Date: 2015-12-09 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Christmas romance; paranormal romance
Description: Santa Claus is coming to town… Feline mates and best friends shouldn’t hold secrets close to their chests, yet Camryn O’Sullivan is convinced something is going on with her shapeshifter man, Ry Coppersmith. Their lovemaking has dwindled to almost nonexistent and she’s tried everything from sexy lingerie to bluntness but nothing breaks the sexual drought. Life on the planet of Viros is everything Ry has ever wanted. He has a beautiful mate, two cute children and many close friends, yet all is not well in his world. Problems—nagging personal concerns—abound. This time last year, he and his crew

FESTIVE & SEDUCED

Shelley Munro

Book 5, House of the Cat

Table of Contents

Blurb

Note to Readers

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Excerpt – Blue Moon Dragon

Excerpt – My Scarlet Woman

About Shelley

Other Works by Shelley

Copyright Page

Blurb

Santa Claus is coming to town…

Feline mates and best friends shouldn’t hold secrets close to their chests, yet Camryn O’Sullivan is convinced something is going on with her shapeshifter man, Ry Coppersmith. Their lovemaking has dwindled to almost nonexistent and she’s tried everything from sexy lingerie to bluntness but nothing breaks the sexual drought.

Life on the planet of Viros is everything Ry has ever wanted. He has a beautiful mate, two cute children and many close friends, yet all is not well in his world. Problems—nagging personal concerns—abound. This time last year, he and his crew visited Camryn’s home planet of Earth and celebrated Christmas. They have their memories, yet they aren’t the same, and he knows Camryn misses her twin brother. A Christmas-tinged diversion might help while he struggles to subdue the complications messing with his head and his relationship with Camryn.

Note to Readers

Welcome to Viros and the House of the Cats. In this story, I have taken characters from previous books in the series and put them together for Christmas. After all, Christmas is a family occasion. If you need to refresh your memory or haven’t read all of the previous stories, please read the brief character descriptions below to understand how they fit into the House of the Cat series.

Ryman Coppersmith – a black leopard shifter and mate to Camryn O’Sullivan. Captain of the ship, Indefatigable.

Camryn O’Sullivan – formerly a horse jockey from Earth, Ry and his crew kidnapped her to help win a bet. You can read their story in Captured & Seduced.

Jannike Hondros – Ry’s second-in-command. She is queen of Viros after becoming the mate of King Lynx Leandros and Duke Shiloh Tetsu. You can read their story in Seized & Seduced.

Kaya Ignatius – another of Ry’s crew.

Nanu – Ry’s engineer and pilot.

Mogens Vere – Ry’s medic and seer.

Gweneth Swithin – part of Ry’s crew and mate to Ellard Tetsu (Shiloh’s older brother). Their story is Hunted & Seduced.

Jarlath Leandros and his mate Keira Cloud are mentioned briefly but don’t make an appearance. Jarlath is Lynx’s older brother. You can read their story in Claimed & Seduced. Ellard Tetsu also features in this book.

And finally, if you’re interested in learning more about the Christmas visit to Earth, which is mentioned throughout this book, grab a copy of Merry & Seduced.

Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas!

Shelley

Chapter 1

Planet Viros

“Ry Coppersmith is impossible.” Camryn O’Sullivan, former jockey from Earth, glowered at the retreating back of her feline shifter mate. His black hair, currently loose, lifted in the gentle breeze as he dodged locals shopping at the market stalls and socializing with friends in the cobblestone market square. She lowered her gaze to his perfect backside and watched until he disappeared under the archway into the honey-colored stone castle.

The castle, hereditary seat to the House of the Cat and home to the king of Viros, perched on top of the hill like a benevolent dragon guarding the residents of Viros, the only city on the planet of the same name. Buildings spilled down the terraced hillside until the city reached the protective walls below—a legacy of the on-again, off-again, currently off war with the neighboring House of Cawdor, inhabitants on the planet of Gramite. Luxurious houses and the businesses to cater for them stood on the first terrace below the castle, the accommodation and stores becoming smaller and less illustrious with each successive and larger terrace. A central staircase leading from the bottom terrace, just near the city gates, allowed citizens and visitors access to the various streets and ended at the public square outside the castle.

“What’s wrong?” Jannike asked, her frown fierce as she rubbed her swollen belly.

“Ry is driving me crazy with his overprotective careful-you-might-break-a-nail behavior.” Camryn threw her hands up in a theatrical gesture, raising her gaze from the sea of dwellings and businesses, past the sliver of forest visible beyond the wall to the perfectly clear blue skies of Viros.

A snicker came from one of her friends and she whirled to nail them with an evil eye, but the culprit had turned poker-faced. She suspected Kaya—the only unmated one of her friends. Kaya’s bright blue eyes, the exact color of her chin-length, straight blue hair, held explosive humor, and Camryn wanted to yank on her pointy ears in retaliation.

The truth—the blue-hair minx didn’t know any better.

Camryn folded her arms across her chest in a silent dare for Kaya to laugh again. Just wait until Kaya found a mate. Camryn would make popcorn, sit back and observe the show.

“It’s not funny,” Camryn said. “I can’t leave the room without him panicking, and if one of the twins starts to cry, he loses every scrap of color. Quick, let’s go to the refreshment shop on the corner of the square before he changes his mind about letting me go out for a few cycle marks.”

A flymo zapped overhead, the snub-nose utility vehicle with its chubby, gray rounded body was popular with the locals for shifting cargo and people around the city. It darted around the square and landed out of sight, somewhere on First Upper Street. The pilot knew better than to fly over the public no-fly area, currently full of the locals promenading under the shady trees. At night those trees sparkled with tiny lights. More restaurants and market stalls sprang up and impromptu entertainers thrilled the evening spectators, bringing the square to vibrant life.

Camryn fell into step with Jannike Hondros, Kaya Ignatius and Gweneth Swithin, all of whom arrived on the planet of Viros with Camryn and Ry on their ship the Indefatigable. Somehow, the planet inhabited by mainly black leopard shifters, had become home.

Jannike, a tall statuesque blonde from the planet of Manx Two, had settled into her position as the mate of both the king of Viros, Lynx Leandros, and his best friend, Shiloh Tetsu. Gweneth, a half-feline with long straight black hair and laughing green eyes, had found a mate in Shiloh’s older brother, Ellard. And Kaya…well, according to Kaya, she kept busy conducting mate auditions. Her mantra—fun, fun, fun with a side of hot sex.

Kaya held open the door, and they filed into the cool and rustic depths of an estaminet—a small cafe to any Earthling. The Royal didn’t attract the wealthy since the owner subscribed to the plain furnishings and no-frills school. Instead, he placed his energies into the food and beverage part of his business. A winning combination. Most feline ladies didn’t patronize this estaminet, preferring the one farther along the square with outdoor dining. A place they could see and be seen.

Camryn and her friends enjoyed this one because the other customers didn’t point and gossip. Here they could have relative privacy and be themselves instead of the mates of important felines.

“You complain about Ry.” Jannike rubbed her swollen belly and sank onto a straight-back chair with a groan. “Try being the queen of Viros with two mates, then you might have something to whine about. Lynx and Shiloh insist on me having a security guard.”

Camryn gave her a royal salute, one finger extended with no regard to Jannike’s royal status. “I’m still shocked Ry let me leave the castle for refreshments. He’s hovered like a bad mood since the twins’ birth.” And something else was going on with Ry. Not that she intended to confess their lack of bedroom rumbles to her friends.

Gweneth scanned the room and took possession of another chair. Her stomach didn’t bulge with advanced pregnancy like Jannike’s but as Kaya had commented cheekily, they’d all been knocked up well and truly.

The non-pregnant Kaya smirked, her blue hair swishing to reveal one pointy ear. “So where is this security guard? I can’t see him.”

“I ordered him to stay outside and to give me space.”

Kaya’s grin widened to toothy. “Used the imperious queen tone, didn’t you?”

“Shut up.” Jannike jabbed a finger in Kaya’s direction, her blonde ponytail swishing with the force of her movement. “I might be pregnant but I still have brain cells. I can get rid of an annoying tail without breaking a sweat.” She groaned without warning and pressed a hand against her belly. “You know the rugby game the hunky All Black men play in New Zealand? The baby or kitten or whatever you want to call it is playing the sport now.”

Camryn offered her friend a sympathetic pat on the arm since her twins—daughter, Azura, and son, Sevile—had played the same kicking game.

Kaya’s horrified gaze riveted to Jannike’s belly. “Nah, they’re practicing their kick-boxing.”

“One! I am having one child,” Jannike declared, her cheeks paling. “Lynx and Shiloh promised.”

They peered at Jannike’s stomach until she covered it with her hands. Kaya grinned, and Camryn felt an echo of sympathy. She’d expected one child. The medical team had thought she’d have a single since all tests had revealed one, but the day before the birthing Mogens, their seer, had said two, and two arrived with noisy objections.

“I’m sure you’ll have one child,” Camryn soothed. “Don’t forget I’m a twin myself. I shouldn’t have been surprised.” Jannike’s belly did enter a room well before the rest of her, though.

“We’re both having one child a piece,” Gweneth said firmly. “We should change the subject.”

“We can talk about sex,” Kaya said. “I met a new man. His bedroom skills are—” She broke off as Sheera, an Incorporeal and a new arrival on Viros, popped into view. One sec empty air filled the spot, the next Sheera stood beside their table.

Her pale white features and eyes and long straight white hair contrasted strikingly with the pair of skinny black jeans and the hot-pink T-shirt she wore. Sheera and Gweneth had met on the planet of Narenda and become close friends. Gweneth had been very excited when it was decided Sheera and her partner Leeam would come to live in the city of Viros.

Sheera sparkled, her pinprick glacier-blue pupils widening and emphasizing her happiness. “Did I hear the word sex? Music to my ears.” Sheera and her partner came from the Incorporeal race and survived by absorbing sexual energy. Camryn wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but she was happy they were able to scoop up the energy without physically standing in the same room.

“I met a new man.” Kaya’s neatly plucked eyebrows waggled. “It’s amazing how good the sex is when a man has two cocks. A pity he was only here overnight, otherwise I might have considered keeping him for a while.”

“So that’s why I’m feeling healthy and full of vitality,” Sheera said.

“Ellard and I might have helped with the sexual energy,” Gweneth confessed.

“It wasn’t me,” Camryn blurted. “We’re not having sex.” She clapped her hand over her lips, saw her gaping friends and raised her digits to cover her eyes. Talk about a blabbermouth. She glanced around for the owner. “Maybe we should place our order?”

“No sex?” Jannike asked.

Kaya cocked her head. “Is Ry having an affair? Do you have a man on the side?”

“No! Of course not. Ry wouldn’t cheat on me. I’d know.” She massaged her racing heart. “We’re mates. We can read each other’s minds.”

The owner trotted over with menus and distributed them. He gave each woman a respectful nod, his cinnabar skin tones characteristic of the Redd race. Thick black-and-red dreads, tied back in a tail, helped to showcase his sharp cheekbones, the beak of his nose and his pointy jaw. No one said anything until he departed with a swish of scarlet robe and a click of boots on the earthen floor.

“I don’t understand. You had sex. Leeam and I scooped up sexual energy from your suite of rooms last night,” Sheera said. “Not that we looked, of course. We are not peepers.”

“I know you don’t spy on us.” Camryn felt heat crawl into her cheeks as her friends shifted their attention from Sheera back to her. Damn! She hadn’t blushed for ages, and now she’d have to say something. She knew her friends, and they wouldn’t leave this alone until they received every detail.

Things had changed at the castle since Gweneth and Ellard had brought Sheera and Leeam home with them. Every resident understood their responsibility to keep the Incorporeal couple hale and healthy. The Incorporeal race lived in a symbiotic relationship with other compatible races, gifting them with material items in exchange for receiving sexual energy. Of course, some unscrupulous people sought to enslave the Incorporeals in order to profit from their powers. Worse though, if she and Ry continued in the way they had since the birth of the twins, Leeam and Sheera might decide to find another home. Leeam’s uncle had only considered the location as a residence once he heard how many couples inhabited the castle. If this experiment proved successful, they would recruit other couples willing to help feed and increase the number of Incorporeal people in the city.

Camryn studied her fingernails until she became aware of the throbbing silence surrounding their table.

Gweneth placed her hand over Camryn’s and squeezed lightly. “What’s going on, Camryn? Do you think Ry has another woman?”

“Of course not. I don’t know what the problem is. All I know is if I make my amorous intentions clear, Ry tells me he’s tired or he’ll get me off with his fingers or tongue.”

“Is that what happened last eve?” Sheera asked.

“Yes. I wanted to make love. Ry acted interested, but it never happened. He gave me an orgasm, then went and had a shower. A cold one. His skin radiated enough of a chill to freeze me like a block of ice when he returned to bed.”

“Can’t you seduce him?” Jannike demanded. “Put on some of your sexy lingerie.”

Camryn sighed. “Already tried. It didn’t work.”

“Why don’t you push him onto his back, straddle him and get busy.” Kaya tucked her silky blue hair behind her ears. “That’s what I’d do. A man can’t resist a woman who takes the initiative.”

Camryn gave up trying to read her menu and slammed it shut. “Tried it and Ry decided he needed to go and help Lynx and Shiloh inspect the building improvements. His rejection made me feel awful, and I haven’t tried again.”

Gweneth tapped her chin, her manner contemplative. “Men are idiots. Have you asked him what is wrong?”

“Yep.” Camryn pulled a wry face, still feeling the sting of rejection from her mate. “He said he had a headache.”

A moment of startled silence bloomed—a pause that stretched and became uncomfortable. Mortifying silence. Awkward silence. Puzzled silence.

“Odd behavior for Ry,” Jannike said finally.

Camryn nodded, relieved none of the other women dared to laugh at her because this sex thing with Ry tangled her mind into knots. “Life seemed much easier when he’d grab me and kiss me until my brain went on a hike.”

“There is something to be said for the alpha lover,” Gweneth said.

“I don’t understand why Ry won’t make love to me, yet he’s so over protective in every other aspect of our lives. It doesn’t make sense.”

Jannike snorted. “Men are foreign creatures, especially the ones from Viros. You never know how they’re going to react in a given situation. Aw, phrull it.” She stroked her belly until the kicks subsided. “I don’t know how you managed this pregnancy stuff. Suddenly changing into a feline after I mated with Lynx and Shiloh blew my mind enough. This is…more. Scary.”

“It gets better,” Camryn said and reached over to squeeze Jannike’s arm, full of sympathy. She had also become a feline shifter after mating with Ry. It seemed the feline genes were strong and overpowered other DNA, and Camryn understood Jannike’s unease. “I promise.”

“So what are you going to do about Ry?” Kaya asked.

“I have no idea. Let’s change the subject.” She’d thought of nothing else for days and long sleepless nights and still nothing made sense. She cast her mind about for another topic. “I couldn’t sleep last night, and it suddenly hit me it’s almost Christmas. Hard to believe it’s a whole rotation since we were at home.”

“I think about Amme a lot,” Gweneth said with a sigh, her gaze drifting as she thought of the cyborg woman who had acted as her nanny for so many years before she’d fallen in love with an Earthman called Marcus and decided to stay on Earth. “Sheera, remember I showed you Marcus and Amme’s depiction? So many great memories of our Christmas holiday. Let’s order. Maybe food will help settle your busy baby, Jannike.” She shared her broad grin with them all. “Cakes will make me feel better.”

A waitress—one of the owner’s daughters, judging by her hair and complexion—took their orders of spiced tay for everyone plus honeycakes. Camryn had developed a fondness for the crisp rounds of cake, served in layers with a jug of warm honey syrup then sprinkled with chopped nuts from the barvkov tree. The honeycakes reminded her of baklava. Something nice to soothe her ruffled feelings.

Silence reigned while they attacked their honeycakes.

“Tell me about this Christmas thing,” Sheera said after taking a sip of her tay. “What do you do?”

“We went to Earth, Camryn’s home, so she could visit her twin brother and the rest of us could have a holiday,” Jannike began. “It was Christmas and we learned about this celebration and all the different ways people on Earth honor the day.”

Recollections and memories and stories of their adventures and experiences raised a flurry of giggles.

“You should have seen the look on Marcus’s face when Nanu kissed him under the mistletoe,” Gweneth said wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Or what about when we went into a chocolate shop and Kaya gobbled down all the samples,” Jannike added.

“Hey, you helped me eat the chocolate. I wish I had some now. The fudge stuff we made didn’t taste quite the same.”

“What else do you do?” Sheera asked. “We don’t have anything like your celebration.”

“We went to the beach. I loved the beach,” Kaya said.

“But didn’t the Earthlings notice your ears?” Sheera asked.

“Mogens made a spell for those of us who would have attracted attention,” Kaya said. “So much fun. Barbecues and picnics. Swimming and volleyball.”

“What else?” Sheera asked, leaning forward in her eagerness to learn more.

“We sing songs and buy each other gifts. We put up trees and decorations. The area we visited holds a Christmas parade and everyone joins together to sing Christmas carols. Everyone cooks special foods. Some people go to church since the holiday originated as a religious one. It’s a time for family and friends,” Camryn said, and a twinge of longing pinged her. Despite their rocky start, she couldn’t imagine sharing her life with any other male. She loved Ry and their son and daughter.

Ry had saved her, and somehow, she had to fix the wrong between them now.

“I’d better get back to the twins.” Camryn stood. “No, you stay.”

“We’re finished.” Jannike stared past Camryn through the open doorway. “That guy is checking out the ambling woman and not in a good way. He’s going to steal her bag. We have to stop him.” She set off at a fast waddle before the others could so much as blink.

“Kaya, do something,” Camryn ordered because the waitress, bearing a tray of drinks, stood in her way. “The king will never forgive us if we let Jannike get hurt. Where is her bodyguard?” She hurried after Jannike once her path cleared.

Gweneth shot out the door and Kaya sprinted after her. Camryn darted outside and raced to catch up, her feet pounding the cobblestones of the street.

“He’s going to grab her bag,” Jannike said, breathing hard. “Shift, Camryn. Bite his arse.”

Camryn hesitated, then centered her mind, pulling up her cat in her imagination. The two male owners of the nearest business, a shop selling boots, gaped from their open doorway. Camryn heard their loud whispers as her shift to feline advanced.

“I’ll trip him,” Sheera said and blinked from sight before anyone could talk her out of the dangerous maneuver.

Camryn embraced the wash of pain as her body transformed to feline. Secs later, she raced after the thief, past a pair of speechless matrons laden with baskets of shopping, her tunic top and the remnants of her bra flapping around her shoulders. Damn shift. She should have stripped before she morphed, but Ry didn’t like her stripping in public.

As she raced to the rescue, the man ripped the woman’s purse off her shoulder. The woman attempted to hold on to her belongings, her shoes skidding on a cobblestone worn smooth by numerous feet. She screamed, but she must be one of the felines who wasn’t able to shift. Two more strides and Camryn gathered herself to leap, relieved when the last of her clothing finally fluttered free and fell on the cobblestones.

Before the thought fully formed, the man flew through the air, arms windmilling as he tripped on Sheera’s foot—the only visible part of her body. He hit the ground with a solid thump, cursing and swearing and attempting to crawl to his feet. Probably intended to escape down the narrow alley leading between the butcher’s shop and a talisman stall.

Kaya grasped the man’s leg before he could scrabble away like a furtive bug. He screeched, the sound becoming progressively louder and louder, his dirty face turning redder and redder with anger.

Camryn backed up and shook her head but the man’s screeches seemed to affect her thought processes. She shook her head again and retreated farther back. Grinning, the man scrambled to his feet. He scooped up the handbag and sent her a smirk, but when he picked up speed to retreat toward the central staircase, Sheera stuck out her foot again.

He hit the ground, but this time he tucked and rolled and Camryn could see he intended to start screeching again. She didn’t know which race the man belonged to, but he reminded her of the legendary banshee with his wailing.

Camryn gathered herself to pounce but Jannike puffed up to them and sat on the man. An audible rush of air roared from the man, but Jannike’s weight seemed to do the job. He couldn’t get enough air to shriek.

Gweneth retrieved the flower-embroidered bag and offered it to the feline woman.

“Th-thank you,” the woman sobbed, her black hair mussed from the encounter. She glanced along the street, away from the central staircase, a wash of bright red highlighting her cheekbones when she noticed the noisy interest from the passersby. “Thank you so much for helping me. My husband would be so angry if I lost the housekeeping money.”

“Are you all right?” Gweneth asked. “Did he hurt you?”

“Let me give you a reward,” the woman said.

“Jannike get off the man,” Kaya said. “Let me take charge of him. And you’d better find something for Camryn to wear. Ry will go crazy mental if he learns she’s wandering around topless.”

“Take my jacket,” the woman said. “Please.”

“Thanks.” Camryn sighed and accepted the jacket. This was another feline shifter anomaly. Her tunic and bra never survived a shift while her trews and footwear melted into her body and reappeared once she morphed back to human. She’d asked Ry why this happened but he didn’t know. It just was, so everyone dealt with the fact.

Jannike rose with the grace of a drunken duck, and Gweneth’s hand shot out to steady her.

“You…you’re…” The woman sounded terrified. She bobbed a brief curtsy. “Please don’t tell the king.”

“Why would I tell the king?” Jannike demanded. “That’s the most fun I’ve had for ages.”

Jannike’s bodyguard ran up to them, his hands on his trews as he attempted to fasten them. “I’m sorry. Please don’t tell the king.”

“I don’t lie to my mates.”

The man dipped his head. “I’m sorry. Please give me another chance. I couldn’t wait any longer to use the necessary.”

“I don’t tell tales,” Jannike said. “Besides, my friends are capable. We can look after ourselves, despite what our mates might say.”

“But the king said you carry the heir.” He shot her a look of disapproval. “You were puffing. You sat on the Shrieker.”

“Is that what they’re called?” Camryn fastened the toggles of the white jacket over her naked breasts. “His screeches hurt my head.”

“They’re not meant to use their voice as a weapon,” the bodyguard said with a disapproving glower in the direction of the Shrieker.

“Take him to the dungeon,” Kaya ordered. “One or all of us will be along to interrogate him later.”

