Chapter 1

One month later

The cave was small, just one room, but the door curved to the left, and with the thick flap, it kept the wind out better than most. With the inner walls thick and the little heat lamp, she could stay warm enough at least to think straight and even sleep a little. Beside the lamp was a thin blanket and a long black wool-like coat with short sleeves on top which she used to rest on. Her bag sat against the wall. Beside it was a scratched helmet that covered her face against the snow and ice. It reminded her of the head of an insect, with a narrow mouthpiece at the front and wide oval eyes. There were straps with hooks laid out to one side of the cave and a small belt with a curved blade attached.

Many of the things she had stolen. Well, stolen off corpses. Or from abandoned properties. Within a week, she had learned that for the weakest and lowest rung in the prison, your best bet was to scavenge. She'd learned that when she had hidden those first few days, looking for a permanent place. She'd come across an abandoned encampment, marked with blood. It was clear a fight had broken out between two small factions. Bodies were strewn about and items scattered across the camp.

The scavengers had swooped in and took what they could before running off. She waited for them to go before she snuck in and had found the small heat lamp, the helmet, and the long coat.

She'd found a few other things as time went on, always waiting until the coast was clear. It was the only way for her to find anything of use. The bag the guards had given her that first day had nothing but extra clothes and a water canteen in it.

She had found the cave three days in, and only by luck. It was actually a room within a cave system going through a fissure, so a bit of light seeped down from above in the wider parts but not in the smaller areas like her room. Kind of like a narrow hive. Apparently there were tunnels all throughout. It was where some chose to stay, usually those who feared the rest who fought to live closer to the geysers and steam tunnels for warmth.

Technically the prison had rooms or cells for prisoners and were heated, but the buildings were taken over a long time ago by gangs and packs, and for whatever reason the people running the place didn't bother to do anything about it. Only the work areas were kept protected, rigs and mines and facilities where everyone was expected to make their shift.

Except, she also learned quickly on, not everyone worked either. Many pack leaders found ways to make their lessers do it for them. She hadn't figured out how yet, but she knew it had something to do with the bands.

She got into the work areas fine once she used the helmet and long coat as a disguise, able to trick most into thinking she was an ashora. The helmet and long coat had belonged to one and kept her scent shielded since their odor overpowered hers. The ashora had a similar build as a human, so it wasn"t too hard to pass as one as long as she didn't take her clothes or the helmet off. Working in the helmet was a pain but she learned to manage. They assigned her to water treatment duty in one of the plants, making sure the tanks were kept clean, that the water was kept a certain temp, using machines and computers to make sure the chemicals used to clean the water were at the right amount. It was easy enough but still grueling when it took up much of her day. Especially when she was running around on her feet. At least she was able to work mostly alone and those that she had to work with didn't talk much to her. Everyone was engrossed in their work because if it wasn't done right, that meant a point to your record just like if you missed a shift.

She'd made all her shifts except for three. The first two days, she stayed absent because she was too afraid to walk among the various prisoners. The third time was one that she would like to forget, as she was forced to hide for most of the day. She shuddered to think of it now, even as her body heated from the memory.

It was that day she understood why the guard had warned her about Draka.

Each pack leader had their own territory, and you didn't cross it, not unless you wanted to feel a blade to the gut or be dragged into their building or tunnel and never seen again. There were neutral areas and still a lot of fights happened there. The work areas were the only places where inmates were kept under control by prison guards. And anything beyond the prison was free game except no one went out because there was nothing to find except likely your death.

She had made the mistake one day of going into Draka's territory. She hadn't known it was his—she had thought it was some secret place that no one had touched. But she had been very, very wrong.

She had never seen him until then, had no idea who he was. She'd only heard his name whispered in conversations at the meal hub, mostly about his infamy.

"Did you hear Draka took out several of Margrul's pack last night? He stole one of their tanks, can you believe it?" she had overheard one ashora say.

