Chapter 3

When I wake up, I lie there with my eyes wide, staring at the ceiling and praying that I imagined all of that. Surely that was a vivid sex fantasy and not real life. I wouldn’t possibly have … and then … I sit up suddenly and see that my bare breasts are exposed. I’m wearing a robe and nothing else. Between my thighs, it’s slick and hot and tight and wanting.

“Good morning, Imperial Princess.” Avril is standing by my bed with a mug in her hand, a smirk on her face. She has her hip pushed out, arm cock-eyed to allow the mug to dangle enticingly. “Do you know what this is?”

I won’t allow myself to believe. I won’t. It isn’t true. The prince and I did not … whatever that was last night.

“Is it coffee?” I ask hopefully, perking up considerably at the smell emanating from said mug. I squint my eyes at the cup. It reads Blow Me! I’m Hot! I struggle to figure out where this mug may have come from when Avil supplies an explanation.

“From the black market. I asked Rurik to buy it for you as a gift from me. He lent me the half-coin that I had to pay for it. So … really, I’d say it was a gift from him.”

“Can you imagine the human being who must’ve owned this mug?” I say, standing up and taking the cup from Avril. “Either the person was a complete genius or a complete idiot, and I can’t decide which it is.” I blow on the beverage before taking a sip.

“Don’t get too excited,” she tells me with a quirked brow. “It’s Dunkin’ Donuts Decaf. Also, there’s only one bag, so this is sort of a special treat. The prince says his botanists might be able to clone a coffee plant.”

I wave her away and take a sip. She’s right: it’s basically dishwater. But it smells and looks enough like coffee that my sense memory warms and it feels like a proper morning. Oh, and not sure when I got totally used to prancing around nude in front of other people. Even other women. I’m just standing here with it all hanging out, and I don’t even care.

Probably … somewhere around the ‘being eaten alive and fighting off shadow monsters with a torch’ bit. Yep. Right about there.

I do seem to care when the prince walks into the room, fully dressed and tugging at his gloves again. He pauses near the doorway and goes completely still, his eyes slicing down the curves of my body, cutting me from afar, making me bleed. It really happened last night. Oh God.

“Your Imperial Highness.” I take my time handing my coffee to Avril, and then I very slowly, very purposely close the robe and tie it shut. Rurik has plenty of leisure to look. He doesn’t. He turns away to face the wall, and I frown. What the hell? No. I’m the one messing around with you.

“Once you are dressed, we’ll board the World Station together.” He stays where he is, gaze fixed on nothing. When he does finally turn a look over his shoulder, it’s empty. Completely and utterly empty. I can’t get anything from his stare. When I look into his eyes, nothing looks back. I cross the room and put my fingers on his arm; he’s hot, and his left antennae flicks back at me like I’ve offended him. But otherwise, he doesn’t react.

He was serious last night when he told me to stop running.

I know what we are. I know we’re like … like fucking soulmates, but I can’t accept that. Because Abraxas is my soulmate, and I’m sure of it.

“Okay then.” I drop my arm and exhale. This is probably for the better. If he runs, and I don’t give chase, then I can … I can run away one day and leave him to die, and I won’t even give a flying fuck. Eve, stop lying to yourself. “Please leave.” I cinch the robe even tighter and yank the lacy edges at the top closed, blocking my cleavage.

Rurik looks back at me, face a dark mask of fury, and then he uses his vampire teeth to pull his glove off. He sucks his pinky and ring finger into his mouth and then smiles at me.

“I will see you in the antechamber when you are ready. Do hurry. I don’t wish to disappoint my parents by being the last ones off the ship.” He takes off for the door, and leaves me there shaking in fury.

“I hate him,” I growl out, turning and smiling prettily at Avril. “Coffee please?”

She hands it over to me obediently. I take it into the bathroom, grit my teeth as the door slides shut behind me, and then down every last drop like it’s whiskey. This motherfucker. I’ll show him.

I end up in the antechamber just five minutes later, dressed in a skintight black dress with an entire back made of red lace, short velvety gloves with more of that same lace trim, a furred half-cape, and a hat with a veil. It’s so pretty I almost didn’t want to touch it.

“I take it you designed this,” I tell him drolly, and he glances over his shoulder as if he’s bored.

“Yes, well.” He offers me his arm and says nothing else. It’s fine since I have my own shit planned.

“I’m so looking forward to seeing my old friend here,” I say, and he resists the bait for all of two seconds. His eyes descend to mine, and I almost forget the con. “You know, the Falopex cop we met in the market. Tall, handsome, single. Officer Hyt?” I lift a brow in question and then laugh. “You know that’s why I was watching a Falopex get himself off last night, don’t you?”

The prince’s nostril slits flare, and his antennae snap together behind him. He bares his teeth and runs his palm down the front of his jacket as he takes off out the door and down the hallway at a pace so rapid that I have to jog to keep up.

“Slow down,” I grumble, but I’m wearing these padded velvet booties, and I’m beyond comfortable with a light jog.

We descend the spiral staircase again, but instead of proceeding forward into the king’s antechamber and throne room, we turn left and step through some sort of air-lock door. I see glass walls on either side of me, and I get the idea that maybe we’re … in a tunnel of some sort between two ships.

Or … between the ship and the space station.

There’s nothing beneath my feet but a thin sheet of metal. There’s a star nearby, and its light is shining on me, and Avril told me they have to have special glass because of all the strong UVA and UVB rays and—My head spins, and I collapse halfway to the ground.

The prince catches me as he always does, and our eyes meet.

He can’t hide it for long. His eyes drop to my lips before rising back up. I’m not sure what I plan on doing—pulling him closer or pushing him away—when the doors swish open. Avril looks back at us guiltily, having stepped too close and activated them.

Officer Hyt is standing in a hallway on the other side, tentacle tails swaying, hat tipped low, belt tipped way lower, with a small scrap of leather hiding his cock. Now that I know what it looks like, I can’t help but drop my gaze to stare. It’s easy to do it from the angle I’m at, dipped halfway to the floor in the prince’s arms. Oh my God, Hyt’s actually here. What the fuck?

I was just being a shithead in order to rile the prince up. I didn’t think … I had no idea …

“Eve!” Hyt says, planting his hands on his narrow hips. His gaze sweeps me, and he grins a little wider, that purple tongue firmly planted at the corner of his mouth. “My oldest and dearest friend.”

“Officer Hyt,” I greet, smiling prettily as Rurik sets me on my feet. The expression on his face is what I’m going to call a planet nuking glare. I’m sure I’ll get used to the threats soon enough.

“I should’ve asked my father to set the lasers on your oceans so that they’d boil.”

“What a thing for the next Imperial King of the Noctuida to say.” Hyt whistles and his pink pet flutters up in the air, spinning around me in a sea of bubbles and happy chatter. I smile and hold out a hand for it to land on. The way those two men stare is odd, but I ignore them. I’m sure I’m committing some sort of massive social snafu here, but I have no way of knowing what it is. I recall the Vestalis drama that Avril was watching, with the silk cocoon fiasco. That’s where I’m at. “Is it wise for you to make threats you can’t keep?”

We step out of the elevator and the pink octopus swirls back to its master. Hyt holds out his arms for me, like he’s offering to give me a hug or something. He narrows one eye at me in a half-wink.

“I know all humans love a good hug.” He grins brightly at me, his tentacle tails fluttering. I smell a half-truth in that statement, like maybe he knows that all humans don’t love good hugs. But many do. Hmm. I step forward and return his embrace with the express intent of pissing Rurik off.

Something weird happens when Hyt draws me in for that hug. A fluttering in my belly. A tightening in my core. Hyt puts his lips near my ear to whisper, tiny bubbles tickling my skin along with his words.

“The Falopex are renowned all throughout the Noctuida; I don’t blame you for lookin’ at my cock. It’s my best asset.” He flashes pink, and then he laughs at me as he stands up straight. I narrow my eyes on him. Funny. Another man lying about the prowess of his dick. What a shocker. He lifts the edge of one eye, like he’s quirking a brow. He doesn’t have one, just those fins that slant across either side of his forehead like eyebrows. He returns his mouth to my ear, and I feel a small flick at the edge of my lobe. “I would love to speak to you in private.” He stays pink. His hand rubs my lower back in a circle.

I find myself exhaling all of my stress and leaning into him.

“I assume there’s some truth in that lie?” I ask, thinking that I’ve got him all figured out. “When?”

