Stormy Glenn and Lynn Hagen Lady Blue Crew 05 Tank's Tweak

Lady Blue Crew 5

Tank’s Tweak

Tank knows that Zachary is his mate. He just doesn't understand
why Zachary won't allow himself to be claimed. The waiting is

tearing him apart. But with the Elite Force after them and a
bounty on their heads, keeping Zachary alive seems more

important than claiming him.

When the Lady Blue is unexpectedly sucked through a wormhole

and crash lands on old Earth, keeping Zachary alive may be
harder than Tank originally thought. With the ship needing repairs

and the threat of discovery hanging over their heads, Tank tries to
keep Zachary safe while keeping him at arm's length.

When he learns that Zachary wants to mate him, he just has to

perform a sacred ritual of his people first, Tank does everything in
his power to get Zachary back to his planet and their own time

period. But will it be enough? Or will they be discovered before
Tank can claim his mate?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Science Fiction, Shape-shifter
Length: 38,168 words

TANK’S TWEAK

Lady Blue Crew 5

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

TANK’S TWEAK
Copyright © 2011 by Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-898-2

First E-book Publication: November 2011

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Letter to Readers

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TANK’S TWEAK

Lady Blue Crew 5

LYNN HAGEN AND STORMY GLENN

Chapter 1

Tank fought to shake the tight grip the wormhole had on the Lady

Blue. His mate was sitting right next to him, and there wasn’t a
fucking thing he could do to protect him. If the wormhole collapsed,
they were all dead.

“Just stay close to me, Z.”
His mate looked up at him, hopelessness shadowing his beautiful

diamond-blue eyes. Tank reached a hand out and cupped Zackary’s
face. “If we don’t make it out of this alive, I’m very proud to call you
my mate.”

“Ah, geez. Don’t sound so gloomy. We’ll make it out,” Zackary

said with fear marring his musical voice. “We have to. You haven’t
met my mom yet or even tried her fruitcake. You can’t die without
tasting her fruitcake. That would just be wrong.”

Tank smiled down at his mate. Although his partner in crime

hadn’t allowed Tank to claim him yet, Tank would never regret the
time they had together. Zackary was special and made each day worth
living. It would be a shame if they died and he didn’t get to taste a
piece of heaven.

“I love you, Zackary.”
“Yeah, me too.” Tears sparkled in Zackary’s beautiful eyes.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Tank moved his hands away from the steering controls of the

Lady Blue and reached for Zackary, pulling his mate close. There
wasn’t much they could do now but wait and see what was going to
happen. If they made it through alive, then they would take it from
there. Until then, Tank wanted Zackary by his side, close enough to
breathe his mate’s scent in as they faced this together.

Tank held Zackary close as the Lady Blue was pulled into the

wormhole. The ship rocked and shuddered until Tank wondered if
they were going to be ripped apart. It felt like the air was starting to
be sucked out of the room when suddenly everything stopped as they
were tossed out the other end of the wormhole.

“We made it.” Tank exhaled as he hugged his mate tightly before

letting him go and quickly reaching for the controls once again. Fuck
if the crew of the Lady Blue didn’t live off of miracles lately. Tank
was beginning to wonder if they were cursed from the accumulation
of events that were taking place.

“Yeah,” Remy said from behind him, “but where the fuck are

we?”

“I’d like to be able to tell you, Remy,” Crank, the explosives

expert, said from the navigational console, “but this quadrant isn’t on
any star map we have in our database. I haven’t got a damn clue.”

“Well, there is good news,” Tank said as he leaned over and

looked down at his screen, his eyes scanning the readout once more.
“Whoever was chasing us didn’t make it through the wormhole with
us. There’s no sign of them.”

“And that’s good news?” Blade snapped.
Tank rolled his eyes. Sometimes the coyote shifter had little to no

patience. He calmed down a lot though since mating the Orillian,
Adwaka. “It’s better than being chased through a system we know
nothing about.”

“I’m still waiting for the good news.” Blade snorted.
“We’re all alive,” Zackary interjected with a bit of an attitude,

“and that just might be better than my mom’s fruitcake.”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank chuckled at his mate and gave him a little squeeze. Zackary

and his fruitcake. He’d never understand the strange connection his
mate had with his mom’s fruitcake, but if it made Zackary this happy,
he’d try and get some, even if it was just to hide some away and bring
it out as a surprise on special occasions.

Maybe he could get the recipe.
“Try and plot us a course somewhere other than here,” Remy

ordered. “Maybe if we move around a bit we’ll come across
something we recognize or at least an outpost of some sort. I don’t
know how long we can float around in space before we need to stop
for supplies.”

“Zackary,” Tank said as he set his mate on his feet, “see if you

can get the cloaking device working again. We might need it.”

“Will do.” Zackary hopped over to his console and pulled out his

new vid-pad. His mate had thrown such a fit back on Hyberian when
the officials confiscated it for the video of the stolen crown that Tank
had dug up a new one and given it to him as a present.

Tank watched Zackary’s fingers move across the console for

several moments, awed by how fast his little mate moved until he
heard Remy clear his voice behind him. He chuckled and looked back
down at his own console and tried to plot them a course to…
somewhere.

“I have a solar system mapped out, but the computer isn’t

recognizing the layout. There is a life-sustaining planet close by. Do
you want me to set the coordinates for it?” Tank asked as he looked
over his shoulder at his commander.

“It beats sitting here doing nothing.” Remy exhaled as he ran his

hands over his head. “Go for it.”

“To strange ass places we shall go,” Tank said as his fingers did

the walking across the console. He didn’t like taking his mate into the
unknown. Tank’s number-one priority was keeping Zackary safe, and
that included keeping Zackary safe from Zackary at times.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“I have good news, and I have bad news.” Zackary huffed from

beside Tank. “Which do you want first?”

“Give us the good news,” Remy interjected.
“Well, the good news is, we’re lost.”
Tank cocked his head at his unorthodox mate as Zackary’s tongue

hung out the side of his mouth. Tank groaned as the little pink
appendage slid across very kissable lips. What he wouldn’t give to see
said tongue sliding across one of his appendages.

“Okay, Z. We already knew that,” Remy growled. “Now tell us

something we don’t know.”

“My cousin, Livewire, is going to have to fix the cloaking device.

It’s a hardware problem, not software. So sorry,” Zackary chimed as
he went back to whatever the hell he was doing. Tank couldn’t figure
out half the time what Zackary did at the helm. He was clueless, but
wouldn’t tell his mate this.

“I’ll go inform our resident mechanic that he has a job to do,”

Remy said as he stood and left the bridge.

“Hey, I’m just a guy that delivered the bad news,” Zackary said

quickly as he watched Remy leave the bridge. “Make sure he doesn’t
shoot me out of an airlock.”

Tank chuckled as he sat back. “I’ll make sure your sexy little ass

doesn’t leave my side.”

“Speaking of sexy little asses, have you seen my collection of

Paktillian collectible vid-cards?”

Tank once again was confused as hell by his mate. Zackary never

made sense half the time and the other half…he tortured the crap out
of Tank just by sitting next to him. His mate was so far out of reach
that Tank would have to plot a course just to hold his hand.

He couldn’t understand Zackary’s reluctance to mate but didn’t

want to upset his little Paktillian by asking. Tank was catching a
serious case of the blue balls as he sat next to the man. If he didn’t get
some relief soon, they might fall off.

Tank’s Tweak

“No, I haven’t seen it. Maybe you can show me tonight when I get

off.” Please let me get off soon…with Zackary.

“Maybe.”
Tank groaned under his breath. Zackary was out to kill him. He

just knew it. The man dangled himself right in front of Tank then
yanked himself away when Tank reached for the prize. It was getting
to the point that Tank didn’t know if he was coming or going. Well,
that wasn’t exactly true. He definitely knew he wasn’t coming.

“Okay, I’m done here.” Zackary turned off the console he was

working at then tucked his vid-pad back into his shirt. He stood and
saluted Tank. “Is there anything else, Captain?”

Tank blinked. “Uh, not that I can think of.” He could think of a lot

of things for Zackary to do but none the little man seemed willing to
do. “Why don’t you go down and grab something to eat?”

“Are you sure?”
Tank smiled. “I’m sure, tweak.”
Zackary cocked his head to one side as his eyebrows drew

together in a confused frown. He scratched at his chin as he studied
Tank for a quick moment. “Tweak?”

“Tweak, as in you’re totally tweaky.” Tank chuckled. “It’s not

bad, I promise.” Tank thought Zackary was going to argue with him
for the little pet name, but his mate suddenly smiled as if he had come
to some sort of decision.

“Okay.” Zackary smiled, gifting Tank with the most beautiful

sight.

That seemed to be all Zackary needed to say. He spun around and

walked off the bridge, leaving Tank to wonder what had just
happened. It was a feeling he was becoming very familiar with when
around his mate.

“Are you ever going to claim him, Tank?” Blade asked from

across the bridge.

“Just as soon as he lets me.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Tank shrugged. “He knows we’re mates, if that’s what you mean.”
“Then why hold off, man?” Blade asked as he lounged back

casually in his seat, twining his fingers behind his head. “I can tell
you’re aching to claim Zackary.”

“It has to be his choice,” Tank said, but the words sounded hollow

even to him. He didn’t understand why Zackary wouldn’t let himself
be claimed. Tank had been waiting since they met to make Zackary
his. He wasn’t sure he could wait much longer without losing his
mind. Each moment seemed to be getting longer and longer.

“How far until we reach the planet’s atmosphere?” Remy asked as

he walked back onto the bridge and took a seat, looking utterly
exhausted.

Tank immediately turned around and checked their coordinates,

glad that the subject of his mate was interrupted. “An hour or so by
my calculations.”

“Why don’t you two go join your mates and grab something to eat

before we get there? It may be the last free time you have for a
while.” Remy leaned back in his chair and hit some buttons,
transferring the helm to the console connected to his chair. “I’ll man
the bridge.”

Tank and Blade jumped up before Remy had even stopped

speaking and raced off the bridge. It was a race to see who could get
to the stairs first. Tank was laughing by the time he edged Blade out
of the way and tore down the stairs, Blade hot on his heels.

They raced down the corridor, both of them running through the

doors of the mess hall at the same time. Tank stopped next to a table
and grabbed a hold of the cold metal as he leaned over and caught his
breath. Blade stopped just across from him. He, too, grabbed the edge
of a table and leaned over, panting heavily.

“You’re getting to be an old man, Blade.” Tank laughed. “Pretty

soon Adwaka’s gonna need to start hand-feeding you.”