“But I’m meant to keep an eye on the queen,” the bodyguard said, staring at them aghast. “The king has…” He paused to swallow and shuffled from foot to foot.

“Another example of our mates’ highhandedness,” Jannike muttered. “Please deliver the prisoner to the dungeon. We will question him later.”

The bodyguard hunched his shoulders, his steps slow and unwilling as he marched the prisoner away.

“Fun times,” Gweneth said, her green eyes bright and a delicate pink tinging her cheeks.

“Sure beats sitting around with cups of tay,” Camryn agreed. “We need to find something to do, something in addition to looking after children. I’m going to go crazy soon. If the news hits one morn Ry has been murdered in our bed, you’ll know I’ve snapped.”

Jannike planted one hand on her right hip and smoothed the other over her bulging stomach. “Huh! When you’re finished you can come and help me bash Lynx and Shiloh over the head.”

“I don’t think that’s the right way for a queen to talk,” Kaya said in a reproachful manner. When Jannike swung for her, she danced out of reach with a delighted laugh. “Knew I could get a rise out of you.” Eyes full of devilment, she sketched a curtsy and laughed again when Jannike growled. She wagged a finger. “Now, now. Careful of your blood pressure. You’ve got the heir stuffed in there.”

“I’ll hold her down,” Camryn offered as they made their way up one level to the square.

Gweneth chuckled. “I don’t know which side to take since I see both points of view.”

Jannike turned to Sheera. “Pick a side. Maybe conjure a weapon to still her tongue.”

“Against the rules,” Sheera said. “We choose what items to conjure.”

“I’m the queen. I must be able to change the rules,” Jannike snapped.

Camryn grinned as they walked past the guards on the castle gates. The two somber guards scarcely blinked at their appearance or their arguing. Things had changed around the castle since their arrival, and even the local storeowners and the stallholders in the market didn’t double take when the queen and her friends wandered into their sphere. They had a good life here on Viros. Good friends. A safe place to bring up their children, so why the hell did she feel the urge to scream?

Chapter 2

Ry forced himself to walk away from Camryn, forced himself to traverse the busy square outside the castle. Forced himself to work against his feline who bombarded him with dire messages. Keep. Protect. Don’t let our mate out of our sight.

Claws bled from beneath his fingernails, dug into his palms as he pushed his limbs to do his bidding. One step after another. One step after another.

A brief smile pursed his lips as he felt Camryn staring after him, literally felt her ogle his butt. Then he turned the corner, passing the guards at the castle arch, and cursed under his breath as his shift to feline progressed a fraction further. Sharp canines pushed through his gums and a snarl forged up his tight throat, burning and clawing the entire way.

The man in him knew this overprotective streak repelled Camryn and pushed her on the offensive, but his fear took on a will of its own, shoving, driving, nagging him like a sore tooth. The birth of the twins had knocked her around. So much blood. He shuddered at the memory. So much blood.

He’d thought he’d lost her. She didn’t seem to remember, but after she’d threatened to cut off his dick during the delivery of Azura, their daughter, she’d faded fast, and the medics had warned him her survival depended on luck and grit. Even with the modern Virosian facility he’d insisted on, she’d almost died, would’ve if he hadn’t threatened murder and forced the medic team to allow Mogens’s help.

Inside the castle, out of sight of the second set of guards, Ry ceased walking in the middle of the cool corridor, eyes blind to the paintings of past Virosian kings lining the walls. Instead, he dragged in a shuddering breath as he relived the horror. Thanks to Mogens, the twins had survived and Camryn had slowly recovered, healing quicker than medical advice indicated she should. She’d placed the trauma behind her and his cock seemed safe, but he recalled every terror-filled sec. Experienced the never-ending loop of it in his nightmares. As much as he loved the twins, he loved his mate more.

Thanks to Camryn, he’d become a functioning adult, no longer at the mercy of his sex-drive.

Thanks to Camryn, he had a purpose.

Thanks to Camryn, he experienced love and a family.

If he lost her…

A vision of her face, her tempting smile, flashed through his mind. Instantly, his cock lengthened and pushed against the fabric of his black trews. His mate and sex in the same thought. He wanted…

No!

Too bad what he wanted. He couldn’t risk losing Camryn.

Mogens, the Indy’s seer and medic, took care of their medical and birth control needs, and until they’d reached Viros, his medical potions had worked with precision. Now Jannike and Gweneth were expecting offspring, even though they’d both been on birth control. Both. Jannike had taken Mogens’s potion and Gweneth used a birth control implant from Viros since she and Ellard had wanted to wait for children. Didn’t happen. Everyone joked it was the water. Ry didn’t see the joke’s punchline.

“Hey.” Nanu, the Indy’s pilot and engineer gestured with his chin. A riot of braids covered his head, framing a broad nose, intelligent amber eyes and sensual mouth. At least the women called it sensual and sexy. Ry didn’t see it himself. “Why are you standing in the corridor staring into space? We’re meeting in the war room for drinks.”

Ry barked out a quick laugh. He cut it off abruptly since humor didn’t sit right, given his turbulent thoughts. “Camryn calls it our man cave.”

Nanu gave his head an abrupt shake. His black braids, which he’d fastened with rainbow-colored beads, clicked and rustled in a musical tune. A furrow appeared between his eyes before blinking out of sight. “It’s one of those human-speak things.”

“Yes.”

“Definition?”

Ry recommenced his steps and Nanu strode at his side. “It’s a room with a big-screen television and other forms of entertainment like a pool table or card tables. Some have a bar. Camryn says it’s a place where men can swear, talk trash and scratch their arses.”

Nanu flashed a white, toothy grin. “We have a man cave.”

A roar of masculine laughter rippled from a room at the end of the corridor.

“Can’t argue,” Ry said.

“What do the women have?” Nanu asked.

“According to Camryn, women wouldn’t do anything so undignified. They lunch and drink cocktails.”

“What about shopping?”

“Yeah, I think she mentioned visiting stores.” Ry considered his stand against unnecessary shopping, mainly because they’d traveled from planet to planet, job to job, in their spaceship, the Indefatigable. “I suppose they could do more of it now that we’re based in Viros. We don’t have to worry about storage on the Indy.”

“I don’t know,” Nanu said. “They sure shopped a lot when we visited Earth for Christmas. All of Kaya’s chocolate made the Indy sluggish on take-off.”

Ry scanned the room as they entered, the huge vid and entertainment center, the tray of meat chunk snacks from the castle kitchen and the open bottles of reeb, a Viros version of grain alcohol sitting on a selection of hovering float tables. Hunting trophies covered the wall—a lake beast with horns and a creature as high as his knees with long floppy ears, its mouth wide open to reveal sharp, jagged teeth. The usual crowd relaxed on gel-couches and leaned against big, heavy furniture. Men who he now counted as good friends. Lynx and Shiloh, Jannike’s two mates, both big powerful men with the typical feline coloring of pitch-black hair and green eyes, and the even bigger, silent Ellard who had finally succumbed to Gweneth’s determination. Ry covered his amused snort with a cough. Not that the poor feline had ever had a chance once Gweneth spotted him.

Also present was a new arrival to Viros. Leeam was an Incorporeal and the youngest of their group. A smile curved his pale lips as he listened to Ellard telling him about Gweneth’s latest hobby of stitching baby clothes. According to Ellard, she radiated danger with a needle and no finger was safe. Everything about Leeam screamed cold since his complexion and hair, his eyes, apart from the pinprick glacier-blue pupils, were white. His clothing, however, told of the Earth influence in his life—tight denim jeans, a black T-shirt with a lime-green and scarlet slogan about beer, purple sneakers and a ball cap. Leeam and his female, Sheera, never failed to make him smile, no matter how miserable he felt.

“Good, you’re here,” Lynx said when he spotted Ry and Nanu. “We have a problem. Shiloh and I need your help.”

Ry perked up, the idea of having something to do, something to fix, easing the itchy restlessness that plagued him these days. For many rotations, he’d wanted to find his roots and family. He’d thought having a base would be better than roaming through space, assignment after assignment. Safer.

Be careful what you wish for.

He had it all. Friends. Family. Security.

So why the phrull did his soul scream out for a challenge?

“Both of us?” Nanu asked, a thread of eagerness weaving through his voice.

“Yeah.” Shiloh slung an arm around Lynx and drew him close.

Ry had become used to the idea of Jannike and her threesome, so he no longer blinked at the easy intimacy between the king of Viros and his male mate.

“Since Jannike became pregnant, she’s started to dream a lot. She talks in her sleep and keeps muttering about Christmas.”

Lynx growled, a distinct sound of feline displeasure. “It’s not another man. I know that because I’ve heard you mention spending Christmas on Earth.”

Ry smirked, aware of the contradictory nature of his reaction. If it were Camryn dreaming, he’d growl to rival a city of felines.

Beside him Nanu chuckled, setting his braids chattering as his humor escaped. “You’re right. It’s not a man after her affections. What else did she say?”

Shiloh frowned at his older brother, Ellard, when he dared to laugh as well. “I didn’t poke fun at you when Gweneth had you in her sights.”

“Your point?” Ellard demanded, still grinning.

Ry took pity on them while thinking that despite their social standing—king and duke of the planet Viros—the two men never put on airs or treated anyone as inferior. They were great with Jannike and looked after her without dampening her independence. Something he used to pride himself on until the birth of the twins. Now, he smothered to the best of his ability. Anything to keep his mate safe. “Tell us what she said, and we’ll attempt to interpret. We’re not from Earth, but we picked up a bit of the lingo while we were there.”

“What did he say?” Lynx asked Shiloh.

“Stop being a smart arse,” Shiloh said, cuffing Lynx over the head. “They might decide not to help us, and we can’t ask any of the women. They’d tattle to Jannike.”

“Well, she muttered about Christmas a lot. She mentioned chocolate, but we already know what that is because they’ve tried to make it. Then she said something about a forest and trees.” Lynx glanced at Shiloh. “What were her exact words?”

“Christmas tree,” Ry said at the same time as Nanu.

“Explain,” Shiloh said.

“I know what it is,” Ellard said. “It’s a tree with special decorations. Some people have color-coordinated trees with sparkling lights but Camryn’s family have collected decorations over the years and each holds a special memory. Do I have that right?” he asked Ry.

Leeam stepped closer. With a casual gesture of his arm, he formed a comfortable chair and sank against the blood-red cushions with a happy wriggle. He gestured again and a small floating table appeared, hovering within reach so that Leeam could reach for his glass of sparkling green cajuice. “Tell me more,” he said, the glacier-blue pupils of his white eyes expanding. A sure sign of his curiosity.

Ry made a rapid calculation of the dates on Earth and nodded. “It’s almost Christmastime on Earth. That’s where we were this time last rotation.”

Nanu’s beads clacked along with his nod. “That’s probably why Jannike is dreaming of Christmas and trees.”

“Could we get one here?” Ellard asked. “I think Gweneth would like that.”

“We could cut one of the green trees from the forest. There are some similar species to the spruce and pine the Earthlings use.” Ry considered. “The last time we had a picnic and visited Kelvin, he was making noises about visiting the city to see some of the things we talked about. If you could make a place on the market square where he could set down root, maybe he would like to be a living Christmas tree. It might help him be less lonely if he interacted with the people.”

“How would that work?” Lynx asked.

“I’ve seen Kelvin sprout leaves and branches at will. If Kelvin agrees, you could hang decorations on him or better yet, if you showed everyone how to make decorations and what they were, you could hang them on Kelvin. He might get a kick out of that,” Ry said.

“Why would you kick him?” Shiloh demanded. “That’s not the way to pay him for a favor. He’s a rare tremin. He should be treated with respect.”

Ellard cackled and Ry stared at the change in his face. He beamed with his entire body, sharing the emotion freely until Ry felt a smile curving his own lips. Gweneth had done this for Ellard, helping him to stand straight with pride.

Lynx stood at his mate’s side, brows drawn together. “Why are you laughing?”

“Kicking used in that way means he’ll enjoy the experience,” Ry said. “I miss him and would like to see more of him. He could see the babies and he might decide to leave the forest instead of keeping himself isolated.”

“What else do you do during this Christmas?” Leeam asked.

“I have depictions on my personal tablet—the one I purchased on Earth and modified,” Nanu said. “Should I get it?”

Leeam stood. “Where is it? I’ll get it for you.”

“It’s on the float table in the food prep area of my suite,” Nanu said.

Leeam blinked from sight before Nanu could add more instructions. He shimmered back into sight secs later and handed the tablet to Nanu. “Show me,” he ordered. “I want to see this Christmas.”

“Does Jannike have depictions?” Lynx asked.

Shiloh seemed to space out for a couple of secs, then blinked. “She did show us some while we were on the Indy. We were more interested in the mating dance.”

“Priorities,” Lynx said with a comical waggle of his brows.

Ry shook his head in a sorrowful manner. “That’s not very dignified for a king.”

Lynx barked out a laugh and gave him the finger.

Ry found himself grinning. Some signs were universal.

“These are the depictions,” Nanu said. “They’ll move through on a slide show. Say the word ‘cease’ if you want to stop on a single frame.”

The men crowded around as the first depiction filled the screen. “It was a group photo of them at Marcus’s house after Marcus and Amme had married. They stood in front of the rose garden, all dressed in their summer finery and broad grins on each of their faces. Ry could still recall the sweet scent of the roses and the contentment that had flowed through him when he and Camryn had said their vows and married in the Earth way.

“Cease,” he said.

“Who is this?” Lynx asked.

Ry pointed at the various faces. “This is Max, Camryn’s twin brother, and his wife, Ellen. The small boy is Luke, their son. This is Amme, Gweneth’s former cyborg companion, and her Earth husband, Marcus. The small girl is their daughter, Autumn.”

“And the girl with the weird-colored hair?” Leeam asked. “It looks as if she can’t make up her mind and choose a color. Maybe I could try that shade.” He closed his eyes and a rainbow of colors formed in his straight hair.

“That is Olivia, Marcus’s sister and Gweneth’s friend,” Ellard said, scarcely blinking at the physical change in Leeam. “I’ve talked to her via interplanetary com.”

“What’s next?” Shiloh demanded, and Ry suppressed humor. They were fascinated by this slice of Jannike’s life before they’d become her mates.

Nanu got the slide show moving again.

“Cease,” Ellard said. “What are those strange animals and why are you standing so close? They look a bit like malpacks. Don’t they bite?”

“They’re alpacas. Marcus breeds them,” Nanu said. “Next depiction.”

“Cease,” Lynx said. “What is that water and why are you all half-dressed? It’s too big for a lake.”

“That is the sea. It was hot weather when we visited and the locals go to the beach to swim,” Nanu said. “Earth has many large bodies of water. It’s different from the planets in this sector. You have lakes. Earth has seas and oceans.”

“The clothing?” Lynx prompted.

“That is the correct attire to wear at the beach,” Ry added.

Shiloh opened his mouth and shut it again.

Nanu glanced at their faces. “Any more questions?” When no one answered, he set the show in motion again.

Ry took a sip of his drink.

“Cease,” Shiloh said. “Who is the big fat dude in the red suit?”

A laugh exploded from Ry along with a spray of liquid.

“Phrull it, Coppersmith.” Lynx swiped at the damp reeb spots on his plain black tunic and trews. “That’s no way to treat your king.”

“Sorry. You make me laugh when you come out with Earth expressions,” Ry said.

“The fat dude is Santa Claus,” Nanu explained. “He gives out presents. The Earth children write a list and if they’re good, they might get some of the presents on their list.”

Questions came quick and fast after that with the depictions ceasing at each frame. They explained barbecues and Christmas parades, mistletoe and Christmas food. Then Ry attempted to tell them about the cold Christmases in the northern hemisphere and the hot Christmases in the southern hemisphere.

“No more,” he said finally. “My head hurts. I need another drink.”

Leeam waved his hand and a drink hovered in front of Ry.

“Thanks.” Ry clasped the tube in his hand and toasted Leeam.

“What about the Christmas tree?” Leeam asked. “Do you have a depiction of those?”

Nanu flicked through a couple of frames without anyone calling “cease”. “Ah, this is a Christmas tree. This is the one we had at Marcus’s house.”

The sight of the green pine tree festooned with baubles and lights brought another rush of happy memories for Ry. “I wish we could visit and show you everything. We had a great time.”

“Here are some of the different trees,” Nanu said, a native of the planet Indra and a man with a warrant on his head—should he ever decide to return. “I took depictions of as many different ones as I could find. Marcus’s tree was best though. I liked the smell of it since it reminded me of home.”

“The smell reminded me of my childhood too,” Ry said. “My sisters and foster parents.”

“Are there more depictions of food and other things?” Leeam asked. “Can I make a copy of your tablet so I can look on my own?”

“Sure,” Nanu said. “Most of the depictions are of our visit to New Zealand. I wish we could manage the journey, but it’s too far away.”

Leeam held the tablet in his right hand and gestured with his left. A second tablet formed as Ry watched the Incorporeal male. So much power and ability. Luckily, the Incorporeal people seemed to like them and had become friends. They’d make formidable enemies.

Leeam bowed at Nanu and handed him back the original tablet. “I need to see Sheera.” And with that, he vanished.

“He needs a puff of smoke or something, for dramatic effect,” Shiloh said. “It would help me tell my mind I wasn’t seeing things.”

“I hear you,” Nanu declared. “Their powers are freaky cool but disturbing too.”

“The smoke would give away their presence to enemies,” Ellard said. “An unscrupulous person, a greedy person gets to thinking that possessing an Incorporeal would make their lives easy. They could force a captured Incorporeal to conjure whatever they wanted. Those people who kidnapped Leeam and Sheera—well, let’s just say they didn’t care about their welfare.”

Silence greeted his comment because he spoke nothing but the truth and a reminder of the responsibility they’d taken on in allowing Sheera and Leeam to live on Viros.

Ry decided to use the opportunity to ask Lynx if he knew of a task he and his crew could undertake. Anything to fill his time and to give Camryn a break from his hovering. He knew he was pushing her, even without reading her mind. Not that he could read her thoughts these days. They were blocking each other, keeping their intimate thoughts to themselves.

Phrull.

“Something wrong?” Ellard asked.

“No. Not really. I wondered if there were any more jobs for me and my crew.”

“You don’t like standing around and scratching your arse?” Shiloh asked.

“Hell, no. We’ve always worked. Hauled freight. Sought contracts.”

“Avoided pirates and bounty hunters, according to Jannike,” Lynx said.

“We must’ve been on a different ship when that happened,” Nanu said before Ry could comment.

Ry grinned. “I think you two took a similar career path to us, so don’t try to make us sound like criminals.”

Without warning, Leeam popped into sight, accompanied this time by Sheera. An air of suppressed excitement practically vibrated through them.

“We need to speak with my uncle,” Leeam said.

Sheera bounced on the balls of her feet. “It’s really important.”

“Something wrong?” Ry asked. “Something we can help with?”

“No.” Leeam said with a quick glance at Sheera.

She wrinkled her nose at him before turning back to Ry. “It’s something only Niran can help with. We’re going to our private place to communicate. It might take some time.”

“Let us know if we can help with anything,” Ellard said.

“Thanks,” Leeam replied, and secs later both blinked from sight.

“That was weird,” Lynx commented. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

Ry stared at the spot where the couple had stood only secs ago. “They seemed excited more than anything. Any ideas, Ellard?”

The big man shook his head and dragged a ghostly right arm through his ruffled black hair, the arm a gift of appreciation from the Incorporeal people and maintained by Leeam and Sheera with their special conjuring talents. “I have my suspicions.”

“And?” his brother demanded.

Ellard made a zipping motion across his lips, and Ry guffawed at the expressions on Lynx’s and Shiloh’s faces. The shock and the surprise at the action from the man who used to be so serious. Gweneth’s work, Ry knew.

“I order you to tell me,” Shiloh said. “I have an in with the king.”

“Don’t want to know about your sex life.” Ellard held both hands up—his good one and the ghostly one, a replacement for the one he’d lost during the war with the House of Cawdor. “I have my own.”

“He’s changed,” Shiloh grumbled. “Order him to spill. You’re the king.”

Lynx made a scoffing sound. “What do you want me to do? Send him to the dungeon?”

“Yes,” Shiloh said, frowning at his brother.

“Won’t talk,” Ellard informed them. “Leeam and Sheera will tell you if they want to.”

Ry sighed, because Lynx hadn’t answered his question. He opened his mouth to repeat his query then shut it again. His feline surged beneath his skin, twitchy at the short absence from Camryn. “I’m going to check on the twins.”

Nanu frowned. “I thought you’d hired one of the young maids to babysit.”

“We did.”

“The feline girl will contact both you and Camryn if she needs aid. I heard the long list of orders you gave the poor girl,” Nanu said. “Besides, Mogens is working in his suite right next door. You know he’ll sense if there is anything wrong.”

“I suggest we go out the back for some sword play,” Lynx said. “I waited until now because, knowing Jannike, she’d want to take part. She…” He shot Shiloh a quick look.

“Jannike has become clumsy. The weight of the baby throws her off, and we don’t wish her to injure herself. She is precious to us.”

“You have trees out the back,” Nanu said. “Why don’t we check them out and see if any of them are suitable for a Christmas tree? Surprise the ladies. Score some points.”

Nanu was right. He didn’t need to check on the twins. Camryn required space and a slice of independence. His seesaw behavior would drive a wedge between them—if he hadn’t managed the job already.

* * * * *

The scent of nature and the outdoors rode on the breeze as the men tromped outdoors via a rear entrance to the castle. The two guards on the exit nodded, their gazes alert and interested.

The idea of a Christmas tree brought a sense of excitement, a sense of accomplishment since he knew Camryn would enjoy the tree. Lynx and Shiloh would score points too, if they could find a suitable tree. The decorations—no. Camryn and the others would enjoy taking care of them. Besides, it would keep them busy indoors.

Safe.

A shudder went through Ry. Damn, he had to get a grip on his emotions, his feline, before he destroyed their relationship. Camryn was protected here at the castle. Under Ellard’s tutelage, the well-trained guards ran a watchful and efficient security plan. Camryn was capable, as were the other women of his crew, even if two of them waddled due to pregnancy.

“You and Nanu are the experts. Which trees will work?” Lynx asked as they walked deeper into the manicured gardens.

