Coral

Drasus' hips flip towards me, a growl stuttering in his chest like a purr. He swipes a thumb over my cheek before dipping his head to take my lips in a dominant, passionate kiss which I think might be the end of me.

Given he's kissing me in a war zone, this is some kiss, which leaves my knees weak and my chest heaving.

This is my Drasus.

"I need to get you out of here, onto the Golden Orion," he says, looking around, eyes narrowed.

I wasn't kidding when I said this place was mayhem. The Sarkarnii seem to be winning, but there are still too many Bognarok making their spidery way into the area. The entire place is at risk of being overrun.

Drasus takes my hand, and we duck and weave our way through the ruined trading area until we're out of the main line of fire.

"Nev!" he grumbles to himself. "We're cut off from the ship."

"I have a plan," I say. "One I worked out with Artur and Emilie. It might still be possible to execute it."

"I'm listening," Drasus says as he continues to scan the area.

"We created holo-stamps of Jade and me, and Emilie has set up her ship to take them into space. We were hoping the Habosu would be fooled and follow them."

He studies me, blinking slowly, and then his handsome face cracks into an incredible smile, filled with fangs. I'm lifted off my feet, into his arms as he kisses me on my cheek and his chest rumbles with laughter.

"Look, I'm new to this whole battling the bad guys thing," I grumble. "If my plan is crap, just tell me, don't laugh at me. I'm more used to saving lives than taking them."

Even if those lives are that of the Bognarok and the Habosu.

"I'm not laughing at you, my delicious, sweet treat of a mate. I'm laughing because it is the best plan a Sarkarnii never came up with."

"It is?"

"Of course it is. I wouldn't expect any less of you, my beautiful mate. You are one of the cleverest humans I've ever met."

"You've met a grand total of six humans!" I laugh.

"I need to meet more? I don't think so," Drasus replies. "Where is the ship? I think your plan will work, with one slight amendment."

"What?"

"I believe it's time the Bognarok and the Habosu meet their ancestors," he says with a smile the devil would be proud of.

"I believe Emilie put her ship in the east hangar. It's considered to be disused, and the exit means the ship should go out undetected for some distance until it's spotted. Our aim was to draw them away."

Drasus rubs his chin. "Not ideal, but if we're going to do what I want to do, the farther away from Harbar the Bognarok and Habosu are, the better." He slides his huge hand over mine. "I promised to protect you, my heartsfire, but I need you for a little longer and it might be dangerous."

"I doubt anywhere is not dangerous around you." I can't hide my smile. "But I know what I signed up for. Why are we waiting?"

He gathers me up in his arms and presses his forehead against mine. "From the very moment we met, when you accepted me for what I had become, I knew it would always be you, heartsfire. The galaxy aligned and your stars alighted within me. They shine bright, they pull me in and make my orbit your orbit, forever."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're a smooth talker, Drasus?" I cup his face in my hand.

I'm whipped to one side, and in a single, swift movement, he fires his ray gun and a Habosu, all sweaty green skin and bulbousness, falls face first onto the ground.

"They're getting too close for my liking. No matter what my fellow Sarkarnii are doing, we need to go, sweet mate."

With my hand in his, we pick our way as quickly as possible out of the ruined market and into the next one, which is only mildly scorched. The sounds of explosions and laser fire diminish as Drasus urges me on through several more, now deserted trading areas. I hope they're not going to end up destroyed too, as I'd rather like to come back and have another look.

From a woman who lived to work, to a universe trotting traveller, who would have thought any of this possible? Certainly not me.

I did not expect I'd find a bunch of women, in space, who'd end up drawing together a disparate group of male aliens.

But we did. I did, and now I'm going into a battle with the love of my life.

Could things get any better?