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“There was a whole crew of humans who’d disappeared, never to be seen again, and Iknewthe Toads had taken them – but I could do nothing. That’s why I don’t work for the Aurelian Empire anymore. The moment my final year of service was up, I quit to make my own way – to abide by myownrules.”

Then his eyes flash with menace.

“Ever since then, whenever I canlegallykill a Toad, I’ll take that opportunity – withpleasure.”

His voice is cold and flat now. It’s as if all the emotion has been squeezed out of him. In truth, his blank stare is scarier than his anger.

I gulp dryly, and point at the three mining camps again. The display zooms in. There are representations of the thousands of humans working away down on the planets surface, and blinking lights that represent the few Aurelians standing guard, ready to pick off any Scorp that might attack from the moon.

“Captain Aelon – you talk of right and wrong, but what areyoudoing? You’re using the mining camps as bait! There are innocent people down there, for the sake of the Gods!”

Aelon waves his hand, and the holographic display disappears. Then, he slams his fist against the table – hard enough to make me jump. The whole table shakes, nearly shattering beneath his great strength.

“There are innocent peopleeverywhere, Tasha! You think the kind of Toad who’d illegally attack us aren’t already hurting people each and every day? With this plan, I canwipe them out! I can make it so that scum never kill, steal, rape, or work their evil in the universeeveragain!”

I stand up. I can’t even stand to be near him.

“Evil? You’re hardly a choirboy,CaptainAelon.” I do what he’d done earlier – and use his own title mockingly. “You took our cargo, you’re keeping us prisoner with no legal basis – and now my first officer has nearly been raped because of you!”

Aelon stands to his full height. He towers over me, making me feel terrified, small and vulnerable.

One thing, though - I’m almost relieved to see theangerin his eyes again. Anger is more human than the blank, dead look he got when he was talking about slaughtering those Toads.

Almostrelieved. He’s unpredictable, violent-tempered, and on the verge of snapping. Anger might be an improvement over cold and deadly focus – but not much of one.

“You’re my prisoner because Iwishfor you to be my prisoner, Tasha. On my ship, my wish is the only law anybody needs to follow!”

He steps forward, closer to me, and I barely stand my ground – every instinct in my body screaming to shrink away.

I’m being hit in the face with the fact that this towering man is a monster – right down to his core. He might be a slick, cocky, arrogant bastard on the surface, but deep down he’s a vengeful force of destructive nature. He’s a creature that exists to fight and fuck – nothing more – and he’s got at least four hundred pounds of muscle and over two feet of height over me.

Fight and fuck – and if Aelon suddenly decides to go for option two, there’s nothing I can do to stop him.

I realize now that the execution of that would-be rapist pushed him to the edge. He and Kit had a history – and even if that man was scum, he wasAelon’sscum. This alien is quicksilver.

“Okay,” I raise my hand defensively. “Okay, Aelon, your wish is the law. I respect that.”

I allow nothing in my voice but submission. I don’t want Aelon to think I’m testing him – not now, not anymore.

I step back away from him, tensing in fear. He could so easily push me against the wall. I already punched him in the back with all my might, and he barely noticed. Aelon could easily slap away my fists and kiss me by force – or do anything else he wanted to me.

I can remember all too easily how he held me down in his lap, securing me effortlessly as he punished me in front of every member of his crew and mine.

Aelon’s holding back – but barely. I remember what he said about Kit and the triad he’d executed.

“He couldn’t think rationally,”Aelon had told me, “and he succumbed to his basest desires.”

The Captain’s breath is ragged. I glance down and gasp. His cock is surging against his lightly armored pants – like a python trying to escape the confines of that fabric.

Hewantsme.

He wants me in the way that Kit wanted Sawoot, and he’s barely retaining enough control over his body not to snap and justtakeit.

Aelon breathes in deeply, and his eyes roll back for a second, giving him a crazed look as he moves forward towards me. Every muscle in his body is taut and tense, ready for a fight… or afuck.

The artery is his neck is pulsing. He’s tasting my scent as he breathes in the very essence of me.

“Leave!”