I’ve been on the run for six years. My parents sold me as a child into slavery where I was forced to be a courtesan for the Orion Empire. I won’t go back. But I just made a mistake that might cost me my freedom. I trusted the wrong guy. Gray was charming and kind. I was starting to fall in love with him. Turns out he was just using me until the cavalry showed up to take me back to the palace. Now I can’t shake him. He’s always one step behind me and I don’t know how to get away.

Aurora is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She thinks I betrayed her. I would never do that. Fate brought us together for a reason. I just need to convince her of that if she would stop running for five seconds. I just might get my chance. The only problem is our spaceship has crashed and we are stranded on a planet with Orion officers swarming everywhere. I have to keep her safe while convincing her that what we had was real. I just hope that I get the chance.

Chapter One

Aurora

That bastard! Six months of getting to know each other and me learning to trust and I catch him screwing some common whore. So much for the ‘you’re the only one for me, babe’ he’d been telling me. Lying jerk.

“Aurora, wait, I can explain,” Drake called as I backpedaled out of the room. The image of Drake balls deep in the green skinned woman was going to haunt my nightmares for weeks to come.

I needed to get out of here. Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away. No! I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying. He was still calling for me to come back, like that was going to happen. What a jerk!

I smashed my hand over the door close button. The door swooshed shut behind me, and I made my way into the hallway. The metallic corridor was empty, but the floor was occupied. The rhythmic sounds of headboards hitting walls thumped around me. What the hell was I thinking anyway?

This wasn’t a place for me. I deserved better. After spending ten years as an Orion enslaved courtesan, I was certainly no virgin, but I needed to set some standards. I’d let Drake charm me. It didn’t help that my stupid hormones were demanding my body be sated. Why couldn’t my trusty vibrator be enough? I was cursed. Drake was supposed to help me with my problem. Not anymore. Not ever!

If I really thought about it, I’d been so caught up on taking care of my out of control hormones, that I'd let myself see Drake as some sex god. He was just an asshole.

I drew in a deep breath and tried to shake the image from my mind. The good news was I probably wasn’t missing out on much. From what I’d seen, he wasn’t that impressive. I shuddered and made my way downstairs to the bar. It was still early so it wasn’t busy yet. It always picked up during the evening hours. Especially in a place like Haven which was made for people to get away and relax. Hopefully, I could still find a way to let loose and enjoy myself.

Haven was one of the only planets that remained untouched by the Orion government. It was why my crew frequented here so often. We could let our guard down for a little bit and have fun.

My eyes drifted to the fully stocked bar. I wasn't one to get drunk, but I didn’t feel like going back to our ship the Nightfall either. Echo, the captain and the woman who’d become like a sister to me, would still be on board. She didn’t venture out until after dark, and I didn’t want to keep her from any plans she might have. Knowing her, she would drop everything to comfort me. I didn’t need to be coddled. It would be even worse if I ran into Loc. He was like an older brother too. If he found out about Drake, he’d come here and pummel him.

I took a seat at the bar and ordered one of the fruity waters that I liked. The bartender gave it to me, and I stirred it with my straw while staring at the Lotus Nectar that sat on the shelf in front of me.

It was tempting to give it a try. Lotus Nectar was sweet but high in alcohol content. Liquor had a way of changing people. It either made them do stupid things or turned them into a jerk. In my experience it was usually the latter, and I wanted to be in control of my actions.

“Hey, gorgeous, is this seat taken?” a male voice asked. He didn't wait for me to answer before plopping down next to me. I narrowed my eyes at him. There was something off about him that rubbed me the wrong way. His oily hair was slicked back, and he wore a jacket even though it was nearly eighty degrees outside. My gaze slid down to his pocket where a golden badge peeked out. Ah, he was either a licensed bounty hunter or a guard on leave. If this bastard thought he’d collect on my bounty he had another thing coming.

I turned back to my drink and slurped it down in a few sips. Pulling out a few coins, I set them on the counter and nodded at the bartender.

“Where are you going, beautiful?” the man’s hand landed on my arm.

I jerked away and shot him a lethal glare. “Don't touch me!” I growled through clenched teeth. People in general reacted to me because of my stupid over sensitized pheromones, touch only heightened their reaction. It’s why I wore long sleeves even in this heat. I avoided it like the plague. Even Echo and Loc knew better then to touch my bare skin.

He laughed out loud and stood up. I took a step back, but he grabbed me again. I didn't bother warning him a second time. Men like him needed to be given a message. Balling my free fist, I swung. My knuckles connected with his nose, and I wrenched my hand free of his grip. “I said, don't touch me.”

He made a strangled noise as his hands shot to his face. Blood poured from his nose and was already splattering onto his chest and the floor. Satisfied the creep wouldn't follow me, I left the bar and drew in the warm night air.

There was a reason they called this place Haven. The weather was a perfect eighty degrees every day. Beaches and sparkling water lined the coast. There were resorts for every budget and the food here was cheap and delicious. It was the liquor that made them the money. Even the space port looked nice and well kept.

The sound of someone yelling curses drew me from my thoughts. I turned to see the source and huffed.

I was wrong. Smashing the guy’s nose hadn’t stopped him from following me. By the looks of it, he’d brought a few friends with him. They didn’t look happy either.

My hand went to my waist where I drew out my knife. Echo had given it to me after she’d rescued me six years ago. I gripped the hilt in my hand. “Why don’t you boys go back in there and finish your drinks.” Just because I knew how to fight didn’t mean I liked to do it.

“You broke my nose, bitch,” the man I’d punched said. He drew out his own knife and lifted his brows daring me to attack. His two henchmen followed his lead and took up a protective stance on each side of their boss.

I gritted my teeth and moved to a fighting stance. The best offense was to take your enemies by surprise. They’d find out that I might be small, but I knew how to fight.

“Oh, look boss, I like a woman that puts up a good fight.” The henchman snickered like he told a good joke.

How many women have they cornered and taken advantage of? I was going to be the last one, one way or another. I didn't wait for them to make the first move. Lunging forward, I swiped my blade out, catching it on the boss’s forearm and dragging it across before leaping back again.

He howled and took a few steps back from me. His two henchmen surged forward. I kicked out with my right foot nailing one of them in the balls and then jabbed with my left hand, driving my knife into the other man. I sunk it in almost all the way to the hilt. My gaze went to where I’d hit him. I must have just got in between his ribs. The man's eyes widened as I withdrew my blade.

The guy slumped to the ground with a thud. I turned my attention to the other two men; both were still nursing their wounds.

“Boss, that bitch killed Ricky.”

“Let's make sure she pays for it.” He took out a gun and aimed it at me. “I’m going to make sure that we hurt you every way possible before we kill you.”

There was nothing these men could do to me that hadn't already been done. I knew how to tune out of an unpleasant situation. It didn't stop the knot from forming in my stomach. Bile crept up my throat. I forced it back down. There wasn’t time for me to get sick. I had to focus and fight.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the back door to the bar open and someone exit before the door slid shut. Footsteps thumped towards. A tall, muscular man approached us as if my day could possibly get any worse.

“Everything okay here?” the man asked as he came to stand beside me.

The man with the bloodied nose took a step back. Whoever this guy was he wasn't with them. I chanced a glance at the newcomer. He was tall with at least a foot on me maybe a little more. His jet-black hair fell shoulder length in soft waves. Brown eyes met mine searching. The most notable feature about him was the scar that ran all the way down one side of his face. This guy had seen some fights, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to battle him, but if he was going to help me, I’d take it for the moment and then worry about him later.

“You don't need to worry your business about her we got it taken care of,” the man with the bloodied nose said.

“I think you should leave before you get hurt worse than you already are,” the man in black told them. He moved so he was standing slightly in front of me.

The creep chuckled and curled his finger around the trigger. He was going to shoot. I had to move. My body was already in motion before I’d processed the thought. Something hard shoved my shoulder, sending me flying to the ground.

My left side collided with the pavement sending pain ricocheting through me. The air whooshed out of my lungs causing me to wheeze as I sucked air back in. Shit that hurt. I could inventory injuries later. I grunted. Get up!

I leapt to my feet fisting one hand in front of me and poising my knife ready to strike in the other. My actions were pointless. The fight was already over.

My friend in black stood over the two unmoving men. He turned to me and dropped his hands by his sides. “Are you okay?”

I held my stance. How had he taking them out so quickly? What was his end game? People didn’t involve themselves in other people’s business unless they wanted something out of it.

“It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you.” He took a step back and held both his hands up as a gesture of surrender.

I narrowed my eyes watching him for any tell that he might be preparing to attack. He made no movement. His dark eyes seemed to be searching me for something, what I had no idea. Maybe if I dismissed him, he would go on his way. A girl could hope. “Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”

He nodded at me but didn't say anything for a long moment. The way he was positioned blocked my best exit. I could go down the alley but that was probably asking for trouble. It was long, narrow, and dark. The kind of place skeevy people hung out waiting to strike drunken patrons.

“It's Aurora, right?” the guy asked.

Shit. He knew who I was. I took a step back. My back collided with the brick wall behind me. What were the chances that I could outrun him? Probably not good. He looked fit and with his long legs he could probably double my stride. I could try to fight him but again he’d taken out those two men in seconds.

My pulse roared in my ears and my breath quickened. Sweat beaded on my brow even though a cold chill zipped through me.

His brow dipped into a frown, and he took a step backward. “Relax. I have no interest in collecting on your bounty.”

Yeah right. I was worth a lot of money to the Orion. He wanted something; I just wasn't sure what. I'm sure I would find out.

“I'm more interested in your other services.” He spoke like he’d read my mind.

I ground my teeth and tightened my grip on the knife. Men who knew who I was thought I’d just fall into bed with them. Yeah right. And just because I needed to relieve some tension didn’t mean I’d settle for anyone. I held my stance and glared at him daring him to make a move. If he thought he could take advantage of me, he’d find out the hard way how unwilling I was.

He shook his head and dropped his hand. “No, I mean the services of the Nightfall.”

The ship. He was talking about our ship. Thank goodness.

I let out a long breath. My shoulders sagged and I could breathe again. It wasn't uncommon for people to seek us out for our assistance, typically they sought out Echo instead. She was the captain. We were good at what we did. Smuggling people, weapons, and money was our job. We helped the little people anyway we could. Too many families and innocents were being hurt by the Orion government.

The Orion ruled with an iron fist. They had slaves and forced child labor. Starvation ran rampant across many worlds. People didn’t get a chance to better themselves. The rich got richer, and the poor were just fucked. Anyone who defied the king was punished. If they were lucky, they were killed, the unlucky ones were sold into slavery. It didn’t stop people from trying to make a difference. Everyone deserved something better.

“You would have to talk to Echo.” I hated that my voice still shook.

“I was hoping to run into her here.” He nodded at the bar. “But when they told me that I just missed you I thought maybe you could take me to her.”

I pursed my lips. This could still be a trap. My bounty was the highest out of everyone on the Nightfall, but that didn't mean that someone wasn’t trying to collect on all our bounties at once. We were all worth several million credits. It was enough to set anyone up for life. “She's not going to be available for a couple of days, I'm sorry. In case you haven't noticed we’re on Haven. Our crew is relaxing.”

Haven was just outside the Orion’s territory. The badlands as they were known were a cluster of small planets. The lands were beautiful but there was no life or resources other than the beings who migrated there. The planets were also surrounded by a giant black hole. Ships that got too close to it disappeared and were never seen or heard from again.

“Sure,” the man shrugged, drawing me from my thoughts. “Not a problem. My boss is on the way here now. He's the one that really wants to speak with your captain.”

Boss? He didn't look like the sort of man that would take orders from just anyone. “Perhaps you could tell me what your business is, and I'll run it by her. Then she can decide if she wants to meet with the two of you.” If this did turn out to be a trap there was no use getting everyone captured.

“Fair enough. I can tell you the details over dinner, if you like?”

Why did he keep asking me to dinner? I rolled my eyes. It was probably my pheromones going crazy. I affected everyone I came into contact with whether they touched me or not. “I'm not going anywhere with you.”

He smiled. The act softened his features. He should do it more often, I thought. It made him less intimidating and more attractive. I bit my lip. When was the last time I’d been physically attracted to a guy? Never, that’s when. Even the bastard I was going to meet up with wasn’t cute. Heat spread across my face as the realization hit me. I had to be careful. These feelings were dangerous, especially for a guy that I didn’t know.

“I just want to buy you dinner. Lady’s choice. Anywhere you want.” He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to the side. The smile had slipped off his face and he was staring at me again.

My instincts were to not trust him, to ditch him the first chance I got. However, my gut told me that he wasn't going to hurt me. There was something calming about him. “I can’t have dinner with someone when I don’t even know their name.” Crap. Was I flirting with him? I’d never done it before. I’d watched Echo work her magic on men all the time, but me, I didn’t like to be touched and I certainly didn’t want attention on me.

“Gray.”

The name suited him somehow. “So, Gray, I can choose anywhere I want?” There were a lot of pricey places on Haven. A lot of cheap joints too.

He chuckled and nodded. “Wherever you want to go.”

I should stop this insanity. My mouth had other ideas though. “Okay.” I sidestepped around him making sure that my back was never to him. “There's a restaurant on the boardwalk with an ocean side view." I’d walked past it dozens of times and it always smelled so good. Stars knew I didn’t have the money to eat there. Even if the sea life was imported from another planet, it was way out of my price range.

“I’ve heard of it. I’ll take you there if that’s where you’d like to go?”

If he'd heard of it then he knew how expensive it was. “I want to go there.” I watched him waiting for him to rescind his offer.

He inclined his head. “All right.”

We fell in step together, but I found my eyes constantly drifting to his hands, watching to make sure he didn’t draw a weapon. They stayed relaxed at his sides. His hands were big and callused like he was used to hard labor. “So, what is it you want with the Nightfall?” Obviously, money wasn’t an issue for him if he didn’t care about going to the restaurant. It’d be nice to get a well-paying job. Most our clients traded in services or paid what they could. We didn’t turn people away if they truly needed help.

He blew out a long breath. “My associate and I need help getting people and equipment across the Orion shield and into the palace.”

I stiffened and swallowed hard. If there was one place I hated to go it was the palace. The Royal Guard wanted me. Few slaves escaped from the palace. Those that did were hunted down. I was lucky, so far. “That's awfully dangerous.” And it was risky for the crew. The palace was heavily guarded. It was tough for any ship to get through. Echo would go for it. We had intel that suggested her daughter was a slave at the palace. I would do anything to help her get her little girl back.

“We are aware of the difficulty. Your crew will be highly compensated.” The credits had better be damn good for us to go to the palace.

“It's not my decision to make, but I can tell Echo about it and maybe set up a meeting. Why don’t you give me the commlink code to your ship?” I stopped walking and crossed my arms over my chest waiting for him.

He stopped too; his brow dipped down into a frown. It was endearing. Oh stars. What was wrong with me? I needed to get back to the ship and slap myself. No man had ever gotten this kind of a reaction from me.

I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. Get your head together, Aurora. I took a step onto the path that led away from the restaurant.

 Gray pointed over his shoulder. “This is the way to the restaurant.”

I met his eyes. There was a flicker of what looked like hurt before he blinked it away. I cleared my throat. “Now that we've already got business out of the way, I don't think we really need to have dinner.”

His gaze went to the ground then lifted back up to stare at some point over my shoulder. “You sure? Because I'm kind of hungry.”

“Well, don’t let me stop you. I’m sure you can get your own dinner.”

He laughed out loud. There was that smile again. When did I become a girl who got weak kneed because some cute guy grinned at them? There was something about Gray that made me want to spend time with him.

Gray took a few steps onto the path that led to the boardwalk. “Nobody likes eating alone. You look like you had a rough day. Why don't you let me buy you dinner?” His words were smooth as silk, but the way he didn’t quite meet my eyes made me realize how afraid he was of rejection.

I bit my lip. I’d met a lot of bad men in my days. Men wanted mostly one thing. I didn't see that in Gray. There was something genuine about him. My intuition was never wrong. “Fine. Just dinner.” I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.

Chapter Two

Gray

Aurora wasn't what I'd been expecting. I'd seen plenty of pictures of her, she was one of the top ten most wanted. The images didn’t do her justice. Her long brunette hair was pulled up in an intricate braid and her hazel eyes were full of life. There was a softness to her and intrigue. She was a survivor like me. Both of us had escaped slavery.

Prince Kai had asked me to find the captain of the Nightfall. I was supposed to run the detailed plan by her. Instead I’d found Aurora.

I was playing with fire inviting her to dinner. My interests weren’t professional, she was striking and instantly called to me. Girls like her didn’t go for guys like me. Not that I had much luck with women to begin with. The scar bisecting my face and torso scared them away. Chicks did not in fact dig scars.

"What kind of business is it that you do?" Aurora asked drawing me out of my thoughts.

"I guess you could call us freedom fighters. We are trying to end the tyranny that has doomed this galaxy for far too long." That was the truth. She didn't need to know who I was working with. That would only scare her.

Aurora sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. Her hazel eyes narrowed and darted over my face. "That sounds like a noble cause, but I thought the rebellion ended years ago when Prince Kellan died?”

Prince Kellan wasn’t dead. He’d been gravely injured but he was still fighting. "I'm not ready to give up hope quite yet, and neither is my employer."

“That seems nice and all, but don’t you need an army and weapons?”

I leaned forward so my elbows rested on the metallic table. "Who says I don’t have that?” She quirked her brow up at me, giving me what could only be described as a are you kidding me look. “Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't like to have the freedom to go wherever you want without the worry of the bounty on your head?"

She smiled thoughtfully. "That sounds nice, but do you really think that’s possible? There hasn’t been any word about rebellion in years."

I sighed before shrugging. "Anything is possible. It could happen. We both at one point were slaves and look at us now. We are free. That wasn’t supposed to happen."

Her eyes widened. "You were a slave?"

I nodded. "Yeah, there's people like you and me throughout the entire galaxy, former slaves that are living free."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Speak for yourself. I don’t recall seeing your picture on any open bounties. I’m not sure you could really call this freedom. We are just one mishap away from being returned to slavery. I’m always looking over my shoulder and aware of who’s around me.”

I’d noticed that about her. She’d insisted on sitting outside in the open and had purposefully taken the seat that put her back against the wall. I’d wanted that seat too, but she’d beat me to it. She was smart. "We’ve both done a good job evading them so far. And not all of us have the honor of making the most wanted." I’d never made the list. Losing someone like me wasn’t something they’d advertise.

She leaned forward putting her elbows on the table, almost close enough that her hands were touching mine. "You know, you seem to know quite a bit about me, and I know nothing about you." She cocked her head to the side and glared.

It was my turn to relax back into my chair. "Like I said, we have been looking for your group. I'm an excellent tracker, part of my job is to learn what I can about people. It makes it easier to find my target if I know their likes and dislikes."

She looked at the people around us. "It kind of sounds like stalking to me."

I laughed out loud. “I suppose you could look at it that way. But I promise you my intentions are good.”

She was quiet for a long moment before she let out a long breath. "I suppose we'll see about that won't we?"

I tilted my head and grinned, but the waitress chose that moment to arrive. We placed our order, and I shook my head and tried hard not to laugh as Aurora belted off several large meals.

"Do you have something to say about my food choices?" she asked quietly.

I shook my head. "I told you this was my treat." It did make me wonder when the last time she'd had a proper meal was. The Nightfall was notorious, and I was sure Echo kept her crew fed. But everyone struggled for portions and food at one point or another.

"Thank you." She looked down at her hands.

Her words took me by surprise. It wasn’t what I’d expected her to say at all, not after the sass she’d given me all evening. When was the last time someone had done something nice for her? "You're welcome. I think you're going to enjoy it."

"Do you eat like this all the time?" She blinked and stared up at me through her long lashes.

"When I can. When I'm on the ship I have to eat whatever’s available which is mostly dehydrated portions. I don’t think anyone can get away from that drivel in space. This planet has some of the best cuisine I’ve ever tasted." That wasn’t entirely true. The royal palace could easily compete with Haven. Hell some of the chefs here now had once worked at the palace.

"I'm guessing you were in the military?" She studied me for a long moment before dropping her gaze. She fiddled with her fingers, lacing and unlacing them repeatedly.

"You’re correct. I was taken from my family by the Orion. My father tried to stop them, and they murdered him right in front of me. I was too young to put up much of a fight and… well there are some things that you never forget. They took me to a military training camp and began instruction immediately." I remembered some of my home world. The longer I was away the less I could recall. I had an image of what my parents looked like in my mind, but it was all a distant memory now. My home wasn't in this galaxy and there was no way for me to return. There were theories on how the Orion abducted children form other galaxies but nothing concrete.

Aurora shook her head and sighed loudly. "My parents sold me for money once I was old enough. They might not have even been my real parents, but they are the only parents I ever knew. Girls like me are hard to come by and worth a lot."

I already knew most of that from reading her profile. Hearing her say it out loud made my heart seize. I couldn't begin to imagine what her life was like. Military camp was harsh. But what they did to the children courtesans was so much worse. She’d only been ten when they’d begun to train her. And there were sick fucks who liked girls that young, or even younger. The passion gene only made her more coveted. Her pheromones were intoxicating and made her alluring to both men and women alike. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t affect me too. She was beautiful. But my interest in her went deeper. She was smart, sassy and she could fight.

I’d never met someone with the passion gene before. I couldn’t help but wonder if her pheromones were always this strong. She smelled amazing. While I could control myself, I wasn’t sure about others. If I hadn’t found her when I did, who knows what could have happened to her in that alley. And no one would be foolish enough to approach her with me here. Between my build and scar I was intimidating. Except maybe to her, which was refreshing.

"You know I went back to my home world after I got free," Aurora started. She blew out a breath and dabbed at the corner of her eye. "I suppose I got lucky. About a year after I was sold, my parents were brutally murdered. Apparently, they couldn’t pay their debts and so their creditors extracted their punishment by torture."

I already knew that too. It didn't make it any less horrific. I couldn't begin to imagine the memories she must have as a child. Were any of them good? Judging by her file and what she’d told me, probably not. "I'm sorry, Aurora."

She ran the back of her hand across her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm telling you. It's not your business."

"Sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone. It’s easier to share painful things with a stranger than with a friend. Because a stranger you never have to see again." I probably shouldn’t be giving her ideas. We most definitely needed to see each other again.

The waitress arrived with our food. The second the plate was placed in front of Aurora she started shoveling food in her mouth. She only stopped to get a drink of the fruity water she'd ordered. She glanced up at me a few moments later as she wiped her face. I picked up my utensils and began to eat.

"How did you get your scar?" she asked around a mouthful of fish.

My freehand went to my hairline and I traced it down the side of my face. My shirt covered most of the wound. It went from my hairline all the way to my hipbone and another scar bisected the first making an x from my shoulder to my pectoral. "It happened shortly after I arrived at the training camp. I tried to escape. The guards wanted to make sure no one else made that mistake again. They made an example out of me."

"That stop you from trying again?" She asked quietly.

It had stopped me. I’d spent a week in the infirmary. The pain had been unbearable, my skin had been on fire like it was melting off my body. They used laser batons. The good thing was it immediately cauterized the wound, the bad, it seared your skin right off and cut deep. Typically, I healed quickly, but the Orion had special weapons that made it next to impossible for my healing abilities to work.

 The ordeal still gave me nightmares from time to time. Then the infection had set in. The scar might not have been so bad if it had been cleaned properly. "Prince Kellan showed up shortly after and I was able to escape.”

"It sounds like you got lucky. Though, I can't imagine it was easy fending for yourself as a child."

"It wasn't, but I managed." I’d been fortunate and hadn’t had to fend for myself. "How did you get away?" I asked turning the attention back to her.

Aurora smiled but this one wasn't bad like the other ones had been. "I was working at a party as a consort to a general. I happened to run into Echo in the lady’s lavatory and she made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. Her and Loc were there together, and they formulated a plan that got me out."

"Sounds like you got fortunate too."

She sighed and set her silverware down. "I did. I just wish that I'd been able to help some of the other people at the palace too. We didn't have much, but we had each other. There were a few girls that I was close with."

I understood the guilt of leaving someone behind. I cleared my throat. "If they'd have had the same opportunity as you, I'm sure they wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving. And I'm sure you would've saved them if you could."

She nodded and began to eat again, finishing the last few bites and pushing her now empty plate away and starting on the second one. "That's really good."

I smirked. "You know, I'd be more than happy to get you lunch tomorrow."

She stopped eating and glanced up at me. Her eyes were weary, judging me. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. I didn't want anything but her company. There was something about her that I craved. It was more than just her pheromones. I liked her. She was beautiful but guarded. Smart and strong. Not many women gave me the time of day like she was. If the scar didn’t scare them away, then my position and rank did.

“Nobody is this nice without wanting something. I'm not giving you anything.” She met my gaze and held it.

“I didn't ask for anything.” I went back to eating and said a silent thanks when she began eating again. We were silent for a long while. She didn't trust me, I supposed I couldn't blame her. Our world was dangerous given the circumstances. I was surprised she’d even come to dinner with me.

“What were your parents like?” Aurora asked.

I choked on my food, her question catching me completely off guard. I took a sip of my water to clear my throat. “I don't remember much but I knew they loved me. They would read me a story and tuck me into bed every night. I think I had a sister, though I couldn’t tell you her name to save my life. Memories are wiped at the training camps. It helps make their slaves less likely to escape.” I didn't remember very much. The Orion stole it from me. What I did remember were mostly feelings and smells. Little moments at best.

What I just told her was true. My parents had cared, they had loved me.

“That must have been nice. All I remember is my parents fighting over money and how to pay for their next bid. It was all about gambling for them. I worked as a dishwasher in the tavern beneath our apartment before they sold me. The wages I earned were used for their habits.” She shook her head and pushed her plate away from her.

“Someone once told me to leave your past in the past but don’t forget it. Everything we've been through has shaped who we are.”

Aurora ran a hand over her braids. “It’s not always easy to move on.”

I nodded my head in agreement. “No. It isn’t. But we can make progress one baby step at a time.”

“Baby steps?” I got the feeling from the way she said it she wasn't really asking me but talking to herself like she was trying to decide something.

“How long do you plan to stay on Haven?” I asked changing the subject.

She lounged back in her chair propping one leg over the other. “A few days. Enough time for the crew to relax and enjoy themselves.”

“Good. I expect my boss the day after tomorrow.” I just had to make sure that I didn't scare Aurora away in the meantime. The best way to make sure she didn’t leave was to try to get her to stay with me willingly. I wouldn’t mind her company. “What do you like to do to relax?”

She was quiet for a long moment, and I wasn't sure if she was contemplating her answer or flat out ignoring me, but finally she spoke, “I like to walk along the beach and let the waves hit my feet. The tiny pebbles in the sand here are quite lovely. I like to collect them.”

“Do you ever have company?”

“No.”

I’d phrased that wrong. I needed to try again. “Would you like company?”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. I couldn't help but watch the motion. Her lips were lush and pink, and I briefly wondered what they might taste like.

“I might.”

“Maybe after dinner we could go for a walk?” I held my breath waiting for her to answer. She looked down at her lap for a long while and I wondered what she was thinking.

“Okay.”

***

The water was warm as the waves washed over our feet. We hadn't spoken much as we walked, the silence was comfortable. Aurora stopped randomly to pick up a few pebbles to add to her collection. One fist was already full of the colorful rocks.

A glimmer like a rainbow caught my eye and I bent down. Sand covered most of the stone. I used my finger to scoop it away and then rinsed it off in a wave. It had a multitude of colors. It was the most intricate pebble I’d seen tonight. I held it out to Aurora.

She smiled and her eyes lit up. “Beautiful.”

I moved my hand indicating for her to take it. “You should have it. I think it'll be a nice addition to your collection.”

She reached out and took it. As she did her fingers brushed mine, they were soft and warm and sent a bolt of heat rippling through me. My brain imagined what they’d feel like wrapped around my cock.

Aurora blinked and moved her hand away slowly. “Thank you.”

“Do you do something with them?” I asked.

“I adhere them to the walls in my cabin and lavatory.” She bit her lip and laughed. “They remind me of the ocean when we’re in space. Growing up I used to love the water. I know the sea stones are worthless but they’re pretty.” She held the stone I’d given her up to the sunlight. “This is a rare find. I’ll have to find some place special for it.”

She drew in a deep breath and took a step closer to me. Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed a chaste kiss to my lips. Her mouth lingered against mine a moment longer and it wasn’t until she began to pull away that I realized I’d been standing there like an idiot.

“Sorry.” She turned on her heel to leave but I grabbed her hand.

Her wide eyes went down to her wrist. She wiggled her fingers but didn’t try to break free. I gave her a gentle tug drawing her closer. As my lips descended over hers, I knew I was really playing with fire. If she found out who I was before Kai got here and ran, he’d be pissed, and our plans would be derailed. But a woman had never wanted me for who I was before, and I didn’t want to turn her away.

