plik

Coto’s Captive

Editor: Kelli Collins

Cover Art: Dar Albert

eBook ISBN: 978-1-944526-14-6

work is illegal, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles.

Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in

federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or

dead is coincidental.

Chapter One

Lynn wanted to just shoot the prick who stood about five feet to her left. Jimmy Morgan was

absolute scum in her book. She resisted the urge. She couldn’t afford to lose her job or earn an arrest
record when his uncle found out what she’d done.

Lynn had to take a deep breath to calm her boiling temper as she crouched beside the remains of

what used to be four dogs. She glared at Jimmy, refusing to look away.

“Let’s just cut the bullshit, asshole. You know your mayor uncle isn’t going to allow anyone to

arrest your dumb ass, so you might as well just tell me the truth. What’s out here that did this to your
dogs?”

“I’d tell you if I knew,” he ground out.

Lynn straightened to her feet and wanted to kick him square in the nuts. “You made these poor

dogs mean and you turned them loose on your property to protect your pot plants that everyone
pretends you aren’t growing. What else did you get to help guard your crops? It killed all four of your
best guard dogs, Jimmy. It’s out of control, isn’t it? Is that why you called me in to clean up your
mess? I’m animal control, but this…” She gestured at the four torn-up dogs’ remains. “This was from
a large animal. Is it a bear? A lion? What did you bring here?”

“I didn’t!” he yelled. “I just had the dogs. I don’t have a clue what did this. Do you think I’d call

you if it was mine? I don’t want anyone nosing around my place. They might want to steal my pot.”

The man’s stupidity amazes me. “Growing it is illegal. Of course, you could probably state that

you murdered someone and nothing would be done to you. Now you want me to track down whatever
did this and take care of that problem for you?” She raised her hand and gave him the middle finger.
“Not a chance.” She spun around, storming away.

“Damn it, Lynn. You can’t do this. What if it kills me or one of my friends? How will you feel

then?”

She paused by her SUV to face him, meeting his gaze with a cold smile. “Um…let’s see. You’re

the guy who takes cute little puppies and turns them into vicious killers just for the sake of protecting
your illegal drug operation. I wouldn’t shed a tear, Jimmy. Not a one. Yeah, that’s a way to get to me.
Make me ponder the concept of a few less assholes in the world.” She loudly snorted. “I’m out of
here.”

“I’ll call my uncle,” the jerk threatened. “I’ll have you fired before you even reach town if you

leave. You need to track down what did this and kill it.”

Frustration roiled through her. She knew he’d do it, and that his uncle would pull every string to

get her canned. She had a house payment and jobs were near impossible to find within a hundred
miles of Green Bend. That’s what she got for growing up in a small town in the middle of a wooded
area—dealing with assholes and a bad job market.

“Get out of my sight—and I’d tell your two loser friends to stay out of my way too.”

“Not a problem. We’ll go smoke some doobies and watch porn.”

“Sick pervert,” she muttered.

She opened the back of her vehicle and lifted out her tranquilizer gun and grabbed the tranquilizer

dart bag. She wasn’t into killing animals, instead hoping to trap and relocate them where they’d be
safe. It was always preferable to give them to the state zoo or just take them deeper into the woods,
where they would thrive. Whatever had killed the dogs had probably been cornered and left without a
choice but to die or kill.

Her father had raised her alone and had taught her to be an excellent tracker. He’d dragged her out

into the woods every weekend to hunt something, depending on the season. At sixteen she’d finally
put her foot down. She hated killing animals, instead wanted to protect and save them.

She tugged on her jacket last, studied the sky, and took note that only a few hours remained before

sunset.

Lynn returned to the scene of the crime, carefully expanding the search for clues about what had

killed the dogs. Their throats had been torn into, leaving deep, vicious wounds—so it came as a
shock when she finally located a new set of prints. They weren’t from an animal, but instead she
guessed about a size-sixteen boot.

From the size, she assumed it had to be from a man. The grooves were deep in the soft dirt, letting

her know the person weighed over two hundred pounds. It put a whole new spin on the situation.

“Damn it!”

She considered returning to the truck but some blood near the print looked fresh. She guessed it

had happened less than an hour before. One more sweep of the area with her gaze revealed a large,
bloody handprint on a tree trunk about ten feet away.

Whatever had killed the dogs had to have been an animal with sharp teeth, but the clues weren’t

adding up anymore. She’d gone from tracking something with four legs to something on two.

DEA agents might have wanted to see if the rumors about Jimmy were true. That concept left her

feeling cold. Maybe one of them came on Jimmy’s land to take a look-see. It made sense. A local
resident would know to avoid Jimmy’s property. It would have to be an outsider, someone who was
unaware of how insane Jimmy could be, or of the danger of being torn to bits by his vicious guard
dogs.

She picked up her pace, wanting to find the person quickly. He’d need medical attention and help

escaping the area. Jimmy was stupid enough to kill an agent to evade arrest. His uncle couldn’t
control the DEA.

She lost the blood trail when she came to heavy brush but spotted a drop of red in the direction of

the river. She could hear the rushing water and figured it would only be logical for an injured person
to be drawn there.

Jimmy’s fence blocked her way to the water. She studied it. Blood was smeared on the low tree

branch next to the metal barrier, and more on the ones that extended over, indicating how the man had
left the property.

She climbed the tree too, and dropped the five feet to the ground below when she cleared the

fence. Boot prints were just inches from her own where she landed on the neighbor’s property.
Johnson Avery was blind and older than dirt, and he didn’t shoot at trespassers. She didn’t have to
worry about notifying him that she’d had to make an unexpected entry onto his land.

The person she tracked had gone into the river. A visual scan of the other side of the bank

revealed where he’d gotten out. Some of the bushes had broken branches. It meant she would have to
cross to follow.

There was less than an hour of light left. He might need medical attention. She dug out a large

plastic evidence bag from her utility belt, and shoved her shoes, socks, and belt inside.

Lynn stripped down to her bra and panties, rolled her clothes into a tight ball, pressed them into

the bag, and sealed it. She didn’t want to suffer soaking-wet clothing after dark. A string of curses
hissed past her lips when the icy water hit her bare flesh. The person she trailed had better be really
hurt and be DEA. Otherwise she would be angry for going to all that trouble. She walked deeper into
the swift current and held her tranquilizer gun over her head in one hand, her bag with the other.

The current tore at her body, knocking her off her feet. She swam and managed to keep a death

grip on the sealed, floating bag. She made it across the river out of breath and forced her tired limbs
to crawl up the embankment onto the thick moss between two big bushes. She collapsed on her butt
and panted, attempting to catch her breath. She tossed her useless tranquilizer gun a few feet away to
drain the barrel on the slant of the embankment.

Lynn shivered hard, hugged her body, and ignored the way her teeth chattered. She finally

recovered enough to stand and bend over to retrieve her clothes from inside the evidence bag. They
appeared dry, the seal having held.

A low growl sounded from behind as she faced the river.

Fear jolted through her. A vicious dog had just snarled, if her ears weren’t deceiving her. It was

really close. She guessed it was a big dog too.

Her utility belt and weapons were buried at the bottom of the bag her hand rested on. No way

could she grab her Taser or even the mace in time if it attacked. The clothes were in the way. It’s just
not my day.

Jimmy obviously had more than four dogs, and one had escaped his property to chase whomever

it had attacked earlier. Her gaze lifted to the moving water. She could dive into the river and pray the
mean mutt wouldn’t come in after her, but she doubted that plan would work. It had already swum
across once.

“So fucked,” she mouthed quietly, holding very still.

Another growl came from behind her. It was closer. She just knew it would lunge and bite into her

butt at any second. Her only option was to attempt to startle the thing. It might be confused long
enough for her to grab a weapon. She scanned the ground to her right and left, spotting the tranquilizer

gun. She could use it as a bat.

She spun and straightened to her full height. The shout burst from her throat louder than she

imagined it would. It came out more of a shriek. She pitched the bag at the first thing her gaze focused
on.

Shock tore through her as the bag struck a big man in the groin area. He grunted loudly as he

doubled over and collapsed to the ground on his hands and knees.

Lynn stood there staring, frozen, her gaze locked on the downed man. She noticed a lot of naked,

golden skin. He had broad shoulders and really muscular arms bracing his upper body. Long, silvery-
blond hair spilled all the way to his hands. Blood smeared one arm and she noticed more injuries
when she was able to take a hesitant step forward to get a better view of him.

He’d been attacked by dogs. It was easy to identify the bites by sight and he had more than a few

of them. One arm was torn up under his elbow, another bite on his other arm by his wrist. That hand
was covered in blood. She saw more injuries on his legs. It was a miracle he’d made it this far
without passing out.

“Oh my god,” she gasped, rushing at him without giving it a thought. “You’re seriously hurt.”

He raised his head slowly, his chin lifted, but most of his features were covered by his long hair.

One eye peeked at her.

Her knees felt weak when she halted, staring at him. It was the most striking and prettiest eye

she’d ever seen. The blue of it was almost neon and swirls of silver ran through the iris like tiny
streaks of lightning.

He growled softly. The strange sound startled her but then she realized how much pain he had to

be in. The fact that she’d nailed him hard with her bag must have hurt, too, since she’d knocked him to
his knees. She inched closer.

“It’s okay.” She softened her tone as if he were a skittish kitten, something in her line of work with

which she had a lot of experience. “I’m with animal control and I’m going to help you.” The amount
of blood on the ground alarmed her.

She slowly lowered to her knees in front of him. His injures looked bad and they actively bled.

“My name is Lynn. I don’t have a first-aid kit but I can tear up my shirt to make bandages. We need to
stop the bleeding immediately.”

He watched her with that one beautiful eye. The ends of his hair were wet from his swim in the

water but he had thick, beautiful tresses. Her assumption that he was DEA strengthened. She’d heard
some of them grew out their hair to fit in better with the criminals they had to deal with. This guy must
have been going for the heavy-metal look and it meshed with Jimmy’s taste in friends.

She twisted a little to grab her bag. “I’m going to patch you up and go for help. There’s no cell

signal this far out. I’m sure you’re aware of that by now.” It would only make sense that he’d tried to
call 9-1-1. “There’s a cabin a few miles from here. Mr. Avery has a land line. I’ll go there and lead
the paramedics back to you. You look too hurt to make it on your own steam and no vehicles can drive
this close to the river. There’re too many trees and the terrain is rough. We’ll have to carry you out on

a stretcher.”

She tore open the seal on her bag and dumped out the contents. Her hands trembled as she opened

her utility knife and began the process of slicing her shirt into strips. He wasn’t talking at all and it
worried her. She’d dealt with plenty of injured animals but it was different looking at mangled human
flesh. The sight made her feel a little queasy. She wrapped his wrist first, tying the ends of the cloth
strip together to help apply a little pressure to the bleeding wound. He allowed it, not flinching away
or trying to stop her.

“It’s going to be okay,” she assured him. “I need access to all the bites. Can you lean back a little

and maybe pull your hair out of the way?”

He hesitated but then shifted from his crouched position to fall onto his ass, turning his face away

as he stretched out flat on his back. Lynn bit back the gasp.

He wore very small underwear, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Leather covered his

groin. There wasn’t a fly or buttons down the front. She shifted her gaze away to take in his upper
body. He was in such good shape that she could see every impressive muscle displayed over his
stomach. He lifted one arm and placed his hand over his face. It was probably to stifle groans of pain.

Okay, so the guy wears leather Speedos. No big deal. She focused on his thighs. He had two

more bite marks, one on the outside of his left leg, just above the knee, and the other on the inside of
his right thigh, high up. She grimaced, acknowledging it was lucky the guy didn’t wear boxers. That
bite was so close to his kinky shorts that the dog might have nailed his nuts if they’d been dangling a
little in looser material.

“What’s your name?” She used most of the remaining shirt to wrap around his thigh by his knee.

He shifted the leg, lifting it for her to slide her hands under him to tie off the material. “Do you feel all
right?” His skin was hot to the touch. “I think you’re running a fever.”

He said nothing. Her gaze lifted to that massive, bulky chest to watch it rise and fall slowly as he

breathed. Her gaze lingered there before she forced herself to look away, feeling a little perverted at
the inappropriate thoughts that flashed through her mind. The guy was total beefcake. She was doing
the math and he wasn’t a druggie. He had to be in the best shape she’d ever seen. A guy would have to
practically live in a gym to get the muscle mass he’d obtained. Definitely DEA.

“Did you catch the part about me being with animal control? Someone should have warned you

guys about Jimmy’s guard dogs if you were going to scope out his place. I’m really glad you’re trying
to clean that mess up but I’m so sorry you were hurt.” She paused, noticing that he still wasn’t
moving. Has he passed out? “Mister?”

She stared up at his face but couldn’t make out much of it. His hair still covered most of his

features and what his long hair didn’t hide, his bandaged wrist did. She studied the last of his
wounds, the bloody one on the inside of his upper thigh. She hesitated and inched closer, leaning over
to get a better look. She winced.

He’d need stitches on that one for sure. She turned, staring at her bag. There was nothing in there

to use for that wound. He had muscular thighs and they were big around.

One glance down and she knew what would work.

She quickly removed her wet bra and put on her lightweight jacket to cover her breasts. The guy

seemed oblivious that she’d just flashed him. She snapped two buttons to keep the jacket closed.

“Lift your leg a little so I can wrap this around your thigh.”

He followed her instructions and she used the last remnants of her destroyed work shirt to make a

pad, then tied the straps of her bra together to hold it in place. She glanced up and down him, sure
she’d done her best to stop the bleeding and make him comfortable.

“I’m going to leave you now and go for help. I might be gone for an hour but it shouldn’t be longer

than that.” She glanced up at the sky, wincing. Darkness would fall before the paramedics could hike
in to get him. “I’m leaving you my flashlight and my Taser gun. You’re down and bleeding. We have
some dangerous animals in this area that might scent your blood. They tend to stick close to water. I’m
assuming you know how to use a Taser gun? I’ll leave you my mace too. You should be fine. Just
don’t move around. I got the bleeding stopped. I’ll be back before you know it. I’ll just put on my
pants and boots then be off.”

He moved suddenly, sitting up faster than she thought an injured man could. A snarl came from his

parted lips. He threw back his head, his long hair no longer covering his face.

The sight of him shocked her enough that she collapsed onto her ass. He used his uninjured hand

to grab her wrist, keeping her from scrambling away from him. She wanted to.

His bone structure was very rugged, with pronounced cheekbones. His nose was wider but flatter

than any she’d ever seen. His full lips were parted and revealed the fact that he had vampire teeth.
Those two fangs were long and sharp-looking. He looked almost human but she wasn’t fooled.

What the hell is he? Her brain reeled at the possibilities. Is he some kind of human freak of

nature? Maybe he is a druggie after all, into serious vampire fetishes. Some crazy people mutilate
their bodies with fake teeth and facial implants. A good plastic surgeon could make his nose a
different shape and amplify those cheekbones. Or he could be a werewolf. Do they exist? Her gaze
lowered to his chest. He just had a little bit of hair there. Wouldn’t werewolves be hairier? Stop it!
They don’t exist. Do they?

Lynn tried to jerk away from him but he had an iron grip on her wrist. It didn’t hurt but she

couldn’t break free. “Please let me go.” She was glad she’d found her voice.

He growled and shook his head.

Her heart pounded inside her chest, her terror rising. He wasn’t DEA. He was something else,

something dangerous. He stood slowly, swaying a little on his feet. The grip on her arm didn’t ease.
He tugged, trying to get her to stand too. Her legs refused to work as she realized he had to be about
six-three. He had to bend toward her to keep hold of her wrist from his height and his hair fell
forward, the damp, silky strands brushing against her arm.

He pulled harder and it forced her to move. She rose on shaky legs, unable to do anything else.

Shock helped, her body seeming to go into autopilot. He backed up, forcing her to follow him toward
the thick line of trees.

Chapter Two

The scary man led Lynn about twenty feet into the tree line. The small clearing revealed his

discarded clothing and a bag similar to a backpack. He stumbled a few times but never broke his hold
on her wrist. He bent, delving his free hand into the open black bag.

“Please let me go. I’ll get you help. You need stitches and medical care.” She tried to keep calm

but it was tough to do. He wasn’t talking, only making soft groans and growling noises. He had to be
in a lot of pain.

He lifted a short black rope from the bag. It was only about twenty inches long. He turned to face

her and she stared up into his unusually bright eyes. He had almost a foot of height on her, but he was
weak. She could attack him, though he’d already killed four vicious guard dogs. Now she knew how
he’d done it. He had a lethal mouth.

He glanced down and she followed his gaze. The rope he held touched her wrist and she gasped

when the thing seemed to move on its own, reminding her of a snake. It wrapped around her skin,
tightening just below where he gripped her with his fingers. She was too stunned to do anything but
watch as he used the other end of it to tap against his own wrist. It wrapped around his skin too,
linking them together as if they were handcuffed. He let go of her wrist.

“What is that?”