Blade wiggled his eyebrows as a mischievous smile played across

his lips. “That’s half of the fun of being mated.”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank sobered in the blink of an eye. He didn’t have the luxury of

hand-feeding his mate or being hand-fed by him. Hell, Tank didn’t
even have the luxury of holding his mate’s hand. He glanced toward
the kitchen where he could hear laughter floating through the door
and grimaced.

Blade straightened and held a hand up in front of him, a

crestfallen look crossing his face. “Hey, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean
anything by that.”

“No, I know that.” Tank quickly looked back at Blade, giving the

coyote shifter a weak smile. “You know what? I think I’m going to go
take a quick nap instead of getting something to eat. I’m not very
hungry. If you need me, you know where I’ll be.”

“Tank—” Blade started. “Shit!”
Tank ignored him and walked out of the mess hall. He suddenly

didn’t feel like eating at all. In fact, his stomach was a little queasy.
He pressed his hand over his stomach as he walked to his quarters,
wondering if this was a permanent condition he would have to adjust
to. As soon as he reached his room he kicked off his boots and
stretched out on his bed, feeling for all the world lost without his mate
by his side.

Being unmated to a mate that apparently didn’t want to be mated

sucked big time.

* * * *

Zackary peeked out of the kitchen door, disappointment filling

him as he watched Tank leave the mess hall. He had heard his mate’s
voice and thought his lion was coming into the kitchen to join him.

“So I was thinking that maybe the guys would let us use the

combat vehicle when we land on this alien planet,” Adwaka said as he
scooped another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

Gigi snorted as he laughed. “We may have traveled through a

wormhole, but it didn’t burrow into their brains. There’s no way

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

they’ll let us drive that thing. I doubt they will even let us off the
ship.”

“It was just a thought.” Adwaka leaned onto the counter, resting

his chin in his hand as he pouted.

Zackary turned back and let the door close behind him as he faced

the other mates in the kitchen. He didn’t feel much like planning yet
another adventure with the mates and knew that was exactly where
this conversation was headed. There was no way it couldn’t. This was
a group of escape artists and troublemakers. He just happened to be a
premier member.

“Got any more ice cream?” he asked as he gestured to the

container in Adwaka’s hand. “Maybe banana?”

Adwaka blinked, a spoonful of chocolate ice cream halfway to his

mouth. “Banana? Really?”

Zackary shrugged indifferently. “I like banana.” He really didn’t

feel like eating, but if he was going to hang out with this misfit crew,
he needed something to occupy his mind. Zackary’s brain was hurting
with the thoughts of his lion swirling around and wanted to think of
something else for a change.

Adwaka gave a full over body shudder and pointed over his

shoulder to the pantry with a grimace. “Whatever floats your boat,
dude.”

Zackary pushed past Adwaka and walked into the pantry. He

opened the door to the cold storage and searched around until he
found a container of banana-flavored ice cream. He pulled the top off
and stuck his finger into the cold substance, scooping some up and
sticking it into his mouth.

Oh yeah, banana was cool. Banana would definitely help him

forget his saddened mate for a moment.

Zackary carried the container back into the kitchen and started to

reach for a spoon when he realized the conversation had stopped the
moment he walked into the room. Feeling a sudden shiver climb

Tank’s Tweak

down his spine, Zackary turned to see all of the mates avoiding his
eyes.

“What?”
“Nothing, Z,” Gigi said as he jumped off the counter he’d been

sitting on and reached past Zackary for a couple of spoons. “I thought
I’d give your banana-flavored ice cream a shot,” he said as he held
one of the spoons out to Zackary.

Zackary wasn’t stupid by any means. He knew the other mates

were talking about him. He even had a pretty good idea what they
were talking about, especially with Blade leaning against the counter
next to Adwaka, shooting narrow-eyed glares at him.

Tank.
They were talking about Tank and the fact that they were mated

but unmated. It was as frustrating to Zackary as it was to Tank. Well,
at least he was pretty sure it was. Tank had made several overtures
toward him. And even the gods knew Zackary wanted to accept. It
was driving him crazy not to. He had heard part of the conversation in
the mess hall between Blade and Tank and knew it saddened his mate
that he couldn’t claim Zackary. It wasn’t like he was doing it on
purpose.

Zackary frowned as he turned and leaned back against the counter.

He knew some sort of explanation was needed if he didn’t want to
appear a prick in their eyes. “You know,” he said as he stuck the
spoon into the banana ice cream and scooped some out, “I can’t let
Tank claim me until he meets my mom.”

Blade pushed away from the counter as he gave Zackary a

scathing glare. “Is that what this is all about? Because Tank hasn’t
met your mom you’re letting him suffer?”

“You don’t know what’s going on, so why don’t you keep your

nose out of my business, mister!” Zackary tossed the banana-flavored
container to the floor as he shouted at Blade, getting up close and
personal with the coyote shifter. No one here had a right to judge him,
and Zackary wasn’t going to stand for it. The only person who had a

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

right to question him was Tank. Blade could go to hell in Zackary’s
opinion.

“Hey!” Adwaka shouted as he stepped between the two, resting

his hands on both of their chests. “There is no need to get hostile.” He
turned to his mate, curling his fingers into Blade’s shirt. “Zackary is
right. It’s none of our business.”

Blade’s nostrils flared at he looked Zackary up and down with a

disapproving look. “Yeah, well. I grew up with him. Tank’s a close
and personal friend of mine. Don’t fucking hurt him.” Blade growled
as he pulled from his mate’s clutch and headed toward the kitchen
door.

Zackary pushed against Adwaka, as if the Orillian was holding

him back from tearing into Blade. He stabbed his finger into the air in
front of him as he shouted, “He may be a close and personal friend of
yours, but I saw him first. And if you yell at me again, Adwaka knows
people, who know people, who know how to yell back, and I’m not
afraid to call them.” Zackary just confused the shit out of himself, and
by the looks on everyone else’s faces, he wasn’t the only one.

Zackary moved away from Adwaka and reached down, swiping

the container off of the floor. “And you owe me some banana ice
cream, too,” he shouted after Blade as he tossed the container into the
trash receptacle.

“I’m outtie. Later, peeps.” Zackary was too pissed right now to

hang around his scheming friends. If he didn’t get some me time, he
was going to go after the coyote shifter and twist his whiskers. How
dare the guy judge him! Blade hadn’t a clue what was going on, so the
fucker needed to back the hell off.

Instead of going to his quarters, Zackary climbed the stairs to the

command deck, seeking out the one person he was sure could make
him smile again. Tank was sitting at the helm, running diagnostics as
Zackary plopped down beside him. He was riled up, but the sight of
his mate seemed to do the trick. He was slowly calming down.
“Would you be mad if I put a hit out on someone?”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank’s fingers froze midstride as his head slowly turned around to

Zackary. “Depends on who it is, tweak.”

“Blade,” Zackary stated flatly as he slumped in his chair. “He

wasted a perfectly good container of banana-flavored ice cream. It’s
not like I can run down to the market and fetch some more.”

Tank chuckled as he shook his head.
Drat. Zackary guessed contacting Adwaka’s uncle was out of the

question now. “How about a small hit, like maybe take a nap with the
fish?”

Tank laughed even harder as he reached over and ruffled

Zackary’s hair. “It’s sleeping with the fish, and I thought you had
enough fish to last you a lifetime.”

“I said a small hit, so a nap would suffice. I’m not totally against

fish, just the kind that make me kiss the floor.”

Tank fell back in his chair as laughter consumed him. The deep

and soothing melody coming from his mate was contagious as hell,
making Zackary chuckle as well. He knew Tank could get him out of
his foul mood. That was one of the things he loved about his mate.
Tank was a hoot.

“Maybe we could get the fish to smack him around a little, teach

him a lesson,” Tank said as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Zackary stared in awe of Tank’s huge arms for a second and then

snapped out of it, averting his eyes. The lion shifter always
mesmerized him. “I could arrange that.” He smiled.

“How close are we, Tank?” Remy’s voice interrupted their

plotting as Tank turned back toward the helm, small chuckles
escaping as he shook his head at Zackary.

“We are entering their orbit now, Commander. I’ve sent a

transmission to them stating that we are lost and seeking information.
I’m just waiting to hear back from whoever the hell is down there.”

Remy nodded as he leaned back and fitted his fingers together.

“Good. Let me know when you hear something.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Zackary stole a few glances at Tank before running a program he

had developed to invite himself into the planet’s communications
system. If they were plotting, and if Zackary could understand their
language, he would know and could warn the crew. Being an
electronic genius had its moments. Zackary loved showing off his
mad skills, especially when they impressed his mate.

Because Zackary was just a guy who loved one big ass lion

shifter.

Tank’s Tweak

Chapter 2

Tank held his breath as they slowly pulled into the spaceport of

the planet Kundimar. He really hated automated docking systems. It
was like having someone else guide a doctor pulling out your teeth.
The process took the control out of Tank’s hands, something that
didn’t set well with him.

The Lady Blue suddenly shook and then stopped. “Docking

system engaged,” said a mechanical voice over the intercom. “Please
disembark for registration.”

“Uh…” Tank turned and looked at Remy, arching one eyebrow.

“Registration?”

Remy shrugged. “Got me.”
Tank frowned as he turned back to his console and shut the ship

down. He didn’t like it, not one bit. He also didn’t like the idea of
anyone coming on board the Lady Blue. “Zackary?”

“Yeah, Tank?”
“I need you to create me a set of keys for the ship, something no

one but you and I can get into. I have a suspicious feeling that
someone is going to try and board us while we’re registering.”

Zackary grinned and rubbed his hands together for a moment. “Oh

goody, playtime.” He cracked his knuckles then wiggled his fingers,
staring down at his console with a totally wicked look on his face.
“Let’s see what I can leave for our friends.”

Tank sat back and watched Zackary work. He loved how crazy

Zackary was about what he did. The man lived and breathed playing
with computers and data systems. His mate really did have mad skills

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

when it came to electronics. It was like watching a masterpiece come
to life right before his eyes.

“Done.” Zackary turned and beamed up at Tank. “‘Tweak’ is your

key.”

Tank grinned and rubbed his hand over the back of Zackary’s

head. “Good choice.”

“Better than fruitcake?”
“Well, that depends on how soon we can reach your mom’s so I

can try a piece of hers, now doesn’t it?” As much as Zackary talked
about the dessert, it was sure to be some damn good fruitcake. Tank
grew concerned when Zackary’s lower lip slid out and he looked
down at his hands. He quickly reached over and grabbed Zackary,
pulling the smaller man into the apex of his thighs.

Tank tucked a knuckle under his mate’s chin, making Zackary

look up at him. “Hey, what’s the matter, tweak?”