"Old Margrul?" said a silderhyde, a small, goblin-like male with striped arms and red eyes. "No one's been crazy enough to challenge him."

"Draka did. Who knows, he's got more men at his side than Margrul now." The ashora had looked around nervously. "Jori said he met him once and he's unhinged. Don't know what he's thinking. One moment he's calm and collected, the next he's got a blade to your face, having his men ready to dunk you in a boiler. Never know what will set him off."

"Oma said if you hear his hum, then start running cause trouble is coming," commented another ashora near them.

She had listened then but hadn't thought much of it, only a slight curiosity. By the end of that day, she hadn't thought about it again. For a week, she went on with her business as people gossiped around her and she never once took it as a sign. As a warning.

She'd gone hiking on one of the few clear nights after her shift. The giant moon was shining, giving off enough light to see by, as did the little moon beside it. The sky was a brilliant green-blue from the shimmer of solar flares along the surface of the atmosphere. She wanted to get close to the mountainside just to take a look around her, and she'd seen plumes of steam out to the west, along the rocking hills, hoping there might be some places to scavenge.

She'd taken a turn around one giant boulder and had found a narrow entrance into a cave. It was a short passage and easy to maneuver.

She hadn't expected to find much of anything on the other end. But what she found nearly brought her to tears.

A hot pool. Empty and clear, with wisps of steam floating into the air. Most were controlled and guarded by packs, more precious than gear, weapons, or even food. They were maybe one of the only luxuries on this planet one could find. And this one was unprotected, unused.

Even a week in this hell was enough to make the weakest temptation easy to break. She'd been exhausted, cold, hungry, and irritable, ready to kill if she thought she had a chance to take any one alien on. She was scared all the damn time, jumping at every little fall of ice or stone. This was her one little peace and she was going to savor it.

She'd placed her clothes in her pack and set it beside the entrance, tying her boots to the straps. She hadn't taken the helmet that day, having decided to wear the scarf since few wandered outside the buildings or their territories and she wanted the fresh air. She had brought the long coat which she set aside with the scarf, then she put up her hair and slowly dipped into the pool.

It was heaven. Or the closest she'd ever be.

A soft moan had escaped her. She lay back and closed her eyes, letting her head rest on the rock which was also warm. She'd sat there for some time just soaking it all in, relishing in the heat. Then she'd started thinking about whether she could find a place nearby to stay. If the pool was somehow one that was undiscovered, it might just be hers for the taking. At least until someone bigger and badder came along.

When she'd relaxed enough to believe she was alone in that moment, she started thinking less about survival, clearing her mind of it, letting herself go. She opened her eyes and saw the solar waves above and thought, for all the harshness, there was at least some beauty in this world. Tension melted from her and in its place a subtle ache lingered between her thighs. The heat surrounding her was so mind-blowingly fabulous that it was euphoric. And that euphoria had made her horny.

She was lonely too. So painfully lonely.

She had let her hand slip down her belly and down to the sensitive spot at her center. The water lapped at her breasts like the hot lick of a tongue as she touched herself. She'd spread her legs and closed her eyes, dipping her fingers inside herself then out to swirl gently around her clit. She worked slowly, winding herself up to a deep climax, moving her hips, her body rising and falling in the water, her back arching as her head still rested on the rock.

She was too caught up in her need for release to notice him. She whimpered and writhed as her body tightened, thinking of the few random hot men and women she'd encountered in her life, anyone but her ex at least, thinking about their mouth on her, discovering some were not all human and that was just fine, it didn't matter.

When she finally broke, her body shuddering, forcing her to clamp down the cry rising in her throat, she saw him move at the corner of her eyes.

The shuddering cry turned into a scream. She righted herself and bolted out of the water, scrambling as far as she could, till her back hit another rock.

He stood there on the other side of the pool, staring at her with eyes like nothing she had ever seen. Black eyes with slits for pupils, criss-crossed and the color of green fire.

