by Alison Aimes
It was a good reminder. Fragile things didn’t last here. And nothing, not even long overdue pussy, was worth risking his survival.
“You hear those shrieks? They’re coming.” An equally enraged male’s voice boomed through the canyon, thoughtfully telegraphing his precise location. “Our shuttle streaked through the sky like a clear come-and-get-me invitation for the entire penal population of murderers and psychopaths. We don’t have time to dick around. We don’t have time for those who’ll only slow us down. We’re moving out.”
“You coward. I saved your life. The least you can do is try and return the favor.”
673 cleared the canyon in time to see a bull of a red-haired soldier dressed in fatigues grab a far smaller woman in a torn gray uniform, her boots dragging along the ground as he shook her hard.
673’s whole body went tight. He didn’t like bullies. He dropped into a crouch, instinct taking over as he slunk forward, his gaze absorbing everything: the way the soldier bastard favored his right side, the large firearm strapped to his holster, the second weapon at the man’s back... the way the woman’s ripped uniform clung to her curvy body and the outraged rigidity of her spine even up against a man twice her size. Then, there were the nine other thick-necked, smug soldiers with similar military-issued buzz cuts standing close by, no clue of the danger he represented, their sole attention on the woman.
In the next instant, the woman dropped into the dirt. On a perfect, heart-shaped ass.
Freezing in place, 673 waited to see what happened next.
“Fine,” the woman shouted, stumbling to her feet. “Go. But I’m not leaving. We’ll find a way.”
“Your funeral.” Soldier bastard grabbed a pack off the ground. He slung it onto his shoulder next to a similar one.
“At least leave us one.” She surged forward, grabbing for the pack, but soldier bastard darted out of reach.
“Not so high-and-mighty now, are you, Cadet West? In fact, seems like you and your Council friends might need us after all.” Soldier bastard patted the pack. “These were issued to the military crew, and you know how strict Command Council is about ensuring resources are relegated to the proper department. You survive the night, I’ll be ready to hear just what you’re willing to do to get an unsanctioned taste.” With a final leer in her direction, soldier bastard kicked it into a jog. “Let’s go, men.”
An odd frisson of uncertainty snaked through 673. He wanted those weapons, wanted what was in those packs. But he’d come for a different reason entirely, and with the seven soldiers out of the way, the few left would be easy pickings.
It was a curious thing: choice. For so long, there had been only the option to survive. He didn’t like having alternatives. It almost made him feel human again.
“West, please,” a dark-haired female in a similar gray uniform limped over to where the other woman stood, the quality of her boots marking her as Council even without his ability to see the CC designation on her skin, “go with them. You’ve done so much for us already. Why should you die, too?”
He’d already noted this second female and the wounded Council officer on the ground and dismissed them as any kind of threat. Fact was, like fighter girl, they were dead folks walking— because, in this case, soldier bastard was right. The strong barely survived out here. The injured didn’t have a chance in hell.
His fighter girl didn’t seem to care, though. His? No, she wasn’t his. She wasn’t anything but Dragath25 dirt in the making.
He’d learned long ago not to stick his neck out for anyone else. Keeping himself alive was hard enough.
Just beyond, the wind picked up, brushing against 673’s skin, signaling the start of another dust storm. Within the half-hour, this place would be choked in dirt and debris, everything within suffocated under an indifferent cloak of dirt and rock.
“I’m not leaving you.” Fighter girl stumbled forward, her wavy, soot-colored hair brushing her ass . . . so easy to grab and wrap around his wrist. “Let’s find something I can drag Dr. Winthrop in.”
She turned in his direction, giving him his first full view of wide green eyes, a lush pink mouth, and firm, high tits full enough to fill his hands.
His body rioted to attention, the man he’d once been waking with a silent roar as white-hot lust flooded his veins. He jerked to standing, all subterfuge, all caution, forgotten. The absence of touch for eight long years, a sudden agonizing stab of need across his skin.
“Look!” She pointed near to where he stood, and for a heart- stopping moment, he was sure he’d been sighted. But then she turned back to her friend. “There’s something that looks like a cave only a little way up. If we can make it there, we can hide.”
“But—”
“No but. We are making it there.” She dropped to her knees beside the wounded officer’s body. “No one else is dying. Head- quarters will send search and rescue to investigate the crash. We only have to stay alive until then.”
The shrieking cry of 223’s pack sounded again. Closing in fast.
The reminder cooled 673’s lust enough to get him thinking again.
His gaze flickered between the woman, now frantically working with her friend to wrap the man in some kind of fabric, and the strewn, burning wreckage that littered the ground. His hands clenched and unclenched.