Chapter Three

Aurora

Gray was kissing me. His lips pressed against mine as he drew me flush against him. The fight or flight hysteria that usually filled me when someone touched me was nonexistent. In an hour Gray had made me more comfortable than Drake had in six months.

I sighed when his tongue slipped between my parted lips. It glided against mine before skimming my teeth. He pulled back and I blinked my eyes open, staring up into his dark orbs.

He licked his lips. My eyes went to them, who would have thought they’d be so soft? His hand smoothed down my face and I swallowed watching him. What was he waiting for?

“Aurora,” he said, his voice husky.

I pecked his lips. “I have a room booked at the Ricardo.” I drew in a deep breath I didn't know where my forwardness was coming from. Maybe the hormones had finally gotten to me or maybe it was just being around Gray. He wasn't traditionally handsome but there was something about his dark eyes and midnight hair that I found alluring. His personality and demeanor were what really drew me in. He had an air about him that not many people possessed. I knew he was dangerous, but I didn't think he would hurt me, his soul was good. There were only two other people that I felt as comfortable around and even then, it had taking me a long time to trust Echo and Loc.

Gray cleared his throat and took a step back. “Are you sure?” He asked looking everywhere but at me. “I don't want you to feel like you have to do something.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. He’d not only touched me but kissed me and he was still in enough control to ask if I was sure. I’d been told my touch was electric. It drove people crazy. Apparently not Gray. That made me want him even more. This was crazy.

It would be easy to just tell him no never mind but I didn't want to. A tremor of worry washed over me. Why was he suddenly backing down? Unless maybe he didn't feel the same way about me, but then he kissed me too. A delightful shiver rippled through me at the reminder of his lips on mine. That had been intense and amazing. What did I need to say or do to ease the situation? I was really horrible at this. I’d never been with a man because I wanted to be before. This was all new territory to me. "We don't have to. We could just keep walking,” I suggested looking away from him.

“Aurora, believe me I'm interested. I just want to make sure that you don't feel obligated, that you want to do this too.” His hand reached beneath my chin tilting it up, so I had to meet his eyes.

“I haven't done this in a long time,” I told him, closing my eyes. How much should I tell him about myself? Sure, he already knew the basics, but I doubted anyone could comprehend what being a royal courtesan really entailed. “I haven't been with anyone sexually since I was freed. It's just been really hard for me to find someone that I can be comfortable with. You’re the first person that I’ve been interested in…in well, ever.” I held my breath.

He was silent for a long time, and I wondered if I said too much. That was a lot to take in. It was hard for me to admit.

“I don't want you to have any regrets, Aurora. I don’t want you to feel obligated to me because I bought you dinner and I don’t want you to settle for me either. You deserve better than that.”

I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him again. “I want this,” I mumbled against his lips. My hand reached out to grab his and I entwined our fingers. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I pulled him onto the boardwalk with me.

I smiled when he didn’t put up a fight and fell in step with me. We walked in silence until we came to the Ricardo. I led the way to my room and unlocked the door with a press of my finger. The door hissed shut behind us and I turned around, motioning to the room. “I know this isn’t much, but I hope it's okay.”

He looked around the drab room that consisted of a double bed and closet lavatory to the far right. “This is fine.”

I went to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear only to realize that I didn't have any to push back. My hand grazed over my braids instead. Now that I had him here, I wasn't quite sure what to do. He didn't seem to be making a move either. This was awkward. I shifted on my feet and bit my lip.

“Where did you want to go for lunch tomorrow?” Gray asked.

I blew out a breath and tried to control my racing heart. I was happy that he was trying to make idle chitchat with me. “I don't know,” I began. Where did I want to go? There were so many places on Haven that I wanted to check out, but now that he was asking me, I couldn't name one to save my life. “What about the, um, the place over by the Dresden?” That was a horrible description. There were at least three or four restaurants by it.

“The place that sells the shellfish?” Gray asked.

I loved seafood and knew which place he was talking about. It was high-end, super expensive, maybe even more so than the place we went tonight. “It’s pricey.”

“It’s all right, I don't mind paying.”

I regarded Gray for a long moment. “Your line of work must be very lucrative.”

Gray chuckled and nodded. “I’m sure you're aware the more dangerous the position the more lucrative the rewards are.”

He had a point. Dangerous jobs always paid better. “It must be very daring to pay well enough to afford to eat at those kinds of restaurants frequently.”

Gray frowned and worked his jaw for a moment before saying, “About work, the person I work for is—"

I cut him off. “Let's not talk about work.” I closed the distance between us and kissed him.

Unlike on the beach, he responded immediately his lips caressing mine. His lips parted and I slid my tongue into his mouth this time. I skimmed it over his teeth before nipping at his bottom lip.

His hands found my waist, pulling me so I was flush against him. I could feel his cock hardening against my belly, and I moaned at the contact. My body had been craving this for a long time, but I had been unwilling until I found the right person. His hands dipped lower grazing over my butt and then dropping to my thighs.

I squeaked as he lifted me up. My arms wound around his neck, my legs locking at the ankle behind his back. Gray walked briskly across the room and laid me down on the bed. His body covered mine. Freezing, I gasped as my heart pounded in my chest. No. No. No. I pushed on him, hard. He pulled back and looked down at me, his brows dipping into a frown.

My hands dug further into his chest even though he made no move to lower himself. “Not like this. I need to be in control,” I told him.

He grasped my thigh and rolled so I was straddling him now. I looked down at him and smiled, my heart returning to a semi normal state. I’d never had the chance to be in control like this. Every client had always been the one to take without care of my body at all. I was thankful that he was letting me take what I needed.

My hands went to his chest, grazing down over his shirt. The muscles rippled beneath the surface. I bit my lip wanting to know if they looked as good as they felt. My fingers drifted lower until they reached the hem. I rolled his shirt up, only stopping when Gray sat up to take it off altogether.

He blew out a breath and lie back on the bed. My eyes drifted to the scar that extended onto his chest. I touched his shoulder and traced it down to his hipbone and then back up to the spot where it intersected and across his chest in an X.

Gray shifted, his face flushing as he looked at the ceiling. “I know it's a little grizzly to look at.”

I met his eyes surprised by his admission. I shook my head; I didn't find it repulsive at all. “No. It shows you’re a survivor, a fighter and warrior. The men who did this to you are cowards.” I bent down and kissed the spot where the two marks intersected. “They mark us because they think they own us and can control us with fear. But they don’t and they can’t.”

My hands went to my shirt to unzip the back and shrug it off. Then to my bra. I held my breath before unclasping the back and sliding it down.

Gray reached up towards my left breast and then hesitated. I nodded at him and sucked in a breath as his warm hands touched the underside of my breast where a sliver scar ran down to my ribcage and puncture marks were. He looked up at me not needing to speak to ask his question. “A Diplomat. He wanted me to…” I shook my head and looked away, hating the tears that began to prick my eyes. “When I refused, he bit me so hard I needed stitches and then cut me so deep with his blade they couldn’t get the scar to heal completely.” The bastard had marked me for life, cutting deep enough so I’d have to wear his evil forever. There were expensive medicines to help with scarring but even they hadn’t been able to help. If there was a silver lining to the situation, it was that I’d been out of commission for two whole months while they tried to fix me. I heard the diplomat had been severely beaten and had lost his title and position because of it.

Gray shifted so he was sitting up. His mouth circled over my nipple, kissing it softly before moving lower to where my scars were. I gasped at the contact as his hands wound around my waist and pulled me closer.

A heady want seeped into my core, and I pressed against Gray’s already hard length. He rocked up against me as he peppered kisses across my chest and took the other nipple into his mouth.

One of his hands reached between us, fumbling with the fastening of my pants for a moment. I lifted so he could push them down, I went to stand but his palm cupped my center and I groaned instead. One finger slid into my wetness, caressing softly in time to his licks on my breast. I grasped his shoulders and panted. This was amazing. A fire ignited in my belly, I wanted, no needed more.

I took the opportunity to run my hand up his neck and through his thick dark hair. It was softer than I’d imagined. The locks glided through my fingers. When he inserted another finger, I pulled his tresses getting a grumble from him. The vibrations from his mouth on my nipple made me see stars. I never knew intimacy could feel like this. My body hummed in approval.

My fingers went to the laces on his leather pants, unwinding them. Somehow, he managed to lift enough to push them down so his length sprung free. My fingers curled around the thickness and began to pump.

Gray grunted and inserted another finger. This time he curled his fingers in a way that made me squirm. An orgasm was building. I could feel the heat and tensing of my body. His mouth found mine again, kissing me hard and fast. It was too much. The coil tightening inside me broke, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me.

My mouth broke away from his, a silent scream moving past my parted lips. Gray continued to pump in and out, drawing my climax out further. I was floating, my whole body shaking with pleasure.

My head lolled forward, landing on his shoulder. My breath came in quickened pants as I tried and failed to catch my breath. It wasn't until a few moments later that I realized that I'd been neglecting him. His cock was straining what looked to be painfully against my belly. I glanced down at the thick red member jutting out to greet me. It was thick and long with a ridge around the tip that I was sure would rub my sweet spot just right. I wanted him inside me.

 Standing up, I took my pants off the rest of the way. Gray followed my lead, throwing his trousers to the floor with a thud. My eyes appraised him as he sat back down. He was all muscle and broad shoulders.

I wrapped my fingers around his member and started pumping again as I moved to straddle him.

“Your hands are amazing,” Gray said through clenched teeth.

He had to be getting close to completion too. His body had tensed, and he was gulping in deep breaths of air with each pump of my hand. I wanted him to be inside me. Positioning him at my entrance, I slid down his length.

He stretched me almost to the point of pain while building a beautiful friction. I drew in a deep breath.

He held my hips. “Are you okay?”

I nodded and gave him a small smile. “I just need a moment it's been a while.” He stayed still except for his mouth which found my neck where he placed open-mouthed kisses. Once my body began to relax, I rocked slowly. His cock was so deep and thick it stretched me wonderfully. I wasn’t going to last long.

I put my hands on his shoulders and set a steady rocking rhythm. Gray’s fingers kneaded my lower back as his mouth laved kisses over my body. The stimulations were enough to make my brain foggy so all I could think about was how good it felt. My hips moved faster searching for the relief that was right there. It hit me hard making me cry out Gray’s name. I moaned loudly as the pleasure continued to wash over me. My fingers ran through his hair as I leaned my forehead against his. It took me a few moments to realize that Gray was still hard inside me. He hadn’t come yet. I met his eyes and sighed.

“Can I?” he asked placing a quick kiss to my lips.

I didn't have the words to answer so I nodded. With a quick roll of his hips, he switched our positions. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he set a hard, fast pace of in and out.

I glanced up to meet his gaze, but his eyes were closed. A bead of sweat trickled over his forehead and his face shone what I imagined as pure ecstasy. I rolled my hips in time with his thrusts, already feeling arousal blossoming in me again.

Gray’s eyes opened as he leaned down to kiss me. His tongue thrust into my mouth in time with his movements. My hands went to his ass, like I could possibly pull him in any deeper. Holy crap I was going to come again. I shuddered as my orgasm washed over me. My whole body was buzzing with euphoria.

“Fuck Aurora,” Gray growled his body stiffening. His cock pulsed inside me. I smoothed my hands through his hair, massaging his scalp in the process as he rode out his pleasure.

Gray rolled to his side, slipping out of me as he did. He tugged me against him and wrapped me in his embrace.

“Fuck Aurora,” he said again. “That was amazing.”

“I didn't know it could be like that.” There was a big difference between wanting someone because you were pumped up on drugs until you couldn’t think straight and wanting someone because you were attracted to them.

“Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?”

I laughed out loud and shook my head. “I’ve never felt better, actually.”

“Good. Because I'd like to try again as soon as you’re ready. If you want to, of course.”

My body hummed with excitement. I kissed him hungrily. This was going be a long, amazing night.

***

“It’s beautiful here,” I whispered, closing my eyes. Gray’s arm tightened around me, and I borrowed further into his side. The hammock was a bit too small for both of us, but I didn’t mind. 

Lying next to him and listening to the waves crash against the shore was relaxing. It had been odd waking up next to him. Usually men took what they wanted and shoved me away. Gray had kept his word and bought me lunch. Then we’d been swimming and now we were lounging on the balcony of his hotel room. His room was much nicer than mine.

He kissed the top of my head. “You should stay with me until your leave is over.” 

It would be so easy to just say yes. “What if you get tired of me?” I swallowed. It was entirely possible. My hormones weren’t so out of whack now. I wasn’t alluring like I had been last night. My body quieted once it was sated instead of being a constant bundle of nerves searching for release. It was wonderful to be so lazy. 

“I don’t think that’s possible.” He turned so he could peer down at me. “I like you, Aurora. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

I pushed stray dark locks from his face. “Me neither.”

“Then you’ll stay?”

I bit my lip. What could it possibly hurt? I’d never felt a connection like this with anyone before. It was dangerous to let myself get too attached to someone, right? Then again, I’d let Echo and Loc in. They were my family now. 

“I’ll stay,” I whispered. 

“Good. There’s this restaurant that’s on the other side of the island. Maybe we could try that for dinner.”

“A girl could get used to all this fancy food.” That was the truth. I’d never ate so well in my life. 

“Would that be a bad thing?” Gray asked, he turned so he was looking at me now. 

His dark brown eyes held mine searching. “I’m not sure you could afford it,” I said with a laugh. 

He bit his lip and looked away. Ah, maybe he wasn’t as well off as he let on. It didn’t bother me. 

“Aurora, I need to tell you about my boss and what we’re doing.” 

I shook my head. “No. We said no talking shop, remember?” 

“You should know—”

“We’ll discuss it later.” I cut him off. “Let’s just enjoy our time, okay?” I kissed him, letting my tongue dip between his lips. “I don’t get much time to relax like this. Please.”

He answered me with a kiss. “I’m not sure this is relaxing. It seems more like winding up.” He twisted so he was almost on top of me. His hardening length pressed against my hip. 

“Hmmm, you may have a point.” I hooked my leg around him at the same time causing the hammock to rock. It must have knocked us off balance. The cloth fell out from underneath us, and we tumbled to the balcony with a thud. 

Gray somehow managed to catch himself before the full weight of him fell on top of me. “You okay?” He peered down at me worriedly. 

I giggled. “That was less than graceful.”  If anything I was more embarrassed than injured. 

“We all have our moments.” Gray kissed me somehow keeping himself from crushing me. He lingered, giving me chaste kisses before he pushed to his feet and offered me his hand. 

I pouted as I took his hand. My body was already humming with excitement. What was it about him that turned me on so much? My attraction was definitely more than just hormones. So much more. 

Gray pulled me close, biting my earlobe before whispering in my ear, “I want to take you out and get to know you. If we don’t leave this hotel room soon, we aren’t going to do that.” He suckled my ear. 

I gripped onto his shirt as the air left my lungs. 

“I’ll make it up to you later.” To prove his point, he peppered open mouthed kisses down my neck, stopping at my collarbone. “We should go.” He lingered for a long moment, and I wondered if he was changing his mind and would just ravish me instead. 

Finally, he pulled back with a deep breath and took a step back.  “I promised to take you to the gardens. Then we’ll go to dinner. Let me take you out?”

As turned on as I was, I couldn’t say no to him. Not when he was looking at me with those eyes. Not when he wanted to get to know me for me. “Okay.” 

***

Heat enveloped me. I tried to get up but there was something pressed against my side. A moment of panic washed over me until I remembered Gray. His arm was flung loosely over my waist holding me to him while he slept. I sighed contentedly before carefully rolling out from underneath him so as not to disturb him.

Light shone in from a crack in the metal shutters, illuminating the room enough for me to make my way to the lavatory. My eyes drifted to Gray as he grunted and reached out in his sleep. I smiled at the sight already eager to climb back into bed. He really was a sight to look at.

Maybe after the lavatory, we could continue where we left off last night. I took a step and hissed as my foot landed on something hard and poky. I jerked my foot away from it, but the gold glint of a badge caught my eye.

My heart skipped a beat as I stooped down to pick it up. I held it up in the streaks of sunlight filtering in through the drawn curtains. Gray was no freedom fighter. He wasn’t even a bounty hunter. He was something far worse.

He was the royal guard for Prince Kai of the Orion regime. And he knew exactly who I was. I dropped the badge to the floor and stifled a scream. I had to get out of here. I wasn’t going back, I’d die first.

Tears pricked my eyes. A few droplets escaped, cascading down my face until I wiped them away. How could I have been so wrong about him? I thought he was a good man. I thought he was different from everyone else. He was the worst kind of scum alive. He'd used my vulnerability against me. For fucks sake, he was probably planning to turn me in to his prince the moment he arrived. It had all been a ruse to not only get me but the entire crew of the Nightfall. That bastard. I would never make the mistake of trusting him or any man again.

“Aurora?” Gray asked sleepily as he stirred in bed.

I gasped, my heart thundering in my chest I was too late. He was already awake. I grabbed my clothes and started yanking them on.

“What’s wrong?” Gray was out of bed and by my side in an instant. He grasped my forearm lightly. “Aurora?”

My hand whipped upwards connecting with his face before he could stop me. “You’re a member of the royal guard. You lied to me. You used me.” I hated the way my voice trembled with my accusations. Traitorous tears pricked my eyes.

“Aurora, wait.” His other hand reached out to grab my other arm.

I yanked it away and put it on his cheek to cup it. Inhaling I let out a deep breath to center myself. “Let go of my arm.” My pheromones permeated the room as I used my power of compulsion.

Gray’s pupils dilated as he inhaled my scent. His grip loosened and he swallowed. He was fighting me. “Let go.”

He still held my arm. No one had ever resisted me before. How was I not affecting him? “Let go,” I said through clenched teeth.

His fingers trembled before they dropped away from my arm. “I…what are you doing?”

I kept my hand on his cheek and stood on my tip toes to place a chaste kiss to his lips once again pushing my pheromones at him. The moment my lips touched his I felt that spark between us again. I cursed under my breath hating that I still felt something for him when I meant nothing to him. “You used me. Why? Was this all some sort of sick game to you? Were you and Prince Kai going to have a good laugh about my stupidity when he showed up?”

My bottom lip trembled, and tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t really want to know the answer to my question. I’d let myself fall for him like an idiot.

“What? No. Aurora.” He went to reach out to me again.

“Don’t move,” I whispered. My emotions must be stopping me from having the effect I wanted. I could control him if I could reign in my own feelings.

“I was going to tell you.”

“Liar,” I hissed through gritted teeth. “You used me.” I grounded myself and pushed another dose of pheromones at him. “Did you know they used to have me use my skills for interrogation too? I’m able to use my pheromones to compel people. I could make you tell me anything. Make you do anything.”

Gray opened his mouth and closed it. His eyes widened slightly.

“Oh, was that not in my file?” I asked darkly as anger surged through me. He’d played me. I opened my mouth to ask him why he’d done it again but couldn’t bring myself to do it. If he said he’d used me for whatever reason it would crush me. How could I have been such a fool?

“Go back to bed, Gray.”

“Aurora,” he said his voice gravely as he tried to fight me.

I gave everything I had into one final push. “Go back to bed.”

He nodded and took a step back. I wasn’t sure how long I would have before my effect wore off. He was unusually strong and good at resisting me.

Dressing quickly, I slipped out of the room and turned on my comm to alert Echo that we needed to leave immediately. I wasn't going to allow my carelessness to get everyone captured and we needed to get out of here before he snapped out of my spell.

Chapter Four

Aurora

I splashed cool water on my face before looking in the mirror. Clear rivulets rolled down my ashen face and my hazel eyes stared back at me. I blew out a breath and turned off the water. Grabbing a towel, I dabbed at my face, then once again took in my reflection. My hair was a mess. The single braid was coming loose, and I had flyaways that looked like I hadn’t done my hair in a week. I yanked the hair tie out and used my fingers to comb through it. When I looked at my reflection again, there wasn’t much improvement.

The medical droid had said the nausea and vomiting would hopefully end soon. Soon needed to happen today. I was tired of feeling exhausted and sick all day. Though, I’d been warned there was a good chance of further complications due to my condition. All around the droid had given me horrible news. I was well and completely fucked.

The mistake I made trusting Gray just kept coming back to bite me in the ass. It had been nearly four months and not only had I been unable to forget our escapade, but he was hot on our tail and now…

“Aurora?” A knock sounded on the closed door behind me.

“Just,” I flinched as my voice croaked. Clearing my throat; I tried again. “Just a second.”

“Are you okay?”

Echo was my best friend, my sister in every way that mattered, and she had a way of knowing when something was wrong with me. I didn’t want to hide my problem from her anymore. It was surprising I’d been able to keep it from her for this long. Thank goodness we’d been busy and constantly on the run.

I was so tired of running, and it was time that I owned up to my mistake. It was a doozy too. The mistake that kept on giving.

I opened the door and slumped against the frame, starring past her and out into the darkened hallway of our ship.

“Are you sick?” She reached up and put the back of her hand on my forehead.

“I messed up.” Tears pricked my eyes, and I couldn’t hold them back even if I’d wanted to. I pitched forward, burying my face into her shoulder. My life was spiraling out of control. The reality of the predicament I was in hit me tenfold and I was sobbing like a babe. This shouldn’t be happening to me. I’d prepared for so many things in my life, but this, it shouldn’t have been possible.

“Hey, it’s okay. What’s wrong?” she asked, hugging me.

A strangled noise escaped me, and I cringed hating the hysteria building inside me. My knees gave out, but thankfully Echo caught me so I didn’t fully collapse to the floor.

She pulled me into her arms and smoothed a hand over my hair as I imagined a mother should do to her daughter. It reminded me of years ago when she’d rescued me from the palace. I’d had nightmares for almost a year after escaping. She’d soothed them away every time.

“Aurora, you’re scaring me. What’s happened? Did someone hurt you?”

I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head as she tried to place where I’d been and who I’d been with the past twelve hours while we’d been docked at the space port.

“Did someone hurt her?” Loc asked as he came into the room. He looked from Echo to me. The look on his face grew murderous. “Who did this? I’ll make it right.”

I had no doubt he would. Loc had spent his slave days as a fighter in the arena. He was well built and the fins on his elbows could grow to a point to make a deadly weapon.

“I’m not hurt,” I managed to get out before either of them went off gun cocked and ready to kill everyone at the port.

“But something is wrong,” Echo said quietly.

I opened my mouth but there was no way I was ready to talk yet. My worst fear had only been confirmed an hour ago. Echo and Loc would forgive me, I knew that, but my mistake put us all at risk. Not to mention my life would forever be changed, if I even lived that long.

“Take a deep breath and talk to us,” Echo whispered her voice taking on a soft lilt.

Loc came up and knelt in front of us. “Tell us what we can do to help.”

I gulped in several large breaths before I thought I could talk. “I’m pregnant,” I said, divulging the lesser of my transgressions first.

Echo stiffened. Her hand stopping midway through my hair. Loc’s jaw dropped. It would’ve been comical if my situation wasn’t so dire. Their hesitation was only a few seconds at most before she resumed her comforting gesture and Loc managed to clamp his mouth shut. I could only imagine what they were thinking. They knew I was celibate; had been since the day I’d been rescued, well until Gray that is, but they didn’t know about that.

“It’s going to be okay,” Echo said her voice soft.

“Are you sure? I didn’t think that was possible for you. Have you seen a healer?” Loc asked.

“About an hour ago,” I said. It had taken me much too long to see a med droid, to finally admit that pregnancy was a possibility, even though it shouldn’t have been. “She said I’d probably have a difficult pregnancy. That there’s a good chance I’ll probably miscarry or that both of us could die during childbirth if I can carry to full term. I have a lot of scar tissue from…” I trailed off knowing I didn’t need to finish. Me a mother. I’d never given it much thought. It shouldn’t have been possible; this was just another thing the government had screwed up for me.

Echo hugged me tighter and made quiet shushing noises. “It’s going to be okay. We will figure this out.”

“We’re both here for you, Kid. We’ll figure this out together,” Loc said. He reached out and patted my knee for a brief moment before moving his hand away.

I loved Echo and Loc. They were the big sister and brother I’d always wanted. We were family.

“There’s more.” I might as well tell them everything now.

Echo frowned her eyes narrowing as she pulled back to access me with worried eyes. “Did they… did they…”

“I’ll kill them,” Loc growled.

“It was consensual,” I said quietly.

Echo sighed heavily and nodded, her face relaxing. We sat in silence for a long moment before she joked, “Please tell me Drake is not the father.”

I giggled. I had told them both about Drake and the green skinned girl. “No. Definitely not.”

I drew in a deep breath and let it out. “It did happen while we were on Haven. I met someone there. We kind of had a fling for a couple nights.”

“Does this have something to do with the bounty hunter you ran into there?” Loc asked.

I’d told them about Gray, sort of, just not how intimate we’d been or that he was a royal guard for Prince Kai. Shame still filled me at how I’d let him play me. I’d really liked him too. I still dreamed about him…about the things we’d done together.

“Yes. He was really nice and… I didn’t know that he was…” I trailed off and squeezed my eyes shut.

“We are all family here. We protect each other,” Loc said.

I shook my head and pulled away from Echo. That wasn’t what I was worried about. I had one other sin to confess, and it was far worse than me being knocked up. I’d been so swept up in my whirlwind romance with Gray that I’d forgotten the cardinal rule. “You don’t understand, he’s looking for me. The guy wasn’t just some bounty hunter.”

Echo cocked her head to the side. Her dark hair fell over her shoulder and her violet eyes searched mine. I could see the pieces start to come together in her head as her frown deepened.

“The father is the bounty hunter?” Loc asked.

“He’s worse than a bounty hunter. I left as soon as I realized who he was. I happened to see his badge in the morning when I got up to use the bathroom.”

“Oh, Aurora,” Echo said covering her mouth. Prince Kai had been hot on our tails for four months.

“Once I found out who he was I compelled him to let me leave, but…” That hadn’t stopped him from hunting me down. He was always a half a step behind us, giving us just enough leeway to make a narrow escape. I was literally the one that got away, and he wouldn’t stop until he found me, or my crew.

The crew of the Nightfall was wanted throughout the galaxy. The three of us were running from something… or someone. Each of us had a price on our head, none were as high as mine though. And unlike the rest of the crew, my bounty had nothing to do with smuggling. We were the fastest and the best in the galaxy. Our crew had no allegiances. We helped families who needed to relocate or supplied weapons to rebellions that wanted free from the Orion dictator.

“Who is he?” Echo asked. She slid her hand into mine and gave it a squeeze.

“Gray Rutherford. He’s uh, um,” I needed to just spit it out, but the words just wouldn’t come. Luckily, I didn’t have to, Echo had reached into her pocket and already had him pulled up on her data pad.

Her eyes widened. She showed her data pad to Loc.

“You had a fling with Prince Kai’s royal guard?” he asked.

“I’m so sorry,” I said as more tears pricked my eyes. Gray knew who I was and that was why the Orion Galactic Peace Enforcers had been at just about every port we had been to.

“Are you sure there are no trackers?” Echo asked. “They’ve been one step behind us since Haven.”

“I’ve looked.” Oh, how I’d looked. The first two times I’d thought it bad luck, but the third and all the times after, he had to be finding us somehow.

“We need to look again. Especially before we get this haul onboard.” Echo stood up and offered me her hand. I took it and allowed her to haul me to my feet. “We’ll figure this out. What were you wearing when you were with him?”

“I threw it all away eleven space ports ago. I don’t know how he’s finding us.” Once I’d realized there was a problem, I’d tossed everything I’d worn during our rendezvous. Then I’d scrubbed my room from top to bottom and even checked the entire ship while everyone else was enjoying some freedoms. The ship was clean. It hadn’t stopped him from finding us again.

“How did you not know he was the prince’s royal guard?” Echo asked. She tugged her data pad out again and held it up so I could see his picture. “Mr. Prim and Proper should have been a giveaway.”

“That picture has been rendered,” I blurted as I stared into Gray’s brown eyes. It was him, but the scar that ran down his face and chest was hidden. Either he’d lied about when he’d gotten the scar, or the photo was seriously doctored up.

Echo flipped the picture around to look at it and then looked at me. Loc took the tablet from her and stared at it too.

“Doctored up how?” Loc asked.

“He has a scar.” I traced my finger down my face. The mark was a defining feature. “And obviously he wasn’t dressed in his royal getup.” Though gold and red was nice, the all black leather he’d sported on Haven was much nicer. Gray had looked like an everyday citizen, and I was a fool who should have known better. Hell, the fact that he was nice should have been a dead giveaway. Nobody, even people at ports like Haven were that nice. I was an idiot.

“I should hope not.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you found someone you could be comfortable with, even if for a little while.” Echo wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “He was nice to you?”

I nodded as a sad smile spread across my face. “Yeah. He was.” Gray had been a gentleman; he’d treated me far better than I knew was possible. Of course, he’d probably just been placating me until his prince had arrived and they could cart us off to be traded. I gritted my teeth.

“I’m glad.” She nudged me with her hip. “I guess that means I’ll have to set my gun to stun next time we have a run in. Then you can decide what we do with him.”

