by Susan Hayes
“You’re deflecting again.”
She shot him an irritated look, and he bit back a laugh. Teasing her was fun.
“Fine. My marriage failed because we wanted different things. We both wanted to change the world, but I thought we’d do it together. He wanted to do it alone, while I stayed home to play housewife and mother. He knew I didn’t want a family, but he thought I’d change my mind…” she shrugged. “I didn’t.”
“Then your former husband didn’t know you at all. As for Pyrosian pairings…it’s different than with your species. A true mating never fails. That doesn’t mean things are always perfect. Couples on Pyros fight. They argue, hurt each other’s feelings, and drive each other crazy sometimes.” He was talking, but part of his mind was replaying her words. She didn’t want a family, either? Could he have his mate and not worry about children?
“But they stay together no matter what?” She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds like my idea of Hell.”
“Remember, my species doesn’t fall in love the same way yours does. We don’t fall out of love, either. The bond between mates is ever-present, creating an intimacy that is missing from human pairings. After you and I are fully mated, that bond will start to grow between us. It might be weak or strong, but even the weakest bond will allow you to feel what I feel at times. You’d know if I were lying, or angry, or in pain. We will be linked for life. I’ll know if my words hurt you, or if you are angry or sad. If the bond is strong, then you’ll be able to know what I’m thinking.”
She gave him a dubious look. “That seems like a sure-fire way to start a fight, not end one.”
“At times, yes. But it also means that no matter what, we’ll be connected. If I hurt you, I’ll feel it.” He touched his chest. “Just as you will always be able to feel how much I care for you.”
Hanna lapsed into silence. After a moment, she started chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully, and it took every bit of his willpower not to pull her close enough to kiss.
“You’ve gone quiet,” he said after a while.
“I was thinking about what you said and imagining what an effect that would have on the way human relationships worked. So many of the women I rescue have been abused by the men in their lives. If the men could feel what they were doing to their women… it would change everything.”
“I can’t offer you a way to make that happen here on Earth, but any female who found her mate on Pyros would have that bond. They would never feel a moment of fear around their mate because they’d know they were treasured.” He smiled. “Plus, mating a Pyrosian may unlock all sorts of talents. We’ve had human females become telepathic, empathic, and more than a few who can now summon and wield fire as easily as their Pyrosian mates.”
“I’d forgotten about that. In fact, I’m finding it difficult to remember anything right now. I can’t focus on anything for long, not even the fact that one of my friends is being held hostage, and another might be dead.” She bowed her head and pressed the heel of her hand to her brow. “I hate this.”
“It’s the Scorching. I don’t like it either. This is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration as we get to know each other and allow ourselves to succumb to the mating fever. Instead, we’re prisoners, unable to help our friends, or ourselves.”
“If…” Hanna cleared her throat and started again. “If we gave in to this madness, you’d be able to summon fire, right?”
“I would.”
She raised her gaze to his, her expression similar to that of a soldier preparing to go into battle. “Then we have to mate. I’m tired of being helpless. If mating you means gaining a weapon, then we need to do it.”
It wasn’t what he wanted her to say. He’d teased her about being logical about their situation, but now she was doing exactly that, it didn’t feel right. He wanted her to want him, not see their mating as a means to an end.
“You don’t have to…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t, because they both knew better. The Spark proved that they were mates, and the Scorching would not stop until he’d claimed her and completed their mating. Instead of lying to her, he sighed in frustration. “I’m sorry, tani. I know this can’t be easy for you.”
She gave him a lopsided smile. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m pretty sure you’re getting the raw end of this deal.”
He rose to his knees and turned to face her through the bars. He couldn’t do anything about the timing, or their situation, but by the Flames of the First Ones, he would find a way to convince her that he was happy she was his mate. “I don’t believe that at all. I think the Gods chose the perfect female for me.”
Hanna wasn’t sure if it was the sight of Jet on his knees in front of her or the mind-fogging effects of the Scorching, but she believed him. He wasn’t unhappy about their situation. As unbelievable as it was, he actually wanted this. Despite their differences: the gap in their ages, the fact they weren’t even the same species. None of that concerned him at all. A flood of desire washed over her, drowning the last of her doubts. Then it hit her, she was lusting after a young man. She was officially a cougar.
She started to laugh and had to cover her mouth with both hands to muffle the sound.
“Care to share the joke?” Jet asked when she finally had herself back under control.
His tone was light, but his eyes were narrowed and his jaw was set in a tight line.
“This. All of it.” She waved her hands around the cell, then reached through the bars to take his hands in hers. “Despite everything that’s going on, you really want me as your mate. It just made it clear to me that you’re the crazy one. You’re crazy, and I’m a cougar.”
His lips quirked into a shadow of a smile and his stance relaxed. “I believe the human expression is that I’m crazy about you. And yes, I know that’s the Scorching talking, but that doesn’t make it any less real. I want you, Hanna Dewan. That isn’t going to change, no matter what the circumstances… including the fact you suddenly think you’re a large, predatory feline.” He cocked his head to one side. “Should I be worried about that?”