He swayed on his feet and bent again, reaching into the bag a second time. He pulled out a palm-

sized box and a light emanated from it. He growled in a long, broken pattern. She tried to identify
what he held but it wasn’t anything she’d ever seen before. It kind of reminded her of a cell phone but
it didn’t have a lighted screen. It just had lights coming from the side seams of the slim device.

He swayed again and she looked up at his face. His golden skin tone had paled considerably.

His eyes rolled upward and he collapsed.

Lynn cried out when he pitched sideways. The rope-like thing connecting them didn’t break. She

was jerked forward, landed on top of his side, and lay sprawled there. She stared at his face. His
eyes were closed and he seemed to be out cold.

She twisted, rolling off his big body and crouching next to him, studying the link between their

wrists.

It felt like some kind of weird, lightweight metal. There wasn’t a keyhole anywhere to be found

and it wasn’t moving anymore. She tried to tear it off but it wouldn’t release her wrist. She gave up
and focused on the downed man. His chest rose and fell, assuring her he lived.

“What are you and who are you?”

He fascinated her. Lynn reached up to cup his face with both hands but his heavy arm kept one of

hers down. She pushed against him until he lay flat and lifted his arm until it rested over his chest. It

freed her to gently cup his face so she could study him carefully. He was attractive in an odd way. Her
focus fixed on his mouth. He had plush, full lips that were slightly parted, those two long fangs
denting his bottom lip. It didn’t take much to tilt his head just enough to get his jaw to open more.

The rest of his teeth looked almost normal. They were white and straight. She ran the pad of her

fingertip across his tongue. It was pink like a normal person’s except a bit wider and more pointed at
the tip. The texture wasn’t as soft as it should have been—a bit raspy, but not sandpaper quality. She
pulled her finger away from his mouth and lowered her gaze.

He really was in great shape. And huge. His shoulders were broad, his biceps thickly muscled

and well defined. She looked lower, having to admire his stomach. Even though he was unconscious,
she could distinguish every ridge of muscle that waved down to the waist of his strange leather
underwear. He had to weight about two hundred fifty pounds and she couldn’t spot a single hint of
flab.

She lifted up to stare at his unique choice of leather Speedos but quickly noticed the bright red

that had seeped through the bandage she’d put over his inner thigh. It was bleeding again. She moved
down his body, dragging his arm so she could tend to the wound. It was a struggle to untie her bra to
get a look at it.

He needed stitches and a doctor. It was obvious the dog had bitten down, just tearing the flesh

instead of removing it. She twisted, stretching her hand out to snag his backpack. He thought he might
have a first-aid kit but all she located were some items of clothing. She grabbed what appeared to be
a folded gray shirt and used it to press against the wound, putting her upper-body weight into it. He’d
die if she didn’t get the bleeding to stop.

“Hello? Please wake up!” She stared at his face but he didn’t flinch, move, or react in any way.

“You’ve got to get this thing off my wrist. I need to get you help. Wake up!”

He didn’t stir. She lifted her chin to stare at the darkening sky through the tree branches above

them. The sun would go down and they’d be in a world of shit. She wouldn’t be able to find the cabin
without some light. Mr. Avery’s land wasn’t exactly a place she’d visited often. He had to own a few
hundred acres. Animals would be drawn to the river and to the scent of blood.

A list of predators streamed through her mind. There were coyotes, snakes, feral hogs, some

bobcats, the occasional mountain lion, and she’d had to trap some vicious raccoons and opossums in
her time. They didn’t usually attack humans but even the normally timid creatures might come after
him, especially if they were hungry, injured, or diseased. The man in front of her would seem like an
easy meal, too tempting to resist. Her weapons were too far away to drag him back to the river’s
edge.

Even if the wildlife wasn’t an issue, he needed medical attention. Infection seemed to have

already taken hold in him. His skin felt feverishly hot, and he’d lost blood on top of it. She struggled
with the rope-like shackle again, with no luck.

“Son of a bitch!” She slapped her open palms down on his chest in frustration.

He jerked under her and his eyes flew open. It took him a second to focus on her as she inched up

his body, staring back at him. He growled low, an animalistic sound.

“You need to let me go for help.” She lifted her arm enough to jerk on his where they were

connected. “Get this off me.”

He shook his head.

It pissed her off. “What’s your name?”

He growled.

“Stop that. Just tell me your name. I know you’re in pain but this isn’t the time to act like a jerk.”

He growled again.

She realized he’d never said a single word to her. “Can you talk?”

He hesitated then shook his head.

It came as a shock. He wasn’t just messing with her. The guy only made those sounds. She had to

take a deep breath and calm. “You can understand me?”

He nodded.

That’s something. “Okay. Listen to me. You’re really hurt. We’re near a big watering spot for

animals. This is Johnson Avery’s land. He’s an old man and he doesn’t trap or hunt anything anymore.
His property is fenced off to keep everyone out. Do you know what that means?”

He shook his head.

“We have hunting seasons for a reason in this part of the country. It’s not just to kill stuff and snap

photos to post on the internet. It’s because the animal population can grow out of control. We’re
currently on over two hundred acres of wildlife gone unchecked. Is that clear enough for you? I know
he has a ton of coyotes because last year he told me about hearing them. I offered to come out and see
how bad it had gotten but he refused to let me. There could be dozens of them.” She paused. “More.
The larger the pack, the more fearless they are.

“Rabies is a concern too. Mr. Avery’s eyesight is bad and he can’t see sick animals, which means

he can’t shoot them. You never want to come across a rabid animal without a gun. I once saw a
raccoon go after a bull. It was sick, and that crazy. Rabies is a disease that can spread from one
animal eating or attacking another. You need to let me go so I can get to the cabin. Mr. Avery has a
phone.”

She glanced around. “I can help you climb that tree right there. I’ll go get my stuff before I leave

so you have a way to protect yourself until I come back.” She lifted her wrist again to remind him
about the rope binding them together. “Let me go so I can save us both. Most of the things out here that
can hurt us are nocturnal hunters. It means they come out at night.” She pointed a finger up. “See the
sky? Need I say more?”

A howl tore through the woods and Lynn jumped, twisting her head in the direction from which it

had come. Another coyote joined in, then another. She didn’t spot any of them but they weren’t far off.

“Shit. Hear that? Coyotes.” She looked at him. “You’re bleeding. They are going to investigate

that.” She shook her head. “We’re going to be in a world of trouble. They are going to see you as

food. Understand? You already faced off against four canines and look what they did to you. Imagine a
dozen or two of them.” She didn’t feel guilty for trying to scare him. It wasn’t exactly a lie. They
could attack if they were hungry enough, feeling bold in numbers, or diseased.

He sat up and climbed to his feet. Lynn scrambled to get up too. He snagged his bag and shoved

her toward the nearest tree. They reached the base of it and he lifted the bag, jamming it on top of a
branch about six feet high. He turned to her then and clenched the rope in the middle. It vibrated for a
second but it opened, letting her go.

Lynn tried to back away but the tall man moved faster. He spun, one arm sliding around her waist.

All Lynn could do was gasp out in surprise as he hoisted her upward to the lowest branch. She didn’t
need to understand what he said to know he wanted her to grab the limb. She did and he released her
waist. He gripped both of her thighs to give her a boost up. She scrambled quickly to give him room
to follow.

He was right behind her as she climbed higher into the tree. Below, she spotted movement near

the edges of the clearing as she straddled a branch. Two coyotes crept forward, growling. They went
to the spot where the stranger had bled and sniffed the ground.

“They might go away,” she whispered. “Be quiet.”

He leaned down, grabbed his pack and pulled it higher into the tree. He reached inside and threw

down a round disk that reminded her of a thick Frisbee. It hit the dirt and both coyotes snarled but
didn’t run away. The disk thing began to glow white, getting brighter. The coyotes stayed a few feet
back but held their ground near the blood.

The man wedged his backpack so it wouldn’t fall and climbed higher, easing onto the branch

behind her. She turned her head, watching him lean against the thick tree trunk. He gripped her hips
and tugged her toward him.

Lynn was tempted to fight but motion from below drew her attention. Nine more coyotes had

entered the clearing. Within seconds, that number increased to over twenty. Two of them stopped
directly under the branch she perched on, lifted their heads, and stared at her. They snarled.

“Go away!” she shouted, hoping her voice would make them flee.

More gathered at the base of the tree trunk, their focus fixed on her and the man behind her. They

snarled, flashing teeth. It was clear the pack wasn’t afraid of people and didn’t plan to go anywhere.
She and the man were treed and trapped.

From behind, he yanked her closer and wrapped his muscled arm around her waist. His chest was

hot, plastered against her back. Lynn didn’t struggle, too afraid she’d fall off the branch. The coyotes
watched from below, probably hoping that would happen. They’d attack. They’d grown too bold,
living in such big numbers.

“We’re going to die up here.”

He put his other arm around her and she peered over her shoulder at his face. Most of it was in the

shadows but his pretty eyes were clear enough to see. He shook his head, then growled low.

“I don’t understand you. You’re hurt.” She pointed down. “They want to eat us. I’m pretty sure

some of them have rabies, judging by how aggressive they are. Do you get that? God only knows how
long it will be before that idiot Jimmy decides to call someone, if he’s not too stoned to notice my
SUV is still parked on his property. It could be days, if ever. He might just totally lie and say I left, to
keep the cops off his property. That means no search party. Those coyotes could wait us out until
we’re too dehydrated to stay up here.”

He shook his head again.

Lynn was irritated when he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, seeming to plan on going

back to sleep. She pushed against him to help keep him pinned in place. More coyotes had joined the
group when she looked down. One of the more brazen ones lifted up and planted his paws on the
trunk, as if it would help him reach them.

You can’t climb, muzzle face. She was in a hell of a mess. But it could be worse. It was summer

so they wouldn’t freeze overnight. She just wore her jacket and panties. The guy behind her wore
those little leather Speedos. She couldn’t decide what would be worse—the search party finding them
wearing so little and having to explain, or the headlines that would be made up if their bodies were
recovered. Either way, she’d be the most talked-about thing in Green Bend.

“Damn.”

Darkness fell but the light below kept glowing. It lit up about a twenty-foot circular area. Some of

the coyotes grew brave enough to approach it and one even put his nose against it to sniff.

A loud blare pierced the night.

Lynn started at the sharp blast of noise. The coyotes scattered, rushing off in different directions.

“What was that?” She turned her head to stare at the man behind her. His eyes remained closed

but she could feel his chest rise and fall against her spine. She twisted just enough to feel for a pulse
at his neck. It was tough to find. He was fading fast, probably dying from blood loss and infection.

“Hey!” She rubbed his cheek. “Look at me.”

He didn’t stir. Lynn looked down at the ground. The coyotes hadn’t returned. That sound had

scared the hell out of her and had probably done worse to the pack. She needed to get to Mr. Avery’s
cabin and call for help. There wasn’t much to debate. Some of the coyotes had taken off toward the
river so going after her things wasn’t an option. She eased his arm from around her waist and gripped
a branch above her head. She climbed higher, trying to spot any source of light in the area.

Lynn found what she was looking for. Mr. Avery might be blind, but he kept his porch lights on to

keep critters away. She spotted his cabin. It wasn’t as far away as she’d thought it would be. It was
possible that she could make it on foot without weapons.

She took her time climbing down, watching and listening for any sign of the coyotes returning. She

checked on the man one more time. He was out cold. Two other branches next to the one he sat on
would keep him upright if he tilted to the side. It meant he wouldn’t fall.

“No choice,” she muttered. He needed a hospital. He might not survive until morning otherwise. It

meant she’d have to run through the dark woods. She stared at his strange light source, wondering
what had made that alarm go off. It was tempting to take it with her but it would help her find him

once she got a rescue team to Mr. Avery’s cabin.

It wouldn’t be easy to reach the ground. She was barefoot. She got to the lowest branch and then

swung out and dropped to the ground in a crouch. Nothing came at her out of the darkness. She
straightened and sprinted off toward the cabin. It was tough to see without a flashlight but she was
motivated.

She made it a short distance before a howl brought her to a halt. The last thing she needed would

be to run into that pack. She looked for trees close to her that were easily climbed but most of the
branches were out of her reach. Another howl came from behind her and she knew she was in deep
shit. They were hunting her.

She turned, saw movement in the darkness.

“Fuck me,” she hissed and sprinted forward.

A snarl sounded to her left, telling her instantly that it was as bad as she’d feared. They were

trying to surround her. Lynn frantically looked up for a low branch to grab while she ran for her life.
She saw one ahead and heard something crash through the brush behind her. She jumped, grabbing for
the limb.

Harsh bark scratched her palms but she caught the branch, swung and jerked her legs up. Her foot

hit the trunk and her heel snagged on something. It hurt but she managed to use that foothold to throw
her other leg up, hooking her calf over the branch she gripped. She used all her strength to pull up, her
chest slamming against the limb. It made it easier to lift her other leg and hook the branch.

A scream tore from her throat when something brushed against her back. She twisted her head,

seeing the shadow of a coyote below her. It jumped and managed to snag part of her jacket in its jaws.
Material tore and she was almost ripped off the branch. Lynn screamed again, releasing the branch
with one hand to hook her arm over it, then the other, hugging it tightly. Adrenaline and panic were
great motivators.

The coyote jumped again but missed her. It was close though. She could hear his ragged breathing.

She squeezed her eyes closed and started to pray. There was no way she could switch positions so
she was on top of the branch instead of hanging from the bottom of it.

She could hear more coyotes and knew when another one lunged, attempting to tear her from her

precarious perch. He missed and hit the ground hard. They were going to tear her out of the tree, rip
her to shreds and eat her as though she were a deer carcass. Hot tears filled her eyes.

I’m animal control, damn it. Control those fuckers.

Her mind drew a blank on how to save herself. She was too afraid to think clearly and growing

tired. Her arms and legs burned and ached from gripping the rough bark and holding her body tightly
to the branch.

Something hit her back where her jacket had already been torn open. It was wet and cold as it

brushed her exposed skin. The animal dropped to the ground, crushing dead leaves under its paws. A
whimper pushed past her tightly compressed lips. One good yank and she would be torn down to the
ground. She knew they’d be on her in seconds, attacking her en masse.

An ear-splitting roar sounded.

Oh god, just what I need. A mountain lion on top of it? Are you kidding me?

At that point, she was pretty sure someone in charge of fate hated her. If there was such a thing as

karma, it was about to make a late-night snack out of her one way or another for something bad she’d
once done.

The coyotes whined loudly. She heard leaves crunching as if something were running at them, so

she turned her head and opened her eyes. The pack fled in the opposite direction. She stared after
them, shocked that they were taking off, but then she realized they were running away from the
mountain lion.

Bright light had her whipping her head in the other direction and she openly gawked at the four

big men who came at her. They were tall, all dressed in black leather. It was their faces that alarmed
her the most. They looked a lot like the guy she’d left in the tree. They had those same flatter, wider
noses and one of them had his mouth open. She could spot his fangs.

They trudged closer and Lynn hugged the branch tighter. She didn’t feel saved. The leader lifted a

hand and they came to a stop about five feet away. One of them held a round disk just like the one
she’d seen before. It put off a lot of light. The men were scary—a foursome of terror with their
leather clothing and big bodies.

One stepped closer and growled, holding up a small, flat device like the one that had reminded

her of a cell phone. It was lit up along the seams, just as the other one had been. He growled again.

A cold, computerized voice followed a heartbeat later.

“Where is Coto, woman?”

Lynn stared at it, then at the guy’s face. He growled a third time. “I am Holion. You are safe,

woman.” The box spoke again in a mechanical male voice as he made those inhuman sounds. “We
will not harm you, so you may come down. We have chased the local animals away.”

Lynn hesitated and then unwrapped her legs as she eased her hold on the branch. Pain shot up her

arms as she dropped ungracefully to the ground. She winced a little as her feet hit hard-packed dirt.
She swayed, in shock, staring at the big leather-clad men. She swallowed hard, speechless, unsure
what to say. She was afraid, and the urge to flee for her life clawed at her insides, but she didn’t
scream or run.

They weren’t normal guys, that was for sure. The men openly stared at her legs, making her aware

of her lack of clothing. She reached down and tugged the jacket lower, holding the seams together so
they didn’t glimpse that she only wore panties under it. Holion stepped closer.

“We are looking for Coto. He called and said he was with a woman. You must be her. Where is

he?”

He growled as the box translated it into words. It was freaking her out. It reminded her of one of

those foreign movies she sometimes watched late at night. His lip movement didn’t match what she
was hearing. Only he wasn’t speaking any known language that she was aware of. Her supposed DEA
agent had growled too.

He snarled. “Speak now,” the box demanded.

“Um…I left him in a tree where he’d be safe. He’s hurt.”

Something made a crashing noise behind her and she spun, expecting a coyote or a mountain lion

to come at her. Instead it was the man she’d left in the tree. He had a name now. Coto.