“Fhiz that. I’ll shoot first and let you ask questions later,” Loc said. “He hurt you.”

“He did.” That’s what hurt the most. I’d thought it was real. It had all been a long con for him.

“I could just shoot him and let that be it,” Loc suggested. “I’m sure I’ll get the opportunity soon enough.”

“It’s okay. Really. I don’t want you to kill him or shoot him.” I didn’t want Gray dead. I couldn’t stomach the thought of it.

But before he could question me further, the alarm on the space port rang out, alerting everyone that an Orion battle cruiser had just dropped into orbit.

 “We need to get out of here.” Echo pulled away from me and marched to the front of the ship with Loc and I hot on her tail. “Loc, radio Tariq and tell him we are leaving. If he wants to hitch a ride, he needs to get his ass on the ship in the next five. Aurora, plot our course to Abedos.”

“On it,” I said, using the back of my hands to wipe the tears from my cheeks. I needed to pull myself together so we could get out of here.

The bridge door slid open for us, and we hurried inside. I slid into the chair at the map console and began to plot our course.

Loc’s voice rang out as he tried to hail Tariq. I could tell by the way he kept repeating his message the communique wasn’t going through.

“Anything?” Echo asked as she fired up the ship’s engines.

“Not from Tariq. I am, however, being hailed by Prince Kai of Orion.” Loc turned to look at Echo at the same time I did.

“You can tell his majesty to go fhiz himself,” Echo said as she undocked us and initiated the thrusters.

“What about Tariq?” I asked. He wasn’t an official crew member. He paid credits for his passage on the Nightfall, and he paid well.

“Send him a coded message letting him know we’ll pick him up in a few days. He’s not answering our hails and we can’t wait for him.” Echo met my eyes. We would all suffer if captured. Echo would go to jail or the slave trade. Loc back to the arena. I would go back to the palace as a courtesan.

“Got it.” Loc typed in a message as I finished plotting our course into the navigation computer.

“Be ready to enter Faster Than Light on my mark,” Echo said.

I mashed my finger over the last button and turned my attention to Echo. We had to clear the space port and get enough altitude before we could jump.

“They’re demanding we surrender or they’re going to take drastic measures,” Loc said.

“Like hell,” Echo murmured.

“They are moving to block our path,” I said drawing in a breath and holding it. “We have to go faster, or they’ll block us in.” We had to get out of the planet’s atmosphere before we could jump to lightspeed.

“I’m working on it,” Echo said as she pulled the stick back making us accelerate.

We weren’t going to make it. They were too big and moving too fast to block our escape.

“Echo, they’re insisting we surrender,” Loc said. “They have weapons locked on us.”

Echo shook her head and evened out the ship already knowing there was no way we were getting past them.

“They’ve got a lock on our engines,” I said my voice coming out as a whisper. It wouldn’t destroy the ship, but it’d be enough to make sure we couldn’t go anywhere.

The ship shuddered and lurched. I flipped the screen on my console. “They’ve put a tether on us.” We weren’t going anywhere. There was no way we could move without destroying our ship.

“Aurora, I want you to go to the engine room and seal yourself inside. Divert all the power you can to the main thrusters. Make sure the ship is ready for FTL on my mark.” Echo turned to Loc. “I want you to man the guns. Be ready to shoot.”

“What about you?” I asked.

“I’m going to put my negotiation skills to good use and maybe snag us a few prisoners too.” I opened my mouth to protest but she held up a hand and said, “There isn’t time to argue, just go.”

The ship lurched again, throwing me off balance. My elbow rammed against the console sending a ripple of pain cascading up my arm. I grunted and got to my feet as a clicking and locking sound echoed through the bridge.

We were going to be boarded. Crap!

“Go! Now!”

“Come on, kid, let’s go.” Loc led the way off the bridge.

I stopped at the doors giving Echo one last look. She offered me a smile before motioning me on. I swallowed and then jogged after Loc.

We weren’t moving fast enough. I could already hear the lock clicking into place on the airlock. The boarding party was already here. They moved fast, way too fast, like they’d been expecting us and waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

“You go, lock yourself in the engine room. One of my blasters and a knife are in the rear compartment by the FTL drive,” Loc said motioning me past him. “I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”

The knob on the door twisted. I met Loc’s eyes hoping I was conveying my gratitude with a look before I sped down the hall. I rounded the corner and hurried into the engine room. Grasping the lock, I shoved the door shut and twisted, sighing as the bolt hissed into place.

I went to the console and worked on diverting the power to the main thrusters. The task was easy for me. The Nightfall hadn’t had a mechanic when Echo and Loc had rescued me. I’d wanted to pull my weight, so I’d taught myself through trial and error, holovids on the tablets and books. It was something I enjoyed, and I was damn good at it too.

I made sure my calculations were correct and then closed my eyes and sank to the floor. We were ready to go once Echo gave the word. I hoped it was soon. It wouldn’t save me from facing Gray at some point. I knew he was on the boarding party.

How did he keep finding me? It didn’t make sense. Another, more horrifying thought shot through me, if he could find me in space, he could certainly find me on this tiny ship?

I grabbed Loc’s weapons from the compartment next to me and tucked them away on my person. Then I drew the knife I always carried and clutched it in my hands.

How long did I have? What was he going to do? What was I going to do?

Chapter Five

Gray

 She was on the ship. I could feel her. The air lock door hissed and then opened, allowing me and Kai to step onto the Nightfall. I’d heard about this ship hundreds of times.

It wasn’t what I’d imagined. The ship was clean and well lit. Not the drab dull lighting and graffitied hallways most pirate ships had. The metallic hallway was bright white with a single corridor running in both directions. No one was in sight. Not that I’d been expecting a welcoming party.

“Bridge is that way,” I said nodding to the right. “There’s three people on board. Two females and a male. I’d venture it’s the captain on the bridge.”

“Let’s go have a chat with her, shall we?” Kai said motioning for me to take the lead.

Instinct told me Aurora was the other direction, but once I knew Kai was safe with the captain, I could go looking for her. We were in space. There was nowhere for her to run. I could wait a few more minutes to talk to her again.

I narrowed my eyes and made my way down the corridor, keeping my ears tuned in for movement. Someone was coming closer too.

“That’s close enough,” a woman said stepping into our view. She held a blaster at us. Her violet eyes were narrowed and her finger on the trigger.

“Echo, I presume,” Kai said stepping around me like there was no threat at all. I hated when he did that. It made keeping his ass safe a hell of a lot harder. “I’m—”

He didn’t get the chance to finish before she cut him off. “I know who you are. What are you doing on my ship?”

Kai held up his hands and plastered his signature smile on, the one that seemed to woo all the ladies. “Why don’t you put the gun down so we can talk.”

“Like hell.”

My hand went to my back where I kept my own blaster. I’d already set it to stun. Kai put a hand on my arm before I could draw it, shaking his head once. I sighed, blowing out a long breath. One of these days he was going to get himself killed.

“Go find your lady friend. We’ll be all right.” Kai nodded at me before turning back to the woman.

“Don’t move. I’ll shoot you.” Echo squared her shoulders and locked gazes with me. She wasn’t kidding and I wasn’t in the mood to be shot again. That shit hurt.

“I’m going to give you to the count of ten to walk your assess back to the airlock, get on your ship and release us.” She took a step forward.

“You’d shoot the prince of Orion?” Kai asked with a smug smile. “You think your wanted now Echo Caspian, you’ll have every bounty hunter searching for you. Why don’t you put the gun down and hear me out? I have a mutually beneficial offer for you and your crew.”

She snorted. “One. Two. Three.”

“Kai,” I said as he took a step closer. Reading body language was one of my many talents and she wasn’t going to back down.

“Four. Five. Six. Seven.” She took a few more steps until the point of her blaster was pressing into my chest.

Kai held his hands out while I held my ground. “Please, stop. No one needs to get hurt,” he said.

“Eight,” she said her voice rising.

She opened her mouth to speak but the word never came out. The ship shuddered beneath us and lurched throwing all three of us off balance. Echo and I both collided with the wall. I thanked my lucky stars she wasn’t too trigger happy as I wrestled the gun out of her grip. An alarm rang out as another shudder rippled through the ship.

“The hell?” Echo said taking a step back.

“Someone is firing on you,” Kai said with a growl. He shot me a look. We didn’t need to guess who was firing on us. It had to be an Orion cruiser one of Kai’s uncle’s ships. We were building a rebellion. The tyranny had to end.

Echo turned on her heel and ran back to the bridge.

“Jettison our shuttle, tell the flagship to fire and retreat if needed, and then find your girl,” Kai said.

I didn’t need to be told twice. My feet thudded against the metal floor as I bolted for the airlock where we’d entered the ship while at the same time, I barked orders over my comm. Grasping the door, I shoved it shut and twisted the lock. Then I went to the control panel on the wall and manually disengaged the clamps, letting our small craft drift away from the Nightfall.

I wasn’t quick enough. A missile collided with our floating shuttle, ripping it in two. The fuselage exploded. Being so close to the Nightfall, debris blew toward us, pinging the outside of the ship. At the same time the ship was hit by a blast. It was enough to knock me off balance and send me to the ground. I landed on my ass but quickly pushed back up to my feet.

For the moment, it seemed the Nightfall’s shields were holding, but who knew how long that would last. I had to find Aurora. Centering myself, I focused on her so I could lock onto her aura. She was close. Just one hallway away.

Resuming my sprint, I headed in her direction. I was so focused on her, that I didn’t see the fist flying out from the corner of the hallway until it was too late. Knuckles collided with my jawbone, sending my head to the side. Coppery warmth flooded my mouth and I growled raising my hands up and grabbing my attacker just in time to block another strike.

“Stay away from Aurora,” the man said shoving me even as I held his wrists. He was strong and a skilled fighter. I knew about all the members of the crew. Loc was a former gladiator. His fins on his elbows were weapons that I’d need to watch out for.

I didn’t want a fight and I wasn’t going to stay away from Aurora. “Where is she?” I asked instead.

He grunted, wrenched his hands free and threw a punch at my face. Ducking, I landed an uppercut to his chin. He stumbled backwards and spit bluish black blood to the floor. He balled his fists up and stood in a fighting stance ready to strike. “You aren’t going to take her back to those monsters. Get on your ship and leave. Now!”

“Huh?” I asked with a frown. Clearly, he didn’t know my ship was gone and is that what they thought? That we were tracking them to take them back to slavery? “We have no interest in collecting on any of your bounties.” If they would’ve heard us out they would have found Kai was being sincere in his offer to come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Shit that was the whole reason I’d sought Aurora out on Haven four months ago.

My heart wrenched at what Aurora must think of me. Stars, I couldn’t think of words to describe her. She was magnificent. I still remembered the silken feel of her hair as it slid through my fingers and the way her hazel eyes widened when I’d made her come. Her laugh had been infectious and for the first time in a long time I’d laughed with someone besides Kai. No. I wasn’t going to give her back to her captors. I wanted to protect her. I’d die before someone hurt her again.

The man opened his mouth to say something but whatever it was about to be was cut off by another explosion. Both of us were thrust against the wall. My head collided with steel and my vision blackened for a moment. I blinked trying to regain my bearings. Whatever shields the Nightfall had were failing. One more hit like that, and we’d be done for.

“Loc,” Echo’s voice boomed over the ship’s overhead comms. “I need you to get to the gunner chair. Aurora, FTL is down, and we are venting atmosphere, I need you to get it up.”

“Where is the engine room?” I asked. “I can help her.” I knew my way around ship engines.

Loc growled and gave me a look. I could search for her but that would take precious minutes that we didn’t have. “Two sets of hands are better than one. I promise, I won’t hurt her.”

He gritted his teeth and huffed. “Follow this hall, last room on the right. You touch her, and I’ll gut you.”

That I didn’t doubt. I just hoped she didn’t gut me first. I could only imagine what she must think of me. That didn’t matter now. We had to get out of here. Spinning on my heel, I hurried down the hall. I grabbed the door handle to the engine room, but it refused to budge. Locked from the inside. She must already be in there. My fist banged on the metal before my eyes found an intercom. I pressed the button. “Aurora? Let me in.”

No response. She was in there I could feel her. She was radiating fear. “My ship’s gone, and we are being fired upon. Let me help you before we are both prisoners. Please, Aurora. You have my word; I’m not going to hurt you.”

Another blast hit the ship. The lights dimmed, flickered, and then went out. The red illumination of the emergency lights flicked on. The door hissed and then swished open. I didn’t wait to be invited in and sealed the door behind me.

Aurora took a step back, regarding me with weary eyes. She held a blade in her hand that I hoped she wouldn’t try to use. I knew why she was afraid, but it still hurt. She had nothing to fear from me. I’d keep her safe, always.

“What’s our status?” I asked.

She blinked and then came out of her revere. The knife thankfully got tucked away. “Shields are nearly depleted. I’ve run a work around to keep them up, but we don’t have enough power to jump and…” she trailed off her eyes widening in obvious alarm.

I frowned as weightlessness washed over me. My body lifted off the ground, floating upward toward the ceiling. We’d lost gravity. That couldn’t be good.

Aurora grabbed onto a lever and used it to pull herself toward a console. She held on with one hand and used the other to type as her legs floated upward like she was laying on the air.

“I don’t understand, core systems are still online. We should have gravity,” she said reaching up for the comm button over her head.

As she did the gravity kicked back in throwing us both toward the ground. I reached out for her, but I wasn’t close enough. I hit the floor with a jar. One knee gave out and jammed against the grates.

Aurora fell. Her forehead smashed against the console with a sickening crack and her body fell backward. I jerked toward her catching her lithe frame before it contacted the floor. She didn’t move.

I gingerly laid her down so I could see her face. She was breathing but she was out cold. Crimson bloomed above her brow and a knot was already beginning to form. I smoothed my finger over it, wishing that I had the ability to heal her.

“Aurora, report,” Echo’s voice cried out over the comm.

Carefully I placed her on the floor. Then went to the consul to look at the screen. The numbers and readings were jumping all over the place.

I picked up the comm and spoke into it, “I can’t make heads or tails of these readings. What is going on?”

 “Where is Aurora? “

My eyes drifted to Aurora. Rivulets of blood cascaded into her hair and dribbled onto the floor, but her chest rose and fell steadily. "She's unconscious, but okay."

"If you hurt her-"

"She hit her head when the gravity returned,” I interrupted. I would never hurt her, I couldn't. And we didn’t have time for this game. “What is going on up there?"

There was a pause and then Echo’s voice answered, "We are in a black hole."

I replayed her words in my mind. A black hole, I’d heard about them, rumor had it that the emissaries and warriors frequently visited other galaxies using them so they could kidnap powerful beings, like myself.

I had no idea what that meant for us but that certainly explained why the readings were fluctuating. "What do you need me to do?"

There was another pregnant pause. I could only think that she had no idea what to do either. As I waited for her response, I realized I hadn’t heard from Kai since I’d left him. And I wondered if he was okay? Hopefully Echo hadn’t shot him after all. "Kai?"

“I'm here." There was a heavy sigh over the com before he began again, "We are venting atmosphere faster than the oxygen system can compensate for. Are you sealed in there?”

My gaze drifted to the door it was sealed and locked "Yes. We are safe." Well, as safe as we could be anyway.

I turned around my eyes glancing over the small engine room until I found what I’d been looking for. On the far wall, there was an escape pod, but there was only one. There was a good chance we were going to need it.

Stories traveled through the galaxy about ships that had entered black holes and how they’d never been seen or heard from again. Most assumed the ships were ripped apart and all inhabitants were killed. I prayed the latter part was false. It seemed we were going to find out, one way or another.

"Gray, I believe that some of my uncle’s ships followed us into the vortex. If we make it out, they’re going to be right on us. I need you to get the engine back up and running," Kai said.

Yeah, I knew the engine needed to be up and functional, the problem was I had no idea how to do that. With the computer on overload it was hard to tell what was actually working and what was really broken.

The last thing I wanted to do was to waste my time fixing something that wasn't broken. I punched in some commands on the keyboard to pull up the system’s logs, maybe I could find some error reports from before we entered the black hole. Then, at least I’d have an idea of what needed to be fixed.

Red warnings popped up on the screen, dozens of them. This was bad. There were so many things wrong with the ship before it even entered the black hole. Most critical systems had been damaged from the earlier skirmish.

Even if we survived the trip, we would need to find a nearby space station to do emergency repairs. Space stations were few and far between. And there was no way the ship’s shields would hold up during entry into a planet’s atmosphere.

"Gray, we are coming out of the hole. How does it look?" Kai asked.

The readings on the screen finally started to make sense, but I think I’d preferred not knowing. Things were bad, very, very bad.

Before I had a chance to answer Kai, a loud crash and explosion rocked the ship. The King’s ship was firing on us. I gripped the console to keep from falling over. My eyes shot to Aurora. Her body shook with the force of the blast, but she didn't move enough for any harm to come to her.

"Gray," Echo’s voice came across the com, "We are close to a planet. The Nightfall is being sucked into its atmosphere and it’s already started to break apart. I need you to get Aurora out of here. And if you hurt her, I will kill you. Loc I want you off the ship too. Do you both understand?"

“I'll keep her safe," I promised myself as much as Echo. Nobody was going to touch her. Nobody. "Kai?" I asked, swallowing thickly.

"There are no escape pods on the bridge. We are trapped here. We’ve lost too much atmosphere to get to other parts of the ship. If we survive the crash, we’ll find each other. But you need to get out of here while you still can. That’s an order."

I wanted to argue with him, say there was a way that we could get everyone off, but for one, I couldn’t risk Aurora. And two, there was too much ship between the engine room and the bridge. I’d never make it there, and even if I did, what good would it do if there was no way out?

"May the Gods and the stars be with you, my brother," I said quietly.

"And with you two, brother."

I gritted my teeth at the endearment. We had no blood relation, but we were brothers. Kai had found me years ago when we were both just kids. I was at a soldier training camp his father had liberated. He’d been the one to find me cowering in the dark recesses of a cave. I was lucky to have been rescued by a good family. Many others, like Aurora, had not been as lucky. My focus went to her, I bent down and scooped her up, cradling her to me like a child. I carried her to the escape pod.

I hit my palm against the command panel and the door whooshed up. It would be a tight fit for the both of us, but I was going to make it work. I adjusted her so she was nestled against my chest in a hug before closing the door. I reached up and hit the button to begin the ejection and countdown sequence.

Closing my eyes, I held her a little closer and held my breath as the clock hit zero. We were ejected with a swishing sound. The pod thrown, hurtling through space.

The whole pod shook and vibrated violently as it raced through the planet’s atmosphere. Fire erupted around us through the viewport and smoldering heat filled the cabin. Nausea rolled through me. Sweat beaded on my brow and I couldn’t decide what was worse. The heat, the feeling of my body being ripped apart, or the fear of wondering if Aurora was okay. My vision darkened and warmth trickled from my nose to coat my upper lip.

I was going to pass out. Using the last bit of conscious thought I had, I pressed my back against the wall and spread my feet so I hopefully wouldn’t crush Aurora if I fell forward.

My head spun and the darkness closed in around me until it swallowed me whole.

Chapter Six

Aurora

My eyes blinked open only to be surrounded by darkness. I couldn't move. There was something solid against my back and my chest. Arms were wrapped around my middle and hot breath ghosted over my neck and into my hair. A scream bubbled up my throat. No. this couldn’t be happening to me. Not again. Please no.

I screamed, shoving at the man over me. He fell away but flopped back onto me, his head knocking against mine. I cursed, my ears ringing, and spots blurred my vision.

Fumbling for my belt, I reached the knife I always kept on my person. I’d tucked Loc’s knife and gun into sheaths around my ankles. My fingers curled around the metal hilt at the same time there was a whooshing sound. The wall behind me disappeared and I fell backwards landing with a splat onto soggy ground.

The man toppled out after me and I rolled just in time to keep from being crushed by him. I yanked my knife out scooting away from him, waiting for him to make a move. Blinking, my vision adjusted to the night sky, but it was impaired by the thick rain droplets that were quickly soaking me.

I was too intent on the man on the ground that I didn’t notice the people behind me until it was too late.

Arms grabbed me from behind and jerked me to my feet. An Orion guard appeared in front of me. His dark hair plastered to his face from the rain, making his pointed ears stick out even more than normal. He grabbed my arm and scanned the barcode on my inner wrist. All slaves were branded with a mark. It beeped and he held it up and said, “Orion property 78211 you have been apprehended and will be returned to the Orion palace for punishment. Any further act to escape will result in further disciplinary charges.”

I’d die before I went back. My fingers gripped the blade in my hand tightly as I swung my arm forward and jammed it into the man’s chest. His eyes widened in surprise as a gurgle escaped his parted lips.

Screaming, I drove my elbow backwards into the gut of the man behind me and jumped up, so he’d drop me. It worked like a charm, my weight too much for him when he couldn’t breathe. I whirled around and slashed my knife across his throat. He clutched his neck with one hand and pawed at me with the other. I kneed him, sending him flying backwards.

I backed up, glancing around wildly. More soldiers were running toward me. Stepping around the two dead men, I ran toward some trees. At least I tried to. The ground was sopping wet and slippery. My feet slid out from under me bringing me to my knees. I had to get up and keep moving.

Casting a glance over my shoulder, I saw they seemed to be having as much trouble as me staying on their feet. Thank goodness. I had one thing going for me. They wanted me alive, and I didn’t care if they lived or died. Drawing Loc’s blaster, I lifted it and aimed, firing off several shots.

Two men went down. The other three slowed their movements and ducked to the ground. I pushed up to my feet and took one step at a time while walking backwards, making sure to keep my eyes on them.

A glowing orb drew my eyes to the left, where another man was stalking toward me. I squinted as the glowing took the shape of a ball. It looked like a fireball, but that didn’t make any sense unless they had a daemon with them.

I shuffled my feet faster. The quicker I got out of here, the better. I was no match for a daemon. They were dangerous, soulless creatures. A scream ripped from my throat as the fiery ball was launched toward me. I ducked, my feet sliding out from under me as I moved too fast on the treacherous ground and ended up on my ass.

The fireball flew over me and hit something behind me with a thud. An animalistic shrill filled the air and I whipped around in time to see a man in Orion regal go up in flames.

His burning body provided enough light for me to see six more men moving in on me. I drew my gun and fired at them. Red blaster fire whizzed towards me. I threw myself on the ground so I wouldn’t be an easy target. Blaster fire whooshed behind me. They were closing in on me. Crawling, I moved to my right hoping to find some sort of shelter so I could run with some cover.

Footfalls sloshed toward me, and I rolled to my back, my finger on the trigger when I saw it was Gray. He had a blaster in his hand and was firing. My eyes followed the bluish light as it hit its mark. He fired a few more times until I heard the guards yelling for retreat.

“We have to get out of here,” Gray said, offering me his hand.

I couldn’t help but stare. His black hair clung to his face and his dark brown eyes were murderous as they darted around. How? Where had he come from? What was going on?

“Aurora.” His voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I eyed him warily. “Why are you helping me? You’re Prince Kai’s guard.” These were his people. Why was he shooting at them?

“We are on the same side, Aurora. I’ll explain everything when we are safe. We need to leave.”

We did need to get out of here. Could I trust him? He’d saved me from the Orion guards, but was probably responsible for us being wherever here was. So far, he hadn’t made any attempts to harm me. If I was going to get out of here, he might be my best bet. Together, we still weren’t a match for a daemon. I might have to figure out how to ditch him later, but for now I could use the extra fire power. The question was could I trust him? And I had to find Echo.

“We have to go,” he said his voice barely above a whisper like he was afraid of spoking me. “They’ll regroup and come after us in greater numbers.”

I ignored his hand, shoving myself back to my feet. My eyes searched the landscape for the first time. Trees and vegetation were behind me, and that’s where the guards had retreated to. We shouldn’t go that way, but there was no cover in any other direction.

“We should find shelter. And get some stronger weapons. They have a daemon with them. Those things are monsters,” I said wiping some of the rain from my face, not that it did any good. I couldn’t see anything. The guards were still out there somewhere. The rain was intense and frigid. And now that things had momentarily calmed down it was freezing outside.

“Let’s go this way.” He turned but waited for me to fall in step beside him before we started at a steady sprint.

“Where are we? Where is everyone else?” I asked. What happened to the Nightfall? Where were Echo and Loc?

“I’m not sure,” he said picking up the pace.

I drew in a deep breath and pushed to keep up. He had the unfair advantage of having longer legs. “What happened?”

“You hit your head and got knocked out. We flew through a black hole. The ship was venting atmosphere and being torn apart. I got us in the escape pod, but I must have passed out on reentry.”

“Oh,” I said trying to control my breathing as I thought back to the last thing I remembered. His story was plausible. “Echo? Loc?”

“Once we get someplace safe, I can see if I can track Kai. He should be with Echo. They were both on the bridge. Assuming the ship survived the planet’s atmosphere, they’ll be together. I’m not sure about your other friend. He’ll be harder to track, but I believe he escaped in a pod too,” Gray said.

“Of course you can track people,” I muttered under my breath. That made perfect sense. I’d never had a tracker on me, and the ship was clean. He was just that freaking good. Now that I really thought about it, he might have told me that on Haven. Gods was I an idiot.

We continued in silence for several minutes. Our fast pace not conducive to talking.

“Are you all right? You hit your head pretty hard, and entry was rough enough to knock me out,” he said slowing his pace as we approached a hill.

I gulped in air having to slow to a light jog. My sides and calves were burning. How far had we run? It seemed like at least a mile, maybe more. “I’ll be okay,” I said pushing on. I’d had worse and lived. There was no way in hell I was going to see a healer. Med droids were the only things I trusted to touch me.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He didn’t need to know that my head was killing me, that I was freezing my butt off, and I wasn’t ready to tell him about the baby. God, the baby. Was it still okay? A lump formed in my throat at the thought of something happening to it. I couldn’t think like that right now. I needed to keep it together and would have to find a med droid as soon as possible.

He glanced over at me his eyes assessing, head caulked to the side.

“I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth.

After a moment, he turned back to the hill seemingly satisfied with my answer. Thankful for the reprieve from his scrutinizing stare, I focused on the climb up this never-ending hill. We were almost to the top, finally. I could hear sounds, whooshing noises and there was a random beep.

We must be near some sort of space dock. I pushed myself up the last little bit and stopped when we hit a metal rail. My hands grasped the rail for support as I caught my breath.

I glanced up as bright white lights whizzed past us. This wasn’t a space dock at all. I’d never seen vehicles like this before. They moved on four wheels. I glanced up to the sky. There weren’t any ships or hover vehicles.

“What is this?” I asked with a frown.

“They’re cars,” Gray said quietly.

I looked over at him. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw set. “Cars?” I repeated. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“I have,” he said.

His voice was still quiet, eerily so, and his face had gone pale.

“I know where we are.”

“Where?” I asked.

“Earth.”

“Earth?” I’d never heard of a planet Earth before. The crew of the Nightfall had traveled all over the galaxy. I’d studied dozens of star charts. “Where?”

“This is my home.” Gray nodded. “This is the planet I was abducted from as a child.”

My attention snapped to him. This was his home planet? Had he told me the truth about being abducted when we were on Haven? If so, that meant we were in a different galaxy?

“Come on. We need to get a change of clothes and away from this area.” He grasped my hand.

“Don’t.” I yanked my hand away from him with a hiss as I took a step back. “Don’t touch me.”

He held his hands up defensively but he couldn’t hide the flicker of hurt that crossed his face. “Okay.” He nodded. “Just follow me. Stay close. If memory serves me, people here have no clue about spaceships and there are going to be government figures investigating the crash. The sooner we get off the street the better.”

I hugged myself to keep out the chill, not that it helped. My clothes were soaked through. Finding shelter didn’t sound like a bad idea.

***

My eyes glided around the lavatory as I toweled myself off. Steam billowed around the room and the mirror was fogged over. The showers had real water. I’d stayed under the piping hot water until it’d run cold. My fingers and toes were pruning but it had been worth it. Water was a luxury that only the rich could afford. Everyone else made do with sani-showers, which were steam based.

I wrapped the towel around my body and picked up my clothes. They were sopping wet, leaving a large puddle on the tile floor. There was nothing worse than trying to squeeze back into wet leather pants.

Nibbling my lip, I contemplated the locked door. Gray had knocked halfway through my shower and said there were clothes right outside for me.

I pulled the towel tighter around my body, a shiver of fear coursing through me. Tears pricked my eyes. I hated being vulnerable. If he wanted to get in here, he could, I rationalized with myself. The thin wood door wouldn’t keep him out, even locked.

Breathing out a long breath, I unlocked the door, opened it, grabbed the bag of clothes and slammed it shut again. I twisted the lock and inhaled. That wasn’t so bad.

It didn’t stop my fingers from trembling as I opened the bag. There was a pair of soft pants, a tank top, and sweater, along with a few undergarments a brush and what looked to be toiletries.