Ry turned slowly, checking out the trees in the vicinity. “Maybe one of those.” He pointed at a stand of straight trees over to their right.

“No,” Nanu protested, the clack of his hair braids reinforcing his objections. “Remember the hassle we had loading the trees we picked. We want one about your height. Not much bigger or else we’ll never get it inside the castle with our tempers intact.”

Ry gave a rueful grin as he recalled Marcus’s colorful curses. “Point taken.”

“We can always call some guards to help us get a tree inside,” Lynx said. “A king perk.”

“Those king perks come in handy.” Nanu strode toward the trees Ry had indicated. “I need to get me some.”

Ry stopped before a tall, well-proportioned tree that had the correct stature and appearance. The color wasn’t bad either since the short, hairlike leaves were predominantly green with a hint of red or white on the underside. “This one looks good, although we might need the help of the guards to maneuver it inside.”

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly!” Nanu yodeled. “We need tools. A saw or an ax.”

“What’s he talking about?” Lynx asked Shiloh.

“Some of Ry’s crew are strange,” Shiloh said with a sorrowful shake of head. “I can’t understand them half the time.”

Ry let the teasing insults blow over him, not biting as they expected him to. “A friendly warning. Don’t say that in front of Jannike.”

“Hell no,” Lynx said. “Do we look stupid?”

“I’ll get some tools to cut down the tree,” Ellard said and trotted off with Nanu.

Leeam and Sheera popped into sight without warning.

“Fuck a duck,” Ry said, choosing a curse from Camryn’s repertoire. “We’ve got to get some bells for you guys.”

Chapter 3

Camryn and Ry’s castle suite, Viros.

Camryn savored the warmth emanating from Ry’s big, muscular body. She cast out her feline senses. Early still. The twins weren’t awake yet or she’d know about it. Maybe she should check.

“Stay,” Ry rumbled. “Azura and Sevile will let us know once they wake.”

She lifted her head to study his expression then slowly shifted her weight until her naked body pressed against his. A burst of air hissed past his lips when their lower bodies brushed. He had an erection. She could use this quiet time to good effect.

“Do you like the tree?”

“Ry, I love the tree. We all do. It was such a great surprise.”

“I know you miss your brother and your home. I know it’s not easy being away, especially at Christmas.”

Camryn traced her fingers across his broad chest, gloried at the tremor of muscles beneath her touch. Ry was a big pussycat at heart. She needed to remember that when he did something she didn’t agree with. “It’s true I miss Max and home, but you’re my family now. You and the twins, Jannike, Gweneth, Kaya and Nanu. Mogens. Wherever you are, that’s home too.”

He held still, his gaze unblinking as it bored into hers. “I love you, Camryn.”

Everything inside her softened and she lifted her hands to cup his face. His green eyes were serious, his handsome features sober, and her heart twisted. Why wouldn’t he make love with her? Properly, instead of this heavy petting stuff.

This time she wouldn’t let him set their pace.

She pressed their foreheads together, heard his swift intake of breath secs before she kissed him. Instead of plunging into the kiss, she brushed his lips, nibbled on the bottom one. She kept the exchange easy and nonthreatening, pleased when the tension dissolved from his big shoulders. Bypassing the deep, drugging kisses she craved, Camryn fingered the corner of his mouth and kissed her away across his smooth jaw. Great invention—that stop-beard stuff—although part of her mourned the bristle of stubble against her tender skin.

Caresses. Kisses. Strokes. Licks.

The sensual touches flowed one into another until her entire body soared like a kite on the wind, plunging, swooping, cresting. Ry groaned under her ministrations, his strong arms wrapping around her until nothing separated their bodies. Camryn’s eyes drifted shut, her heart drumming against her ribs. God, she wanted him, needed the intimate connection so much.

Warmth bloomed between her legs, the craving so intense she thought she might beg if Ry reverted to his usual behavior.

She licked his nipple, added a hint of teeth and reveled in his husky groan of pleasure.

“Touch my breasts.” A please hovered on her lips as she waited for his hesitation.

Talented fingers shaped her breasts, tugged on her nipples in the way he knew she enjoyed. Their gazes met, his love for her in his green eyes. As always, the wonder of having this love filled her with happiness, made her whole.

Without breaking their connection, he moved down her body. Her heartbeat stuttered even as her throat tightened. He wouldn’t do this to her again. Surely?

“I love you,” he whispered, and he parted her folds. His finger flitted over her clit, then pushed into her heat. Her next breath caught, the stroke of his finger, the push deeper into her channel. His finger hit a sensitive spot, and when his mouth settled over her nub, pleasure roared through her, fast and furious, her climax out of control. Too big, too fast for her to hold back her enjoyment. The spasms of her pussy continued for long moments, squeezing and releasing Ry’s finger, the tension in her body dispersing until she floated on the bliss of the occasion.

He lifted his head and slowly licked her juices from his lips. “Good?”

“Yes.” Tension of a different sort claimed her, coursing through her muscles until she almost vibrated. “Fuck me, Ry. Let me return the pleasure, show you how much I love you.”

One of the twins started to wail and Ry levered away from her. “I’ll go and see what the problem is.”

Camryn started to follow Ry, then flopped back on the bed. That had been relief she’d seen in his expression. He’d given her satisfaction, but he didn’t want her to return the favor.

Favor. No. Hell no. At first, he’d let her suck him off, but lately, he hadn’t even allowed her to do that. He seemed interested. One glance at his swollen cock told her that. So what the hell was his problem? She’d given him permission, and he’d told her he loved her.

If there were clues there, then she’d missed them because she had no idea what was going on in her mate’s head.

* * * * *

“Sheera and I contacted my uncle to see if it was possible to recreate your Christmas traditions. We showed him the depictions and I told him everything you described.” Leeam’s pale face actually bore a shimmer of excitement and he bounced up and down on his sneakered toes. Today he wore a bright blue T-shirt featuring a wolf and a faded denim vest with his jeans.

“I helped,” Sheera said. “The girls told me different things.”

Their excitement was contagious, and spread to Ry. Camryn and the others would love this, and it would give Lynx, Shiloh and Ellard a taste of something they talked about often.

“How would this work?” he asked.

“Uncle Niran suggested we conjure a sphere or a globe and create your Christmas inside this area. To view it everyone would enter via a door. We could only power it for a short time. Maybe three cycles.”

“I like it,” Lynx said.

“But how would you power it all?” Ellard asked, ever practical and cautious when it came to the Incorporeal couple.

“That’s one part that Uncle Niran needs to check, but he thinks he’ll require half a dozen of our older mated couples plus him to power the Christmas experience. If this goes ahead, the cycle eve before we start conjuring you’d all need to produce extra energy for us. We’re going to expend a lot of energy, so you’ll need to return the favor,” Leeam said.

Ry froze at the revelation. He couldn’t make love to Camryn. What if he made her pregnant?

“We can do that.” Shiloh’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “We can have a lot of fun.”

“You can store energy, right?” Ellard asked.

“Yes, Sheera and I can do that.”

“Good. If your uncle gives the go-ahead, we can start straightaway,” Lynx said.

“Can you skim energy from the surrounding residences?” There must be some way out of this situation. Ry couldn’t veto this idea when he knew how much pleasure it would bring Camryn and their friends. Tradition was important, and he wanted this for his children. Phrull it. No matter which way he moved, he couldn’t win.

“Yes, we’ll do that as well so we’re all as strong as possible, although we’ll have to take care not to overstep our boundaries. We Incorporeal people have ethics and don’t like to steal our energy.”

“What if we explained to the soldiers that we have a special project underway?” Shiloh asked. “What if we request them to make love to their partners and tell them Mogens is conducting energy tests and researching sexual absorption rates to make a special treat for everyone? Make it technical and their brains will halt at the first mention of sex anyway. Tell them they’re serving their city, their planet and their king, and they’ll do their best to obey.”

Lynx snorted but didn’t disagree. “I’m in favor. If your uncle agrees, we’d love to be able to do this. Could we keep it a secret, so we can surprise our ladies? Tell the soldiers it’s a hush-hush project, and if we manage to keep it quiet we’ll offer each of them a special bonus.”

Sheera clapped her hands together. “I was going to suggest that myself. I think they’ll enjoy a treat like this. It will give us great joy to share this tradition with you.”

“Would it be possible for others in our community to visit as well?” Lynx asked. “The soldiers should have the option if they’re contributing.”

“Yes, we think this can be done. I’ll be able to answer more of your questions once we make a design and discuss the things you think we should focus on.”

Lynx frowned. “Jannike and the others are busy making the decorations for the tree. That might give us space to plan what to include. We need to find a place to discuss what we should include. Somewhere private.”

“The Indy. Nanu and I were planning to do some routine maintenance anyway,” Ry said.

Shiloh glanced at Lynx and smiled. “Perfect. We’ll help to speed up the maintenance and then we can plan how we’ll celebrate Christmas.”

* * * * *

The main castle reception room

“Did Ry say what he was doing today?” Jannike asked.

Camryn thought back to her morning and the aborted lovemaking. Ry hadn’t come back to bed. He’d settled the twins, helping her feed them, then Nanu had knocked on their door and asked about their regular maintenance on the Indy. “Yes, they’re working on the Indy.”

“Why?” Kaya asked. “We don’t have any charters scheduled.”

Camryn scowled inwardly, hoping to keep her feelings to herself. A job would be good. None of them enjoyed seeing the Indy parked at the station, idle instead of flying through space.

“I guess Ry wants to be prepared. He said something about a test flight.”

Jannike lurched to her feet and waddled around the room, dodging the heavy furniture and the art objects collected by the previous queen, Lynx’s mother, during her term in office. She paused to stare at a clawed figure that seemed to be fighting its way from the prison of rock confining it, cocked her head then scowled and moved to a window overlooking the square. “I would have liked to go on a test flight. I’m second-in-command. Why didn’t Ry and Nanu mention it to me?”

“I suppose they decided you’d be busy or wouldn’t want to go in your condition,” Kaya said.

“I don’t have a condition,” Jannike snapped and turned to Gweneth. “Do you have a condition?”

“Nope,” Gweneth said with a grin. Her grin died and her expression drifted then cleared. “Ellard is going to be away all day, doing something with the guards. Something to do with security. That’s strange. He’s been delegating tasks recently so he can spend part of the cycle with me. We’d planned on a picnic today. Ellard canceled.”

“Nanu and I were going out for lunch. He’s met a woman and wanted me to meet her,” Kaya said. “He called me earlier and asked if we could do it on another cycle. He canceled his date. It struck me as odd since he’s so goo-goo over her.”

“Nanu has a woman?” Jannike waddled past their naked Christmas tree, placed in a position by two double windows and crossed the room to stand by the gel-chair she’d vacated mere mins earlier. “Why didn’t I know this?”

“I didn’t know either,” Camryn said slowly. “Things are different now.” And she didn’t like the changes. No, not quite true. Their lives were better now. Safer, which was important now that they were parents. “Do you know if they’ve left yet?” She focused on Ry and winged a mental query his way. She repeated the thought. Nothing. Radio silence. “Jannike, see if you can raise either of your men. Gweneth, you try to contact Ellard mentally too.”

Both women concentrated and Camryn repeated her call to Ry with the same result.

Odd.

“Neither Lynx nor Shiloh are answering me,” Jannike reported. “Which is weird, considering they’re jumpy about the pregnancy. They’re worried I’ll pop without warning.”

Kaya studied Jannike’s bulging stomach. “Quite possible.”

“Shut up,” Jannike said.

“Don’t start.” Camryn’s snappish tone drew their wide-eyed stares. Crap, her problems with Ry weren’t their fault. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“I thought the twins were sleeping through the night. Wonder kids, according to Mogens,” Kaya said.

“The guys are up to something.” Camryn ignored Kaya’s comment.

“Does it matter?” Gweneth asked. “At least they’re not here bossing us around and telling us what to do.”

“Good point.” Camryn’s tone emerged dust-dry. “A little peace might be nice.”

“Something is going on,” Jannike said.

“We’ll get to the bottom of the mystery soon.” Camryn turned to glance up at the tree the men had cut and dragged into the castle. “Meantime, what are we going to use for decorations?”

Jannike plodded up to stand beside Camryn. “Where is Sheera? We could ask her to conjure decorations. She might agree if Gweneth asks her.”

“Did I hear my name?” Sheera asked as she ambled into the reception room and halted in front of the tree. She regarded it with a distinct air of satisfaction.

“Where is the fun in that?” Gweneth demanded. “I’d rather improvise and make our own decorations.”

“Like what?” Kaya asked. “We didn’t make any when we were on Earth.”

“Because we didn’t need to when we had boxes of baubles.” Camryn thought about the things in the market, possible items they could make into decorations. “When I was a girl we used to make paper chains. The paper stuff here might work. Or pieces of replicator fabric—the flimsy grade.” She clicked her fingers. “I know. One year my mother made gingerbread cookies and we hung them on our tree. We could make something like that and decorate them.”

“Leeam is calling me,” Sheera said without warning, and she blinked out of sight before Camryn could ask her to let them know of Ry’s activities.

“Sheera won’t spy for us. She and Leeam have made that clear,” Gweneth said. “It’s part of their code. Just as we’re not meant to ask for things. It’s up to the Incorporeal people to gift us with items because we deserve them.”

Jannike shared a sly grin. “That won’t stop us from interrogating her.”

Chapter 4

The Indy, Viros Space Port

“You need a distraction,” Sheera reported. “Otherwise the surprise is going to be spoiled.”

“They’re on to us?” Ry’s gaze speared to the Incorporeal woman, bright as a peacock in her turquoise top, her multi-colored scarf and tight black jeans with red boots. “Camryn?”

“Yes, from what I heard before I entered the reception room. The tree looks perfect by the windows.” She rubbed her hands together, an air of excitement radiating from her. “I can’t wait to see the next stage.”

“I thought the decorations would keep them busy,” Ellard said.

Pride puffed out Ry’s chest as he thought of his mate and their friends. “Not my crew. We need something else for a diversion.”

“You need a quick distraction,” Sheera insisted with a sense of urgency. “Think fast.”

Ellard snorted out a laugh. “It’s easy to see who you’ve been spending your time with.”

Sheera straightened, her pale chin lifting while her glacier-blue pupils almost disappeared in the white of her irises. Pure attitude. Ry felt his lips quiver. He’d seen that behavior before from Camryn, from Jannike, from Gweneth.

Ry searched faces. “Any suggestions?”

“Didn’t they stop a pickpocket the other day?” Ellard asked.

“No. No. Jannike is pregnant,” Lynx said. “We can’t have her running after lowlives in her condition.”

Ellard scowled. “I’m not suggesting that. Get one of your lady friends to approach them with a case of blackmail. Tell them she heard about the way they stopped the pickpocket.”

Shiloh frowned at his brother. “And if they ask why she hasn’t reported it to the new lawman?”

“If she says it’s an affair with the wrong person. She made a bad mistake and now it threatens her family. Something along those lines would engage their sympathy,” Ry said. “I think it might work or at least offer the distraction we need while we finalize our plans.”

* * * * *

The stalls along First Upper Street blazed with color and a variety of languages filled the air. Thanks to an update in their translators, Camryn could understand most of the chatter.

“Jeebugs! Jeebugs! Fresh from Dalcon,” a creaky feminine voice called.

Camryn took one look, heard a gagging sound from Jannike when she spied the wriggling, slimy bright yellow bugs. She slipped an arm around Jannike and subtly guided her to the central steps, which led down to the next level. Camryn caught a glimpse of Gweneth’s face and hastened her pace. Foreign foods, and especially wriggly, slimy ones, didn’t fit well with pregnant felines.

Food stalls still dominated Second Upper Street, so Camryn led the women down to the next level via the central stairs.

“Look,” Gweneth said, reverence in her voice. “That furnishing store has a load of beads in their window. If we make the cookies to decorate and find out where these strings of beads come from, that should be enough.”

A quick inquiry at the furnishing store led them to a stall on Second Lower Street. It was easy to see their destination from the central stairs because the stall glittered like a beacon in a street of beige.

Beige clothing. Beige tiles. Beige… Oh my god!

Caterpillars. Jannike and Gweneth would barf if they glimpsed the hairy, writhing larvae. Their bellies glistened with each wiggle and a strange smell wafted from the flat vessel corralling them.

Gweneth clapped a hand over her mouth, gaze dancing wildly, searching for the source.

“What is the horrid smell?” Kaya demanded.

The petite Redd woman manning the stall beamed at their interest, not at all perturbed by the gagging croaks coming from Jannike. “Barbas grubs. A great delicacy. Would you like to try one?” She plucked up one of the grubs and thrust it at Kaya.

Kaya took an abrupt step back, retreating as the eager retailer attempted to push her wares. “Halt,” she barked, her hand straying to the weapon housed in her hip holster.

Sensing danger, Camryn grasped Kaya’s forearm, nails—the beginnings of feline claws—digging into the soft skin.

Kaya turned her ire on Camryn. “What the fuck?”

“You can’t shoot her for enthusiastic marketing,” Camryn said, squeezing her forearm again in warning. “Thank you for the offer, ma’am, but we’ve just eaten, and we’re in a hurry. Let’s go.”

The stall of beads presented some wonderful new ideas for decorations, and each of them chose ten different items to add to the tree. Camryn handed over currency and, triumphant, they climbed up the main stairs toward the square outside the castle. Their ascent was a lot slower since Jannike needed to haul her bulk upward.

“I told you Camryn and I should have done the shopping,” Kaya said.

“I’m pregnant not helpless,” Jannike barked. “Cease your complaints and help me up the stairs.”

Kaya pressed her lips together, eyes still snapping in temper from her earlier encounter with the caterpillar saleswoman. “Don’t even think about asking me to give you a hoist from the rear.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Jannike said sweetly. “You can kiss my queenly arse.”

Camryn spluttered out a laugh while Kaya muttered a rude word and elbowed past Jannike and Gweneth.

“Give me the shopping,” she ordered, her blue hair swinging in an agitated arc with each of her stomping steps. “I’ll tote it to the reception room. Camryn, hail me on your com if you want me to send transport for these two.” With a final jerk of her head in Jannike’s direction, she sped up the stairs with nimble grace.

“I hate her,” Jannike mumbled, although this time her words lacked heat.

“She does seem snappier than normal,” Camryn said.

“Ellard told me she broke up with the sexy guard,” Gweneth informed them. “Her newest conquest after the male with two cocks. Evidently, he’d been sleeping with another woman at the same time. Kaya went to surprise the guard and found him in bed with the other woman. Ellard got a call about it early this morn.”

Jannike and Camryn exchanged a look, communicated silently and turned back to Gweneth.

“Uh, how badly did she injure him?” Camryn asked.

“Broke his arm. Ellard commed Mogens to treat him.”

“That explains the bad mood, although she should have told us,” Jannike said. “We could have gone to that bar down on Lower Lowest Street and drowned her sorrows. Good drinks there. They don’t water their stuff down.”

They also treated Lynx, Shiloh and Jannike like normal customers instead of giving them the royal treatment.

“We can’t imbibe strong drinks,” Gweneth said. “Mogens said so.”

“I believe I said we’d drown her sorrows,” Jannike said mildly. She scowled at the remaining steps and huffed out a breath. “Can’t stay here all day lollygagging. Let’s do this.”

“It’s not a race,” Camryn said. “We’ll rest at each street intersection.”

She made sure both Jannike and Gweneth paused at each junction to rest because she remembered what it was like to feel like an ungainly duck. “Why don’t we have a fruit juice at the estaminet here on the corner? It’s so hot today I could do with a drink. Besides, it will give Kaya time to cool off. We don’t want to decorate the tree without her and it won’t be much fun if she’s thinking about revenge on her guard.”

“Kaya’s ex-guard,” Gweneth said with a grin. “Ellard said the guard is scared of Kaya now. He’d only seen her sweet side.”

“Lead the way,” Jannike said. “I need to pee.”

“I doubt they have restrooms,” Camryn said.

Jannike lifted her nose and straightened her shoulders. “They will for the queen.”

“I want to pee too,” Gweneth said. “Lucky I have the queen as a friend. Oh, look at that bright red fruit down there. They’d look wonderful on the tree or as centerpieces if the fruit doesn’t keep well.”

Jannike gave a decisive nod. “Camryn, go and check it out. Gweneth and I will find restrooms and order a drink.”

Camryn restrained her burst of humor with difficulty then thought what the hell. She stepped back out of Jannike’s reach and bobbed a curtsy. “Yes, your majesty. Straightaway, your majesty.”

Jannike narrowed her eyes then did a lopsided wriggle. “I really need to pee.”

Camryn strode along the street with a spring in her step, her lips pursed as she whistled a random tune. She scanned her surroundings, unsure of which level they’d chosen for their break. Almost at the fruit stall, she came to an abrupt halt, her cheerful whistle dying a swift death. For an extended sec she remained frozen in place, her heart attempting to leap up her throat. A growl rumbled from her chest, chasing her heart in the direction of her mouth.

That was Ry.

What the fuck was he doing with that man-hungry bimbo?

The woman had her hands on his chest and puffed out her own until her breasts brushed Ry’s forest-green tunic top.

The bimbo leaned closer to pat his cheek, and he smiled, one of his rare full-out smiles that were reserved for her and the twins.

The pair were in a public place.

What the hell were they thinking?

Camryn blinked, both head and heart working in concert to convince herself her vision had become faulty.

Once the red haze of her sight cleared, she focused on the woman with the wandering hands, currently molesting her mate. Of course, she recognized her, had even chatted to the woman herself during one of the castle functions.

Rosina Simi was high born and a distant cousin to the royal family. A curvaceous feline with a fall of glossy black hair, the woman possessed the reputation of a femme fatale. Camryn thought her mouth too small and her eyes a fraction too close together, but she did have to admit Rosina posed a striking figure with her vivacious manner and the way she could talk to anyone and make them feel at ease. She’d lost her much older mate at a young age and had recently partnered with a foreigner from the planet Dalcon. A commoner, the gossip said. Currently away visiting his home of Dalcon for business purposes, according to the rumors racing around the city. Which begged the same question—why did Rosina have her paws all over Ry?

Before Camryn could decide on her next action, Rosina kissed Ry on each cheek, grinned at him and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Then, with a final pat on his broad chest, Rosina stepped away. She gave Ry a brisk nod and the pair parted.