“What if I never see my mom again?” Zackary whispered as his

beautiful blue eyes moistened with unshed tears.

“Not going to happen, Zackary.”
“You don’t know that,” Zackary huffed. “We’re stuck in the

middle of nowhere. We might never see home again.”

“Yes, we will,” Tank said as he curved his hand around the side of

Zackary’s face. “We have to, tweak. How else can I ask your mom’s
permission to mate you if I don’t meet her?”

Zackary’s pale blue eyes widened. “You’d do that?”
“For you, I’d do anything.” This seemed to get the smile back on

Zackary’s face, somewhere it always belonged. “Come on, let’s go
register.”

“The only thing I’m gonna register is a vid of me flipping them

off,” Zackary said as he pulled away from Tank.

“Behave,” Tank growled as he followed his mate off of the bridge.

Tank got that funny feeling again when he and Zackary joined the
others at the ramp. This place wasn’t registered anywhere on his
charts, yet here it was. Something didn’t feel right.

Tank’s Tweak

“Everyone stay close. This may be a bad idea, and we may need to

get the hell out of here pronto,” Remy said as some very weird-
looking purple-skinned aliens greeted them.

“Welcome to Kundimar. Please follow me.” A man with his

vertebrae on the outside of his skin gestured toward a small building.
“This should not take long.”

“I don’t like this,” Colt, the sniper specialist, murmured as he

grabbed his mate, Pax, and tucked the little man under his arm. “Why
do I feel like I’m being processed in?”

“I have the same gut feeling,” Tank admitted as he pulled Zackary

close to his side. If these creatures tried to separate him from his mate,
they were going to have one big ass angry lion shifter to deal with.
Tank didn’t play around when it came to his mate, something these
creatures would learn firsthand if they tried something.

“I need everyone to step into the building single file, one at a

time,” the alien said as he stopped walking and turned toward the
group. “It’s a simple process.”

“Oh, hell no!” Tank bellowed as he pulled Zackary up into his

arms and backed away. Simple process his ass. “This is some bogus
shit. You tell whoever is in there doing the registering to come out
here where we all can see him.”

“I’m sorry, but as commander of the Lady Blue, I cannot allow

my crew members to go into an unknown building,” Remy stated as
he stepped in front of the crew, taking a defensive stance. “Whoever
is inside the building will have to come out, or we can quietly leave
your planet.”

“Oh, but, no. You cannot leave Kundimar, ever,” the man said

without blinking.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Remy growled as he grabbed Gigi

and turned on his heel, hauling ass behind everyone else.

“Stop! You are not allowed to leave,” the creature shouted at them

frantically.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Try and stop us, dweeb,” Zackary shouted from over Tank’s

bouncing shoulder.

“You tell them, tweak,” Tank growled as they approached the

Lady Blue.

“Shit!” Crank cursed as everyone came to a screeching halt. There

were five more of those alien creatures standing outside of the Lady
Blue, looking perplexed as they studied the ship.

“Get us in there, Z,” Gigi whispered. The creatures were so busy

examining the side of the ship that they hadn’t noticed the crew’s
approach.

“Can do.” Zackary wiggled around on Tank’s shoulder, giving

Tank thoughts he didn’t need to have right now. The distraction could
be fatal. Tank willed the images away as Zackary fished out his vid-
pad from his front pocket. “Watch and be amazed.”

Tank did just that as Zackary began to fiddle with his vid-pad.

Within seconds the ship began to shimmer and fade. The alien
creatures gasped and jumped back, looking at each other
questioningly.

“Dorks,” Zackary whispered as he hit his vid-pad again and the

ramp lowered. The noise gathered the attention of the five men who
spun around to see the crew reboarding their ship. Anger marred their
ugly mugs as Remy hit the button to close the ramp. Tank was
sweating bullets as the ramp took its sweet ass time closing.

“Can’t it go any faster?” Tank complained as one of the creatures

managed to get a tight hold onto the closing ramp and worm his way
onto the ship. Tank, Crank, and Colt charged the thing, fighting to get
him off of their Lady.

Tank kicked the man’s legs out from under him as Colt grabbed

the guy’s arms. Crank lifted the man up by his legs as they tossed him
off the ship just as the ramp closed.

“Get your ass on the bridge and get us the fuck out of here!”

Remy shouted as the crew ran for the bridge.

Tank’s Tweak

Tank made sure his mate was at his side as he jumped into his seat

and engaged the thrusters. He cursed when the ship lurched but didn’t
engage. “We’re still locked into their docking system,” Tank said
desperately as he tried once again to shake them loose from the
clutches of the automated docking system.

“Child’s play,” Zackary said as his magical fingers began to

perform over the console. Tank tapped knuckles with his mate as the
Lady Blue lurched again, but this time she broke free and began to
ascend the planet.

“My man.” Tank chuckled as Zackary stood and did a happy

dance.

“Mad skills, baby,” Zackary boasted as he blew across his

knuckles and then polished them on his shirt. “My mom is gonna be
so proud of me.”

Tank saw the despair in Zackary’s eyes at the mention of his

mom. He reached over and tapped a finger over his mate’s nose.
“You’re gonna see her again, tweak.”

“I believe you,” Zackary said as he took a seat next to Tank and

exhaled slowly.

The ship suddenly shook. Tank cursed as he looked down at his

console, seeing the images of beams connected to the Lady from the
planet they were trying desperately to escape. “They’re trying to use
tracker beams to pull us back,” Tank called out as he began to try
once again to free the ship from the planet’s tight grip.

“Bastards,” Zackary said as his fingers took flight.
Tank tried his best to keep the thruster as full throttle while his

mate worked his magic. After a harrowing few minutes, the Lady
Blue shot out of Kundimar’s orbit.

“Are we clear?” Remy asked.
“Free and clear,” Tank confirmed as he guided them further into

the unknown.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Mark Kundimar off our list of places to vacation,” Remy said as

he leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. “We won’t be going
back.”

* * * *

Zackary leaned quietly against the doorframe of the bridge and

watched Tank rub his large hand over the back of his neck. They were
still traveling through unknown space and the tension was starting to
get to everyone.

Personally, Zackary thought his mate might have it the hardest.

Tank had to be on duty almost all of the time. He was the pilot.
Without him, they could free-fall through space and end up colliding
into something or crash-landing on some unknown planet.

Zackary pushed away from the doorway and walked over to stand

behind Tank. He pushed his mate’s hand away and started kneading
his fingers into the tightly coiled muscles on Tank’s shoulders and
neck.

“Damn, baby,” Tank groaned as his head fell forward on his chest,

“that feels wonderful.”

“You work too hard,” Zackary murmured as he massaged Tank’s

soft skin. “You need to relax more.”

“Not to worry, tweak, I’ll relax as soon as we find a place to set

our feet down for a little while.”

“Can’t someone else pilot the ship?” Zackary bit his lip for a

moment as he considered the merits of speaking the thoughts in his
head. “You could put the ship on autopilot and take a little nap. I can
watch things while you sleep. I’d wake you up the minute I saw
something. I promise.”

Tank tilted his head back and looked up at Zackary. Granted it

wasn’t much. But it placed their faces mere inches apart. “I’m good,
tweak.”

Tank’s Tweak

“You can try and bullshit everyone else,” Zackary growled softly,

“but don’t lie to me.”

Tank chuckled, making his lion’s shoulders move under his hands.

Zackary yelped when he was suddenly grabbed and pulled around and
sat in Tank’s lap. “I swear, tweak, I’m fine. Yes, I’m a little tired, but
so is everyone else. If I really need to be relieved, I’ll ask.”

Zackary wasn’t sure how much of that he believed—not because

he thought Tank was lying to him but because he knew the crew of
the Lady Blue would do whatever it took to keep each and every one
of them safe, Zackary included.

Zackary laid his head against Tank’s massive chest and watched

the vid-screen with his mate. While it was a computer-generated
picture of what was ahead of them, it still made for a beautiful sight.
Several planets of varying sizes and colors could be seen off in the
distance. There was a nebula of pinks and purples weaving between a
couple of them, making them seem surreal.

“Do you really think we’ll find a place to land, Tank?” Zackary

asked quietly as he enjoyed just sitting there peacefully with his mate.

Tank’s hand ran up and down Zackary’s back and then changed to

a circular pattern. “Sure we will, tweak. We just need to find the right
one.”

Zackary pointed to the screen. “What about that blue one?”
Tank leaned forward for a moment, his massive arm wrapping

around Zackary to stop him from falling from his mate’s lap as Tank
punched in several buttons before shaking his head. “Sorry, tweak,
that planet doesn’t have an atmosphere we can breathe.”

“The brown one then?”
Tank typed in a few more buttons then chuckled. “Only if you

want a heavy tan. The surface temperature is about three hundred
degrees.”

“That would melt my ice cream!”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“A very important consideration when choosing a planet to land

on.” Tank chuckled as his hand went back to soothing Zackary’s
back.

“It was good ice cream,” Zackary said. “Banana flavored.”
“Then it’s definitely something we should consider.”
Zackary knew Tank was joking with him, but it felt good. He

could feel the tension swamping Tank’s muscular body fading as they
looked at planet after planet. Even if he refused to leave the helm, the
serenity of the moment enveloped both of them, helping his mate to
relax.

Zackary’s fingers played in Tank’s shirt as he watched the galaxy

pass them by. It was a rather beautiful setting. He had always had
visions of romantic settings when he found his mate, but Zackary
would never tell anyone that.

He tilted his head back to see Tank’s eyes half closed, staring off

into the unknown. Zackary took a deep breath, steeling his nerves
before he leaned up and brushed his lips across Tank’s. It was a
fleeting kiss, but his body responded immediately to the feeling of
Tank’s soft skin beneath his lips.

“Tweak?” Tank ran his hand through the back of Zackary’s hair,

pulling him closer as he kissed each eye and then recaptured
Zackary’s lips in a proper kiss. With the sheer size of his mate,
Zackary would have thought Tank would be hurried, rough. What he
didn’t expect was the slow, drugging kiss that made his head swoon.

Zackary sat sideways in Tank’s lap, panting when the lion pulled

away. He wanted more. “That was better than ice cream.” Zackary
licked his lips as he stared at Tank’s moist, kiss-swollen lips,
wondering if he could get another sample.

“I’m glad you think so,” Tank said as his green eyes sparkled in

the low setting. He brushed the hair from Zackary’s eyes and smiled
down at him. Gods, he was a sexy man.

Zackary wanted more. Good gods, he wanted more. But he

couldn’t, so there was no use tempting fate. But one more kiss

Tank’s Tweak

couldn’t hurt. He hoped it couldn’t. Zackary turned until he straddled
Tank’s lap, cupping the lion’s face as his lips collided with Tank’s.