He stumbled, fisting the handle of a jagged dagger in one hand. He came forward, unsteady on his

feet, and growled low. He no longer wore just the Speedos. He’d put on leather pants and his boots.

“You found me,” the box translated.

“Yes, Coto. We got your message and converged together to seek you out.”

“Did you find Vhon?” Coto came closer, his gaze trailing down Lynn’s body, then he looked back

at the four men. “Report.”

One of the other men stepped forward. “Not yet. We stopped to seek you out.” He glared at Lynn.

“She stated you were injured.”

“Did the woman do that to you?” A longhaired redhead stepped forward and revealed his sharp

fangs as he snarled at Lynn.

She actually backed up and bumped into Coto.

He hooked one arm around her waist. “No. It was four creatures that bit into me. I was attacked

after picking up Vhon’s trail.” Coto turned his bright-blue gaze back on Lynn. “You left me to get
help?”

Lynn still had a hard time speaking so she just gave a curt nod. Coto frowned, maybe not believing

her. He looked away to stare at Holion. “We will set up camp.”

“There is an inhabited dwelling close by. It would be safer to travel farther.”

Coto growled. “No. She said he is blind. He won’t see us. It is safe for us to camp here. I need to

be treated. We will resume our search at first light. More of the biting creatures are in the area.”

Holion didn’t seem pleased with that order. He glared at Lynn, snarling. “And what of her? She’s

a danger.”

“Tell her why we are here.” Coto pointed his dagger at the redhead. “You do it, Gar. Show her the

proof. She must think we are strange.”

The redhead reached inside his pocket and withdrew a folded but laminated paper. He had bright

green eyes that Lynn couldn’t look away from as he slowly approached her. “We are Leprechauns
from Ireland. See? That is why you might think we are different from you. We have traveled here to go
camping and find our friend. He is lost in the woods.” He held out the paper.

Lynn had to lock her knees. Are they kidding? Leprechauns? Her mind was struggling to make

sense of it. She stared at the man and stayed totally mute. One of the guys frowned at her, inching
closer to Holion.

“She does not seem convinced.”

“Here.” Gar shoved the paper at her.

Lynn looked down. It was an ad she’d seen posted in town some months before. It was for an Irish

pub celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It had probably been ripped down and the wind had carried it into
the woods. A picture of a cartoon character grinned at her from the center of it, stating the leprechauns
had come all the way from Ireland. He had long red hair, sported a green outfit, and held a pint of ale.

She lifted her chin, staring at Gar in utter shock.

He touched his red hair. “See? It is a bad image but that is what we are. Some of us have other

colors of hair.” He paused. “Ireland is far. We are not wearing our native garments since we are on
vacation. That must be the reason for your confusion.”

They think I’m an idiot. They expect me to believe that bullshit.

Finally, it all sank in.

They’re aliens. They have to be. It would explain their slightly weird faces, the way they growl-

spoke their words, and their translator was something right out of a science fiction movie.

Aliens. Oh god.

“We like beer and bring good luck.” Gar pointed at a few lines at the bottom of the ad. “It states it

right here. Leprechauns. Say something, woman.”

She swallowed hard, terrified. They obviously didn’t want her to know the truth. They might kill

her if she didn’t play along. “You’re much taller and bigger than I imagined.”

“We are,” Coto said, drawing her attention.

He held her against his body and she was too terrified to move away. “I’ve never met your kind in

person before. So you’re here to go camping, huh?”

Coto lowered his chin, gazing at her through thick eyelashes with those utterly beautiful bright

blue eyes of his. “Yes, and we lost our friend. He might not be alone. Have you seen others like us?”

There are more of them in the woods? What is this, an alien convention in Hicksville? She

shook her head. “I can honestly say that you are the only ones I’ve seen.”

“We need to deal with this situation.” The blond one finally spoke.

Lynn instantly got his meaning when she caught him glaring at her. He didn’t look happy. Were

they going to kill her because she’d seen them? They are freakin’ aliens. She was certain about that. It
was tempting to make a run for it but they were fit and Coto still held her. They’d run her into the
ground in no time, even if she managed to break free of his grip around her waist. She needed to make
herself useful long enough to find a way to escape.

“I know these woods really well. You said you’re here to go camping and look for your friend. I

could be your tour guide. I’m a great tracker.” She peered up at Coto. “That’s how I found you.”

“Good.” He glanced at the other aliens. “She is under my protection. Set up camp here. We search

for Vhon at first light.”

“We don’t need her,” Gar rasped.

“You take orders from me,” Coto snarled. “No one touches the woman.” He pointed the tip of his

blade at the redhead. “She helped me when I was injured. We are men with honor. Don’t forget that,
despite where we are.”

“Yes, Coto.” Gar backed away. “We will set up camp.”

Coto was protecting her. Lynn was grateful enough to glance up at him. He met her gaze.

“We will not harm you. There is nothing to fear. You are a woman alone without protection, but

we are civilized.”

“Okay,” she got out. She had a feeling that was going to be a word she used often around these

guys, since she had no idea what else to say.

He gave a sharp nod. “No one will bed you.”

Her eyes widened and she knew her mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”

He frowned. “We will not strip you bare to make use of your body. That must be a concern of

yours since you are a woman with so many men.” He released her and took a step back.

Shit! “That concept never crossed my mind.”

It hadn’t. She was still trying to wrap her head around them being aliens and hoping they weren’t

going to kill her. Her attention dropped to the front of his pants and then she stared into his eyes again.
Was that even possible? They looked humanoid, amazingly so, even though there were obvious
differences in their features. They were bigger than average men too, all of them tall and thickly
muscled.

“When it does, have no fear. I will not allow anyone to harm you.” His nostrils flared as he

inhaled and a soft growl came from his throat that the box either didn’t pick up or couldn’t translate.
“You are very tempting, but right now our mission is to find our friend.”

Chapter Three

Coto had sniffed at her. Lynn hesitated and sniffed back at him. Maybe it’s a cultural thing with

these aliens. She inhaled the scent of something musky and pleasant. He responded by making another
soft growl. He stepped close again.

The look in his eyes made her feel a little weak in the knees. She didn’t need a box to translate

lust. He was foreign to her but still masculine and attractive. If he were human, she’d probably be
panting after a guy built like him. And she loved the long hair. The fact that he was so tall was a turn-
on too, since most of the men she knew were short.

She sure didn’t get prime stud muffins in Green Bend. She got idiots like Jimmy Morgan and his

drug buddies or lazy, out-of-shape older guys like Mayor Morgan to choose from for potential dating
candidates. Any guys half decent had been snatched up in high school and remained taken by other
women.

He reached out and brushed a finger along her chin, then leaned in. He inhaled, making a low

noise that wasn’t quite a growl but more of a rumble.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“You are checking my scent.”

“You sniffed at me and I did it back.”

He let his hand drop away. “You are not initiating sexual contact with me?”

“Whoa, boy.” She was stunned. “Is that what…ah…leprechauns do to hit on each other? Is

sniffing foreplay?”

Coto scowled. “I would never strike you. You threw your purse at me and I did not defend myself

against your attack.”

The box translated the words in a dull, emotionless tone but Coto sounded furious and his

expression reflected that. She’d insulted him or just pissed him off by what she’d said.

“‘Hit on’ doesn’t mean that. Hit on means flirting or initiating sex. It’s a saying.”

His features relaxed. “Our translator doesn’t know that. We need to speak clearly without your

sayings so there are no miscommunications.”

“Our computer was damaged.” Holion shifted his stance, catching her attention. “We have a

smaller translator if you’d allow us to put it inside your ear so we don’t have to use this portable unit
from our shi—stuff. It is outdated technology.” An annoyed expression crossed his features. “With our
computer not working, we had to pull these units out to communicate if we ran into your people.”

Her gaze shifted to Coto. He nodded. “It is safe.”

“You can give me an earpiece thingy.” She shrugged. It beat them holding a box out toward her

while they spoke. She was obviously going to spend at least a little time with them until she could
escape or they let her go. She hadn’t missed Holion’s slip. Aliens came with ships. She was pretty
certain that’s what he’d almost said. “I guess that would be okay.”

The redhead, Gar, lifted the bag he held, pushed a hand inside, and then nodded to Coto before

tossing a small ring-sized box at him. Coto’s reflexes were amazing for a guy with injuries as he
caught it and removed a tiny object from inside.

“Turn and tilt your head. Please pull your hair out of the way.”

Lynn hesitated but then did as he asked. She shoved her blonde hair back and turned her head,

warily watching Coto as he stepped forward, his gaze turning to her exposed ear. His thumb brushed
the bottom of her earlobe as he pressed what felt like a cold bead into her ear canal.

She gasped, her hand shooting up to cover it a second later. Whatever it was, it moved, seeming to

tunnel inward toward her brain. Pain hit next and almost took her to her knees. She would have
collapsed if Coto hadn’t lunged, wrapping both his arms around her waist to keep her upright. A snarl
tore from his parted lips.

“This hurts her. Why?”

The discomfort was bad and tears filled her eyes. She whimpered as needle-sharp agony attacked

her eardrum. She opened her mouth but the pain was too bad for her to even cry out.

“No one told me this would harm her.” Coto’s voice was deep and no longer mechanical. “Make

it stop now, Gar. Help her!”

“It is just seconds of pain. It will pass. The implant is taking hold and it is integrating into her

system.”

Coto adjusted his hold on her and bent. He scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his

chest. He walked over to a fallen tree and sat with her on his lap.

The sharp pain inside her ear stopped as suddenly as it had started.

“If you allow her to be harmed again, I will hurt you, Gar,” Coto warned.

She stared up at him as he lowered his chin. He really looked furious as they eyed each other.

“It’s better.”

“I am sorry it hurt. I never would have allowed it if I had known it would harm you in any way.”

His mouth moved and there were actual words. The translator not only worked but it was

translating emotion, and gave the alien a unique voice. There was no time delay anymore either. The
lip movement to sound was a little off, assuring her he was probably still growling, but she could
understand him as if he were actually speaking English.

“Are you well now?” Coto shifted his hold on her, still cradling her in his arms, but freeing one

hand to reach up and gently cup her face. He lowered his head so they were a breath from being
mouth to mouth, their eyes so close she could see the silver specks with amazing clarity even in the
blue light from the ground. “Nothing will harm you again—or I will harm it much worse.”

“Your voice. I can hear it.”

He took a deep breath, making her realize she was pressed against his naked, broad chest. It was

an intimate position with his arms around her, her ass on his lap.

“We have the technology to translate our language.”

“That’s…” She struggled to find words. “Cool. Really advanced.”

His body tensed. “We come from very far away, where things are different than they are here.”

She nodded. “I can totally believe that.”

“I told you she would be fine.” Gar sounded irritated. “You threatened me without cause.”

Lynn turned her head to stare at the redheaded alien. He spun around and she noticed the backpack

he wore as he stalked to the center of the small clearing. He removed it and threw it down. They
began to set up camp. Coto gently lifted her off his lap but placed her next to him on the fallen tree.
She didn’t move, too afraid one of the other men might decide to ignore what Coto had ordered. He
was the only one who seemed to want to keep her alive.

They had all kinds of stuff she’d never seen before as one of them dropped another backpack-like

bag  onto  the  ground  and  bent,  pressing  his  finger  into  a  hole  on  the  side  of  it.  In  seconds,  a  hiss
sounded  and  the  entire  thing  started  to  inflate.  She  watched  in  astonished  fascination  while  it
continued to increase in size, taking the shape of a large dome. By the time it stopped it was at least
twelve  feet  high  in  the  center  and  a  good  twenty  feet  in  diameter.  It  looked  more  like  a  dark  igloo
created from a strange fabric than it did any tent she’d ever seen.

Gar opened his pack and handed out dark-brown packets. He gave two of them to Coto, who

hesitated before placing one on his thigh and gripping the other with both hands.

“Are you hungry, Lynn?”

“You remembered my name.”

He nodded. “I was able to fully understand you. I already have an implant that translates your

language.”

“It didn’t hurt you?”

“No. I am used to pain.”

She let that one go, deciding to return to his original question. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten

anything since lunch.” She glanced at what he held in his hands. “Is that food?”

“Yes.” He tore the side seam of the bag and placed his hands under it.

Lynn nearly fell off the log when the bag practically exploded, going from near flat to being

balloon-like in size. Coto’s quick reflexes stopped her fall. His hand shot out to grip her thigh,
pushing down to pin her where she sat.

Amusement had his eyes sparkling when he smiled at her. “I’m sorry for finding that humorous but

you are afraid of food? You bite it, it will not bite you.”

“The thing just blew up like a puffer fish. I didn’t expect that.”

He chuckled again, released her thigh, and turned the bag to show her the open side. “Oxygen

activated.”

“That’s…” The smell of something wonderful teased her nose. She sniffed and reached for it.

“That smells really good.”

“You eat meat?” He stared into her eyes.

“Yes.”

He passed it over to her and she was flabbergasted at the warmth coming from the bag. He arched

his eyebrows at her gasp.

“It heats the food and expands it when oxygen is introduced after the seal is broken. We do not

have to cook our meals and they are easier to carry compressed…while we vacation.”

She accepted the warm bag, peeking inside it to see what looked like meat strips, and then looked

back at him. “That’s amazing.”

He shrugged and turned a little away from her, looking down to open his own food. This time she

expected it as the bag rapidly expanded. He reached inside with his finger and thumb, pulled out a
strip of dark meat, and lifted it to his mouth. Lynn watched his generous lips part, those sharp fangs of
his flashing in the blue light for a second before the meat disappeared into his mouth when he closed
his lips around his fingers, sucking on them. His eyes closed and an expression of sheer pleasure
gripped his features as a soft groan came from him.

There was just something extremely sexy about the guy as he chewed his food, his eyes closed as

he enjoyed every second of the taste until he swallowed. Amazingly blue eyes slowly opened and
their gazes locked. He stared back at her until Lynn realized what she was doing. She jerked her
attention to the food bag she held on her palm.

She reached inside, her fingertip testing the texture of the meat that was warm but not hot. It did

smell appetizing and it looked similar to steak. She pulled out a strip and stared at it before slowly
lifting it to her mouth. She sniffed it again, deciding it even smelled like her favorite food, and then
hesitantly opened her mouth. She barely touched it to her tongue first, taking a tiny taste, and then a
small bite. Flavor exploded in her mouth, a rich, wonderful taste of perhaps filet mignon. She groaned
and took a bigger bite. She finished the strip and reached for another.

“You enjoy it?”

Coto’s voice was husky and as she turned her head to look at him, she nearly gasped as he

reached for her face. That tone in his voice did something to her. It was sexy as hell, kind of gruff and
deep but soft at the same time. His thumb brushed just under her lip, the slightly rough pad of it tracing
from the bottom of her chin to her lower lip, giving her good chills. His gaze followed his thumb until
it paused at her lips before he pulled it away.

“Juice dripped.”

“Thank you,” she got out around the lump that formed in her throat.

Lynn knew they were staring at each other again. She could hear the noises going on around them

as his alien friends set up camp but she only had eyes for him. He was closer since he’d leaned
toward her a little and her heart rate accelerated. There was just something appealing about him, from
his beautiful eyes to his strong, masculine features. And that silvery, long hair was tempting to touch,
just to see if it felt as silky as it appeared.

He lifted his thumb and licked the juice from it. He still watched her raptly. Memories of touching

that raspy tongue of his were instant and she wondered what it would feel like against her own. He
inched forward, bending down a little so their faces drew closer.

Was he going to kiss her? Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, drawing his attention as his focus

lowered to her mouth. The attraction between them was sudden, hot, and Lynn took a shaky breath.
Part of her really wanted to know what it would be like if he did touch his mouth to hers, how he
would taste, and if he kissed the way she did. A soft growl came from his throat and the sound made
Lynn pull back, realizing just how close she actually was to finding out if Coto would lip lock with
her.

“What is it with you?”

He froze. “I don’t understand the question.”

She inched back again, putting a little more space between them. “You smell good, and I stop

thinking rationally every time you stare at me or touch me.” She grew suspicious. “Is it some freaky
hormone thing? You know, do you give off a certain scent to make a woman have crazy thoughts about
jumping you?”

His eyebrows rose and he appeared confused. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re different.” She tried to find words that he’d comprehend. “You and I are not the same. I

don’t know you, but I’m attracted to you when you get really close to me. Do you put off crazy
pheromones that draw a woman to you? I’m an animal control officer and I study them in my free time
so I know some can draw the opposite sex with their scent.” She paused. “You’ve got animal traits
like your teeth and you growl, so I’m wondering if you have other traits that aren’t visible.”

He said nothing for long seconds. “You think my scent arouses you?”

“Whoa!” She inched farther along the log away from him. “I didn’t say anything about being

turned on. I said attracted, which is not the same.”

His nostrils flared. “You scent good to me as well.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“To my knowledge, my scent holds no affect on women.”