“Now.” Hyt stands up straight, pausing when the prince storms up to stand behind me. Rurik’s got that headpiece on with the little screen over his left eye. He reaches up to touch his fingers absently to the ear piece. I equate it to like an alien smartwatch or something, but really, I have no clue what it is. “Can I help you, Oh Great Imperial Majesty?”

“One day, your arrogance is going to walk you right off a ship and into the endless night.”

The threat almost makes me dizzy in and of itself, but I blink it back. Rurik isn’t serious. I don’t know how I know that. I just … I know.

Zero strides by us like she’s in the middle of an important mission.

“Where in the Stars is that goddamn cyborg going?” Rurik turns her around with little more than an absent thought, but I reach out and put my hand on his arm.

“I gave her the day off, dude. Relax.”

The prince blinks at me like I’m crazy.

“You did what?” he asks, and I turn fully to face him, curling my lip in irritation.

“She’s going through some shit, okay?”

“Going through …” Rurik trails off like he has no idea what I’m talking about. “You cannot give your primary security officer time off for personal reasons.” He throws an arm out to indicate Zero. She hasn’t moved from her spot in the hallway, facing us and waiting for a release from Rurik’s complete control. I don’t envy her at all. I feel sorry for her. “She’s a cyborg with a borrowed body. She walks only because I give her my blood.”

“And you live only because I give you mine.” My words are sharp-edged and final. “Either I’m free or I’m a prisoner. I gave her the day off.”

Rurik reaches up to the device on his face, and then tears it off like it’s on fire. I see blood lace on the side of his head. Not his blood lace, all beautiful and delicate, but his father’s blood lace. It rips as he yanks on it, spilling blood down his ghost-white skin.

The prince chucks the device on the floor and crushes it with his boot, leaving yet another smear of conspicuous red on the sterile space station floor. He looks up at me. Endless love. Together forever. One life after another. No distance is too far. I gasp and force my attention away from him.

“I need you to trust me, princess; I am doing the best I can.” He grinds this all out through a clenched jaw.

“I feel like I slipped into something personal here,” Hyt inserts, stealing my attention by taking my wrist and rubbing his thumb in a circle against my pulse. He taps his finger a few times, like he’s trying to signal me. He wants to tell me something, and he can’t do it in front of the prince.

“Zero, go.” I don’t even look at her, and I just assume that Rurik will let her go. Not because I told him he has to but because he’ll see that it’s the right thing to do. He can’t tell me I have freedom and then cut me off at every turn if he wants to prove himself, especially not over something like this. I turn to Hyt and cross my arms. “You said we needed to talk? Let’s go find somewhere private.”

I ignore Rurik entirely. But oh, I can feel him. His pheromones tell me in no uncertain terms that he is livid. I’m probably committing some other alien social faux pas, but you know what? This isn’t an 1800s Victorian court. If I want to be alone with another guy without a chaperone, guess what? I’m my own person. Also, I’m American. Heh. These aliens have no idea how to deal with my red, white, and blue blood.

“Whatever you say, Imperial Princess; I am yours to command.” Hyt affects a dramatic bow as his skin shifts from pink to blue, tipping his red cowboy hat at me. He spins it off his head, along his shoulders, snatches it with one of his tentacles, and then places it back on his head again. He swipes the tip of one tentacle along the brim. “Right this way.” He offers out his arm which I take, and off we go.

I can feel Rurik trailing along behind us, but I don’t let his presence sway me from my task. Avril keeps up with the pair of us, sticking close to my right side.

“You’re not supposed to touch other males,” she whispers, voice low and nervous. She reaches up to rub at her face, smearing her fancy makeup. “Both you and the prince could get in big trouble for this.”

“I don’t care.” That’s not entirely true. I do care. I’m a teensy, weensy, little bit, sort of, almost afraid of Rurik’s parents. But if Officer Hyt has something to tell me in private, it probably has to do with Jane. Or maybe Connor. Either way, I want to hear it. Either way, I want to see if he can’t get me out of this mess.

“Avril, the medic,” Hyt says, his strange eyes swinging her way. “It’s nice to see you alive and well.”

She peers at him, her blue eyes dropping to his chest and abs. I mean, it’s all right there and on full display for the universe to see. I keep my eyes on him, too, but just so I don’t have to see the wall of windows on our left. Why are there windows everywhere?! Back on Earth, I loved windows. Always had mine thrown open to enjoy a cool night breeze. But here? I could do without. I squeeze my eyes shut for a few brief seconds.

“Who are you?” she asks him, but not unkindly, like she’d genuinely love to know more. Don’t think about the porn you watched. Don’t think about Rurik’s fingers inside of you. Don’t, don’t, don’t. My brain is my literal worst enemy. Err. Well, it was my worst enemy. Then I met Rurik’s parents and saw the way my space millipede MIL looked at me, and now I’ve changed my mind.

“Pardon me, little human girl.” Hyt releases my arm and then sweeps another dramatic bow, the water sloshing over the tops of his see-through cowboy boots with the rhinestones on the top. Kid you not. Rhinestones. I don’t even … I have no words. “Allow me to introduce myself.” He stands up straight and smirks playfully at her. “I’m what you might call an intergalactic police officer.”

“His name is Hyt,” I supply, and his face shifts slightly.

“I should never have given you that name,” he murmurs, flashing to bright pink with a curse.

“A Falopex, right?” Avril continues, and then her gaze drops to his chunky belt with the myriad weapons on it, his matching red loincloth, his strong thighs and shapely calves. His tails sway prettily as he smiles back at her, the expression at odds with the massive assault rifle on his back.

“Aye. A Falopex. I assume you’ve seen some porn? That’s what most humans do when they get here. They seek out the X-rated stuff.”

I almost choke to death on my own spit, face turning bright red as Hyt’s eyes swing to mine. I notice that he stays pink which means he’s lying. About what, I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter. He’s so full of shit, I imagine that he’s lying when he tells the truth, and telling the truth when he’s lying. It’s not all that hard. If I were him, I’d look someone in the face and say simple things like, “Oh? My age? Yeah, I’m twenty-six.” I’m a few months shy, so technically I’d be lying, but it’s also sort of the truth, too.

“Did you, Princess?” he asks, his tails drifting forward like he might touch me with them. His gaze shifts over to Rurik, standing several feet behind us and panting so heavily that he looks like he might have a heart attack. I ignore him.

“So what if I did? It was an accident. Avril was watching it, and she handed me the tablet—”

“Eve, I was watching a multi-species orgy which definitely didn’t include any Falopex.” She gives me a look, and I just stare at her.

“You are the worst wingwoman on the”—can’t say planet—“in the whole of the Noctuida.” That seems to be a phrase that people around here like to use liberally.

Hyt is laughing now, hands on his gorgeous hips. He knows what he looks like, and he deals maximum damage with that charm, looking up at me from under the brim of his hat.

“Princess, my, my. Were you thinking about me?” He smiles crookedly, rows of sharp teeth catching the light. “If it helps you feel better, I was thinking about you, too.” He wiggles his … well, again, not his brows, but he moves his face in such a way that the effect is similar. His fox ears flatten back against the brim of his hat. “And I mean that in exactly the way it sounds.”

Except that you’re still pink.

“Girl, what is wrong with your pheromones,” Avril whispers to me. “You’re pretty popular with the alien guys, huh?”

I figure it makes sense because I was never super popular with dudes back on Earth. I must be built differently than the rest.

“Alright. Fine. I watched a few minutes of Falopex porn. So what?”

Hyt cannot resist the taunt, not even with Rurik standing right fucking there. I tell myself I don’t owe him anything because he kidnapped me, that Abraxas is my only concern and that harmless flirting with this cop guy means nothing. That’s how I rationalize my bullshit.

“So what? You’re telling me you don’t wonder what that single sucker on the end does for a human woman’s clit?”

“You know what a clit is?” I’m shocked. Avril seems to feel the same as she glances my way. “A lot of human men don’t even know what a clit is.” She and I stare at each other.

“Are you okay if I go for this guy?” she whispers behind her hand, but even though I should simply tell her to rock on, I can’t. My mouth won’t move.

Fingers clamp down on my arm and there’s Rurik, teeth gritted, chest rising and falling with carefully controlled breaths.

“Enough, Princess. I can handle many slights and insults, but I will not stand here and listen to my bride discuss human female anatomy with a Falopex.” He may as well have said garbage dump for the way he pronounces the word. Hyt bares his sexy little teeth at the Vestalis prince, but Rurik lifts his lip in much the same way and flashes his pretty vampire fangs. Yikes. There’s no love lost between the two men.