Tank groaned as his arms tightened around Zackary’s body,

pulling him even closer as Zackary opened, allowing Tank’s tongue to
plunge in and carry him away. His mate’s tongue played over his
teeth and then delved in, swiping across his as Tank’s hand moved
lower.

Zackary pulled away, gasping for breath as he tried to get his

raging hormones back under control. “I can’t.” He wanted to be
anywhere but in Tank’s lap when the hurt stole into Tank’s big green
eyes.

Tank panted for a second, looking as though he, too, was reining

in his out-of-control hormones. “You’ll let me know when you’re
ready?”

What made Zackary feel worse was when Tank ran a knuckle

down Zackary’s face, smiling at him. Why did his mate have to be so
damn understanding? It only made Zackary feel like pond scum. “I’m
ready, but there’s something you should know. I’m Paktillian.”

Tank chuckled as he hugged Zackary. “I’m aware of who you

are.”

Zackary shook his head, trying to get the lust cloud to dissipate. It

wasn’t working out so well. “No, you don’t understand.”

“So then explain it to me.”
Zackary sighed as he pushed back, looking up into his lion’s

gorgeous eyes. “There is a custom we follow religiously. If we don’t
make it back to Paktil, we can never become mates.”

“What? I don’t understand,” Tank said as he searched Zackary’s

eyes. “The claiming is an intimate thing, but it doesn’t require we be
in a certain place to complete it.”

Zackary wished it was that simple. His mom would kill him if he

forwent the traditions of his people. As badly as he wanted Tank to
claim him—and he wanted Tank to fuck him into the helm

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

desperately—Zackary couldn’t push aside tradition just because he
was horny…and gods he was so damn horny.

“You’re still not understanding what I’m trying to say. Paktillian

tradition dictates that we perform the ceremony of my people before
the mating can take place.”

He could see the confusion in his lion’s eyes, and Zackary wished

he could explain things better. He was trying, but if a person wasn’t
from his race, it was hard to understand.

“But Pax came from Paktil and he didn’t have to perform a ritual

when he mated Colt.” Tank tried to argue his point but Zackary could
see he still wasn’t getting it.

“Paktil houses many species. Pax isn’t a true Paktillian. He just

grew up there. Do you see my eyes?” Zackary pulled down the skin
right under his eyes and leaned closer to Tank. “That is a sign of a
true Paktillian.”

“I’m trying to follow you, tweak. I really am, but I’m lost as hell.”
He could see the frustration in Tank’s eyes and feel the tension

returning. This wasn’t what Zackary had set out to do. All he wanted
was one simple kiss. But simple wasn’t what it had turned out to be.

Zackary sighed as he laid his head on Tank’s broad chest,

wondering if he could explain this correctly without his mate getting
angry with him. Zackary didn’t want Tank angry with him.

“Just tell me what we need to do, tweak.” Tank’s deep voice

rumbled through his chest as he spoke. “Whatever it is, we’ll do it.”

Zackary leaned back, staring up at his mate with surprise.

“Really?”

Tank nodded as he leaned forward and kissed Zackary on the tip

of his nose. “Really.”

“Well, the custom says we can’t claim each other until we

perform the rituals of my people, so no intercourse.” Zackary licked
his lips as his eyes dropped to Tank’s mouth. “It doesn’t say anything
about not doing other things.”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank growled as he swiped his tongue across Zackary’s lower lip.

“What do you have in mind, tweak?”

“Blow jobs and hand jobs are acceptable, I think.” He sure hoped

they were because he was going to melt into the floor if they weren’t.

“And you waited so long to tell me this because?” Tank asked as

he nibbled his way around Zackary’s neck, teasing his earlobe with
his hot lips.

“I’m not s–sure. But remind me to kick my ass later for making us

both wait,” Zackary moaned as Tank’s lips continued to make his
brain malfunction.

Zackary gasped when Tank fiddled between them, his large hand

unfastening Zackary’s pants and freeing Zackary’s cock. Tank picked
him up and spun him around, showing Zackary the galaxy as his hand
began to stroke Zackary’s cock.

“Should we be doing this right here?”
“We could go someplace else,” Tank said as he nipped at

Zackary’s ear. “But I think the view is worth staying right where we
are.”

Zackary’s head fell back as Tank’s thumb caressed over the head

of his cock, smearing the river of pre-cum that was leaking out.
“Right here is good.”

Tank’s hand was so large that it wrapped around Zackary’s cock

and still had plenty of room.

Zackary groaned as Tank quickened his pace. Zackary’s back

arched as his mate took him to a higher level, making Zackary want to
beg to be fucked. He knew fooling around was dangerous, especially
since they couldn’t have sex, but Zackary was too far gone to stop his
mate and his masterful hand.

Zackary’s fingers curled into the helm as he cried out, ribbons of

seed erupting from his cock. He slumped back, feeling sated and
sleepy. Gods, he needed that.

He took a quick peek around Tank to make sure no one else had

come onto the bridge before twisting around and falling to his knees,

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

wedged in the apex of Tank’s legs. Zackary reached out to pull
Tank’s pants free when two large hands circled his wrists, effectively
stopping him.

“You don’t have to,” Tank said.
Zackary could see the control Tank was using and knew there was

no way he was going to leave him hanging. “I want to.”

Tank studied him for a moment before releasing his wrists, giving

Zackary a slight nod. Zackary wasn’t so sure about his commitment
once he freed Tank’s cock. The sucker was huge. Zackary tried to
wrap his hand around it, but his fingers wouldn’t even meet. He
glanced up at his mate before leaning forward and licking the pre-cum
from the mushroom-shaped head.

“Tastes better than ice cream,” he teased before wrapping his lips

around the head.

“Oh hell,” Tank gasped as Zackary took as much as he could into

his mouth. If it brought Tank that much pleasure, Zackary knew
sucking cock was a feat he was going to master.

He sucked vigorously as he reached a hand underneath and pulled

at Tank’s balls. His mate moaned, and his hips hitched as Zackary
sucked Tank’s cock to the back of this throat. He gagged and pulled
back, taking a deep breath before trying again. He wasn’t a pro by any
means, and Tank tipped the scale on the ginormous side of things.

“I’m about to come,” Tank warned as Zackary sealed his lips

around his mate’s cock once again. He breathed through his nose as
he tried his best to swallow every drop that splattered across his
tongue. Zackary stole a peek at Tank as he drank down his mate’s
seed.

“Fuck.” Tank exhaled, his breath becoming ragged as he slumped

back in his chair. Zackary licked Tank’s cock clean before pulling
back.

“Tastes better than fruitcake.” He laughed.

Tank’s Tweak

Zackary ducked down when he heard the bridge door swoosh

open. Shit. If only whoever it was had waited two more minutes. He
glanced around Tank to see Remy staring right at him.

“I…uh…” Remy stammered then quickly backed away and

scrambled off the bridge.

Zackary began to laugh as he tucked his mate’s softening cock

back into his pants.

“Great, now I’m just a guy who gives blow jobs on the bridge.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Chapter 3

Tank walked into the mess hall feeling light on his feet. He wasn’t

sure he understood what his mate was talking about as far as rituals
and ceremonies went, but the blow job did a lot to ease his tension.

“Morning, men.” He smiled at the other mates as he strolled into

the kitchen. Tank was determined to find another container of banana-
flavored ice cream for his mate. His tweak deserved a reward after
last night. It may not have been sex per se, but Tank would take what
he could get.

He strolled past Pax in the kitchen and went right in to the pantry

to begin searching for some banana-flavored ice cream. It took him
several minutes to search through the cold storage. By the time he
found the treat he was looking for, the floor was littered with
containers and boxes of frozen food.

“Can I help you find something?” Pax asked from the doorway.
“Nope.” Tank held up the banana ice cream. “I found just what I

was looking for.”

“Then do you think you could put the storage unit back in order?

Gigi will have my head if he comes in and sees this mess.”

Tank chuckled as he nodded his head. “I’ll put everything back

just the way I found it, promise.”

Pax frowned, as if he didn’t quite believe Tank, but he turned and

walked out of the pantry anyway. Tank laughed as he shook his head
and started putting everything back the way he had found it, mostly.
He wasn’t sure he got it all put back exactly as it had been, but it was
all back. And he had his container of banana ice cream—the
important thing.

Tank’s Tweak

Tank held the container against his chest like a prized treasure as

he made his way out of the kitchen. He spotted Zackary sitting at the
table with the other crew members the moment he stepped into the
mess hall. Tank was pretty sure his grin split his face. He quickly
walked over and sat down next to Zackary and plopped the container
of ice cream down in front of him.

“I found you something.”
Tank was almost positive that Zackary’s face flushed, but the man

dipped his head too fast for him to be sure. Tank grinned and bumped
up against Zackary before glancing up at the others sitting around the
table.

“Zackary and I were able to eliminate a few of the planets in this

system as possible landing sites. One was way too hot and the other
had an atmosphere that wasn’t sustainable to us. We’ll keep looking,
but this system is looking pretty slim so far.”

“We’ll find something,” Remy said before sticking a piece of

fruit in his mouth.

“We’d better.” Gigi arched an eyebrow at Remy. “You eat like a

horse.”

Remy chewed for a moment then grinned down at Gigi. “Good

thing I’m hung like a horse, too, huh?”

Tank chuckled at the bantering as he popped the lid on the ice

cream and handed his mate a spoon. “Dig in, tweak.” He winked at
his mate as he grabbed the other spoon. They sat there together eating
the ice cream as the crew carried on their conversations.

Tank began to imagine other things he and Zackary could do

without having actual sex, and his mood became buoyant. “I had a
problem with some coordinates. I was wondering if you could help
me?” he asked his mate.

“I can help,” Crank volunteered.
There was no way Crank could help him with what he had in

mind. The only person capable of that was licking the ice cream off of
his spoon like a pro. Tank held back the groan as he watched his mate

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

molest the spoon. He remembered all too well how that tongue had
felt on his cock, and Tank was officially addicted to the little pink
appendage now.

“It’s something Zackary needs to help me with.”
“Huh?” Zackary glanced up at Tank from under his midnight

black lashes, ice cream smeared across his upper lip. Tank licked his
bottom lip, fighting the urge to lean forward and remove the banana-
flavored treat with his tongue. Tank’s eyes followed every move
Zackary made as his body craved his mate’s touch.

“Coordinates,” Tank managed to mumble as he watched Zackary

lick the treat from his lips. Tank’s cock was throbbing in his pants to
be free and feel those succulent lips wrapped around his aching flesh.

