by Anna Hackett
“The tattoos are beautiful.”
“I usually cover them.”
She sucked in a breath. “Why?”
“For Aurelians, inking your skin is a vow.” He looked at his arm. “These signify my vow to protect Raiden and the Aurelian Royal family. To guard them with my life.”
And clearly he felt like he’d failed. The raw guilt buried in his deep voice scraped over her. She understood. She’d been in charge of security at Fortuna and it had been destroyed.
But this wasn’t about her, it was about him.
“What happened to your planet, Galen?”
“It’s gone. All gone. The Thraxian mercenaries planted powerful bombs in the planet’s fault lines. It was torn apart. I barely survived getting Raiden off the planet. We came here with nothing.”
“Except your fighting skills.” And survivor’s guilt. How would it feel to be the only two people to survive your planet’s destruction?
His lips moved. “Except those. And a whole lot of fury to burn off. When we came to Kor Magna, I went into the arena.”
“And then you created the House of Galen and built a good life here.”
“I survived.”
Quiet fell between them.
“So what does the great Imperator Galen do for fun?” Sam asked.
He frowned. “Run my House.”
She turned to look at him. “That’s work.”
“Train my gladiators. Rescue prisoners not suited to the arena.”
She stared at him.
He cleared his throat. “Lately, I’ve been busy rescuing wayward humans.”
“Fun, Galen, not work.”
“My life is my House.”
She shook her head. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Alpha males just can’t switch off. Fun means doing something you enjoy, things that relax you.”
His brows drew together like the word relax was a foreign concept. “What do you do for fun?”
“I like to cook.”
His eyebrows rose.
She grinned. “Just because I can fight doesn’t mean I’m not rather talented in the kitchen. My mother taught all of us to cook, and I enjoy experimenting. When we get out of this desert, I’ll cook for you.” Pain stabbed in her belly and she wrapped an arm around herself.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Galen frowned, eyeing the way she was cradling her body. “You’re in pain.”
“Those tentacles squeezed me hard, and I’m pretty sure I’d already bruised a few ribs in the fall.” She winced. “It’ll be fine.”
“Let me see.”
As his hands touched her leather corset, she tried to push him away. “No—”
He ignored her, pushing the tattered leather up. He hissed.
She looked down, knowing what she’d see. Terrible bruising mottled her skin.
“Sam,” he breathed.
“There’s nothing we can do.”
His gaze met hers. “You have internal bleeding.”
“I know, but like I said, there’s nothing we can do out here.”
His face hardened. “We need to get you medical help.”
She swallowed. “I won’t be able to go that far.”
“I’ll carry you.”
“You could barely walk earlier, Galen.”
But he rose, and a second later, he scooped her off the ground like she weighed no more than a sword. She started to struggle, but he made a sound and she stopped.
Then he started walking.
“Galen.”
“Quiet.”
She shook her head, sliding her arm along his broad shoulders. “And you said I was stubborn.”
He pushed onward through the forest of rock formations, but their progress was slow. The suns were both still high in the sky, and even though he stuck to the shade where he could, the heat remained unbearable.
So was the growing pain.
It wasn’t long before Sam felt her consciousness start slipping away. “I’m not going to make it.” It seemed unfair to finally escape Zaabha, only to have the desert and her injuries kill her.
“You will.”
He spoke forcefully, his tone like iron. She wanted to believe him.
“I would’ve liked to see the House of Galen.”
“You will, Sam.”
“I would’ve liked to cook for you.”
“You will. I like this certain vegetable the chef gets from the market. It’s called fidea. I’ve never told him that it’s my favorite. I’ll have him get an entire crate of it, and you can show me what you can do.”
Her head lolled against his shoulder. “Hmm.”
“Hold on, Sam.”
She stared at the lines of strain bracketing his mouth. He was in pain too, but she knew he’d die trying to save her. He stumbled several times, but his steps never faltered.
He was a man who would never give up.
“Stubborn man.” Unable to hold her head up anymore, she turned her face against his neck.
Sam had no idea how long they’d traveled, because she felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness. The next thing she knew, Galen went down heavily on one knee, still clutching her to his chest.
Ahead, she saw that the suns had almost set, and shadows were chasing across the desert. In among the rock formations, she watched the shadows shift and dance.
She blinked. Wait a second?
“Galen?”
He pulled her closer, and then she heard him curse.
They appeared out of nowhere. With dark, haughty faces and weapons clutched in their hands. One glance, and she knew these people were warriors. They were tall, lean, and muscled, with dark, patterned skin. The pattern matched the rock around them. Long, dreadlocked hair fell past their shoulders.
“Desert wraiths,” Galen murmured quietly. “They can change their skin color and pattern to camouflage themselves.”
Sam’s muscles tensed. She’d heard of them. In the dark corners of Zaabha, she’d heard people whisper of the deadly killers of the desert. She’d even seen a few in the arena.
She tried to pull herself up, but pain speared through her. She tried to stay with Galen, but finally the darkness sucked her down into a dark hole, and as she fell, she knew there was no way she could climb back out.