“You know what a clit is, too?” I ask, and Rurik glares at me like he wants me to shut up. I worry that there’s more to his look than simple jealousy. We’re on the World Station now, so there’s none of his father’s blood lace on the walls or ceiling, but that doesn’t mean nobody’s watching. Maybe I should be more careful? “If you did then you should’ve shown me last night,” I whisper, and he shudders all over, releasing my arm like it’s on fire.

Avril looks between the two of us, and then back to Hyt again. He’s not looking at her. He’s staring at me and the prince with a dark frown on his handsome face.

Now I’m breathing hard, too, and I wish the stupid prince would move back so I could think more clearly.

“Shall we talk?” Hyt asks, his voice an envious shade of green. I snap my head up to catch his gaze, those triple pupils in either of his blue eyes narrowing to slits. He forces a smile. “It’s not important, so it won’t take long.” His body changes back to blue.

“I’ll be right back.” I move away from Rurik and hurry down the hall. It’s much more sterile in here than it is on the Vestalis ship. No red-flame sconces or fancy carpets or chandeliers. The hall is a narrow, metal space that curves slightly as we walk down it. We don’t encounter anyone else which I suppose is a good thing for my psyche. If Rurik’s mother is any indication—not to mention my day at the Jungryuk market—then surely, there are some creepy, ugly bastards on this ship.

“You do know that we’re in a protected section of the station, right? Only high-ranking Vestalis or Falopex are allowed in here.” Hyt remains blue. I try to sniff out the half-truths as I narrow my eyes. The first part of that phrasing was in question form. A question is neither a truth nor a lie. Damn it, but I want to solve this puzzle. “Are you tense because you’re afraid, Princess?”

I give him a dark look as Avril struggles to keep up with us and Hyt throws a thumb over his shoulder.

“Shall I take her with me when I leave? She’s not mated, and Tabbi Kat could probably use a companion.” He makes a face that I recognize all too well. He might be an alien tentacle fox thing, but he’s been condemned to spending time with Tabitha. There are few things in existence worse than that which I can now confirm with utmost certainty. I was abducted from Earth. I was eaten alive. I was nearly raped by a creature with tiny worm dicks. Still, Tabbi’s presence … leaves something to be desired.

“Excuse me, but I do have a voice of my own.” Avril squeezes between us, and the look she throws me says that we are so going to have a talk when we get back to our room. She can see me crushing on the stupid Falopex cop. Fantastic. Apparently I have a thing for alien dick. Jane has always had a thing for alien dick. She orders these massive dildos from a site called Bad Dragon. It’s … it’s a vibe for sure. “What do you mean by ‘take her with me’? I’m not going anywhere.”

Hyt stops walking, looking back to see that Rurik is still following us. The longer my interaction with the Falopex goes, the angrier the prince looks. Maybe he’ll take some of that anger out on me in the bathtub again? I crush the thought and kick it into the dark recesses of space where it belongs.

“You’re not?” Hyt asks her as his pink pet swirls around him, tiny tentacles fluttering. When I hold out my hand, it lands on my palm, and he frowns again. He forces his attention back to Avril, and I find myself pleased that he’d rather look at me. Oh, Eve, you thirsty ass bitch. I love Abraxas. He’s my goddamn soulmate. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’d still choose him. Over these guys. Over going back to Earth. “You want to stay with the Vestalis?”

“They have medical technology that we could only dream about back on Earth.” Avril seems as perplexed by his question as he was by her statement. “How could I go back to such a small life when I’ve seen what else is out there? You want me to downgrade from Imperial Princess’ handmaiden to a paramedic who gets paid forty-K a year? Nope.”

Hyt scratches at the back of his head, ruffling up his pretty blue hair. Or is it hair at all? I’m not sure. He tilts his hat forward and then tips it back, showing off more of his handsome face. It’s hard to look there though when his abs just scream look at me; there are eight of us beauties on display! I squint. Oh. Wait. Nope. There are ten. He has a ten-pack. Huh.

“We could die,” I whisper to her, but she just shrugs.

“We could, but we’re not going to because you’re in love with the prince.” She gives me another look, and I swear that I miss Jane so much that it hurts. My bestie would never do me wrong like this. “You slept with Rurik last night, didn’t you? Maybe not full P-in-V stuff, but something. You’ll be just fine. We’re not going to be executed for treason.”

My eyes flick to Hyt’s to find his narrowed, his mouth in another pretty frown.

“If you want to stay, Miss Avril, well, I suppose I can’t force you to go.” He sighs like he’s exhausted, and I wish fervently that I could read his mind. I would love to know what this guy is thinking. “Taking the Imperial Princess’ lady-in-waiting doesn’t sound like such a great idea anyway, does it?” He pauses to look over at Rurik. “Are you sure you don’t want another human servant for your lady? I’d gladly give you the one in my possession.”

“Well, I suppose—” Rurik begins, but I cut him off.

“Nope. We’re good. All good.” I gesture randomly around the sterile hallway. “So, where can we have this chat?”

Hyt strides forward in his low-slung belt and boots, leaning past me and putting his palm flat on the wall. I can feel a door slide open behind me as he smirks, the blue skin around his eyes tightening. One of his webbed ears flattens against his hat, the handy little cutouts on the brim allowing them to peek out.

“After you, Princess.” He gestures with his left hand, his right remaining against the wall. We’re standing way too close, but at least he doesn’t have an overpowering and mind-numbing scent like Abraxas or Rurik. I spin away from him and slip into the room.

He follows me, hitting a button to close the door. It very nearly cuts Rurik and Avril in half.

“Best if this is a private conversation.” Hyt turns pink again, and he curses so fiercely that bubbles drift from his lips. His pet chirps and lifts into the air, spinning and twirling like it’s performing a dance for me. He snatches it in his hand, uses one of his tentacle tails to lift his hat, and shoves it under there. He replaces the hat, and I raise an eyebrow as I hear it chittering in frustration.

“Best if this isn’t a private conversation?” I query, seeing as what he just said was a lie. “You’re a hard man to figure out, you know that?”

“You’re an equally difficult little human,” he retorts, leaning toward me with his hands on his hips. He uses the tip of one tentacle to flick me in the forehead, and I slap him away. “What the fuck are you doing? All goo-goo eyed over the prince? I thought you were mated to the Aspis?” His eyes drift down to the hem of my dress, like he’s trying to see my pussy through the fabric. I take it that he, too, has seen a lot of porn and knows that I’m glowing downstairs.

I slap him, and he rears back, pressing a palm to his cheek.

“What a violent, ugly little primate,” he breathes, flashing back to blue again. I smirk.

“Don’t stare at my cunt, and I won’t have to do that again.”

“Don’t stare at my dick, and I won’t feel like I have an express invitation to do so.” He flashes pink, curses again, pulls down on both sides of his hat and covers his eyes with the brim. He lifts up one side, exposing a single eye and three beautiful rose-colored irises. “You have a strange effect on me. I’ll have you know that I don’t often change colors.” Another lie.

My eyes drift to the door. I can feel Rurik on the other side of it, and my body aches at the separation between us. I ignore the emotion. It isn’t mine. It isn’t real.

“Damn, I’d almost forgotten how obsessive a Vestalis mate could be.” Hyt sighs and adjusts his hat again. “You sure have changed, little human girl.”

His words strike me like a hammer to the chest, despite the fact that I know them to be a lie. He’s still pink, after all. But … I haven’t changed. Fuck this guy.

“It’s been three days!” I’m shouting, and I don’t know why. Panic. It’s pure panic.

“They say three seconds is enough.” Hyt smirks at me, but there’s a sadness to his expression. “Guess they’re right.” He frowns. “Or maybe they’re exaggerating? I doubt it took you that long to fall for him.”

“Who is ‘they’ anyway?” I snap, feeling my temper get the better of me. I yank the velvet gloves off and shove them into the pocket on my dress. That’s how thorough Rurik is with his designs: he puts pockets on my dresses. I hate him.

“My parents.” Hyt looks dead serious though he’s still pink. He quirks a half-smile. “Did you think I meant a proverbial ‘they’? Wrong.”

I figure my best bet here is to change the subject.

“You must be pretty important if you can walk right up to the prince and insult him?” It’s a question, one that I don’t expect him to answer truthfully.