She studied him carefully, not seeing deceit there. She couldn’t be a hundred percent sure but she

was willing to believe him. Great, I’m losing my mind. I’m getting all hot and bothered over an
alien. She looked away from him to focus on her food, purposely not glancing his way. The meat
strips were mouthwateringly good and she was starving. She ate every piece that was inside the bag
and then turned her head to glance at Coto.

He watched his friends. She took a deep breath. “I really should be going. There’s a cabin not far

from here. My people will search for me in the morning if I don’t get back.” She met and held his gaze
as he turned to stare down at her. “I won’t mention seeing you if that’s what you’re worried about.
You can trust me. I don’t want any harm to come to you, and your friends saved me from those
coyotes. I owe them.”

His displeased expression was instant. “It is dangerous here and you are alone without a male’s

protection. I won’t allow you to leave my side or you could be harmed. You are safe with me, and the
other males will not touch you. “

There was that protection thing again. “Where you come from, do men protect women? You know,

guard them or something?”

He nodded. “Yes. They need protection. We take them into our homes to care for them.”

Shock rolled through her. What kind of barbaric world did he come from? Her fingers rubbed

against the empty food bag in her hand as she tried to make sense of his words. They were obviously
more technologically advanced than humans. They traveled in space, were able to visit other planets,
and made kickass instant food in a bag that not only made it easy to carry but also heated just by
opening the thing.

“Men and women aren’t equal?”

His expression was almost comical, and she was insulted at the sheer amusement he displayed.

He actually had the balls to laugh. “No. Men are much stronger than women.”

Lynn was tempted to call him a male-chauvinist pig but then her gaze flickered over his broad

shoulders, those huge guns he had for biceps, and took in his general massive size. The men would
definitely have a vast physical advantage if the women of his kind were her size.

She turned her head to glance at the other aliens, all muscular, big guys in the over-six-feet-tall

range. She looked back at Coto, saw that his amusement had died down. He studied her closely, his
expression now serious, and it was clear that the wheels of his mind were turning.

“Have I insulted you in some way?” His voice softened. “That was not my intention. I am aware

that women such as you think you are equal here. Your men are weaker than I am. Where I come from,
our men are very aggressive and a woman without protection would be in danger.”

“Am I in danger?”

He shook his head. “I would fight them if one tried to touch you, and even though I am injured, I

would win.”

“Fight? As in seriously punch each other out?”

She was stunned and partially horrified. They fought over women? For real? Damn, that is kind

of hot but disturbing at the same time. No guy had ever gotten into a fight over her.

He flashed a grin. “Do your men not fight over women they wish to claim?”

An image of Coto pinning her down and caging her inside his arms flashed in her mind and her

nipples tightened as her stomach quivered. Was it even possible for them to have sex? She wondered

what he hid under those kinky leather Speedos he wore. The idea of finding out became a little
tempting. He was the only guy she’d ever seen who looked sexy wearing those things.

A twig snapped, making her jump as she jerked her head in the direction of the sound.

Holion stood feet from them, watching them with an angry expression. “Coto,” he nearly growled

the name, “Yavil will clean and bandage your injuries better now that we have set up camp. I have
assigned Kollen the duty of protecting us while we rest until morning light. Then we will hunt for
Vhon and the Collis.”

Coto slowly stood, his body tense. “I give the orders.”

The other man lowered his furious gaze as his head dipped. “You were busy speaking to the

Earther, so I took charge.”

Earther. Ah-ha. Holion had slipped up on that one. Neither man seemed to notice the word he’d

dropped by accident as they locked gazes when Holion lifted his head. Coto growled, a deep,
rumbling sound that startled her just a little. It was a mean, harsh noise that the translator didn’t give
words for. She watched in rapt curiosity as Holion backed up, his head dropped again and his hands
clasped behind his back. It was a submissive gesture that Lynn couldn’t fail to notice. Her gaze jerked
to Coto and his angry expression as he glared at the other man.

Whoa boy. Coto is the big dog in this pack. With her job, she knew her alphas, and it was crystal

clear who it was with these men. Coto took a deep breath and then slowly expelled it. He took
another, his harsh expression softening a bit.

“Do not take authority again but your orders may stand. Make certain that Kollen keeps to the high

ground. I doubt they are expecting us to have survived but they could be hunting us. I do not want the
woman put in jeopardy if they attack.”

Rage was an easy emotion to read on Holion’s face as he lifted his head and flashed a nasty look

at Lynn before he met Coto’s gaze. “Our mission is to retrieve Argis Vhon, not to protect a woman.
Are you sure you did not injure your head when you were attacked? I question your priorities and
your ability to think clearly.”

In the blink of an eye, Coto moved, nailing Holion square in the chest. The other man grunted

loudly from the impact of Coto’s fisted hands as he was thrown back from the sheer force of the hit.
He flew a good five feet and landed on his back. Coto snarled, taking two steps before he halted, his
blue eyes flashing with emotion. His lips parted and his sharp teeth showed clearly as he glared at the
downed man.

Lynn was shocked to the core at the sudden violence. She couldn’t move and wasn’t even sure she

breathed as she watched Holion struggle to sit up. He pushed away from the ground, getting to his feet
quickly. He opened his mouth, growling viciously. His hands clenched into fists.

“You think you can take me?” Coto moved to the right, putting his body in the way so Lynn

couldn’t see Holion anymore. “Try. The last thing we need is you injured, since we may face an
enemy when we find Vhon, but if you want to do this, we will fight.”

Lynn leaned sideways enough to get a view of Holion. As much as she appreciated Coto putting

his body between her and the angry alien, she wanted to see what was going on. It was fascinating and
horrifying at the same time. It astounded her that they were such an advanced race if they used
violence to work out differences. She wondered briefly if Coto had moved to protect her or if he just
didn’t want her to see most of what was going on between him and the other guy.

“You are not acting rationally, Coto. You should be discussing strategy with us to find Argis Vhon,

but instead you are feeding and coddling the woman.”

“It is dark and we can’t hunt until their sun rises,” Coto growled. “What I do is not up for your

judgment. Were you raised with Vhon? He is a brother of my heart and his life is everything to me.
You question this?”

Holion shook his head, his gaze dropping to the dirt between them. “My apologies, Vartas Coto. I

am stressed and angry. Our ship is damaged, we are trapped here, and the enemy may have Argis
Vhon. Their ship went down close to ours. All our lives will be forfeited when Hyvin Berrr finds out
we allowed his son to be taken by our enemy.”

Coto relaxed his stiff shoulders and sighed loudly. “We are all under stress—and I’ve ordered

you not to use my title, friend. Others will come when they realize they can’t contact us. We will find
Vhon. The Collis can’t leave here either, with the damage we inflicted, and Vhon is too valuable for
them to take his life if they find him first. Kollen will guard our camp, we will relax this evening, and
tomorrow we will have him back with us.”

Holion nodded, regret on his features. “My apologies again, my friend. I never wish to fight with

you. It has been a bad day.”

“Yes,” Coto agreed. “It has.” He turned then, his exotic gaze fixing on Lynn before he moved

toward her.

She didn’t miss the trepidation she saw on his face. She’d overheard a lot that she was trying to

do the math on. Whoever this Vhon dude was, he was in danger. It sounded as though two ships had
fought and both crashed. Coto’s men and whatever a Collis was, were enemies. Vhon’s father had to
be Coto’s boss. The guy wasn’t going to be happy—in a murderous way—if something happened to
his son.

“There’s no reason to be afraid.”

Lynn shrugged. “Shit happens. I’m glad you two aren’t going to come to blows. You could open up

your wounds.” Her glance flicked over his bandaged wrist and she gasped at the sight of red on his
hand. She rose to her feet. “You did! Let me see.”

He held out his arm to her as she took his hot hand, a jolt going through her as her fingers curved

around his long, strong ones. She kept her attention on his wrist where the bandage showed fresh
blood. She looked up, had to tilt her chin to meet his narrowed gaze, and frowned.

“You need your doctor to look at this.”

“Yavil isn’t a doctor but he is medically trained for emergencies. Let us go inside and he will tend

to me.”

Movement at the corner of her eye had her turning her head. Speak of the devil, she thought,

watching the tall blond with the dark eyes cautiously approach them with his likely first-aid bag in
hand. He met her curious gaze for a second but then turned his full attention on Coto.

“I’m ready.”

Coto nodded, his fingers firmly clasping Lynn as he turned and led her toward the igloo-like tent.

She followed meekly behind him as he opened the flap of the thing.

The light inside wasn’t blue; instead, regular white light came from a round disk that may have

been the smallest, coolest lamp she’d ever seen. It was the size of a pot lid but the light it put out was
tremendous, making the room bright as daylight but not glaringly so. Someone had set up bedrolls on
the floor, spaced a few feet apart. Coto kept hold of her as he crossed the room, walking between two
bedrolls to the far side. He released her and pointed to one.

“Please sit.”

Coto bent and removed his boots. They were big things, heavy-duty, like military issue. It made

her wonder if they were in some kind of alien army. She hoped they weren’t there to check out Earth
for a possible invasion. That concept left her feeling cold but if they were merciless killers, they
sucked at it since they’d saved her. Coto had also been super nice to her. She relied on her gut
instincts and believed their reason for being on Earth. Some of her tension eased.

The bedroll was a thick, comfortable pad as she got settled, sitting cross-legged, and then looked

up. Her jaw dropped as Coto lay back flat on his bedroll, both hands going to the front of his pants,
which he pushed down his legs and totally removed. She stared at his kinky shorts again, those long,
muscular legs, and forced her lips firmly together.

Don’t gawk, she ordered, forcing her gaze to Yavil. Of course Coto has to take off his pants. The

other man needs to clean his wounds and wrap them better. Yavil studied for Coto’s bleeding wrist
first and removed the bandage.

“What did this?” Yavil reached for a bottle.

“They were vicious creatures with sharp teeth.”

“Dogs,” Lynn offered quietly. “They are similar to what you chased away when you found me.”

The blond glanced at her with his dark, strange eyes and nodded. He went to work on cleaning the

wound and then put on some kind of goopy cream that was yellow. He bandaged the wrist, had Coto
turn, and did the same to the other arm.

Lynn silently watched, amazed at how efficient the other man was and how Coto didn’t even

flinch. Lynn was pretty sure she would have cried and whimpered if she had those injures.

Yavil patched up all his wounds except the one high on Coto’s thigh. He scowled.

“I wish you had brought a house helper to tend you.” Yavil glanced at Lynn. “What about her? She

could do this.”

“You do it.” Coto didn’t even glance Lynn’s way. “It would not be a good idea to have her tend to

me.”

Yavil snorted. “It would cause you different pain.”

“Yes,” Coto agreed. “I’ll do it if you aren’t comfortable.”

“Thank you.” Yavil stood. “Just clean it well, put on the cream to seal the wound, and bandage it

again. I will be outside. I have yet to eat.”

Lynn watched the other man quickly flee the tent. She turned her head and saw Coto sit up, spread

his legs, and stare at the bandage high on the inside of his thigh. He shifted, trying to get a better look
at it.

“He’s not going to touch that one?”

Coto finally met her gaze. “Unless it is life or death, men are not comfortable dealing with

wounds in that area. Most of our healers are women. I am not actively bleeding and my life is secure,
so there is no reason to make him ill at ease with having to tend me this way.”

“Are you kidding me?” she gasped.

“No.”

“Of all the homophobic bullshit.” She rolled her eyes, going to her knees. “Lie back and I’ll do it.

I’m not a nurse but I’ve tended enough injured animals to do something this simple.” She crawled
toward him, careful to avoid the stuff on the floor that Yavil had left behind.

Coto’s pretty eyes widened and then he shook his head. “No.”

She was on her hands and knees close to him, their gazes locked. “No?”

He blinked once. Twice. A third time. “It would not be wise right now for you to do this.”

“Why?”

His hesitation before he answered was long seconds. “I am attracted to you.” He was blunt. “I

have fed and have rested from my battle with the sharp-teethed creatures that attacked me.”

“Okay. They were dogs, not creatures. What’s your point?”

“I can do this myself.”

She cocked her head, staring at him, and then grinned. “Are you afraid you’re going to get wood

or something?”

The frown was instant. “I don’t understand.”

She glanced at his leather Speedos and then her gaze rose to meet his. “Are you afraid you’ll get

aroused?” He’d used that word so she figured he understood it.

“Yes. I don’t want to frighten you.”

“Does your head spin or something? Do you spew green, gross stuff and chant in demon speak?”

She knew she was being a smartass and he probably wouldn’t understand but he was being just as
ridiculous. “Maybe you turn into a pumpkin?”

“No.” His frown deepened. “I am not sure what you mean but my reaction would be obvious.” He

paused. “My body would react to your touch.”

“I won’t look to see how you react. Just lie back and let me do this. Don’t argue.”

He slowly lay back. “I won’t attack you or force you, so there’s no reason to fear me.”

“That’s great to know.” She studied the stuff laid out on the floor. She reached for him and hoped

her hands weren’t cold as her fingers brushed his inner thigh while she carefully removed the
bandage. The wound didn’t look nearly as bad as it had.

“You really heal fast.” She stared at the damaged skin, seeing it was red and scabbed where the

wound had started to close without stitches. “That’s going to itch badly. I fell last year and scabbed
up my knees pretty good. It about drove me nuts while it healed. Of course, it would take me weeks to
recover from this.” She studied the bite. “They really got you good.”

“I was surprised by the dogs.” He watched her closely, his face carefully masked of expression.

It amused her that he was trying hard not to react to her. She turned her head to hide her smile and

reached for the bottle she’d seen Yavil use. She gripped one of the small hand-towel things and
started to very gently douse the skin as she cleaned the wound.

“Will this take care of infection?”

“Yes. It will quicken the healing too. We usually don’t use this cream but we are far from home.

It’s normal to suffer from injuries but this is what you would call an emergency.”

His voice sounded deeper. She glanced up and saw his eyes were closed now. Her gaze traveled

down his muscled body and paused over his shorts. She froze, going totally still, even holding her
breath until the air burst from her lips as one word popped out.

“Shit!”

He jumped at her cussing and she barely jerked her gaze up in time as his eyes flew open to lock

with hers. “What?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “It’s just that it’s a bad wound.”

The guy was aroused all right, the sight something she couldn’t miss since the leather wasn’t

exactly loose around his body. He was seriously hung, judging by the bulge she’d gawked at. He was
barely contained in the things and it didn’t look comfortable.

“Relax.” She kept her voice neutral.

She tucked her head more, so she didn’t glance over at his lap, her hair falling down in a way that

helped curtain that view. She couldn’t be sure if aliens had the same male parts as humans did but that
bulge looked the right shape, just not the right size, unless the guy wanted a job working in the porn
industry. Some producer of smut films would die to get his hands on someone who could fill out
leather that impressively.

Lynn turned and reached for the yellow, creamy stuff and she used her fingers to spread it over his

injury. She bandaged him next, getting a few quick glances at his lap. Nope. It really is that big.

She moved down to the other bite and quickly cleaned it, smeared it with the cream, and bandaged

it. She backed up and then turned, giving him her back as she crawled onto her bedding.

“All done.”

By the time she settled down and turned to face him, he’d moved, drawing part of his bedding

over his lap. It was almost funny that he was hiding his hard-on from her. It proved yet again that the
guy had to be an alien. A typical human guy would have flaunted that bad boy her way, thinking it
would make her want to jump his bones. He gave her a tense nod.

“Thank you.”

His voice had become super deep, rough, and harsh. Her eyebrows rose. Oh hell. I have to know.

“Why is your voice like that?”

He cleared his throat. “Like what?”

“It’s noticeably deeper. Why?”

“I’m aroused and I’ve been without a woman for some time while traveling. It makes me more

aggressive and my voice deepens. I am thankful that I’m not snarling right now. We should sleep.
Morning will come soon and your sun will rise. There is plenty to do.”

He turned then, presenting her with his back. She watched him, his body obviously tense. The guy

needed to get laid. Hell, she needed to get laid. It had been nearly a year since she’d hooked up with
her loser ex-boyfriend. Of course, the pickings were slim in Green Bend. Her new boyfriend was a
body pillow she’d dubbed Teddy Bear and a bullet-sized vibrator that was currently without working
batteries.

She lay down and stretched out on her stomach. She didn’t do aliens. She turned her head to let

her gaze drift over his broad back. Not even hot, long-haired, sexy ones with a stare that seemed to
reach right down into her soul and a voice that did funny things to her stomach.

Nope.

She closed her eyes. Plus, the guy was friggin’ huge. If he didn’t crush her with his big body, or

break her with his big strong hands, there was that seriously alarming wood he’d been sporting. She
crossed her ankles and took a shaky breath.

Bigger isn’t better. Bigger means pain. Yeah, keep thinking that, she urged herself.

Chapter Four

Lynn got a rude awakening when a roar tore through the structure. She jerked to a sitting position,

confused, and her heart pounded as she wildly looked around her. She was alone inside the tent. She
heard a snarl and then something hit the side of the tent by the door, making the material dent inward
before the object against it was gone so the wall popped back out.