Chapter Four
Galen jerked awake. He was floating in something warm.
He lifted his head, and discovered that he was lying in a warm, mineral pool. The sharp smell of the mineral-enhanced water filled his nostrils.
He sat up slowly and gingerly, and noted he was free of pain. Then he realized a couple of things. One, he was resting on a flat, shallow rock that sat just below the water, and two, he was naked.
He looked around and saw he was in a cave. He noted the single tunnel leading into the space. Beside him, he saw Sam resting in the pool, with the water lapping at her body. Her naked body.
Galen’s teeth snapped together. The water didn’t quite cover her breasts, leaving her dark pink nipples bare. Her hair spread around her, floating in the water.
Something inside him went still as his gaze moved over her. She was gorgeous. He liked the enticing mix of muscle, strength, and curves. It had been a very long time since a woman had tempted him this much. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, and her bruises had faded to almost nothing. Her skin glowed a beautiful golden-brown in the dim, lantern light that lit the cave.
He forced himself to drag his gaze off her. Instead, he moved his arms and legs. It was a relief to not feel any pain. Looking down at the cloudy water, he realized that it must have some sort of healing properties.
Suddenly, he heard a faint splash and saw Sam sitting up, blinking. She pushed her wet hair off her face.
“Dios mío.” She turned her head and then blinked at him.
Galen was used to nakedness. Gladiators trained together, showered together, patched up their injuries together. “Sam? You okay?”
Her gaze drifted down his body, over his chest and abs,
then snagged on his cock. A cock that had surged to life when he’d first seen her. She blinked again, and Galen felt a spurt of pleasure at the heat in her gaze.
Then she shook her head, like she was trying to clear it. “Ah, I think so. You’re really naked.”
He fought back a smile and stood. “So are you.”
He heard her make a strangled sound as he left the pool. He thankfully found a stack of drying cloths at the water’s edge. Nabbing one, he wrapped it around his hips. “How do you feel?”
Sam slithered off the stone and sank into the water in a deeper part of the pool. “Bueno. I feel…amazing.”
“These are healing pools.”
“You’re better?” she asked.
He nodded. “There’s no pain.”
“I’m assuming the desert wraiths didn’t kill us.”
“I lost consciousness just after you did. But unless this is the afterlife, I’m guessing we’re in wraith territory.”
Her gaze moved over his chest again. “I haven’t felt this good in ages. Like I’m buzzing with energy.”
Galen snatched up another drying cloth and held it out for her. He forced himself to stare at the rock wall as she climbed out. He heard the water splash, the slap of her wet footsteps, and his brain became obsessed with imagining the water running down her body, clinging to that golden skin.
She wrapped the cloth around her, and when he deemed it safe to look back, he learned to his dismay that the damp fabric stuck to her, turning transparent.
His cock hardened more and he swallowed a groan. He couldn’t remember the last woman he’d taken to his bed. When he’d first arrived on Carthago and fought in the arena, he’d had his fill of meaningless, easy sex. There was always someone keen to share a gladiator’s bed. Later, he’d lost interest in the women who were out to cross an imperator off their scorecard.
But in truth, he’d only ever allowed himself quick, empty couplings. He’d had a job to do—providing for Raiden, winning fights, and building his House. Wallowing in pleasure hadn’t been a part of his plan.
Sam raised her arms, lifting her wet hair off her shoulders. Her breasts were perfectly outlined, full and tempting, and her nipples were hard.
He looked away. She’d just escaped a nightmare and needed time to heal. What she didn’t need was someone taking advantage of her.
“Galen.” Her voice was low and husky. She reached out and touched his shoulder.
He looked down into her face.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “For getting me out.”
He shook his head. “Sam, you got me out.”
“We did it together. We’re not a bad team.” She stepped closer.
His muscles went taut. “Sam—”
“Galen.” A smile moved her lips.
“You just survived hell.” He could hardly miss the thick tension pumping between them. And she could hardly miss his cock tenting the drying cloth. “You need time to heal.”
“I’m feeling healthy.” She moved her shoulders which drew his gaze.
He saw a drop of water run down her neck, then down her collarbone. He wanted to lick it up with his tongue. He ground his teeth together. He was used to controlling his wants and needs.
“I don’t feel any pain, and I’m pretty fucking happy to be alive.” She took another step, her breasts brushing against his chest. “I like what I see when I look at you.”
Drak. Galen’s hands curled into fists, he didn’t move.
“I want to kiss you,” she said.
His gaze moved to hers. To those brown eyes that looked like deep pools.
She smiled. “Just a kiss.”
“It’s not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
Her eyebrows rose. “That’s all you’ve got? Because?”
He gripped her arms. “Drak, Sam. I’m trying to take care of you.”
She moved up on her toes. “Then say yes.”
Something inside him snapped. He yanked her closer.
He crashed his mouth down on hers, sliding his hands into her wet hair. Hunger shot through him, and he parted her lips with his tongue, sliding inside. She moaned, and the sound vibrated through him.