Ry stared after Rosina for a few secs and disappeared into the crowds himself, luckily for him in the opposite direction to where Camryn stood rooted to the ground.

It took a sharp elbow to the back from a package-laden porter and the appearance of several street urchins, one of which attempted to pickpocket her, for Camryn to jerk from her horrified trance.

She grabbed the boy’s skinny wrist before he managed to remove her currency from her pocket. “Where I come from they chop off hands when they catch a pickpocket.”

“I didna do nothin’,” he whined, staring at her through sullen gray eyes.

Not a local but one of the new arrivals. A distinct rumble sounded in the region of his stomach, and that decided Camryn. “Come with me.”

“I didna do nothin’,” he said, struggling against her grip. He had the strength of an insect when faced with her determination.

She dragged him along the street until she reached the estaminet where Jannike and Gweneth sat waiting for her return.

Jannike lifted a brow. “Something wrong?”

“He tried to pick my pocket.”

Gweneth stared at her as if she had two heads. “Okaaay.”

“Do you want me to com the guards?” Jannike resettled her weight on the spindly chair, her fingers hovering over her com.

“No.” Camryn gestured at a curious waitress, her head cocked as she eavesdropped. “How many friends do you have?”

“I no nark.”

“I counted three. Is that correct?”

“Dunno.”

“Three,” Camryn repeated.

“How can I help you?” The waitress’s prominent overbite displayed teeth with pointed edges. All the better to eat you with.

Camryn shivered, aware of how many different beings made Viros home and the other places they’d visited, with residents who presented a danger if approached in the wrong way. “Yes, do you sell food as well as drinks?”

“We do a line of meat pies,” the woman answered.

“Perfect. I’ll take four to go. Please package them separately.”

“It will be done,” the waitress said and hustled away.

The urchin’s stomach grumbled again, and Camryn gentled her grip, squatting in front of the child so they were at eye level.

“Where do you live?”

“Lower town.” A faint tremor passed through his skinny frame. His clothes, however, were clean and the holes mended neatly with contrasting thread. Someone cared about this child, enough to keep him clothed at least.

“Do you have a job?”

“No one hire us.” He dragged his feet across the ground and wouldn’t meet Camryn’s gaze.

“What do your parents do?”

“Parents dead. Live with grandsire. He sick.”

“I see.”

His gaze shot to hers, much older than it should be. “You no see.”

“Here you go,” the waitress said and handed over the pies.

Camryn released the urchin and presented the four pies to him. “If you would like a job, you and your friends should report to the guardhouse at the castle. Ask for Camryn, and I will come to meet you. Come in two cycle marks.” She checked her timepiece and nodded. “Yes, two marks will be perfect.”

“How much you pay?”

“I will give you each one gold coin,” she said.

“Need to ask friends,” the urchin said.

“No problem. I will see you later.” Camryn stood and dusted off her hands on the backside of her trews. “The pies smell good, and I’m hungry. Would you like to try one?”

“Yes,” Jannike said.

“Hell, yeah,” Gweneth agreed. “These days I’m always ready to eat.”

Camryn strode off to find the waitress and place the order, but her mind wasn’t on food or drinks.

It centered on Ry.

Chapter 5

The tree stood in the castle reception room, in front of the windows and the eve light shimmered off the green, pink and white boughs. Camryn stared at the picture it made, but couldn’t drum up enthusiasm when her mind kept circling what she’d witnessed earlier in the cycle.

Everyone else seemed in high spirits, excited about trimming the tree and participating in one of the traditions they’d heard so much about.

“Camryn paid four urchins to help us make decorative chains,” Jannike said.

“Is everything still here?” Lynx asked, scanning some of the knickknacks collected by his mother, the former queen.

“Did someone check their pockets?” Shiloh said at the same time.

“Jannike kept an eagle eye on them, but once they got over their nerves and awe at being invited into the castle, they enjoyed helping us make decorations,” Gweneth said. “Anyone know of someone hiring? A suitable job for four boys?”

“Keira might want help out at the farm. I know it’s berry picking season,” Ellard said, speaking of his best friend’s mate. “Com her on the morrow and ask. Do you know how to contact them again?”

Camryn joined her friends next to the tree. “I can find them again. I followed them in feline form to their homes. I have their scent. No problem finding them again.”

Lynx picked up a paperlike chain and frowned at the delicate links. “So what do we do?”

Sheera and Leeam blinked into sight and Jannike jumped.

“Steady there, sweetheart,” Shiloh said. “Be careful of the babies.”

“Baby,” she snapped. “There is only one. Gweneth said so.”

“Ooh!” Sheera clapped her hands together. “We’re in time to help. What do we do?”

Everyone looked to Camryn and she forced a bright smile. She caught Ry’s expression and knew he’d sensed her mood. She winged a thought his way but encountered a sturdy mental wall where not so long ago there had been no barriers. Pain lanced through her, shifting her rigid smile for an instant before she managed to set it in place again. “Everyone should grab a handful of decorations and hang them on the tree wherever you think a bauble should go. There is no right or wrong. The cookies require strings in order to hang. Take a piece of ribbon, thread it through like so and tie it. Then you can hang it on the tree.” She looped the ribbon through a hole in the cookie, tied it and placed the first ornament on the tree. “Ready, set, go!”

Camryn stood back and watched everyone hustle, the soft laughter and sounds of excitement as her friends chose decorations and selected the perfect spot to place them. Ry approached her and slung his arm around her shoulders. She kept seeing that woman with her hands all Ry, and her entire body stiffened. Her nostrils flared, and she caught the very faint scent of flowers. Camryn leaned closer and sniffed, pressing her nose to his tunic. Her gaze rose and a trace of guilt flickered in him before his expression blanked.

“You’ve done a good job with the decorations,” he said. “Everyone is enjoying trimming the tree.” Ry kept his arm around her shoulders. “Are you going to join in?”

“Yes.” She required time to think. Turning, she plucked up a paperlike chain and handed it to him. “Show them what to do with these.”

She chose one of the short strings of beads the boys had sewn together and rounded the tree, thankful for the foresight to allow space between the tree and the window. Secs later, she’d draped the ornament on a branch and stood back to study the effect. It needed lights.

“We need lights,” she said aloud. “I couldn’t think of any way of duplicating the effect with materials from Viros.”

Sheera placed an ornament on the tree and grinned, her face alive with pleasure. “What do the lights look like? Do you have a depiction?”

Camryn picked up her tablet since she’d brought it down to show the young boys what the finished tree would look like. She turned it on and flicked through several photos until she reached a movie. She pushed play and held the tablet out to Sheera. “The lights are the sparkling things on the tree.”

Enthralled, Sheera watched the entire movie before lifting her head and beaming at Camryn. “I think I can make some lights for you.”

“Wait until all the decorations are hung then you can work your magic.”

“What color should I make?” Sheera asked.

“Why don’t you choose since you’re providing the lights?”

Sheera nodded and wandered off to join Leeam. They exchanged a secret smile and something in Camryn twisted.

Jannike’s com gave a piercing signal and her friend toddled over to answer. “Hello. Yes. Yes, that’s right.” She glanced at Camryn, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.

“Like that? Do those lights look right?” Sheera asked, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

Pale green lights twinkled from every branch, elevating the tree from pretty to special.

Camryn nodded. “That is a Christmas tree.”

“Anyone hungry?” Lynx asked.

“Yes,” Jannike said, placing her hand over her com unit.

“Me!” Gweneth rubbed her belly and leaned into Ellard.

Kaya rolled her eyes. “Silly question. They’re always hungry.”

“I’ll go and ask for a snack for everyone,” Shiloh said.

“Why don’t you com the order?” Nanu asked.

Shiloh gave a half-shrug, a hint of boyish embarrassment creeping into his mien. “I thought the kitchen staff might like to come and see the Christmas tree.”

“Great idea.” Lynx clasped Shiloh in a quick hug. “I’ll come with you.”

Jannike continued with her call and Nanu wandered over to discuss some repair that he and Ry had deemed necessary to ensure the Indy remained in tiptop shape.

Camryn listened at first then tuned out while she packed up their excess supplies.

Sheera blinked into place beside her and Camryn managed to hold back her squeak of alarm. “That is so pretty. Can I change the lights if I want to?”

“Sure, feel free. There are lots of different types of lights. Some blink off and on and others play corny Christmas carols.” She raised her right hand in a stop signal. “Don’t ask me to describe those because I refuse. I think the plain lights are pretty, but the flashing ones are nice too.”

Sheera opened her mouth to speak, her question evident.

“Yes, I have depictions of those too. Let me find another video for you to watch.”

“Ooh, they’re pretty. I might try them now.” And with a wave of her hand, the twinkling lights changed and flashed pink and white, off and on. Sheera wrinkled her pale nose and played with the colors and the sequence of off and on.

Jannike finished her call and Camryn wandered in her direction. “What’s up?”

“A woman offering us a case,” Jannike whispered. “She’s being blackmailed.”

“What? Why?”

“Anything wrong?” Ry asked.

“No,” Camryn said. “We’re discussing the urchins who tried to steal from me earlier today. It’s an epidemic of crime. You know we stopped a robbery too. The poor woman was very appreciative. She sent us a gift basket. No idea what they call them here, but that’s what she gave us. We weren’t in any danger,” she added before Ry could start on a lecture.

“Good,” he said and ambled off to join Lynx and Shiloh who had returned with some of the kitchen staff.

Jannike resumed the conversation proper. “Because she had an affair with the wrong male, and now someone wants to profit from it.”

“Why did she contact you?”

“She witnessed the way we stopped the bag snatcher in the market and thought that, given my status, I could be trusted to help her.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Camryn said. “If she wants this sorted out without anyone else finding out, why would she ask you? You’re the queen. People notice whenever you’re wandering around the market. They pay attention to all of us because we’re different, which makes me wonder again, what she’s up to. Hell, she could be intending to kidnap you or worse. Who was it? Did she give you a name?”

“Credit me with a little sense,” Jannike snapped. “I’m not stupid.”

“No, of course not. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you were.”

“Her name is Rosina Simi. She’s willing to pay us.”

“Who?”

“Rosina—”

Camryn shot a considering glance in Ry’s direction and found him watching her. She gave him a crisp nod and turned away before she reacted in a manner that would create a scene.

An interesting development. One that raised her suspicions and her curiosity.

* * * * *

Camryn checked on the twins and found them both wide-awake, their solemn eyes blinking at her. She thanked the maid for sitting with them. “If you have time before you retire for the eve, go down to the reception room and take a peek at the Christmas tree.”

The round-cheeked maid, who used to work in the kitchens under a tyrannical cook, beamed and clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to see. The other staff have been talking about the tree and pondering the need to bring it inside the castle. I tried to explain but I wasn’t sure what I was describing.”

Sevile gurgled and copied the clapping motion, his chubby hands not quite getting the action right. Camryn smiled, her heart squeezing in response. It was easier to understand her sister-in-law’s fears for her children now that she had her own, and she wished Max and Ellen lived closer so she could tell them again how sorry she was her drunken antics had created so much angst in their lives.

“It’s all finished now.” Apart from presents, and they could take care of that. Maybe they could put small gifts under the tree for all the castle staff. They worked hard looking after them all and deserved a treat. Making a mental note to discuss it with Lynx, she smoothed her hand over the soft fuzz on her son’s head.

Footsteps sounded behind her. Ry. Every one of her senses screamed the presence of her mate.

“They’re still awake?” He came to a halt beside her, his expression open with joy and love as he gazed at their children.

“Yes.”

Azura gave a big yawn and her brother repeated the motion two secs later.

“Not for long,” Ry murmured. “I thought you said babies didn’t sleep for long and caused their parents sleepless nights. Ours seem to sleep when we do.”

“Maybe they’ve decided to deprive us of sleep once they become teenagers. I think that’s about the time you said feline youngsters start to shift?”

“According to Lynx and Shiloh. I didn’t shift at that age, but I did everything differently from what I’ve learned since we arrived on Viros.” He tugged the covers higher so his daughter wouldn’t get cold and did the same with his son, his face full of tenderness.

Camryn’s heart twisted with longing, followed swiftly by determination. If he thought she’d allow other women to drape themselves all over her mate, he wasn’t as intelligent as she’d thought.

She leaned over the cribs, to kiss the smooth brows of each of her children. “I think they’ll go off now. They seem to wait for a good night from us before they go to sleep for the blacklight.”

Without looking back, Camryn strode into their connecting rooms and marched through the separate reception room where they relaxed on comfortable gel-seats. They had an area over to the left where they could dine if they wanted, but mostly they went down to the main dining room where they ate with Jannike and her men and Ellard and Gweneth. Nanu, Kaya and Mogens also had rooms at the castle. Sometimes Jarlath, Lynx’s older brother and his mate, Keira, plus their three adopted boys stayed in their castle suite instead of out at their farm. Life at the castle reminded her of shipboard life on the Indy.

Almost, she thought with a pang.

The crew of the Indy had experienced so much together—the hell-horse training and racing on Ornum, the visit to planet Ibrox to clear Ry’s name and meet his foster family, and the desperate flight to Manx Two in order to rescue Jannike, Lynx and Shiloh from the clutches of a slaver—and they were as much family to her as her twin brother. A fact brought home to her when they visited Earth during Christmastime and had a fun vacation together. They were safe here on Viros. Happy.

She glanced up at Ry as he strolled into their reception room.

No, not true. Ry had allowed another woman to caress his spectacular chest while in the market.

At the thought, Camryn curled her hands to fists and stomped into their chamber. A feline growl rushed from the base of her chest, pressuring her throat with its force. She gritted her teeth and refused to allow her anger release. Instead, she sat to pull off her boots then stood to disrobe. She left her clothes on the bed, and naked, sashayed to the sanitizer room.

The sanitizer room soon filled with steam and the scent of a perfumed body wash—one of her favorites from Earth that Sheera had conjured for her as a surprise after she mourned using the last of her supply. When it became obvious, Ry didn’t intend to join her, she set her jaw, pushed back her anger and hit the dry button. Instantly, warm air blew the moisture from her skin and dried her hair. She stepped from the tube.

“Finished?” Ry called.

“Almost.” She broke off a bit of the teeth-cleansing root, courtesy of Mogens and chewed until her mouth felt squeaky-clean. After spitting and rinsing, she padded into their chamber.

Ry rose as she entered, his cool, impersonal gaze up and down her naked body raising her hackles. The growl she’d refused to utter earlier, sprang from her throat and filled the chamber with an angry feline echo.

His brows rose. “Something wrong?”

“Not a thing.” She had trouble pushing the lie free, her chest aching, the weight of disappointment, of anger, of plain pissiness almost too much to bear.

He stared at her a fraction longer then nodded. “I’ll go and sanitize.”

Good, Camryn thought, her hands hurting with the force of her squeeze. She forced her fingers to uncurl, saw the pinpricks of blood and snarled under her breath. She licked away the blood and waited for her feline side to heal the wounds before she yanked back the covers and climbed into their gel-bed. Immediately, the bed conformed to her shape and sensing her tenseness, began a subtle vibrating massage to unkink her coiled muscles. Normally, she enjoyed this bed but today her tension stemmed from the heart.

Ry.

“Illumination off,” she snapped and the room went to blacklight. She wished her mate would trip over a piece of furniture and put a dent in his sexy features, although she knew this was a fruitless desire. His feline sight would grant him safe passage through the blacklight.

She lay there, eyes squeezed shut, heart pounding, muscles tight, the bed attempting to relax her while the force on her chest made her think she might explode.

The sanitizer shut off, the drying function commencing. The door squeaked open, creaked shut. A pause—probably while Ry chewed on the teeth-cleaning root. Spit. The rapid flow of water as he rinsed. The water shut off, and her pulse jumped into overdrive. She didn’t hear his sure steps through the darkness, even though she cocked her ears. She sensed him next to the bed then felt the cooler rush of blacklight air as he pulled back the covers to join her.

She swallowed, hurt and pain making her vibrate like a fine-tuned instrument. Everything churned inside her, pushing, pushing, pushing until she snapped.

“Illumination twenty percent,” she ordered and then she leapt.

She caught the surprise in Ry, the slight widening of his eyes as she sprang at him. Mere secs passed and she straddled his body and pushed down on his arms. “You let another woman touch you,” she snarled at him and shoved her face close to his. “I smelled her perfume on you.”

“No, I—”

She squeezed his biceps in warning. “I watched you. You let her trail her fingers over your chest, your face. You laughed together.”

Ry’s face blanked, but a tic in his jaw gave away his demeanor.

Camryn sucked in a huge breath, and immediately wished she hadn’t since his gaze went to her heaving breasts. Her naked, heaving breasts.

“You let another woman touch you,” she repeated. “I know you wouldn’t cheat on me, so what the fuck were you thinking?” Her voice rose with each successive word until she was shouting. Her throat worked in a swallow as she struggled to maintain her equilibrium. Now wasn’t the time for shrieking. Another quick breath helped her level out, claw back some of her simmering fury.

“I know you would never cheat on me, just as I couldn’t do that to you. The mating bonds won’t allow that sort of treachery. But that doesn’t mean you can’t hurt me. You won’t make love to me. If something has changed, you need to talk to me. Gabriel taught me that.”

Ry stiffened even more at the mention of her first husband.

“Don’t even think of complaining. Gabriel. My previous lovers, your previous lovers—they don’t matter. Each of those relationships helped to form us, to make us into the people we are now.”

“Gabriel should still matter,” Ry said in a thick voice.

“Thanks,” she said, the conciliatory words allowing her to relax her grip on his biceps. It was important he understood a small part of her would always belong to the older man who’d loved her enough to marry her. She’d loved him, mourned his passing and thought of him occasionally. Gabriel had held mana—strength, prestige and power and held the respect of many people. The Maori word fit perfectly to explain her first husband who had died without warning and set her on a journey of destruction and redemption. “If it wasn’t for Gabriel, we wouldn’t have found each other.”

“I know,” Ry agreed in a quiet voice.

“Tell me about the woman in the market. Why did you arrange for her to contact Jannike with a job?”

Surprise flickered across his face then a rueful smile curved across his lips. “I should have known you would put things together. I can’t tell you right now, but I’ll tell you once I have clearance from Lynx and Shiloh.”

She felt a frown settle into her features as she stared at him, measuring his response, searching his features for any hint of deceit. When he didn’t add anything else, she released his arms and sat up. He froze when her sex pressed against his abs. Ah. Interesting. And she noted he hadn’t replied to the sex part of her tirade. “So this is something you were doing for Lynx and Shiloh?”

“Yes.”

Her lips twisted at the blunt reply. “They couldn’t let Rosina Simi paw them in case Jannike ripped them a new one?”

Ry snorted. “Something like that. She is pregnant.”

“Hey.” She slapped his arm. “I was pregnant not that long ago.”

He sobered. “I know. You were—are—beautiful. I love you.”

Which made the questions about lovemaking seep to the fore again.

“But you can tell me about her once Lynx and Shiloh give you the word?”

“Yes,” he replied without hesitation, which went some way to ease her jealousy. “But it might be several cycles. Maybe not until after your Earth Christmas.”

She nodded, some of the oomph leaving her anger at his ready agreement to tell her everything in a few days, two weeks at the most, since the date they’d calculated for Christmas was less than two weeks away. “Thank you. I look forward to your explanation, but I don’t care what you eventually say. If you let any other woman touch you in a familiar manner in my sight, I can’t guarantee my good behavior.”

He laughed, his facial muscles relaxing now that her anger had dispersed. “Same goes, sweetheart.”

Camryn leaned down and kissed him, an unhurried meeting of lips with the faint hint of apology. “Next time she comes near you, I want you to think of how you’d feel if you arrived home and could smell another man all over my clothes. And we won’t be taking the job.”

He growled as she kissed him again, and knew she’d made her point. He’d think twice before he repeated his actions. And meantime, she sat in the perfect position to begin a seduction. She deepened their kiss, using tongue and twined her fingers in his long black hair in order to hold his head in place. Every bit of her expertise poured into the sensual exchange, and mentally, she held her breath as she felt her mate hesitate. A brief way-too-long pause before he finally, finally wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her close.

Relief made her lightheaded as she melted against him, yet determination gave her spine steel. Tonight they would make love, and if he attempted to escape full penetration, she’d elicit the help of her friends—embarrassment be damned—to tie him up and help her with the interrogation. No way, no how would she accept failure or secrets from her mate.

With each kiss, each stroke of his callused hand up and down her back, her arousal swelled. The stress she’d experienced earlier lifted and the bed ceased its massaging at each point of contact. She glided her fingers over his arms and shoulders, pressed soft kisses, tender kisses to each of his pulse points. Wary of her recent experience, she didn’t make any overt sexual moves, wanting to lull him, have him floating on a sea of pleasure. Then, and only then, did she intend to pounce with the speed of the feline she’d become.

Heat roared over her as his hand traveled down her back and came to rest on her arse. His fingers squeezed in a pleasurable massage of her flesh, each of her nerve endings jerking to full attention with each rhythmic pulse of his strong fingers.

She moved her attention from his lips to nuzzle his neck and graze the mating spot—the same location where he’d bitten her all those long months ago. As always every part of her shot to attention, yet when he attempted to shift her from her straddled position, she fought him. For her plan to work she needed to be on top.

“Let me explore you,” she whispered. “Touch you. Kiss you.”

“You have,” he countered. “You are.”

“You’re gorgeous. Sexy.” She interspersed her words with lingering kisses on his neck as she headed again for the same sensitive spot at the base of his neck. He tensed as she neared, and instinct told her to wait. His brain was too busy and on alert. Whatever his stupid male thoughts, they’d jumped into prominence.

No, she wouldn’t make the same mistake she’d made during recent petting sessions. He hadn’t even let her get him off, which told her he’d be easy, once she slid past his defenses. Once she had him inside her, she doubted he’d manage to fight her off.

At least she hoped her plan worked that way.

She licked, enjoying the taste of his clean flesh and the hint of feline mate seeping through his pores. Pleasure and happiness increased with each silken touch. As his palm cupped one breast, she sighed and turned a fraction to gain some friction against her nipple.

“You like my touch.”

“Always.” My numskull mate, she added silently. If he didn’t understand that now…

Of course he did. He knew how much she cared and loved him.