“What in the world?” she gasped, almost afraid to move, let alone walk out there to see what was

going on. She shoved off the top of the bedroll. These guys argued a lot, she thought, as she stood. She
walked toward the door.

The door was torn open before she reached it and Coto ducked inside. Lynn stared at him, heart

racing, and their gazes locked. He looked extremely livid with his harsh expression. He paused inside
the door, took a deep breath, and then blew it out slowly.

“You have no reason to fear me.” Coto took another step into the tent, letting the flap drop down

behind him, closing them inside. “They are gone. They left us here.”

She let that sink in. Holion had defied Coto’s orders. “I’m sorry.”

“I will beat him for this insubordination.”

“To be fair, you are pretty hurt.”

He reached down and, to her shock, began stripping out of his boots and pants. He straightened in

front of her and tore off all the bandages. He had an amazing body. His leather underwear accented
his golden skin…but then she looked lower.

“Wow!”

“I told you the cream heals us quickly. Holion knew. He left us here to gain the gratitude of Hyvin

Berrr.”

“We can pack up camp and track them.” Her gaze lingered over his thick biceps and his chest. His

silence finally made her look up at his face.

He tilted his head just a little as he watched her with those exotic eyes. “I’m attracted to you and

you are interested in me. I see it in your eyes.”

She couldn’t exactly deny it. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “We’re so

different.” A flash of humor hit. “I mean, you’re a leprechaun and all.”

He frowned. “You’re intelligent. I could see you didn’t believe that. You know what I am, don’t

you?”

She didn’t fear Coto. “Leprechauns aren’t real. They’re mythical men who probably stand a few

feet high. That advertisement was kind of a joke the bar owner must have thought was cute. You’re not
from around here but my guess is you aren’t even from this planet.”

“It’s called Zorn. My planet.”

“Why are you really here? You aren’t planning on attacking Earth, are you?” She hoped he’d say

no.

His scowl deepened. “Never. We don’t want war. The Collis are another race, and they stole

some of your women and brought them to my planet to sell. Hyvin Berrr, our leader, sent us here to
make certain it didn’t happen again. We came and located their ship. A battle ensued. We were trying
to protect your women from being taken and sold.”

It made her like him even more. “Why would you care about us?”

“You are not my enemy and I am a protector of women.”

Lynn was speechless. It was a rare occurrence for her but occasionally it happened, although with

Coto, it seemed to be a common event. She finally found words. “Who is Vhon?”

He took a step forward but then halted, keeping a few feet between them. “He is someone of great

importance. I can’t explain more than that but we need to find him and get him from the Collis if they
have him.”

“So how many Collis are there?”

His mouth twisted into a harsh grimace. “They are more than one. We are unsure of their numbers

but the ship they were in usually carries six crew members.”

Her mind worked, piecing together what she’d heard. “You’re stranded here now looking for your

friend. Did your ship crash?”

“Yes. Both ships crashed.”

“So these Collis are stranded here too?”

He nodded.

“Your people will come looking for you, right?”

He nodded again.

“Will their people come looking for them?”

He hesitated but then shrugged. “It stands to logic, unless they are criminals without friends to

search for them.”

“What a mess.” She realized she’d said that aloud instead of just thinking it when Coto nodded.

“It is unfortunate.” He reached up slowly and his fingers brushed her jawline feather soft, stroking

her. “I was tracking a group of Collis that I believe have Vhon when the dogs attacked me. Have you
seen others similar to me? They are slightly smaller than we are by inches, and they have yellowed
teeth and bad hair.”

His touch made her very aware of him as a man. “I would tell you if I had seen them. The owner

of the dogs that you had to kill called me to come out and find what did that to them, but you’re the
only one I found.”

“You live in the area?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know all the hiding areas? They will look for high ground, water, and some kind of

shelter over their heads. Do you know of such a place?”

“Um, there’s one spot like that near here. It’s on the property past the one where you were

attacked. It’s abandoned. The couple who lived there retired to Florida and nobody bought the place.
It’s kind of rundown but livable if someone is desperate.”

“Will you help me? You offered to be our guide and we need one. We are not familiar with

your…” He paused. “This area.”

This planet, she thought, finishing what he would have said if he hadn’t stopped to change it.

Gazing into those amazing blue depths, she found herself nodding. She wanted to help him.

He slid his fingers up her cheek and through her messy hair. He lowered his face, staring deeply

into her eyes.

“I would frighten you if I told you what I want to do to you.”

He had the sexiest voice ever, she decided. It affected her in odd but wonderful ways. “What do

you want to do to me?”

His hand lowered to her shoulder. He gently slid his palm over it and down her arm to her elbow,

then to her back. His fingertips brushed her bare skin where the coyote had torn open her jacket in the
back. It was an erotic sensation, feeling the rough pads of his fingertips lightly brush across her spine
and downward, until he reached the edge of her panties.

“Would you trust me not to harm you if I try something?”

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly.

He pulled her closer against his body until scant inches separated them. He leaned in, his face

lowering, but he didn’t go for her mouth. Instead, his warm breath fanned the side of her neck.

His hand on her back lowered, gripping her right ass cheek firmly. “An experiment,” he nearly

groaned. “I won’t harm you but I want to see if you respond to me.”

I already am. She refused to admit that aloud. His hot, large hand gripping her firmly was

something she should have smacked him over, but instead she just stood there allowing him to play
grab ass. Lynn stared up at him. She knew she should protest or jerk away but didn’t.

“What do you want to try?”

He suddenly nuzzled her neck with his nose. “Touch me.”

I’m in trouble. She lifted her hands to press flat against his ribs. He was really warm and his skin

was silky but firm to the touch. She explored upward, lightly brushing her fingertips over his nipples.
They beaded instantly and he growled. She froze.

“I like that.”

“This is such a bad idea,” she whispered.

“I know. I should be searching for Vhon but all I can think about is touching you.”

“We’re probably not even compatible.”

“Some of the males from my world have married women from your planet. We fit together well

and they share much pleasure.”

That shocked her. “They married aliens?”

“Yes. Hyvin Berrr is married to an Earth woman. Three of my brothers of the heart have also

taken women from Earth as their bounds.”

“What’s a bounds?”

“A bound. Married.”

“Do they live here?”

“No. They are on Zorn. My people are accepting of other races from different planets. All the

women from your world have stated that wouldn’t be the case here. It’s why we can’t allow anyone to
find out we’re here. They might attack us.”

She couldn’t argue with that. A dozen movies flashed in her mind about that exact scenario. “They

probably would be terrified and launch missiles at you or something.”

“We’re aware.” He massaged her ass with his big hand.

It was distracting Lynn from the topic of conversation, since he’d moved his fingers close to her

pussy. She stared into his eyes. They were gorgeous and he was extremely handsome, despite being
from another world. He was the most tempting man she’d ever met.

He’d find Vhon and leave for home. She’d never see him again.

“Sex works between our races, right?”

“Yes. I asked many questions and know how to please you.”

Lynn took a deep breath and blew it out. She had always dreamed about meeting a guy who swept

her off her feet. Coto had done that to her—literally—when she’d been hurting from the ear implant.
He was strong, seemed honorable, and she’d always wanted to have some kind of adventure. Life in
Green Bend had always been extremely boring. Coto had promised to protect and even fight to keep
her safe. She believed he’d do it, and that was more than any other guy had ever offered to do for her.

“Fuck it,” she muttered and reached up, grabbing his face with both hands. “You only live once,

right? Let’s go for it.”

His eyes widened, his surprise clear.

She closed her eyes and pulled his face lower until her lips brushed across his. He groaned and

crushed his mouth over hers. She melted when he began kissing her in earnest. He seemed to know
how to do it perfectly as his tongue mastered hers.

Lynn didn’t protest when he lifted her off her feet and hiked her up his chest. She spread her legs

and wrapped them around his waist. He released her ass and hooked his forearm beneath her bottom.
She moaned when he adjusted her just enough so her clit and his rigid cock aligned against each other.

He slowly rocked his hips, rubbing her there with firm strokes. She hadn’t ever mimicked the

motions of fucking with thin barriers of clothing on before, never understanding the point of it until
that moment. It felt amazing and she squeezed her legs tighter around his hips.

Coto was the one to break the kiss. He buried his face against her throat and lightly bit her. The

deep growl that rumbled out of him was sexy, showing her how much he was turned on too.

“I want you so much,” he rasped.

“Don’t stop doing that,” she panted. “It feels so good.”

He listened, continuing to grind his cock against the seam of her pussy. Lynn moaned, released his

face, and clutched at his muscular biceps. The material of her jacket trapped between them was a
little rough against her beaded nipples but it even enhanced what he was making her feel.

“Yes,” she moaned.

He moved a little faster, almost as frantic as she felt. She sucked in a sharp breath and the climax

struck hard, tearing through her. She cried out his name and then gasped when he suddenly dropped to
his knees. She was thrown back onto the soft bedroll. He lifted up to put room between their bodies
and she stared at his face. He tore his gaze away from hers to peer between them when he wiggled his
hips, making it clear she needed to ease the grip of her legs around him. She did.

He reached between them and began to shove her panties down her legs. She drew her legs up to

her chest to help until he’d cleared them of her ankles. He dropped them on the floor and she spread
her legs, wrapping them around his hips. He slid his other hand out from under her ass and fumbled
with the side of his leather Speedos. The strap gave way and he got his cock free.

She glanced down and openly gawked. Coto was large all over, the shaft thick, but the crown of

his cock mushroomed.

He didn’t waste any time in easing forward until the tip of him rubbed against her sensitive clit.

She arched her back and enjoyed the way he played with her. He teased the sensitive bundle of nerves
with the crown of his cock over and over until she could barely stand it anymore. She arched her hips,
clawing at his arms.

“Please? Now!”

He growled low. “I want you to want me as much as I want you.”

“I do!” She was ready to reach between them to grip his shaft and guild it exactly where she

wanted him to be. She felt empty inside, aching to have him fuck her.

He finally seemed convinced that she was ready when he slid the tip lower, right to the opening of

her pussy. He pushed forward, entering her. Lynn adjusted her legs a little higher, gripping his waist
instead of his hips as he bent forward, coming down on top of her. He pinned her and entered farther,
making her take all of him.

She moaned loudly, enjoying the way they fit together. His cock was incredibly hard, stretching

her vaginal walls in a way that sent pleasure shooting throughout her limbs. He withdrew and she
moaned louder. It felt even better. He paused, then drove in. She clutched at his arms and bit her lip in
an attempt to muffle some of the sounds that wanted to come out of her in case he mistook them for
pain.

Coto moved faster, driving in and out of her body. He cupped her hips, holding her in place while

he hammered her. The sounds of their heavy breathing and his growls filled her ears. He dug his
hands under her ass and lifted her hips just slightly. The pleasure increased until she tensed, almost
hurting. The second climax slammed her unexpectedly and she yelled his name.

Coto snarled and suddenly pulled his cock out of her. He twisted his hips and his rigid shaft

rubbed against the back of her thigh. Warm wetness spread across her skin.

Coto practically collapsed on top of her but recovered fast and lifted up a few inches.

Lynn let her legs relax and slid them from his waist to hug the sides of his hips and thighs as he

lifted to kneel on the floor. She opened her eyes, looking at him while she recovered. Their gazes
locked.

He looked at her in a way that no other man ever had. There was such depth of emotion revealed,

as if she were the most important thing in the world to him. She released his arm and touched his
cheek, stroking him. She wished he really felt that way.

“You are so beautiful, Lynn.”

She believed he meant it. “So are you.”

He chuckled. “I think something got lost in the translation but I believe you find me irresistible

too.”

“I’ve never just jumped into bed with a guy before so I would say so.”

He sobered, some of the shine in his eyes fading. “You don’t regret it, do you?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“I wanted to take more time with you but my need was too great.”

She could totally understand. That had been the best quickie she’d ever had. Coto was just too hot

and sexy to resist. “I have no complaints.”

“I wanted to bound you to me but I pulled out. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever

done. I’d claim you if you allowed it.”

She remembered what he’d said a bound was. “What does that have to do with you not coming

inside me? That’s what we’re talking about, right?”

“It’s how we marry. We give our seed to the woman we wish to have children with. I want you to

consider it, Lynn. I believe you’d like Zorn. I would love to tell you all about my planet. Other Earth
women have come to call it home and they don’t regret going there.”

She was stunned speechless.

“I know this is happening fast but consider it. I’d make you happy. I’m aware of some of the

issues our two races have faced. Let me alleviate some of them for you. You’d be the only woman I’d
touch, or allow to touch me. I’d fight to the death to keep you safe. I will take another job that keeps
me on Zorn at all times. I’d never leave you on the planet alone while I went into space. There are
other women from your planet that you will see often and they’d become your friends. They are bound
to the brothers of my heart.”

“What is a brother of the heart?” She felt safer asking that, not willing to address the whole

marry-me-and-come-live-on-my-world-with-me subject.

“My parents died when I was young. Hyvin Berrr allowed me to move into his home and raised

me with his sons. His first bound refused to allow him to accept me as a full son while I was growing
up. I’m of Hyvin Berrr’s heart, and his sons are brothers of my heart. They feel the same toward me.”

“Why wouldn’t she allow him to adopt you?”

He appeared confused. “Adopt?”

“To treat you as if you were a full son, I guess.”

“She felt I wasn’t worthy because we have no blood connection. Bloodlines were important to

her. It was an insult for me to even be raised with her sons, to have their standing in our society, but
Berrr refused to send me away. He was friends with my father. He wanted to keep me close and give
me the best opportunities to become a strong, honorable warrior. He tells me often I have done him
proud. That means a lot to me. I respect and admire Berrr.”

Lynn played with his hair. She liked that he could be so open about his life. He might be from

another planet, but it seemed to her that his people and hers probably had a lot in common. “Is it scary
to leave your world to go to others?”

He smiled. “Sometimes, but right now I’m grateful for visiting Earth.” He shifted his hold on her

and used his fingers to spread her hair out on the soft pad of the bedroll, seeming to admire it. “I’d
love to take you home with me, Lynn.” He leaned in closer, holding her gaze. “It might be frightening
for you, but I’d keep you safe and happy. I’d like you to be my bound. Say yes.”

He wasn’t going to let it go. “We barely know each other.”

“You need more time.”

“Yes.”

“I understand.” He glanced at her mouth and tenderly kissed her. He pulled back. “We should

leave here and track my crew. They left at least an hour before we woke.”

She remembered what Holion had said. “Why don’t we forget them and find your Vhon on our

own? I know this area really well. They are probably wandering around blind. Didn’t you say you
thought you were tracking Vhon when you were attacked?”

“Yes.” Coto slowly pulled away and gripped her arm, helping her to sit up. He stood, removing

his leather Speedos all the way. He held out his hand to her again. “Let’s get clean first.”

“The river is too far.”

He smiled. “Zorn technology. Trust me.”

He led her to one of the black packs and reached inside to pull out a packet. “Wash cloth. I think

that is the right term you would understand. The human bounds on Zorn work with our programmers to
make communications smoother.”

He opened it and handed her a warm, wet piece of material. She studied it. It was really soft.

“Wipe over your skin to get clean.” He bent and removed a second one.

She had to admire the way that he seemed so comfortable with his nudity. It made her feel a little

shy as she removed her jacket, doing what he did. He started at his face, moved slowly down his
shoulders, then his chest to his stomach. She realized quickly that the cloth remained damp and
seemed to absorb everything.

Coto avoided staring at Lynn. She seemed ill at ease with baring her body in front of him. He

found it endearing. Earth women were shy about nudity. He’d break Lynn of that in time, until she
preferred being undressed in his presence.

Some of his amusement faded. She hadn’t agreed to return to Zorn with him as his bound. They

didn’t know each other well but he wanted to keep her. He’d seen Rever make a mistake by bounding
to the wrong woman. It had been corrected when he’d met his Brenda, but the lesson was learned.
Coto refused to believe Lynn hid a dark, deceitful heart. She was sweet, smart, and everything he
could want in a woman he would spend the rest of his life with.

She wanted time to get to know him better. He’d sent a distress signal to Zorn when they’d

engaged in battle with the Collis. The ships they used to avoid detection on Earth didn’t have many
weapons. He estimated he had two days before help reached them, if the signal had been received.
Otherwise, it could be a week before someone was sent to investigate why they hadn’t reported in.

He finished cleaning up and withdrew a shirt from his pack, unfolding it. “Here, Lynn. Wear this.”

It bothered him that the other men could see so much of her in just that torn jacket of hers. The crew
had been without women since they’d left Zorn and Lynn had a beautiful body. He’d kill anyone who
tried to take what was his. That was her.

She accepted it. “Thank you.”

He located sleeping shorts and offered her those too. “They will be large on you but will cover

more.” He strode over to one of the sleeping blankets and used his shara to slice off a long strip.
Returning to her and dropping to his knees, he used it to make a belt to hold up the loose shorts. He
liked having a reason to touch her and she allowed it.

He glanced at her feet. “We should return to the river to cover your feet.”