Sam’s hands gripped his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin. He drank deep and her tongue slid against his, demanding more. This was no sweet, submissive woman who’d let him lead. She’d take, demand, and give back.
Galen felt strength pour through him. A woman who matched him, step for step. He felt alive, his body pulsing with desire. She tasted even better than he’d imagined, and he found her strength intoxicating.
When they finally broke apart, she looked dazed. “Jesus.”
He dragged in a breath, trying to find his equilibrium. Drak, she’d scrambled his brain. Then he heard a faint sound.
Spinning, he pulled her close, and faced the tunnel leading into the cave. “Someone’s coming.”
Several desert wraiths appeared at the cave entrance. Galen tried to push Sam back behind him, but she elbowed him and moved right up beside him.
His mouth flattened into a line, and he shook his head wryly. He should be used to Earth women ignoring his orders by now.
“Imperator Galen,” the wraith in the lead murmured.
The man was more muscular than most of his brethren. His chest was bare and streaked with white pigment, and he wore trousers made of the hide of some desert beast. He had a proud face, his dark, dreadlocked hair almost reaching to his waist. Twin curved swords hung at his hips.
Galen bowed his head. “Thank you for helping us.”
The man watched him. “My name is Catto. I know you assisted Zisa and her clan to the east of here.”
Zisa had lost clan members to a crazy genius who’d holed up in the desert and had also purchased Mia for his high-tech experiments. Galen had led his team in to free her and the man’s other captives. “It was my pleasure to help bring down Catalyst and free Zisa’s people.”
Catto tilted his head. “And now you have another mission.”
Galen felt Sam shift closer to him, their arms brushing.
“You know of Zaabha?” Sam asked.
“The floating devil city.” There were hushed, angry murmurs from the other wraiths in the room.
“There are people trapped there, forced to fight to the death,” Sam said.
The wraith leader glanced at her. “We will give you assistance to regain your strength and return to your House.”
Sam took a step forward. “I can see you’re warriors. You could help us bring it down—”
Galen wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her back. His gaze met the wraith’s. “We are grateful for your help.”
Catto inclined his head. “Rest. We will bring you food and clothes.”
“We need to get back to Kor Magna,” Galen said.
The wraith nodded again. “At nightfall, my warriors will escort you to the Al-Maa Trading Post.”
And leave them there to find their own way home. It was more than Galen expected. He was grateful they’d saved their lives.
The wraiths turned to leave, melding into the shadows around them.
“They won’t fight?” Sam asked.
“It’s not their way.”
“I saw some of their people at Zaabha, Galen. Most of them refused to fight and were killed by the Thraxians.”
“And we will rescue any who remain prisoner. For now, we rest, and then we get back to the House of Galen.”
She nodded. “And then?”
“Then we put together our army to stop the Thraxians and destroy Zaabha.”
Sam woke snuggled in Galen’s arms, her cheek pressed to a firm chest.
Dios, he was so hard. She breathed him in. He smelled like dark spice and male. Parts of her that had been dead for so long flared to life. Desire made her dizzy, and she felt the throb between her legs.
She barely knew him, and yet, she felt like they were connected. After
everything they’d been through, they weren’t strangers.
It was just the intense situation making her feel like this. They’d fought side by side, escaped Zaabha and the desert monster. That connected people.
She looked up at his face and the glossy black patch over his eye. Sleep did nothing to soften him. He looked like a slumbering warlord—always ready for battle, even when he was resting. Any second, he’d leap up, sword in hand.
She blew out a breath. She was attracted to him. This wasn’t just some delusion of adrenaline combined with their dangerous situation.
Sam, you don’t need the complication of a man. Life had been hard these last few months. She needed to get her feet back under her, to be steady for a while, before she thought of anything else.
What if she ended up back in Zaabha? Her muscles locked. What if the Thraxians came for her? Her innermost fears bubbled up, clogging her throat.
She rolled away from Galen, but an arm snaked around her waist. It tightened and pulled her back.
“Where are you going?” His deep voice was low and husky.
She looked around the cave. There was nowhere to go. “Well—”
“Relax.” He pulled her back to his chest. “We have a bit longer until the suns set.”
She frowned. They were underground. “How do you know?”
“I can sense it.”
She settled back against him. It was easy to forget that he was an alien. He certainly looked human. “What other abilities does your species have?”
“I can sense essences. Essentially what a person’s personality is like.”
“Handy.”
“And Aurelians are bred tough. We’re stronger and hardier than we look.”
“How come most species I’ve seen look humanoid?”
“Because of the Creators.”
“Creators?”
“An ancient, advanced species who created life in the galaxy. They seeded life on habitable planets, and created sentient beings in their own likeness.”
“Wow. What happened to them?”
“No one knows. They disappeared millennia ago, leaving the species they created and some ruins behind.”
As they lay there, she felt his hand stroking her hair. Again, she felt a curl of heat low in her belly.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