I love you. She opened her mind and sent the mental message, yet it struck a solid wall and bounced back in a mocking echo. She scowled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you blocking me?”

“You don’t like me in your head. Not all the time.”

“No, I—” She slammed her mouth shut because there were quite a few times when she snapped at him for trespassing. A woman needed some privacy. She knew Jannike and Gweneth kept the same rules, and they all built walls in their minds for privacy, so she could hardly do an abrupt three-sixty turn and lecture about him having privacy walls. “You’re right,” she said, her tone grudging because of her inner turmoil.

Surely openness during lovemaking made sense. Of course it did. But she sensed he’d run—mentally—and cease their lovemaking session, and the thought kept her silent.

Instead, she bent to run her lips over the smooth muscles of his chest and abdomen. Sexy muscles. Taut muscles. Hers to play with, not any other woman. Her teeth sank into his pectoral and he grunted.

“Hey, woman. No biting.”

She wriggled lower and encountered a full-blown erection, yet she didn’t rub against him in a suggestive manner. Instead, she lapped the pinpricks of blood that had beaded from her bite. He moaned, as she’d known he would. Felines and biting went together during lovemaking, and before this blacklight ended, she intended him to wear the signs of her passion.

Marking her territory.

Figuratively lifting her leg.

The thought amused her, soothed her feline.

They agreed. Ry belonged to them, and no other woman would touch him without sensing her ownership.

She moved downward, taking care not to alarm him with attention to his cock. Instead, she ran her lips over the indentions of his abs. Breathed in his scent. Gloried at the tightening of his hand around her breast to a point shy of pain.

Her belly twisted, need digging in claws, her channel moistening, ready—more than ready for his cock.

He’d claimed her before when they’d first met, persisted despite her objections, and she intended to return this focus, no matter what crackpot ideas inhabited his silly male brain.

Camryn lifted her body, casually stretching and pulling from his touch at her breast. Smiling, he gave her nipple a sly pinch before she freed herself, and the sharp nip settled in her pussy. Her channel pulsed with hungry need, the scent of her need wafting on the air.

He hissed out a breath, his nostrils flaring and the heat of arousal sinking into his cheeks to highlight his striking masculine features.

She grazed her fingers over one flat nipple, heard his sharp inhalation and smiled inwardly. He’d relaxed his guard. She repeated the move and his eyelids sank to half-mast. Just a little more. A lick or two. A pinch and he’d be like playdough in her hands. Ripe for her pounce.

Although her feline urged her to hasten, she erred on the side of caution. More lulling required. More seduction for him to drop his guard completely. She drew back and levered up in order to reach his mouth. His lips smiled against hers, parting to allow her access. Their tongues stroked and danced together, and she kept the pace slow.

Lull.

Lull.

Lull.

They were both breathing hard when she finally lifted her mouth. He worked to lift his eyelids, but when she started to kiss his face, and pressed a tender caress to one eyelid, he gave up the fight.

She kissed down his neck, and blew across the tender spot where she’d marked him. A shudder worked through his big body, and when she peeked at his face, she saw his eyes remained closed.

Perfect.

She moved down his body again, gifting him with kisses and more kisses. The odd nip with an instant soothing lick of her tongue. Without haste, she moved downward, stopping before she gained too much contact with his swollen shaft. Pleasure and satisfaction bubbled within her like a fine Champagne, and she couldn’t stop herself from rocking against him, her hips jerking at the intimate contact. Raw need pushed her to hurry and she fought the urge. She rasped her tongue over his nipple, languid and lazy, then ran it down his abs, the salty taste of his skin fueling her need.

She glanced upward. Yes, eyes still closed. Her heart gave an anxious beat since she didn’t seduce him in this manner—not often—and this was important.

This had to work.

She sucked a mark on his skin, surprising a groan from him. A sexy groan. A satisfied groan. A groan of pleasure as he responded to her ministrations. Camryn ran her tongue across his belly, circled his navel and sucked another mark.

Then, as he absorbed the enjoyment from her touch, she rose abruptly, guided his shaft to her entrance and sank downward with a wanton moan as pleasure coursed through her body.

His cock filled her, made her feel even closer to her mate.

Ry’s eyes flew open, and in a show of body strength, levered upward. “Camryn.”

His abrupt move pushed his cock deeper, stretched tissues long unused, yet memories of the blissful sensations, the punches of heat were still fresh.

“Ry,” she murmured and wrapped her arms around his neck in case he attempted to escape. She rose and shoved back down on his shaft, dragging an almost pained groan from him. More, she thought. God, she’d craved this.

His fingers tensed on her shoulders, digging in briefly as if he were considering lifting her off his cock and fleeing. No way! She tightened her inner muscles, bearing down on his cock and wanted to cheer in triumph when his hands clutched her shoulders and held her close.

“I wasn’t going to do this,” he whispered, anguished, his green eyes stormy with passion and…regret?

She wanted answers, but no way in hell would she interrupt the best sex she’d had in months. Time to discuss his words later. Right now, she focused on the sensations, the passion simmering between them. A slow slide up and a rapid push down until fully impaled. A quick clenching of her inner muscles. The husky gasp as his hands dropped to cup her buttocks.

For an instant, she thought he might lift her off him, but he helped her, lifted one breast to his mouth. The suction had her toes curling, her heart thundering. Their bodies strained together, her flesh gripping his cock again and again, making him gasp, making him groan, making him come.

At the first contraction of his cock, she rubbed her clit and stared into his eyes. It didn’t take much. A stroke back and forth and the spasms began, a flight into soul-drenching ecstasy. She shuddered with helpless pleasure, holding her mate and savoring the thunder of his heart against her breasts. Slowly, she came down and drew back to search his expression. Her heart sank.

While he’d enjoyed himself, he didn’t appear happy.

Chapter 6

The morn after.

Ry couldn’t eat another bite of his malpack steak, not with his stomach churning in a sense of failure, a sense of anger, a sense of doom. In this moment, he understood why Camryn had turned to alcohol after the death of her husband. Now, she loved him—he didn’t doubt this truth for a sec—but a tiny corner of her heart held enduring love for Gabriel, her first husband. Most cycles, he tried not to think about it, but if something happened to Camryn, he’d fall apart.

Without Camryn, his life had been one of loneliness, of fear, of short encounters to appease his feline with sex.

With Camryn, he had a full, rich life, lots of friends and now a family.

She meant everything to him—his best friend, his lover, his savior. His world. So this weird restlessness felt wrong on every level. His need to keep her safe, even if that meant no sex, made far more sense to him.

He should talk to her—he knew this, yet he delayed putting off laying out his deepest feelings, making himself vulnerable, even if it was to his mate.

Unable to sit still for an instant longer, he pushed away from the table and stood. “Anyone interested in some sparring?”

“Me,” Jannike said immediately and put down the bright green vitamin drink Mogens had instructed she drink.

Ry laughed, even if the humor emerged with a dry bark. The expressions on Lynx’s and Shiloh’s faces pushed out another rusty chortle although he understood their alarm. Protective-mode came as instinct for male felines. Difficult to switch off when it came to a pregnant mate, and with Jannike, her position as queen made an heir even more important, her safety imperative.

“Jannike, I thought we’d go for a walk. I have an idea I’d like to run past the queen,” Camryn said. “And I’d like some advice.”

Ry caught the grateful look Lynx sent Camryn.

“Shiloh and I have some royal business, holo meetings with several of our neighbors, and we can’t put them off,” Lynx said.

“Ellard? Nanu?” Ry asked.

“I’m in,” Ellard said.

“I’d like to do some training.” Kaya prodded her hard belly. “I need to keep in shape.”

“I’ve been thinking we should introduce a secret Santa thingie,” Gweneth said. “So we have some presents to place beneath the tree. It looks bare.”

Camryn nodded. “Good idea. We’ll get that organized and do a draw this eve.”

Ry headed off with Ellard, Nanu and Kaya.

“Ry, wait,” Lynx called. He and Shiloh jogged to catch up. “Can we have a word?”

“I’ll meet you at the training zone,” Ry said to the others and waited until they departed. “Something wrong?”

“Yes,” Lynx said.

“No,” Shiloh answered at the same time.

“Jannike,” Ry said.

“How did you cope with Camryn’s pregnancy?” Lynx asked. “I worry about Jannike, the baby. I can’t sleep for thinking about being a father. I want to do a better job than my parents.”

“You want the truth?” Ry asked.

“Yes,” Shiloh said, intensity blazing from his green eyes, his large body still as if he were prepared to leap.

“I was phrullin’ terrified. Camryn had a tough time during the birth and if she hadn’t had her feline part, she would’ve died. The twins—they’re miracles and I fell in love with them as soon as I first saw them. But the terror hasn’t left me. Now I worry about keeping them safe, and I worry what will happen if Camryn gets pregnant again. You might have noticed that all three women—Camryn, Jannike and Gweneth—became pregnant even though they were on birth control. The thought of losing Camryn…” He trailed off on seeing the horror in Lynx and Shiloh. “You asked for the truth. We have Mogens who is the best medic I’ve ever met, we have our feline genes that promote fast healing and all our women are fit and healthy. Strong both mentally and physically. This I know, but I still worry.”

“Flaming grata,” Shiloh muttered. “I had to ask for the truth.”

“What we need is for Mogens to come up with a birth control method that works for our particular feline women. Mogens has done some research here on Viros and he hasn’t come up with any other cases where a female on birth control has fallen pregnant. It is something specific to our mates. Mogens said it could be anything from trace elements in the food, some bug they’ve picked up or a common gene. Until Gweneth fell pregnant, he thought it might be the fact that Camryn and Jannike both converted to feline after mating, but Gweneth is half-feline. At present, he’s working on the premise that it’s the non-feline part of their makeup that is the problem.”

“You didn’t think to mention this earlier,” Lynx demanded.

“What was the point? Jannike is already pregnant. I’m the one who needs to worry since Camryn is no longer pregnant.”

“Phrull,” Shiloh said. “What about those condom things that Nanu mentioned the other day?”

“Mogens is trying to source material to make more.”

“Crap,” Lynx said. “So what do you do for sex?”

Ry grimaced as memories of the excellent, unprotected sex he’d had the previous blacklight with his mate. “Get creative. I…Camryn thinks the control shot Mogens gave her still works. I’ve put off telling her because I thought Mogens would come up with a fast solution.”

Lynx and Shiloh stared at him, surprise and shock coming to the fore.

“You need to tell her,” Shiloh said. “Jannike has taught us that women don’t like secrets.”

“I will. Soon,” he added. “She slipped past my guard last night. I just hope she isn’t pregnant already. Losing her…” He swallowed. “I need to go and hit something. Please, don’t tell Jannike. I intend to talk to Mogens after our training session, and then I’ll come clean with Camryn.”

“How come she doesn’t know already?” Lynx asked.

“She took a long time to heal after the birth. It’s only been recently that it has become an issue.” Ry grimaced, guilt thumping him over the head. “I’m a coward. I’ve put it off this long because I’d hoped Mogens would come up with a solution.”

“What about the power we need to supply for the Incorporeals in order for them to produce the Christmas dome?” Shiloh asked.

“Have you asked Sheera or Leeam about reproducing the condom things?” Lynx asked.

“No, why would I… It never occurred to me,” Ry said, hope in his heart. “Do you think they would do this?”

“They might since it directly affects their food source, and Shiloh, Ellard and I will all face the same problem soon. Part of the deal to have them reside here was that we could never ask or demand things. They must be freely given, which is why they consulted with their uncle before offering to do the Christmas globe. You should discuss it with Ellard, since he is our Incorporeal liaison. If we explain the situation, they will at least consider our request,” Lynx said.

Ry grabbed Lynx and kissed him on the mouth, full of exuberance because at least this presented a glimmer of hope when he’d thought none existed.

“Hey!” Shiloh snapped.

Ry grabbed him and planted a firm kiss on his lips too.

“Hey,” Lynx snapped in protest.

Ry just grinned. “Thank you for the idea. I’ll talk to Ellard once we’ve finished training.”

“Talk to Camryn too,” Lynx said.

“I will,” Ry said. “I should have done it cycles ago. I know it.”

Shiloh shook his head in a sorrowful manner. “Camryn will kick your butt.”

“If we had some form of birth control, that might have a happy ending.” Ry grinned at the snorts that came from the two felines and wagged his finger at them. “Imagine if the citizens of Viros could hear you now. They’d be very disappointed in their rulers.”

Lynx lifted his middle finger in a royal salute and Ry’s grin widened. He whistled as he strutted away to head to the training area. Hope was a powerful thing.

When he arrived, Nanu and Kaya were battling on the mat. They used a mixture of arts, evenly matched since they knew each other’s moves well. Ellard spoke on his com.

Ellard hung up as Ry joined him. “That was Ransom. They need someone to collect raw precious stones from the mountains where Gweneth and I were captured.”

“I thought the Incorporeal people collected the stones for the dragon shifters. I mean, I know the shifters can’t do it because of the strong resonance from the mountain ranges. At least that is what I understood from speaking with Ransom. He said he can’t fly over or land in the area, not long enough to collect raw stones.”

“True. They can work with the stones in small quantities but something about the mountain ranges screws with their systems. Ransom said the force fields and traps the Scothage pirates set are still present and he doesn’t want to risk Niran’s people. He said he’d offer to pay and asked if I could suggest anyone.”

“My crew will do it,” Ry said. “If you could come along and help. I want to purchase a special present for Camryn and a piece of jewelry would be nice. Com Ransom back and tell him we’ll do it. He can pay us a fair price plus a piece of jewelry of my choosing for Camryn.”

Ellard nodded. “Done. We’ll add a piece of jewelry for Gweneth too.”

“Ask Ransom to keep that part of the deal secret so we can surprise them with our Christmas gifts.”

Ellard commed Ransom back. After a short discussion, they came to an agreement.

“When do they want us?”

“Now.”

Ry calculated the supplies they’d require for the short hop to Narenda. “Nanu, Kaya, we have a contract. Are you in?”

“Yes,” Nanu said.

Kaya pushed up off the mat. “When do we leave?”

“Before blacklight,” Ry said. “We have a lot to do.” And he started issuing orders before he went in search of his mate.

“Camryn.” Ry approached, glad to find her alone in the main reception room. Gweneth had offered to babysit the twins, and he hoped Camryn would be willing to come on the short mission with him. It would be a chance to talk to her and tell her why he’d rejected her advances so often.

She turned from her scrutiny of the Christmas tree, her smile guarded.

“Ransom contacted Ellard and requested help to collect some precious stones from the mountainous region on their planet. I said we’d do it. Ellard, Nanu and Kaya have agreed to go. Would you like to come too? Gweneth said she would love to babysit the twins. Ellard said it’s a short hop there and the journey to the mountainous region won’t take long in the Indy. We’ll be away four or five cycles at the most.”

It would also give Nanu a chance to discuss his depictions and finalize the plans for the Christmas dome with the leader of the Incorporeal people while they were on Narenda. They would transport a party back to Viros. According to Ellard, they could make the hop from Narenda to Viros themselves, but it took energy, and in this case, they needed to save their power to conjure the dome.

Camryn remained silent for a long moment, and Ry started to worry. Did she want to stay with the twins? Understandable. They hadn’t left them before, not for longer than a few mark cycles.

“Did you want to stay with the twins?”

Camryn threw herself at him, her face wreathed in a blinding smile. “Thank you for asking me. I’ll miss the twins, but I’d love a change in routine.”

“Good.” Ry breathed in her familiar scent as he wrapped his arms around her slender body. “We’re leaving before blacklight since the dragon shifters require the stones urgently.”

“We’re leaving today?”

“Today,” he confirmed, comfortable with the Earth terminology.

“Okay. Here, pick a name for the secret Santa.” She offered him a box and he drew out a slip of paper. “Tell Nanu, Kaya and Ellard to come by and pick out their names.”

Ry nodded as she ticked off both their names and then picked out a slip of paper for herself.

“I’ll pack for us,” she said. “And I’ll tell Jannike that we’re not doing that job for Rosina.”

Ry frowned. “But not why?”

“No, not since you promised you’d tell me why you wanted a distraction.”

“I will soon.”

Camryn patted his hand. “I’ll take care of it before I start packing.”

“Thanks, I have a lot to organize. We’re meeting back here at sixteen cycles and will catch a flymo to the Indy together.”

Camryn kissed his lips and frowned. “Why can I smell Lynx and Shiloh on your mouth?”

The corners of Ry’s eyes crinkled. “I kissed them both.” With a wave, he left his mate, since he had a lot to do before they left, one of which was to speak with Mogens and ask if he would be willing to travel with them and maybe speak with Niran about the importance of finding birth control. A whistle erupted from him—an Earth Christmas carol—as he strode down one of the many castle passages. He hadn’t felt this alive for cycles. Santa Claus was coming to town.

* * * * *

“I shouldn’t feel this excited when we’re leaving the twins,” Camryn said to Gweneth.

“We’re used to doing things, going places, facing challenges.” Gweneth patted Camryn’s arm. “I always knew we would find it difficult to settle in one place.”

Camryn considered Gweneth’s words and nodded in agreement. Ry had wanted to find his family, and while they’d discovered his planet of origin, his forebears and their descendants had long left Viros. Instead, she and Ry had found a different sort of family and added a royal connection. Maybe they needed to think of another way of combining a business to challenge them and the roots they’d started to forge in the feline community. Something to ponder.

“Pick a name for the secret Santa,” she instructed and placed a tick beside Gweneth’s name. “Everyone who is going on the Indy has picked a name. Can I leave you to finish the draw and explain it to the others who haven’t played before?”

“Sure,” Gweneth said.

Camryn used the rest of the cycle to organize clothes and spent time playing with the twins. Aware of the building excitement and the feeling of wellbeing because of the new sense of purpose, she decided she’d find the time to talk with Ry, even if the honesty was initially uncomfortable.

* * * * *

The Indy took off right on schedule. Camryn sat in her normal seat, tightly strapped in as the force of the propulsion unit exerted pressure on her body. For an instant, the safety harness bit into her chest then it eased as the Indy shot upward through the atmosphere. In the viewport before them the green forests of Viros stretched beyond the city, dominated by the castle. She caught a flash of water—one of the many small lakes before the trees and flora gave way to the mining region. A sea of rich brown, raw soil where the various minerals that made Viros wealthy were mined, the scars on the landscape disturbing on one level yet the colors beautiful too.

Camryn blinked, and when she looked through the viewport again, the black of space had replaced the deep blue of the eve sky. While Earth appeared mainly blue from space, Viros was green and brown when seen from the Indy. She never tired of watching a takeoff and the shift of colors because this life wasn’t something she’d envisioned during her teens. The changes between then and now…

She shook her head because her life now truly was mind-boggling yet rewarding and adventurous. Pity she couldn’t turn up at a school reunion and tell all.

“We’re stabilized,” Nanu said.

Along with the others, Camryn unfastened her harness and stretched. The journey to Narenda was less eventful than Ellard and Gweneth’s first visit when a malfunctioning ship had placed them in the path of a meteor storm. This trip held no surprises, and Nanu had them on the ground three mark cycles into whitelight, the Indy purring like a kitten during the short jaunt.

“It feels weird without Jannike,” Kaya said. “I keep wanting to toss out insults and she’s not there to receive them.”

“Jannike is having twins,” Mogens said. “She should not travel this close to her delivery date.”

All of them: Ry, Nanu, Ellard, Kaya and Camryn turned to stare at Mogens. Their seer and medic, who shifted skin tones between black and white, presently glowed a pretty pearly white, which indicated happiness and contentment.

“You told Jannike she should expect one child,” Camryn said, aghast at Mogens’s economy with the truth.

“She is nervous and fears she won’t be a good parent to one child. She requires calm, and I didn’t see the point of exciting her nervous system with this news,” Mogens said with quiet dignity.

“Good point,” Kaya said. “She’s apprehensive enough now.”

“She will make a good mother,” Ellard said. “She has a good role model in Camryn and she has the help of all her friends. Plus she is mentally tough, which she needs to be to deal with my brother and Lynx.” He paused and whirled to Mogens. “What about Gweneth?”

“It is too early to tell with your mate,” Mogens replied, and a ripple of black crossed his face to blend with the white, giving his features a dove-gray cast.

“Lie,” Kaya said cheerfully. “You’re having two as well.”

“Twins are not usual amongst our people.” Ellard lost some of his normal color. “Your twins are the first we’ve seen.”

“A phenomenon for study.” Mogens patted Ellard’s arm. “No stress.”

Ellard wavered on his feet and fell back into his seat, clearly in shock.

“Everyone ready?” Ry asked. “I promised Ransom a quick turnaround since they have a special order to fill. Ellard and I need to discuss his requirements then we’ll leave for the mountains, so don’t wander far.”

“Let’s go,” Kaya said. “After our last quick visit I can’t wait to explore a little.”

An Incorporeal shimmered into sight along with a large male, one of the dragon shifters who lived on Narenda.

“Forgive the intrusion,” Ransom said, “but we desperately need those stones. I thought coming to you would save time. Niran has agreed to go with you to point out the general collection area, but he will shimmer back to the town as soon as possible. The force fields the pirates left are powerful and they sap Incorporeal strength very quickly.”

Camryn caught Kaya’s speculative scrutiny of Ransom whenever the dragon shifter wasn’t looking. To her amusement, Ransom returned Kaya’s regard, which made Camryn pay attention. He was a big male, and Camryn could smell the other part of him. The dragon shifter smelled of amber—warm, musky and of honey yet with a hint of burning and earth. Although she hadn’t met him before because she’d been too pregnant to travel, their ferocity during battles was the stuff of legends and Ellard had told her their dragon forms were immense. A black tattoo of a dragon coiled around and down his right arm and a scar went from the corner of his right eye and down his cheek. He wore arrogance around his shoulders like a cloak, which made her grin. More than a match for the feisty Kaya. They would make a good pair. Interesting times ahead, since Kaya had declared her intention not to settle with any one male.

“Okay, let’s move out. Kaya and Camryn, could you prepare the storage area? We’ll need the storage boxes laid out and the containment nets prepared. Ellard and I will check our charted course after speaking with Niran.”