“I don’t see why you need my help. It’s real easy to—” A

knowing look finally crossed his mate’s face as he tossed the spoon
onto the table. “Coordinates. Right. Those things can be very tricky.”

Tank stood, trying his best not to race to the door. He walked as

casually as he could with his mate following close behind. Once they
reached the corridor, they broke camp and raced down to their shared
quarters.

Zackary laughed as Tank made it into the room first, tearing at his

pants as Zackary did the same. “Whatcha have in mind?”

Tank couldn’t think right now. He didn’t want to think right now.

He picked his mate up and tossed him onto the bed. “We can do each
other.”

Tank kicked his boots off and then pulled his pants free. He

hopped up onto the bed and then buried his face into his mate’s balls,
inhaling deeply. His tongue darted out as Zackary wrapped his fingers
around Tank’s cock.

“Does banana-flavored ice cream always make you this horny?”

Zackary asked before engulfing Tank’s cock.

“Oh fuck,” Tank shouted. “Anything about you makes me horny.”

Tank tossed talking out the door as he sucked his mate’s cock down
his throat. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but Zackary’s taste

Tank’s Tweak

sent his senses reeling. Tank couldn’t seem to get enough. He fought
desperately to stop his canines from descending. His lion roared to get
free and claim his mate, but Tank managed to keep his beast at bay.

They lay side by side, trying to eat each other alive. Tank soon

rolled to his back, pulling his mate atop him. He grabbed Zackary’s
hips as he pulled and then pushed, simulating with his mouth what he
wanted to do with his dick.

His fingers played over his mate’s hole, but Tank resisted the urge

to breach him. It was hard, real fucking hard, but Tank stayed true to
his word and didn’t allow his fingers to sink into his mate’s intimate
entrance. Zackary lay over him giving Tank so much pleasure that he
wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out.

Tank sucked Zackary’s fat cock to the back of his throat and

beyond as he came in his mate’s mouth. He would have sworn
Zackary was out to suck Tank’s balls down his throat as his mate
drank his seed.

Zackary gave a few more thrusts before he was following Tank

over the edge, feeding Tank his seed as Tank gladly took every last
drop. Tank was gasping for air by the time Zackary rolled free,
panting at his side.

“I think we found the coordinates we were looking for.” Zackary

panted as his threw an arm over his eyes.

Tank chuckled as he nodded in agreement, too worn out to talk.

He just wanted to bask in all that was his mate.

Tank and Zackary shot up, staring at each other for a moment

when the alarm sounded throughout the ship.

“Shit!” they said in unison as they scrambled to get dressed. Tank

wasn’t sure what was going on, but an alarm was never a good sign.

* * * *

Remy, and the rest of the crew, shot out of the mess hall as they

ran for the bridge. He wasn’t sure why the alarm was sounding, but he

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

wasn’t going to stop and ask questions. This was the first time the
alarm had sounded on the ship since he owned it, and the loud blaring
sound scared the hell out of him.

“What is it?” he asked as he entered the bridge.
“We never refueled the cells, Commander. We have no choice but

to land,” Tank said as he jumped into his seat and began to search for
a planet to land on. The pilot’s fingers raced across the console.

Remy dropped into the commander’s seat. He absently wondered

what in the hell was going to happen next. Ever since they agreed to
take on the illegal shipment, nothing had gone right. Maybe it was a
sign. It wasn’t like they were criminals. They were just a crew of men
trying to scratch the ground for a living.

“Anything?” he asked after a few minutes.
“I have something on the scanners, but it’s going to be a rough ass

landing,” Tank said.

Zackary grabbed the seat next to his mate and began working his

console. Remy looked around the bridge, seeing fear and acceptance
in everyone’s eyes. Gigi sat next to Remy and buckled in. He grabbed
Remy’s hand as he stared straight ahead.

Remy knew his mate was trying to be brave. He appreciated Gigi

keeping a calm head considering the circumstances. All the mates
seemed to take their places next to their other halves, buckling down
for what could be a fatal crash. It was a sobering sight.

“We’re going in too fast.” Tank growled as he and the rest of the

crew worked diligently to bring the Lady Blue in as softly as they
could. It was too late to put the mates in the escape pods. They were
already burning through the atmosphere. It would be a death sentence
for the mates if they attempted it now.

Remy saw the planet racing toward them at breakneck speed. He

held on to Gigi’s hand tightly as the Lady Blue broke through the
clouds, the ship taking on heavy damage as Tank tried to land her as
best he could.

Tank’s Tweak

The last thing Remy saw was the Lady Blue rushing toward the

ground at a heart-stopping speed. The planet grew closer. There was a
loud crunch of metal…then nothing.

* * * *

Zackary shook his head as he pushed away from his spot under

the edge of the helm. He felt a little disoriented as he tried to regain
his focus. Something warm trickled down the side of his head. When
he reached up and touched the wet spot, he pulled back a hand
decorated in blood.

“Tweak.” Tank’s voice wavered, the sound of fear and concern

melding together.

Zackary tried to focus, but his head swam around every time he

tried to look up. It seemed to be better if he just kept his eyes closed.
He started to close them when the fear in Tank’s voice filtered
through the fog.

“Hold still, tweak. Imlay is here.”
Tank’s voice echoed as Zackary blinked a few times, fighting to

open his eyes and focus. He had to focus. The crew needed him. Tank
needed him. Zackary sat back, looking at the large vid-screen in front
of him, seeing that they had landed. He took a deep breath and
blinked a few more times, the visions in front of him finally clearing.

“Where are we?” Zackary whispered.
Tank knelt next to him on the floor. He grimaced as he grabbed

Zackary’s hands and pulled them away from his face. “I don’t know,
tweak, but you have to let Imlay look at you.”

Zackary turned his head to see the doctor staring down at him, a

frown on his face. Did he look that bad? He smiled at Imlay and then
cried out, the entire right side of his face exploding in white-hot
agony.

“What’s wrong with me?” He looked desperately at his mate,

searching the lion’s eyes for a clue. Zackary saw terror in Tank’s

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

eyes, pure and raw. He knew he had been hurt, and it must have been
horrible. “Is it that bad?”

Tank visibly gulped and nodded. “You weren’t buckled in,

tweak.”

“Tank, I need you to gently carry him to sick bay.”
Imlay’s words sank into Zackary’s mind. It had to be really bad

because Tank was looking as though he was about to lose it. “Am I
still sexy?” Zackary’s voice whispered as he searched his mate’s eyes
frantically for an answer.

“You are the sexiest man I know.” Tank smiled before reaching

around Zackary and lifting him up in his arms.

Zackary’s head began to throb painfully before it settled against

Tank’s chest. Zackary glanced around the bridge as best as he could
and saw all eyes on him. Everyone was looking at him with pity, but
Pax was staring at him in horror.

Zackary closed his eyes, blocking out the prying eyes as his mate

carried him from the bridge. He wasn’t sure how bad it was, but
Zackary forced himself to focus on the positive side. He was still
alive. He had survived the crash. That was what was important. His
lion still thought he was sexy, still wanted him, so he could deal with
whatever had happened.

“Set him down over there,” Zackary heard Imlay direct Tank. A

moment later, his mate gently laid him on one of the med-beds.
Zackary glanced up to see Tank standing by his side staring down at
him.

“You won’t leave me, will you?”
Tank grabbed one of Zackary’s hands and gave it a light squeeze.

“And have your mom kick my ass? No way, tweak. I’m looking
forward to some of her famous fruitcake too much to piss her off.”

Zackary tried to smile and instantly regretted it when the skin

across his face stretched and started to throb painfully. He cried out,
tears falling from his eyes as the pain nearly made him pass out.

Tank’s Tweak

“No facial movements, Zackary,” Imlay warned as he approached

the bed. “I’m going to put you to sleep while I give you a beauty
makeover.”

“No,” Zackary said as Imlay approached him with an injection

gun. He hadn’t felt too upset when he discovered he’d been injured,
but the sight of the injection gun sent him into an all-out panic.
“Please. I don’t want to go to sleep. Just numb my face.”

Zackary caught the look Imlay gave Tank. His injury must be

really bad. Imlay was deferring to Tank for permission instead of him.
“How bad is it?”

“We’ll talk once I get you all patched up,” the doc said before

grabbing a different gun. He filled it with some sort of yellow liquid
then began to make injections in various spots on Zackary’s face.

Zackary wasn’t sure why he had wanted to stay awake, but the

sheer pain from just the injections made Zackary want to scream at
the top of his lungs. He gritted his teeth and took it like a champ…or
a psychotic person, because no one in his right mind would
voluntarily endure something this painful.

“Okay, I’ll let that take effect for a moment before I begin.” Imlay

patted Zackary’s shoulder before leaving him alone with Tank.

“Tell me,” Zackary demanded softly as he turned to look at his

mate.

“Tweak, I—”
“Don’t treat me like that, Tank. I deserve to know.”
Tank shook his head as he lifted Zackary’s hands and kissed the

knuckles. “Yes, you deserve to know. But I won’t have you upset
while doc is trying to work on you. I promise, as soon as he’s done,
we’ll talk.”

Zackary closed his eyes. It was far worse than he feared if no one

was willing to tell him he had a mere scratch on his face. Zackary
took a deep breath, lecturing his mind on the fact that he was still
alive and that a scar was nothing to be ashamed of.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Zackary opened his eyes and stared at his lion. “Do you still want

to mate me?”

Tank drew closer as he stared Zackary right in his eyes. “Nothing

would stop me, tweak.”

“Then I want us to mate as soon as Imlay is finished.”
Tank laid the gentlest of kisses on his lips. “We’ll talk when he’s

done.”

Zackary closed his eyes once again, fighting against the tears that

threatened to spill. If Tank wasn’t giving him an instant approval,
then it really was that bad. Zackary couldn’t help but wonder if his
wound was so bad that Tank wouldn’t want him.

Imlay came back into the room, surgical supplies laid out on the

tray in his hands. He laid them out on a portable table and then pulled
it over to the side of the bed. Imlay had a look of determination in his
eyes when he turned to look at Zackary.

“I’m going to repair the damaged tissues in your face and close

the deep laceration. It is going to be a slow and painful process,
Zackary. I want you to concentrate on Tank.”

“Okay,” Zackary said.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to put you to sleep?”
“No, I want to stay awake.”
Imlay’s lips thinned as he gave Zackary a tight nod. “Very well.”
Zackary turned his head slightly, staring up into his lion’s

beautiful green eyes. “Promise me something, Tank.”

Tank’s hand squeezed Zackary a little tighter as he nodded.

“Anything.”