“No. Well, maybe, but not for the reason you think. A cougar is slang for an older woman who dates younger men.” She burst into another round of giggles, burying her face into the blanket as she used the laughter as an outlet for some of her stress. At some point, Jet reached through the bars to wrap his arms around her, offering her silent comfort.
It took a few minutes to get herself together again, and when she looked up, Jet was watching her with a look of pure male contentment. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her that way.
That’s because it’s never happened before.
“Better?” Jet asked.
She felt foolish, but surprisingly she felt better, too. “Yes, thank you. I think I needed a temporary lapse of sanity to cope with everything.”
“I was enjoying the moment, too. It gave me a reason to hold you.” He drew her closer, then slanted his lips over hers in a kiss so hot it could have melted the bars between them.
She started to pull away, but she didn’t have the strength to resist him. Not anymore. She craved his touch, his taste, the warmth of his body wrapped around hers. She reached for him, running her fingers through his hair and framing his face with her other hand.
He whispered her name and kissed her again, deeper this time, his tongue slipping into her mouth to dance with hers. The need burning inside her exploded into an inferno and she tore at his shirt and tie, loosening it with clumsy tugs, sending buttons flying as she finally reached bare skin.
“Soon,” he whispered, the word rich with promise and a need as deep as her own. “Flames, I have to have you soon, or I’m going to lose what’s left of my mind.”
“I’m not sure I have much of mine left, either. If I did, I’d be reminding myself of all the reasons this isn’t going to work instead of kissing you.”
Jet’s blue eyes flashed gold again. “This is going to
work. Trust me, the sooner you accept this is happening, the easier it will be.”
“Are you always this cocky?”
He flashed her a boyish grin that reminded her yet again of the difference in their ages. “Only when I know I’m right. I’m the planetary expert on human–Pyrosian relations, remember?”
“It had slipped my mind.” Which was true of almost every important thing she should be thinking of right now. One look at Jet and it all vanished in a cloud of glittering lust dust.
“If you don’t trust me, then trust in the Gods. They have a plan for us.”
“I’m really not good at trusting anyone else to plan my life. Just ask Megan.” She sighed as a wave of worry and guilt hit. She’d forgotten about her friend. Again. “Do you think she’s okay? If they hurt her…”
“I’ve been thinking about her. This group is supposed to be fighting to protect human females from alien abduction. If they hurt Megan, they’d lose their credibility.”
She thought about that for a second, and the knot in her chest loosened a little. “That makes sense. And if they left her alive, then she’ll be coming for us.” She absently raised her hand to her throat, reaching for the necklace that had been taken from her.
“She won’t be alone. Karos will tear this city apart until he finds us. The Romaki are the fiercest warriors in the galaxy, and they don’t stop until their enemies are destroyed.”
“It would be a lot easier to find us if I still had my pendant. Megan gave it to me years ago, and it contains a tracking device. They knew about it, somehow.”
“They knew a great many things they shouldn’t, including the fact we were meeting you today. Kyle is clearly working for them, which worries me. How many others did we miss? This group is far better organized than we suspected, especially given that most of their leaders are currently incarcerated.”
She lowered her voice to a barely-there whisper. “Ashton, their new leader, is a dangerous man. I’m almost certain he’s Lily’s half brother. Same father, different mothers. Their father was an abusive, controlling bastard who died badly. John killed him. Murdered him in cold blood. I don’t know all the details, but Lily told me enough to know he’s bad news. John planned the whole murder out carefully, and the only reason he got caught was Lily. She came home from school early and found their father’s body before John had time to dispose of it. She called the police, not realizing it was John who had killed him. John blames her for the years he spent in prison, even though it was his own actions that put him there.”
Jet was quiet for a moment, then nodded grimly. “You think this is about revenge.”
“I think so, at least partially. He’s a nasty piece of work, just like his father. At least, that’s what Lily says. She won’t have anything to do with him. He scares her almost as much as their father did.”
“Unlikely she’s helping him, then. That still leaves the question of how he knew about your tracker. If she didn’t tell him, who did?”
Hanna shook her head. “I don’t know. If she’s involved in this mess, it was inadvertently. She’s one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. She’s dedicated her life to my Haven Network, working to rescue women from situations like the one she and her mother were in. She’d never help John or anyone like him.” She paused. “I just wish I could see her. Speak to her. Megan gave her a tracker, too. I don’t know if they took hers. If they didn’t, then maybe help is on its way already.”
“Help will come. Tracker or not, they’ll find us eventually. We just need to be ready when they do.”
She knew what that meant. They needed to have sex soon. Sex meant Jet would be able to throw fire. It would be a major advantage, and right now they’d need every advantage they could get. “You’ll be ready. We’ll make sure of that. Then after this is over, we’ll talk about what this whole mating thing means, and how it’s going to work.”
He cupped her cheek in one large hand, and she leaned into his touch without thinking. Live in the moment for once. It has to happen either way, you might as well enjoy it.