Camryn and Kaya trotted from the bridge and headed along the corridor, past the mess and the crew cabins. At the far end of the corridor, a spiral metal staircase led down to the storage area of the hold. The Indy also had a modern lifter, which they used to raise supplies to the upper level on which they spent the most time. Not necessary this cycle.

“I thought we’d have more time to explore,” Kaya grumbled as they clomped down the staircase. “I want to see one of those dragon shifters flying. Gweneth said they’re huge and look amazing. It would be fun to soar through the air without the use of a ship, feel the wind on your face.”

“You’ll have to work your wiles on one of the dragons. We might have a bit of free time once we’ve harvested the precious stones. I thought this might be a good place to buy my secret Santa present.”

Kaya nodded in approval. “Good thinking. Let’s go together. If we present a united front, Ry might agree to stay a little longer.” She skipped a few steps. “Man, it’s good to be doing something. I was getting bored on Viros. A girl can only do so much shopping and juice drinking. Lynx and Shiloh have everything under control and there isn’t much to do.”

“Me too,” Camryn said and skirted the tender. They wouldn’t require their smaller transpo unit this trip since they’d fly the Indy to the base of the mountain range.

The hold area held many memories for Camryn since they’d stabled their hell-horse and her foal down here when they’d needed to travel. The loose box they’d used had long since been disassembled but she fancied she could smell a whiff of hell-horse.

“The storage boxes are over here,” Kaya said. “I could only get the plain, insulated ones that don’t pop outward on auto.”

“The plain type like the ones on Earth?” At Kaya’s nod Camryn grimaced. “Which is why we’re down here assembling them. Let’s get started.”

With easy competence, they worked as a team and folded the flat boxes into cubes. They’d almost finished when the Indy took off again.

Kaya studied the fifty boxes they’d assembled and set out on the hold floor. “I hope they don’t move around too much.”

“There’s no point fastening down empty boxes. At least they won’t do much damage if they move.”

When they reached the bridge, they took their seats and strapped into safety harnesses.

“All done,” Camryn said, winging a smile at her mate.

The mood on the bridge was upbeat, and it made Camryn realize she and Kaya weren’t alone. All of the Indy crew were chafing at the bit like horses ready to race. They were used to challenges and the way they were currently living seemed quiet after years of action.

“We need to do this more,” Camryn said, speaking for them all. “We should apply for freight contracts and other assignments to stave off the boredom.”

“You’re bored?” Ry asked, his gaze alert, slicing and dicing as he tried to read her.

As they stared at each other, Camryn consciously lowered her mental shields and allowed Ry to read her, something she hadn’t done for some time.

Thoughts winged between them. Confusion. Anger. A myriad other emotions, but uppermost was love for each other and their twins.

“We could take the twins with us. There are no parent rules that say they have to stay on land,” Camryn said. “On Earth parents take their children with them when they travel. I’m not suggesting we undertake dangerous assignments, but we could still do stuff. It’s silly having the Indy docked all the time. If we put our minds to it, I’m sure we could come up with lots of ideas to make money, yet offer us all the challenge we need to be happy.”

Silence reigned on the bridge, apart from the faint hum from the engines and the beep of an incoming message.

“Ransom will require a regular supply of precious stones. Until we work out a way to remove the force fields the region will be out of bounds to my people,” Niran said.

“Almost there,” Nanu said. “I’m with Camryn. We need to do something.”

“Agreed,” Ry said and his smile at her held approval and something else. Was that…was that lust?

Camryn blinked and when she focused on him again, the heat in his gaze had dispersed.

“We’ll discuss it on the way back to Viros,” Ry said.

The Indy bucked, and Nanu cursed. “Hold on. That’s the force field. I thought we’d land and load up. Too easy.”

“Nearest landing area?” Ry barked out.

“On the other side of that mountain range,” Niran informed them. “We haven’t been able to ascertain how big the force field is yet. In the past, we always harvested stone on this side of the mountain range. We haven’t taken stone from the other side.”

Camryn stared at the jagged peaks of the mountains. She strained against her harness in her attempt to lean forward for a better view. “Is that snow?”

“It’s solid ice,” Ellard said.

“It looks almost pink,” Camryn said.

Niran nodded. “Ransom told me the color comes from the sheer rock beneath. You’ll see the ice appear blue on some of the mountains.”

The mountain range reminded her of sharp teeth protruding from the undulating terrain. She caught a flash of what appeared a river and vegetation in what she thought of as autumn colors of gold and orange and olive green.

“Any known dangers?” Ry demanded.

“The flesh-eating plants this side or they were,” Ellard said. “I hope they haven’t moved. There are also huge birds of my height, but they kept their distance if they saw us, so I don’t think they’ll be a problem.”

“The pirates must have introduced the plants,” Niran said, gritting his teeth. “There was never anything dangerous—not to us. The resonance from the mountain range upset the dragons and only a few older dragons are able to withstand the siren call for any length of time, but we never experienced any problems during our visits.”

“The other side of the mountain range it is then,” Ry said. “Niran, you’re in pain. Shimmer back to the town before we get any closer to the force fields. We’ll contact Ransom if we run into problems.”

“You won’t be able to,” Niran said. “The forces around here interfere with coms to the town.”

“All right,” Ry said. “If you don’t hear from us in one cycle, send word to Lynx and Shiloh. Don’t worry. Ransom will get his stones. That’s what he’s paying for and we won’t let plants or anything else stop us. We won’t let him down.”

Niran nodded and shimmered out of sight without argument.

“I can feel the buzz from the force field,” Kaya said. “It’s creepy. I’ve never felt anything like it before, the way my skin is itchy.”

“It’s not just the force field.” Swathes of black marbled Mogens’s pale skin, darkening the tone to what Camryn thought of as his disturbed visage. “It’s combined with a force from within the core of the planet.”

“The force that messes with the dragons?” Ry asked.

Another ribbon of black struck his cheeks, highlighting his high cheekbones. “That would be my opinion.”

The Indy started to climb steeply to clear the peaks, and Camryn strained to see the vista. This side of the mountain range appeared drier with less vegetation.

“I see the spot Niran suggested we use for landing.” Nanu peered at his instruments. “It’s a bit uneven.”

“Jannike’s not here. Everyone else has the brains to buckle up,” Kaya said with a grin.

“I’m going to tell Jannike you said that,” Ellard threatened.

Kaya cocked her head, her blue hair swinging to reveal one pointed ear. “And I could tell Gweneth about twins. She’d run and tell Jannike and then—”

Ellard lost some of his color again. “You win.”

“I know,” Kaya said, sharing her smug smile with all of them.

Camryn caught a glimpse of some type of plants before they flashed over what looked like a dry creek bed. Rocks covered the ground. Rocks of all shapes, ranging from car-size to fist-size and the planet’s star made them sparkle in a rainbow of prettiness.

“At least we won’t have trouble finding rocks,” she said, rubbing her hands together. A sense of purpose made all the difference.

“Ransom requested smallish stones, nothing bigger than our hands,” Ellard said. “We’ll have to scout for those. Evidently if they’re too big, the resonance makes the younger dragons training to design jewelry act like idiots. He said he didn’t have enough energy to knock heads together. Too busy.”

“Brace for landing,” Nanu warned.

A sickening crunch sounded and the Indy lurched to the side.

“I thought it was flat,” Camryn said once they came to a halt.

Nanu turned to face them, the beads at the end of his hair clacking with the abrupt motion. “Flattish.” His grin held chagrin. “The loose rocks are deceiving. I’ll do better next time.”

From ground level, the rocks didn’t sparkle with color, each appearing a uniform gray. Camryn released her harness and stood, eager to start rock collecting.

Ry unclipped his safety harness and rose. “Niran told us what to look for and conjured some collection bags for us. Wait. Better check the com units.” He pushed a button on his com and Nanu’s com buzzed. Ry grunted with satisfaction. “We’ll go in pairs and check in every cycle mark without fail. Mogens you go with Kaya. Nanu and Ellard go together, and I’ll work with Camryn. Don’t forget. Check in on the mark. If you don’t reply, the rest of us will come looking for you.”

Outside, Kaya and Mogens headed to the right. After securing the Indy, Nanu and Ellard took a trail to the left.

“I guess that leaves this direction for us. Niran said the dried creek bed would be a good place to search,” Ry said. “We should follow that into the gully.”

Camryn grabbed one of the collection bags and draped it over her shoulder. She grinned at Ry and reached for his hand. She sucked in a huge breath of cool, clean air and repeated the action because it felt so good. “This feels like an adventure.”

“It does. Let’s do this.”

“First one to find a suitable stone gets a kiss from the other.”

“There’s no loser,” Ry said.

“Exactly.” Camryn felt the beam slip across her face. It warmed her soul because she and Ry seemed to have reconnected in a way they hadn’t recently. Her eyes scanned the rocks, partially embedded in the ground before them. She stooped to pluck up one with a faintly blue glitter. Yes! She held up higher in triumphant. “I win.”

Ry stalked across the ground, eyes glittering with heat and passion. “I think I win.”

Her breath emerged, deep and a fraction unsteady as he continued to prowl toward her, languid and lazy, the flare of desire lighting his features. Every one of her carnal fantasies come to life. A tremor of awareness sped through her when his fingers curled around her upper arms and drew her close.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, secs before he angled his mouth over hers.

Camryn sank into his embrace and enjoyed the heck out of his lips, the feeling of his thumb skating against the side of her breast. She rocked against him, craving more.

Ry lifted his head to stare down at her. “We’d better search for these rocks. The dragons are willing to pay us handsomely for them.”

“They said pink, blue and white, right?”

“Yeah, those are the colors,” Ry agreed.

“What do you think about this purple stuff and the black?” Camryn picked up the stone that had caught her eye. “Oh, it’s purple too, but so dark it looks almost black.”

“Shove it in your bag. They realize we’re new at this, which is why we have two cycles of collection. Phrull, what is that smell?”

Since it was different to what the dragons had requested, she shoved the two purple stones in her pocket to ask Ransom about later and concentrated on collecting the colors they’d requested. She spotted a good area and soon her bag rattled and started to bite into her shoulder with the weight.

Ambling onward and collecting stones at the same time, she and Ry walked around the corner in the dry bed and came face-to-face with a wall of plants. They lined the banks, shoulder-high plants with a variety of leaf shapes. Some were spiky with thorns while others sported a white fuzz. Weapons, Camryn thought with an inner shudder. Each plant had a bulbous body in various shades of white and cream and mustard yellow, reminding her of huge rounded funnels. The opening of the funnel was situated at the top of each plant, but at present, each open mouth pointed toward them. Some swayed. Some opened and closed like a fish with gills. Some hissed.

Ellard had told them one had tried to eat him. Creepy.

“They have to be the plants Ellard mentioned.” Ry watched them and wrinkled his nose. “Phrull, they stink.”

“Look. They’re moving, pulling themselves along the ground with those short roots,” Camryn said. “Not too fast, and they’re sticking to the banks rather than entering the dry bed. I think we could outrun them.”

“If we weren’t weighed down with rocks.”

“True. What do we do? Continue along the creek bed or retreat? Remember Ellard said they seem to stay where they can get water. None of them are in the creek bed but water ran down here once or does if it rains.”

“The water could be subterranean,” Ry said what they were both thinking.

“Yes.”

“Let’s keep going this way for another five mins before we head back to the Indy,” Ry said. “Maybe to that bend. We need to have an idea of the terrain if Ransom offers us a contract to do another collection for him in the future.”

“I’m glad we have weapons. They’re so weird I want to shoot them.”

“Let’s keep an eye on them and save the shooting until they threaten us directly. Even if we do need to return this way, if we stick to the dry bed, we should be safe enough.”

Camryn gave a strangled laugh. “Not much chance I’m gonna turn my back on them.” She stooped to pick up several stones and scraped her nail across the surfaces. Pink. She added them to her bag. “At least it’s easy to collect the stones on this side of the range.”

“Yeah, Ransom said they hadn’t harvested on this side of the mountain range or explored much. Something to do with the resonance from the mountain ranges. He said it’s too strong for most of the dragon shifters to deal with.”

The plants shambled along the banks, keeping to the greener area rather than stepping into the dry dust of the creek bed. The way they moved brought to mind an Earth penguin or a zombie. She knew which creature she’d prefer to meet.

Camryn eyed them warily and placed two white stones in her bag. “My bag is full. I can’t carry much more.”

“I’ll just check to see what is around this corner,” Ry said. “Get an idea of how many stones are lying in the open.” He strode to the bend, and she took the opportunity to watch her mate through new eyes. His gait held a spring that hadn’t been present lately.

God, how could she be so stupid? A talk was long overdue, but not here. She wanted the privacy of their cabin on the Indy, the security of his arms around her naked body and the neutrality of blacklight so his expression didn’t stifle the candid conversation required. Of course, her feline eyesight meant she never truly experienced the blacklight. If necessary, she’d close her eyes because this discussion was too important to wait. She’d tried hiding her head in the desert sand. Epic failure.

“Phrull,” Ry said, coming to a halt. “Box canyon.”

Camryn shouldered the weight of her collection bag and strode to join her mate. A sheer wall of glittery purple rock stood in front of them, and it was obvious that the creek had indeed become a subterranean one.

“We’ll have to go back the way we came.” She stated the obvious as they retreated in the direction of the Indy. A solid wall of hissing plants lined the banks of the dry river gulch.

“There are more.” Ry’s com buzzed. “Ellard. Do you have plants? Yeah. We’ll head back to the Indy now, but there are hundreds of the plants. If you hear shots, we’re shooting at them.” He finished the call. “They saw a few plants, but they’re back at the ship, ready to go for their second trip.”

Kaya buzzed for her check in and spoke briefly with Ry.

“They haven’t seen any plants but they saw some of those big birds Ellard described—the man-size ones with the long necks, beady amber eyes and big rounded bodies covered with shaggy, fluffy brown feathers. Scared the crap out of her. Kaya said they appeared curious but kept their distance. According to her, Ellard hadn’t exaggerated their size.” He glanced at her and stepped closer to brush his hand over her cheek. “You had dust on your face. You ready to do this?”

She eyed the hissing plants and lifted her chin. “We need to get back to Viros for Christmas. The kitchens are making a special dinner. We have presents under the tree and I miss the twins.”

Ry grinned. “I miss them too. Let’s do this then.”

Chapter 7

The hisses from the plants swelled in intensity, more aggressive, more terrifying, more alien, and Ry glanced at Camryn, regret dumping a heavy weight on his shoulders. “I’m meant to protect you. Instead, I’ve put you in danger.”

Camryn squared her posture and thrust out her chest. “Gweneth and Jannike will protect our twins with their lives, just as we will for their children once they’re born because we’re family. That leaves me free to protect you.” She spoke in a steady voice, the pitch raised to speak over the din, her chin angled in challenge. “We’re going to hustle down the riverbed, past those plants and back to the Indy, then we’re going to repeat our trip back here to collect more stones. I understand how you feel. You think I don’t, but believe me the same need to protect twists me up inside. We are going to kick those plants arses, complete this job for Ransom, then we’ll head back to our twins and give them a Christmas. They’re too young to understand rituals and traditions and the beliefs behind our customs, but we’ll have fun celebrating with our friends, our family.” She stepped closer to grip his tunic with her two hands, compelling him to meet her gaze. “We protect each other. I’m your mate, and we share the good and the bad. You have to trust me to keep up with you.”

Pride swelled within him, and he gave her a quick kiss, tantalizingly brief, and a promise for later. “You’re right.”

She winked at him. “But you’re a work in progress, right? You’ll slip into bossy, overprotective mode sometimes.”

“Probably all the time, just as you’ll call me on it. Do you think those plants have arses?”

Camryn shrugged and pinched her nose between finger and thumb. “I don’t want to examine them too closely. They’re stinky.”

“Plan. We’ll go on three and keep together. No stopping. They don’t seem to move fast but watch your footing. We don’t want to trip. Ellard and Nanu found a good spot to collect near the Indy. He said to fire three times if we need help and they’ll come running. Ready?”

“I’ll stay close,” she promised. “I have a shopping date with Kaya. Secret Santa presents.”

“Good idea. I’ll get mine here too.” Confidence. That was the key, and he appreciated it in Camryn. Not that he thought this would be easy. The hissing vegetation lined both sides of the creek bed. In some places, the bed widened while in other spots if the plants leaned over they could almost touch. “Weapon at the ready. We’ll need to blast them when the creek bed narrows. Let’s move.” Ry readjusted the carrier slung over his shoulder. Heavy with the weight of hundreds of small stones, it would hinder their pace. Not that leaving the stones behind rated a mention.

The wheezing and whistle from the plants increased as he and Camryn retraced their steps in the direction of the Indy. The bulbous tubes twisted and followed their progress, the shallow root systems that kept them vertical uprooted, extending and dragging them forward in pursuit.

Damn creepy. An intelligent plant. A carnivorous plant. A hungry plant.

The flora left behind uprooted and followed, pushing against those perched on the edge of the bed. Behind them, one toppled into the riverbed. It struggled to right itself but didn’t seem to be able to dig its roots into the gritty rocks and sand. The din increased until his brain vibrated with the sibilant clamor, yet he didn’t hesitate, plunging onward. Behind him, Camryn kept pace.

As the dry bed narrowed farther, the plants began to oscillate. Pink tendrils rose through the opening of what he thought of as their flowers. Without warning splatters of viscous liquid shot at them. The smell…phrull… It was a combination of rotten meat and garbage heated by a hot star with a hint of sweat and smelly socks. Behind him, Camryn gagged.

“Breathe through your mouth,” he hollered.

The rain of stinky liquid pelted their heads, their torsos, their limbs. The goop burned on skin contact and he pulled up his collar to protect his neck.

“What is that stuff?” Camryn shouted. “It’s burning my hands.”

A globule struck his chest and the fabric of his tunic steamed but remained intact. “Keep moving!”

He pulled out his weapon and aimed at the plants leaning close enough that they might manage to touch them. His com squawked. No time to answer. His breath rasped from his throat, his heart pumping faster as he battled the nausea swirling in his gut. Keep moving. Go, go, go!

Ry forced his legs to burn distance, pushed away the flicks of pain that came when splatters of plant goop landed on his face.

“Holy fuck,” Kaya shouted from somewhere in front of them.

“Move, Camryn,” he shouted and pushed harder, dragging from his well of reserve. His feline rose to the surface, snarling at the burning of his skin. The stench. The overwhelming danger to his mate.

He glanced over his shoulder and tripped on a jutting rock. Pain seared from his ankle up his calf.

“Ry!” Camryn screamed, already trying to haul him to his feet before the searching plant tendrils tangled him. A coiled stem twirled around a biceps, the ooze of slime coating the membrane attempting to melt the fabric of his tunic. A wisp of steam rose from the slime. He struggled, but Camryn was there with a knife and severed the tendril even as she dragged him to his feet.

The plant screamed, the sharp cry of pain shooting a shiver down his spine. Sentient plants. Intelligent plants. Hell, they needed to work out a way to deal with them before they returned for another shipment.

“Ry! You okay?”

“I’m good. Keep moving.” The lie slipped glibly off his tongue. Too smoothly, he thought with guilt. He’d confess later, explain why he’d lied to her. Another plant grasped his thigh and a second fought for ownership, tugging him from side to side, as they battled for possession. Ry slipped his knife from his boot and hacked at the vegetation. He tripped and heard Camryn scream.

“Take that you sap-sucking monster,” she screeched, and he managed a grin as a blaster fired. A plant dropped and the others converged on it.

Up ahead, the weapon fire sounded closer. Kaya and Mogens had arrived.

Some of the plants toppled, weapon blasts causing holes in their creamy white and mustard petals. Something…a form of blood perhaps…oozed through the wounds. The stench increased to eye-watering intensity, and then the plants seemed to turn on the wounded ones. They consumed their fallen, imbibing them through the open top, sucking them down.

The smell made his stomach churn and bile rose up Ry’s throat before he could offer a fight. He spewed on the ground, swiped his hand over the back of his mouth, and after ensuring Camryn remained on his six, he upped his pace.

Up ahead, he spied Ellard and Nanu. They were firing on the plants on the right side of the bed. Kaya and Mogens attacked the plants on the left. They toppled, plants in the rear pausing to eat their fallen.

Not far to go now. Not far.

He forced his legs to move faster and the plants thinned, moving toward the dead and dying rather than attacking them.

Finally, he reached their friends and paused to regain his breath, secure in the knowledge they’d keep him and Camryn safe.

“You okay?” he asked.

“When Ellard first told us about those plants I told myself, he’s exaggerating. He’s watched too many scary vids. Even when Gweneth backed him up, I thought, nah. The plants can’t be that bad.” Camryn shivered, her eyes big and wide. “They’re worse. The stuff of nightmares. They wanted to eat us.”

“Your skin stinging?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait to sanitize,” Camryn said. “Although, I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of the stench.”

“I have something that should work,” Mogens said. “Let’s get back to the ship so I can treat you.”

“Not gonna argue,” Ry said.

Camryn nodded vigorously. “Me neither.”

Kaya shot them a look of amusement. “I guess this isn’t the time to tell you Mogens and I found an area without any vegetation and it’s covered with loose rocks and stones. It’s close to the Indy, and we’ve filled a good portion of the boxes.”

Camryn let out a feline growl, and Kaya chuckled. “Didn’t think so.”

In the storage area of the Indy, they unloaded the rocks they’d collected, tipping them into the boxes Camryn and Kaya had set out earlier. As Kaya had indicated, most of them were full. Ellard and Nanu entered after them and unloaded their rock collection.

“I vote we all get another load from the place Mogens and Kaya found,” Camryn said. “That should fill the last of the storage boxes.”

“Let me take a look at your wounds,” Mogens said. “I’ll get my satchel.”

Once Mogens returned, Ry and Camryn waited for him to treat their faces and the other parts of skin where the plant goop had struck. He removed the gel-like splotches with thick medic pads then treated the affected areas with a cool gel. The stinging subsided almost immediately.

“We need to find a better way to deal with the plants because the area we were collecting in had lots of suitable stones,” Ry said.

“Give me your clothes,” Mogens said. “I’ll do tests on the stuff they sprayed at you. It might give us some ideas on how to deal with them.”

After hurriedly changing and placing their clothing aside for Mogens to test, Ry and Camryn grabbed new receptacles and joined the others.