I dressed hurriedly and exited. The room was dark except for the corner. My eyes drifted toward the light. Gray sat on a chair, his shirt off. Bloody cloths covered the table. My gaze drifted to his side where a large wound was. Blood seeped at the edges of it and the center of the wound was raw where the skin had been burned away.

“You were shot,” I said swallowing hard as the coppery smell of blood and antiseptics hit my senses. Bile rose up my throat and I gagged. Shit I was going to be sick. Spinning on my heel, I rushed back into the lavatory and dry heaved into the toilet. This was the worst. I didn’t even have anything in me to throw up. Groaning, I waited for the spell to finish.

My head roared as my pulse pounded in my ears. Sweat beaded on my brow and light headiness filled me. I hated this.

“Aurora?” Gray asked.

He was at the door. “Go away,” I said waving him off with a hand.

“Are you okay?” There was genuine concern in his voice.

“Fine. Just the sight of blood.” It was partially true. Blood had never bothered me until now. And goodness knew I’d seen plenty of it. Now, though, a tiny drop was enough to send me running to the lavatory.

“I’m sorry. Let me get this covered up.” He said leaving me be.

I stayed in the bathroom a while longer, too afraid to move. This nausea and vomiting really needed to stop. It was a while longer before Gray came back, fully clothed in all black material like what I had on.

“Are you okay? Should I get you a doctor?” he asked hesitating at the lavatory door.

“No doctors.” He’d already said med droids were not a thing here. “I’m okay now.” The worst of it had passed, and in fact, I was actually hungry now. Pregnancy did weird things to your body.

“If you’re sure?” he didn’t seem like he was sure, and I didn’t know how to convince him.

“How are you?” I asked turning the tables. “You were the one shot.”

He shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

It hadn’t looked like nothing, but I wasn’t going to push. “Do you have anything to eat?”

He frowned, regarding me for a long moment before he stepped out of the lavatory. “Yeah. I got some food.”

I followed him out into the room again. He pulled a bag out of another bag and handed it to me. “It’s dehydrated meat.”

I eyed the wording on the bag. My language chip translated spoken and written words for me. Beef Jerky. That was probably the only nice thing the Orion had given me. My language chip was adaptive and could learn new languages after reading and hearing so many words. Only royalty, the super-rich, and slaves like me that needed to communicate had an advanced model. I read the name again. I’d never heard of it. Ripping the bag open, I took out a piece and smelled it. My mouth watered at the scent, so I popped it in my mouth. It tasted good. Better than the dehydrated meat we had on the Nightfall. Fresh anything was a luxury we couldn’t afford.

“You like it, then?” Gray asked when I dug in for more.

I nodded around a mouthful of it. This was good and it was going to be gone before I knew it. “Did you want some?” I asked realizing that he should eat too.

He shook his head and shifted on his feet. “No. Hey…” he trailed off and looked around the room before meeting my gaze again. I stopped chewing and watched him. “If I get cleaned up, you won’t leave, right?”

I swallowed the food in my mouth and regarded him for a long moment. I was on a strange, primitive planet away from my crew. While I could take care of myself, it would be safer to stay with him. The Orion guards were still out there somewhere. And while Gray might work for the Orion Prince, he’d seemed to help me so far. Plus, there was the fact that he’d never once hurt me, now or on Haven. He was a good man. At least my initial instincts hadn’t been completely wrong about him. But he had lied to me. And he very well still could try to take me back to Court. No. He wouldn’t do that. He’d have done it by now.

“Go ahead.” I nodded toward the bathroom. “I won’t leave.”

He studied me a moment longer before grabbing a bag and going to the lavatory.

I sighed, hopefully trusting him wasn’t a mistake. My gaze went to my blaster and knives that were sitting on the table. Walking to them, I picked them up. The knives were sparkling clean. Had Gray cleaned them for me?

It didn’t matter. I held onto the weapons and went to the bed setting them next to me as I sank onto the plush mattress. Weariness fell over me as the events of the day clouded my mind. I leaned back against the pillows and set the bag of food on the table beside me. My hand curled around the hilt of my knife as I closed my eyes.

Chapter Seven

Gray

I couldn't sleep. Part of me had been expecting Aurora to be gone by the time I got out of the shower. But I found her sleeping curled in a ball on the bed instead. That didn't mean that she wouldn’t try to sneak out later. I’d already let her get away once, I wasn’t going to let it happen again.

She murmured and then thrashed in her sleep as if she could hear my thoughts. I wanted to make it better but didn’t know how. She didn’t want to be touched. The timid but friendly woman I’d met on Haven was gone. She was weary of me. There had to be a way that I could get her trust back. I just needed to be cautious with how I interacted with her and be myself.

I didn’t want to be pushy, but she should probably see a healer. My gaze roamed over her. The knot and cut on her brow looked significantly better now that she’d washed all the blood away. The wound looked days old instead of hours. I was a quick healer, and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe the child growing within her was helping her heal too. She hadn't mentioned anything about being pregnant to me. I was hoping that she would tell me instead of me being the one to tell her I knew. Surely by now she would have to know about the child.

It had been fifteen weeks since our time together. I could feel him alive and well inside her. For now, they were both okay but if I thought things were changing, I would have to insist on the healer.

She murmured and twisted under the blanket as if she could hear my thoughts. Her knuckles had turned white from how tightly she was clenching the sheathed knife. She must be having a nightmare. I didn’t want to imagine the things that happened to her while at the palace.

I was fortunate I'd only been a prisoner in the camp for a few years. From what I'd learned about her, she'd been with them for nearly a decade.

Aurora rolled around the bed again her long brown hair covering her face. I wanted to reach out to comfort her, but I knew she didn't like being touched, and I worried it would only scare her further. Unable to watch her any longer, I focused my attention elsewhere.

It was a good thing that I did. There were footsteps outside, slow and deliberate shuffling toward our room. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my eyes narrowed on the doorway.

It might not be the Orion guard, but knowing my luck it probably was. I hoped it was some late-night drinker trying to find their way back to their room. Either way, I wanted to be prepared. Pushing to my feet, I moved toward the door.

Seconds ticked by endlessly. But the fact that someone was still outside the door waiting didn’t escape me. I reached out with my mind to gauge their thoughts.

Anger, frustration, and the thrill of the hunt rifled over me. Whoever it was didn’t have good intentions.

"Aurora?" I called softly. Her fingers tightened over the knife handle, but she didn't wake. "Aurora," I tried again, my voice slightly higher. Her hazel eyes blinked open she jolted into a sitting position.

I nodded at the door. "Someone’s out there."

She stood slowly grabbing the blaster from the bed, so she held a weapon in each hand.

"Orion?" She asked.

"I think so," I told her.

“Great," she said with a sigh. "Do you know how many more of them crashed with us?"

"I don't." However many there were, we had to get through them. There were only two ways out of the room. The door and the single window. Both were right beside each other. There was another way, but I didn’t want to use it unless I had to. I’d seen the fear in her eyes when she’d mentioned the daemon earlier. I needed to tell her what I was, but I wanted to do it on my terms. It didn’t look like I was going to get the choice.

The doorknob jiggled ever so slightly. If we’d been sleeping, we probably would be oblivious to it.

"When the door opens, stay behind me,” I told her.

I knew she could fight. She’d taken out several guards earlier. She looked like she might protest but ultimately took a step backwards when the door began to rattle louder this time.

The knob jiggled again before the lock on the door turned. The door pushed open ever so slightly until it hit the chain. A hand reached inside with a tool that looped around one of the links and lifted it off the mechanism. The second it fell away; the door flew open. I didn't wait, to draw my blaster and start shooting. Aurora began to shoot too, her shots hitting their mark. The first two men fell dead onto the floor but there were more behind them. I continued to fire, hoping it would scare some of them off so we could get out of the room.

I moved forward pressing them further out the door. Aurora was right behind me, her blaster fire whizzing past. Yells to fall back rang through the air. Good they were still changing tactics.

I peered outside the doorway to get a feel for what we were up against. We were surrounded. There were at least thirty guards. We could try to fight our way through, but I couldn’t risk her getting injured. I’d wanted to tell her what I was on my own terms, but that wasn’t going to happen. I conjured a fireball in my left palm and held my right hand out. “I can get us out of here, but I need you to take my hand and trust me," I told her.

Her gaze shot to mine, her eyes narrowing as she looked at my offered hand. I could see the hesitation on her face. A bolt from a blaster flew between us making us both jump. She exhaled loudly and took my hand. Her hand was warm against mine as I drew her closer. Closing my eyes, I pictured the place we’d crashed landed only a few hours ago.

I heard her gasp as the room disappeared and we were teleported outside. It was still dark out but thankfully the rain had stopped.

Aurora yanked her hand out of mine and wobbled on her feet. I reached out to steady her, but she turned at the last minute, her hand on her belly as she doubled over and vomited.

I crouched down beside her and placed my hand on her back. "Give it a second. The disorientation will pass." It didn’t affect me, but I’d been told it made my passengers dizzy and nauseous.

She panted for a few moments before finally standing back up and moving away from me. Her eyes met mine. "What was that?”

"Teleportation,” I told her.

"You can teleport?” she asked. “And conjure fire? You’re a daemon?”

I nodded.

“Can you go wherever you want?" Her gaze darted around, and her body tensed like she wanted to run.

"Not exactly. I can only go to places I’ve been before."

"There are other people like you here? On this planet?" She glanced around as if she was expecting someone else to pop out.

I shrugged. There had been when I was a child but that had been a very long time ago. From what I did remember from my childhood, people were not familiar with magic being a part of their world.

"I’ve seen what people like you do. What you’re capable of. They’re monsters. Are you like them?" she asked taking another step back from me.

It was a fair question, but I hated the way the fear was beginning to waft off her. "No. There are two types. There are the daemons like me that protect the innocent and there are demons that are evil and serve to kill and sacrifice.”

"And you’re the good kind?" she asked continuing to distance herself from me. “You’ve been stalking me for four months now and I know what you’ve done to enemies of the Orion Crown. I lived in the palace for years. I’ve seen what people like you do to people who cross them.”

“Aurora,” I said reaching my hand out to her. She shuffled further away from me. I was losing her. She was afraid and I couldn’t blame her. If I’d stayed in the camp, I’d be like the evil beings she was thinking of. They were monsters, soulless creatures who got pleasure out of harming and killing.

“No. Just stay away from me for a minute.” Anger and emotion clouded her voice. She put a hand on her stomach and began to pace.

“Fine. But can we keep moving. We shouldn’t stay here. It’s not safe.” The Orion probably still had their ship and all the vehicles that came with it. They could be here soon.

"What if I don’t want to go with you? What if I want to go on my own?” she asked.

“You’re not my prisoner,” I said. Though, I didn’t want to let her out of my sight. We were on an Orion friendly planet. Even if most of the inhabitants didn’t know it. If they got their hands on her and the child, they would both be in danger.

“So, you’d let me walk away right now and not follow?” she asked.

"I wouldn’t stop you," I said. Her eyes narrowed as if she were trying to challenge me. Sighing, I thought of my response carefully. "You can go if that's what you want, but I’d prefer if you didn't. It's not safe."

"I don't believe you.” She shook her head. “You’ve been stalking me, and you lied to me about who you are, what you are. How am I supposed to trust you?"

I chuckled and started walking hoping that she would follow. “No offense, sweetheart, but you haven't exactly been forthcoming with me either," I called over my shoulder. She’d had ample time to tell me about the child and hadn’t.

“Oh please, you’ve been lying to me from the beginning. I know you were just trying to collect the bounty on my crew.” She jabbed a finger at me, her words came out rough, but I could tell she wasn’t so sure about them by the way she regarded me with her head to the side and eyes wide.

“I did have a proposition for your captain. There’s a lot going on that you don’t know about. The rebellion is real. Prince Kellan is alive, and Kai and I have been working with him to take down the Orion regime from the inside out. And I tried to tell you about being Kai’s bodyguard but you’re the one who stopped me saying you didn’t want to talk about work.” I slowed my speed and turned so I was walking backwards. She hadn’t moved yet but she did open and close her mouth like she was trying to find an argument, but I knew she couldn’t. I had tried to tell her before things turned heated between us.

I fought the urge to smile when she moved forward and fell in step beside me. Even if she didn't trust me, she was a survivor and we both knew that we were safer together. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'll be all right." She wrapped her arms around herself and continued to march alongside me. "Any idea where we're going?"

"No. I'm not even sure where we are to be honest.” I’d been so intent on getting us emergency supplies and tending to my wound that I hadn’t checked our location. Besides, it didn’t matter where we were. The Orion knew our approximate location and they would keep hunting for us until they found us. “I may have been born on this world, but I was abducted when I was only nine. I’ve been missing for about twenty-five years.” Maybe if I gave her more information about me, she would trust me at least a little bit.

It hurt that she was so weary of me when she trusted me only a few months back. "The Orion are known for taking children from planets. They have a particular interest in children with special abilities, like me. Like you. I spent two years in one of their training facilities where they tried to force the humanity out of me. I got lucky, though. The rebellion is real. Prince Kellan and his son Kai liberated our facility. They tried to return all the children to their families. They were able to find some of them but most of us were from entirely different galaxies. For those of us they couldn't return they tried to place us with a different family to be raised. But as you can imagine, not many parents wanted a daemon.”

I chanced a glance over at Aurora. She stared straight ahead and continued to keep pace with me. I had no idea if I was getting through to her or if my words were making any difference at all. If the worst I did was keep prattling on, then so be it. I’d talk until she told me to stop.

She surprised me when she asked, "So, you might have family here then?”

That was something I hadn't really thought about. I’d been living with Kai for so long that he’d become my family, my brother. Even if I did have family, would they remember me? Were they even still searching for me? Twenty-five years was a long time. I wouldn’t blame them if they’d stopped searching for me.

"I guess I could,” I said with a shrug. Now that she’d brought it up, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit curious. “But we need to find Kai and Echo first. Your friend Loc too. People like them…people don’t look like Kai and Loc on Earth. Echo should be okay.”

“What do you mean?” Aurora asked.

“People look like you and me. They aren’t blue with amber eyes like Kai, and they don’t have fins like Loc. Echo looks mostly human.” Her eyes were violet, and she had colored hair but I thought she could pass for human.

“They are in danger then.” Aurora said something else under her breath I couldn’t understand.

We walked in silence for a very long time. I wouldn’t necessarily call it uncomfortable more neither of us knew what to say. It wasn't until Aurora stumbled and nearly fell to the ground that we started talking again.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Why do you keep asking me that?" She sounded irritated. "For the billionth time, I'm fine."

For someone concerned about honesty, she sure was omitting an awfully big fact. I said, "I think you might know why."

She let out a strangled noise that sounded almost like a sob and a laugh at the same time. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I think you do. And I have every right to be concerned over your welfare." It was stupid to openly challenge her. I didn’t want to drive her away. By now she had to know about her condition, at least I hoped she did. Technically it wasn’t supposed to be possible.

"How could you even possibly know?" She laughed as she came to a stop. Whirling around her smile turned into a frown and she shook her head. She held herself tighter and looked away. “I only barely found out myself. How can you know?”

At least she wasn’t denying it. And she’d just found out herself? I felt bad for her; she hadn’t had time to come to terms with the child yet. "I can sense him. I’ve felt him for a while now. That's why I was able to track you so easily in case you were wondering. And I haven't stalked you. I know how dangerous this is for you. If the wrong people or stars forbid the Orion found out—"

"Enough," She cut me off. "I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't even matter anyway."

"How can you say that?" I wasn't sure what she might mean by that. My mind jumped to all sorts of possibilities.

She threw her hands up in the air before balling them again at her sides. “Because it doesn’t matter.” She touched her stomach. "This was never supposed to happen. It shouldn't be possible. My body is broken and not fit to carry a child. I saw a med droid right before you ambushed us. She said it was a miracle I hadn’t miscarried yet. That it was only a matter of time. My uterus is far too damaged to support a child to full gestation.  So whatever you think you're doing don't worry about it." Her voice broke off at the end. Tears swam in her eyes and her bottom lip trembled. She whirled away from me, marching forward again.

I'd heard the things the government did to their courtesans to ensure there were no illegitimate children. It was one of the reasons I hadn’t worried about protection when we were together and why I’d been so surprised when I felt his presence. But it had happened. I didn't know how or why but I wasn't ready to give up. "Aurora!” I jogged to catch up with her. "I don't know what they told you or anything about your medical history, but I know what I feel. He’s there. And he’s strong." There was no denying the presence. It had reached out to me from across the stars. Bright and powerful.

"He?" she asked stopping. Her gaze went to my feet.

"Yes. He." It was a boy.

She sighed defeatedly. “I don’t want to think about it, Gray. It’s too much. Please.”

It was too bad she couldn’t feel him like I could. That would give her enough reassurance to take the worry away. “Look.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes. I held up a hand and she met my eyes with a lethal glare. “Aurora, what we had on Haven, it was real for me. And regardless of what the future brings we’re in this together. You’re not alone.”

I reached out and took her hand in mine. When she didn’t jerk away, I let out a relieved breath. We were making progress. Slowly, I reached out with my free hand to tuck my thumb under her chin. Gently I lifted her face up so her eyes met mine.

Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she closed them. A single tear escaped, rolling down her cheek and puddling on her upper lip. I swiped it away with the pad of my thumb. My finger traced over her lip. I’d forgotten how soft and plump they were. I missed this. She sighed and leaned into me.

It would be easy to close the distance, to taste her sweet mouth again. I tilted my head, ready to claim them when her eyes popped open, and she took a step back.

“We should keep moving.” She turned on her heel and continued in our current direction. And just like that the mood was ruined.

Chapter Eight

Aurora

This food was amazing. I scooped more of the warm soup into my mouth and followed it up with some of the yellow fruit. The juices burst in my mouth and dribbled down my chin. I swiped it away with a napkin and dug in for more.

Before I knew it, I was scraping the bottom of the bowl. I glanced up at Gray. He held a circular piece of food in his hand that was extending out to me.

"Try it. I think you'll like it."

I took the disc shaped food from him noting how it was still warm. Some of it melted onto my fingers. I tore a piece off and popped it in my mouth. The other stuff was good, but this was exquisite. I had never tasted anything like this in my entire life. I shoved another piece into my mouth and then another trying to eat at a normal pace, but I knew I was failing miserably.

Gray chuckled. "They don't have anything like this where we are from."

I shook my head. I didn’t even know how to describe this gooey goodness. We needed to figure out how to get this back home. If we ever figured out how to get back. When I really thought about it, I didn't even know if I wanted to go back. Aside from the Guard that had followed us here this place seemed safer. That was a worry for another time. "What is this?" I asked as I shoved the last bit into my mouth.

"A chocolate chip cookie." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I remember my mom used to make these a long time ago. I just forgot how good they tasted."

"Your mom cooked?" I asked. How odd? Hardly anyone cooked that I knew of. Mostly because there weren’t fresh ingredients. Everything was mass produced and dehydrated on a few select planets, then it was distributed throughout. Food shortage was one of the major problems back home.

He nodded. "Earth is a lot different than home. Most people have access to food like this all the time," he gestured to the table and the empty dishes around them. "They have meals like this every day."

Earth sounded like a utopia. It was hard to wrap my head around eating like this every day. Echo made sure that we all didn’t starve on the Nightfall. But there was a huge difference between this and the dehydrated portions we lived on.

A woman walked up to the table and placed a piece of paper down in front of Gray. She glanced to me before eyeing Gray again. I shifted in my seat uncomfortable with the attention, but Gray didn’t seem bothered. He picked up the paper and then pulled out more folded papers and handed them to her. She cast a wary glance at me again and offered a smile before she walked away.

"Where will we go from here?" I asked, choosing to ignore the behavior. I really hoped he didn't say that we would keep walking. While I considered myself in good shape and walking didn’t bother me, we had walked from the time we retreated until the sun was high in the sky. I was tired of walking. Hell, I was exhausted. If we could find a safe place where I could just rest my eyes for a little bit, I’d be ever so grateful.

"I was hoping we had enough money to get a car."

Car? Was he referring to one of those metallic things on wheels? "Do you know how to operate one of them?" Because I sure as hell had no idea.

"If I remember correctly, they have far less controls than a ship. I've seen them operated before. I'm sure it can't be too hard."

"Okay." I guess I’d have to take his word for it. He did know more about this place than I did.

"I'm going to use the restroom. Will you wait here for me?"

It didn't take a genius to realize he was asking me not to run away. "I'm not going anywhere." I wasn't sure exactly when I made that decision. Gray was a good man. I didn't trust many people and it scared me to think that I'd given my trust to him so easily for the second time. There was something about him that put me at ease. It had been that way on Haven too. He made me feel safe and comfortable and there weren’t many people I felt that way around.

Gray sighed and got up. I leaned back sinking into the plush upholstery of the booth. Now that my belly was full, the weariness was really starting to seep in. I hoped we could get the car easily and maybe I could sleep. My eyes drifted to the window where a line of cars sat outside. They weren’t very big. What kind of sleeping quarters did they have in them? Maybe they were bigger on the inside? But that didn’t make sense. You could see in the windows, and it was just a few seats. Some of them were very tiny, only big enough for two passengers.

"Excuse me miss?"

I looked up and met the eyes of the woman who’d served us our food. Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, my eyes darted to the lavatory where Gray had disappeared to.

"I can't help but wonder if everything is okay?" She set a piece of paper down and pushed it towards me. "I know how bad things can be and how you might feel that there is no way for you to get out. But you should know there's hope for you. My friend works at a women's shelter. Here’s her name, number and the address. You can call anytime" She slid the paper closer until it brushed my fingers.

I picked up the paper and stared at the words. My neural translator translated the text for me. It was the name and number for a women’s abuse shelter. It didn’t take much to realize what she thought. I’d peeked at myself last night while in the lavatory. There was a gash on my forehead and some bruising. On top of that we’d just walked miles in the cold. I had to look a complete mess. She thought Gray was hurting me. I shook my head and opened my mouth to tell her that wasn’t the case when he appeared over her shoulder.

"Everything okay?" He asked looking between the two of us.

I folded up the paper and put it in my pocket. "Thank you," I told the lady. I wish there were abuse counselors in our galaxy. Everyone was too busy looking out for themselves. Not that they didn’t have good reason to. I pushed those thoughts away and stood up. "Yeah. Let's go."

I let Gray lead the way out of the restaurant. The icy winter air hit me stealing my breath away. Why couldn't it be warm here? This place would be perfect if it wasn’t for the weather.

“Was that lady bothering you in there?” Gray asked as he pushed the door shut behind us.

"I think she thought you hurt me." I pulled the paper out and handed it to him. “She gave me this.”

"Things are a lot different here than back home. There are bad people here on Earth, but from what I remember, there's a lot of good too. People are willing to help others that are in need."

"It's a wonder the Orion haven’t overrun this planet yet," I said with a sigh. People here were lucky to not be under their rule. I had to wonder how long their luck would last.

"I’m sure it's only a matter of time before they attack.” He led the way down the sidewalk seemingly to have some idea as to where he was going. "Perhaps the only reason they haven't is because they're unsure how many supernatural creatures there are that live here. There's a whole community of them, even if they live in secret. They can put up a big fight."

I knew what Gray could do. I’d even seen some groups work together against enemies of the Orion. They were a force to be reckoned with.

“I remember walking past a car dealership on our way into town. They should be open by now.” Gray glanced up at the sky where the sun was rising higher.

It had to be midmorning by now. “Do they take credits?” I asked with a frown. Our galaxy had a universal credit that worked on almost every planet.

“No. they have a different currency, but I was able to get some when I traded in my cuffs last night.”

“Cuffs?”

He held up an arm. “From my uniform. They were made from gold. It’s worth a lot here, apparently.” He winced when he put his arm back down, his hand going to his side.

I frowned. “Your wound. Is it not getting better?” I asked.

“It’s nothing.”

He grimaced as he let his hand drop to his side. “Gray if it’s festering, we need to tend to it.” I grasped his arm and he stopped walking. My fingers went to his jacket pushing it aside so I could roll up his shirt.

The flesh was red and swollen around where the bandage was covering the wound. “Gray,” I said quietly. “You need treatment.”

“Let’s get a car and we’ll fix it up then.”

I narrowed my eyes at him but something over his shoulder caught my eye. “Fine. But we get the supplies first from that store.” I nodded at the drug store that was across the street.

Gray huffed and nodded.

***

“Why didn’t you say it was this bad?” I asked as I peeled away the bandage. The wound was swollen with red streaks drawing away from it.

“It’s nothing. My body will heal in time.” He sucked in a breath as I gingerly rubbed some antiseptic on.

“This isn’t nothing.” I shook my head. His whole side was a mess. Infection had set in, and it wouldn’t be long until he was in bad shape.

“Are you sure you should be doing this? I don’t want you to get sick again.”

“Don’t try to change the subject,” I said glaring at him. “And things only make me sick sometimes, usually at the most inopportune times.” I dabbed at the wound as gently as I could, but it wasn’t gently enough. Gray flinched ever so slightly, and he let out long steady breaths.

“The medicine helps but I have to ride out the infection. The radiation in the blaster fire always does this to me. I’m allergic to it.”

“This has happened before?” I asked looking up at him.

His eyes were shut and his face a stony mask. “Every time I get shot.”

I gulped. “How many times have you been shot?”

His eyes opened and met mine. “Thirteen. I guess this makes fourteen.”

“Fourteen?”

“Kai and I don’t have a lot of friends at the moment.” He chuckled like we were telling jokes. There was nothing funny about this. He sobered after a moment and touched my wrist. “Aurora, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Which is why I must get you to Kai and Echo. They’ll keep you safe.”

“You know where they are?” I asked quietly. This didn’t sound good. His wound was already bad, how much worse could it get?

“Not exactly, no. I have a general idea of which direction they are, and I can sense Kai the closer we get to him. But there seems to be interference here that’s making it a little more difficult.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand how this tracking thing works.”

“The better I know a person the easier it is to pick up on their essence. Kai is easy to find I’ve been around him most of my life, you were very easy, it was almost like tracking myself once I could feel him….” He trailed off and looked away.

I sighed and gently put a bandage over his wound. “I was going crazy wondering how you kept finding us.”

Gray reached out, hesitating for a moment before putting his hand on my belly. “He’s so strong. I wish you could feel him like I can.”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to talk about this. He kept saying how strong the baby was, but I couldn’t forget what the med droid had said. I was broken and torn up on the inside. My uterus was inhospitable. Med droids were nice in some regards, but they definitely didn’t know how to soften the blow of bad news.

“Can we please not talk about this.” Despite what Gray said, I couldn’t forget what the med droid said. It had done a scan and seen how messed up I was. The child didn’t stand a chance. I’d never thought about being a mother. Now that I had life growing in me, I wanted to be one. My body wasn’t cut out for it. The Orion had done a lot of cruel things to me, but this was the worst, even if it was inadvertently.

I grasped Gray’s wrist and plucked his hand off my stomach setting it on his leg. “We should get going.”

Gray closed his eyes before adjusting in his seat. He turned the key in the ignition. The car stuttered before roaring to life. It took him a few tries to get the car moving but once he did, we eased out of the lot and hopefully towards Echo.

Chapter Nine

Gray

I’d been driving forever, at least it felt that way. Aurora had drifted to sleep shortly after we’d hit the road. My own eyes were growing heavy, but the throbbing in my side was keeping me awake. It continued to get worse as I knew it would.

Nanobites would clear the infection and repair the damage easily enough, but I doubted they had those here on Earth. They were lightyears behind in technology. I would have to ride it out. And I’d probably end up with another scar. What was one more mark? I already had the grizzly scar that ran from my hairline to my hipbone. Aurora didn’t seem to mind that one. Would she mind another? I was getting ahead of myself, though she did seem to be warming to me.

As if she’d heard my thoughts, Aurora jolted awake. Her eyes widened as she adjusted in her seat. “Where are we?”

“We just passed into Wyoming,” I said.

She frowned and leaned forward to look out the window. “What?”

Of course that meant nothing to her. Little things were starting to come back to me. Phrases and information just popped into my mind like it had never been taken away. “It’s a state. They are kind of like the provinces you’d find on planets.”

She nodded and ran a hand over her face. “How close are we to Echo?”

“We haven’t made much headway. They appear to be on the move too and are heading further north. It’s making things difficult. I wish there was a way to contact them.” I wondered if they were being chased too. Or if they had to stay low. Echo looked mostly human aside from her violet eyes. Kai was tall with tan skin, pointed ears and a tail. We were heading in the direction they were in, but we never got any closer. It was frustrating. I needed to find them. My symptoms were going to get worse. I needed to know Aurora was protected before they did. If something happened to her…

“Do you want me to take over driving so you can rest?” Aurora asked.

I chanced a glance in her direction before focusing on the road again. My body was tired and sore, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to move either. “I’m okay.”

“You look exhausted.”

Damn was it that obvious? I sighed. “If you drive, I’ll fall asleep, and you won’t know if you’re going in the right direction.”

She frowned and nodded. “Then maybe we should stop so you can rest. I should look at your wound again. You said it would get worse.”