“I have a plan.”

He looked up at her, resisting the urge to pull her back into his arms. He’d enjoy nothing better

than stripping her bare and taking her back to the sleeping mat. He resisted. He’d shown her they
were sexually compatible, but he’d learned enough about Earth women to know they wanted more

than sex from a male.

“What?”

“We’re going to Mr. Avery’s. His daughter and I were friends. She keeps clothes and stuff there

for when she visits him every Christmas, and we’re about the same size. I’m also going to borrow a
gun from him. I don’t want to run into those coyotes again without one.”

“I can protect you.”

She smiled. “I know, but I like to protect myself. Welcome to Earth. I’m your equal here. Deal

with that.”

He chuckled. She was tiny but he wouldn’t point that out to her. Berrr’s female was fierce. He

wouldn’t underestimate Lynn. She had tracked and found him in the woods when he’d been wounded.
It was a skill he admired. “Fine. You said he is blind?”

“Yes. I won’t mention anything about you. Just stay outside while I go in and he won’t know

anything. I’m going to tell him I lost my stuff in the river and tell him about the aggressive coyotes on
his property. He’ll lend me clothes and a weapon. He’s a nice man.”

“Let’s go.”

She glanced around inside the tent. “Should we take down the camp?”

“No. This is our home base. We might be here for days. It should be safe.”

Coto stood, hating to put distance between them. He dressed in his uniform and geared up on

weapons, packing enough food to last them for the day. He offered her a breakfast bar. “Eat while we
walk. Do you know where this Mr. Avery is?”

“Yes.”

“Lead and I will follow you.” He glanced down at her feet. “Should I carry you?”

She grinned. “I’m good. The ground is pretty soft but I’ll give a shout out if that changes.”

He wouldn’t force her to leave her planet but he’d do everything in his power to convince her to

go home with him. He was determined to keep his Lynn.

Chapter Five

Lynn raised her hand and stepped behind a tree. Something was off. The cabin door was closed,

the curtains drawn. Nothing looked out of place. She studied it, trying to put her finger on what was
wrong. Coto pressed against her back, one of his gloved hands curling around her hip.

“What is it?” He spoke softly.

It hit her. “There’s no smoke coming from the chimney and the porch lights are still on.”

“It’s not a cold morning. Why would he light a fire if it wasn’t for warmth?”

“It’s Mr. Avery. He always has a fire going. He likes the sound and smell of burning wood. He

even keeps one going at night when he sleeps. He’s a weird guy. Old school and set in his ways. He’s
also cheap. He wouldn’t leave those lights on unless it was nighttime. He’d figure it would run up his
electricity bill.”

“Do you believe the dogs attacked him while he was outside?”

She winced. “I hope not. I’m going to go to the door. You stay back. I’ll find out what is going

on.”

He tightened his hold. “No. It could be dangerous.”

“The door is closed. Animals can’t get inside. Just hang back. I’m going to check it out.”

“I don’t like this.”

She didn’t either, but she pried his fingers off her hip and stepped out from behind the tree. She

approached the front of the cabin and hated the way the porch steps creaked when she put weight on
them. The cabin was quiet. She listened before lifting her fist and knocking.

“Mr. Avery? It’s Lynn Reynolds.”

There was no sound and the door didn’t open. She gripped the handle and twisted, not surprised

to find it unlocked. It would have surprised her if it had been. She eased open the door. The lights in
the main living area were on. She left the door open after entering.

“Mr. Avery? It’s Lynn Reynolds,” she called louder. “Are you okay?”

She spotted broken glass near the kitchen table. She guessed it used to be a coffee mug. She crept

forward—and froze. Fear hit when she saw a pair of booted feet peeking from around the corner.

“COTO!” She had no qualms about yelling for him.

She rushed forward, staring down at Mr. Avery. She didn’t need to touch him to know he was

dead. He was face-up and dried blood had pooled on the hardwood floor next to his throat. She
looked away. His eyes were open and his throat had been slashed.

Coto rushed into the house and she looked at him. He had his weapons in hand, looking ferocious.

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. “He’s been murdered.”

Coto stormed forward and took in the scene. “No dog did that.”

“I know.” She refused to look at Mr. Avery again. It was going to devastate his daughter when she

learned of her father’s death. “Would Vhon do this?”

He sheathed one of his blades and quickly approached the hallway that led to the two small

bedrooms and bathroom at the back of the cabin. “There’s no honor in killing a harmless blind man.
This is the work of the Collis. Some of them did survive.”

He disappeared down the hall. Lynn glanced at the phone on the wall, tempted to call for help.

Coto returned. “They aren’t here but all the doors are open, as if they were searching for Vhon.”

“How do you know it was the Collis?” She wanted to believe him but it was possible his friends

had murdered the old man.

Coto walked over to the body and cleared his throat. “Look.”

She didn’t want to.

“Lynn? You want proof? Remember what I said about the Collis? Yellow teeth and bad hair? They

spit yellow fluid. It stains their teeth. Look what is next to the victim.”

She forced her head to turn, following where his finger pointed. She saw his proof right next to

the pool of blood, and was totally grossed out. “Okay.” She averted her gaze, not wanting to look at
Mr. Avery again. “I need to call this in.”

“You can’t. It will bring more humans.”

He was right. “Those Collis are murdering people.”

“We must find and stop them. Bringing in more humans would only give them more to kill. They

have weapons your law enforcement wouldn’t expect.”

Anger bypassed her sorrow. The police couldn’t help. “Vigilante style. Got it. Hang on.” She

hurried down the hallway to Mr. Avery’s daughter’s old room.

The cabinets in the kitchen were all open and she understood why Coto had guessed that the aliens

had searched the house. The long cedar chest along the windows had been torn open as well, the lid
split as if it had been smashed in anger. She spotted what she was looking for and tried on a few pairs
of shoes. They were a little too big but a pair of socks helped some boots fit. She also took a
camouflage jacket.

She returned to the main living area, yanked the shotgun off the mantel, and grabbed a box of

shells to stuff into the pocket of the borrowed jacket. She turned, facing Coto.

He’d used a throw from the couch to cover Mr. Avery. She appreciated that. He held her gaze,

looking grim.

“Let’s go.” She looked down, making sure the shotgun was loaded. It was, just as she suspected.

“What is the meaning of the word you used? I don’t understand.”

She struggled to remember what she’d said and then it came to her. “Vigilante? It means I usually

don’t hunt to kill. Today that changes. Follow me. I didn’t see any tracks in the front to indicate they
came that way. There’s a back door out of the bathroom. I think they snuck up on him. This happened
last night. He probably didn’t even hear them until they were in his kitchen.” She focused on the anger
instead of the grief that wanted to rise. She had liked Mr. Avery. “Let’s make sure they don’t kill
anyone else.”

“You are so appealing right now.”

She glanced down at the oversized jacket, her borrowed clothes from him, and the chunky boots.

She looked up at him, skeptical.

“You are.” He approached her. “You’re the tracker. I have your back. Let’s go, Lynn.”

She spun, leading him through the hallway to the bathroom. Mr. Avery used it as a mud room too.

She eased open the door and froze, looking at the three steps leading to the ground. One of them was
broken.

“Just as I thought. Heavy bastards, aren’t they? One of them went right through the board.” She

kept a tight hold on the shotgun, easing around the hole, and located the tracks on the soft dirt of the
ground near the bottom of the steps. “There’re two of them. They left the same way they came.” She
moved forward, spotting more signs of the two men. “This way. The good news is they haven’t found
your Vhon. At least not these two.”

“How do you know?”

“I’d assume your friend wouldn’t willingly go with one of them. Their footprints would be close

together if handcuffs were used and there’s no smudging on the prints to indicate one of them was
being forced to walk.”

“You impress me.”

“Tell me that after I find them and they’re dead.”

Coto growled.

She halted and glanced back at him. She recognized the look. “That turns you on?”

“More than you know. You are extraordinary.”

“I’m pissed off, Coto. Mr. Avery didn’t deserve to die like that.”

“You are perfect for me.”

She faced forward and concentrated on locating more footprints to follow. The two men weren’t

hiding their tracks. They left a path of destruction by breaking twigs, snapping brush, and upsetting
rocks. Coto was correct about their spitting habits too. They did it frequently, the yellow stains on the
ground easy to spot. It didn’t take her long to come across where they’d camped. They hadn’t built a
fire but the flattened moss showed they had gotten some sleep. She crouched, examining the area. She
placed a palm on where one of them had lain.

“They’re close,” she whispered.

Coto lowered next to her, his gaze constantly scanning the area. “How can you tell?”

“The ground is still warm, even though it’s in the shade. They weren’t using sleeping mats like

you have. He lay directly here.”

Coto removed his glove and placed his hand next to hers, then on another spot. “I feel the

difference in temperature. That’s amazing.”

She captured a few strands of hair from the moss. “This one is a dirty blond.” She brushed them

off her fingers. “They’re heading toward the river.”

“Are you certain it is the enemy?”

She jerked her head in the direction of a mass of rocks. “One of them spit near the top. See the

yellow stain? They climbed up there and the river is about a mile that way. Can these bastards
swim?”

“I’m not certain. Why?”

“The river bottlenecks into a series of shallow streams this way, then opens up where we crossed.

They are skirting the deeper parts. That’s my guess. I’d have to backtrack their trail to know for sure
but there was a faster path if crossing the river was their intention.”

“I hope dogs attack them.”

“You killed Jimmy’s dogs. There aren’t any more of them and that way will bypass Jimmy’s land,

directly to the abandoned property I mentioned. It’s high up and easy to spot in that area. Your friend
might have gone there.”

“Let’s go.” Coto stood, replacing his glove. “We must stop them before they find Vhon.”

She rose too and gripped his wrist. He looked down at her. She cleared her throat. “Just to be

clear, are you planning on capturing or killing them?”

“They are our enemy. They have no honor.”

She eased her grip and nodded. “I just don’t want you to get angry with me if I shoot them. I’m

going to show them the same mercy they gave Mr. Avery. None. I don’t hate aliens. I just hate those
ones.”

He smiled. “Use your weapon. They would kill you if given the chance.” His features suddenly

darkened, pure rage sparking in his eyes. “They’d hurt you first. Don’t hesitate to kill, Lynn. Do you
understand?”

“I do. These guys are rabid animals in my mind. They need to be put down. Let’s go.”

She took the lead up the hill and had to climb with one hand since the shotgun didn’t have a strap.

She paused near the top, lifting her head to peer down the valley. Coto did the same, sticking close to
her side. She scanned and spotted movement in the distance near the streams.

“There.” She pointed.

“I see them. Stay here. I’ll take them on.” He sounded grim.

“There are two of them.”

He scowled. “I am an excellent fighter.”

“Okay. Go for it. Be careful.” They’d waste time arguing. She wanted those two men to pay for

what they’d done.

Coto climbed higher by a few inches and topped the rocks. He remained close to the ground as he

moved forward, in a walking crouch. Lynn kept her focus on the two men in the distance. They didn’t
glance back or seem to hear Coto. He reached the area just behind the men and sprinted forward. Lynn
hesitated, lifted the shotgun, and took aim.

“Damn.” A shotgun was useless at that range. She bit her lip and followed Coto, keeping low in

case those Collis did look back and spot her. She reached the flatter ground and ran after Coto, using
trees to shield her as much as possible.

A loud roar tore through the woods. She had heard it before. Coto had come across his enemy.

She stopped dodging behind trees and just sprinted toward the streams. It didn’t take her long to

spot the three men. They’d reached the first stream and were thigh high in water.

Coto had both his blades out. The two men parted, trying to keep him between them. One attacked

him from the front as the other whipped out a blade. She yelled a warning but Coto dodged being
stabbed in the back by twisting his body. He shot one foot out, catching the man behind him in the
knee. The guy fell over into the water.

Lynn was panting hard by the time she reached them. She lifted the shotgun, shaking a little as

Coto fought with one of the Collis. The second one came up out of the water coughing and sputtering.
He recovered fast though and lunged forward, planning to bury his blade in Coto again.

Lynn quickly calculated the safety margin for range and pellet spread. The Collis was far enough

from Coto to allow her a clean shot. Hope I’m right.

She squeezed the trigger but missed hitting the attacking alien square in the chest. He had taken

some buckshot to the shoulder though. The impact spun him around and he fell back into the water
again.

She adjusted her hold on the shotgun, better prepared for the kick if she had to fire it again. The

alien found his footing and bellowed, stumbling toward her with his sharp blade fisted in his hand.

Lynn took aim and blasted him again. She hit her mark that time, nailing him square in the chest.

He was thrown back and sank into the water. A moment later he floated up, unmoving and

facedown. Red stained the water around him and rocks caught one of his limbs, keeping the current
from taking him away. She kept the barrel trained on him in case he wasn’t dead. She didn’t know
how tough aliens were and wasn’t willing to risk him playing possum.

Coto trudged out of the water and she saw that the second man was down, not moving on the other

side of the flowing stream. Blood stained the front of his body. Coto went to the one she’d shot. He
crouched, grabbed the guy by his boot, and dragged him to the bank of the river. He seemed to check
for a pulse and then rose, facing her.

“You killed him. Good job.”

The situation hit her. She’d really just killed a man. He was an alien, a murderer, but she’d really

shot him. Not once but twice. She almost dropped the shotgun and stumbled in the borrowed boots.
Coto lunged forward and gripped the weapon, tearing it out of her hands. He was wet from the waist
down when he hauled her against him.

“Breathe,” he demanded. “Don’t faint.”

She sucked in deep breathes and clutched his shirt.

“It is fine.” He lowered his chin to the top of her head, one arm hooked around her waist in almost

a bear hug. “He would have killed you. You were brave and honorable, Lynn. He would have taken
your life.”

She nodded, reminding herself that they were the two she’d tracked from Mr. Avery’s cabin.

They’d killed her friend. He hadn’t had anything in his hands but a mug that he’d dropped when he’d
been attacked. He hadn’t stood a chance against the Collis. They’d taken the life of a blind man.

“It is all well,” Coto crooned. “You helped me battle the enemy. They are not worthy of any guilt

or remorse. Do not feel either of those things.”

“I’m fine.” She wasn’t certain that was true. She locked her legs until she felt as if she wouldn’t

fall on her ass and eased her death grip on his shirt. “I’m not going to faint.”

He released her waist and stepped back. She lifted her chin to hold his gaze. He appeared

worried about her. He offered her the shotgun. She stared at it but refused to take it. She managed to
shake her head.

He bent and rested it on the ground. “I must take care of the bodies. We can’t have someone

stumble across them. We’ll take them away when another ship comes to retrieve us.”

In other words, there would be no proof that she’d killed anyone. She wasn’t even sure if she

could be arrested for shooting an alien. It would probably be deemed self-defense but she didn’t want
to test it.

“Sit,” Coto urged. “Look away. I will deal with this. Rest. We still must find Vhon.”

She took his advice and walked over to a fallen tree and sat on the log, her back toward the

stream. She cringed a few times when certain noises made her imagine the worst. She had no idea
what Coto’s version of taking care of a body meant and didn’t want to know.

Coto used brush and large rocks to cover the bodies and stepped back, making certain they were

well hidden next to a clump of trees. He withdrew one of the communicators he’d shoved inside a
pocket of his pants and locked in the location to mark it for later so he would know where the bodies
were. He also opened a channel, seeking his crew.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

Holion spoke. “I know you are angry but I did what was best.”

“Have you found Vhon?”

“No. You left me no choice but to take command in the search for Argis Vhon. The useless female

has distracted you and made you inefficient.”

Coto bit back a snarl. Holion had always been driven by ambition and resentful of Coto’s close

association with Hyvin Berrr. It didn’t surprise him that the male had taken the first opportunity to
attempt to show him up. He cooled his temper. He and the male would have it out later, after Vhon
was safe and they were on their way back to Zorn. It was gratifying to state the next words.

“That ‘useless female’, as you call her, tracked two Collis. Their remains are waiting for pickup

when reinforcements arrive. We’ll send their bodies to their planet as a message to stay away from
Earth in the future. Argis Vhon was not with them but Lynn believes she knows where he may be. Fix
on my com and join us. On your trek, I strongly suggest you find your humility. I expect an apology and
groveling.” He ended the transmission, returning the device to his pocket.

He cleaned his hands in the water and returned to Lynn. Her shoulders showed defeat and her

features were paler than usual. He straddled the log she sat on and reached out, rubbing her back.
“You did well, Lynn.”

She looked at him. There were no tears in her eyes. He was thankful for that. She wasn’t a

warrior but she did have courage when needed. He thought back to his first kill. He’d had an army of
men around him who had also had to defeat their enemies, and they’d rejoiced. But he’d been raised
with the knowledge that taking a life meant survival. It would be best to distract her and keep her
mind occupied.

“I need you to see if you can find Vhon for me.”

Her shoulders straightened and she stood. “Right. Let’s do this.”