“Follow me,” Kaya said, her impish humor in evidence.

“Sometimes I don’t like her,” Camryn muttered.

“I heard you,” Kaya sing-songed.

“Bitch. I’m gonna tell Jannike.”

Ry shook his head. The squabbling—he’d missed it. Living in the castle meant they spent more time apart and undertook separate activities. This felt more normal. Right.

They followed Kaya down a rough path. Ry kept glancing over his shoulder to check for plants, but there were none. Something about the vicinity obviously didn’t agree with the vegetation, so they kept away. The path continued to slope downward and curled around the base of the hill. A small stream separated the shale and rock of the mountain and the forest beyond. Plants crowded along the stream.

“Holy crap,” Kaya said. “They weren’t there before.”

“Persistent buggers,” Nanu muttered.

“We’ll have to find a way to get rid of them,” Ry repeated. “Especially if this works out to be a long-term gig.”

“At least they seem to be keeping their distance,” Camryn said as she plucked up a sparkling white rock and placed it in her collection bag. She divided her attention between grabbing stones and the plants. The others were wary too, taking swift glances to make sure they weren’t in danger. “More collecting, less talk. We don’t know what adaptations they might have, and I’ve learned enough about them today. I don’t want to know more.”

“Seconded,” Ry said.

It seemed no one disagreed because everyone spread out and collected rocks while keeping an eye on the plants.

“Is it my imagination or are those plants moving closer?” Ellard asked.

As they watched, one of the front plants toppled, and the others moved forward to stand on top of it. The stench of decay became stronger while the buzzing and squeaks and hisses increased in intensity.

“They’re intelligent,” Mogens said. “Adaptive.”

“Scary,” Kaya muttered. “I vote we hurry.”

By common consent, they increased their pace and moved in the direction of the Indy.

“Everyone done?” Ry asked.

“I need a specimen to study,” Mogens said. “Do you think we could capture one?”

“No,” Camryn said.

“No,” Kaya replied at the same time.

“I agree with them,” Ry said. “Maybe next cycle since we promised to make two trips.”

It was a quick journey back to the Indy, their stash of stones almost filling the last of the boxes. Camryn couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder at the slowly advancing plants. They were certainly determined.

“We done for this cycle?” Ellard asked.

Ry nodded and ripped his tunic over his head. “Yeah. Nanu, let’s head back to the city. ”

Ry reached for Camryn’s hand as they lifted off. “Who has an idea to stop the plants?”

“Fire is the obvious one,” Ellard said. “We could do a fly over and blast them with weapon fire from the Indy.”

“Or use the tender,” Ry suggested. “The tender is more maneuverable and could fly lower in the valleys.”

“Most plants on Earth don’t like salt water. We have salt on Viros. We could try that too,” Camryn proposed her idea.

“If they intend to eat each other, we should station a sniper to keep them busy.” Kaya’s plan.

“If I can examine one, I might be able to develop a spray to kill them off.” Mogens’s recommendation.

“I don’t like the idea of having one on the ship, even if it is dead. We don’t know how they breed,” Ry said.

Camryn smiled at the discussion since it was like old times, and the camaraderie raised her hopes for their future.

* * * * *

During the return journey, Ry sent a message to Ransom and received instructions to land near the clan holding. Evidently, they owned a large field where the dragons landed and took off and the younger shifters went to practice their flying.

“I can still smell those plants,” he said.

Camryn wrinkled her nose. “Me too. Maybe I can purchase something to counteract the stink.”

“I’ll let you and Kaya do your shopping,” Ry said. “I want to discuss the plants with Ransom and also the possibility of doing this on a more regular basis. He said they need to restock their raw materials every three or four portions of a rotation.”

When they landed, Ransom stood at the edge of the dragon field—a huge grassy area surrounded by tall trees as straight as soldiers on parade—waiting for them, his big physique and large presence grabbing Kaya’s attention.

“You don’t have time to flirt with him. I want to talk business. Besides, I thought you and Camryn were going to explore the city shops.” Ry countered the eagerness radiating from Kaya.

“We’re going,” she grumbled before brightening. “I’ll have plenty of time to flirt later this eve since we’re staying here.”

“How was it?” Ransom asked when they joined him.

“We had trouble with those plants again,” Ellard said. “They almost trapped Ry and Camryn. If we hadn’t been there as backup, they would’ve got them.”

“We should have a stiff drink before we hit the shops,” Kaya said.

Camryn nodded. “I could handle that.”

Ry’s feline snarled but the man batted his cat into submission. Polite manners. “Don’t start any bar fights.”

“Pooh!” Kaya flapped her hand. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“They’re trouble,” Ransom said, his eyes squinting, lit with an inner glow of bemusement.

Ry watched the pair swagger in the direction of the town. “Probably.”

“I’ve never seen anything like those plants before,” Mogens said, turning their attention back to the matter at hand.

Niran shimmered into sight. “Those plants are still there?”

“Yes,” Ellard said. “They’re intelligent and adaptable. We need a plan to deal with them for our next visit.”

“Try fire,” Ransom suggested.

Ellard nodded. “Fire is one of our ideas. I noticed a rocket blaster on board the Indy. That might be worth a try first.”

Niran turned to Nanu and spoke in an undertone. “Leeam and Sheera suggested I talk to you first to finalize the plans for our Christmas globe.”

“Of course. Thank you for helping with this. Camryn, Gweneth and the other women will be so surprised. Where can we discuss it? I don’t want Camryn or Kaya to overhear our plans,” Nanu said.

“You can use my office. Can I see the rocks you’ve collected for us?” Ransom asked as Niran and Nanu strode toward the clan house.

“Of course,” Ry said and led the way into the hold of the Indy and the storage area.

Ransom squatted by the first box of stones and picked one up. “Perfect. I don’t need to check the rest. I can sense the quality. You’ve done well.”

“Do you still want us to make another trip?” Ry asked.

“Please. Our stock of raw materials is depleted, or they were until you delivered these. We appreciate your quick response to our need.”

Ry grinned at the dragon shifter, liking his directness. “You’re paying us.”

“You risked your lives. We’re probably not paying you enough.”

“Don’t forget two pieces of jewelry is included in the deal. One piece for my mate, and Ellard wants a gift for Gweneth too.”

“Come and see my workshop. I think I have a few pieces that will work for your lovely lady. This Christmas thing sounds interesting. You can tell me about it.”

Five mins later, Ransom ushered him into a huge room holding pieces of mysterious equipment, sets of instruments and trays of stones. Some raw. Some polished to a vivid sparkle. Other trays of what he thought were different types of metals and flourishes to combine with the stones sat on shelves.

“The finished pieces are over here.”

Ry’s eyes widened as he took in the huge number of finished pieces. Jewels of different colors and in different styles—long, short, big, small. “How am I meant to choose something?”

“Your lady is active and busy. I think a pendant would work since she could tuck it under her tunic if she wanted to train or undertake any physical activity.”

Ry scanned the display and stopped at a stone that reminded him of Camryn’s whiskey-brown eyes. “That one.”

“The very one I was going to suggest,” Ransom said with a trace of smugness.

“I’ll take it.”

“I can put it in a pretty box for you. It is your tradition to place the gift beneath the decorated tree?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Ry scanned the display and his gaze settled on ear and nosepieces. “How much for matching earrings?”

“And now he asks the price?” Ransom mocked.

“Currency doesn’t matter. I want to do something special for my mate. Camryn is worth it.”

Ransom named a price—expensive but given the workmanship not unreasonable. “Done deal. Can I pick both up before we leave for Viros?”

“I’ll package them for you now.”

“Separately, please.” Ry went to leave and turned back. “Camryn found these two stones. Purple wasn’t on your list of colors so we kept them separate to ask you if they’re worth anything.” Ry pulled the stones out of his pocket and handed them over.

Ransom stilled. “You found these on the far side of the mountain range?”

“In the dry creek bed. The creek bed ended in a wall of rock where the water had gone underground. The entire wall of rock looked as if it were the same color—a mix between purple and black. Is it worth collecting?”

“This is Narendanite. I remember my grand sire talking about finding a piece. The sale of the jewelry he made from it paid to build our main dwelling. According to the stories he used to tell my brothers and me, the stone he found was the size of his fingernail.”

“These two stones are bigger.”

“Yes. And you think there is an entire rock wall of the stuff.”

“Which is surrounded by those plants. We’re not miners. We can only collect the loose stones.”

“We wouldn’t want to flood the market anyway,” Ransom said. “I definitely want to hire you and your crew to collect stones for us on a regular basis. Are you interested?”

“As long as we can find a way to deal with the plants.”

“I’m convinced fire might do the trick,” Ransom said with a gleam in his eyes. “Let’s talk some more.”

* * * * *

Aboard the Indy, heading back to Viros

“Nanu, you’re in charge, but take the long way back to Viros,” Ry said. “I don’t want to arrive back until morn.”

“Eew,” Kaya said. “You’re going to do sex things.”

Camryn felt color creep into her cheeks, even though she and Ry had been mates for some time. However, she knew better than to let Kaya get under her skin. “You’re just sore because we couldn’t stay long enough for you to flirt with Ransom.”

“True. Next time,” Kaya said, a determined gleam darkening the color of her blue eyes to indigo.

Ry tugged Camryn to her feet. His hand was warm and strong around hers. “Don’t call us if you want to live.”

They left the bridge to the sound of Kaya’s laughter and Mogens’s softer tones.

“Are we going to do sex things?” she asked once their cabin door closed after them.

Ry’s tender expression had her breath catching, her pulse rate jumping into a racy bump, bump, bump. Somehow, since they’d left Viros, he’d come to a decision and a raft of nerves jittered at the pit of her stomach on seeing his resolve.

This was her opportunity to express her concerns.

Ry leaned on the door for an instant, as if he were ordering his thoughts. He pushed away and prowled toward her, a cat stalking its prey.

“I’m not edible, so don’t try that intimidation with me.” Her tone emerged fall-leaf dry, and he halted, his features frozen in a mask of surprise.

“No.” He reached past her and pulled out a small package wrapped in gold foil from his jacket pocket. It bore a dragon seal. “I was going to save this for Christmas, but I want to give it to you now.” He paused, and once again, she received the impression her mate was concentrating on what he wanted to say.

Bad news?

No, he wouldn’t tell her like this. His manner had always been forthright.

“It’s also a thank-you for our children, a thank-you for agreeing to travel to Viros so I could find my family.”

The tension seeped from her muscles and her knees went weak, her butt hitting the conveniently placed bed. “You…” She sucked in a breath and tried again. “Once I got used to your bossiness, I came to love you. It’s easy to love you, Ry. Because of your stepbrother you lost everything you knew, your home and family, but you made another one.”

“Our trip to Viros was a waste of time.”

“I don’t agree. We’ve made more friends, have some good contacts and business opportunities, thanks to the dragon shifters. Our children will grow up knowing where they come from with a mixture of Viros and Earth customs. About that bossiness. You’ve been throwing your weight around more than usual.” Her gaze drilled him to show she meant business.

He sighed. “I know. Another reason for the gift. Open it. I have another small gift for our Christmas day celebration.”

She fumbled with the fancy ribbon and almost dropped the small box. Ry wasn’t one to give gifts. It didn’t seem to be a feline trait. Finally, she managed to unwrap the foil, and she opened the small box within. She stared at the pendant with the huge glittering brown-and-gold stone.

“It reminded me of your eyes,” Ry said. “Do you like it?”

She stroked her forefinger over the glowing stone, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

“Here, let me put it on for you.”

He fastened it around her neck and stepped back to survey the result. “Beautiful.” His husky voice contained approval and pleasure and a hint of feline arrogance. “Ransom told me the chain is extra strong, so don’t worry about losing it.”

Camryn fingered the pendant, the glittery coolness of the stone starting to take on her body heat. The huge stone caught the light and shone in a blaze of brown and gold and the myriad colors between the two. “Thank you, Ry. You should have spent the currency on something for—”

“No. I wanted to give you a token. Now, every time you look at the pendant you’ll remember how much I love you and our children.”

“I miss them.”

“Not their crying,” Ry said.

She spluttered in amusement. “No.”

“I needed to talk to you about something else. I know you’ve noticed things have become…that I’ve avoided making love with you.”

Her spine went rigid, and she turned to face him. His expression told her nothing, so she waited instead of voicing the questions tickling the tip of her tongue.

“Mogens has been researching a new birth control method for us.”

“What? Why? I’m using the same birth control method all the women use here, and before that I used the potions Mogens foisted on us.”

“Neither of them work, not for you, not for Jannike, not for Gweneth.”

“But the pregnancies…” Her brow crinkled as she thought back. “Yes, the pregnancies were all unexpected, but there were circumstances that explained each pregnancy.” Jannike and Gweneth hadn’t taken Mogens’s potions at the right time.

“They should have worked. Mogens has been trying to find a solution, but he thinks it’s something to do with your genetic makeup. You, Jannike and Gweneth all have non-feline genes.”

“So that’s why…” Her hand went to her stomach to rub lightly. “I might be pregnant again.”

“I hope not. You almost died with the twins.”

She lifted her chin. “I don’t regret having them.”

Ry crossed the distance between them in one giant step. “I don’t either. How could I? They’re perfect.”

Her throat tightened as she pressed against his chest and savored his warmth. “What are we going to do? I don’t hate the thought of more children, but if they come in pairs…”

“That’s the other thing that seems peculiar to the three of you. Mogens is certain that both Jannike and Gweneth are having twins. He’s done several cloud readings.”

“Jannike is huge.”

“In her case, Mogens is positive. He heard two sets of heartbeats. I heard them when I was sitting beside her, but Mogens said it’s best to humor Jannike and keep her calm.”

“You heard them? Why didn’t I?”

“I know what to listen for after the birth of our twins.”

“The idea of not having sex,” Camryn said. “I don’t know if it’s the feline part of me now, but not having sex makes me anxious and cranky and my mind starts to tell me there is a problem.”

Ry kissed the top of her head. “I know, which is why I approached Niran and asked if they would be willing to help us. Nanu had some condoms, and I gave Niran one to copy. Since they need us to have sex in order to begin a new colony on Viros, he was willing to consider our request. We’ll know their decision soon.”

“Nanu and the others laughed when I explained condoms to them. They thought them quaint and old-fashioned. I can’t believe Nanu kept some as a souvenir.”

Ry pulled away and led her to the bed, a grin playing on his sensual lips—the sort of grin that made Camryn want to participate. “You have to remember that our birth control shots kill all sexually transmitted diseases. We haven’t needed anything resembling a condom for a long time.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It took you a long time to heal, then I kept thinking Mogens would come up with a workable solution. He always has in the past. I didn’t want to worry you.”

Camryn struck him on the shoulder in a burst of temper. “I’m not a sniveling, helpless female. We should tell Jannike and Gweneth too. I take it their men know?”

“Some of it. Mogens and I were both sure Mogens would find a way around the problem.”

“I wondered why he drew so much blood. I should have asked more questions. Jannike and Gweneth were complaining about the bloodletting too. He told them it was something to do with his research on feline versus non-feline genes.”

“He didn’t lie.”

Camryn sighed and slumped onto the edge of their bed. “So we won’t be having sex tonight. I was looking forward to it.”

“Not penetrative sex.”

“What if I’m pregnant already?”

“We’ll deal with it,” Ry said, taking a seat beside her. He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “We’ll love our children and give them a good start in their lives, teach them the skills they need to survive. And meantime, I’ve decided we’ll actively seek out contract work. I’m not cut out to stay in one place.”

“Me neither,” Camryn said in heartfelt tones.

“We’ll try and keep the contracts short and keep them low-risk as much as possible, so you and the twins can come too. I’d miss you, and I know you enjoy seeing new places and having a challenge. Besides, Kaya and Nanu are getting fat sitting around doing nothing.”

A rush of relief and gratitude filled Camryn as she hugged him back. He understood her need to be useful.

“What about Jannike?” she asked.

“I can’t see Lynx and Shiloh agreeing to let her work with us, even after she has her babies.”

Camryn tapped his hand in reprimand. “Baby.”

He grinned. “Yeah. I can’t see Jannike joining us with her royal duties, but I’m sure we can hire more crew if necessary. Ellard might like a change.”

“After we celebrate our Earth New Year,” Camryn said. “It can be a new beginning for us.”

“Agreed,” Ry said easily. “Now get into bed, so I can have a cuddle.”

“I’m going to pray Niran can help us in the birth control department.”

“Me too,” Ry said, his tone heartfelt. “Me too.”

Chapter 8

Christmas Eve, four cycles or Earth days later, small café, Viros.

“I’m so horny I could scream,” Kaya complained.

“Shush,” Camryn said, glancing around to see if any of the customers in the estaminet were eavesdropping. They were, their eyes bugging out as if someone poked from behind them with sticks. Even the Redd owner was busy polishing the same section of counter while he unashamedly listened.

“My new soldier man refused to have sex with me. He keeps putting me off with excuses. He’s too tired. He needs to sleep because he’s getting up early. And last blacklight he said he had a headache.” Her sound of disgust filled the estaminet and echoed back to them.

“Must be something in the water. My men have been falling asleep as soon as they get into our gel-bed,” Jannike said.

Gweneth frowned. “Actually, now you mention it, Ellard has been avoiding my advances too, and not making any of his own.”

Kaya turned to Camryn. “You too?”

“Yes.” But Camryn suspected she knew the reason, or at least part of the rationale behind the lack of sex around the castle. Except…Jannike and Gweneth…that didn’t make sense since they were already pregnant.

“It’s driving me crazy,” Kaya muttered. “I decided to take care of the matter myself and got out my Earth vibrator. My soldier man took it off me and said it was hurting his head and keeping him awake. He confiscated my vibrator.” Her aggrieved voice rose with equal parts of frustration and irritation.

Camryn felt her lips twitch. “What happened?”

“I would have kicked his arse out of bed, except I was in his bed. Every time I touched myself, he complained about the noise I was making.”

“Weird,” Jannike said. “What man complains about sex noises?”

“An epidemic? Just great!” Kaya complained. “Geishis refused to return my vibrator. I need to punch someone.” Her gaze strayed to Jannike, and her frown intensified. “You’d better hurry up cooking those babies. I can’t punch you in your condition.”

“Baby,” Jannike said through gritted teeth. “I am only having one.”

“I can’t see this lasting,” Camryn said. “Feline males love sex. They get cranky if they go without for too long.”

“Good point,” Gweneth said. “We’ll just wait them out.”

“Has everyone purchased their secret Santa presents?” Camryn asked. “They need to be under the tree by this eve, ready for Christmas cycle.”

“I’ve got mine,” Kaya said smugly. “It’s already under the tree.”

“I need help,” Jannike said. “I need a gift for a male.”

“A cattle prod,” Kaya said. “We’ll encourage whoever your recipient is to have sex.”

Somehow, Camryn didn’t think a cattle prod would do the trick.

* * * * *

Christmas Eve blacklight, Castle, Viros

“Everyone seemed in a hurry to retire tonight. I thought we were going to teach everyone some Christmas carols,” Camryn said.

Ry tugged at her hand, leading her up the stairs and along the corridor to their private suite. They walked into the nursery to find their usual babysitter busily knitting while the twins slept.

Camryn smiled at the maid. “Thank you. Were they any trouble?”

“They cried and fussed a bit this eve, but they’re asleep now,” she said. “They like the tree and the lights.”

“What tree?” Ry asked.

“The one in your chamber. They noticed it when I brought them back earlier after their dinner. I’ll see you in the morn.”

“That tree wasn’t there when we left for dinner,” Camryn said. “It’s beautiful.” It was a miniature version of the one in the downstairs reception room, but the ornaments were all the same color, a vivid red.

“There is a present underneath and a note.” Ry picked it up. “It says, ‘Open the gift and use this blacklight’.”

“Well, open it.”

Ry made quick work of the ribbon holding the box shut. “Condoms,” he said. “And another note.”

“After much discussion, we have decided to grant you this boon since the benefits will spread to the Incorporeal people too. Please trial and let us know if we need to modify the design,” Camryn read. She glanced up at him and smiled through happy tears. “I vote for trying one right now.”

“Maybe two or three,” Ry muttered, grabbing her in a tight hug.

The box toppled to the floor, spilling shiny packets everywhere as Ry and Camryn dropped onto the gel-bed. Hands wandered, lips fused in a passionate kiss. With reckless abandon, their clothes and footwear joined the sea of condoms on the floor.

Camryn gloried in Ry’s every caress, the lack of restraint driving her to full arousal in record time. She ached for him.

“Are you ready to try one of these condoms?”

“Let’s do it.”

Ry reached over the edge of the bed and grabbed the nearest. He unwrapped it and rolled it down his shaft. “It’s cold,” he said.

“Don’t care. Put it in me.”

Ry moved over her and splayed her legs with the help of his knee. He guided his cock to her entrance and pushed inside without hesitation.

“Ooh, that’s cold.” Camryn didn’t know whether to squirm away from the chill or savor the fullness of his cock inside her.

He laughed. “That’s what I said. Maybe I should move and our body heat will warm up the condom.”

Camryn fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him close for a kiss. “Don’t care. It just feels so good having you close like this, knowing that there was a good reason for your behavior.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I get it,” she said. “Just don’t keep any more secrets. I don’t like them. Women are designed to expect the worst.”

“Got it,” he said and kissed her again before he began stroking into her heat. Each thrust filled her in a delightful manner.

God, she’d missed this so much. Missed him.

Each hard thrust placed another layer of pleasure on her body, in her body, and the chill from the condom seemed to pick up that enjoyment and multiply the sensations. Cold and heat warred within her in a conflagration that left her gasping for breath. All she could do was hold on and trust Ry would keep her safe.

Higher and higher, the pleasure built until it pushed on the edge of pain. A composite of opposites, she thought hazily secs before the dam burst and fiery pleasure shot to all extremities.

“Ry. Ry,” she cried out, and her words seemed like a signal to him since he increased the speed of his plunges into her body.

A second, smaller explosion detonated and dragged her under into a world of passion and sensation and Ry. She was vaguely aware of him coming, his groan of pleasure as a third series of spasms rippled through her pussy. She clung to Ry, her lover, her mate and sent a silent prayer of thanks to Niran and his people.

Best Christmas present ever.