“I’m okay.” The irony of how our situations were reversed wasn’t lost on me. Only a day ago I’d been fretting over her.

“Gray,” she sighed lifting her hand up like she was going to put it on mine but then dropped it back into her lap.

“Aurora, we have to keep going. They are still out there, and I guarantee you they are not stopping to rest. It’s a luxury we cannot afford, not now that we know they’re trailing us.” I wasn’t going to let them take her. We had to get to Kai. He and Echo would keep Aurora safe when I couldn’t.

“Do you think they have a daemon too?” she asked her voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s possible.” Anything was possible. It would make it easier to track us if they did. My only hope was that they hadn’t discovered Aurora’s pregnancy yet. The child made her aura like mine, so it was possible they had no idea, I could only hope.

“How does the whole tracking thing work?” Aurora asked after a long moment.

I blew out a breath, wincing when the action pulled at my side. “Each person has a signature to them. When I’m around someone I pick up on that aura and I can follow it. I wasn’t around Echo long enough to get a strong vibe from her, but Kai I’ve been around for years. It’s easy to find his aura and follow it.”

“I still can’t believe you work with the prince of Orion.” She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.

“He’s not what you think. There is a power struggle in the Orion family. Kai and his father, Kellan, want to make changes but it’s not that easy. Changing people’s minds when they’ve only known one thing for generations is…” I didn’t know how to describe it. Kai and his father were trying to make a difference. It was a slow and painful process. Lord Klaus was not a good man.

“I’ve heard nothing about a power struggle. The rebellion died years ago with Prince Kellan.”

“Prince Kellan didn’t die. He’s slowly been rebuilding his troops. Quietly. Kai has been working from the inside. His uncle trusts him.” Only a select few knew Kellan lived. “This time when they strike, it will be a success.”

“And Lord Kellan would be a better ruler than his brother?” Aurora asked eyeing me.

“Yes.” There was no question in my mind about it. “He raised me like his son. He didn’t have to do that. He could have treated me like a slave, but he didn’t. I could have been left in a home for orphans or even moved back into the training camps.”

Aurora huffed. “He kept you because you’re a daemon. You’re powerful, Gray. One of the strongest beings in our galaxy.”

I gripped the wheel tighter. “He’s never exploited my powers. Not once. And he could’ve conditioned me, finished training me like his brother planned, but he didn’t. My mind is my own. I’m not a drone who follows every order I’m given.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Yes, I’m sure he listens when you speak too.”

“He does.” Aurora turned to me at my response. I hoped she could hear the sincerity in it. “You’ll see when you meet Kai. They are good people. A lot of Orion citizens adore Kai, and they’ll worship his father once we let them know he still lives.”

“And some of the people love Lord Klaus despite all the things he’s done. I’ve seen who he is. The evil he inflicts.” Her voice grew bitter and low as she spoke.

I gritted my teeth. Had he hurt her personally? It was possible. Aurora was a courtesan for the diplomats and royal family. She would have been in direct contact with him.

“Gray,” She said her voice a whisper. “If we’re captured, I need you to promise me something.”

“We won’t be captured. I won’t let that happen.” That was one promise I would keep until my dying breath.

“Don’t let them take me alive.” Her voice broke on the last word. She drew in a deep breath and let it out. Her fingers flexed and curled together as she stared at her lap. “Promise me.”

I couldn’t kill her. There was no way I could bring myself to do it. But there might be another way. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a tiny pill and extended my hand to her. It was kept there in case of an emergency. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe, but if I fall and you’re taken, put this under your tongue. You won’t feel a thing. But promise me it will be your very last resort. I want you to live. Both of you.”

She stared at my palm for a moment before lifting the pill up and staring at it. “You have my word. I don’t want to die. This will be if I’m caught and only then.” She tucked the pill into her pocket by her hip. “Thank you.”

“I know what they’ll do to you and to him if you’re caught. Death is far kinder.” It was the truth. Aurora would be physically punished with lashes and then any man could have their way with her. And our child would be taken from her the moment he was born and made a slave. God only knew what they would do to him. He could have her powers or mine, or a mixture of both. The child would be dangerous, lethal in the wrong hands.

“What about you?” she asked quietly. “What will you do?”

I smiled and turned to meet her gaze. “We both know they have no intention of taking me alive. And we both know that I’ll die so you can get away.”

“Gray, don’t say that.” She shook her head and looked out the window to her right.

“Promise me that if something happens to me you’ll take care of yourself and our son.” I gripped the wheel tighter grimacing as a wave of pain shot through me. Things were getting worse. We weren’t going to get to Kai before I became incapacitated.

“Now you’re scaring me,” she whispered. She didn’t look at me, but she did reach out to touch my hand. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’re the one that brought it up,” I said trying to laugh but I ended up coughing instead.

Aurora spun around her hand tightening its grip on me. “Gray?”

I eased my foot off the gas and looked over my shoulder to switch lanes. The action sent heat rippling through my entire side. My vision darkened and light headiness filled me. “Maybe you should drive.”

“There’s a place up ahead. Stop there. We’ll get you some water and some fresh bandages.”

Water and bandages weren’t going to cut it for me. I needed something more. “Okay,” I agreed. There was no need to worry her. It was weird to have someone worrying over me other than Kai or Kellan. Maybe her concern was a good thing. It meant she cared even if she was being a bit frosty. Perhaps if we found refuge there was hope for us as a couple.

It’s what I’d wanted all along, even before I found out about our son. Aurora and I had a connection, and I wanted the chance to explore it.

I maneuvered the car into the parking lot. Once we came to a stop, Aurora reached into the back and grabbed the supplies. I winced and suppressed a groan as I rolled my shirt up. It looked wretched. I hoped she didn’t get sick again, I wouldn’t blame her if she did.

Aurora gasped when her gaze landed on my side. Pus was oozing through the bandages. I didn't need to look to know that it was much worse than last time she'd cleaned it.

"Gray.” Aurora's eyes widened, her brow creasing with obvious worry.

"I know."

"Why didn't you say it was so bad?" She moved forward her hand freezing a few inches from my bandage like she was afraid of touching me. Her teeth worried her bottom lip.

"It always gets bad before it gets better. I’ll be okay." I touched the spot on my chest where my scar intersected. "I can change the dressing if you’d like."

"I thought I heard daemons had advanced healing. This should have been a bad memory by now?"

"We do. The weapon that they use is designed specifically to hurt us. It keeps our cells from regenerating like they should. It’s like a poison of sorts."

Aurora opened and then closed her mouth, then sighed. "Of course they wouldn't want anyone to be more superior than them. They always have to find a way to hurt us, no matter what."

She drew in a deep breath and let it out before she went to work on my injury. I gripped the steering wheel with one hand and the door handle with the other, trying to root myself in one spot. My eyes focused intently on her, wanting to draw my attention away from the pain. She really was beautiful. Her hazel eyes were narrowed, and she kept crinkling her nose as she did the best she could to patch me up.

We were so concerned on my injury that I didn't notice the people approaching until too late. A car slammed into the front of our vehicle. We were both thrown backward. Aurora let out a cry of surprise as she hit the cushion with an oomph. Pain ricocheted through my side as I twisted.

Aurora's door opened. A hand reached in yanking her out. Before I could even react, Aurora had drawn her knife from her belt and plunged it into her attacker. She shoved them away from her and tugged her door shut, pressing down on the lock.

I went to put the car in reverse but as soon as I did, we were hit on the driver’s side. My head smashed into the steering wheel, making my vision darken. I could not pass out.

The car sputtered and died. We were going to have to fight our way out of this. Aurora looked at me placing her hand on my elbow. "Can you teleport us out of here?"

I took her hand in mine and closed my eyes focusing on the restroom at the diner we’d ate at earlier. It wasn’t ideal but it was far away from here. My body trembled but it wasn’t going to work. I was too weak to take us that far. It would have to be some place closer. I zeroed in on the sidewalk across the street. I could get us there at least. Sweat beaded on my brow as I worked to teleport us. My fingers trembled and my heart quickened. This had to work. Sure enough, the tingling sensation that accompanied my teleportation rippled through me and we landed across the street. But I'd only bought us a few seconds.

My pulse roared in my ears. I had to keep it together a little bit longer. Aurora curled her fingers around mine bringing me back to the present. She tugged me along behind her. I was faster than her but at the moment she was dragging me, and I was struggling to keep up.

 We were going too fast for my haggard body. I tripped over my own feet and fell. The ground bit into my knees and my vision wavered. I knew that I had to let her go ahead of me. I had enough strength left to fight them off so she could get a head start. "You have to keep going. Get out of here."

She crouched down beside me, tilting my chin up so I was level with her gaze. "No! I'm not leaving you here. Get up." She maneuvered around me so that my arm was slung over her shoulder. Somehow, she got us both back on our feet. I had an easy hundred pounds oh her at least. We moved into the tree line, but I wasn’t going to last much longer. The trees begun to swirl. My head felt like it was floating.

Sweat beaded on my brow and it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe. Each breath I drew felt like a sharp needle piercing my lungs. I pressed on because Aurora wasn’t going to leave me, and I needed to make sure she was safe.

We were getting closer to Kai and Echo. But we weren’t close enough. I wish I could reach out to him to let him know we needed help. He would be here in a heartbeat if he could.

“Come on,” Aurora said tightening her grip on me.

I looked down. The ground moved like it was shaking, though I was certain it was motionless. There was a steep decline before us, riddled with roots and rocks.

“I’ve got you.” Aurora started down, still finding strength to support me.

“You should go without me. I’m slowing you down.” She could move much faster if she wasn’t dragging me around. There was a real possibility she could escape.

“No.”

“No?” I asked stumbling but somehow managing to right myself before we both toppled down the hill.

“We stand a better chance together,” she said, her voice rising as her feet skidded through some mud. She waivered but caught her balance without missing a step.

“It’s all about self-preservation, right?” I chuckled and then coughed. Pain ripped through my side. My knees wobbled. I was going down. Twisting away from Aurora, I wrenched free so I wouldn’t take her down with me. My injured side hit the ground. Intense pain coursed through me. I couldn’t breathe. My vison whited out.

“Gray.” Aurora’s cool hands touched my face.

I narrowed my eyes, focusing on her. “You have to get up. We have to keep moving.” She tugged on my arm but that only made it worse. I wheezed and fell backwards, coughing, desperate for a breath that I couldn’t draw.

“Gray,” Aurora crowded over me. Her hazel eyes wide with concern.

“Run,” I managed to choke out.

She shook her head and to my surprise bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips. “Get up.” She was tugging on me again, but my body had become leaden. My fingers twitched, trying to move but nothing I did worked.

Movement behind Aurora caught my eye. People were coming for us. “Behind you,” I wheezed out.

Aurora whirled around, withdrawing her weapon as she stood in one fluid motion. Three men approached her, all of them tall and grizzly.

I had to help her. My eyes blinked shut and I focused my mind on the energy running through me. I squeezed my hand into a fist and conjured a fireball to hurtle at one of the men. It clipped him in the shoulder. He howled in pain and stumbled away from Aurora. One down two more to go. They were too close to Aurora for to fire again.

She swung into action, ducking low under a swing and getting in a jab to the man’s jaw before plunging her knife into his gut.

Aurora looked over her shoulder, her hand drifting to the second knife on her belt as she did. Her fingers grasped the metal dagger as she drew it and stood.

Why couldn’t she just run? I didn’t care if I was captured or killed, if it meant she got away. And she had to live. They both did.

My eyes fluttered shut and I called on the fire burning within me. A fireball blazed in my hand. I hurtled it toward one of the approaching men. It hit its mark. The man erupted into a brilliant orange and yellow flame. I had to keep fighting for as long as I was able.

My injury had slowed me considerably. Two more attackers had already reached Aurora. She seemed to be holding her own. Her knife jabbed into one of the guard’s belly’s, coming out crimson. Three more men were approaching her. I hurtled another fiery ball toward them, but I missed. Crap!

Green blasts shot out from the barrel of one of their guns. Two bursts hit Aurora and she crumpled to the ground, spasming. They’d stunned her. I conjured another fireball and prepared to fire when more green blasts zapped into me. My body seized, my muscles turning to jelly. I fought the darkness clouding over my eyes, but they were growing too heavy.

I was losing the battle to stay awake. Six more guys. I had to take them out. My palm itched with fire, but no flames came. No. Stay awake. Stay awake.

My gaze waivered growing dimmer but not before a group appeared, fire blazing in their hands. They launched balls of fire as my vision darkened, and then the darkness swallowed me whole.

Chapter Ten

Aurora

The wretched stench of antiseptics clogged my senses. It was the only thing I could smell, the scent so strong I could almost taste it. Nausea roiled in my belly. I needed to focus on something else before I retched.

Warmth and softness surrounded me. Voices I didn’t recognize spoke in hushed tones. I kept my eyes shut and focused on my breathing, taking care to keep it slow and even. My heart, on the other hand, pattered violently in my chest.

Where was I? What had happened? Wherever I was and whoever was here, I wasn’t ready for them to know I was awake yet. Breathe in and out, slow and steady. This wasn’t the first time I’d ever faked being asleep. I’d done it on many occasions while a slave.

My captors, or whoever was here hadn’t realized I was awake yet, so I took the time to listen in on the conversation. From the sound of things, they were arguing. I swallowed and forced my breaths to stay steady.

“Please wait for the blood tests to get back before you see him. I don’t want you to be disappointed when—”

“I know what I feel, Patrick,” a woman said cutting the man off. “That is my son. I want to see him.”

“Ellen, that’s not a good idea. He’s gravely injured, and we can’t be certain it’s him. It’s been years since his disappearance. That man could be anybody. I’ve seen you get your hopes up before only to be disappointed. I’d rather not have you escorted out of the infirmary,” the man, Patrick, I presumed said.

The woman sighed in exasperation. “Don’t coddle me. This is different than the other times and you know it. I know what I feel. A mother never forgets the feel of her child’s aura.” There was silence for a long moment before she continued, “Well, at least tell me something. What’s wrong with him? Why is he unconscious? You said he was gravely injured, what does that mean?”

Were they talking about Gray? They had to be, right? I peeked my eyes open just enough so I could see. Bright white lights greeted me and also a white curtain that cut me off from the rest of the room. I could make out shadowy figures on the other side of it. Realizing they couldn’t see me; I blinked my eyes open all the way so I could take in my surroundings.

I lay in some sort of bed with metal railings. A tube was jammed into the crook of my elbow. The tube led up to a machine with clear liquid in it. What were they putting into me? I started to reach for the tube but stopped when the bed squeaked beneath me. I stilled and waited but my movements had gone unnoticed. The arguing had grown louder.

“Tell me something! That’s all I ask,” Ellen said her voice rising to a shout. “Lyra please!”

There was silence for a long moment. Then another female voice spoke, “Mom, his condition is critical, I’m afraid. There is a good chance he might not make it through the night.”

“He’s…dying,” the woman said her voice low and full of emotion.

I held my breath. They couldn’t be talking about Gray. Dying? No. He’d been okay, or had he? If I really thought about it the gunshot had looked horribly infected. But dying? He was strong. He would get over the infection. He had to.

“We’re doing everything we can but the infection in his wound has gone septic. It doesn’t appear to be responding to antibiotics,” the woman, Lyra I presumed, said.

No. My heart skipped a beat as my fears turned to reality. That didn’t sound good at all. He couldn’t die. These people had to do something. It sounded like they were trying, but their medicine was primitive at best.

“Perhaps when the woman wakes we can get some insight from her,” the female said.

“Woman?” Ellen asked.

“He was with a woman. Her injuries were minor. In fact, they’d all but healed at my last check,” Lyra said.

I frowned, wriggling my toes and fingers for good measure. Come to think of it, I wasn’t in any pain at all. In fact, I felt well rested, better than I’d been in a long time.

“She’s one of us then?” Ellen asked.

“Definitely not,” Lyra said. “I’m not sure what she is to be honest. Not human, not like any being I’ve seen before. It’s hard to tell whether the healing is something she can do, or as a result of the child she’s carrying.”

They knew about the baby. I gritted my teeth. Tears pricked my eyes. This couldn’t be good. Would they harm my child? I knew so little about this planet.

“She’s pregnant? With Gray’s child?” Ellen asked, her voice breaking on Gray’s name.

“It might not be Gray, Ellen,” Patrick said.

“Lyra, is that your brother?” Ellen asked her voice hopeful.

Lyra was silent for a long moment. “I don’t know, Mom. I was only an infant when he was abducted. He does look like the pictures of Father, but I can’t be certain.”

“It is him,” Ellen said, her voice thick with emotion. “Tell me about the woman. She’s pregnant?”

So, they were talking about Gray. He was in worse shape than I realized, then perhaps even he knew. I bit my lip to keep from crying. He couldn’t die. My heart constricted painfully in my chest. I wished they would leave so I could see him.

“She is. I’d guess around fourteen or fifteen weeks judging by the fetus’s development. However, the child is quite small. And… I suspect she’ll have quite a few complications. There is extensive damage to her uterus. It appears someone did a very crude form of sterilization on her that obviously didn’t quite take. However, I think with careful monitoring both mother and child will be okay.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed it down. We’d be okay? That’s not what I’d been told. Of course I’d have complications. My hand went to my belly. My son was still alive, a little fighter, just like his father. Just like me. I hadn’t given him much thought because of what the med droid had said, but maybe he’d be okay. Maybe the med droid had been wrong. I shook my head and swallowed the lump forming in my throat. That was too much to hope for.

The med droid was far more advanced than the people on this planet. They didn’t make mistakes and they certainly didn’t sugar coat anything. They told you the facts whether you wanted to hear them or not.

I exhaled loudly, sighing, realizing my mistake too late when the room quieted. Footsteps tapped toward the curtain as a hand reached up to pull it open. My eyes darted around for a weapon but there was nothing but the thin needle in my arm. That wouldn’t be helpful. I glanced up as the trio entered.

They stared at me, two women and a man. One woman was quite young, the other older like the man.

“Hello,” the younger woman said as she walked toward me.

My body stiffened and I forced myself to sit up and toss the covers off of me. Dizziness tore through me and my vision blacked out for a moment. I fought through it. These people were strangers, I needed to be ready to fight.

Seeming to sense my fear, the woman halted and held up a hand. “You’re okay. My name is Lyra. I’m the doctor that’s been caring for you. How are you feeling? Can you tell me your name?”

My gaze slid from her to the pair that were still rooted in the same spot they’d been. I snapped my attention back to the doctor. She was the closest, the biggest potential threat at the moment.

She smiled. “We mean you no harm. But we were hoping you could provide us with a few answers. The man we found you with isn’t doing too well.”

I licked my lips. Forcing a deep breath in and then out I tried to relax. This could be Gray’s family, I reminded myself. They hadn’t hurt us, at least not yet. Why would they provide medical care if they meant us harm? I didn’t have an answer other than people were inherently cruel. Better to not let my guard down too much.

“It’s the…” I started but my voice was thick and grating from not being used. I cleared my throat. “The gun he was shot with has radiation in it. He’s allergic to it.”

“Radiation?” Lyra asked with a frown. She sighed and then nodded.

“What kind of gun has radiation?” the man, Patrick I assumed, said.

“An Orion issued one,” I answered with a shrug. Did they know about the Orion? I couldn’t be sure.

“Who?” Patrick asked.

“The Orion,” I said again. When all I got were blank looks, I added, “The men chasing us.”

Lyra tapped her fingers to her lips for a moment and mumbled, “Iodine tablets, I think we have those somewhere and a possible blood transfusion might help too. It would put fresh blood cells in his system, hopefully they would be able to fight the infection as his ought to.”

“I’ll do it,” Ellen spoke up.

“Ellen,” Patrick said with a growl spinning on the older woman.

I narrowed my eyes watching her. Her irises were dark brown just like Gray’s and her hair was raven black with sprinkles of gray falling in soft waves to her shoulders, other than sharing the same eye and hair color, those were the only resemblances I noticed.

“If it is Gray, she or I would be the best match for him,” Lyra said. “It would be a lot harder for me to perform the transfusion on myself.”

“Wait!” Patrick grabbed Ellen’s arm holding her still. “What can you tell us about the man you came in with?” he asked me.

“Where is Gray?” I asked instead. I wanted to see him for myself.

Patrick took a step toward me but still had a grip on Ellen’s arm. It didn’t look like he was hurting her, but I couldn’t be sure, and I didn’t want to give him the chance to come at me. The way he was watching me made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

I shoved the covers back and put my feet on the frigid tile floor.

“Careful,” Lyra said moving toward me.

I balled my fists and held them up. The tube in my arm tugged painfully but I didn’t let my guard down. “Where is he?” It was probably stupid to confront a room full of daemons, but I wasn’t going to let them dominate me either.

Lyra looked from me to Patrick before going to another curtain and throwing it open. Gray lie motionless on a bed. He had tubes going into his arm and one also lodged in his throat.

Nausea churned in my belly, curdling and rising up my throat. I gagged but didn’t vomit, thankfully. Ripping the needle from my arm I walked to him at the same time Ellen wrenched free from Patrick.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked. My hand reached up to touch him but froze a few inches from his cheek. He looked far worse than before. His face was ashen and a fine sheen of sweat beaded on his brow.

“He’s in rough shape. I put him in a medically induced coma to ease the pain for him and hopefully help his body heal. Are you sure it’s radiation?” Lyra asked walking to the other side of Gray. She lowered the blanket and lifted the white bandages that covered his side.

“It’s what he told me. It’s the same thing that gave him this scar.” I touched the tip of it where it started at his hairline.

“It really is him. He looks just like his father. Start the iodine, Lyra and prepare for a transfusion immediately.” Ellen rolled up her sleeve. “My boy.”

“Ellen.” Patrick put a hand on her back.

I moved away from them only just now realizing how close we all stood. My back pressed against the white wall as I watched.

“I’ll admit there is a resemblance, but Gray has been missing for over twenty years, his aura is gone. It has been for years.” He patted her back gently before trying to pull her away.

“It’s him. I can feel it. Somehow he has returned to us,” Ellen said. “You’ve brought him back to us. Thank you… I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Aurora,” I said my voice barely above a whisper.

Patrick shook his head and closed his eyes. “It doesn’t make sense. You should have been able to find him anywhere and you haven’t. It can’t be him.”

Except it did make sense. They just didn’t understand it. “He…he hasn’t been on this planet,” I said.

All eyes turned to me. “What?” Ellen asked her head tilting to the side as she watched me.

“Great,” Patrick threw his hands in the air. “She’s nuts. Lyra, are you sure she isn’t suffering from a head injury?”

I ground my teeth and glared at Patrick. Bastard!

“What do you mean?” Ellen asked her eyes wide, begging me to continue.

“You couldn’t feel him because he hasn’t been on this planet. He hasn’t been in this galaxy until a few days ago.” I said meeting Ellen’s eyes. Tears swam in them, and she swallowed hard.

“This is insane. Don’t tell me you believe her?” Patrick said. “A different planet, really?”

My gaze snapped to Patrick. His eyes glared at me, accusingly. He turned his attention back to Ellen and put a hand on her back. “Please, Ellen. I know how much you want this to be Gray, but—”

“It actually kind of makes sense,” Lyra spoke up. She set a box with a tube on the bed next to Gray’s thigh. “It would explain why we can feel him now and it would explain her.” Her eyes settled on me. “You’re not from Earth, are you?”

I shook my head.

“Other planets, galaxies, aliens?” Patrick said with a scoff.

“Why not?” Ellen spoke up. “The humans don’t think we are real, our people in the government keep our existence quiet, why can’t all that be true, and we just don’t know about it?”

“Oh, please,” Patrick sighed with a shake of his head.

Lyra swabbed something over Gray’s wrist. “Regardless of who he is, a transfusion is still his best bet. We can sort out his identity when the DNA results come back.”

“You are sure he is a daemon, correct?” Patrick asked. “You can’t do a transfusion if you aren’t sure.”

Lyra drew in a deep breath. “I saw him throw fire myself. He has our magic.”

“It’s Gray. I know it.” Ellen finished rolling up her sleeve.

“Whatever. I don’t want to be a part of this.” Patrick stepped away from the bed. “For your sake I hope it is Gray.” He stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ellen cleared her throat and offered me a small smile. “You’ll have to forgive my husband. He means well. This isn’t the first time we’ve thought we might have found Gray. There are so many missing children and young men that match his description. This is, however, the first time I’ve felt him since the day he went missing. He was with Gray’s father, my first husband when he went missing. My husband died and Patrick was nearly killed as well. He blames himself for the abduction and murder.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Gray remembered he was kidnapped, and he’d mentioned his father’s death.

“He was a prisoner?” Ellen asked.

I bit my lip and then nodded. “Not for long. Only a few years. He was liberated by Prince Kellan and his son Kai of the Orion Rebellion. They raised him as their own, at least that’s what he says anyway.” I still thought they had to have an ulterior motive. Gray was powerful, a tool for someone to use. People didn’t just let that slip through their fingers.

“A few years too long. My poor boy,” Ellen touched his face not even flinching when Lyra picked up her arm and stuck the needle into her arm to begin the transfusion.

“Is that what happens to all the children that are taken?” Lyra asked.

I nodded meeting the doctor’s eyes. Tears swam in them. Were they tears for Gray or someone else?

“Lyra, dear, perhaps now we have a way to find them now that Gray has returned.” Ellen patted Lyra’s arm.

“Is that possible?” she asked looking to me.

I opened my mouth to say no, but when I thought about it, there could be a possibility. “The Orion ship that attacked us and followed us here should have the capability of returning. We, of course, would have to find it. But I could make it work, I’m sure.” There now I’d given myself worth. I didn’t think they’d hurt me, but if I could help in some way I was even more valuable. “My crewmates would be valuable help as well. We were separated during the crash. Gray and I managed to escape through an escape pod. I don’t know what happened to them. But Kai may be able to shed some more light on treating Gray’s injury. They grew up together and this isn’t the first time he’s been shot.”

Ellen closed her eyes and said something under her breath. When she opened them, she looked to Lyra and then to me. “I’m just thankful that he is home with us now. My poor boy has been through so much.”

Lyra finished setting up the transfusion before clearing her throat. “Do you really think we could find those of us who’ve been taken?”

I looked up to see the tears swimming in her eyes. “Their camps are well guarded. Finding them isn’t the issue, it’s the manpower to break them out and…” I trailed off. Depending on how long they’d been there they might not want to leave.

“I’m sure there are others that would go. Our children have been being taken from our people for centuries. Vanishing without a trace.” Lyra grit her teeth. “My friend passed away about a year ago. I promised her I’d find her little girl for her.”

My hand went instinctively to my wrist where the mark from the Orion lie, rubbing it gently as if I could possibly make it go away. I licked my lips and looked down at the bed. It was dangerous to tell them the truth, they wouldn’t like it, but they had a right to know. “The slaves are brainwashed, at least the daemons. Others are drugged. They don’t want someone who will fight back or disobey. The conditioning they go through is brutal. It makes them aggressive and dangerous. I didn’t know daemons could be any different until I met Gray.”

Lyra’s gaze went to my hands. “You were a slave too?”

I stiffened. Heat crept over my face and down my neck. Unable to voice it, I nodded.

Ellen put her hand on mine. I jerked away and took a step back. The other woman’s eyes widened, and I realized my rashness too late. She’d only been trying to comfort me. “I’m sorry.” I hugged myself and looked at my bare feet. “I don’t like to be touched.”

“It’s your pheromones, isn’t it?” Lyra asked. “They’re stronger when people touch you. Your body chemistry is remarkable. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

Heat rushed over my face. I nodded not sure how to respond. Women were affected by my pheromones too but not as bad as men were.

Would they put it together? The sterilization, pheromones, and my slave status? It wasn’t too far of a stretch, at least not in my opinion. What would they think of me?

Gooseflesh pimpled my arms as heat crept over my cheeks. I rubbed my arms feeling dirty. I’d hated my life.

“You’re safe now, Aurora,” Ellen said. “You’re a part of our family. We won’t let anything happen to you. You have my word.”

I nodded but her words did nothing to help. How safe was I here? How safe was anyone? The Orion knew where this place was. They were picking kids off one by one every chance they got.

“We’ll get to the bottom of these abductions.” Ellen waivered slightly and clasped onto the bed.

“All right. I think that’s enough.” Lyra came around and cut off the transfusion. She removed the needle and pressed a bandage over Ellen’s arm before she can protest.

“Is it enough?” Ellen asked drawing in a deep breath and letting it out.

“You need to eat and get some rest. We’ll reevaluate him in the morning.” Lyra nodded to Gray. “His color already seems to be improving.

I glanced at Gray. He still lay prone in the bed, but he wasn’t quite so pale. I supposed that was something.

Ellen went to stand but swayed on her feet.

“Mom, let me help you.” Lyra put an arm underneath Ellen’s shoulder taking most of her weight. They walked a few steps before the doctor looked back me. “I’ll only be gone a few minutes.”

