Stolen and Seduced

by Christine Pope

  Once they entered slipstream, they wouldn’t be able to use comms. “No.” Then I said my reservations aloud. “How come you didn’t question that she was my mate?”

  Without hesitation, Dorn answered. “You said she was your mate, and that is enough reason for me. Beside that, she was accosted. I assumed that in her debilitated state coupled with her proximity to you, that she was able to establish a telepathic rapport with you. Perhaps even started a unity bond beforehand. Under the circumstance, it seemed logical. Besides, you are not the type to exaggerate.”

  I could almost see the other man shrug. Dorn easily believed that I had found my mate. No need for explanations. Just quick and easy in his logical way.

  He continued. “The fact that you have lost all common sense and reason, snarling worse than a karzandar wolf over his bone has also confirmed it.”

  I huffed. I wasn’t snarling. Definitely not anything like a karzandar wolf. They were possessive and guarded what was theirs jealously. It could be anything from food to territory to a pile of sticks for crying out loud.

  I wasn’t that bad. I just wanted to kill anyone who touched and looked at Solana. That was perfectly reasonable. Honorable, even.

  “Whatever. Look, I’m uploading some chatter that I was able to record from the poachers. It’s got some strange intel, namely something about a pandora strain. Seems important.” I waited until the data transfer was complete.

  Tal whistled. “A quick scan through the data tells me you stumbled into something big, boss. Like Legion command big.”

  “Yeah, it seems like it.”

  “What the hell is a low-rung hustler like Praxis got to do with any of this?”

  That was exactly the sort of thing that I wanted to find out myself. What did a smuggler have to do with these whack jobs doing science experiments? And how come he and his crew were nowhere to be found? “That’s exactly what I want to know as well. Get into slipstream. Cade out.” I tapped my comms. The static of the line died down in my ear.

  Knowing that my team would be here soon with cooler heads, I would be able to give in to the primal urge to protect my mate. She was first, always.

  Perhaps she would like to watch as I killed the poachers. That could be the first of many bonding-gifts I could present to her.

  Resolved, I advanced my position. Solana had revealed a few surprises about this vessel when she shared unity with me. She was very observant, my mate. Already the bonding proved useful.

  I hoisted myself down from the many catwalks. Smuggler’s ships tended to have lots of little hidey-holes. But, there was a reason why the Legion assigned Rodinians to the reaper units. No matter the distance, we could sniff out and find our prey.

  The poachers had been very, very busy, getting a lot of rare and dangerous species. Would have gotten them a huge pile of cash for sure, if I didn’t intend on redecorating the ship with their internal organs.

  Once Solana was safe, I would be able to indulge these thoughts.

  Though my battle form still remained, it had since receded to a manageable size while I crawled around the bowels of the ship, making the killing edge bearable. It still skated beneath the surface, but I was fairly certain I wasn’t going to punch holes through the ship’s outer hull.

  I kept an ear out as I passed several cages. Most of the contents were filled to the brim with rare plant species. There was one containment area that had an entire lagoon-looking set up, including trees, rocks, and mini-waterfall. How was that even possible?

  There were a few bird habitats and holding area for small primates, and then not much else. Several cargo bays and container holds were empty.

  Odd. Wouldn’t the crew want to stock up on as much as they could to make the most of their time? This is a far enough run, there was no reason to leave with this much space available.

  I turned down one corridor which was lined with reinforced containment doors. Another level for storage? The rooms here were also empty save for one that had sloping metallic pods similar to the one that held Solana.

  I wrenched the hatch open, and dropped inside the room next to the nearest pod. Tapping the controls illuminated what was inside. The person looked familiar. My files matched that face to one of the enforcers assigned to this ship.

  Was this a punishment of sorts?

  The next pod revealed a similar fate, with a crew member sleeping peacefully within the paralytic gel.

  The third pod contained an all-too familiar face. It had been floating in my retinal files for damn near a week. Shock of flaming orange hair. Grayish skin. And if he opened his eyes, I would bet they would be a screaming yellow.

  Silar Praxis.

  The deadly rage that had fogged my head cleared upon seeing him. If he was asleep in this pod, then who was running this ship? And who had taken Solana?

  A few keystrokes on the pod’s control panel, and Silar Praxis sloshed out of the pod in a wave of goo. No telling how long he had been in suspension or how long it would take him to snap out of it.

  I rolled him onto his side, intending to hoist him up onto a table when he started to moan. Those yellow eyes opened in shock, before he violently sputtered and gasped. The man coughed out a plug of mucus, and very nearly a lung.

  I pounded on his back, not entirely sure I was helping him. When he focused on me, his eyes widened and hope filled his face. “You’re one of the Legion’s reaper units, right? What am I saying? Look at you! You’re huge and furry, of course you're a reaper.”

  Huge? Furry? My battle form had receded, and I was firmly encased in my suit. I glanced down at my body just to be sure. “Reaper Cade Lonza of the Legion reaper units. I’ve been assigned to take you to Legion command.”

