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Kara paced irritably about the cell. She supposed she should be grateful it was spacious – though perhaps that wasn’t surprising, given it was built for seven-foot tall Vraxians. There wasn’t much in the way of creature comforts but all the basic needs were met. One bed. One chair. One toilet.

She counted her steps as she circled aimlessly. Twelve paces to the back. Fifteen from side to side. Enough floor space to do press-ups and crunches and burpees. Anything, to take her mind off the fact she’d been imprisoned by the guy she thought she’d loved.

It had been seven days since Vahn had forced her onto the alien warship and thrown her in the brig. Seven days since she’d discovered the ‘soldier’ she’d built a rapport with, had made love with, was in fact the son of the Vraxian Emperor.

She’d thought he was like her. A reluctant combatant who wanted the fighting to stop. Someone who wanted peace between Earth and Vraxos. Instead, he turned out to be one of the architects of the twenty-year bloodshed.

She didn’t know what hurt more – that Vahn had lied to her all the time they’d been marooned together on that godforsaken shitty planet, or that he’d locked her in here and hadn’t come to see her once.

Bastard.

Proof, if she needed it, that he’d been stringing her along all this time. Lucky for him she hadn’t found out. If she’d known the truth, she would have…

She bit her lip.You’d have what, exactly? Killed him?

It’s what her mother would have wanted. The Emperor’s son was a legitimate military target. Assassinating him would have been an important strategic win for the human side.

And it’s not like she hadn’t killed Vraxians before. As a fighter pilot, she’d had her share of dogfights in the blackness of space. And when she’d first stumbled across Vahn – or rather, he’d stumbled across her – she’d wanted to kill him.

But that was before she’d got to know him. Before they’d got to know each other. Before he’d set her heart alight.

Until galaxies crumble and stars fade.

She shivered as she recalled his words. He’d called her hiskalehsha, his fated mate. And like a fool she’d believed him.

She reached the back wall and leaned against it, letting herself slide to the floor. God, she was tired. She hadn’t been sleeping well. Partly because she was worried about what would happen to her when the vessel reached Vraxos.

Okay, more than worried. Terrified.

After all, she was the daughter of the Earth’s President. If Vahn was a legitimate military target for humans, she had to assume she held the same value for Vraxians. A summary execution wasn’t off the cards.

Vahn won’t let that happen to me.

Yeah? She mocked herself for still believing in him. So where is he now? He chucked you in here and hasn’t checked on you since.

The truth was, she had no idea what he intended to do with her. She had to at least consider the possibility that her life was now in jeopardy.

But that wasn’t the only thing causing her sleeplessness. She gritted her teeth, hating herself for her weakness. But that didn’t stop the wave of emotion that welled up every time she thought of Vahn.

She missed him.

There, she’d said it. She hugged her knees to her chest angrily.

He was a lying, deceitful, conniving, cold-blooded bastard alienand she missed him like crazy.

And not just emotionally. She was suffering a physical reaction too.

Even now, trapped in this cell, thinking about him made her skin tingle and her pulse flutter.

It was worse at night.

During the day she could work out, meditate, force her mind onto other things such as hatching an escape plan.

But when the lights dimmed she would find herself dreaming of him. Of the way he touched her. Kissed her. The way he made her writhe and moan.

She would toss and turn restlessly, her body aching with need until she rose, gritty-eyed and exhausted, to force herself through another day.