I blinked before turning back to Gray. There footsteps padded against the tiles, fading after only a few moments when the door clicked shut behind them. Gray and I were finally alone. Reaching out, I took his hand in mine and squeezed it.

“I need you to wake up,” I whispered. These people seemed nice enough, so far, but I’d feel a whole lot better with him conscious too. And I didn’t want him to die. Tears pricked my eyes at the thought. Things had been bad between us the past few months, but the time we’d spent together on Haven had been special for me too.

“The time we spent together in Haven meant something to me too. You have to wake up so we can see what this is between us.” I put my hand on his forehead. His skin was on fire. The infection burning through him. I closed my eyes. “Please, Gray, you have to keep fighting.”

I stiffened when the door creaked open. Peering over my shoulder, I looked to see who was entering. My breath caught in my throat. Gavin. I knew this man. Very well. He was one of the king’s trainers for daemons. A man who was often rewarded with his pick of courtesans. What was he doing here? How did he get in undetected? Unless… he was the reason Gray and others like him had been disappearing from this planet all along.

“Hello, Aurora,” he said with a smile as he lifted a blaster toward me. “Come with me quietly and nobody has to get hurt.”

Chapter Eleven

Aurora

My gaze darted around the room in search of a weapon. I had no idea where my weapons were. I had to find something. There was a small knife on a table halfway across the room. I’d have to make it there first and it wouldn’t do much against a gun. Still, it was my best option.

I inched away from the bed. “You’ve been sending kids to the Orion for years,” I said narrowing my eyes.

He chuckled. “I even handpick them. I’m a mediator between the different factions of daemons on Earth. I see every child in every camp. I only choose the best.”

“They trust you,” I said crossing one foot over the other slowly making my way to the table. “And you’ve taken dozens of children from their homes from their families.” It was disgusting. What kind of monster could sell a child into the servitude with the Orion?

“Hundreds of children. Daemons can live quite a bit longer than an average person.” He tsked me when I took another step. “I really must insist you stop right there, Aurora. I’m even prepared to make you a deal.”  The gun leveled at me, and his finger curled around the trigger.

Surely he wanted me alive. I was more useful alive than dead. I slid my barefoot across the floor. It wasn’t like I had anything to lose.

“That’s enough. Come quietly and I’ll leave Gray here with his family. Put up a fight and I’ll have no choice but to stun you. I’m not really sure what that would do to a woman in your condition.” His gaze fell pointedly to my stomach. “Plus if you put up a fight I’ll take Gray with us too. He’s much too old and bullheaded to be broken, but that won’t stop them from trying to recondition him.”

I gritted my teeth and calculated my odds. How quick could I be? There were still several feet between me and the table. Far enough away that I could still be shot. Would getting stunned again hurt the baby? I honestly didn’t know. So far he was fine, but how much could the little guy take? Regardless, if I went back there as their prisoner they would take my son the moment I gave birth and turn him into a monster. I couldn’t let that happen. Maybe I couldn’t reach a weapon but there was something else I could do.

Sucking in a deep breath, I screamed as loud as I could and prayed help would come.

The brunt of the stun hit me, silencing my shriek. I fell to my butt and then to my back, twitching. The white lights blinded me as I stared up at them. Fight. Get up. Don’t you dare give up.

I flopped to my side and tried to slither toward the table. Fingers entwined in my hair grasping tightly and jerking me upward. My knees wobbled unable to hold my weight and I whimpered as wisps of hair were plucked from my scalp. An arm wrapped around my waist, supporting me.

“I warned you not to do that,” Gavin hissed. His warm breath ghosted over my neck making me want to vomit.

The door to the infirmary opened and Patrick walked in. His eyes darting from me to Gavin and then back again. Confusion bloomed over his features as he tried to make sense of the scene.

“Gavin?” He asked walking into the room. “What is this?”

I tried to make my voice work, but it only croaked out, but I managed one word, “Orion.” I just hoped he heard it.

“You! All this time, it’s been you. Why?” Patrick clenched his fists at his sides. Wisps of fire sparked from his palms.

“They have a whole world, one you couldn’t even imagine: cities and spaceships, riches beyond your comprehension. I’m a God there.”

“Not going to be… now that everyone… knows what… you’ve done,” I said my voice coming out broken. Stall. Keep him talking. More help has to be coming.

“She brings up a good point.” The arm around my waist tightened and the gun pointed at Patrick. He switched the gun from stun to kill. “I can’t have any loose ends.”

His finger curled around the trigger. Mustering up my strength, I shoved backward, or tried to. The red bolt shot out through the air at the same time Patrick vanished.  He appeared again beside us.

Gavin tossed me away and I toppled to the floor my feet still unable to hold me. I needed to move. Tingling sensations shot through my limbs but they were still leaden and useless. The two men vanished before reappearing and colliding with a wall on the opposite side of the room.

“Too much time with them has made you weak. You’re not getting away, you’re going to pay for your crimes,” Patrick said as he pressed a flaming hand to Gavin’s chest.

Gavin howled in pain and managed to shove Patrick away. He teleported away and reappeared next to me.

My scream pierced the air. I could move enough to flop about but not stand. The sensation was coming back to my fingers but not fast enough.

“Get away from her.” A ball of fire whizzed between me, and Gavin followed by another one.

Gavin made to lunge for me again, but he was stopped when another ball of fire connected with his wrist. He hissed and shook his hand. “Let me take the girl and you have my word that no more kids will be taken from here.”

Patrick’s eyes flew to me. I swallowed hard. Surely he wasn’t considering it. Gritting my teeth, I put all my effort into rolling onto my belly. My hands were starting to get some feeling back, using them I slithered across the floor.

“No deal. You’ll just go steal children from other families and other worlds. How many kids have you sold into slavery?” Patrick took a few steps forward balls of fire raging in his hands.

“Gray can do better than her. She’s a whore. A courtesan. Just some girl he knocked up by accident. Let me take her. I’ll tell them this planet is off limits. You have my word.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I continued to make my way across the floor. The metal leg of the medical cart caught my eye. I could almost reach it. Scooting closer, I reached out and shoved. It careened to the floor with a loud bang.

A small knife skittered across the cool ground just out of my reach. Groaning, I crawled toward it, dragging myself as best I could. My fingers grazed the cool metal making it start to twirl. No. Please no. I forced my digits to close around the hilt at the same time something latched onto my leg.

I screamed trying to kick out, but my leaden leg wouldn’t move. Gavin yanked me toward him. My eyes went to the blade. It was tiny but looked sharp enough to hurt. Fisting it in my hand, I waited until I was close enough to strike and then lashed out.

The tiny blade sunk into his upper chest. His grip on me loosened momentarily and I released the knife to try and pull myself away. In my weakened state I was unable to pull away fully and he latched back onto me swearing under his breath. My body jolted as he tased me. Pain erupted in me as the current ran through me again. Any movement I’d gained the past few minutes was gone. Every muscle in my body was jelly.

His fingers carded into my hair and wrenched my head backward before he jerked me to my feet. My legs still wouldn’t hold me and slid beneath my weight. Gavin tugged me against him and made for the door. Where was Patrick? Had he given up on me?

Gavin turned and my eyes widened as I saw Patrick sprawled on the floor. He was attempting to get to his feet but a large wound on his side was too debilitating.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way old friend.” Gavin scooped me up, so he was carrying me bridal style. He turned back toward the door, making quick strides.

“Please,” I whispered my voice coming out a choked sob. I couldn’t go back. My child couldn’t be subjected to that torture. They’d make his life hell.

A roar erupted behind us. Gavin froze. Then we were flying forward. My brain told my arms to move but they refused. We plummeted to the floor. The ground bit into me at the same time his body collapsed on top of me.

Before I could process what was happening, he was yanked off me. Mustering all of my strength, I flopped to my other side so I could see what was going on.

My heart skipped a beat. Gray! He was awake. He’d saved me. Tears pooled in my eyes.

I watched in a mix of fascination and horror as he slammed Gavin’s body onto the floor. He raised a fiery fist, readying to deliver what I was sure was a final blow.

“Gray! No!” Patrick said hobbling over to him. “We need him alive. We need to know what he’s done with the other kids.”

That monster didn’t deserve to live. But if it helped to find the other kids, stars how many were missing, then I suppose he had to be kept alive for now.

Gray grunted, squeezing his fist tighter before bringing it down toward Gavin. Just as I thought he was going to deliver the killing blow anyway, the fire went out and his fingers curled around Gavin’s collar, lifting him off the floor and then slamming him back down, rendering him effectively unconscious.

He turned back to me, his eyes sweeping over me before he pushed up and hurried over. Dropping to the floor, he scooped me into his arms. “Are you hurt?”

I tried to answer him, but my words caught in my throat. A sob wracked through me. He drew me to him, hugging me tightly. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now,” he soothed.

I burrowed into his shoulder as best I could. Safe. I breathed a sigh of relief. We were both safe. He was awake. He’d been near death moments ago, hadn’t he? “How are you?” I asked my voice muffled by his shoulder.

“I’m okay.” He pulled back, his hand coming up to brush the hair from my face. “Are you okay?”

I drew in a shaky breath. The fall had jarred me a little, but the pain was quickly ebbing away. But… “Can you feel him? Is he okay?” I asked.

Gray was quite for a moment, making my heart seize before he finally spoke. “He’s okay.”

I let out a relieved breath. Thank goodness.

“Dad! Are you back here? We need you,” Lyra’s voice called.

I heard her gasp from behind me. “Dad! What…what happened?”

She rushed past us, stopping to look at Gavin before rushing to Patrick. “Are you okay? How bad is it?”

“Gavin. He’s betrayed us. He tried to kidnap the girl. This is nothing serious, I promise. You should check on her.” He nodded at me before he frowned. “Wait! What happened to you?”

Gray turned so we could both see the doctor. Now that I was really looking her hair was disheveled and there was dirt smeared across her brow. “We’re under attack. It’s the same men we rescued them from but in greater numbers… and… they have a spaceship.”

Chapter Twelve

Gray

The Orion were here. I hugged Aurora closer to me. They wouldn’t get their hands on her. My eyes darted around the room. Where were we? I’d lost time. What had transpired? More importantly were these people friend or foe?

“Are the spells and wards holding? Is everyone safely inside the community?” the man asked as he struggled to his feet. His wounds were already beginning to close. He was a daemon, like me. I didn’t know of any other species that could heal like I could.

“For the moment,” the woman answered. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’m not sure if they’ll hold forever. We were doing a headcount when I left to come check on them and prepare for any wounded.” She nodded at us.

The man nodded at us. “Gavin has been selling us out for years. He planned to abduct the woman and take her with him. He’s the one whose been taking the children from all of our clans. He admitted it.”

I took a step back pulling Aurora to my side so I could fight if need be. My eyes went to the man sprawled out on the floor. Yes. I knew that man. He worked for the King. I’d seen him on several occasions.

“He’s unconscious. I want him properly restrained before he wakes. I’ve got some questions for him.” The man said as he placed a hand over his belly. He took a step forward and had to reach out to support himself with the bed.

“Let me help you, Dad.” The woman said. She wrapped an arm around him and helped to ease him into the bed. “I’m going to administer a strong sedative to Gavin then treat your wounds.”

He waved a hand. “Lyra, I’m fine. Check them. She was tased at least twice and Gray was at death’s door an hour ago.”

I frowned at the mention of my name. How did they know who I was?

The man sighed as he eased himself onto the bed. “You should find your mother. She’ll want to know he’s awake.”

Why? What would the healer’s mother want with me? I scrutinized her. She had thick black hair like me, but her blue eyes looked nothing like mine. Her facial structure though was familiar to me. Did I know her somehow?

 “Let me make sure you’re all okay first.” The woman patted the empty bed that I’d been occupying only a few moments ago. “Why don’t you two come sit down on the bed. I’ll have a look at you.”

Aurora stiffened beside me. Her hand squeezed my shoulder tighter as she buried her face against my neck. “We’re fine.” I smoothed a hand down her back, hoping to reassure her. We were fine too. I could sense our son. He was alive and well and Aurora’s strength seemed to be returning as did mine.

That could change at any moment depending on what happened with the ships. “What is happening out there?”

“A…a spaceship is on the outskirts of our property. They are firing but our protection spells are keeping any weapon fire from breaking through,” Lyra said.

“You have a forcefield?” I asked. I didn’t realize they had that capability.

“Uh,” Lyra paused for a moment. “Something like that.”

My gaze went to Gavin. He’d planned this. More than likely he was with that ship. “Will it keep others like us out?” I asked. If they did have daemons with them we could have a problem.

Lyra froze, her gaze snapping to the man’s then back to mine. “No. It’s made so we can pass freely in and out.”

“If they have daemons with them they could already have breached your barriers.”

Aurora’s hazel eyes met mine before she turned back to the injured man. “What if they weren’t just here for me?” she whispered.

“My God,” the man said. “The children. They all go to the safe room in case of an attack.” He struggled to his feet before the doctor rushed to him. “Gavin knows the layout of our entire community.”

Lyra placed a hand on him. “Dad, you’re in no condition to be fighting.”

“Gray, we can’t let them take more children,” Aurora said. “Patrick saved me from Gavin. I’ll be safe here with him for a few minutes.”

“Where is this safe room?” I asked. I wasn’t going to stand here and let more children be subjected to the Orion rule when I could stop it.

“Take Gray,” Patrick said slumping back onto the bed. “Show him where to go.”

Lyra gave him a look before he waved her on. “I’ll be fine for a little longer.”

“Gavin is sedated but in case he shows signs of stirring give him—”

“Trust me. I know how to put him back under again,” Patrick cut her off.

“If I can stop them—” I started.

Aurora shut me up with a quick peck to my lips. “I know.”

I scooped her up and carried her to the bed I’d been in only a few moments ago, setting her gently on it. She was gradually becoming more mobile but nowhere near ready for a fight.

“I’ll be right back,” I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I promise.”

Aurora blinked up at me and I offered her a small smile before backing away.

“I’ll see you soon,” she whispered.

“I promise.”

Lyra spun on her heel and called over her shoulder, “Follow me.”

I chanced one last glance at Aurora before catching up to Lyra. She jogged down a long corridor until we came to a set of double doors. She shoved them open, and I followed her outside.

She came to an abrupt halt, and I had to catch myself from running into the back of her. It only took a second for me to see what had caught her attention. The sky above us was lighting up with blues and purples as the spaceship fired down upon us. Whatever wards and spells they had in place were enough to keep the enemy fire out, but who knew how long that would last.

Daemons stood at the ready but weren’t firing. I could only assume they’d never seen a situation like this before.

“Can we shoot through the forcefield?” I asked. Even if we could, the ship had its own defenses we would have to penetrate first. With us having the low ground, we had a serious disadvantage.

“We’ve never had a reason to. No one can find this place unless they are one of us.” Lyra turned to me. “It’s really only meant to keep humans away. We’ve never encountered anything like this before.”

“Will your forcefield hold?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

There wasn’t much we could do here. We did need to check on the children though. I didn’t know if there were daemons with the warriors or not, but it sounded like they could come in here undetected if there were. “Let’s get to the children and make sure they are safe.”

“This way.” Lyra took off at a brisk jog again and I followed after her across the estate to a large building. She bounded up the steps and stopped to address the two men standing guard outside. “Has anyone come in here?”

One of the men nodded. “A few guys that said they were with Gavin.”

“How many? And how long ago?” I asked.

“Three, you just missed them,” the guy said.

“Gavin’s betrayed us. Those men are with that ship,” Lyra said pointing to the sky.

“But…they’re..” the guy paused when he looked at me. His confused expression quickly dipping into a frown as he took in my attire. I knew I looked ridiculous in the flannel pants and tee I was wearing, and he was more than likely trying to figure out who I was.

“Long story,” Lyra said. “Call for backup. Now!” She pushed past them, and I followed her into the building.

We sprinted down a long corridor until we came to a set of stairs. “Is there another way out of here?” I asked as we descended.

“There’s an underground tunnel system. We need to hurry.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I quickened my stride, outrunning Lyra in no time. Two doors sat at the end of the hall, and I could already hear yelling coming from the room inside. Judging by the way the voices continued to rise things were escalating quickly. Thankfully, Lyra and I had the element of surprise.

I slowed my pace and held my hand up hoping she would stop too. She did.

We’d only get one chance at this, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt other than the Gavin’s men. Lyra opened her mouth, but I put a finger to my lips and shook my head. I wanted to hear what was going on in there.

Tiptoeing closer I narrowed my eyes and focused on what was being said.

“Gavin said we need to evacuate,” a man was saying.

“That’s not protocol,” a woman said her voice eerily familiar. “I’m not leading these children out until there is a reason to.”

“Look we are taking these kids out of here,” another male voice said.

“No. Children stay where you are,” the woman spoke again. Her voice was strong and determined.

“It’s going to be okay guys. Just hang tight,” another woman said.

“Get out of the way, lady. We have our orders from Gavin.”

“I don’t know who you are. I’ve never seen you before, but we have a way of doing things and I’m not changing it now for some stranger.”

I did know that voice. I’d heard that sternness many times growing up. It was my mother. It had to be.

The daemons hadn’t attacked yet, but it was only a matter of time if they didn’t get their way. I looked at Lyra and motioned her to the other door. Both doors swung inward but unfortunately there was no windows to see inside.

“Take the left,” I said as I conjured two balls of fire in my hands.

She nodded, following my lead. When we got to the doors, I pressed my shoulder against it and nodded at Lyra. In one motion, we burst into the room.

My eyes scanned the right, the second I found the enemy daemons I let my fire loose. Screams filled the air as I darted toward the two men on the right.

I pressed a flaming fist to the first man’s chest and then threw a punch to his face before he even knew what hit him. He went down hard and didn’t look like he was getting up at least for the moment.

The second man barreled toward me, having lost the element of surprise and I just barely ducked under his fiery punch before it connected. I went for an upper cut, but he blocked it and I narrowly missed his right hook.

Dropping to the floor, I swiped my leg out knocking my opponent to the floor. Diving forward I covered him, placing one hand at his throat and holding a blazing fireball in the other. “Don’t move!”

The man blinked up at me, his lip curling in disgust. Sensing his action before he did it, I let the fireball loose at the same time he tried to grapple free. My hand around his throat ignited and he howled in pain. I let the flames continue to burn as he thrashed around knowing he would most likely heal quickly. Speaking of, I chanced a glance over my shoulder to look at his comrade. He was being held down by two women as Lyra administer something to him through a syringe. She stood up and quickly hurried to me, jabbing the pointy end of the needle into his arm.

The man’s eyes rolled, and his lids shut, his struggles ceasing.

“That should keep them out for at least a few hours until we figure out what to do with them,” Lyra said. She stood up and looked around the room. “Is everyone all right?”

I followed her gaze as she searched the room. Tear streaked faces were poking out looking at us. Slowly the children began to move away from the tables and furniture they’d thrown themselves behind.

“We are all fine, thanks to the two of you,” a young woman said. She ran toward Lyra and hugged her. “Lyra, you were so brave. That was amazing.”

My gaze drifted to a woman making her way toward us. She was staring at me, her mouth slightly agape. When our eyes met, she rushed toward me.

“Gray?” she asked stopping a few inches in front of me. “Is it really you?”

I stared down into her eyes, eyes that were so similar to mine. She’d aged visibly since I last saw her but the smile on her face and the hope in her shimmering brown eyes was familiar. “Mom,” I whispered.

She laughed, her hand reaching up, stopping for a moment before she placed it on my cheek. As a boy I’d looked up to her, but I’d grown taller than her by at least six inches. “My boy. Look at you. All grown up.”

I’d spent so many nights as a boy trying to remember her face, her voice, I never thought I’d see her again. I swallowed hard, fighting back my own emotions as she began to cry. I was home.

I pulled her into a hug, and she squeezed me tightly. Her body shuddering as she sobbed. “My sweet boy is finally home. I always knew you’d be back.”

For years I’d dreamt of this day but had given up hope thinking it wasn’t possible. The Orion government had taken me from my home and in a roundabout way were now responsible for my return. It was surreal. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. What was I supposed to say? I’d been a boy when I’d been taken, I was a man now, one who was going to be a father in a few months. I needed to check on Aurora and make sure she was still okay.

She could take care of herself, but with everything going on I didn’t want to risk it. I knew how much being tased took out of me and she was much smaller and weighed quite a bit less.

“You’re Gray,” the other woman, in the room said quietly as she came to stand beside me and my mother.

I glanced her way, taking her in for the first time. She wasn’t a woman, no more like a teenager.

“Oh goodness me,” my mother said as she pulled away and grasped the girl’s hand. “Gray, this is your little sister, Kori. And you’ve met your other little sister Lyra too I see. She was just a babe when you were taken.”

Sisters? I studied them both for a long minute. Kori had my mother’s brown eyes, but her hair was a sandy blonde, and her facial structure was rounder.

“It’s…uh…nice to meet you both,” I said unsure of anything else to say.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Kori said taking a step forward and then stopping like she wasn’t sure what to do. I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t sure what to do either. A little sister, who had to have been born long after I’d disappeared.

What was I supposed to say to that? I’d never considered having any siblings aside from Kai. And I needed to get back to Aurora. I didn’t like leaving her alone for this long, there was just too much happening around us. “I look forward to getting to know you, but I’d like to get back to Aurora.”

“Oh yes, of course. You go. We’ll be there in a few once we get everything settled here…unless,” my mother said as she looked around the room.

“I just called for reinforcements. There’s plenty of other adults here who can help. You should come with me to the infirmary, Mom. Dad’s been injured.”

“What?” Ellen frowned. “Is he okay?”

“He should be, but I haven’t had a chance to tend to him yet. Gray and Aurora thought the…um Orion might be after the kids here. Looks like they were right.”  Lyra said motioning to the unconscious men.

“What happened?” Ellen asked.

“It was Gavin,” Lyra said dropping her voice. “He’s the one that’s been betraying us. He’s the reason the children have been going missing for years.”

“Gavin?” My mother covered her mouth with her free hand. “He was so close to your father.” She squeezed my hand tightly. “Oh no.” Her eyes met mine, fresh tears swimming in them. “Your father.” She put her other hand on mine as we walked. “What do you remember about the attack when you were a boy?”

“Only a little,” I admitted. “I know he died trying to protect me.” Some things were coming back to me in bits and pieces. A lot of things were still fuzzy.

“Oh, he loved you so, so much.” She touched Lyra’s arm. “You both were his world. I’m just so thankful to have you back. I’m not losing you again.”

A group of men and women came down the hall towards us.

“What is the status of the attack?” My mom asked as they approached.

“They’ve left. Eric and Monty are doing a head count. It looks like everyone is accounted for, though,” one of the men said.

“That’s something at least,” my mom sighed.

“They’ll be back,” I said. It was the truth. They’d probably called for reinforcements. There was no way they were going to let all these children go. There had to be close to a hundred down here. We were too valuable to them. I needed to get back to Aurora. Together we could come up with a game plan. “They’ll be coming for the children and for Aurora. I don’t want to leave her for much longer.” We were making our way back, but it was slow going compared to the haste we’d made getting here.

“Yes. Yes, let’s go. Kori, you should come to, my love. Your father will want to know you’re okay.” My mother froze and looked back at me her eyes once again shimmering with unshed tears. “Patrick is my husband. He’s adopted Lyra and raised her as his own and he is Kori’s father. He’s a good man. You may remember him; he was very close with your dad. I hope the two of you can be close some day as well,” she said.

“It’s all right.” My father’s death would never be okay, but I’d made peace with it a long time ago. I was glad to see that my mother had been able to pick up the pieces of losing her son and husband and move on. “Let’s get back to the infirmary.”

“Yes, of course.” She wrapped her arm around Kori and led the way out. “Aurora wasn’t injured, was she?”

“She was tased a few times. But she was already regaining the ability to move when I left her.” 

“Oh my, Lyra, you should do an ultrasound to make sure the baby is all right,” my mother said looking back first at me and then the doctor.

“He’s fine. I can feel him.” I knew how Aurora felt about being touched.

“Him?” My mother smiled. “Of course you can feel him, but I’m sure Aurora would feel better if she—”

“No. She doesn’t like to be touched.” I understood my mother’s concern, but I wasn’t going to push Aurora into something when there wasn’t a need.

“Oh, but are you sure?” she asked as we made our way back into the hallway.

“Her and the baby are fine.”

“It’s the pheromones, Mom.” Lyra said. “They affect people when they touch her. I’m guessing everyone is affected.”

The healer had probably touched her while doing an initial exam when we were brought in. “Yeah.” It didn’t affect me much though. It never had.

“Gavin was going after you and her, wasn’t he?” my mother asked.

“Titus don’t take kindly to their slaves escaping,” I said quietly. “Aurora has unique talents that are very rare.”

“They won’t take another person from this planet if I can help it,” my mother hissed. “No parent should ever have to go through losing their child.”

“I’m sure we can figure out a way to stop them, we’ll need help though,” I said. There had to be something we could do to rid them from this world once and for all.

“There are thousands of daemons on this planet. All of them have lost children over the years. I’m sure they will be more than willing to send their best warriors,” my mother said with conviction as we made our way outside. We stopped for a moment staring up at the sky.

The attack had stopped, and the ship had disappeared, probably to orbit the planet or stay off the radar of the government.

“Do you really think they’ll be back?” Kori asked.

“Yes. The king of Orion uses fear to keep his subjects under control. They take the kids because it’s easier to condition and brain wash someone from a young age.” It was a sad truth but one they needed to hear. They needed to know what evil they were up against.

“Is Aurora a fighter too?” Kori asked.

The question was innocent, she was probably too young to know better. If I had to guess she was probably closer to twelve or thirteen. “No. They use people like her for something else.”

“Oh that poor girl,” my mother whispered.

“She got out. We both escaped at one point in our life. That’s more than a lot of people can say. Believe me when I say, we are the lucky ones.”  It was true. We’d had horrible things done to us, but we’d both come out of it stronger and fighting for a better world.

I slowed my steps as we neared the infirmary. It was quiet. Too quiet. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached out, Aurora and the baby were close, but what if something had happened. I put my hand on my mom’s shoulder and took a step around them putting a finger to my lips.

There was no glass window on the infirmary door so I couldn’t see in. I listened and there was nothing on the other side. Pushing the door open, I darted in ready to attack.

“You’re back,” Aurora said from a spot behind the door where she could’ve gotten the drop on an intruder. She had a knife in one hand and blaster in the other that she quickly lowered to her side.

“I told you I would be.” I walked toward her and pulled her into an embrace. “Are you okay?”

“I got feeling back in my legs and arms. Figured it would be best to be ready just in case,” she sighed.

I knew the feeling. “They are gone. For now.”

She nodded and pulled away glancing to the corner where Lyra, my mom and Kori were all fussing over Patrick.

“How long do you think we have?” she asked keeping her voice low.

“The shields they have here seem to be holding. My guess, they’ll be back with more daemons since they supposedly can just walk inside the community.”

Aurora squeezed her eyes shut. “So a day, maybe two.”

I pressed my forehead to hers. “Probably. But we are going to find a way to keep them from taking anyone else. I promise.” I’d love to be able to tell her she was wrong, and the threat was over, but we both knew that I couldn’t do it. They would be back and in larger numbers. The only thing we could do was to fight with every breath we had.

Chapter Thirteen

Aurora

Warm fingers grazed my exposed hip and the pillow beneath me moved drawing me out of my slumber. My eyes flew open as I tried to get my bearings. I sat up and drew in a shaky breath, taking in the unfamiliar room.

The events of last night slowly seeped in waking up in the infirmary, the attack, meeting Gray’s mom, dinner and being shown to this room. Gray and I had both flopped onto the bed each taking our own side.

We must have gravitated towards each other at some point during the night. I’d been using him as a pillow and had even thrown a leg haphazardly over his. He’d been holding me close. Gray was the only person I’d ever woken up next to. He was the only man I’d ever let my guard down with.

I sighed and snuggled back closer to him. He stirred again and mumbled something incoherent. His breathing was still steady and even which made me think he must still be sleeping.

Placing my hand on his chest I propped my chin on the back of it so I could look at him. He was so peaceful and handsome. I hoped our son would have his lush dark locks and sharp features.

Gray’s eyes blinked open, and I flushed having been caught staring. I made to move but the lazy hand on my side tightened.

“Morning,” he said.

“Hi.” We’d only had a few nights together prior to this. How did couples greet each other in the morning? Before we’d always made love, but our relationship had progressed to something more. Did couples still do that?

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“Better than I have in a long time.” It was the truth. I’d always felt safe on the Nightfall but there was something about being in his embrace that was soothing.

Gray shifted his legs beneath mine. I went to slide my leg off his and my thigh brushed against his very hard, erect member. Heat pooled in my core at the feeling of him.

“Sorry,” he flushed moving to pull away.

“Don’t,” I whispered moving the inside of my thigh against him again.

He sucked in a breath and met my eyes. I bit my lip as I rubbed my leg over him, so it rested on the opposite hip before aligning my center with his. I rolled my hips, moaning at the feel of him.

