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Chapter One

P resent Day

In space aboard the spaceship Lazy Slacker , formerly known as the Leaf on the Wind

Brianna

Dr. Drayke hurries into medbay, his indigo eyes dart to the clock as if he’s already stayed too long. “I came to check on Braxxus. Any changes?”

“None. His breathing is still shallow, no signs of consciousness,” I say, looking over at the silver alien lying comatose in the hospital bed nearby.

The blue doctor has lost at least fifteen pounds in the last week; he tells me not to worry, it’s the effect of the bonding process with his new mate. He almost died a handful of days ago because of his race’s biological mating demands. I don’t exactly understand the specifics, but it sounds like he and Nova have to mate several times a day or he’ll get ill and possibly die.

Even though his patient is near death, the doc only breezes in for about five minutes twice a day to check on him. Otherwise, he’s in his cabin with Nova. For him to have lost that much weight, they must be having sex like twenty times a day. Heck, if I’d known I could lose fifteen pounds in a week, I would have tried the sex diet, too.

“I want to thank you again, Miss Brianna. I’m sorry I’ve been so unavailable.” The features on his handsome face have always been sharp, but with his recent weight loss, his cheekbones protrude dramatically. “This urgency to join with my new mate is bound to diminish soon.”

“TMI, doc.” He gives me a quizzical look; the subdural translators we all wear must have failed on that one. “Too much information,” I amend.

“You Earth females are so shy about bodily functions...” he says, but he’s already distracted by the information on his medpad, his finger tracing rapid patterns on the screen.

“Can you stay here for fifteen minutes?” I ask. “I just want to run to my cabin and take a shower. Seriously, I’ll run. I just need a quick break—I hate to leave Braxxus alone.”

His magenta lips pull down in dismay as he hails Braxxus's twin on his wrist comm. “Axxios, can you come to medbay? Don’t worry, nothing’s seriously wrong.”

His hands are trembling so slightly a casual observer wouldn’t notice, but I do.

“I’m so sorry, Brianna. I’m virtually useless at this point in the bonding process. On my planet, we take a complete lunar cycle away from our duties after our bonding ceremony. It’s all I can do to be away from Nova for ten minimas without pain, tremors, and what she calls ‘brain fog’.

“As thrilled as I am to have bonded with the woman I love, this process has taken me away from my post and put an undue burden on you. This won’t last forever. I’m trying to juggle my needs with my duties. I know it’s not fair that the extra responsibility has fallen to you. I apologize.

“Call me if his condition worsens. In the meantime, his brother will be here in a few minimas to give you a respite.” With that, he dashes out of medbay.

Great. Axxios will be here in a minute. Just what I want...not.

Two months ago if I was asked if I believed in aliens and spaceships, I’d have said I only believe in hard science. That was before I was kidnapped in my sleep and taken aboard this ship as a breeding slave. That night, ten random Earth women were kidnapped and each of us was thrown into a cell with an alien gladiator slave.

I wasn’t given much time to adjust to my new circumstances. Within half an hour of boarding the ship, my neck was adorned with a pain/kill collar, I was equipped with a subdural translator, and I was ordered to breed with my new cellmate—upon punishment of death. Axxios and I were forced to mate every morning in our tiny cell.

Within two weeks we overthrew our captors, and now we’re fairly safe, except our former owners, the most dangerous cartel in the galaxy, are pursuing us. But right now, the MarZan crime ring isn’t my biggest concern. Right this minute, the gorgeous, golden male on his way to medbay is.

Axxios. He’s possibly the most handsome male I’ve ever laid eyes on. He’s definitely the most handsome male I’ve ever had sex with. Sex in every possible position, at every time of day, to every level of mind-numbing bliss that could be imagined. Yeah, that male will be here in a moment, and I’ll have to share this cramped ten by ten exam room with him. I’ll be breathing in his delicious woodsy smell and trying to avoid the molten look of desire in his gorgeous turquoise eyes.

I consider sneaking out and running to my shower before he gets here, but I hate to leave his brother alone for even a minute—he’s gravely ill. It will be so much easier on me if I don’t see Axxios, though.

Against my will, my traitorous mind replays the details of what happened in our tiny cell the first time we were forced to mate. In fast forward I remember how scared out of my mind I was that first day, how unfailingly kind he was, how he made the whole enforced mating thing less horrifying than I’d ever thought possible.

Then my mind bombards me with pictures of how, despite the circumstances, the sex was life-altering. I don’t know if it was our chemistry or his skill, but things happened in our little bunk I never would have believed possible. Physically, it was bliss—even under the worst circumstances imaginable.

I turn off the rolling tape of hot sex with golden boy currently looping in my head and decide to bail on Braxxus and scurry to my cabin before his brother arrives. It’s too late. I hear Axxios's footsteps, then see him crash through the double doors of the medbay at a jog.

“Braxx is all right? Where’s the doc? Is something wrong?” He glances at me, eyes wide in fright, then his attention flies to his twin. He slides into a chair on the other side of the bed and grabs Braxx’s hand. Stroking his brother’s forehead, his eyes fill with concern. A blind man at twenty paces could see how much Axxios loves his brother.

And therein lies the problem. As kind as he’s been to me, as hot as the sex, as much as he wants to continue the “relationship” we have, he’s never looked at me with that level of affection. And I don’t want to keep having sex with him without it.

He spears me with his piercing blue gaze. “Why’d the doc call me? What’s wrong?” His brows furrow in worry.

“Nothing’s wrong with your brother. I need a shower, and someone has to watch Braxx. Dr. Drayke is busy with Nova and couldn’t stay. I’ll be back in half an hour.” I bolt out the door.

Axxios

Braxx looks so frail. Looking at him used to be like looking in the mirror, only seeing my reflection in silver rather than gold. Now he’s so thin, the skin on his face is tight, hugging the hollows of his bones. His muscles are distressingly slack. Gods, I couldn’t bear to lose him again.

An annum ago we were both captains in the Mythrian fleet, doing our family proud. Ambushed by our enemy, my ship was damaged. I was taken prisoner moments after I saw my brother’s ship explode. The psychic connection all Mythrian twins share was severed. All those months I assumed he was dead.

Through a lucky fluke, we found him a week ago in a slave pen on Aeon II. Beaten, abused, and with a deep stab wound in his back, he was slated for death. He’d been thrown into an outdoor stall like an animal.

I can’t imagine his pain—lying there in filthy straw, soaked in his own urine, dying. When we rescued him he was covered with sores over most of his flesh, but his back was the most alarming. Dr. Drayke did everything he could despite the distraction of his bonding sickness, but Braxxus has never regained consciousness.

Not only did I think he was dead for the last annum , but the loss of our psychic connection has also been devastating. He and I shared it as far back as I can remember. For months after it was severed I felt a heightened sense of isolation as well as grief so crushing I thought I would die. I imagine it was the same for him.

I should feel guilty asking Brianna to be the only one on board to care for him. I know it’s been a strain on her, but I trust no one else to tend him so diligently.

I smooth the silver hair off Braxx’s forehead, then lean down to kiss it. My brother, my gem. The only person in this galaxy I’ve ever loved. A drop of liquid falls on his cheek and I realize I’m crying. I don’t even want to think about the pain of losing him forever.

Brianna

I hate to interrupt him, I’m like a voyeur, standing in the doorway watching this touching scene of brotherly love. I feel so selfish, but I wish he could turn even half that much affection my way. I’d happily settle for half. Hell, I’d settle for a quarter. But I have too much self-esteem to settle for none. Which is why I can’t bear to be in the same room with him. Because my body yearns for his touch, and my mind knows I can’t afford to want something he can never give me.