  At this point, my targets would attempt to disarm or disable me. Many have either begged or bartered with me to let them go. This was the first time that any of my targets clung to me like I was their lifeline.

  “Great! Take me! But first, you gotta help me get control of my ship. They have the rest of my crew. They were…doing things to them. The women!” Silar looked around frantic, unperturbed by his own state of undress. More clear goo dropped from his body in disturbing clumps before melting into liquid. He seemed to be getting his vision into focus. “Where the hell are we?”

  “I was hoping you would know.” I indicated the entrance. “There are cargo holds all along this corridor.”

  “Okay, okay, that sounds like we’re in one of the sub-levels.” Silar Praxis muttered things to himself as he paced back and forth. He seemed to dismiss my presence.

  “I need to look for the medical bay. I think it’s a level or two above this one, but the more I look for it, I end up walking in a circle. This ship is full of twists and turns, and I don’t have much time to waste.”

  “That’s part of her beauty. Okay, first, we need to wake these guys up.” Silar paused and looked down at his body as if he just realized that he was naked. “Scratch that. First I need a suit.” He went to a seamless wall that parted for him, revealing a small tool closet with a couple of spare suits. He grabbed one and jerked his limbs into it. “Okay, now the rest of the crew.”

  I slammed him up against the wall, my body expanding in my suit. “I need you to find my mate. Medical bay. Now.”

  “Medical bay? She’s safer than we are for now. Trust me. You need to help me if we’re to help her.”

  Claws tore into Silar’s suit as my hands morphed. I could feel my body grow, suit straining to keep me from changing into my full battle form. “This is not a negotiation.”

  “No, you don’t understand. They have a good reason to keep her alive. Your mate is fine for now.”

  Solana’s cold fear lingered in my blood, the taste of it bitter on my tongue. “You don’t know that. You don’t feel her fear.”

  “Well imagine that times a hundred since my crew have felt that for longer. I also have females under my charge, my mechanic, doctor, and an enforcer, and all three of them are being fucked over for g
ods knows what purpose.”

  His words hammered into me like a finely-honed weapon. My hands clenched into fists, my body readying itself to defend. Females were to be protected and honored. A female in distress would enrage any warrior of worth. “Where are they?” I hardly recognized my voice.

  “If you want to save your mate, you have to be smart. If we get ourselves captured again, or get ourselves killed, that’s it. They’re done. We need reinforcements. That’s the only way we can get a jump on their tech. We only have one shot or else they’ll get the jump on us again. All of us. You. Your mate. My crew. Everyone. When will the rest of your squad get here?”

  A few deep breaths slowed my change. The beast that raged inside of me settled so I could think. Cooler heads will prevail. My death wouldn’t bring honor to my family. Wouldn’t protect my mate. “They are in slipstream. An hour away, maybe less. Definitely gaining.”

  “Good. That won’t help us in our immediate next steps, but if we time it right, we can get those fuckers off the ship. Right, I just need to defrost a few of these people, and it will give us a fighting chance against their tech.”

  The memory of Solana, frozen in terror, and my complete inability to help her. The smuggler had a point. I was completely helpless against their weapons. “That immobilizing field?”

  “Among other things. Those guys? They call themselves Kridrin. They’re nothing I’ve ever seen before. And I’ve seen a lot of scum in the uncharted sectors. A lot.”

  Did he? Was that the reason the Legion command wanted Silar Praxis? “How do I know you won’t kill me as soon as they’re thawed out?”

  “Trust me I ain’t got any beef with you. Besides, only an idiot would get between a Rodinian and his mate.”

  I leaned into him, baring my teeth. “I don’t know you. Maybe you are an idiot?”

  Despite being in a neck hold, Silar managed a laugh. “I may not be book smarts, but I don’t need to be borrowing trouble. They fucked with my crew. They fucked with you. I say, an enemy of an enemy is my friend.”

  I assessed him, the fire in his eyes and the rage he held back behind his smiling face. Silar Praxis was no ordinary two-bit smuggler. Beneath his facade, he was a warrior and my instincts told me that I could trust him—at least when it came to rescuing his crew.

  Helping him would get me to Solana quicker, and it wouldn’t hurt to have extra eyes against an unknown enemy. “Fine. Your crew. Then, Solana.”

  The End

  Want more of Cade and Solana’s story? You don’t have to wait! Click HERE (https://evangelinepriest.com/hunted-bonus-scenes) to read what happens next, and see their happily ever after!

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  About the Author

  Dark. Delicious. Decadent. Eva Priest writes otherworldly romances with strong heroines and the dominant alpha males who claim them.

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  Captured By An Alien

  Lucee Joie

  About Captured By An Alien

  Nuval has been sent to the outer space equivalent of the naughty corner. Tasked with abducting a human female when he doesn't believe in taking women against their will, his only choice is to take a human hostage or never see his family again.

  For some, the lockdown is just fine. However, when you live in a one-bedroom apartment with no other lifeforms to keep you warm at night, the only option for Lizzie is romance novels.