“My father is the Chief of Police.” He says that like it’s much, much bigger than a similar position on Earth. “The Falopex are the only ones willing to stand up to the Vestalis. It makes us likable.” He winks at me, but even though I know it’s supposed to be cut-and-dried—pink for lies, blue for truths—I feel like he’s playing word games with me.

“Stand up to the Vestalis?” Now he’s piqued my interest.

He crosses his big arms over his chest and leans back, fully aware of the picture he paints. It hurts to tear my eyes away from all those muscles, but I figure I should at least look around the room. There are two bench seats, one on either side, and literally nothing else.

“What is this?” I ask, and Hyt laughs, leaning toward me so that the tip of his nose brushes up against mine.

“Hold on tight, sweetheart.” He smirks. “Me or the wall, it doesn’t matter.”

I only have a split-second but … I choose him.

Hyt slaps a screen on the wall, and then … Oh God. My stomach threatens to come out of my throat as the room we’re in shoots off like a horizontal elevator. In space. Flying through the air. Endless blackness. Suffocation. Silence. Cold.

I throw my body against Hyt’s, wrapping my arms around his midsection, my cheek pressed to his impressive abdominal muscles, my eyes squinched shut. Oh, damn, he’s nice and warm. But I still think I might throw up. Or pass out. Or—

Those pretty tentacle tails wrap around me, lifting me completely off the floor.

“You’re alright, little human girl.” One of his tentacles strokes my back, another pets my hair, the others keep me lifted and pressed tightly against him. I’m such a big baby. But this astrophobia shit is real. I can’t think too hard about it or it’s lights-out for me.

The alien elevator glides to a smooth stop, but the door doesn’t open.

Hyt sets me down and then his tails retreat in a rush. I was so disturbed by my sense of vertigo that I didn’t appreciate how silky his skin was until it was gone. I slap at my cheeks to clear away the images of last night’s porn. I definitely do not wonder if his dick skin is as soft as his tentacles. That’s the only part of it that I’d want soft … I slap my cheeks again and drop my arms by my sides.

Sexy Officer Hyt over there looks disturbingly amused.

“Sorry. I have astrophobia. Fear of space.”

He chuckles at me, flashing cute little teeth.

“It’s pretty common. You’re certainly not the only planet-dweller to panic on a ship or a station.” He walks right up to me, leans in, his eyes on my lips. “Nice mouth, by the way. I’ve always loved the shape of human mouths.” His finger flicks the screen on the wall behind us, and the door slides open.

I turn slowly around to see where—

I get so dizzy that I actually stumble and Hyt catches me with his tails.

“Do you want me to close the window?” he asks, but I shake my head, forcing my shuttered eyes back open.

I’m staring at a massive fucking planet. It takes up nearly the entire wall, and that’s saying something since it stretches clear from one side of this gargantuan room to the other. The ceiling is so high that it’s nearly obscured in shadow. The planet itself isn’t just close by—this beautiful swirl of blue-green and turquoise, of sapphire and cerulean—we’re connected to it. The World Station has its arms literally buried in the waters of that planet, anchored to it. It sweeps up in graceful gold curves, taking up as much space as the planet itself. We’re on one of the lower arms. When I try to complete the design in my mind, it looks like an armillary sphere (basically a globe, but for the solar system). If it were an armillary sphere, the space station would consist of the rings up top while the planet serves as its base. It also matches the burn scar on Hyt’s chest.

“Holy shit.” My astrophobia disappears in the breadth of my awe.

“You like this, little human girl?” he asks, like it’s a line he’s used a million times before. There’s a long pause before he exhales and bubbles come pouring out. “Sorry, human woman. You’re certainly not a little girl.” He clucks his purple tongue and strides past me, snapping his fingers to activate the lights. The dim room—lit only by the blue-green glow of the planet—brightens a bit.

I tear my gaze away from the view to look around.

We’re in an office of some sort. There are round tables with padded benches, a few desks, and plenty of fish tanks. Some are occupied by brightly colored creatures while the rest remain empty. I see small staircases leading up to the glass edge at the top. None of the tanks are covered.

“Where are we?” I’m already wondering if Rurik is upset that I’ve left. I’m already missing him. My throat goes dry as I imagine the distance between us, and I have to slap myself in the face again to gather my common sense. That pheromone shit is no joke. I’m a prisoner to it. I’m a slave to my body’s desires. I don’t like that. I fucking hate it. Maybe … it’s not him that I hate, but the unwanted feelings.

“This is the World Station.” Hyt is facing away from me, so I’ve got a pretty good view of his ass beneath his nine tentacle tails. I’m relieved he only has one sucker on the tip of each. Usually the sight of tentacles creeps me out. “That’s my home planet, Yaoh.” He pronounces it like yah-oh. “And this is the Central Office. It’s a holiday today, so I doubt we’ll see any of the other officers.”

He remains pink the entire time he’s telling me this shit. What am I supposed to believe? Is pink his lie or his truth color? Wait. I know how to solve this riddle!

I march right up to him to see that he’s … getting us glasses of ice water?

Hyt turns to look at me, tilting his head slightly. The motion reminds me of Abraxas, and I have to bite back a wave of anguish. It was so simple and peaceful and relaxing being on Jungryuk with him. If I’m being totally honest with myself, I stayed for him, but I wasn’t as upset about it as I might’ve been. I was truly free there in a way I’ve never been before and might never be again. No responsibilities, no laws, no social structure, no expectations. It was … I’m going to miss that.

“You look so sad, Princess. I wish I could help you out with that.” One of his tentacles traces down the edge of my jaw, and that’s what snaps me back to the present. He’s still pink.

I smile wickedly back at him, and he doesn’t seem to know what to do with the expression.

“Are you pink when you lie?” I ask.

He goes perfectly still.

See, here’s how it works. He’s pink right now. He claims this color marks his dishonesty. I don’t know if I believe that. My theory here is that he’s actually blue when he lies, and he’s pink when he tells the truth.

He throws his head back in laughter.

“Oh, Princess.” With his head still tilted back, he turns his face toward me. “Are you trying to catch me in a liar’s paradox? Sweetheart, the Falopex excel in truths and lies.” He turns blue and hands me the glass of water. “Why not just ask me if I’m lying, full stop?”

Shit.

This is a logic puzzle that I can’t seem to solve. This fucking guy.

“I’m going to just run off the assumption that every word that leaves your mouth is total shit.”

He bends at the waist, he’s laughing so hard. I narrow my eyes and take a sip of the water. Tastes … freakishly normal.

“Okay, fair enough.” He stands back up and grabs his own water glass, tossing it down like it’s whiskey. He slams the glass back on the small table in front of him. “Can’t blame you for that.”

He’s still blue.

“What did you mean when you said the Falopex stand up to the Vestalis?” I want to gather as much information as I can while I’m here. I have no doubt that Rurik will be hot on our heels.

Hyt pours himself another glass of water using his tentacle tails instead of his hands.

“How much time do you have?” He looks my way again, and something about the expression on my face must dig at him a little. “I have a little sister, you know?” Another question. Neither truth nor lie. “I’m a liar.” He turns pink, and I blink through my confusion. “See? You won’t figure it out so don’t try.” He pats me on the head, and I slap his hand away. “My little sister is adopted; she’s human. I know a lot about humans because of that.”

“Good for you.” I still can’t decide if he’s lying or not which I guess is the whole point. The color changing is not a dead giveaway like I thought it would be.

“But you? You don’t know anything about anything. Which is why humans belong on Earth, ignorant and unaware. The fact that you’re about to be married to a Vestalis prince, and you don’t even understand the basics of Falopex and Vestalis relations … that upsets me.”

“So tell me.” I thrust my glass back at him, and he refills it with the pitcher, tentacle wrapped around the handle. I can feel the pulsing glow of the planet behind me, but as beautiful as it was, I need a break from looking at it.

“Not sure if you can tell, but the Vestalis are bullies.” He sighs and sets the pitcher down, wandering over to the massive window and staring down at his planet with those strange eyes of his. It’s one of the weirdest sights I’ve ever seen, this cowboy-hat wearing semi-nude alien guy with an assault rifle drinkin’ a glass of water and gazing out the window of a space station.

Who even am I anymore? I’m certainly not Eve, the caterer. I was hoping I’d be Eve, Abraxas’ mate. I don’t know what to think right now. In just a few short days, that stupid moth has scrambled my brain.

