a puzzled look, a faint spark of hope igniting deep in her heart. “You don’t care?” “Honey, the Empire has been gone for longer than anyone can remember. You aren’t responsible for what they did any more than I’m responsible for how far my people let it go before they took action.” He traced the line of her lips with a finger. “It’s over. Done.” Jexx lifted her head and he replaced his finger with his lips. Suddenly, she had a hard time remembering the problem. His teeth nibbled at her lower lip, teasing until she opened for his invasion. He took full advantage, exploring every nook, tasting and teasing. His tongue engaged hers in an erotic duel, promising sin and sex. Jexx lost herself in the taste of him, in the feel of his hands exploring her body. Firm and possessive. She melted into his embrace, wanting him, needing him. She really didn’t know if she’d ever survive without him. Her tongue explored his mouth and she could taste his need of her, feel the barely restrained lust in his hands, in his mouth, in the poised stillness of his body. He lifted his head and she wanted to protest. “You’re mine.” The amber in his eyes swirled, the pattern agitated amongst the deeper golds and browns. His tone brooked no opposition. “My mate. My partner.” He picked her up and laid her down on the sleeping platform, gently pulling her clothing from her. He stood, stripping with quick, economical movements, and came to stand above her. Her eyes took in his naked strength towering over her, his cock long and hard as it bobbed in unashamed glory above his heavy sac. He smiled a slow, dark smile, and spread her legs with his hands. She felt a fiery heat start deep within her, radiating outward as slowly, oh so very slowly, he lowered his body over her until that massive shaft pressed against her entrance. She whimpered and nibbled her bottom lip, her arms going up to twine around his neck and pull his mouth down for a kiss that bespoke her complete and utter surrender. “I’m yours.” She raised her head so he could read the truth in her eyes, know

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that she no longer wanted to escape. She wanted him, inside her, with her, beside her forever. Her lover. Her friend. Her bond-mate. She could tell the exact moment he recognized her surrender. A smile of savage triumph lit his face, and he plunged deep within her slick channel in a single thrust, filling her impossibly full. “I love you.” He whispered the words against her ear while he drove in and out of her, knowing exactly when to speed up, taking her to the edge, and when to slow down so that she moaned in helpless frustration. Each stroke was calculated to wring the most pleasure out of her while her sensitive inner muscles gripped and clenched around his thick shaft. Her orgasm surged over her in fiery bursts of erotic heat, rushing through her again and again as she screamed his name, holding onto him as he followed her over the edge, filling her with his seed as the earth fell away and the only thing left was Tome. Her bond-mate.

Anne Kane Anne Kane lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley with a bouncy Jack Russell terrier, a cantankerous Himalayan cat, a geriatric guinea pig and too many fish to count. She has two handsome sons and three adorable grandchildren. By day, she’s a respectable bean counter, but after hours her imagination soars and she writes romances that span the galaxy and encompass beings of all sizes, shapes and origins. She first started telling stories as a toddler and she just can’t seem to stop. In 2007, she decided it was time to get serious about writing and see where it would lead. Her hobbies include kayaking, hiking, motorcycles, swimming, skating, playing guitar, singing and of course, reading.