He felt pride when she marched over to the discarded Earth weapon and picked it up. He got to

his feet and prevented her from wading into the stream. He was already wet but that didn’t mean she
had to be. Her body wasn’t as sturdy as his. He scooped her into his arms.

“I’ll carry you over the water.”

She didn’t protest, instead just hooked her arm around his neck and clutched the weapon with the

other. “Thanks.”

“You get colder far easier than I do, and my uniform dries fast.”

She jerked her head. “That way. See that big hill? That’s where we want to go. There are going to

be fences that separate the property but we can climb over them.”

Chapter Six

Lynn found tracks on the way up the hill and crouched. “One set of boots. They’re the same type

that you wear. See the pattern?” She pointed. “I’m guessing this is your guy, and he’s heading toward
the house.” She lifted her gaze to the hill, the old ranch house in view at the top. “He’d have seen it
for miles. It means you were right. Jimmy’s place is that way. He must have somehow missed the dogs
that found you.”

“We are here.”

Lynn twisted her head and stood, watching the other Zorn men step out of thick brush. Holion led

them. He was the one who had called out.

Coto moved to stand between them and her. “Lynn has found Vhon’s tracks. He headed for high

ground instead of the thicker vegetation.”

“How did you guys get separated anyway?” She was curious.

“Stop your questions, woman,” Holion snapped. “Earn your keep and find Argis Vhon.”

Coto snarled and lunged, punching him in the face. The blow knocked Holion on his ass. He

landed with a grunt. Coto stood over him, looking ready to hit him again. “Never speak to her that
way. My patience is at an end with you. Learn, or your remains will be stored on the transport home
with the Collis.”

Lynn wasn’t surprised by their penchant for violence anymore. She was actually starting to

appreciate the beauty of a well-placed fist, especially if it was smashed into Holion’s big mouth. The
alien was an asshole.

Holion spit out a little blood. “I apologize.”

Coto backed away but kept close to Lynn, his stance protective. “When we were under attack, we

sent Vhon to the surface first in an escape pod. It was imperative that he survive.”

Holion hissed, staggering to his feet. “Leprechauns fly your airplanes and we have escape pods,

as I’m sure you are familiar with.”

Lynn rolled her eyes and turned away. Holion wasn’t about to let that story go. She had her

answer. “Okay. Well, that’s an abandoned house at the top and that’s where his tracks are headed.”

“Lead the way, Lynn.” Coto lowered his voice. “I am sorry he is so rude to you.”

“Are all men on your planet like that to women?”

“Some are.” He reached out and clasped her hand. “I am not.”

“He’s going to give you grief for holding my hand.”

“I do not care. I’ll beat him senseless if he disrespects you again.” He said that loud enough for

his threat to carry.

Lynn liked that Coto had no reservations about showing that she mattered to him. The hill grew

steep and she was grateful that he held on to her, even taking the shotgun when she struggled to keep
up with his longer strides. She didn’t dare complain, guessing that Holion would just start more crap
over it.

They reached the top and Lynn noticed right away that someone had kicked in the front door. She

took the shotgun back, ready to go in first, but Coto shook his head, stepping in front of her.

“Stay here.” He motioned to his men and they rushed forward, flanking him.

She opened her mouth to protest but decided to remain silent. He and his men entered the house

quickly.

Movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention and she spun, staring at a tall alien

peering at her. He had stepped out from behind the side door of the garage. He had shaggy, long black
hair, bright blue eyes and wore a pair of faded jeans with a black tank top, revealing tan, muscular
arms. He frowned and took a few steps forward, holding out both hands to the side to show her he
didn’t have a weapon.

She glanced down at his feet, spotting the same type of boots Coto and his men wore.

“Vhon?”

He froze, surprise evident on his features. “Yes. Don’t shoot me,” Vhon rasped.

“Coto!” she yelled. “Vhon is out here.” She lowered the weapon, pointing it at the ground.

“Thanks.” Vhon lowered his hands. “I’d never hurt a beautiful woman. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

She gaped at him until Coto rushed out of the house. He spotted Vhon and barreled toward him,

throwing his arms around the guy in a bear hug.

“It’s so good to find you safe.”

Vhon hugged him back. “I am glad to see you. I wasn’t sure if anyone else survived.”

Coto released him and seemed to notice his clothing. “Where is your uniform?”

“Buried. I wanted to fit in.” He waved his arms down his body. “What do you think? I totally

could pull off being human, couldn’t I? Jeans are comfortable. I would have exchanged my shoes too
but I couldn’t find any that fit my feet. Whoever used to live here had small ones.”

Holion cleared his throat. “Of course we are human. We’re leprechauns.”

Vhon shot a horrified look at Holion. “That’s your cover story?”

“Yes. Gar has evidence of what we are and showed the woman.”

Vhon suddenly laughed and peered at Lynn. “Did you tell him what they are? I know. I learn

everything I can about Earth culture. It’s fascinating.”

She shook her head. “I just say okay a lot,” she admitted.

He chuckled. “I apologize.”

“What is going on? What is entertaining?” Holion sounded pissed.

“Leprechauns aren’t real life forms,” Vhon informed him. “They are stories told to children that

involve tales of pots of gold to make humans wealthy and powerful.”

“You’re wrong. We have proof,” Holion protested. “Show him, Gar.”

Gar withdrew the ad and passed it to Vhon. He studied it and snickered. “This is a cartoon. It’s a

drawing to amuse children. It’s clear this tavern wanted to draw parents to bring their young to this
event.”

Lynn smothered a grin. Some men act like kids. She wasn’t about to clarify that it was a bar that

served adult beverages.

“Enough,” Coto ordered. “It doesn’t matter. Lynn knows the truth. I told her everything.”

“You’re taking her to Zorn with us?” Holion grimaced.

“You’ve claimed her?” Vhon spoke at the same time. “Cool beans. She’ll get along great with the

other women in our family.”

“Stop speaking that nonsense,” Holion snarled. “Why are you talking about food? The real issue

is that Coto cared more about the woman than he did about finding you. His need to claim an Earth
woman overruled his duty.”

Coto snarled and took a threatening step forward.

Vhon reacted faster. His easygoing demeanor swiftly changed. He attacked Holion, grabbing him

by the front of his uniform and getting in his face.

“Stop being such a kiss-ass,” Vhon warned, his voice harsh. “That is Earth slang, meaning that I

know you are saying words, wanting me to be angry with Coto, so I ask my father to demote him and
give you his standing within our family. It is never going to happen. The woman is very attractive.
Coto can court a woman and look for me at the same time. I would do the same. Now shut your mouth
if you are smart before he beats you like a piñata. That’s Earth slang for kicking your ass so hard it
will be merciful if you survive.” He shoved him and stepped back, staring at Coto. “What a tool.”

“I don’t know what that means but I agree if it’s an insult.” Coto backed away and stepped next to

Lynn.

Vhon addressed Coto. “It is. I’ll teach you Earth slang so you can communicate with your woman

better.”

“She hasn’t agreed to come home with us yet.” Coto glanced at her. “I wish her to. I’m giving her

time to get to know me better.”

“He’s a great guy.” Vhon winked at Lynn. “He’s a good fighter, also an excellent provider, and

he’d be as loyal to you as the day is long. We’re way better than Earth men. They can cheat and lie.
Coto has honor and always keeps his word.”

“Enough,” Coto grumbled.

“I’m talking you up to her. Be cool.” Vhon smiled at Lynn. “I would totally say yes to him if I

were a girl. He’s got lots of muscles and all our warriors have big swords.” He wiggled his
eyebrows. “And we know how to use them. We have stamina too. Lots of that.”

Lynn couldn’t help but laugh. Vhon wasn’t what she had expected and he had a good sense of

humor.

“Enough,” Coto repeated.

Vhon sucked in a deep breath and shot Coto an irritated look. “Fine. I’m trying to help you out.”

He caught Lynn’s eye. “You’ll enjoy our food. I have three sisters-in-law and a stepmother from
Earth. They love Zorn and are happy to live there. You’ll have a built-in Earth family. I’m done now.”

A faint buzz sounded and Coto reached down and pulled out one of those communicator devices

from his pocket. “It must be one of our ships.” He pushed a button, making the sides of it light up.
“This is Coto.”

“It is good you are alive. What is the status of Argis Vhon?” The man had a raspy voice.

“We all survived the crash. There are none seriously injured. Our ship was destroyed. How long

until you can reach us?”

“Eighteen hours.”

“We will be ready. There is cleanup to be done.”

“Understood. Ending transmission.”

Coto turned it off and returned it to his pocket. He held Lynn’s gaze. “Our time is shorter than I

estimated.”

He was leaving in the morning. She wasn’t certain how to feel about that. It wasn’t as if he were

moving to another town or even another country. It would be impossible for her to visit him. She
glanced up at the blue sky, then him. Her chest tightened and it was difficult to breathe.

“Why don’t we all go inside?” Vhon motioned to the other men.

“We should return to our camp,” Holion argued.

“Geez, you’re thickheaded.” Vhon sighed. “Get inside and give them a little privacy.” He spun,

striding toward the broken front door. “Follow me. That’s an order as your Argis. Not you, Coto.”

Lynn waited until they were alone and swallowed hard. Coto stepped closer and brushed her hair

away from her cheek. They just stared at each other until she finally couldn’t take the silence
anymore.

“Are you coming back to Earth soon?”

“It’s uncertain. Berrr won’t be happy that we were attacked. He might station a war ship to

protect the planet from Collis. It would mean they’d have to stay far enough away to prevent Earth
from detecting us. He’ll also be concerned that we weren’t able to hide our visit and might ban
anyone from returning here for a long time. We don’t wish to frighten humans.”

“Oh.”

“It’s possible I won’t be able to return for years, if ever.”

That pain in her chest increased.

“Have you considered leaving with me?”

Part of her was tempted to say yes. It was a terrifying concept though. She’d have to leave behind

everyone and everything she knew and face so many uncertainties that she had a difficult time trying to
imagine them. She had a job, a house payment, and how could she give up one life for another?

“Can you stay here with me? I mean, you could always contact Zorn if you wanted to go home

later.”

“I can’t do that, Lynn.” He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck, gently cupping her

there. “It would be impossible for me to fit into your society.”

She studied his features, knowing he spoke the truth.

“We’re aware of the kind of reception Earth could give an alien. We’ve been studying your

society. They would fear me, examine me, and I wouldn’t live long in captivity. They wouldn’t allow
you to be with me. I’d face certain death.”

He was right. She knew it. They’d probably dissect him within a week of discovering him. That

would be the least of it, if the military wanted to torture him to learn everything they could about his
people and their technology.

Coto tried hard to think of what to say to convince Lynn to return to Zorn with him. “I’d do

anything to make you happy. I know you reacted badly when I told you women and men are not equal
on my planet. I’m larger and physically stronger but I see you as my equal. We would be married.” He
wasn’t sure if it would be a good thing or not to point it out but she was a woman. “We can have
children. It’s been done. Our races are compatible.”

“Do you want children?”

He couldn’t determine from her expression or tone how she hoped he would answer. He decided

to be honest. “I would with you. I would be honored for you to be the mother of my sons and
daughters.”

“I have family and friends…”

“I understand that. It would be difficult for you, but you would have me. We would have each

other. There, you would have a family of your heart. They will accept you with gladness. You will
have other Earth women to talk to and spend time with. I’m certain you will grow close to them and
bond.”

“I don’t know. This is so fast.”

He was losing her. A sense of panic struck. He didn’t want to leave her behind and never see her

again. Argernon had just taken his Casey. It was tempting to toss Lynn over his shoulder and refuse to
let her go. Casey had forgiven her bound. They were happy. It was possible though that she’d grow to

hate him. He couldn’t stand it if he hurt Lynn and caused her pain. The choice must be hers.

“Stay with me until our ship arrives. It will give us more time.”

“You found Vhon, and I have to get back to my life. I’ll also need to report Mr. Avery’s death.”

She grimaced. “That’s going to be a nightmare. They’ll look for a murder suspect. I’ll wait until
tomorrow afternoon to do that, and find an excuse to head to his cabin then, after you’re gone. I’ll lie
and say I just found him.”

“Stay with me tonight.”

“Jimmy’s place is close and that’s where I left my SUV. I really do need to go back. It would be

bad if they sent out a search party for me and came across you and your men. You need time to clean
up. I heard what you said.”

He leaned down and just took her mouth, kissing her. He put his emotions into it. Lynn responded

and he wrapped both his arms around her. She dropped the shotgun on the ground and clung to him.
He resisted the urge to take her to the ground. Anyone could walk out of the human dwelling. She
finally pulled her mouth from his and he stared deeply into her eyes.

“Don’t make me say goodbye to you.”

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. “Don’t make this any harder. I’m never going to

forget you but I can’t just walk away from my entire life. People would worry about me. I can’t do
that to my family and friends. It’s not like I can call them on the phone from your planet, right?”

“You can’t.”

“I figured. Put me down, Coto.”

He didn’t want to let her go but he lowered her to her feet and stepped back, breaking their

connection. Lynn bent and retrieved the shotgun. “I’m never going to forget you. Ever. I have to go.”
Her voice broke. “Take care of yourself and don’t get into any more space battles with Collis.”

She spun away and took off down the hill. He tensed, the urge to go after her almost impossible to

resist. He fisted his hands, forcing his body to remain stiff and still. She’d hate him if he forced her to
leave her planet. He just couldn’t hurt her that way, even if watching her disappear down the hill
made his chest hurt.

He heard footsteps behind him and tore his gaze from Lynn’s retreating back. Vhon spoke first.

“She’s not coming with you?”

“It’s too painful for her to leave her world.”

“I’m so sorry, man.” Vhon just stood there, looking at him sorrowfully. “We could take her. Our

brother got away with it. It worked out for him and Casey. I’ll tell our father that we had to do it to
ensure she didn’t tell anyone about our visit.”

“She won’t do that. I trust Lynn. I’d rather lose her than make her suffer the loss of all she loves.”

Vhon reached out and gripped his shoulder. “You’re a good, honorable warrior.”

“It hurts,” he admitted. “I never believed I could become so deeply attached to a female that fast.”

Chapter Seven

Lynn hid Mr. Avery’s shotgun inside her SUV and barely had time to close up the back when she

heard footsteps and turned. Jimmy trudged toward her.

“Did you find that beast and take it out?”

“I found what killed your dogs. Problem solved.”

“It took you long enough.” He seemed to notice what she wore. “What the hell happened to you?”

His question caused memories of Coto to stream through her mind. “It’s a long story and it’s not

one I plan to share with you. I’m going home.”

She tried to move around him to reach the front of her vehicle, happy she kept a spare set of keys

stashed in the glove box since she’d lost hers. Jimmy grabbed her arm.

“What was it?”

A really amazing alien man. “A bobcat with rabies.”

“Shit. I keep telling Mr. Avery he needs to pay someone to check his property. That means it will

spread. I’ll have crazy raccoons and squirrels coming onto my property.”

“I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.” It would give her a valid excuse to visit the cabin and

“discover” the body. “Right now I want to take a shower and sleep in a real bed.”

“You can use mine. I’ll even wash your back…or anything else you want.” He leered at her chest.

“In your dreams, dirtbag.” She jerked out of his hold. She opened the driver’s door and climbed

inside but Jimmy grabbed hold of the edge, not allowing her to close it.

“You might not be such a bitch if you got laid. Face it, Lynn, I’m probably the best of the bunch.

Tim is better looking but he’s a mean drunk. Craig can’t hold a job so you’d have to support his ass
and we all know he’s nailing Miller’s wife every chance he can. Everyone else is either too old or
way too young, unless you start trolling them right out of high school. Plus, I can get you high for free.
Let’s go in my house.”

“Get out of my way.”

He refused to let go of the door when she tried to close it. He actually stepped forward, putting

his body in the path of it. “You know you want me. Just do it. Do me.” He licked his lips. “Come on,
baby.”

Her temper flared. She was done. “You want me to touch you?”

“Yeah.” He grinned.

“Fine.”

She twisted on the seat and kicked out her foot, nailing him in the crotch. He cried out and

doubled over, stumbling back as he grabbed at the front of his pants.

Lynn slammed the door. She locked it and then leaned across the console, opened the glove box

and retrieved her spare keys.

“You bitch!” Jimmy hit her window. “I’ll get even with you.”

She shoved the key in the ignition and started the engine. She flipped him off and put on her

seatbelt.

“I’m going to get you fired!” He tried to open her door but it wouldn’t budge.

She figured he would call his uncle over that little stunt but she was fed up with his threats. It was

possible the Zorn ways had rubbed off on her but she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. It felt good to hit
the creep. She threw the SUV in drive and slammed her foot down on the accelerator, taking off.

She forgot about the metal gate at the end of the long driveway. Jimmy probably wouldn’t show up

to unlock it and let her out so she just rammed it. The thin chain snapped and the chain-link fence
popped open. She drove out, merging onto the double-lane road that led into town.

Her little house was a welcome sight as she parked in front of the garage and locked up the SUV.