“They rule the Noctuida with fear.” He glances my way, still pink. He could be lying—maybe the Vestalis rule the Noctuida with fear and weapons or fear and respect—or maybe they don’t rule with fear at all. But he could also be telling me the bare honest truth. I’m leaning toward the latter, and I don’t know why. “What do you think happened to the Cartians?” he asks, referencing Zero’s species. He can’t know that’s what she is, so he must be bringing her race up for another reason. There’s something about his expression that tells me to take this seriously. “They had the audacity to stand up for themselves and now they’re just”—he snaps his fingers—“space dust.”

“What do you mean by that exactly?” I hedge, wishing I wasn’t hearing all of this. None of this is my problem. I don’t care. I don’t. I don’t give a fuck. I want to live on Jungryuk with Abraxas and have him take care of me and fuck me and cuddle me, and fine. Fine. I’ll admit it. I wanted an Aspis baby. I wanted a daughter with ebony scales and horns and a tail, just like he told me. So what?

Hyt continues on, staring out the window at his own planet. He doesn’t stop to answer my question directly, and I get the idea that these are all things he’s been desperate to say to someone, anyone, but hasn’t had a chance to.

“The Vestalis claim they’re perfectly egalitarian because their mates could be from any species; they have no bias or favoritism.” He snorts a laugh, more bubbles escape his lips. With another sigh, he lifts his hat and lets his pet out. It immediately lands on my shoulder, and he shakes his head at it. “They don’t have a planet of their own. Instead, they nuke other planets and eat ‘em with nary a thought.” He shrugs his shoulders like it’s nothing, but … that’s a pretty big fucking something. “That ship that you’re on, it’s big enough and powerful enough to eradicate entire planets from existence.”

“I …” I’m suddenly thinking about Jungryuk. About Earth. About this planet right next to me. I’m thinking about how kind Rurik is, how I’m his princess, and how we could be king and queen. If we were, nobody would get blown up. We wouldn’t destroy planets. We’d … are you trying to liberate the entire galaxy?!

Since when did I turn into this person? A person who cares about crap like this? I’m not. I just want to live my life and be left alone. I don’t want responsibilities like this. It’s too much. I didn’t ask for this. I was just trying to cater a vegan pop star’s fundraiser.

“The Vestalis are parasites.” Hyt’s face softens as he turns to me, collecting my empty water glass. I hadn’t even noticed I was drinking from it, but now that it’s gone, my throat feels dry. He sets the glasses on a small table, and then steps close to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. A little flicker hits my belly that I don’t want, so I ignore it. I don’t need any other men in my life. All I need is Abraxas. “Eve, if you mate with the prince, he will take control of your eggs.”

I try to pull back from Hyt’s grip, but he won’t let me go.

“My … eggs?” I’m not quite sure what he means.

“Yes. Your eggs … or ova, yes? Is that what they’re called?” Hyt licks his lips and drops his head, trying to figure out how to explain while still telling a lie or … telling the truth or … whatever. I’m going off of vibes here. “Human females have ovaries, don’t they? You are born with your eggs, and you only have so many?”

I nod as he looks up. That’s all true. He wasn’t kidding when he said he knew a lot about humans. Also, every single thing he just said was a question. I can’t use simple facts to confirm whether pink or blue is his truth color. Nice move, Falopex.

“Vestalis males are designed so that the first time they mate with a female, they take over her reproductive system. All of your eggs, your ova, will be injected with his DNA.” He lifts up a single finger, both eyes and all six pupils fixated on my face to gauge my reaction. “Even if you manage to get away from him later, even if you’re intimate with someone else, any child you conceive will be his. Yours too, obviously, but his.” He releases me and stands up straight. “Every child you conceive will be a Vestalis male. Period. No deviations. No exceptions.”

I’m having a hard time keeping my feet. I turn away and stumble over to a bench seat, sitting down on it so hard that I feel the impact in my bones.

I … I could never have Abraxas’ child? I could never have a daughter? I …I think I’m going to be sick. And it’s not the astrophobia this time. I close my eyes and grip the cushion with tense fingers.

Hyt sits down beside me, murmuring under his breath.

“This is why humans shouldn’t be out here,” he repeats. “You guys can’t play life-or-death games when you don’t know the rules.”

We sit there in silence for a while.

“Rurik hasn’t found us yet?” I ask eventually. I’m beyond devastated. Frankly, I feel sick. I resist the urge to press a hand to my stomach. Rurik was at least honest about taking over any eggs that Abraxas might’ve fertilized. But … shit. Shit, shit, shit. This is so much worse than I thought.

And I cannot for the life of me think of a way out of this.

“Have you found Connor yet?” I ask, trying to steer us to a less terrifying subject. If I think too hard about all the things that Hyt’s just told me, I won’t be able to get out of bed. “The male medic,” I add, in case he was unsure who I was talking about.

“It’s not quite that easy,” Hyt says with a dry laugh. “He’s been sold from one slaver to the next. I’m doing my best to keep up.”

“You’re pretty terrible at your job, aren’t you?” I snap, but not because I’m actually angry with him. I’m upset. I’m sad. I just discovered that mating with Rurik isn’t solely a necessary evil, it’s a permanent alteration of my entire biology. I wanted a daughter. I wanted—eventually—to have a baby with Abraxas.

I can feel cold fury rolling off of Hyt as he turns to look at me. His face is dead. There is none of that playful humor left in his expression. I’m reminded all over again that he’s an alien, and I’m a human, and I am entirely at his mercy in here. If he wanted to snap my neck with his tentacle tails, I couldn’t stop him.

He chooses not to respond to my statement. I’ve fucked it up with this guy. He’s pissed.

“Why did you agree to follow me here?” he asks as his pet lifts up from my shoulder and takes off. It flutters away, and dips itself into one of the open water tanks. The mood shifts. My attention moves back to Hyt as he leans in toward me, his right arm along the back of the bench beside me. “You’re engaged to the Vestalis prince. You know that I can’t help you.” He waits, tapping his fingers against the cushion. “Though I’m shocked that you haven’t mated him already.”

“How would you even know if I had?” I quip back, but I’m not so clever as I think. Hyt leans in toward me, twining his tentacles in my hair.

“You’d be marked by him. He’d be marked by you.” He taps a finger on my shoulder for emphasis as he places a few suckers against my skin. My calves, my arm, my neck. He removes them all with a pop. “Your back. His wings. I haven’t seen your back yet, but I saw his wings.”

“Yet?” I ask, and then he’s dragging me onto his lap, knocking the loincloth loose. I look down and I can see it trapped between us.

There’s his dick.

It’s just like the one in the video I watched last night. There’s a thick pale pink base with hot pink petals wrapped around it, about the size of a soda can. My fingers twitch. I can’t say why I do it. Curiosity, maybe. Perversion, I guess. Desperation.

I’m frustrated. I feel weird. I’m depressed. I want Abraxas, and I know I can’t have him. Even if Rurik is telling the truth about bringing Abraxas to the ship, he can’t live there. He’s a wild thing, meant to roam, to be free. I can’t condemn him to life on a hostile alien ship while I’m married to and breeding with another guy. But that stupid moth couldn’t stop me from fucking the cop guy, could he? There are no pheromones here controlling my actions. I think Officer Hyt is hot, and I like his personality. That’s on me. Nobody is making me do this.

I am free. I make my own choices. I can do whatever I want.

My hand reaches between us and my fingers curl around him.

Hyt exhales, using his tentacles to tuck me more closely against him. His dick is essentially pinned between his body and mine. I play my fingers across him, trying to tease one of those petals loose. It does what I ask, and there’s a small tentacle wrapping around my finger. The rest of them unfold, caressing my hand as I do the same to him.

This is crazy. I should be terrified right now. I should run. This is weird. But I can’t stop.

I use my fist to pump him a few times, watching his expression for guidance. He looks so absurdly pleased, a cat-got-the-cream-smile. That stupid hat … I grab it with my other hand and toss it onto the bench beside us, putting one of my hands on his ear. It’s fox-like and sits on the top of his head, covered in scales. There are frilled fins on the exterior side. My palm slides across the skin of his neck, grabbing his long braid and giving it a sharp tug. Oh, and he likes that. Loves it.

My eyes drop back down to his cock, and we both end up watching as that second part emerges, hard and slick and wanting. It’s fascinating—and strangely erotic—to see his secondary shaft swell from the base, pale white and tipped with a single sucker on the underside. I thumb it, and he throws his head back, our skin sticking together. I draw my hand away and it comes loose with another pop.