“Aurora?” he asked still not moving beneath me.

“Even after I found out who you were, I couldn’t stop thinking about you…about us.” I leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “I missed what we had. I dreamed about us. Almost every night.”

His hand traced the curve of my ass, but I could tell he was trying to hold back. “I meant what I said. I wanted to tell you who I was. I never meant to hurt you. What happened between us on Haven was real for me. I fell for you the first moment I saw you.”

“It was real for me to,” I said meeting his eyes.

He held my gaze. “I want us to be a family, for us to see what we have together.”

A lump formed in my throat and tears pricked my eyes. “I want that too.”

He smiled up at me, his dark eyes searching mine. I rolled my hips again, giggling when he groaned beneath me. His hand tightened on my butt and the other hand grabbed the other cheek, pulling me closer to where I wanted him to be. It was my turn to whimper.

Gray sat up, his lips meeting mine in a tender kiss. His tongue pressed against my mouth, and I sighed letting it in. We sat that way for what could have been minutes or hours getting reacquainted with each other. I really had missed the way that he kissed. His lips moved along my jawbone and then to my neck as his hand fisted in my hair. The other hand went to the hem of my shirt, rolling it up so his fingers could find my breast.

I rocked against his member, loving the beautiful friction we were creating. It wasn’t enough though. I wanted to feel him inside me, stretching me the way he had before. Growing impatient, I grasped the edges of his shirt and pulled it up, exposing his chest.

He drew in a deep breath as I exposed it. The skin where he’d been shot was still red and raw where it would definitely scar. I placed a gentle hand on it. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. It doesn’t hurt, especially when you’re touching me.” He found my lips again.

I pushed him back down on the pillows. “Maybe I’ll just have to keep touching you then.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

I leaned down and kissed down his chin to his chest and then to the scar, placing tender kisses to it. If I could make it better with my lips I would.

Gray groaned when I swiped my tongue out and dragged it across the newly forming mark. My lips peppered him with kisses until I reached the edge of his pants.

I played with the strings on the soft material before tugging them loose so I could slip my hand inside. My gaze wandered to his face so I could watch his reaction to my touch. His eyes fluttered shut at the same time he sucked in a deep breath.

He gulped and fisted his hands in the sheets. Slowly, I pumped my hand up and down his shaft, smiling at the reaction and the noises that I was getting out of him.

Precum dribbled out of the tip, and I bent down to lick it off. His cock strained against my lips. I sucked it into my mouth, swirling my tongue over it. Gray mumbled something incoherently. I continued my ministrations.

“Aurora,” he said, his voice strained. “I want to be inside you when I come.”

I peeked up at him with a pout. It was nice to see him lose control.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked.

I blinked at him and smiled. I was beginning to see exactly what it was I did. Bending down, I took his length into my mouth again. Gray’s hips bucked off the bed.

The leg that was between my thighs shifted, so it was rubbing against my apex. I grunted as Gray continued to move it, so it was hitting just the right spot.

“That’s not nice,” I chided as I peered up at him again.

“I want to feel you, Aurora. All of you,” he said, moving his leg just so.

I ground down against it. His hands went to my bottom and began to push my pants down. I wriggled so they could slip down before finally kicking them off. Gray somehow managed to work his off at the same time.

As much as I enjoyed tasting him my center was now throbbing with want. I moved so I was straddling him and positioned him at my entrance before sinking down. I gasped as he filled me. I’d forgotten how thick and large he was, filling me to the brim.

I splayed my hands across his chest, giving myself a moment to adjust. Gray’s eyes met mine and we held each other’s gazes. Slowly, I began to rock. His hands went to my hips, his fingers digging in as he held me in place.

“Fuck, Aurora, you feel so good,” he said.

I rolled my hips. “So do you.” He felt amazing. I was so wonderfully full of him. As I set a steady rhythm, I let myself get lost in the feelings and sensations.

What we’d had together on Haven had been special. The moments we were creating now were even more so. We had a future together. We were going to be a family. Gray was a man that I could trust…that I could love.

I’d never thought myself capable of falling in love, or that anyone could love me. Gray was proving me wrong. I’d almost lost him once already; I’d be damned if I was going to risk losing him again. Somehow, we’d find a way to free ourselves for good so we could spend the rest of our lives with each other.

I wanted to savor this moment and never forget it. Gray seemed intent on that too. He rolled his hips, so he was hitting just the right spot. I let out a squeal of pleasure and Gray grinned, moving in just the right way again.

His hand found the back of my leg. He moved like he was going to reverse our positions but held short. “Can I?” he asked.

I drew in a breath and let it out before nodding. In a movement so fast, I barely had time to blink, I was on my back and Gray’s lips were crushing against mine as he pulled his cock almost all the way out before pushing back in.

He held my leg against his hip, keeping me at an angle so he could hit just the right spot. I kissed him back, letting my tongue dance along his as we rode our pleasures to near completion.

Gray pressed his forehead against mine, his gaze once again meeting mine. “I want to see you come,” he said as his fingers found my breast. He rolled my nipple between his fingers.

“I’m so close,” I said my voice hoarse from the noises I was making.

My admission seemed to spur him on even more. His movements quickened and somehow seemed to be going deeper. Over and over again he was hitting that sweet spot inside me. I was climbing higher and higher until I tumbled over the peak with a scream that was a mix between his name and fuck.

Gray road out my waves of pleasure, pumping in and out a few more times before he stiffened over me with a growl. He placed lazy kisses to my jawbone and then to my lips before rolling off me but pulling me to him, so I was pressed against his chest.

“Fuck, Aurora. I forgot how amazing we are together.”

I laughed as I tried to catch my breath. “I don’t want you to ever forget again.” I nuzzled closer to him as I ran my fingers up and down his chest.

He kissed me long and slow, only stopping when my belly rumbled. “We should get you something to eat,” he said.

I groaned. Getting something to eat would mean leaving the room. I still wasn’t entirely sure about everyone here. They were Gray’s family, yes, and they’d done nothing but help us so far, but it was so hard to trust. And then there was the whole fact that this was Gray’s family, what if they didn’t like me? How was someone supposed to act with a family? I didn’t have anything to go off of, everyone on the Nightfall had long since written off their families, with good reason. My family had sold me into slavery, so the concept was foreign to me.

Gray’s hand went to my stomach. “What’s wrong?”

I looked away from him, fixating on a spot on the wall. “Nothing’s wrong.” It was the truth, sort of.

“I know it can’t be easy for you to trust them. Not many people have done right by you. And I know I haven’t been here in years, but I remember my mom even more now that I’m home. All sorts of memories came back last night. I was up half the night. We can trust them.” Gray rubbed my belly before bending down to kiss it. “I wouldn’t put either of you in danger. Ever.”

I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “You also trust Prince Kai.”

“He’s my brother. I trust him. Just like I trust my family.” Gray kissed me softly.

“That’s yet to be determined on both counts.” I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.

“Aurora, they rescued us, brought us back here, gave us medical care and protected us when the Orion ships showed up. I know in my heart we can trust them. Just like I know that when Kai finds his way here, you’ll get to know him as I do.”

He did bring up a valid point about his family at least. I still didn’t trust Kai. “Can you sense him…Kai I mean?” I asked curious.

“I can. He’s still alive, and if Echo is with him, I’m sure she is fine.”

“She better be.” I jabbed him playfully.

Gray moved so he could get up. “You’re deflecting. We need to get up. It’s lunchtime. I need to get you on a better schedule for eating.”

If I wasn’t so hungry, I’d yank him back into bed with me, but my belly rumbled again. Groaning, I wrapped the sheets around me and stood up walking to the chair where some garments were laid out. They were all soft with elastic waistbands like they were meant for sleeping.

Lyra had handed the pile of clothing to me and told me they were some good comfy clothes. As I put them on, I thought I understood why she called them that. The material was soft and stretchy allowing me to move freely. They also had enough room for me to put both sheaths around my waist to carry my knives. I never went anywhere without them now.

I finished tucking my weapons into their sleeves and turned to Gray who had also gotten dressed in similar clothes. Only his pants were way too short, falling only to midcalf. I covered my mouth and giggled at the sight.

“Well, at least they’re comfortable.” Gray rolled his eyes.

“I’ve never felt material like this before.” Bed clothes were silkier than this. “It’s nice.”

Gray offered me his hand. “Let’s get something to eat. Then maybe we’ll see about getting some more clothing…at least for me.”

Chapter Fourteen

Aurora

I played with the edge of my napkin as Gray told his mother, Patrick and sisters harrowing tales of his and Kai’s adventures. They seemed enthralled with them, and I could tell Kai and his father were already a hero in their eyes.

“This world you come from makes our home sound so dull,” Ellen said as she reached to take a sip of her coffee.

“Indeed,” Patrick said.

“It sounds like a doctor’s worse nightmare,” Lyra said with a laugh. “I’m sure there are tons of openings for doctors everywhere.”

“Actually, there are more med droids than actually beings that are healers,” Gray said, causing Lyra’s face to fall.

“What’s a med droid?” Kori asked.

“A robot. They are programmed to be familiar with all the different species,” Gray said with a grin.

“That doesn’t sound very personable,” Lyra said as she rolled her eyes.

I agreed with her but that was why I liked them after all.

“Species? Like there are people who aren’t like us?” Kori asked.

“There are all sorts of different people,” Gray said.

“Cool. Maybe one day I can go with you to visit,” Kori said excitedly.

I cleared my throat and shook my head. She didn’t want to go there.

“You haven’t told us how the two of you met?” his mother said as she reached to take a sip of her water.

Gray and I shared a look before he cleared his throat. “We met on a planet called Haven. I was seeking Aurora’s crew out for some assistance with smuggling weapons across planet borders.”

“You’re a smuggler?” Kori asked, her eyes wide as she looked at me. “That sounds exciting.”

I shrugged. “There’s not a lot of honest work for people who have bounties on their heads.” It was the truth. I could never settle down someplace for too long. Running missions on the Nightfall was my life.

Kori frowned. “Those men last night…they were here for you too.” It wasn’t a question.

“They were.” I didn’t see any point in denying it.

Gray took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “They will be back. Most likely in greater numbers. And it’s not just Aurora they want. They want the kids, especially now that their supply chain has been disrupted. I imagine the daemon communities all over the world are tightening their security.”

Patrick nodded. “Yes. I’ve made everyone aware of Gavin’s deceit. They should be taking extra precautions.”

“But why?” Ellen asked, her eyes shifting between the two of us. “Surely there are other beings that can fight. Why us? Why our children?”

“Not like us. Earth is the only planet who has daemons. And Aurora is a one in a million, even more rare than daemons.”

“You have magic too then?” Kori asked.

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. It was more of a curse in my opinion. “My power is quite a bit different.” I didn’t have physical powers or strength, but what I could do mentally was coveted.

Ellen cleared her throat. “But if we are the most powerful, why are they in control and not daemons?”

“That’s why they take children,” I said quietly. “Children are easier to brainwash. Their spirits are easier to crush. Almost everyone has a breaking point and if they can’t break you... they make your life hell. They have collars they use to control you and keep you in line. They exploit your magic to benefit them, and they keep you drugged and chained up until they need you.” I looked to Gray and inhaled deeply before turning back to them. I’d probably given away too much. I was speaking from firsthand experience. I’d never fully broke and had endured my years as a slave. My skills as an interrogator were quite good. Perhaps some of my abilities could be put to good use. “Have you questioned Gavin yet?”

“Some,” Patrick said. “He’s not said anything.”

“I can get him to talk.” I hadn’t been used as just a courtesan. My passion gene did have its benefits. I hated interrogating but we needed to know what Gavin was up to.

“How?” Patrick asked.

“No,” Gray said at the same time.

I met Gray’s gaze and held it. “We need to know their plans. They have orders. The sooner we find them out, the better. We’re not safe until we find out their agenda and take the fight to them. We can overpower them and even take their ship as ours. Think of what we could do with one of their ships that can travel between galaxies.”

“No. I don’t want you in that position.” Gray’s jaw was hard, and his eyes pierced mine, anger churning in his dark gaze.

“I don’t understand,” Patrick said, causing Gray to look to him.

“I’ve interrogated many men and women before. My magic gives me an advantage. I can get him to talk.” Getting him to talk would be easy. I only needed a few minutes with him. No one had ever been able to resist me. Not even Gray and he didn’t seem affected by my magic all that much.

Ellen shook her head. “What advantage?”

“It doesn’t matter. It will put her in danger. I’m not risking it,” Gray said.

“I’m already in danger. Everyone here is. We can get information that will make it safer for us. Gray, we need to know how many men out there and how many are know where we are. He might even be able to help us find Echo, Loc and Kai. What if they’ve been captured?”

“Aurora,” he sighed shaking his head.

“It’s my choice.” We might be together, but I was still capable of making my own decisions.

“How does this work?” Patrick asked. “I’m not ready to resort to violence.”

“No violence.” I looked to Patrick and then to Ellen and Lyra. “If he tries to resist it will be unpleasant but there will be no harm done to him. I just need to get close enough to touch him.”

“You’re not going in there alone,” Gray said. “He might be chained and sedated but he’s stronger than he looks.”

“No, she won’t be alone.” Patrick shook his head. “I’d like to be in there as well. I want to hear everything he has to say. Lyra should come too, just in case.”

“Of course.” I’d be happy to have them in there with me. Gavin was a monster who was desperate. I should be able to get control of him quickly, but if he tried anything I would be happy for Gray, Patrick’s and Lyra’s aid.

“We’ll go as soon as we finish breakfast,” Patrick said.

***

The walk to the holding cell was quiet. Gray was not pleased with my offering to help. I didn’t see any other way. We needed information and this was the quickest way.

“How does this work?” Patrick asked as he pulled out his keys to unlock the door.

I opened my mouth to explain, but Gray beat me to it. “Aurora just needs to touch him for this to work. You take the right, I’ll take the left. Lyra be ready with that sedative just in case he tries anything crazy.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Patrick said.

“It’ll be easier for me to show you,” I said.

The door swung open. Gavin stood in the middle of the room, his hands bound in some sort of contraption that covered his whole hand and halfway up his arm. The chain came from the back wall giving him a little lead way to move about the room so he could access the bed and toilet if needed. Patrick, Lyra and Gray went in before I did. Gavin looked up at us, his eyes widening when they fixed on me.

“What is she doing here?” he asked. He tried to back up but once he hit the wall there was nowhere else for him to go.

“Let’s not play games,” I said. He knew exactly what was going to happen. “The more you fight, the more it’s going to hurt.”

Gray grabbed Gavin’s arm and pushed him against the wall, holding him there. Patrick followed his lead. I approached slowly coming to a stop right in front of him.

Gavin gulped. A fine sheen of sweat beaded on his brow. Good. He should be nervous. He was about to spill all his dirty secrets tome. I reached up to touch his cheek. He flinched and tried to shrug away, but there was nowhere for him to go.

I placed my hand on his cheek and locked eyes with him. His eyes dilated as my magic began to work. “How long have you been taking children from Earth?” I asked.

Gavin swallowed. “My family has been abducting children for over a hundred years. My grandfather started it, then my father, then it was passed to me.”

“Why?” I asked. Over one hundred years. The bastards. How many children.

Gavin laughed out loud. “For the money of course. My family is rich and has never wanted for anything.”

“How many children have been abducted over the years?” I didn’t want to know the answer. Even one was too many.

“I don’t know. I’ve honestly lost count.”

I curled my lip in disgust. “How many ships do the Orion have that can travel to Earth?”

Gavin squirmed. He tried to look away, but I strengthened my hold.

“How many?” I asked again.

“Eighty last I heard.”

“How many are here now?” I asked.

“I don’t know. A contingent, maybe two. The prince wants you back, desperately.” He licked his lips and let his eyes roam over me. “I can see why.”

Gray grasped him by the hair and wrenched his head so hard toward him that I almost lost my hold on him. “Enough!”

I shifted on my feet. I hated Gavin. I hated the Orion King even more. He was cold and callus and took what he wanted when he wanted it. If I never saw him again, I’d be happy.

“How many is in a contingent?” Patrick asked.

I knew the answer to that. “Fifteen.”

“So possibly thirty ships,” Patrick sighed heavily.

“Did you kidnap any children since your arrival the other day?” I asked.

“No. But it’s on the agenda. Our main focus was to get you back. You and that wee one. That babe is going to be special.” Gavin glanced down at my stomach.

I fought the urge to punch him. No one was touching my baby. “How did you find out about that?” Echo, Loc and Gray, maybe Prince Kai were the only ones who knew.

“We retraced your steps. The droid you visited was quite helpful.”

I wanted to be sick. The entire Orion army knew about mine and Gray’s child.

“What will they plan now?” Patrick asked.

I’d never had anyone else question someone I used my magic on before. I’d always been given a script of what to ask.

“They will keep coming for Aurora and the children. They’ll kill anyone who gets in their way.”

“How do we stop them?” Patrick asked.

“Stop a spaceship?” Gavin laughed out loud. “You’d need some pretty heavy-duty fire power. We don’t have that here.”

“How long do we have before the next attack?” I asked.

“I’d say its imminent. You know how they are. They won’t stop until they get what they want. The shield is giving you a false sense of security. Their tech is far superior it’s only a matter of time before they take it down. As soon as they have a way to do that they’ll be back.”

“Did you give them information that will help them take it down?” I asked afraid to know the answer.

Gavin grinned, looking all too proud of himself. “I did.”

I wanted to throat punch the bastard and wipe that smug smile off his face. He’d sold out his family and friends all for a little bit of money.

“How were you communicating with them?” Patrick asked.

Before Gavin could answer rumbling sounded overhead. I knew that sound. It was spaceship engines, and it was more than one. Our luck was up. The Orion had returned.

“You can just ask them whatever you want yourself,” Gavin barked out. He laughed hysterically.

I removed my hand from his face and wiped it on my pants.

“We need to assemble teams,” Gray said. He shoved Gavin against the wall, hard enough for his body to make a sickening crack. Gavin sagged coughing and wheezing as he fought to catch his breath.

Patrick didn’t have a chance to respond before the first explosion hit.

Chapter Fifteen

Gray

I could kill him right now. This bastard had ruined so many lives. He’d put Aurora in danger now too. I raised my hand to strike him again, but Aurora put her hand on my bicep.

“Don’t. We have other things to worry about right now.”

She was right. There was a loud crackle and then an explosion somewhere to the west. The ground trembled beneath us. They were firing on us. Were the shields down?

“Come on,” Patrick said patting me on the shoulder as he hurried to the door. “We need to regroup with the others. Our shield isn’t down yet, but it could be soon. We need to prepare. Lyra get supplies from the infirmary and head to the shelter.”

I took Aurora’s hand and led the way out of the prisoner compound. When we got outside, it was pure chaos. Everyone was running around. Children were screaming and crying as some of the adults tried to coral them toward the shelter.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight,” I said, placing a kiss to Aurora’s head.

She squeezed my hand tighter and together we hurried after Patrick as he made his way to the main compound. Lyra was already taking off for the infirmary.

“How bad is it?” Patrick asked the moment he entered.

Everyone looked up at him. For a moment no one answered and then my mother stepped forward. “The shield is holding except for at the west point by the road. It’s been breached there. I’ve sent a team to intercept anyone who enters. The opening is small enough that they will have to come on foot.”

“These warriors they are sending. They are daemons?” someone asked.

“Probably a mix of daemons and Orion warriors. The warriors may look slightly different than us, but they are humanoid and have similar weaknesses to humans,” I said.

“Are we going to kill our own people. They could be our children, brothers and sisters,” someone else protested.

“We will do everything we can to keep from harming them,” Patrick spoke up. “Remember this is an incursion. Our first priority must be to protect our people. Then we will see what we can do to help any of our kind that has been brainwashed. I want three more teams on that entry point. I don’t want anyone to get into the actual city.”

“That’s going to be a problem,” someone else said. “The shield is failing. It’s going to come down. They must have found a way to counteract the spells holding it.”

I gritted my teeth. We’d have to bear the full brunt of the ships plus their army. This was going to go sideways fast.

“Ellen, make sure everyone makes their way to the shelter. I want our best warriors on the entrance and exit to that building. No one gets in,” Patrick ordered.

“You need to go there too,” I said to Aurora with a sigh. I didn’t want to let Aurora out of my sight, but we were in for a tough fight. They were coming for her, for all the kids. I couldn’t fight with her right next to me.

“I thought you wanted me to stay with you?” she asked her voice low as she looked down at the floor.

“You shouldn’t fight, unless you have to.” Every time she fought it put the baby at risk.

“Come, Aurora, let’s get to safety,” my mom said. She took Aurora’s elbow and tugged on it gently.

Aurora pursed her lips. I could tell she didn’t like the idea, but I needed her to do this. “I’ll come for you. I promise.”

She nodded and took a step back. “I’ll see you soon.”

I inclined my head. I wasn’t one to break promises and I wasn’t going to start now. I watched as my mom and Aurora left the room and then focused on Patrick who was already spouting off orders.

He was planning a large group around the shelter.

“Gray, can you tell us anything about them that we might need to know?” Patrick asked.

All eyes turned toward me. I cleared my throat. “Their objective is to get the children. Potentially some of the women too.” They were always looking for beautiful women to exploit. “These daemons have been taught to kill and follow orders. They don’t know compassion and they won’t care who they hurt or kill to get what they want. Don’t underestimate them. They’ve been taught to use all of our abilities to their advantage. The ships won’t want to fire where they believe the children to be. They want them alive. It’s an advantage, though a small one. We should keep the core of our fighters here.”

“Shield failure is imminent,” one of the men called. “I’m using the last of the energy to protect the shelter. It should hold for at least a short bit.”

“Everyone get to your posts,” Patrick said. “Danny, call some of the other groups and ask for reinforcements.”

Some ran out of the room and others teleported. I did the latter, appearing just outside the complex where Aurora and the kids were. We needed to keep the daemons out of the shelter. If any of them made it inside, they could start teleporting back and forth. The moment the daemons could teleport into the shelter it was game over. They could jump in and back out again without us being able to do much to stop them.

I took a spot in front of the door. These men and women all had the same power as me and our adversaries, but they’d never been in a battle like this before. It seemed there was peace here on Earth. They didn’t know what they were in for.

The air was tense as the ships loomed overhead. Some of the others made small talk as they kept their eyes on the sky. I readied myself, drawing my fire into my hands, I waited.

It wasn’t long before a contingent of daemons teleported before us. I didn’t hesitate. The second I saw them; I threw my fire at them. It clipped one in the chest and the other managed to dodge out of the way at the last second.

The man I hit was phased for only a moment before he sprinted towards us. I held my ground, watching and waiting. He ran straight for me.

I shifted on the balls of my feet. The second he was close enough, I ducked left, swung my arm out and caught him around the neck. I swung around, getting behind him so I had him in a choke hold. Letting them live was a mistake. We’d spend precious time trying to preserve them, allowing them to get to their targets. I wasn’t going to let that happen. Aurora and my mother and sisters were in there. I’d just gotten all of them back. I wasn’t going to lose them again. Not now. I brought my other arm up and snapped his neck, then let him fall to the ground.

I turned, everyone else was being careful, not wanting to kill their own kind. They didn’t understand. This was war. I drew more fire and launched both fireballs at a daemon who had one of the men pinned to the ground.

They hit their mark giving the man some reprieve but not enough. The problem with us was we could heal fast. I hit the man again and readied more fire.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fireball whizzing for me. I turned and hurtled my fire at it. The two balls of fire collided and exploded into a large ball of fire on the ground.

The daemon that had tried to attack me charged. This time, I met him halfway. He threw a punch. I was able to duck out of the way of the first one and land an upper cut to his jaw. I missed his other fist though. It connected with my torso, causing my breath to whoosh out of my lungs.

He tried to hit me again. I caught his fist with my left hand and gave him a right hook to the jaw. His head snapped to the side. Blood flew from his mouth. I growled, drawing my fire into both palms. I pressed them against his chest and held them as the fire burned bright and hot. He howled in pain.

I followed him to the ground as he fell, not letting loose. Flames started to lick their way over him. His eyes widened. I continued to push my fire at him until he sputtered. The light left his eyes and his movements ceased.

I stood up in time to see one of the ships landing. A group of men came running out with their guns drawn. I did not want to get shot again.

Calling my fire again, I threw balls of fire at the group. My first two hit the mark. The soldiers got smarter and broke formation. I tried to take out as many of them as I could, but another wave was coming out and more ships were trying to land.

The other men were still fighting off the daemons. And fuck. A few men just snuck into the shelter. The Orion warriors couldn’t teleport. At least we had that on our side. We had to take the soldiers out. The sooner the better. But luck wasn’t on our side.

Another group of daemons teleported right by the door. I drew my fire once again and charged them. They’d have to go through me before they got into that building.

Chapter Sixteen

Aurora

We’d barely made it into the shelter before the sound of fighting filtered down the hallway. It didn’t sound like anyone was inside, but it was close.

I looked around at the others in the room. Some of them were my age, perfectly capable of being out there fighting. Why weren’t they? It took me a minute to realize that they’d never learned. They’d never had a reason to.

How lucky for them. Echo and Loc had taught me to fight. I’d been a quick study. With the life I had you had to be. These people didn’t realize just how lucky they were. If Gray and the men and women outside held the line, they would never know.

“We should just give her to them. That’s why they are here,” a woman said. She pointed her finger at me.

“What?” Ellen said. Her eyes widened as she looked between me and the woman. “Absolutely not, Celia.”

“If we give her to them, they’ll leave,” Celia said.

I laughed out loud at that. She was a fool if she believed that. And a coward.

“Come on Ellen, Gray deserves better. Someone who is strong like him. Look at her. She’s so…weak.” Celia flung her arm out.

The laugh died on my lips. I narrowed my eyes and took a step toward her. Weak? Me? I’d show her.

I didn’t get the chance. Footsteps pounded down the hallway toward us. If I had to guess they weren’t friendly.

I ran to the wall and pulled out my knives. Then put my back against the wall. Some of the adults worked to corral the children away from the doors and to the back of the room. Others had gone into hiding, Celia included. Bitch! I’d worry about her later. I needed to focus.

My heart pounded in my chest as the footfalls clopped against the floor drawing nearer. They were almost here.

The door flew open, and the men raced in. I lunged at the closest guy, jabbing my blade into his back. He screamed. I yanked my blade out. The man pitched forward onto the floor.

I’d caught some of their attention. Two of them raced toward me. I hopped backward and swung the blade in my right arm out. It grazed one of their wrists but not enough to cause serious harm with their suits. They were covered from their shoulders down in a thick mesh material. I needed to be able to lock eyes with my prey while touching bare skin. I’d have to fight them off.

They stalked toward me. I watched them, waiting for them to make a mistake. The man saw me and paused, fumbling to switch his device to stun. I didn’t let him get the chance. I drove forward, shoving my left blade into his chest. At the same time, I reached up and slashed my other across the other guy’s chest.

He stumbled backward. I tried to pry my left blade out, but the guy grasped my hand and then he started to pitch toward me. I released my blade and ducked to the side not wanting him to take me down too.

Someone grabbed me from behind. Their grip was ironclad. I stomped my foot over his toes, his grip loosened but didn’t let go. I slammed my elbow back, but he still held tight.

The man I’d sliced stalked toward me. I reached out. I needed him to get a little closer. My palm slapped against his face. I locked eyes with him. “Stop!”

He froze his eyes widening.

“Attack the man behind me.” I narrowly ducked out of the way in time as he lunged for his partner. I gained my bearings in time to see a man trying to rush out of the room with a child. He was carrying them bridal style. It made him an easy target.

I steadied my right hand and took aim. I flung my knife at him. It sunk into his back. He froze, groaning. The child flailed as the man dropped to his knees. Ellen wrestled the kid away from him and pulled her into her safe embrace.

My eyes darted around the room. The threat had been neutralized for the moment. I walked to the man by Ellen first. I put my foot on his back and bent down so I could tug the blade out. My aim had been spot on, right between the shoulder blades.

“Is that all of them?” a little girl asked.

I turned to the man who was still under my control. I went back to him and touched his face again, making him look at me. “Stand guard in the hallway. Don’t let any Orion men through.”

He swallowed and then marched to the doorway taking up a spot just outside the door. Compulsion was hard. I could only control people if I had close contact and I’d never really tested it over a long period of time. Hopefully it would hold. At least there was only one man now. I could take on one no problem.

I went back to grab my other knife and caught Celia still hiding behind a cabinet. I rolled my eyes as I stooped down. I shoved the man over and wiggled my blade free.

I walked past Celia, giving her a side eye as I went to the sink to rinse the blood off my blades. I bet she wouldn’t call me weak again. I finished cleaning my blades and paused. An explosion boomed outside. The ground trembled beneath my feet. Screams and cries filled the room. Cocking my head to the side, I listened.

I knew those cannons well. That engine was the Nightfall.

“Take the man in the hall prisoner,” I said as I hurried out the doors and outside.