* * * * *

Christmas morn.

Camryn yawned as she carried her son down the stairs and headed toward the reception room. “It’s so early. What the devil is Lynx thinking issuing a royal decree so early in the morn?”

“I don’t know, but it sounded important,” Ry said from behind her. He carried Azura and she cooed at him and patted his chin. “It sounds as if everyone is here.”

They entered the reception room to find all their friends plus most of the castle staff. The lights of the Christmas tree flashed red and green.

“Good, you’re all here now,” Lynx said.

“Whoa, he’s wearing his crown,” Kaya said in a loud voice. “Must be serious.”

A chuckle went through the room and Lynx grinned. “This is an auspicious occasion. We’re starting a new tradition—a blending of cultures. On Earth this cycle began as a religious celebration, but Camryn explained that it has also become a time of family and friends.” He turned to address the castle staff directly. “Our employees work hard to maintain the castle and keep us comfortable, so this whitelight, I would like to reward you to show our gratitude. The next cycle you may spend however you wish. You do not need to come to work but you will still receive your normal currency.”

Several gasps came from the servants, and Camryn saw the excitement on their faces. She was glad she’d mentioned the concept of holidays to Lynx because they deserved the treat.

“And now for our other surprise.” Lynx clapped his hands and the large double doors at the other side of the reception area opened.

Niran, Sheera, Leeam and the other visiting Incorporeal people entered the room. The entire group glowed with health, their skin tone no longer white but more resembling a pale human.

“Whoa,” Kaya said. “It looks as if everyone else had a fun night too.”

“I did,” Ry murmured again Camryn’s ear.

Lynx raised his hand for silence. “Niran and his people have a surprise for us in the market square. Please follow them in an orderly fashion. Camryn and Ry, you go first please.”

Camryn stared at Ry. “You know something.”

“I do,” he whispered and squeezed her free hand. “Come on. Time to reveal the thing I couldn’t tell you about, why I was trying to distract you with false blackmail cases.”

Outside, in the square, it was uncannily quiet, yet Virosian people filled every available space.

“Kelvin,” Jannike said with delight.

Kelvin, the tremin shifter, stood on the edge of the square, rooted in his tree form in what appeared like a specially designed area. His branches sparkled with Christmas lights and his face, almost hidden in the rough bark of his body, blazed contentment. He looked happier than Camryn had seen him before, and a sense of peace radiated from his body.

“Good morn,” he said and bowed his limbs.

“Ooh.” The crowd made a collective sigh and started to clap.

But Kelvin wasn’t the only surprise. In the center of the square, sat a huge dome. The opaque-white dome filled half the square and two soldiers in full ceremonial uniform guarded the entrance.

“What is it?” Camryn asked.

“I’ll let Niran tell you,” Ry said and nudged her forward. “It’s their gift to all of us. Indy crew to me,” Ry ordered.

Kaya, Gweneth and Jannike appeared as puzzled as she did, but one look at Lynx, Shiloh and Ellard told her they were in on the scheme. Nanu and Mogens too. Camryn stepped toward Niran and paused in front of the Incorporeal leader, her son in her arms.

“This is for you, child,” he said. “You have brought these people together and made them into a family.”

“No, I—”

“It started with you,” he said in a firm voice. “I have seen.”

She nodded, even though she didn’t understand.

“Go inside. Enter the right inner door first.”

She glanced at Ry and he nodded in encouragement. She took a deep breath and entered the dome with Ry, carrying Azura, behind her.

The door to the right bore a sign that said Warm. Still puzzled, she opened it and stepped right into a New Zealand summer.

She froze mid-step and Ry edged his hip next to hers. “That is Marcus and Amme’s house.”

“Yes.”

Cautiously, she walked up the path and entered the house, her senses alive with the scents of Christmas. Flowers and the spices of Christmas cooking. The Christmas tree looked identical to the one they’d had last year during their visit to Earth. A door opened and Marcus and Amme strolled inside, beaming smiles on their faces. Max and Ellen followed, each carrying a baby. Luke and Autumn, the two children, trotted behind them.

“Merry Christmas!” they shouted in unison.

“H-how?” she stuttered.

“I don’t know,” Ry said, beaming at her reaction. “Just enjoy the quick visit. Niran said it would be short because of the distance. Let’s introduce our children.”

Gweneth and Kaya and Jannike entered the room behind them, exclamations of wonder and excitement filling the air.

Camryn met her new nieces, and she introduced her son and daughter. Ten mins of laughter and chatter filled the holo room before Niran entered and said they’d have to say goodbye.

“Thank you,” Camryn said to him, emotion choking her throat and welling in her eyes. “Thank you so much for your generosity.”

She stood beside her mate and her friends and waved goodbye. The room faded and as tears trickled down her face, Camryn found herself on a beach. The sun shone from overhead in a cloudless blue sky. White sand shifted beneath her feet while the musical rush of waves filled the air.

All along the coast, pohutukawa trees clung to cliffs and lined the beach, their vibrant crimson flowers placing her squarely in summer and a New Zealand Christmas. Somewhere close, steaks were cooking on a barbecue.

“Ho, ho, ho!” The happy voice claimed her attention.

“It’s the fat guy,” Kaya said, clapping her hands together. “I wonder if he has chocolate.”

A group of people appeared near Santa Claus and everyone started singing.

“We wish you a merry Christmas. We wish you a merry Christmas.”

Camryn laughed and started singing along.

“Let’s take off our boots and walk along the beach,” Ry said. “We can introduce the twins to paddling.”

Barefooted, she and Ry wandered down the beach and found a spot for the twins to splash and play on the edge of the water.

“This is amazing. Absolutely amazing. I don’t have enough words.”

“It’s even better than I imagined,” Ry said. “The other door—the one that says Cold—leads to a northern hemisphere Christmas. We can have a snow fight and ride on sleighs.”

“Whose idea was this?”

“Actually, it was Sheera and Leeam. After they heard us all talking about Christmas, they asked Niran if they could recreate it as a way of thanking us for letting them live here on Viros.”

Jannike waddled along the beach to join them, Lynx and Shiloh following closely in case she required aid.

Jannike beamed. “I love this sunshine. Somehow, it feels different than the starlight and heat on Viros. Hotter. Brighter. I didn’t realize how much I missed Earth.”

Kaya strode up to them, clutching a chocolate bar in each hand. “Niran says if I eat it while we’re in the dome, it will taste exactly right.” She took an abrupt step backward when Jannike reached for some. “Uh-uh. This is mine. You get your own from that special chilled booth.”

“I order you,” Jannike said. “I’m the queen and I’m pregnant. I need chocolate.”

Gweneth and Ellard joined them too. “Amme looked happy. She said they’re going to adopt a child, a brother or sister for Autumn.”

“It was so good seeing my brother,” Camryn whispered.

Leeam and Sheera wandered toward them, their hands clasped as they ambled through the shallow waves.

“Uncle wants to know if you’d like to try the winter door. The mistletoe is on that side and hot chocolate.”

Camryn stood and brushed the sand off her trews. She plucked up her daughter and held her. “I would love to. I’ve never experienced a white Christmas before.”

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,” Kaya warbled. She stuck her arm through Nanu’s and they wandered toward the exit, singing at the top of their voices.

“I bet she grabs more chocolate,” Jannike said. “Yes. Yes! Did you see that?”

Lynx took Jannike’s arm. “We’ll stop and get you some on the way.”

Camryn and Ry were the last to head for the winter Christmas door.

Camryn took one last look at the beach and gave a happy sigh. “We are blessed.”

“We are,” Ry murmured. “I’m lucky I kidnapped you.”

“You’re lucky you and your crew screwed up and kidnapped the wrong person,” she corrected.

He grinned. “That’s what I said.”

Together, they entered winter Christmas and found a horse and sleigh waiting for them. They piled on, pulling fur blankets over their laps and holding the twins so they could see. As soon as they were aboard their horse trotted off in pursuit of the other sleighs.

Tree boughs scooped low, heavy with snow. The sun shone, yet the snow remained crisp and solid. Over to their right, a bird sang. Everything looked cold, but she didn’t feel the crispness of the air. Maybe it was the blanket over their laps.

“Do people on Earth really do this?” Ry asked.

“According to the stories I’ve heard.”

The jingle of bells—different bells to the ones on their sleigh—had Camryn lifting her head. She gasped and grabbed Ry’s arm. “Look.”

“Santa Claus and his reindeer. I guess he’s delivering toys to all the girls and boys,” Ry said.

But Santa Claus wasn’t real. Camryn felt her smile dig into her cheeks and decided fact or fiction didn’t matter.

Their horse slowed outside a large house, set on the edge of the woods.

“Come on,” Kaya shouted from the doorway. “We have Christmas punch and a roaring fire.”

“I can’t wait to see what comes next,” Camryn said. She pressed a kiss to her son’s cheek and climbed from the sleigh. Despite the snow on the ground, traversing the driveway wasn’t difficult and they entered the house into warmth, candle light and excitement.

The fire crackled in the grate and the exotic scents of cinnamon and all spice filled the air.

“A drink?” Sheera asked, offering a tray.

Camryn took one, not bothering to ask how the Incorporeal couple had arrived before them.

“Why don’t Leeam and I take the twins back to the nursery for a sleep?” Sheera asked. “It won’t take a min.”

“Thank you,” Ry said.

“Can you ask the maid to listen for them?” Camryn asked.

“I will,” Sheera said, accepting their daughter. She kissed the sleeping baby’s brow and smiled at Leeam. “Let’s go. If we hurry, we’ll be back in time for the singing.”

Camryn sipped her Christmas punch and nibbled on bite-size egg-and-bacon savories. “I’d like to offer a toast,” she said.

Their friends quieted, and she lifted her goblet. “To friends, to family and to Niran and his people, but especially for Leeam and Sheera for having this extraordinary and magical idea.”

Sheera and Leeam shimmered into sight as she mentioned them.

Sheera beamed. “No thanks are necessary. The challenge of pulling this off has been amazing, and it was such a buzz receiving all that energy last eve.”

“So that is why we suffered through a no-sex moratorium,” Kaya said.

“We needed the influx of power,” Leeam said.

“No apology necessary,” Kaya said. “This is worth the deprivation.”

“Can I finish my speech now?” Camryn asked.

Kaya made a grand gesture with her right hand, but her unrepentant smile told the true story. She’d interrupt again in a heartbeat.

“As I was saying. To family.” She lifted her goblet to salute Ry. “And to friends, both old and new. I wish you joy and love.”

“And lots of happy sex,” Sheera said. “So we can power the globe for two more cycles. Everyone in the city should get a chance to experience an Earth Christmas.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Kaya said.

“To friends and family,” Camryn said firmly and lifted her goblet to drink.

“To friends and family,” everyone shouted.

Footsteps sounded overheard, and Camryn looked up. Footsteps on the roof? More footsteps confirmed her theory and the following ho, ho, ho delivered in a hearty voice had her brows winging upward.

Gweneth clapped her hands together and started singing. “Here comes Santa Claus. Here comes Santa Claus.”

The jolly fat man emerged from the chimney, resplendent in red, trimmed with white fur and a trace of soot on the tip of his nose but nowhere else. “Ho, ho, ho. I have your secret Santa presents.”

Ry turned to her, his green eyes alight with amusement. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

Camryn smiled, her heart overflowing with happiness and contentment. She slipped her arms around his neck and offered her mouth for a kiss. “I love you, Ry. Merry Christmas.”

Then, arms around each other, they watched their friends, their family, open their gifts and enjoy the occasion—their first ever Christmas on Viros.

The End.

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Shelley

Excerpt – Blue Moon Dragon

Book 1, Dragon Investigators

“I have a case for you,” George said.

Something in his boss’s tone, the watchful air in his sharp brown gaze made Jack cautious. “Yeah?”

“Sports-enhancing drugs. Rumor says there’s a ring operating out of the Mahoney Resort on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. I want you check it out.”

“And?” Jack’s gut told him there was more to the story. The twitch of George’s lips confirmed his suspicions.

“I’ve assigned you a partner.”

Jack straightened from his casual sprawl against the wall, his eyes narrowing on his middle-age boss. “I work alone. I don’t work with a partner.” His last one had died. Horribly. And he lived with that guilt. He wasn’t damn well repeating the hellish experience.

“You can’t do this job alone.”

“Why not?” Jack demanded. “I’ve managed every other assignment on my own.”

George leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and looking over the top in a thoughtful manner. While he appeared relaxed, Jack knew George would give him a tough battle should they ever decide to go the physical route during a disagreement. “This one might be a little difficult. Reuben J. Mahoney is a slippery character.” The chair squeaked a protest each time the big man shifted his weight.

“I can handle anything he throws at me.”

George glanced at the calendar pinned on the wall then cast his attention back to Jack. “There’s a blue moon coming up. It might fall prior to the end of the case.”

Jack filled in the blanks. The blue moon would erode his powers and make it difficult to retain his human form. Without constant sexual stimulation, he’d shift into a taniwha, the legendary dragon from Maori mythology. Jack snorted at the thought of being trapped in taniwha form in the middle of a mission. It had happened to other shifters on George Taniwha’s staff but not to him. He imagined the pandemonium if he transformed in the middle of the bustling resort. A disdainful snort emerged.

Little did New Zealanders know, but the species taniwha survived and lived among them. Jack didn’t intend to be the first taniwha to make headlines in the New Zealand Herald. No way. No how. If he had to find a woman to keep the monster at bay, then that was what he’d do.

“Okay,” he conceded. “I guess a partner might help. Who’s available? Hone? Billy?”

George issued a choking sound, merriment dancing across his lined face as he stuck his big-booted feet on his desk.

“What’s so goddamn amusing?” Jack ground out.

Another chortle exploded from George.

Jack paced the length of the room, trying to combat the thrum of agitation working through his system. He paused to stare out the window, his mind taking in the yachts that zigzagged across blue waters of Auckland Harbor. Finally, he turned away and stalked back to drop into the chair opposite George. He kept his expression neutral despite the amusement still simmering across his boss’s face. “You’d better let me in on the joke.”

“You can partner up with Hone or Billy, if you want, but you might want to consider the special circumstances.”

“What circumstances?” Hell, he had a hot date with Melissa tonight. Good, sweaty, no-strings sex. He didn’t have time for this crap. “Either Hone or Billy. I’m not fussy.”

“Reuben J. Mahoney runs a couples’ resort. I’m assigning you a female partner.”

“A female— No.”

“I guess you can take Hone. Or Billy,” George mused. “Of course, you’d have to share a room. And a bed.” He shook his grizzled head. “Two taniwha in the same space. Add in a blue moon and things might get a mite ugly.”

Fuck. Jack sent a hard glare at his boss. Trapped as neat as an eel in a net. Jack shuffled through the range of possibilities and came up blank. “Who is she?”

“A new operative.”

Great. Just bloody great. Not only was he forced to take a female partner, he was getting a raw beginner. Jack didn’t trust himself to speak so he firmed his mouth, folded his arms across his chest and scowled his displeasure.

“I’m teaming you with Emma Montrose.”

“Your secretary?” Jack heard disbelief in his voice but thought he managed to keep his panic to himself. What the hell did a secretary know about investigating a case? What about the danger? To both of them. They would have to share a room, for God’s sake. Jack refused to let his mind dwell on Emma’s sexy legs…or the rest of her curvy form.

“Emma’s capable of assisting you on this case.”

“Assign me another case.” Spending time alone with Emma was enough to give any hot-blooded male ideas. Jack wasn’t interested in anything but sex. No relationships for him. Been there. Done that. Chucked away the T-shirt.

Nope. It was best he kept well away from the very curvy, brown-haired Emma Montrose. Every time he came into the office, her big blue eyes trailed after him like a pet dog expecting a treat, except instinct told him she had more in mind than stroking or petting. That was part of what caused his edginess whenever he was in her presence. A woman of Emma’s caliber craved happily-ever-after.

Not his goal. Not anymore.

Some of the taniwha shifters—George, for example—were happily married, but finding a woman comfortable with her man turning into a dragon wasn’t easy. It was a rare female who coped with the idea that her children might carry the taniwha gene. Or might not, depending on fate. The peculiarities of the taniwha species had rattled his ex-lover. She hadn’t been able to cope with his ugly appearance and had run despite his assurances she would always remain human. He hadn’t even reached the part about taniwha living longer—around thirty years longer—than the average human before his lover had run. Too late to tell her the benefit would extend to her.

“Did you say share a room?” Jack ignored the interested twitch from his cock.

“And a bed. But if you don’t think you can act as part of a couple with Emma, I’ll send Hone. He’s due off assignment tomorrow.”

Jack considered that for all of two seconds. He’d seen the way Hone looked at Emma. “I’ll do it,” he said, even though deep in his gut, he knew he’d regret this decision. “Give me the details.”

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Excerpt – My Scarlet Woman

Book 1, Middlemarch Shifters

“Please stop staring at me.” Emily Scarlet grimaced at Maggie, her sister-in-law and best friend. She scanned the faces in the line leading to the marquee, concentrating on the male ones before turning back to Maggie. “I checked my makeup in my compact mirror five minutes ago. I know I haven’t colored outside the lines so quit with the bulging eyes. It’s not attractive. Don’t you want to catch a man?”

Emily’s hips swayed in time to the catchy beat of the song the band played and mentally checked off the faces while eagerness built. No. No. Possibly…

“I can’t help it. You look so different.” Maggie’s expression radiated confusion as she checked out Emily’s radically changed appearance.

Emily knew she looked different. Better. Her reflection in the bedroom mirror this evening still had the power to surprise her. The sexy, layered haircut and the new golden highlights that shot her from mousy to head-turning. The figure-hugging red dress that ended mid-thigh and showcased her recent weight loss. The strappy black heels that made her legs appear long and toned. The blue contact lenses to correct her shortsightedness, and the breasts that the incredible bra she wore pushed up and out to greater prominence.

Maggie’s brow crinkled in distress. “You’re not the Emily Scarlet I know. I don’t think Michael—”

“Michael is dead.”

Pain darkened her sister-in-law’s face. “It’s been six months. Don’t you think you should take more time before you make changes?”

Emily bit back the cutting reply that leapt to the tip of her tongue. Michael had cheated. He’d lied. The morning of the car accident, he’d had told her he intended to leave her for his secretary. Boring little Emily didn’t compare favorably with the glamorous Tessa. Too frumpy. Too predictable for Michael’s taste. He hadn’t even given her a chance!

Impotent anger grew as she replayed the painful scene. She gripped her black clutch bag so tightly the box of condoms inside buckled beneath the pressure and the cellophane wrapping gave a telltale crackle. She relaxed her grasp and inhaled, trying to push away the ugly past.

Bottom line. He hadn’t loved her.

Emily fixed a smile on her mouth. She didn’t want to argue with Maggie or blurt out the truth about Michael in a burst of temper—not after keeping quiet and protecting the family’s illusions. They had loved Michael, and she refused to hurt the people she cared for even if their son and brother was a dirty, cheating scumbag. She’d suffered enough for them already.

After mentally jerking herself back to the present, she spied a tall, dark-haired man standing with a group just inside the flower-bedecked marquee. Her gaze strolled the length of his body, coming to rest on a very touchable butt. She sighed in appreciation and wished he’d turn around so she could check the whole package. He remained standing with his arse pointing in her direction. Delectable.

She put him on her list and glanced back at Maggie. “Coming to Middlemarch is about having fun.”

The line moved forward and Emily tugged two tickets from the depths of her clutch bag then draped the long strap over her shoulder.

“It’s all about sex,” Maggie snapped. “They have a shortage of women in Middlemarch. I’ve read the papers. This isn’t a dance. It’s a meat market.”

“Yeah, great, isn’t it?” Emily chuckled, attracting the attention of the same group of men she’d just ogled. She winked at them and turned back to Maggie. “You didn’t have to come with me. I told you I was happy to come on my own. I promised to turn into a pumpkin at midnight, catch the train back to Dunedin and stumble into a taxi at the other end, tired and danced out like a good Cinderella. But you insisted on coming. The least you can do is enjoy yourself. Come on, you know you love to dance.”

“I don’t know you in this mood. You’ve changed.”

Laughing, she gave Maggie a quick, reassuring hug. “I’m just the same. And tonight we’ll dance the night away with some cute country boys before heading back to the big, bad city. Okay?”

She handed over their tickets to the elderly woman sitting behind the wooden desk at the entrance to the marquee, offering her a bright smile. Maggie was right. She had changed. She wasn’t the same doormat Michael had walked over and discarded. No longer the little homemaker. The drudge.

This Scarlet woman planned on having a little fun.

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About Shelley

Shelley lives in New Zealand with her husband and a cheeky Jack Russell/mystery breed puppy.

Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand speak – big overseas experience). A twelve month adventure lengthened to six years of roaming the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska, searching for leprechauns in Ireland, and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.

While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley is most likely found in front of her computer following another love – that of writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching rugby (strictly for research purposes), cycling, baking bread and curling up with a good book.

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Other Works by Shelley

Contemporary

Stranger Things Happen

Wild Child

Cat Burglar in Training

One Night of Misbehavior

Blindside

Fringe Benefits

Lovers at Last

Ain’t Misbehaving

Love and Friendship series

The Bottom Line

Past Regrets

Farmer Wants a Wife

Clare Chronicles

Part-Time Lovers

Enemy Lovers

Military Men

Innocent Next Door

Soldiers with Benefits

Safeguarding Sorrel

Paranormal

Sea of Change

Price of Love

Middlemarch Shifters

My Scarlet Woman

My Younger Lover

My Peeping Tom

My Assassin

House of the Cat series

Sampled & Seduced

Captured & Seduced

Claimed & Seduced

Merry & Seduced

Stranded & Seduced

Seized & Seduced

Hunted & Seduced

Festive & Seduced

Sci-fi/Futuristic

Interplanetary Love

Alien Encounter series

Janaya

Hinekiri

Alexandre

Gay Romance

Eye on the Ball

Lone Wolf

Seeking Kokopelli

No Defense

Best Man

Curse Across Time

Last Wish

Historical

Mistress of Merrivale

The Spurned Viscountess

Evening Tryst

Copyright Page

Festive & Seduced

Copyright © 2015 Shelley Munro

ISBN: 978-0-473-34028-5

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Shelley Munro