Choices.
His dick was telling him one thing. His mind another. Shit. He really hated choices.
He started forward.
To read more, click TRAPPED and settle in for another wild ride!
Acknowledgments
I would like to start by once again thanking my amazing readers for their support and inspiration. I feel so grateful for each and every one of your reviews, posts, drawings, and emails. They mean so much.
I want to say a special thank you to my entire FABULOUS ARC team and to several readers and bloggers who’ve gone above and beyond: Holly Greys, Tricia Len, Persephone Black, Janey Dyson, Jean Stillman, Christen Roxo, Eve Hart, Toonasa Guchait, Bex from Beckie’s Bookworm, Lauren Kelly, Holly Hill Mangin, Rose Files, EJ Frost, Carol Hanlon, and Lori Rattay, thank you for all your support.
I also want to thank Natasha Snow for yet another gorgeous cover. I just love this beauty and all the ones to come for this series.
A big thank you is owed to Monique Moreau. Without our phone chat, Forbidden Flame would never have come about. I feel lucky to have you as a friend and motivator.
I also want to give a shout out to Lynn Winchester, who is a terrific beta reader and asks the important questions that make my books stronger.
I also want to thank Holly Hill Mangin from Fresh as a Daisy Editing for being such a wonderful beta reader and superb proofreader. You and Lynn are my dream team saviors!
A hearty thank you, too, is owed to Veronica Adams at Elle Woods PR for helping me launch yet another one of my babies into the world and all the time and effort that takes. I am so grateful.
The same goes for my amazing PA, Danielle Rairigh, of Danielle Leigh Author Services. I cannot thank you enough for all you do to make each book a success and help me keep my sanity. I love our chats!
I also want to thank Karen and Phyllis, Priscilla, Jay and Louise. Your support means so much.
As for my dad, thank you for being the best of men and the most extraordinary of fathers. There aren’t enough thank yous out there for how grateful I am to have you in my life.
As for my mom, thank you for being the best of women and the most extraordinary of mothers. Your creativity and smarts always awe and inspire me. These books are as much the product of your imagination and hard work as they are mine.
Finally, a huge thank you to my husband for showing me every day what real, beautiful, flaming hot love looks like.
Books By Alison Aimes
IN THE RUTHLESS WARLORDS SERIES:
RUTHLESS KING: A DARK MAFIA OMEGAVERSE FATED-MATES ROMANCE
FORBIDDEN FLAME: A DARK MAFIA OMEGAVERSE FATED-MATES NOVELLA
SAV
AGE PRINCE: A DARK MAFIA OMEGAVERSE FATED-MATES ROMANCE (COMING SOON)
BEAUTIFUL BRUTE: A DARK MAFIA OMEGAVERSE FATED-MATES ROMANCE (COMING SOON)
DIRTY KILLER: A DARK MAFIA OMEGAVERSE FATED-MATES ROMANCE (COMING SOON)
ENEMY PRINCESS: A DARK MAFIA OMEGAVERSE FATED-MATES ROMANCE (COMING SOON)
IN THE CONDEMNED SERIES:
TRAPPED
TAKEN
TORMENTED
TAMED
IN THE SCI-FI ALIEN WARLORD SERIES:
STOLEN
IN THE BILLIONAIRE BAD BOY SERIES:
BILLIONAIRE BLACKMAIL
BESTING THE BILLIONAIRE
To learn about her latest releases and receive a copy of STOLEN for FREE, sign up for her newsletter at www.alisonaimes.com
About Alison Aimes
Alison Aimes is the award-winning author of the sizzling, action-packed sci-fi romance Ruthless Warlords series, Condemned series, and Alien Warlord series, as well as the sexy contemporary romance Billionaire Bad Boys collection. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two kids, dog, and a serious stash of chocolate.
Alison can be found online at www.alisonaimes.com.
Forbidden Flame: A Dark Mafia Omegaverse Fated-Mates Romance Novella
Novella One in the Ruthless Warriors Series
Bookmark: Copyright
Published by Orchid Publishing
Copyright 2021 Orchid, Inc.
Cover by Natasha Snow, Natasha Snow Designs
EPub Edition ISBN: 978-1-954195-01-1
Excerpt from RUTHLESS KING copyright © 2021 by Alison Aimes Excerpt from STOLEN copyright © 2020 by Alison Aimes
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Created with Vellum
Thank you
Thank you for reading Forbidden Flame: A Dark Mafia Omegaverse Fated-Mates Novella. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please help other readers find this book by writing a review.