“Claim me when this is over.”
“What about your customs and rituals, tweak? I don’t want you to

regret that we rushed this when it seems so important to you.”

Zackary wasn’t sure if Tank was really concerned about his

customs and rituals or if he was stalling because he didn’t want him as
a mate anymore. Was it really that bad? Was he so disfigured that just
the mere sight of him repulsed his mate?

Tank’s Tweak

“We can wait,” Zackary said as he focused on something past

Tank’s shoulder.

“Hey, look at me,” Tank said as he tapped a finger on Zackary’s

chest.

Zackary met Tank’s eyes, fearful of what he would find there. He

was surprised to see Tank smiling at him, love shining brightly in his
eyes. At least, Zackary was pretty sure it was love.

“Whatever you want to do, I’ll do it,” Tank said. “If the ritual isn’t

too complicated, we could perform it and record it for your mom.”

“Really?”
Tank nodded at him. “Really.”
Zackary blinked a few times before speaking. “Okay. My mom

will kick my ass, but at least we will have it recorded for her to
watch.”

Tank leaned in a little closer, whispering so only Zackary could

hear. “We don’t have to have sex on video, do we?”

Zackary chuckled, instantly regretting it when pain started to

throb in his face again. He also received a disapproving look from
Imlay. “Gods no. I may be close to my mom, but I’m not a pervert.”

Tank smiled and straightened, giving the doc a quick nod.

“Good.”

Zackary enjoyed Tank’s smile a moment longer before Imlay

began. The instant he did, Zackary screamed until his lungs hurt, and
then he passed out.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Chapter 4

“Get it off the ship.” Remy directed Crank, Colt, and Blade to

lower the ramp and drive the combat vehicle off of the Lady Blue.
They needed to check out their surroundings, but a small part of
Remy wanted to take that bad boy out and give it a spin.

He’d been dying to try it out ever since Livewire purchased it

months ago. Remy jumped into the driver’s seat, the other three
grumbling about wanting a turn. He laughed as he started the vehicle
up. “Too bad, so sad.”

“Just get it going,” Crank complained as he took one of the

backseats.

Remy studied the gears for a moment before taking off. Okay, so

maybe he wanted to play before they actually scoped out the planet.
After everything that had happened, he wanted to relieve some stress.
He was worried about Zackary. The smaller mate’s face had been
sliced open from temple to jaw and there wasn’t a dammed thing
Remy could do but wait for Imlay to repair it.

Remy was also worried about making sure this wasn’t another

registration planet. He had to ensure that his crew was safe. He
worried about the Elite Force finding them before they somehow
miraculously proved they were innocent.

He worried about getting the cargo where it needed to go before

they owed Pax’s uncle and Hyberian for the spoiled cargo, and he
worried about Gigi. He’d always worry about Gigi. His mate meant
more to him than the next beat of his heart.

Tank’s Tweak

Remy slammed the door on all his worries and took pleasure in

life, if only for a fleeting moment. He steered the vehicle around a
mountainous hill, whooping as dust kicked up behind them.

“I think you’re enjoying this a little too much. My turn.” Colt

pouted. It was amazing how a toy this size brought out the kid in even
the largest and most badass of men.

Remy chuckled and shook his head. “No fucking way.”
“He’s not sharing his toys,” Colt shouted back to the other two.
Remy had a feeling he was about to witness mutiny if he didn’t

give someone else a turn. To hell with it, he’d take them all on in
order to enjoy the freedom that was coursing through his veins at the
moment.

Remy slowed when he noticed a small town up ahead. With

everything pretty much on the fritz back on the Lady Blue, they were
unable to scan the surface for life. They had their answer sitting in
front of them now.

“Do you think we should proceed?” Blade asked as all four of

them pulled their phasers free of their holsters. Remy wasn’t sure how
to answer that. But he knew they would be stuck on this rock for
awhile. The Lady Blue needed extensive repairs after suffering such a
heavy impact when they crash-landed.

“Cautiously,” Remy said as he drove slowly to the outskirts of the

small town. This was an uncharted galaxy, so he had no clue what
they were dealing with. If it was a hostile planet, they were fucked.
There was no way to escape, not until his lady was back on her feet
and walking again.

“It looks pretty friendly,” Crank stated from the backseat. “But so

did the last planet.”

“Just let me do all the talking. You guys keep your eyes wide

open for anyone approaching us,” Remy said as they entered the small
town.

There were people walking the streets, stopping to stare at them as

they made their way down the main street. It had a vintage style to it.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

The buildings were made of brick, actual brick. Remy hadn’t seen that
in a very long time. Most buildings back in his system were made of
carbon fiber and steel.

“Look at that,” Crank said as he pointed to a small combat vehicle

much like theirs, but not. Remy looked around and noticed vehicles
that were fully encased in what looked to be some sort of steel. They
even had hard tires on them.

“Where in the fuck are we?” Blade asked as they rode along

slowly.

Remy pulled over to a concrete slab. “Excuse me,” he called out

to a man walking along with some small vid-pad in his hand. “Where
are we?”

The man cocked his head as he stared at them and then at their

vehicle. “Um, Earth.”

There was no way they were on Earth. Remy had been there a few

times, and it looked nothing like this. As a matter of fact, this small
town looked like a place he had learned about in his tutorials growing
up on Tronos. He was getting a weird feeling about this planet.

“Thanks,” he said as he waved a hand at the man.
“I think we need to get the fuck out of here,” Colt said from

beside him.

“I think you’re right.” Remy turned the combat vehicle around,

heading back the way they came when a large man ran out in front of
him. Remy hit the brakes, but it was too late. They crashed right into
the man.

“Shit,” Blade shouted as he and Crank jumped from the backseat,

running around to the front of the vehicle.

Remy’s heart was in his throat as he shot from the driver’s seat.

Please don’t let me have killed him. Remy breathed easier when he
saw the man get to his feet. Thank fuck. “Are you okay?”

The man shook his head and then rolled his shoulders. “No worse

for the wear.” He glanced quickly over his shoulder and then whipped

Tank’s Tweak

his head back around to Remy. “But I need you to get me the hell out
of here.”

Remy didn’t like the situation, but it was the least he could do

after damn near killing the guy. “We don’t have much room, but hop
in.”

“Thanks,” the stranger said as he ran to the back of their vehicle

and jumped in. “Let’s go.”

The three got back in, and then Remy drove away. “What Earth

year is this?”

The man started laughing as Remy drove back toward the Lady

Blue. “You’re kidding me, right?” The man looked between the four
of them and then his face fell. “You’re not kidding?”

Remy cut a glance at Colt. He wasn’t sure how much he should

divulge to this human. If his suspicions were accurate, then he didn’t
want to leave footprints behind. “Yeah, I’m kidding.” Remy rolled his
eyes as he cut back around the hill.

“Holy fuck!” the man shouted as he tried to jump from the vehicle

while it was still in motion.

“Stop!” Crank shouted.
Remy slammed on the brakes and stopped the vehicle as the

human fell to the ground, landing face-first in the dirt. He pushed
himself up and wiped his face as he stared at the Lady Blue in
amazement.

“There’s no fucking way I’m really seeing this. No fucking way,

man.”

Remy could see the man was on the verge of hysterics. Now

what?

“I thought it a bit strange when I saw how freakishly tall you guys

were, but this is…” The man waved his hand at Remy’s ship as he
paced in circles. “This can’t be real. It can’t, it can’t, it can’t.”

“Should I smack him or something?” Crank leaned over and

whispered to Remy.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Remy shook his head. “Look.” He approached the human, but the

guy jumped back, holding both hands in front of him.

“Stay back. I won’t let you eat my brains.”
Blade snickered as Colt’s jaw dropped. Crank rolled his eyes at

the human. Remy took a step back, watching the human closely.
“Sorry, but I gave that delicatessen up eons ago.” Maybe he shouldn’t
have said that. The human’s face paled.

“Thanks…I think.”
“We don’t eat brains. Now calm the hell down.” Crank growled.

“We crashed here and we need to get repairs done on our ship before
we can leave. What’s the big fucking deal?”

“Dude,” the man said as he turned toward Crank, jabbing his

finger at the ship. “If the government catches you, you’re fucked.”

Great. Remy growled at the prospect of dealing with another

government figure chasing after them. This was turning out to be one
big fiasco after another. Remy was getting a sinking feeling about all
of it.

“Don’t you have like a cloaking device or something?” the man

asked as he waved a hand at the Lady Blue. “Something that can
disguise your ship until you get it repaired so no one can see it?”

“I’m not sure if it was damaged in the crash,” Remy said as he

walked back to the vehicle. “But we need to find out fast. Thanks for
warning us.”

Remy and company climbed back in and started for the ship.
“Wait!” The man jumped in front of the vehicle and waved his

hands for them to stop.

Remy was already aggravated. He didn’t need this shit right now.

He had a crew to protect and a ship to repair, all in less time than he
would have preferred. “What?” he snapped.

“Take me with you.” The man slapped his hands on the front of

the vehicle, as if he was going to stop it from moving without his
permission.

Tank’s Tweak

“Hell no,” Colt growled from the passenger seat. “We have

enough headaches already.”

Remy assessed the man that seemed desperate enough to ask alien

beings to take him away from his home world and everything he
knew. “Give me one good reason why I should take you with us.”

“Are you nuts?” Crank asked from the backseat and then leaned

forward, lowering his voice. “If I’m right, we’ve just gone through
some kind of space-time continuum. We aren’t supposed to be here.
What if we fuck things up by taking him with us?”

Remy knew what Crank was saying, but he wanted to hear the

human out. “Talk,” he said to the man in front of him.

“Okay, look.” The guy walked around the side of the vehicle,

standing next to Remy. “I know you don’t need me for anything, but I
need to get the hell away from here. I have nothing, absolutely
nothing holding me here. I’m a computer analyst for—”

“Can you help fix our ship?” Remy cut him off. They could use

all the help they could get. The human may not have knowledge of
the advanced system, but Remy was feeling pretty desperate right
about now. He needed to get his mate and everyone else as far away
from this planet as fast as possible.

“I can take a look.”
“Hop in,” Remy said as he waited for the human to climb in.
“Not a good idea,” Colt reminded him. “Footprints, my brother,

footprints.”

Remy ignored the hawk shifter as he tore away from the hill and

back to the ship. He drove right up onto the ramp and jumped free as
soon as he parked the combat vehicle. “Blade, Crank, get the vehicle
tied down and close the ramp. I need to go find Livewire and see if he
can get the cloaking device working.”