When I slide my fingers under the thick base of him, I can feel his swollen balls tucked close. I’m dragging my teeth against my lower lip again, wondering if I should try to kiss him.

An inner voice inside of me screams that I’m in a coma, that I’m hallucinating. Don’t get too close to anyone here. It’s not real. It’s not happening. You’re lying in a bed somewhere, imagining all of this. I tell myself that there are too many odd coincidences. Rurik is a moth, and I dated an entomologist? Hyt is a cowboy, and I went through a Lonesome Dove obsession in high school? Abraxas is … so perfect as to be an impossible reality? Surely I’m just processing memories and desires in an unconscious mind.

But then Hyt shoves my dress up, revealing a pair of crimson lace panties with a garter belt.

“Did you put this on for him?” he asks, but like he’s really, really mad about it. He looks back up at me, waiting for an answer. My thumb continues to rub a lazy circle on the head of his cock while my other hand teases his balls. I turn my attention downward and see that there’s … another part of him. A third part. It emerged from the tip of him, another cluster of small tentacles. There are nine there, too, I think. Nine big tail tentacles, nine small tentacles at the base of his cock, nine more at the apex of his crown.

He grabs my ass and lifts me up to my knees. His tentacle tails come around and bury themselves in the panties, tearing the fabric apart and tossing it aside. Hyt takes my face in one of his tentacles and then brings my mouth toward his. The motion off-balances me slightly, and I slam into his chest, skimming the wetness of my cunt over the tip of him and then down the front of his length. He’s buried between my ass cheeks now, but still not technically fucking me.

I’m hot all over, nipples desperate for touch, pussy impossibly swollen and needy. It’s frustrating knowing that he’s so close, but not where I want him to be. The tentacle on my chin drags me closer, and my hips shift, ass tilting up. I realize then that he’s got tentacles all over me, putting me exactly where he wants me to go. I start to move my hips, and his dick gets caught between my folds. I rub on him, slicking him up as he leans down to kiss me. Our mouths hover, and then he’s taking me gently by the back of the neck with his hand. I snatch his hat back up from where it fell on the seat and put it back on, the brim overshadowing both of our gazes.

“Wicked little human. What a wild wife you’d make.” He takes my mouth before I can truly understand what he just said. Doesn’t matter. It’s just a turn of phrase. I’m moving at the perfect pace, getting my clit with each arc of my pelvis, wetness dripping down my thighs. Some of that liquid is mine, but some of it is decidedly not.

I want Hyt to put it inside, but even if he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.

I’m about to come, panting hard as he kisses me with a possessiveness I didn’t think he had. His tails sweep and pet and brush over me before those sucker tips at the end each offer up an effervescent bubble that twirls up and around me. It isn’t until they pop, and I smell it that I realize.

Pheromones. Again. Fuck.

A powerful wave rolls over me, and I feel that climax hitting me. It’s right there, right there, right—

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Hyt picks me up with his tentacles, pulling my body away from his. I’m suddenly cold between the thighs, and my stimulation is completely gone. I’m red-faced and panting and totally confused. “Okay, I really want to do this, and I know you want to do this, too.”

“I do. I want it. What are you doing?” I’m so completely disoriented. Dazed. Nothing else matters except for satisfying the deep, biological ache between my thighs. “Hyt, what the fuck?”

He grits his teeth, looks me over like he isn’t sure he’s not making a mistake, and then sets me aside on the bench next to him. I’m all sweaty, wrapping my arms around myself, wondering what I’m supposed to be doing right now. I’m so embarrassed all of a sudden. And ashamed, too.

“I can’t mate with you unless I give you this first.” He moves over to a metal box on a nearby table, tapping in a code on a pin pad. The box opens, and then … Abraxas.

The smell of musk and male, of mate and home and safety.

I stand up suddenly, shoving my dress back into place, and I throw myself on the item in Hyt’s hand. It’s a small, white fur covered in Abraxas’ scent. I put it to my face like a crazy person, close my eyes, and breathe him in. What am I doing here? I’m letting these assholes mess with me. Abraxas is my mate. He’s the only one I need. I’m here against my will, and I’m making stupid stress-based mistakes.

I let Rurik finger me last night. I rubbed shamelessly on Hyt.

I can’t look at him.

That’s how it goes. One instant, we’re hot for each other. Now? It just hit me that I almost fucked a random alien cop while my royal fiancé searches for me and my soulmate and I are banned from seeing one another.

“Where is he?” I ask, trying not to freak out. Now that I’ve smelled Abraxas, it’s hit me all over again. I love him. I’m his mate. I was kidnapped. Rurik’s going to steal my eggs. I’m dead if I don’t let him steal my eggs. This is all so messed-up.

“He’s alright,” Hyt promises me, fixing his belt and ensuring that the fabric covering his cock is back in place. When he reaches up to adjust his hat, he smiles at me, like nothing happened. “He’s been staying with that friend of mine, the DTF space pirate.” It takes me a second, but then I remember. Right. Wait.

“Abraxas is with Jane?!” I’m yelling now, but I don’t care.

“Here.” Hyt pulls a tablet from inside the metal box, taps his finger on the screen a few times, and hands it out to me. I take it with one hand, unwilling to let go of the fur with the other. I see a video waiting—with Jane’s face on it.

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

I hit play.

“Eve.” She’s crying, but that’s normal. Jane isn’t weak, but she has hyperactive emotions. It makes her fun to be around. “I’ve been searching for you since day one. Are you okay? I know you can’t answer me, but I need you to be okay. Honey, we’ve got this.” There’s a long pause there where guilt takes over her pretty features. Her brown eyes shift to one side, and I know what’s coming. “I’m so sorry that I asked you to cater that party as a favor to me. You’d been working nonstop, and it was your only day off, and your mother begged me to leave you alone so you could sleep … I …” She looks back up at the camera, stricken. “This is my fault, Eve, and I’ll give my life to make sure you have one.”

“Don’t you dare do something stupid,” I growl at her, even though I know this is a recording and she can’t hear me. Hyt tries to give me some privacy, tucking his thumbs into his belt and whistling a low tune as he looks away. Bubbles drift from his lips in time with the sound.

“For now, sit tight, and we’ll figure this out. We won’t leave you there with that stupid Vestalis prince. They’re parasites, Eve. Did you know that? They pick a female and then replicate the perfect chemical scent to mimic her ideal male’s biological signature. He’s tricking you.” She raises both brows, like she’s waiting for a response.

She knows me too well.

Rurik is mimicking a scent? I think, but as soon as the thought crosses my mind, it feels wrong. It … that can’t possibly explain the way I feel when I look into his eyes. In my heart, I know it’s more than that.

“And by ‘we’, of course, I mean myself, Captain Kidd”—she spits the name out like the guy is pure trash—“Officer Hyt, and …” She wiggles her eyebrows and leans in toward the screen. “Did I mention that I met your new man?” She flashes me her perfectly straight teeth, courtesy of Invisalign while I rocked braces in junior high. This bitch. “I just want to say that he …” She slams her palms down on the table in front of her and gets close and personal with the screen, a lewdness shifting her features into something comical. I laugh nervously, wishing Hyt would go away so he won’t hear whatever it is that she’s about to say. “He is stacked, and he’s a provider, and he’s a keeper. I am so proud of you for dumping Mack and marrying an alien dragon. You did well, my friend.” Jane hesitates, and I can tell that something bad is coming, something serious. “You did well … except I think you should’ve left Tabbi in the slaver’s wagon. She’s here with me now, and … I like her even less than I did on Earth.”

Jane sits back in her chair and reaches up to adjust her hat. It’s taken me this entire time to realize that she’s wearing a tricorne hat. As in, a pirate hat. A literal fucking pirate hat. Except … it’s yellow and it’s vaguely luminescent. Err.

“Also, I met someone …” Jane is hedging, and I’m not there to pinch her ear so I doubt I’ll get the full truth right about now. But also? I knew this girl would get freaky with some aliens! God help us both. “Do you know what a copulatory plug is?”

The recording abruptly cuts off and Hyt collects the tablet, his fingers brushing mine in the exchange. I don’t even notice. I’m squeezing the fur against me, and it smells about a million times stronger than the one I stole from the den. He marked this with a message. This is his letter of love and dedication to me, and I’m an idiot because I cheated on him. Twice. Once in the bathtub. Because I might have to fuck the prince to seal our marriage deal, but I didn’t have to do that. And again, just now.