For a moment it appeared as if he wore thin armor, black in color, but when she looked closer, she realized it was just the outline of his skeleton through his near translucent skin. His hair was white and silver and his skin was a pale gray-green like the coming of a storm.

He was huge, terrifying. Some kind of monster that had come out of the depth of the mountain.

She'd seen his kind before but only in historical records.

A sidonion.

He tilted his head a little at her. His face appeared as if he wore a skeletal mask from the translucent skin. He smiled at her, silver fangs protruding from his upper lip.

"A human woman," he said softly, like a purr. He crouched down at the pool's edge. She realized he was naked and tried not to stare. Even for his alien anatomy, she could see just how excited the scene had made him. His intense glare made her shiver. "Such a strange gift the brightburn gods would give me." He lowered his face to the water like a crouching tiger, and his split tongue lapped at the surface. He hummed in satisfaction. "I admit the scent caught me off guard. That doesn't happen very often." He lapped at the water again, his tongue curling. A low growl rumbled in his chest. "But the taste, now that's…what's the word?" he hummed, as if thinking. "Stunning. Do all you humans taste like this? No, I doubt it. This is unique to you, isn't it? It's lovely." He laughed a little at that. "Lovely…no, it's delicious," he hissed. His talons, sheer black, protruded from his fingers and dipped into the water. "I could just eat you right up."

She hadn't moved, hadn't made a sound. She watched him, as frozen as a mouse in the company of a starving cat. She hugged her knees around her, never letting her eyes drift from his.

Her knife was in her bag, but it was too far away. He'd get to her before she could even touch it.

"Your heart is racing." He straightened, his movement making her flinch. "Poor thing, I've scared you nearly to death. I won't eat you. I was just being funny. You'll freeze sitting there. Why don't you come back in the water with me, eh?"

She didn't move.

"You didn't know this pool was mine, did you?" he continued. "Yes, you've stumbled into my territory. But it's fine. I'm not angry. Really, I'm honestly as shocked as you are." When she didn't respond again, he studied her closely. "You can understand, I see the translators in your ears. Are you mute or just too speechless? I know I'm a lot to take in, but you don't have to be scared." He slipped into the water and slowly moved toward her. "If you come with me, you'll be well taken care of, I promise. My home is in the tunnels beneath you and the buildings along the mountainside. All heated. We have plenty of food and water. You could have as much as you like. A comfortable bed too. Large with heavy blankets. And I wouldn't smother you, though I tend to kick in my sleep, but we can remedy that. I'm not usually this forward, but you did something to me, and I want you now, very badly. Never thought I'd say that about a human, but it's true. Seeing you squirm like you did has gotten me feeling a little feral." He moved closer, now halfway across the pool. "I'd protect you from everyone here. None of them would so much as touch you. Just come with me, be mine, and you'll never have to worry for the rest of your days here."

It was hard to believe that he was being honest. He moved like a predator ready to snatch her up, to take her down into his lair and devour her. This was all happening too fast. He was a sidonion. Their kind were enemies, and yet he begged her to come with him just from the sight, smell, and taste of her.

Prisoners are lonely too. Real lonely sons of bitches, a little voice told her. You think the sight of a female wouldn't make them lose their minds, when few are to be seen let alone to warm their beds?

She could take his offer, but she'd seen how other prisoners treated each other. She'd seen enough violence and bloodshed in only a month that most would barely see in a lifetime. And the sidonions were killers through and through—she'd learned that from the blade wars. How many of his kind had killed her own?

No, she saw the look in his eyes. He really did want to eat her. It was bloodlust that excited him. The idea of breaking her apart.

He was near to the other end now, reaching for her. But she still couldn't move even as her inner voice screamed at her to run.

From the end of the pool where she'd first found him standing, her eyes caught the movement of the rock moving back and forth. No, it wasn't rock after all but some sort of cover that camouflaged itself into the rock. The covering opened and another stepped out from a dark tunnel beyond. An ashora as pale as the snow.