“Yes, Commander,” they both said.
Remy walked over to the airlock. He pointed to the human who

was looking around the Lady Blue in utter fascination. “You, follow
me. And don’t touch anything.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

The man hurried to Remy’s side as the doors to the airlock

swished open. Remy stepped through and closed the door after the
stranger. He waited for the room to depressurize before walking down
the corridor to engineering, the human trailing closely behind.

“Livewire!” Remy shouted as he walked into engineering. “We

need our cloaking device now.”

“It’s on my list of—” Livewire stopped midsentence when he saw

the human walk around Remy to stare at the propulsion system.

“Holy fuck,” the human said in awe.
“Who is that?” Livewire asked as he nodded at the stranger.
“This is…” Remy frowned. “Just what is your name, anyway?”
“Monty, but everyone calls me Mo,” the man said as he walked

over to the left panel and ran his hand down the side. “What the hell is
this?”

“I don’t need a neophyte messing with my girl.” Livewire growled

as he knocked the human’s hand away.

“I need the cloaking device before we have unwanted company

sniffing at our asses,” Remy said as he waved a hand at the human.
“I’ll find something else he can fix. He’s a computer analyst.”

“Just great,” Livewire mumbled as Remy walked Mo out of

engineering and headed for the bridge.

* * * *

Tank sat with his mate as Imlay finished repairing the damaged

tissue. He hadn’t had it in him to tell Zackary the extent of damage he
had suffered in the crash. It was going to be bad enough convincing
his mate that he was still the sexiest man he’d ever met, and it was
true. His mate could be covered in warts, and Tank would still think
he was gorgeous.

Imlay sat his operative tool aside as he applied some kind of white

paste to Zackary’s wound. “All went well. He should have full use of

Tank’s Tweak

his facial muscles. The scar will be minimal, but that’s to be expected
with the type of injury he sustained.”

“Thanks, doc,” Tank said as he shook Imlay’s hand. “You did a

great job.”

“I took my time, trying to minimize the damage.” Imlay frowned

at Tank. “Like I said, he’ll have a scar, but it shouldn’t be too bad. It
all depends on how he sees things when he gets his first look at it.”

That was what Tank feared the most. He was afraid Zackary

would see himself as some kind of freak or monster. Tank was
prepared to do whatever it took to convince his tweak otherwise.

“How long will he be out?” Tank asked as he pulled Zackary’s

small hands into his.

Imlay shook his head as he cleaned up the mess around him. “I

didn’t sedate him. He passed out. There’s no telling how long it will
be before he comes to.”

Just then Zackary moaned and turned his face toward Tank. The

lion waited with bated breath as his mate’s eyelids fluttered and then
those sinfully beautiful diamond-blue eyes locked onto his. “Did I
faint?”

“Sure did, tweak.” Tank chuckled when Zackary rolled his eyes.
“Great,” Zackary groaned. “You better not tell anyone. I don’t

want to be known as the guy who fainted from a little pain.”

Tank was relieved to see his mate hadn’t lost his sense of humor

under the circumstances. “And what will you give me for my
secrecy?”

Zackary narrowed his eyes as he pulled one hand free and pointed

up at Tank. “It’s what I won’t give you if you breathe a word to
anyone.”

Tank chuckled as he leaned forward and laid a soft kiss on his

mate’s lips. “Mum’s the word, tweak, but what about doc?”

Zackary’s eyes widened and he turned his head to look for the

doc. Imlay was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest,

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

his brows raised. Tank was thankful that Imlay was going along with
this. He really did owe the man big-time now.

“What do you want to keep your lips sealed?” Zackary asked.
“Don’t make me a gynecologist the next time you fake my profile.

I still owe you for that one, buddy.” Imlay feigned an indignant sniff
as he stared down at Zackary.

“Ah, geez. You’re still mad about that? I was just having a little

fun,” Zackary whined.

Imlay smiled as he patted Zackary’s leg. “Let me think about my

blackmail demands. I’ll get back to you when I decide how best to
make you squirm.” Imlay winked at Tank before leaving the two
alone.

Zackary kept his head turned away from Tank as he spoke. “How

bad is it? Give it to me straight, and don’t hold back.”

Tank touched Zackary’s chin with the gentlest of fingers, making

his mate look at him. “A small scar, I promise.”

Zackary blinked a few times before he nodded. “I trust you.” He

swallowed as his fingers fidgeted with the sheet covering him. “About
the claiming…”

“We’ll wait until your mom can be there.” Tank knew Zackary

had asked out of desperation, and there was no way he would make
his mate set aside his customs just so he could fuck his mate into the
hull.

“No.” Zackary shook his head. “I meant what I said. I pretty much

know what we have to do.” Zackary grabbed Tank’s hands and pulled
them close to his chest. “Unless you don’t want to.”

Tank cupped the noninjured side of his tweak’s face. He smiled

down at his sexy little man. “Whatever you want to do is fine with
me.”

Zackary nodded as he attempted to sit up. “Good, although I think

we should wait a few days. Kissing the helm knocked me for a loop. I
think I need a few days to recover from that.”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank chuckled as he helped his mate sit up all the way. “We can

wait as long as you’d like.” Tank looked up when Remy walked in
with a stranger at his side. Tank growled as he stepped to the foot of
the med-bed, taking a protective stance in front of Zackary.

“How is he?” Remy asked as the human took a step back.
“Recovering. Imlay said he’s good as new,” Tank said as he

nodded at the human. “Who is he?”

Remy glanced to his side and then shook his head. “Tank, this is

Mo. He’s going to see if he can help us get the Lady back into space.”

Tank had thought that they would be there for a while, but from

the look on his commander’s face, they needed to shake a leg. “That
bad?”

“Yep. I need you and Zackary as soon as you two are able.

Livewire is working on the cloaking device now.”

Tank nodded as he watched the human closely. He didn’t like his

mate being around strangers. He had enough to deal with trying to
convince his mate that he wasn’t horrendous looking.

Tank jumped when a hand landed on his back. He turned to see

Zackary standing behind him, a wide grin on his face. “What’s
wrong? Do you think Mo wants a piece of my sexy ass?”

Tank growled and grabbed his mate, hauling Zackary into his

arms. “Mine!”

Zackary giggled as he squirmed around. “Yeah, yeah. We need to

get on the bridge.”

Tank looked down at his mate’s bloody clothes. “You need to

shower and change clothes first.”

“Why? I think the bloody clothes make me look dangerous.”

Zackary winked. “The scar probably makes me look like an outlaw.”

“Come on, rebel.” Tank chuckled. “Let’s get you cleaned up

before we jump back into the chaos.” Tank grabbed Zackary’s hand
as he led his mate to their quarters. Zackary may be joking, but Tank
wondered how he would feel once he got a good look at the thin slice
running down the side of his face.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

He could only hope Zackary kept his sunny and quirky disposition

once he saw the scar. It wasn’t bad looking to Tank, but it wasn’t his
face that had been sliced open either. He led Zackary into their
quarters and then began to pace as his mate walked off into the
bathroom to shower.

Tank prayed Zackary emerged the same way he went in. If not, he

had some heavy convincing to do before they even left their quarters.
Gods help him.

Tank’s Tweak

Chapter 5

Zackary looked at his face as he towel-dried his body. He lifted

his chin, looking at the scar from every angle. The white stuff Imlay
had applied washed off in the shower, leaving him an uninterrupted
view. The thin line of pink puckered flesh went from his hairline near
his eye to his jawline.

“It’s not that bad.” He spoke to his reflection. Zackary grabbed his

hip, pulling an imaginary phaser from his imaginary holster.

“What did you say to me? Do you see my scar?” He jutted his

face out at his reflection. “I got it escaping the prison on Tronos. Do
you really want to tangle with me?” Zackary stood straight, grinning
at his other self in the mirror. “I think I look pretty damn dangerous.”

He grabbed his clothes and dressed quickly, wanting to show off

his new daring look. He was happy that Tank had told him the truth. It
really wasn’t that bad. He looked once more at his reflection before
leaving the bathroom.

Zackary snickered when he saw Tank pacing back and forth,

chewing at his thumbnail. Tank stopped pacing when he caught sight
of Zackary. He could see the apprehension in his lion’s eyes.

“You lied to me,” Zackary cried out. “It’s ugly and hideous! How

will I ever face my fans now?”

Tank quickly ran to Zackary’s side, his fingers fluttering around

Zackary’s face. “No, baby, I swear, it’s not. You can hardly see it.”

Zackary laid the back of his hand over his forehead. “How will I

ever leave our quarters again? You’ll have to buy me some veils so I
can cover my face, hide it from the world.” Zackary gave up his game

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

when he saw the tears in his mate’s eyes. He had no idea Tank was
taking it so hard.

“Please, tweak. You’re the sexiest man in the universe. Don’t do

this to yourself.”

Zackary arched an eyebrow. “How sexy?”
Tank picked Zackary up and walked him over to their bed. “Do

you want me to show you?”

“Hmm, I think a little convincing on your part might help.” Okay,

so he was a shit, but he was about to get some loving out of it, so
Zackary would have to be a shit.

“Show me.”
Tank growled as he laid Zackary down on the bed then yanked his

pants to his ankles. Zackary’s cock was hard and ready as Tank
settled on his knees and began lapping at the clear liquid seeping from
his cock.

Zackary moaned as he tried to kick his legs free, but his pants held

him in place as Tank licked and sucked his cock. He gave up his fight
for freedom as he spread his legs as wide as he could get them in the
confines of his pants.

Tank lifted Zackary’s legs up, moving them to one side as he

began to lick Zackary’s backside. Oh yeah, that’s what he was talking
about. He wiggled and squirmed as Tank nipped him. Good gods, he
wanted his lion to fuck him so badly that Zackary was about to beg.
To hell with customs.

His mate lowered his legs as he wrapped his lips around Zackary’s

cock, his tongue playing along Zackary’s hardened shaft. “Make me
come, Tank, please.” Zackary began to whine.

Tank doubled his efforts, sucking vigorously as Zackary cried out,

coming down Tank’s hot throat. He lay there for a moment, trying to
get his brain to work as Tank began to dress him. Zackary rolled to
his side and then pushed away from the bed. “You next.”

Tank shook his head. “You’re injured. I don’t want you stretching

your face more than you have to.”

Tank’s Tweak

Zackary pouted. He loved tasting his lion. He could see the large

bulge in the front of Tank’s pants and wanted desperately to ease his
mate’s needs. “Then jack off into my mouth.”

His mate’s nostrils flared as he quickly freed his huge cock. “Are

you sure?”

“There’s no stretching involved in that,” Zackary said as he

opened his mouth, letting his tongue wiggle around as if it were
impatiently awaiting the arrival of Tank’s seed.

Tank grabbed some lube, coated his cock, and then began stroking

himself. His lion kept his eyes locked onto Zackary’s.