“Goddamn it, Kidd.” Hyt’s grumbling as he deletes the message and then smashes the tablet on the floor in a non-aggressive and entirely intentional way, like it simply needed to be gotten rid of. He notices me staring as his pet lifts out of the water tank, screaming at us both in its cute little chirps. It swirls bubbles around me and him both, and I swear that it’s drawing the shape of a heart.

We both ignore it.

“Goddamn it, Kidd, what?” I ask, lifting a brow. “What’s a copulatory plug?”

“I don’t …” Hyt looks at me then, really looks at me clutching that fur, and he knows our very brief, very strange fling is over. He toys with his hat, flattens his ears, swirls his tentacle tails around in a pink wave. “A copulatory plug, don’t you have those on Earth?” Another question to avoid making a definitive statement. “Not in humans but in other animals? A male leaves a literal plug inside of a female so other males can’t—” He doesn’t finish his sentence, so it’s neither a truth nor a lie.

Inside of a female.

We stare at each other, and he curses under his breath.

“Ah, fuck. I need a goddamn drink.”

It takes me a second to process all of that.

“Wait, are you saying that Jane is … is Jane mated?!” I’m shouting again, and Hyt cringes, likely wondering why he got involved with me in the first place. He’s said as much. Numerous times. If he follows the stupid dumb-dumb laws of the Noctuida then he needn’t ever see me again. I’m not his problem, as he loves to reiterate.

Despair and elation slam together inside of me, triggering another dizzy spell. I’m selfishly thrilled that Jane might be staying here with me. And by ‘here’, I mean not on Earth. With Abraxas. In this alien universe. But I’m also sad for her because if she’s mated, she can’t go back. Neither of us can go back.

Unless you become queen and change the laws. Rurik more-or-less said you could do that. But do you trust him?

“If she is the one with the copulatory plug then …” Hyt trails off and shrugs his gorgeous shoulders. “I dunno, little human woman.” We’re back to that now. Nice. As it should be. I should tell Avril to date him. “If she is, then she’s mated. Yes.”

“You’re planning to help me?” I ask, wondering why we can’t just go now. Hyt has this box of goodies, so he’s got access to Jane and Abraxas somehow. “Let’s leave. Right this very second.”

“Would if I could. Can’t so I won’t.” He smiles at me. It’s not patronizing. It’s a little sad actually. “If I try to take you now, The Korol—that is, the giant ship you’ve been on for the last few days—will beam us up, take you by force, and torture me to death.”

Um. Yeah. I guess that sounds like a pretty shitty plan.

“The World Station is not a spot that Captain Kidd can land. He’s … how should I say this … ‘wanted’?” Hyt makes quotes with his fingers, and I’m glad I know some backstory. If he has a human girl as an adopted sister, he could easily have picked up all of these phrases and hand gestures from her.

“You’re friends with a wanted space pirate? But you’re a cop.” I blink at him, and he grins nice and wide. I don’t think about the fact that he’s got my slick on his cock, or that my thighs are wet with a mixture of his arousal and mine. That I almost went all the way with him. That I’m so glad I didn’t.

“Let’s not worry about that.” Hyt reaches out to ruffle my hair with his hand, and I frown. The hell is this? It’s platonic, damn near patronizing. I slap him away, and his smile wilts at the edges. “When you arrive in Dome, for your honeymoon. That’s when we’ll do this. Hop on Kidd’s ship. Take you back to Earth. He can go there freely; I don’t have that luxury.”

“I don’t want to go back to Earth,” I tell him, and he lets his head hang back, eyes closing in frustration. “I thought that since I was mated, I can’t go back?”

“I thought you could tell that I’m not a huge fan of rules?” he tells me as he drops his chin back down. He’s still pink. I don’t know what that means. I can’t trust him either. I can’t trust anyone but Jane and Abraxas.

“I want to live somewhere with Abraxas.” I shake the fur for emphasis and Hyt sighs heavily.

“Then … we’ll have to find a way to hide you until Rurik starves to death. Once he’s dead, his parents might not waste the energy to seek you out. They might just wait for the next prince to find his mate. By the way, take that might very seriously. Because there’s also a chance they’ll hunt you for the rest of your life.”

It’s so callous, so cold and cruel, and … fuck, I hate it. I hate all my choices, and I hate the decisions that I have to make. Because nobody is going to make them for me. I have to do this.

“I’m assuming that Dome is another space station?” I ask, and Hyt shakes his head.

“It’s a planet. It’s like … the Vestalis version of Venice. Or Paris. Think old-world European city. Meet me in the Cosmic Chapel. You’ll know it when you see it, and you should have free access to come and go from there without the prince as an escort. No guards either.”

“You know way more than just a little about humans, huh?” I narrow my eyes on him, and he shrugs.

“Spend a lot of time rescuing them, even more time listening to my sister, and the rest of the time fantasizing about sex with human women like you.” Bam. There it is. His six irises lock onto me, and I clutch that fur even harder, digging my fingernails into it. “You’ll arrive at Dome in four days.” He brings four tentacles forward for emphasis. “I’ll find you on the last day of the wedding, and get you on a transport. The Korol will be in orbit, so we’ll just jet off in a different direction. It’s a powerful ship, but it’s big, and it moves slow.”

I absorb that information. In a few short days, I’ll be married to Rurik. I’ll have mated with Rurik. My eggs … even if one is already fertilized … they’ll … they …

“What am I supposed to do about the wedding?” I plead, and Hyt looks on with a sympathy and understanding that I’ve only seen thus far from Abraxas. He knows how hard this is. “About the mating. I don’t want to have my eggs corrupted.” Since Hyt’s expression is not one of hopefulness, I forge on. I need him to hear this. I look him dead in the eyes. “No matter what happens, I need someone to come for me. I will be there. No-holds-barred. I would rather die than live the rest of my life as a glorified prisoner on that ship. If I’m not there, I’m captive or dead.”

“Understood.” Hyt exhales as his pet lands on the top of my head. “I—” He stops talking and glances over his shoulder in time to see one of the elevator doors open.

And there’s Rurik. He’s in a fury. His wings are spread, his lips are curled back from his teeth, and he strides across that space station floor like he’s going to kill Officer Hyt.

I do the only thing I know to do and rub the fur quickly all over my body. My face, my arms, my belly. I coat myself in Abraxas’ scent, and I make a stand. If I’m smelling Abraxas then I’m not smelling Rurik, and he can’t ensorcell me with pheromones.

Rurik comes right up to me, but Hyt steps between us, and I can’t decide if that’s a very good idea or a very bad idea. It’s nothing in-between.

“Move, Falopex,” the prince snarls, and I can hear his real words underneath, the hiss and whisper of a moth. “This female is my mate. My intended wife. The future queen of the Noctuida.”

“This woman is an innocent. Manipulated by the black market trade. Manipulated by you. She belongs on Earth.” Hyt gets right up in Rurik’s face, his tentacle tails sweeping the floor to collect my discarded underwear. My garter belt and thigh-high tights remain in place. The prince sees, his nostrils flare, his gaze moves back to Hyt’s face.

“You dare lay your filthy Sucker Tails on my mate?” Rurik is pissed. For a second there, I feel bad, like I betrayed him. Then I remember that he kidnapped me against my will, and I owe him nothing. But … but … I’m so confused. “I could kill you right now and be well within my rights. My parents would laud the move. They’d celebrate your death. They may very well blow Yaoh to smithereens.”

Not an empty threat. Holy shit. That’s not an empty fucking threat.

“Yeah? Then try me.” Hyt smirks as I step up beside him. “I’d welcome the challenge. Then, I can kill you in self-defense. And you know what? Everyone would celebrate because everyone thinks the Vestalis are filthy parasites. You’re expendable, Your Majesty. Your parents don’t give a fuck if you or one of your other hundred-plus brothers takes the throne. It’s all the same to them.”

The violence in that room escalates. I can feel it in the twitch of Rurik’s gloved hands, in the wave of Hyt’s tails. I step between them and they both pause to look down at me.

“Thank you for stopping,” I tell Officer Hyt, my voice soft and genuine. Not my usual style. It honestly makes me gag. But I’m serious. I want him to know that, so I can’t be a snarky bitch for two seconds here. “And for this.” I hold up the fur for emphasis. “Knowing that he’s okay, that’s important to me.”

