Page 57

His voice booms, echoing across the room. It’s not an order – it’s a plea. He’sbeggingme to leave before he completely loses control and the mating frenzy overwhelms him.

I hesitate, and my fate hangs in the air. I suddenly imagine it – I imagine rushing to him, letting him kiss me desperately, feeling his rage and anger washing over him as he loses complete control and justripsmy clothes from my body.

His kisses would be pure passion. He’d thrust inside me like a wild beast, throwing me down to the floor and pinning me beneath him as he fucks me hard and deep with that impossibly huge dick. I realize I’m actuallyachingfor him. I’machingto surrender to his dominance.

So, I turn tail andrun.

I slap my hand against the button to open the doors andraceout into the corridor beyond. The door hisses shut behind me, and I pant raggedly from need, fear, anxiety, and a whole mess of other emotions that I don’t even know how to deal with.

I’ve never been so attracted to a man before – and hated him with the same breath. I’ve never been so tortured by lust, and hatred, and fear – all blended into one deliciously dark cocktail.

I sprint down the hallway away from him, needing to put as much distance between us as I can before I succumb to my own mating frenzy and throw myself right back into his arms.

I can remember the way Vinicus panted while he disciplined me. All three of the huge, hulking warriors are aching for me. That scares me – terrifies me. I wasn’t ready for this!

…and I certainly wasn’t ready for the part of me that aches for them just as badly.

It’s the sheerpowerof those three Aurelians. Their size. Their ability. Their confidence in battle. Aelon is not a man who shies away from a fight – he’s the one who rushes right into it, no matter the job. Vinicus and Iunia are no less fearsome and formidable – doubtless in their decisions. Fearless in their convictions.

My entire career – ever since I was a junior crewmember on a ship until I’d finally made it as captain of my own – I’ve been onbothsides of the law. I’ve done legalandillegal jobs – whatever it took to survive and pay my crew. That’s meant a lot of hiding. I’ve hidden from the law, and I’ve hidden from space pirates who want to take everything I have. They’d even take me – selling me into slavery.

But Aelon and his battle-brothers – they don’t want to hide fromanyone.

Captain Aelonembracesthe fight. Hewantsit to come to him. He’d rather die than back down, and he’s hoping the Toads come back to give him just that choice.

I have the chilling realization that he’d rather they came back with an army than just a few assault ships. He wants the challenge, the risk, and the danger. He wants to kill a legion of them, not a small contingent. It’s as if the ache to kill the Toad species is the core of Aelon’s being.

Cleansing the galaxy of Toads would be a good step towards making the universe a safer place – but even I don’t condone genocide. Perhaps neither does Aelon. He doesn’t want to wipe out the species – he just wants to personally execute each and every individual one of them. It’s his violent obsession.

Vinicus and Iunia frighten me in the same way. They’re both pure muscle and violence, with biceps the size of bowling balls and huge, hulking frames that tower over me like giants. If a full-sized bull charged at either of them at full speed, they’d stand up against the charge.

I’ve felt how easily these huge warriors can control my body – how easily they can inflame the darkest desires inside of me, igniting the embers I didn’t even know were within me until they’re burning like a raging inferno of need.

I gulp.

And what if Aelon’s claim was right?

What if we’re Mated?

I turn the corner and run right into the barrel-chest of an Aurelian.

Fear grips me, and my fight or flight instinct wells up inside until the towering warrior holds up his hands placatingly. It’s one of the guards who saved Sawoot – one of the few Aurelians on this ship who I don’t feel like a juicy piece of meat in front of.

Of course he’d be waiting for me. Aelon told me I could have free run… as long as I had a guard accompany me. This soldier must have been waiting for me to emerge from Aelon’s quarters this whole time, giving me respectful distance.

“Thank you,” I pant. “Thank you for saving my friend.”

The Aurelian doesn’t move. His eyes are stone. I can’t get a read on him – he’s more implacable than most of the haughty, emotionless creatures.

“It’s our duty,” he eventually says.

I realize this towering Aurelian views himself as my honor guard. He doesn’t care where I go, as long as he can follow and protect me. I start walking, and it’s as if this guard is my shadow – my dark, looming, mountainous shadow.

There’s a difference to his looming presence, though. Where Aelon and his triad both push me away and draw me in, this looming alien merely reassures me.

“Where is my friend now?” I ask.

“We moved her to a new chamber – one that’s significantly more comfortable, and can be secured from the inside. Shall I take you to her?”