  When she decides to risk quarantine laws in order to get some fresh country air, even she can’t believe her luck when she gets abducted by an alien.

  Can the pair find love against all the odds? Will an alien abduction really be the start of something truly earth-shattering?

  Lizzie

  I wind down the window and let the fresh air wipe the stale city smog from my car. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes briefly and thank the universe that I have not yet been pulled over.

  The last month has been crazy—well crazy boring, at least.

  When the coronavirus lockdown started, I thought it would be fun to binge on all of the TV shows I had been meaning to watch. And, it had been for a while. However, when you live in a one-bedroom apartment and the only open air you get is on a balcony that is smaller than your bathroom, the novelty of your white-walled cocoon wears off pretty quickly.

  Plus, there was no one to share my life with. No boyfriend, no best friend. Hell, not even a cat. And, of all the options, you’d think my mission of becoming a crazy cat lady would be achievable. But, no, I didn’t read the fine print when I rented my apartment and now, I am doomed to live out my days without any fur babies to keep me company. Of course, with the rent due soon and my job having been made redundant since the coronavirus outbreak. Well, a cooped-up apartment might be the least of my problems in a few days’ time.

  I try not to think about that current problem. Instead I let my mind wander, to think of other things. Still, it circles back to my problems. It is the main reason why I ditched lockdown and risked getting pulled over by the police. I needed to clear my head, to get some clarity when it came to where my life was headed—other than directly down the toilet.

  Even as I try to think of the few good things in my life, the fact that I still have my health and that I own more digital books than I can possibly read in a lifetime. Like I said, there were only a few good things, and I was scraping the bottom of the barrel right now.

  At night, I feel so alone that the stars are my only companion after dark. I wonder if there are other lifeforms out there, also looking into the unknown abyss, and wondering if anyone else exists beyond the stars.

  Aliens.

  I have been single for longer than I care to think. Since the lockdown, it is literally all I have been given the opportunity to think about. It didn’t help that romance books were my favorite since they always seemed to remind the reader that awesome men are out there. Of course, the sort of male that I wanted right now was not even real. This was another downside of quarantine: smutty books.

  Even now, as I take in the gorgeous surrounds, my other obsession takes over. I wonder if there is something wrong with me. Maybe it is the terrible way in which humans have treated me that gets me hankering for an extraterrestrial visitation. With the lockdown, I have read more. It has led me to places on the internet that I didn’t think existed. It is both comforting and disturbing that there are so many others out there who have a fascination with aliens—and what it would be like to be probed by them.

  I shiver at the thought.

  I am jaded and even as I ready to scold myself, I can also feel my insides doing flip-flops at my thoughts.

  My collection of alien abduction books has led to a further unreal expectation when it comes to romance. Still, a girl can dream, can’t she? After all, 2020 has been the year of weird shit and the thought of an alien invasion suddenly seems more realistic.

  As I pull to a stop at the traffic lights, I check out the breath-taking view. I was only forty minutes from home but the change in scenery is amazing. In the city, the constant color is gray. It represents the buildings, the roads, the uniforms on those still working in the vast array of offices there. It’s as though everyone is miserable on a permanent basis.

  Out here, though, there is every shade of green resting peacefully under a blue sky. And, it feels like the world can go on forever with the promise of unlimited discovery.

  Yes, I have been cooped up for way too long.

  Still, as I shift forward on the road again, I am the only car present and can feel the constant hum inside my head drifting a
way. The only sound out here is that of the birds and it covers me like a blanket that I never want to take off.

  I pull into the carpark and switch off the engine. Sitting still for a moment or two I remember back to the foster home that I stayed at briefly. It was the only one in a long list of them that showed any sort of love or stability. However, it was not to be my final home and when Mr. Peterson died unexpectedly, of a heart attack, I was moved on once more. That was not before I fell in love with this area and I smiled bitterly at what could have been had I stayed here longer.

  I sigh. There is no time for memories like these I tell myself as I step out of the car and stretch my limbs. Life is a shit sandwich most of the time and it is better to swallow it quickly rather than savor the bitter taste of it all.

  The air is crisp, cold even, and it burns the back of my throat as I run. This is infinitely better than the burn from smog. In the city, the air is thick, you can taste it as it coats your tongue. It is a force that makes your eyes water. Here, though, I am cold as I start my run but the air pushes me forward, invigorates me, and encourages rather than trying to kill me.

  I push through the first mile, happy to be able to stretch my legs without the constant gaze of the city. Even with lockdown, there is still activity on the streets—particularly when it comes to exercise. However, out here, I haven’t yet passed a soul. My lips twitch up into a smile and laughter bubbles up. Seriously, I haven’t felt this good in such a long time!

  The path is wide and well maintained. To either side, the protection of tall trees tower over me, sheltering as I pound the bitumen below. I crane my neck, distracting myself from the burn in my legs, and view the clear sky above me. There are a few clouds, soft and puffy as they glide across the expanse.