Hyt opens his mouth, but only bubbles come out. He tucks my underwear under his belt, leaving a bit of crimson lace to hang over the edge and brush against his skin. The prince stares at it, but he says nothing about it.

Yet.

“I have something else to tell you.” Hyt looks guilty as hell, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck and cursing under his breath. Each curse is accompanied by yet more bubbles. His pet lifts up off my head and flits over to him, chirping in frustration. “My friend—the DTF guy—he dropped off some very precious cargo with another guy, a more legitimate guy. They’re on their way here …”

“DTF?” Rurik does his best to puzzle out the word in his translator and ends up shaking his head. He doesn’t understand which is probably for the best. He catches my gaze even though I try to resist, and ugh. It’s like getting hit with a sledgehammer on the forehead. Guilt drowns me, and I force myself to look away. I just cheated on my soulmate. That’s what it feels like. It’s true, too, but … not this soulmate. Rurik isn’t my soulmate. “What does this delivery have to do with the future queen?”

“Because …” Hyt turns fully to look at me, hands still on his hips. I wish he wouldn’t do that. When he puts his hands there, it draws my eyes to the low dip of his belt and the muscles of his lower abdomen. Nice and flat. Hot pink and blush-white. The color takes some getting used to, but it’d be hard for anything to distract from such perfection. He snaps his fingers, and my eyes flit up to his face. There’s a smile on his mouth that’s a little too playful for comfort. “I’m expecting the delivery to arrive tomorrow night. Let me just check the cargo manifest … Ah! One pissed-off Aspis male.”

My knees buckle, but it isn’t Hyt who catches me. It’s Rurik. He steps around his rival and catches me easily in one arm. I still can’t look at him. I don’t want to face the music for what I’ve done. Screw him! I don’t owe him anything! But no matter how much I tell myself that, it doesn’t ring true.

Not even after what Jane said. Or what Hyt said. Somehow, none of that matters. Isn’t that more proof that the guy is full of shit? It should be. But again, it’s not.

Rurik gets me on my feet as Hyt waits beside us, an ice-cold frown on his mouth that reminds me of the one I saw when I told him he was bad at his job.

“Abraxas is coming here?” I ask, unable to believe what I’m hearing. But … my mate is a—what did Hyt call me? a planet-dweller?—so how can he be here? Aspis don’t do space travel. They’re wild and free and aggressive and huge.

“Yep.” Hyt sounds frustrated, but he just lifts up a hand so that his pet can settle into his palm. “An unfortunate fact for those of us who would rather not die.” He laughs at that, but there’s a bitterness in the sound that I refuse to acknowledge.

“He cannot come here.” Rurik looks like he’s about to have a heart attack. Does he even have a heart? I’m not asking because of his personality, but more out of simple curiosity. He’s a fuckin’ alien prince. “If my parents discover that your former mate is onboard the World Station—”

“He is not my former mate.” I scowl at Rurik. “He’s my only mate.”

Rurik spins to me, grabbing me by my upper arms in his gloved hands. The way he stares at me, it’s nothing less than desperately imploring.

“Why can’t you trust me, princess? Look at me.” I do. I’m swallowed whole by his gaze. All I want to do is curl up in his arms. I grit my teeth. “I promised that I would bring the Aspis male for you. Did I not thoroughly explain the danger we are all in?”

“First off, I don’t trust you because I don’t know you!” I’m yelling. Again. Can’t seem to stop. I yank myself from Rurik’s grip, still clutching the pungent fur. “Trust is built on actions. What have you done for me so far? You came to my den. You held me down. Put me to sleep. Kidnapped me. Looked inside my vagina while I was passed out and treated me like a lab experiment. Threatened me. Bossed me around. You tell me why I should trust you.”

Rurik’s wings ruffle in distress, and while I truly don’t believe it’s intentional, he drenches the air with his scent. It’s heavy and thick and male and delicious. I force my body’s cravings aside.

“Besides, I didn’t know Abraxas was coming until just now.” I sigh and close my eyes. I’m so fucking excited to see him, but I’m terrified, too. I know this is a bad idea. I don’t want my mate to get hurt. I don’t want him to risk his life just to see me. I already know that even if he’s coming here, I can’t leave with him.

When The Korol leaves the World Station, I have to be on it.

I believe Rurik when he says that Abraxas can’t go anywhere near that ship until he’s king. Even then, I … Well, one step at a time. Maybe I won’t ever have to see him become king because I’ll run away, and he’ll be dead, and I’ll be free … I look into his eyes on purpose this time. He stares back at me.

I want to trust you, I think, wondering if he can hear my thoughts. It almost feels like he should be able to. But I can’t. But I want to. But … I can’t let you die, can I? I know then that I won’t be able to do that to him. My heart clenches, and I turn away to look at the Falopex officer that I nearly slept with.

“I didn’t know he was coming until about five minutes ago,” Hyt grumbles from behind the prince. “My DTF friend didn’t inform me of this until after the Aspis male bullied him into it. He’s on some random cargo ship.” He gestures at the broken tablet on the floor, like that’s where he saw the communication. “What do you want to do? I’m assuming you’d like to see him?”

If I were anyone else, I could hop on that transport ship with Abraxas and run.

But I’m not.

I’m the prince’s mate.

Rurik removes his glove and places his bare hand on the side of my neck.

“Look at me.”

“I am looking at you,” I whisper, but I know what he means. I relax under his touch. I like his touch.

“I will do this for you.” He curls his lip in frustration. “Even though I know that you hate me, that you will never love me, but I want to show you that I trust you.” He leans down and puts his mouth near to mine. “We cannot bring him on the ship while my father is king or he will be dead in an instant. He will not even make it past the first doorway. You will die. I will die. Officer Hyt will die.”

I hear Hyt groaning from behind him, but my eyes are all for Rurik right now.

“You’ve said as much,” I mumble, but I’m still listening.

“If he is seen here, our fate is much the same. We must keep this secret. I will give you one night to say goodbye to him.” My eyes fill with tears that Rurik gently sweeps away with his thumbs, one gloved, one bare. “When you are my queen, you will want for nothing.” He doesn’t kiss me even though it feels like he should. Even though I want him to. He stands up straight instead, studying my expression. “But you must do all of the rituals. You must mate me. And you must participate until I am king.” He blinks at me, his antennae swinging back until they clack together with the snap of bone, like folded rabbit ears again. “Please promise that you will.”

“I promise.” I don’t even have to think about it. And I’m serious.

The way Hyt is looking at me, a bit of regret mixed with gentle understanding, I know he can tell.

I’m telling the truth.

“We will stay in the Embassy tonight. Tomorrow, you will send for me, and we will make arrangements for Her Imperial Majesty.” Rurik is issuing orders like he’s already king, staring at Hyt like he expects to be obeyed.

Hyt reaches up to adjust his hat with both hands, tentacle tails pulled back, my underwear hanging conspicuously from his belt. The red lace looks absolutely obscene against his muscular belly. He smiles wickedly, eyes crinkling with wry amusement.

“I’m off to the brothel for some fun.” He flashes blue, his grin growing even wider.

I just stare back at him.

Is he … lying about going to the brothel? Is he telling the truth?

I tell myself it’s a bullet dodged; I would never fall for a man who’d visit a brothel.

“But if I have some free time tomorrow, I’ll see what I can do.” Hyt turns and takes off with his pet whizzing along behind him, a trail of bubbles in their wake. He whistles as he goes. The tune cuts off with the elevator door and then he’s gone.

I’m alone with Rurik.

“Can I—” I begin, but he cuts me off by lifting his gloved palm in my direction.

“No sooner have I had time to process what happened between us in the bathtub than you have replaced the memory with another man. I will not see you again tonight.” He looks back at me with disgust. “Come with me.”

“Do you need to eat?” I ask him, and he knows exactly what I mean. But he doesn’t respond. He ignores me, even when we’re in the elevator. Even when I cling to him in sheer terror over the view outside. Even when the doors open and I’m struck dumb by the lavishly appointed room ahead of me. Octagonal, rich wood paneling, red crystal chandeliers. And windows.

There are windows on the floor, on the ceiling, on all of the rounded walls. I realize suddenly that we’re in the center of the space station. Dead center. Middle of everything. I turn to my right, and I see the mass of Yaoh glowing, gasses swirling through the atmosphere.

I’m mesmerized by its beauty, and then I’m suddenly lying in a bed.

I catch a brief glimpse of the prince’s wings swirling behind him as he exits the room and the door slams shut behind him.