Jet must have known what she was thinking somehow, because he moved in closer, his eyes locked on hers. “We will work, tani. You and I will be together from now until we return to the Flame that birthed us.”
He might have been birthed in Flame, but she’d been born in a hospital in Toronto, right here on Earth. She couldn’t see how this was going to work, but for the moment, it didn’t matter. They’d talk later. She’d successfully negotiated with despots, warlords, and lunatics. She could manage one charming diplomat, even if he was from another planet.
The more they talked, the more Jet wanted to know about his new mate. Even with the effects of the Scorching tearing at her defences, she was still guarded. He recognized her behaviour. The subtle deflections, the questions she answered with another question or simply left unanswered. Life at court had taught him the same tricks, the same need to be wary.
He wanted to know who had taught her those lessons. More than that, he wanted to fix her hurts and show her that she could trust him. It was totally irrational, considering they were almost strangers, but the moment the Scorching had started, reason had gone out the airlock, and it had taken common sense, patience, and most of his sense of self preservation with it.
Their moment of idyllic peace ended in a mad scramble when they heard footsteps coming their way. He got to his feet and started pacing, hands in his pockets, head down, a picture of unmotivated misery.
Hanna wrapped the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders and plonked down on the edge of her bunk with her back to Jet. She hunched her shoulders and hid her face until her guard appeared at the cell door.
“Brought you some dinner.” The big male passed a tray through a horizontal slit in the bars near the floor.
“Thank you so much.” She raised her head and gave the guard a grateful smile so big it made Jet want to strangle him. She shouldn’t be looking at any other male like that. Ever. She was his, dammit. He bit back a snarl and jammed his hands deeper into his pockets.
“I hate to be a bother, but do you think you could bring me another blanket?” Hanna lifted the corner of the one wrapped around her. “This one isn’t going to do much to keep me warm tonight.”
The guard nodded. “Should be some in the storage room. They should have given you more than just the one. It gets cold in here after dark.”
“You stay here at night, too?” she managed to sound completely innocent as she probed for information.
“Right now, yeah. Big things are happening. Boss wants us all here.” The guard jerked his head toward Jet. “In case these assholes cause trouble. Why are you with them, anyway? You seem nice.”
Hanna’s head snapped up. “I’m not with them. I was meeting with the Pyrosians to discuss a business deal. The other woman is my personal assistant. She was just doing her job, and now she’s locked up with a stranger. An alien stranger. She’s okay, isn’t she?”
The guard scuffed a boot on the ground, hesitating a few seconds before answering. “She yelled at the boss. I think they know each other. He didn’t like that, but she’ll be okay.”
Hanna breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Good. She’s getting food too, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.” She retrieved the tray but didn’t back away from the door. “My name’s Hanna. What’s yours?”
He looked around, confirming there was no one else around before whispering, “I’m Chris. I’m going to be off-shift soon, though. If that alien asshole gives you any trouble, you call for Jack, and he’ll make sure you’re safe.”
“Thank you, Chris. That’s nice of you. You have a good night.”
“Uh, yeah. Me and some of the guys are going to watch a movie, maybe play some cards. I’ll see you tomorrow. My shift starts at seven.”
“I don’t have any way to tell time. How many hours from now is that?”
Chris frowned, then glanced at his watch. “Uh, it’s almost s
even at night now. So, I’ll be back in, uh, twelve hours.”
Jet couldn’t believe how much information the big male was giving them. No wonder they weren’t supposed to be talking to the prisoners.
“You work long shifts,” Hanna said sympathetically.
He nodded. “We got to. Not that many of us left to cover things.” He winced. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
She laughed. “Who am I going to tell?”
Chris grinned. “True. Okay. I got to go and get you that blanket. Be back soon.”
Once he was gone, Hanna carried the tray over to her bunk and sat down, setting the food beside her.
“That was impressive,” he said, wandering closer to the bars, his voice pitched for her ears alone.
“I had a good teacher. It’s all about making connections, making them see you as a person instead of a prisoner.”
“And it helps that you were nice to him,” he didn’t bother hiding his annoyance over that fact.
“It did help. I’ve met a lot of men like him. Women too, for that matter. They’ve been told that everything wrong with their lives is someone else’s fault, and they’ve convinced themselves it’s true. Because of that, Chris believes that everything he’s doing, right or wrong, is justified because it’s for the greater good.” She shrugged and sorted through the items on her tray, opening packets and checking labels as she spoke. “People like that expect people to try and change their minds. They almost need it to remind themselves of all the reasons why they’re right. If you’re nice to them, they’re surprised and often end up being nice back.”
“In case I haven’t mentioned this yet, you’re as smart as you are beautiful.”
She shook her head and didn’t look up, but he could see she was smiling. “And you are the biggest flirt I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not flirting. I’m stating a fact.”
Before she could reply, they heard footsteps again, the same heavy cadence as before. Chris was returning, hopefully with the blankets she requested. And once he was gone, the two of them would be alone, likely for the rest of the night.