She had to use the hideaway key under the planter to let herself in. After locking the door behind her,
Lynn stopped, the utter silence hitting her as she studied her mismatched hand-me-down furniture and
a few pieces she’d managed to buy on her own.

“Damn.” She put the keys on the table and checked her answering machine. There were no

messages. She walked into the kitchen and opened her fridge, staring at the meager contents. She
grabbed a soda, opened it, and took a sip.

“My life sucks,” she muttered.

She entered her bedroom, rested the soda can on her dresser, and began to strip. A shower would

make her feel better. She stepped inside the cramped bathroom and turned on the water, taking time to
brush her teeth as she waited for the old water heater to kick in. A few minutes later she tested the
temperature and cursed. It was barely lukewarm.

“Fantastic. It’s out again.”

She clenched her teeth and just stepped under the stream of water. Goose bumps rose along her

body but she suffered through it while she scrubbed her hair and soaped up. She rinsed and got out of
the shower. She dried off and put on a robe, returning to her room.

She picked up the phone and dialed her father. He answered on the third ring. “Hi, Dad.”

“Hi, baby.”

“I was just thinking about you.”

“That’s so sweet, honey. I can’t really talk right now. Me and my buddies are about to go fishing.

Kip bought a new boat. You really should take some time off and come down to Florida to visit me.
Retiring here was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

She might not have a job. That would free up her schedule. “I’d like that. We haven’t seen each

other in two years.”

“Wow. It’s been that long?”

“Yes. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

“I sure am. Just don’t come next month. I’m going on that senior cruise.” He chuckled. “Not the

month after that either. That’s when we’re going to Mexico.”

He was always busy. She didn’t blame him. There wasn’t much to do in Green Bend. He’d moved

to a retirement community and made a bunch of friends who liked to travel.

“I gotta go. I love you, honey.”

“I love you too. Have a good time.”

He chuckled. “Always.”

She hung up and took a seat on her bed then dialed her best friend. She got the machine. “Hi,

Michelle. It’s Lynn. I was just checking up—”

“You caught me in time,” her breathless friend cut in. “My husband and kids are in the minivan

waiting for me but I forgot my sunglasses. Did you call to wish us a good flight?”

Lynn remembered then. “You’re going on your big vacation.”

“I can’t wait to get out of here for two weeks. I’ll call you when we get home and you can come

over to see all the pictures we take. I can’t believe I’m finally going to see Hawaii. This is a dream
come true!”

“I’m so happy for you.”

“Actually, it will be about a week after we return. Mitch’s parents are coming into town to see the

kids. It’s going to be pretty hectic with them here. Wait. Maybe the week after that. We’re supposed to
go to Indianapolis for that race weekend.”

“Whenever. Have a great time.”

“Thanks. I have to go. Mitch just honked the horn. We don’t want to miss our flight. Love ya!” She

hung up.

Lynn replaced the phone in the cradle, staring at it. There was no one else to call. Everyone had a

life except her. She collapsed onto her back, studying the water-stained ceiling from a roof leak she’d
had to patch the year before. The silence got to her and she started thinking about Coto, reliving every
moment they’d shared.

The phone rang a few hours later and she sat up, grabbing it. “Hello?”

“Miss Reynolds? This is Hilton Morgan’s secretary, Millie.”

She grimaced. “Yes?”

“He’d like to see you in his office at two tomorrow.”

“Why?”

The woman hesitated then lowered her voice. “He’s angry. I know he received a call from his

nephew, then placed a few calls and asked me to make this appointment.”

There it was. Jimmy had ratted her out and those calls had probably been to her boss. “I’ll see

him then.” She slammed the phone down.

It rang a few minutes later and she answered again. “Hello?”

“What is going on?”

“Who is this?”

“It’s Richard from work. I was just called and asked to cover for you for the next few weeks. I

can’t work weekends. My wife is pissed. You need to suck it up if you’re sick.”

“I think I’m fired.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry.” She hung up on him. “My life is shit,” she muttered again, collapsing onto her back once

more. She rolled onto her side, staring at the empty space in bed next to her. She wished Coto were
there.

The light faded in her room when the sun went down. She lay there, thinking about Coto and her

life. She’d always wanted to find a man who could make her feel sexy, make her feel as if she were
the most important thing to him. She’d known that with him, even during their limited time together.
The pros and cons of a future without him waged war inside her mind as the hours passed. She finally
drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

Lynn jerked awake in her dark bedroom and lifted up, staring at the clock. It was seven in the

morning. She’d dreamed about Coto. They’d been laughing together, sitting on a couch in a room she
didn’t know. He’d kissed her and something had tugged on her shirt. She’d pulled away from him and
a little boy stood next to her leg. He had to be about two years old, and it was obvious Coto was his
father from how similar they looked. The toddler had smiled at her and climbed onto her lap. She’d
known he was her son too.

“What did I do?”

She threw off the covers that she must have pulled over herself during the night and jumped out of

bed, rushing into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, splashed water on her face, and yanked open
the cabinet under the sink to grab out a travel bag.

She didn’t want to lose Coto. It was scary insane to leave everything behind but it would be so

much worse living with regret.

“I only hope I’m not too late.”

She packed necessities and rushed into her bedroom, digging her suitcase out from the back of the

closet. She froze, wondering what to take to another planet. Was it cold there? Warm? She had no
idea.

“Son of a bitch.” She opened the case, tossing in some of her favorite outfits. She’d have to find

him and hope he hadn’t already been picked up. The campsite would have to be taken down. She
might find him there. They could be at the old farmhouse or even where their ship had crashed.

Desperation struck as she located a few family photo albums and precious mementos she didn’t

want to leave behind. One suitcase turned into two, plus a duffle bag. Lynn kept glancing at the clock.
Every minute seemed to speed by as she rushed around her house.

She finally grabbed a permanent marker and stopped in front of her fridge, hesitating after she

ripped off the cap. “How do you say goodbye to everyone you love?”

She finally started to write. No one would be able to miss seeing it once they came to her house

when someone investigated why she was gone. “This is going to suck if he’s gone already and I have
to try to get this off.”

It became clear she’d packed too much when she lugged the first suitcase to her SUV and went

back for the second one. She lifted it and carried it out her open front door, distracted, still trying to
decide where to look for Coto first. She slammed into something solid and dropped the case.

Coto gripped her hips to steady her. “Are you injured?”

She recovered quickly. He was on her porch. “Coto!”

“I slipped my communicator inside your pocket when I kissed you goodbye. I came to ask you to

leave with me one more time,” he admitted. “I couldn’t sleep. All I could think about was you. I
tracked the signal at first light. Please come with me.”

She nodded. “I was going to find you. It’s insane but—yes.”

He grinned. “Yes?”

“Yes!”

She was so relieved they were together again that she lifted up on tiptoe and threw her arms

around his neck. Coto’s mouth crashed down on hers, kissing her. She moaned against his tongue. He
backed her inside and they bumped into her couch. He tore his mouth away.

“I want you.”

“I want you too.” She let him go, fumbling to get out of her clothes.

“I’ll close your door.”

“Don’t bother. Nobody ever comes by. The house can’t be seen from the road. Strip.”

Coto didn’t hesitate. She loved that about him. He nearly tripped tearing off his boots. She

finished before he did and motioned him to follow her down the hallway to her bedroom. He threw
his uniform top on the floor, opening his pants as he came after her.

“I missed you last night.” She got on the bed and flipped over onto her back in the middle.

“I’m here.” He shoved down his pants. “You’ll never sleep without me at your side again.”

He surprised her when he dropped to his knees, gripped her ankles, and jerked her down the bed.

“I’ve never done this before but I was given instructions should I ever bound to a human.”

“We had fantastic sex,” she reminded him.

“We’re about to have better.” He spread his hands open on her thighs, pushing them wider apart

and lifting her. “I’m going to master oral sex.”

Lynn looked down at him. “I’ve never been so enthusiastic before to say okay.”

Coto bent forward, nuzzling his face against her pussy. “Let me know if I do this correct.”

She clutched at her bedding. “Right there. That’s the magic spot.”

He paused. “Magic?”

“You’re supposed to be a leprechaun. I feel lucky. Never mind. Bad timing for a joke. Don’t

stop.”

He resumed licking and suckling her clit. It drove her mindless. It might be his first time, but he

seemed determined to do it right.

She panted encouragement. “Oh, yes. Just like that. A little rougher.”

Coto took orders incredibly well, continuing with the sweet torment until she cried out his name,

climaxing hard. He eased his hold on her thighs and straightened his upper body. Lynn met his gaze
and smiled.

“You’re a keeper.”

He cupped her hips, sliding her ass to the edge of the bed. “Say yes to being my bound.”

“I’ll marry you.”

He rubbed the crown of his cock against the slit of her pussy and gently entered her. “I’m claiming

you right now.”

She nodded. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he came down on top of her, his chest

hovering over hers. “Give me everything you’ve got.” She cupped his face, pulling him in for a kiss.

He drove in and out of her, increasing the pace. She loved the feel of him and how incredible it

was, having him inside her. The mushroom-shaped crown of his cock hit her G-spot. She clawed at
his biceps and had to break the kiss, afraid that she’d bite him.

“Coto!”

He buried his face in her neck, lightly nibbling on her skin. “You’re mine. Always. I’ll never let

you go.”

Lynn climaxed a second time. Coto snarled her name, finding his own release. He didn’t pull out

that time. He came inside her. They held on to each other while they recovered. Lynn ran her
fingertips over his back, knowing she’d never get tired of touching him.

“We need to go,” he finally grumbled. “I don’t want to move but we must.”

“I know.”

They untangled their bodies with regret and dressed. Lynn took one more look around her house,

knowing it would be her last. Coto strode to the door, waiting for her.

“I’ve got one more bag to grab. I hope three isn’t too much. I didn’t know what to pack.”

“You won’t regret this.”

“I know.” The reality of it hit. “Marriage is forever to you, right? It would suck to go there and get

divorced in a year.”

He pulled her closer. “Forever. I’ll never let you go.”

“Good. I’m giving up everything for you.”

“I appreciate that. We will be happy.”

“I have faith. I don’t ever want to lose you.”

“Where are the rest of your things? Can you take us there by your vehicle? It would be faster than

walking.”

“Of course.”

He let her go and she rushed back inside her bedroom. He followed, seeming to really take in his

surroundings for the first time. “Your home is small. Our home on Zorn is larger. You will like it.”

Nerves struck. “I hope so.”

He took the duffle bag from her and they walked out the front door. She closed it but didn’t bother

to twist the lock. She had everything she wanted. Coto loaded her things into the back of the SUV and
Lynn climbed into the driver’s seat. Coto filled the passenger side with his tall frame.

“Where are we going?”

“Where we set up camp. It’s been taken down but it was a good spot for them to pick us up.” He

removed the communications device from his pocket. “I retrieved this from your home. I didn’t want
anyone to find it. I’ll inform them we are on our way.”

“They won’t leave without us, will they?”

“We have plenty of time.”

Lynn started the engine and backed out of her driveway. “This planet of yours…” Dozens of

questions filled her mind.

Coto reached over and took her hand once she was driving on the road. “You will love it, Lynn.”

“I can breathe there, right?”

He laughed. “Yes. Earth is a lot like Zorn. The colors are different.”

“Really?” She was intrigued.

“It’s beautiful. I am looking forward to showing it to you.”

She was excited. “This is going to be an adventure.”

“It will be.”

She smiled, letting some of the worry ease away. Coto was at her side, holding onto her. It’s

going to be okay. She had to park her SUV by the cabin where the dirt road stopped. Coto took the
two heavier bags and she shoved the strap of the duffle bag over her shoulder. They walked together
through the woods. She really hoped they didn’t run into any wildlife.

The first glimpse of the ship had her heart racing. “Are you sure we’re all going to fit in that? It’s

about the size of a motor home. It kind of looks like one too, minus the wheels and windows.”

Coto nodded. “I don’t know what a motor home is but this is a small shuttle to fly us into space

where a larger ship waits.”

“Okay.”

He chuckled. “No fear, Lynn. I will always keep you safe.”

“What did you do with your other ship? Were they able to fix it or something?”

“No. This shuttle landed while it was dark still. They arrived before dawn. At nightfall, we’ll lift

off and take what is left of our other ship with us. They can attach it to the bottom of the hull. It will
be discarded deep in space, where no one from your planet will ever come across it.”

“Why not leave now?”

“Humans would see it if they were watching the sky. We’ll make a larger object with the shuttle

hauling the damaged ship.”

“Oh.” She felt foolish for asking. It made sense now that she knew the answer. “Of course. This

thing can take that kind of extra weight? Are you worried about radar detection? We have that.”

“Yes, it can take the weight. We’re aware of how you track objects in your sky but the shuttles are

designed to warp the signals around the bulk so we’re not traceable.”

Two aliens greeted them. She hadn’t met them before. Coto handed her bags to one of them. “My

woman’s belongings. Lynn is coming with us.”

“Of course.”

Lynn felt warmth. She was Coto’s woman. He was her alien man. He took her duffle bag and

passed it over to the second man. They carried her things inside the shuttle and she bit her lower lip.

“Easy,” Coto rasped, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll hold you.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to be doing that a lot. I’m not a fan of heights.” She peered up at the

blue sky. “And we’re going really high tonight.”

“It’s going to be fine,” he promised.

She stared into his beautiful eyes. “I trust you.” She did.

“You are of my heart, Lynn. I will take care of you and we will be happy.”

“I know. I believe that.”

Epilogue

Exactly one year later

Lynn moaned, reaching down to stroke Coto’s silky hair. He growled against her clit, the

vibrations adding to her pleasure. He had her legs pinned open with his arms, his hands firmly
cupping her ass. He used the flat of his tongue to torment her.

“You’re going to kill me if you get any better at this.”

He grew more aggressive with his mouth until she was crying out, coming hard. Coto lifted his

head, a satisfied smile curving his lips. “Is that a complaint? I was determined to learn. It is our
anniversary of when I made you my bound. I am showing you my appreciation.”

She let go of his hair and stroked her fingers over his cheek. “It’s the best decision I ever made. I

love you.”

He eased his hold on her ass and unpinned her legs, climbing up her body and settling his hips

between her spread thighs. “I feel gratitude every day that you took a chance. I feel that same love. It
is so strong it is almost painful.”

“I know what you mean. I never thought I could feel this much about someone before.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “Any regrets?”

“I feel guilty about my dad and some of my friends,” she admitted. “They had their own full lives

though. I left them that note on my fridge, swearing I was alive and well, just taking off with the man I
fell in love with who needed to keep off the grid. They probably think I joined some cult.”

“What is that?”

She grinned. They were still working out some words with the translator but she doubted Zorn

had a definition in their language that would fit. “A criminal,” she improvised, amused.

“I can be very bad,” he teased. “You tell me this all the time.”

“In the best of ways.”

He lifted up a little and glanced down between their bodies, adjusting his hips. Lynn moaned

when his stiff cock nudged her pussy and he slowly filled her. She wrapped her legs around his waist
and gripped his shoulders.

“You often say this feels so good it should be illegal.”

“That’s so true.”

A knock sounded on the door and Coto groaned. “Go away.”

Another knock sounded.

He twisted, grabbing hold of the covers and jerking them over their lower bodies. He withdrew

his cock from Lynn and sat up a little. “Damn. Come in.”

Lynn sat up too, clutching the sheet to her breasts. “So much for sleeping in a bit.”

The door eased open and the white-haired older woman peered in. “Sorry for interrupting your

love time but someone is hungry.” She stepped inside, cradling a wrapped bundle.

Lynn grinned. “No rest for the wicked.”

Coto chuckled, opening his arms. “I know what that means. Give him to me, second mother.”

The woman approached the bed and handed over their son. “I will cook a feast of all your

favorite foods. I know today is important.” She fled.

Lynn leaned against Coto, peering at the miniature replica of the man she loved. “He’s just like

you.”

“He has your hair color.”

“I meant about always having an appetite.”

He glanced at her breasts. “Always.”

“He wants milk. I know what you want, and it’s not milk,” she teased. “I’m glad we have Arnia to

help us. Your grandma is a lifesaver.”

“Not at this moment.”

Lynn laughed and took the baby. “I’ll feed him, then we’ll give him back to her. The morning isn’t

over yet.”

Coto grinned. “It isn’t. I have a lot of things planned to do to you today.”

“You mean with me?”

He shook his head, amusement gleaming in his beautiful eyes. “No. To you.”

“I really love you.”

“I’m really going to love you. This one needs a brother or sister.”

Lynn turned her body, pressing her back against Coto’s chest, and he snuggled her close. “At least

our second child will be conceived on Zorn.”

“I kept you distracted from your fear of heights and traveling through space in a ship.”

“You most certainly did. Thank you.”

“For what?”

She turned her head, holding his gaze. “For capturing me on that riverbank and keeping me with

you.”

“You did escape while I was sleeping.”

“But you found me and later talked me into making the best decision I ever made.”

“I was prepared to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to our campsite if you said no.

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