"Draka, a fight has broken out at the tower. Some of Margrul's men got in and—" He froze when he saw me. "Is that a human?"

Draka twisted around, and the look he must have given the ashora somehow made him go paler. He ignored his question. "How far in did they get?"

"Not far yet, but—"

"Lock it down, get Freys down there immediately. They are trying to get to our gear. Use the lower tunnels and catch them from behind."

As they spoke, she glanced at her bag and the entrance next to it. She might make it out but how far?

Now wasn't the time to question, only that she try. As Draka gave his orders and pried his man, she took that chance.

She shot up, lunging for her bag. She snatched it with her long coat and flew down the tunnel faster than she'd ever run in her life. She thought she heard a splashing behind her, but she didn't dare look back. She stumbled out of the tunnel and veered right. She jumped from rock to rock down the hillside, blindly running, then falling as she tripped. She slid down a snowbank and rolled, then fell straight down a small incline, the snow cushioning her back. Pain shot up her spine, but the adrenaline made her ignore it. She propped herself up and shoved on her long coat before moving again.

It was a miracle that she wasn't caught. She hid behind great rocks and kept moving until she made it to flatter ground. She snuck her way into a set of tunnels that eventually led to the larger, hive-like one where her room lay hidden. She only encountered a few, but in the dark and with the hood covering her, they didn't get a good look at her face. Or so she hoped.

When she found her way back into her cave, she used the last of her energy to put on her heat lamp before collapsing, lying still for hours. Eventually she got up and assessed the damage. Bruises and cuts from rocks, the worst on her feet and ankles. Her back was sore, but otherwise she was able to move without too much pain. It was lucky she hadn't gotten frostbite.

She'd slept through the morning and missed breakfast and the beginning of her shift. When she'd found the strength to get up and put on her clothes, she ventured out in hopes she might be able to make the second half and only garner half a point to her record.

What she found on her way to the work areas were dozens of prisoners with armbands on their prison uniforms, each sporting a symbol in the shape of a jagged green star. They didn't look her way because she wore her helmet, but she'd overheard them speaking to the others, going from group to group.

"A human, have you seen one? A human female."

"If you've seen a human female and know where she is, you'll be rewarded. Two full crates of food, water, and your choice of hunter blades. Also a pack of viluum, and a canteen of brim. If she's with your pack, Draka will make a trade you can't refuse."

She found herself turning around after that and slinking back to her cave. She hid there that whole day, too afraid to leave.

By the next morning, she forced herself out only because she didn't want to garner more points and because she was hungry. When she returned to the work station, she was semi relieved to find only a few of Draka's men wandering, still trying to sniff her out.

She'd gotten through her work without being noticed, grateful for the clothes that hid her but worried her scent would seep through eventually and she'd be forced to discard them.

From then on, she had to remain on alert at all times.

A week had gone by now since then, and the events with Draka had made her more paranoid than ever about being found.

She rested now in her little cave, watching the heat lamp, her coat wrapped around her. Today one of his goons had pulled her aside. Thinking her an ashora, he asked her if she had seen the human, and she had said no.

"If you do, Draka will pay you," he said, giving her the same speech she'd heard from the others.

"Why does he want her?" she asked, unable to help herself. She still didn't believe anything he had said back in the pool.

The serpentine-like alien with shiny scales flicked his tongue at her. "It's hard to know with one like Draka. Some would say for a pet or maybe a companion. Tender flesh to warm a nest is a luxury many would seek. So the rhyme goes. Or maybe he seeks to gain some needed vengeance. After all, what sidonion would not want to play with an enemy from their past when given the chance? Either way, he claims to have seen her and he wants her. He'll reward those who give him what he wants, simple. So, if you find her, we will be close by, waiting."

Waiting. She closed her eyes to the tiny glow of the lamp, trying to focus on the little warmth it emitted.

Seventy-five years of hiding. That's how long she would have to endure.

But how long was he willing to chase?