It was chaos outside. Daemons were chasing the Orion as they fled towards a few ships or the woods. Other men were still fighting. The Nightfall flew low to the ground. She’d taken out three ships so far and was keeping the others from lifting off the ground.

Those who weren’t running were slowly surrendering. It looked like reinforcements had come. There were a lot of men and women apprehending Orion soldiers. It was over.

I glanced around in search of Gray. It took me a few moments to find him. He was escorting a daemon with three other men. He saw me, our eyes locking for a long moment.

I let out a long breath. He was okay. He didn’t look like he’d been hurt at all. Thank goodness. He said something to the men he was with and then broke away from the group, rushing to me.

I met him halfway, throwing myself into his arms. He lifted me up and pulled me close.

“Were you hurt at all?” he asked. “Men got inside.”

“They were taken care of.”

“Stars, I love you. I didn’t want you in that position.” He nuzzled my neck before putting me down. His hand went to my belly. “He’s still strong as ever though, just like his mom.”

I stared up at Gray. He loved me? No one had ever told me that before. Did he even realize he said it? Did he mean it or was it just the moment? I swallowed hard and tried to shake it off. I didn’t want to make a big deal over something that might be nothing. “He’s going to be strong like both his parents.” I kissed Gray and then pulled back, watching as the Nightfall prepared to land now that the threat had been neutralized.

The ship looked like it’d seen better days, but it was a tough old girl. She had never let her crew down yet.

I took Gray’s hand and together we walked toward the ship. The door dropped down and Echo came waltzing out first.

A smile spread over my face, and I let go of Gray’s hand so I could run to her. We embraced, laughing.

“I’m so glad to see you,” I said.

“You weren’t too hard to find. Looks like we got here right in time,” Echo said as she looked around. “I see you’ve made a few friends.”

I bit my lip and stepped back taking Gray’s hand pulling him closer. “Echo. I’d like you to meet, Gray.”

Echo appraised him for a long moment. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Likewise.” Gray reached out his arm and they grasped each other’s outer arm just above the elbow as was custom for introductions.

Movement on the door caught my eye. At first I thought it was Loc and I went to greet him too but froze when I saw Kai instead. I took a step backward. Gray was right behind me. He put a hand on my side and steadied me.

I watched the prince as he disembarked. His face lit up when he saw Gray and he came towards us. I froze. Everything in me told me to run.

“It’s okay,” Gray whispered in my ear. He reached out and took Kai’s hand doing some sort of weird greeting where they bumped fists and then took each other’s hand.

“This is Aurora,” Kai said. Kai’s gaze landed on me.

I backed up until I was practically standing on Gray’s feet.

“It’s okay, Aurora,” Echo said. “We are all on the same side. Trust me, he’d be dead now if I didn’t believe that.”

I looked at Echo and then to Gray. I still wasn’t sure I felt comfortable with Kai. I’d never seen him with his uncle but that didn’t mean anything. If they both thought he was okay then I would try to trust him too. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said after a long moment.

“You as well. Gray hasn’t stopped talking about you since Haven. You left quite the impression. And then all Echo could talk about was finding you and Loc.” Kai hit Gray’s arm playfully.

I peered up at Gray. Red colored his cheeks. I bit my lip to keep from smiling. And then Kai’s words hit me fully.

“Wait! Loc’s not with you?” I asked. He had to be.

“He’s not with you?” Echo asked a frown forming on her face.

I shook my head. “I haven’t seen him since he went to the weapons room.” Oh stars. Where was he? Was he okay?

Echo covered her face with her hands and looked at the ground. “I know he got off the Nightfall. The pod in the weapons bay ejected.”

He made it off the Nightfall. But where was he? Was he hurt? I had to find out. “We’ll question the prisoners and see if they know anything.” Tears welled in my eyes as I looked over the destruction. I prayed he wasn’t in one of the ships that had been destroyed. Loc was like a big brother to us. We needed to find him.

Chapter Seventeen

Gray

“I’m sorry we couldn’t get more information about your brother,” I said as Aurora sat down in a chair. She leaned back and rubbed her temples. “You should take it easy. You’ve been working hard this past week.” My eyes went to the small bump that had started to form. Our son was strong as ever, but Aurora looked exhausted.

She’d interrogated most of the prisoners. Loc had been captured and injured. He’d already been taken back home to begin processing. We had no way to mount a rescue mission or contact anyone who could. Loc was on his own. After that disturbing news, she’d put together designs to strengthen the shields and outfit the Nightfall so it could travel back through the wormhole.

A lot of people here were teaming up with us to help get the ship ready. They wanted to go and find their lost loved ones. We’d captured six daemons during the attack. All of them had been reunited with family. It was bittersweet. None of them had broken out of their training yet. They couldn’t be trusted alone or out of chains.

They had their family back, but it was only a shell of them. I’d prefer not knowing if it was me.

Aurora got up, drawing me from my thoughts. She went back to the table where her schematics were. She picked up her pencil and then tapped it on the paper.

I came up behind her and kissed her neck, before wrapping my arms around her. “Why don’t you take a break?” I’d meant it. She looked tired.

“This will help the rebellion. The Orion will be back. And we can’t help Loc until we can get back home.”

She had a point. I knew she wanted to keep our family safe. “Kai and Echo have already made major renovations. We should be ready to go in a few weeks.”

“I’m just trying to speed things up. Loc could be dead or worse back at the slavers trade or in the gladiator arena. If he’s there, it will take us months to get to him,” Aurora said. She shuddered and I could tell she was starting to cry. I hated seeing her upset. “He’s saved me so many times, Gray. I want to bring him home.”

“I know. We will,” I said. I rested my chin on the top of her head.

She sighed. “I just want this to end. This tech could change the tide of the war with Kai’s help. It’d be nice not to have to look over our shoulders at every spaceport. We could all be free, and we’d never have to worry about being a prisoner again.”

“I thought you didn’t trust Kai?” I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed her weariness around him. My mom and Patrick had. Echo had even assured her he was legit. I couldn’t be sure, but I got the feeling something was happening between Kai and Echo. There was a lot of tension there.

“I thought you told me I could trust him?”

I chuckled, pulling her closer. “You can. He’s a good man. He’s my brother in all the ways that count.”

“I hope you’re right about him. These modifications to the Nightfall are going to make it one hell of a ship. The ships we confiscated will be good for us too.” She tapped on the weapons part of the schematic. She’d cooked up a cross between Earth tech and Orion. It was brilliant. Kai was going to take it to his father. Kai and his father had thousands of men who were loyal to them. They just needed a fighting chance. We were about to give it to them.

I rubbed her shoulders. “You’ll see. I hope one day the two of you will be friends.”

“Hmmm, maybe,” she said.

It was going to take a long time for her to trust anyone. I got it. She’d been a slave for ten horrible years. The government had been exceptionally cruel. Kai and his dad were going to change that. We all were.

“Are you sure I can’t entice you to come rest,” I said. There was nothing more she could do tonight. She could start fresh in the morning. I peppered kisses down her neck. She moaned and melted against me. My hand grazed over her belly up to her breasts so I could softly knead them through her shirt.

“I don’t think you have resting in mind,” she whispered.

“That was my original intent but stars you don’t know what you do to me.” Seeing her belly round with our child made me want her all the more.

“I didn’t think my pheromones affected you that much?” she asked quietly.

I moved away from her so she could tell I was serious. I’d told her once already that I loved her. She hadn’t said it back. It had been in the height of the moment, so I shook it off, but I wanted her to know that this was real for me. It had nothing to do with pheromones.

She turned toward me with a confused look.

“They don’t affect me. Aurora, I love you. You! Not because of some pheromones, but because of who you are. I’ve been in love with you since Haven.”

“You love me? You really mean it?” she asked. I hated the doubt in her voice. It made sense. Other than Loc and Echo she didn’t have family. The people who should’ve loved her most sold her into slavery.

“I love you, Aurora. When I lost you on Haven all I could think about was finding you and making it right. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. You and our son are my life.” She needed to know how I felt. She was everything.

Aurora took a step toward me and took my hands. “I love you too.” She smiled and it was the most endearing thing. “Walking away from you on Haven was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me.

“I want to marry you,” I said in between kisses.

“Marry?” she asked before flicking her tongue against mine.

“It’s the Earth custom of claiming one’s mate. There’s a ceremony for family and friends just like back home,” I explained.

She blinked up at me with fresh tears in her eyes. “I would love to be your mate.”

A wide grin spread across my face. I couldn’t be happier. She squealed as I picked her up in one swift motion and carried her to the bed. I laid her down and then crawled over her, so she was between my thighs. My hand went to her belly where I slowly rolled up her shirt. I leaned down and kissed the small bump.

My entire future was right in front of me. I was going to show Aurora how much she meant to me. I kissed my way up her belly and stopped when I reached her bra. She sat up and took off her shirt and bra before laying back down. My hand went to one breast and mouth to the other.

She made a throaty sound as I licked her nipple into a tight bud. I loved when she got all riled up, but it also made her impatient. Her hands went to my pants, shoving them down below my ass. Her fingers wrapped around my cock so she could start to stroke it. The things she could do with her hands were downright sinful. If she kept this up I’d be coming before too long. We couldn’t have that. I needed to be inside her when I released. And she needed to come first, at least once.

I let my hand lower to her waist band so I could pull the string loose. Then I slipped on hand inside, pushing her panties to the side I was able to sink two fingers into her already wet core. She whimpered and bucked against me. Her ministrations on my length grew more insistent.

“Fuck, Aurora,” I said as I let her nipple go with a loud pop.

She grinned up at me, knowing exactly what it was she was doing. “I want you inside me, Gray.” She ran her hand over my cock, letting her finger graze over the tip. “Make love to me.”

How could I possibly say no to that? We both made quick work of our pants and I was settled between her thighs in no time with my cock pressed against her center.

She wrapped her legs around me and dug her heels into my ass, pushing me into her. I didn’t have it in me to wait any longer. I thrust into her in one solid movement. She cried out and arched her back. She was so tight and so wet. I gave her a moment to adjust and so I wouldn’t come. Once I was sure I had myself under control, I set a steady rhythm, sliding all the way out to the tip and then thrusting into the hilt. Aurora rolled her hips in time with my thrusts, pulling me deep.

I found her lips, caressing them with my own. Her fingers wound into my hair pulling on it gently as we got lost in each other. When she came she broke our kiss and threw her head back in a soundless cry. Her whole body stiffened and arched off the bed as her inner walls milked my cock. The sensation was enough to drive me over the edge. I came with her name on my lips.

She blinked her eyes open at me as she leaned up to kiss me. I pressed my forehead to hers. “I love you, Aurora.”

“I love you too.” Her smile was wide, and her eyes sparkled.

The moment was perfect, or it was until there was a loud pounding on our door.

Aurora tensed beneath me. I gave her a quick peck and got off the bed quickly pulling on my sweats. I made sure she was decent before opening the door. It was late enough in the evening most people were retiring. If someone was here now it couldn’t be good.

I opened the door and Patrick greeted me. He looked worried. His brows were crinkled together, and his eyes were wide.

“What is it?” I asked.

“We picked up ships entering the atmosphere.”

“Are the shields up?” Aurora asked. She was beside me in a moment. Her hair braids had come loose during our romp and wavy strands framed her face.

“They are and they seem to be holding,” Patrick said.

“We should get to the Nightfall and get it ready for flight. We’ve been wanting to test the new weapon mods anyway. They aren’t completely done yet, but we should know if we need to make any serious modifications.” Aurora grabbed her sweater from the back of the chair and put it on.

“Aurora,” I said shaking my head. I didn’t want her on either one of those spaceships. It was too dangerous, and she was exhausted as it was. She needed sleep.

“They’ve already gone. Kai and Echo took the Nightfall,” Patrick said. “I wanted you to take a look at the shields.”

“Gone?” Aurora and I said at the same time.

Patrick nodded. “As soon as they heard what was going on they fired up the Nightfall. They took some of our skilled fighters too.”

“But what if something goes wrong? We haven’t tested any of that yet,” Aurora said. She wrapped the sweater around her and nibbled on her lower lip.

“There isn’t anything we can do for them now,” I said. “We should go check on the shield.”

She nodded. I put my hand on the small of her back as we made our way out of the room and followed Patrick back to the command center. She sat down at one of the computers and pulled up a few screens. I watched as she worked.

“She’s a smart young lady,” Patrick commented.

“Yeah, she is.” She was intelligent. She could give the prince’s mechanics a run for their money any day. That was without any formal training too.

“The shields are doing even better than anticipated,” Aurora said. She turned in the chair and leaned back. “They are working at full capacity and barely using any energy.”

“That’s good news.” This place was the safest place on land we could be.

She turned back to the computer and pulled up something else. Something else she’d done was program a system to track spaceships.

“What do you see?” I asked. Patrick and I leaned over her to stare at the computer screen. There were only two blips that showed up and they appeared to be fighting.

“There is only one ship.” She pointed to the screen. “That’s the Nightfall. They appear to be trading fire.” She let out a breath as the one dot flickered quickly and then disappeared altogether. “It’s just the Nightfall now. The threat seems to be neutralized.”

“Good.” I let out a relieved breath. The threat was over for the moment. They would keep coming.

“It looks like the Nightfall is preparing to return.”

“I’ll lift the shields,” Patrick said.

Aurora stood up and we both walked outside watching as the sleek black ship landed in the middle of the compound that had quickly become a shipyard. The plank lowered and Kai emerged a few moments later.

I put my arm around Aurora, and she relaxed against me.

“That ship flies amazing,” Kai said with a wide grin. “You ought to try it out, Gray. Aurora’s done an amazing job on it.” His attention flicked briefly to Aurora before coming back to me.

“I’m sure we’ll both get a chance to see what it can do soon.” It’d be time to return home once we finished all the modifications. We hadn’t been ready to test the capabilities yet, but it seemed to be an overwhelming success. We just needed to work out a few kinks on the Orion ships and we’d be golden. “Are we moving up the timetable to return home?”

“Echo and I have been talking about that. Yeah. Day after tomorrow. We’ve been away too long. Who knows what has happened,” Kai said. Kai was integral to his father’s militia. With him missing it might have gone into chaos.

“I’ll make sure to do some diagnostics on all the ships here and get all of the Orion ships ready.” Aurora looked to the courtyard and the ships that still needed to be outfitted with the new tech. There was more than a few days’ work to be done. Echo, Kai and I could help out some, but Aurora was the genius that truly understood the tech.

“I don’t see a need to hurry with that yet,” Kai said turning his attention to her.

I frowned. We’d never be able to leave in his timeframe if we didn’t.

Kai reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. He tried to do the same to Aurora, but she shrunk away. “Sorry,” he said, dropping his one hand back to his side. He cleared his throat. “There is something I need to talk to you about.” He paused and looked down to the ground. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Earth is safer than back home.” He looked back up and met my eyes. “You have a family now. I can’t ask either of you to come back when you’re so much safer here.”

I heard Aurora gasp. I kissed her forehead. Maybe now she would at least like Kai a little bit.

“You wouldn’t have to run here. You, Aurora and the baby will be safer here.”

“Kai…” I started my duty was to him. My duty was also to Aurora and our child. I wanted to stay here with my mother and to keep Aurora safe, but I’d made an oath to protect him.

“My father promised to get you home when we rescued you all those years ago. That wasn’t possible. Until now. I’m keeping that promise, Gray. When I get back, I’m jumping right back into the war. I won’t put the two of you at risk.”

“What about Loc?” Aurora asked. “He’s still out there.”

“We’re going to find him,” Echo said as she made her way down. “I promise. We’ll bring him home. Kai is right, for once.” She rolled her eyes. “The two of you are safer here. Besides we need someone to get all these ships ready to fight. We’ll be coming back for them once we get some more pilots and find out what’s going on back home.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to come?” Aurora asked looking from Kai to Echo.

“Yes.” Echo and Kai said at the same time.

“Stay here where it’s safe. That’s an order,” Echo said.

“Thank you,” Aurora said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know what to say. But yeah, thank you. Both of you.” I’d spent so much time with Kai. He was my brother. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do without him. Without the war back home. But Aurora was my priority and the King wanted her, maybe more now that they knew she was pregnant. Our child would be special. If it had both our powers, he was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

“Promise me you’ll take care of each other,” Kai said.

“Of course.” I pulled Aurora just a bit closer. She looked up at me with a small smile. I’d do anything to keep her safe.

Chapter Eighteen

Aurora

“Are you sure you don’t want me to show you how to change the couplers again?” I asked.

Echo laughed and shook her head. “I can handle it.”

I sighed. She was right. She’s flown this ship for years and knew it inside and out. It was me not wanting to say goodbye yet.

“Are you sure you will be okay here?” she asked. “Are you happy? Is Gray treating you right?”

Tears welled in my eyes. I didn’t want her to go. But I knew she had to, and I had to stay. “I’ll be fine. Gray is amazing. He makes me very happy.” I would be fine too. Gray and I were making a home here. Our son would be safe, well as safe as he could be. I put my hand on my belly. It was rounding out. Every once in a while, I could feel fluttering inside. Despite everything he was thriving. He was strong and in a few short months I’d get to meet him.

“Do you love him? Gray?” Echo asked. Her gaze wandered over me questioning.

I grinned and nodded. The way I felt about Gray was indescribable. “I do. I’ve been in love with him since Haven. He loves me too. He’s asked me to be his mate.”

“That’s fantastic. I’m happy for you. But somethings wrong?” Echo said with a worried frown.

 I bit my lip to keep from crying. I was happy to stay here with Gray. “I’m just worried we’ll never see each other again.” We’d be in two different galaxies, light years away from each other.

Echo pulled me in for a hug. “This isn’t goodbye.”

I knew in my heart we’d see each other again. At least I hoped we would. It didn’t make this any easier. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come with you?” I knew this tech and enhancements better than anyone.

Echo reached out and put her hand on my belly. “I’m sure. You take care of him.” Tears welled in her eyes and she swallowed hard. “The both of you are safer here. I won’t put your son in anymore danger than he already is.”

I nodded. Echo was right. She knew what it was like to lose a child. Her little girl had been stolen from her years ago. It ate away at her. She was constantly looking for her but hadn’t had much luck.

Echo cleared her throat. “We’ll be back for the ships once you have them ready, and we can still talk on the comms device.”

I squeezed her just a bit tighter before pulling away. “I know.”

“And I’ll let you know once we locate Loc.”

“Knowing him he’s probably already broken out of whatever hell hole they tried to put him in,” I said, hoping with every fiber in my being I was right. Loc was resourceful. He was a former gladiator. He could take on a whole contingent of Orion guards by himself.

We pulled back from each other at the sound of footsteps. They grew closer.

I sniffled and dabbed at my eyes with my fingers. I wasn’t going to cry. Thirty daemons were going with Kai and Echo. They were from all over the place, all hoping to find long lost loved ones, and all skilled fighters.

“I should probably get going,” I said. My eyes darted around the Nightfall one last time. This had been my first real home. It was the first place I felt safe. The first place I had a family.

Echo pulled me in for one last quick hug. “I’ll see you soon. I promise.”

I pulled back, swallowing hard. My bottom lip trembled despite my efforts to reign in my emotions. “I’ll have the ships ready for you when you do.”

I took a few steps back and made my way to the exit. “Bye.”

Echo lifted her hand. “Bye.”

I blinked quickly and then turned on my heel not trusting myself to leave if I didn’t just do it.

I made my way outside and saw Gray standing waiting for me. Our eyes met and I knew everything would be okay. I took his hand and together we walked to the end of the courtyard where we could watch the Nightfall leave.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. I will be.” I would be fine. Home wasn’t a place. It was the people you were with. Echo was my home, but so was Gray. I was looking forward to the life we’d build here together.

***

About four months later

I was wet. Sopping wet. There was pain too. I whimpered. The pain intensified. I rolled around in the bed wishing this dream would end. It didn’t. That’s when it hit me. This was real. I was drenched from the waist down and I hurt. A lot.

I sat up quickly, my hand going to my swollen stomach as the other pushed the covers back. It was hard to see in the darkness but the wetness between my legs was unmistakable.

Another wave of pain hit me, and I doubled over clutching my stomach.

“Aurora?” Gray asked, stirring next to me.

I couldn’t form words. It felt like my insides were being shredded apart.

“Aurora,” he moved toward me, so he was at my back. I gasped, trying to draw in a breath. “Oh stars,” Gray said. He maneuvered behind me and then picked me up.

The next thing I knew we were teleporting. I was going to be sick. The room spun. I clasped onto Gray’s shoulders and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Lyra,” he called as he began to walk.

“Gray? What is it?” the healer called.

“Something’s wrong. There’s so much blood,” Gray said. I’d never heard him panicked before. He was now. There was fear in his voice, and it only made me more scared.

I opened my eyes and looked down my body. Blood had soaked through my pants. His arms were covered in it. My heart raced a million miles a minute. This couldn’t be good.

Another wave of pain coursed through me. I tensed and groaned.

“Quick put her down on the bed,” Lyra said.

I was briefly aware of Gray setting me down on the gurney. The room swam around me. Pain sliced through me with every breath I tried to draw.

“Aurora, can you hear me?” Lyra asked.

“What’s happening?” Gray asked. His hands pushed the hair out of my face. I tried to focus on him, hoping it would take my mind off the pain. It helped a little.

“Aurora, I need to check you and the baby,” Lyra said.

I gritted my teeth, mustering the strength to talk through the pain. “It hurts. Something is wrong.”

“What was she doing? Did anything happen?” Lyra asked.

“No, we were sleeping,” Gray said.

I focused on short breaths as I tried to keep my eyes on Gray. He had a fine sheen of sweat on his brow.

I felt cool fingers on my arm and turned to see Lyra putting a blood pressure monitor on me. “Her BP is lower than I’d like. She’s losing a lot of blood.”

“She’s done blood draws in case something happened, right?” Gray asked. About once a month Lyra had me give blood in case something happened when I went into labor. There was no one else here on Earth that would be able to donate if I needed it.

“Yes. I want to know what’s happened first. We have a limited supply, and I don’t want to start something while she is still losing blood. Help me get her shirt up.”

I tried to lift my hips to help out but wasn’t sure I was doing much. All I could think about was the pain and my baby. Was he okay? Stars he had to be okay. He’d been kicking and rolling around earlier. I’d always accepted the cards I’d been dealt but I prayed my son was going to be okay. He had to be.

“I’m going to do a quick ultrasound.” The familiar goo of the gel was squirted on my belly and then the whirring sound of the heartbeat filled the room. It sounded off though, slower.

“She’s had a placental abruption. The placenta has detached from her uterus. Her and the baby are both in distress. I want to do a c-section. Right now.”

“That’s serious. Are they going to be okay?” Gray asked.

I shook my head. “It’s too early.” My hand went to my belly. It wasn’t time yet. I was only 32 weeks. His lungs weren’t fully developed yet. I’d read some of the baby books here on Earth since my body and pregnancy gestation period was the same.

Lyra put her hands on my arm, and it took me a minute to realize she was setting me up with an IV. “I know it’s not ideal, but most babies born at 32 weeks are just fine with medical intervention.”

“Gray.” I looked to him. Tears swam in my eyes making it hard to see him.

He smoothed a hand over my cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”

I wanted to protest but the pain came back like a battering ram to the stomach.

“All right let’s get her setup. I’m going to give her a spinal block to numb her.”

I looked for Gray, but more healers had shown up at some point and they were getting me into position. I felt a prick at my back and blew out a breath. This was all happening so fast.

The further along I’d gotten in the pregnancy the more I’d felt he was going to be okay. Now I was terrified that I’d gotten my hopes up for nothing. He had to be all right. He was going to be.

The medicine they’d given me was starting to work. The pain was subsiding to an odd pressure near my low back.

“Gray why don’t you go up by her head,” Lyra said.

Gray appeared beside me. I lifted my hand, and he took it.

“Do you feel me touching your stomach, Aurora?”

I shook my head. I didn’t feel anything. My heart kicked up a notch as I realized I didn’t feel my feet either.

“It’s okay. It means the medicine is working,” Gray said. “They numbed you. They are going to do surgery to deliver the baby that way.”

I didn’t remember them saying that. Had I blacked out for a moment?

“You might feel some tugging sensations, okay?”

“Okay.” I licked my lips and closed my eyes. I was vulnerable in a way I hadn’t been for a long time. Gray was right her. He would keep me safe. I squeezed his hand.

The room was mostly silent for a few moments. Lyra occasionally asking for something. It seemed like it was taking forever, and I couldn’t see anything. A large sheet was draped over my center and high enough that I couldn’t see what they were doing.

“How are you doing, Aurora?” Lyra asked.

“Better, is he okay?” I asked. The pain was gone. But what was happening with my baby?

She didn’t say anything for a moment and then I heard it. An infant crying. It was beautiful. Tears pricked my eyes. His cry was loud and strong.

“He’s good,” Gray said. He bent down and kissed my forehead. “Can you hear him?”

I nodded. My throat constricted and my heart damn near exploded. I’d done it. I’d kept him safe and delivered him against all odds. He was here and crying.

“Do you want to hold him?” Lyra asked. She came around holding the screaming infant in her arms.

“Can I?” I asked. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was perfect with dark hair and a round face.

She started to hand him to me, and I had brief moment of panic. I’d never held a child before. The moment he touched my arms though it was like instinct took over.

He snuggled against me. His cries quieted to little sniffles. He was here. He was okay. I didn’t know it was possible to love someone so much.

“I told you he was strong,” Gray whispered as he knelt and put his hand on our son’s arm.

He was strong and he had two parents that loved him and that would do anything to protect him.

Chapter Nineteen

Gray

“So have the two of you thought of a name yet?” his mom asked as she rocked the baby. She and Patrick had invited them for lunch. They’d visited them in the infirmary and again when Aurora moved back to their room, but Aurora hadn’t had a chance to get out yet.

Aurora looked to him and nodded. It had taken them nearly a week to think of a name fitting for their little boy. “We have. Atticus Loc.” Atticus after my father and Loc after Aurora’s brother.

“I love it.” His mom kissed Atticus’ head. “Your father would too.”

“I agree,” Patrick said. “Your father would be proud of you.”

“And how are you feeling, Aurora?” his mom asked.

“Pretty good. Still tired,” she said and then couldn’t stifle the yawn that followed.

His mom laughed. “Get used to it. It will be that way for the next few years. Worse if you have more than one.”

Aurora smiled and looked to him. Lyra had done a thorough checkup on Aurora before releasing her. The damage to her uterus was gone. Atticus had healed her while he’d grown inside her. More children were a possibility, and according to Lyra it would be easier for Aurora to get pregnant this time. Neither of us told her that Atticus had been an accident from a few heated days together. Besides, I wasn’t sure I was ready for another baby. Not yet anyway. But with Aurora, I could see us having another, in a few years.

“I sleep better here than I ever did anywhere else,” Aurora said quietly.

I reached out and took her hand. She was safe here and was finally starting to let her guard down. Lyra and her were becoming good friends and Kori had started going to Aurora for relationship advice.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Patrick said. “You’ve done an excellent job in making sure this place is safe. We can’t thank you enough.”

There had been a few unsuccessful attacks. The ships we’d retro fitted were enough to drive the Orion away. Some went back home, others had stayed hidden somewhere on Earth. Kai and Echo hadn’t had the chance to return for them yet. Things had been busy with the rebellion. Speaking of. “Have we heard anything from Kai or Echo?”

“No,” Patrick said with a shake of his head.

I sighed. It had been almost a month with no word from them. Before that they had been checking in at least every other week, if not more often.

“I’m sure it is fine,” his mom said.

Aurora and I shared a worried look. We would hope for the best, but I was concerned. Patrick and my mom didn’t know anything about our world.

For the moment, I wanted to focus on the woman I loved and our son. We had our whole future ahead of us and I was going to enjoy every moment of it.

Thank you for reading Gray. I hope you enjoyed the story. If you did, please consider leaving a review.

Check out Loc, book two in the Untamed Warriors Series. It releases 9/29/21.

Get your copy of Loc on Amazon

Max

I moved back home for a fresh start. Instead, I crash my car, save an alien’s life and then got abducted by more aliens. I’m on a freaking spaceship with these crazy blue men and the things they insinuate terrify me. My only hope is my cell mate, also an alien. He looks mostly human, except for his fins and eyes. I don’t have much choice but to trust him. I can’t fly this ship by myself, and we have a common enemy. My gut tells me I can trust Loc. He’s kind, strong, and maybe a little bit sexy. I just hope I’m not making a mistake.

Loc

I barely survived the crash landing on a strange planet when the Orion descend on me and the beautiful female who rescues me. Taken prisoner, I have no time to see if my sisters survived the crash. My priority is escape. The feisty human, Max, seems to agree. Together we take over the ship. But can we get back to her home world? I must protect Max from the evils of my galaxy.  I’m drawn to her. My world is dangerous, and I make it my mission to get her home. But if we get to Earth, how can we possibly have a future together? Aliens don’t exist in her world.

Available in Kindle Unlimited