Zackary leaned forward and licked at the head as Tank’s hand

sped up, pounding his own flesh as he concentrated on Zackary’s
eyes. His mate moaned when Zackary sealed his lips over the head,
sucking in the pre-cum as Tank slid his fingers through Zackary’s
hair.

“Here it comes, baby.”
Zackary moaned around the helmet, sending ripples of vibration

along Tank’s cock, making him roar as he came. Zackary had to hold
on to Tank’s powerful thighs as Tank’s shaft emptied into his mouth.
Zackary drank quickly, not wanting to spill a drop as Tank sagged.

He licked the head before pushing back. “See, a well-worked plan

can come together with the right tools.” Zackary giggled as he stood.
“Namely my mouth.”

“You little shit,” Tank said as he straightened his clothes and then

took a swipe at Zackary, trying to catch him as Zackary ran around
the bed. “You’re weren’t upset at all, were you?”

“Nope,” Zackary sang as he jumped over the bed and raced to

other side. He laughed when Tank caught him and pulled him close to
his massive chest.

“I’m glad.” He kissed Zackary gently before setting him on his

feet. “Are you ready to go see how bad things are?”

Zackary whipped out his vid-pad from his shirt pocket. “Already

on it.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Talk to me then, tweak,” Tank said as they walked out of their

quarters and headed for the bridge.

“We have some structural damage to the outside of the ship, but

amazingly enough, not much. The scanners are off-line, but it seems
the cloaking device has been engaged. We’re still without fuel cells
though. Communications have been hampered, and the thrusters are
going to need some work.”

“It isn’t as bad as I thought.” Tank nodded as they walked onto

the bridge.

They both stopped and stared at the sight that met them. Zackary’s

eyes widened when he was suddenly pushed behind Tank. He peered
around Tank’s massive body to see Crank and Mo yelling at each
other.

“That’s not possible,” Mo argued.
Zackary was impressed with the human’s tenacity. He was a hell

of a lot shorter than Crank, but he was built like hell. Mo was
standing in front of the cougar shifter as if he could take him on.
Zackary watched in utter fascination as Crank bumped chests with
Mo.

“I don’t care what you think is or isn’t possible. We need to get

the thrusters working to get the hell off of your planet. Now, either
you can go find a corner to sit the hell down in, or you can follow me
down to engineering. Your choice, but I’m not going to wait around
while you make up your damned mind.”

Mo held his hand out in the direction of the door he and Tank had

just walked through. “Lead the way, Crank.”

Somehow Zackary had a feeling that Mo was talking about the

cougar’s disposition more than he was saying his name. He tried to
hold back the snicker, but the scene was hilarious. Mo’s eyes met
Crank’s damn nipples but the human wasn’t backing down.

Go Mo!
Zackary had no clue why he was rooting for the stranger. It was

just funny to see Crank being put in his place by a guy shorter than

Tank’s Tweak

him. Tank must have found the situation funny as well. He was
standing next to Zackary laughing. Crank growled at them before
storming off of the bridge. Mo winked at them before rushing off to
chase after Crank.

“I don’t even want to know.” Tank shook his head as he headed

over to the helm. He stopped and turned slightly pale as he looked
down at Zackary’s seat.

Zackary joined his mate and looked where he was staring. His

blood was all over the console, a grisly reminder of what had
happened and what could have happened. Zackary laid his hand on
Tank’s arm. “I’m fine, Tank. I survived. Let’s get this cleaned up so
we can get our ship back where she belongs.”

Tank just nodded as he headed off of the bridge. Zackary assumed

his mate was going to get some cleaning supplies, maybe even
compose himself before he returned. Zackary took a seat, ignoring the
crimson stains as he began to run diagnostics.

His mate returned with a bottle of spray and some towels, his

hands shaking as set the supplies in his chair.

“Why don’t I get this while you finish the diagnostics?”
Tank nodded, his eyes conveying his relief as Zackary set about

cleaning up his grim reminder. Once he was done, he tapped Tank on
his back, puckering his lips up for a kiss. The skin around his wound
stretched, but Zackary ignored it as his mate kissed him like his life
depended on it.

Zackary’s head was swooning as Tank released him. This time it

was a very good swoon. He smiled up at Tank stupidly as he tried to
remember what in the heck he was supposed to be doing.

Tank chuckled as he ran his thumb over Zackary’s bottom lip.

“Let’s get our girl back into space.”

Oh yeah, that was what he was supposed to be doing. Zackary

turned around, staring blankly at the console, trying his best to
remember his mad skills and how to use them. Tank had a way of
making him forget everything but his lion shifter.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Tank chuckled and sat Zackary down, pointing to the console.

“Diagnostics, babe.”

“Right, diagnostics.” Zackary nodded as he scratched his head.
“Never mind.” Tank smiled as he sat in his seat. “I’ll run them.”
Zackary felt like a big goober. All he thought about was grabbing

Tank and running back to their quarters for some very wicked skin
play. He shook his head, trying to get his head back in the game. If a
kiss affected him that way, he couldn’t wait to see how his dumb ass
would react when Tank finally claimed him.

He was such a goner.

* * * *

Livewire stared at Mo as the human studied the control panel for

the propulsion system. “Don’t touch anything,” he said as he leaned
back against the wall.

“I heard you the first hundred times, moron,” Mo griped as he

touched the wiring for the thrusters.

“I said not to touch my girl!” He pushed away from the wall and

stepped over to stand in front of Mo, glaring at him. “You may be
well versed in computers, but it means diddly-squat on this ship.”

“Do you smell that?” Mo asked as he looked around.
Livewire sniffed the air, smelling nothing but a well-oiled

machine. “What?”

“It smells like urine. Oh yeah, maybe because someone is pissing

all over their damn territory.” Mo huffed.

“You know, for a puny human, you have very big balls.”
“You’ll never find out. Now stop breathing down my neck while I

get acquainted with our baby.”

Livewire growled. He wasn’t sure where Remy had dug this

fucker up, but he needed to go rebury him. Mo was getting on his last
goddamn nerve. The man looked like an outlaw when it came to
appearances, but he was nothing but a pain in Livewire’s ass. How the

Tank’s Tweak

hell did the human expect to catch up on eons of technology in the
next couple of hours?

“Don’t let the tats and earring fool you, bro.” Mo cut his eyes at

Livewire. “I happen to be a damn genius.”

Livewire snorted. He’d love to see Mo prove that anytime soon.

So far the man was only getting in his way. “Fine, get her purring
again.” Let Mo show off his talent. Livewire would eat one of the
Latrishonias if Mo managed to get them up and running. They still
had one small problem even if they did manage to get Lady Blue back
into shape.

There was no way they were going to find fuel cells on this planet.
“I think I have it,” Mo said as he followed the schematics around

to the side of the propulsion system. “Yep, I see the problem.”

“Don’t touch her,” Livewire warned, but Mo ignored him as he

began to punch buttons on the control panel. “What the hell did I
just—” Livewire stopped talking when the propulsion system
sputtered and then came back online.

No fucking way!
“You got lucky,” Livewire growled as he walked over to Mo to

see what the hell he had done.

“Oh come on, admit it. I’m a fucking genius.” Mo chuckled. “I

won’t tell anyone that you said so.”

Livewire grinned. “Okay, you’re smart, for a human. But I’ll deny

it if you tell anyone I said so. I wouldn’t say genius though.”

“I can live with that.” Mo frowned as he looked back at the

propulsion system. “Just what is a fuel cell, anyway?”

Livewire blinked then scratched his head. “Well…uh…” He

wasn’t sure what was acceptable to tell the human. Sure, Remy had
the guy working in engineering, but that didn’t mean Remy wanted
him to spill all of the Lady’s secrets.

“Look, dude, how can I help you get more fuel cells if I don’t

even know what a freaking fuel cell is?”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“That’s a fuel cell.” Livewire pointed to the row of green tubes

lined up in front of the thrusters. There were four rows of fuel cells,
with twelve tubes in each row. They didn’t need all of them to make
the Lady Blue operate, but they needed a few and they were down to
none.

“What’s the green stuff?”
Livewire shook his head in utter disbelief as he began the lesson

of fuel cells 101. Mo listened, nodding his head occasionally as
Livewire broke it down the best he could. By the time he was done,
Mo’s eyes were gleaming.

“I got our answer, Livewire.”
Livewire stood there stunned. There was no way this place had

fuel cells. “Go on.”

“Well, from what you’ve told me, the fuel cells operate off of the

same compound found in a common dishwashing liquid we sell here
on Earth. All we have to do is go into a store and buy—”

“Hold on.” Livewire held up a hand.
“Oh come on, Livewire. Don’t tell me I’m too stupid to figure this

out.” Mo growled, slapping his fisted hands on his hip. Livewire was
actually impressed with Mo’s growl. Of course, he wasn’t going to
tell him that.

“That’s not what I’m trying to say. Stop getting so fucking

defensive. The problem isn’t in your solution. It’s in the purchase. We
operate off of a credit system. I’m real sure if we walk into a market
and toss some credits at a vendor, he will look at us like we’re crazy
or try and call the authorities.”

“You have a point. And I’m flat busted.” Mo rubbed his chin as he

stared at the fuel cells.

“You’re what?”
“Broke, no Benjamins, no chump change, no—”
“English.”
Mo rolled his eyes. “I have no money. No credits, nothing to buy

the damned soap with.”

Tank’s Tweak

Livewire stood next to Mo as he, too, looked over the fuel cells.

“Any idea on how we can get this washing liquid of yours?”

“Give me a minute and let me think.” Mo ran his hands over his

head, entwining his fingers and resting them on top as he looked over
the propulsion system.

Livewire noticed many tribal markings littering the man’s skin

and wondered why he wore them. He also saw a picture of a man
kneeling in front of a small stone pillar with a name etched in the
pillar. He wondered how Mo was born with such meaningful
markings.

Being who he was, Livewire had to ask. “What do your markings

mean?”

“My what?” Mo turned around to face Livewire, his brows pulled

together.

Livewire pointed to his skin where the markings were.
Mo laughed and shook his head. “They’re called tattoos, my

man.”

“Ta—whats?” Livewire asked as he studied the different designs

running over Mo’s tanned skin.

This only made Mo laugh harder. “Tattoos. It’s where someone

uses an ink gun and scores your skin, leaving behind a work of art.”

“And you actually let them? Do they have meaning?” Livewire

really wasn’t following what Mo was saying, but he got the gist of it.
He couldn’t understand voluntarily allowing someone to inject him,
but to each his own—crazy bastard.

“Yeah, you gotta endure the pain if you want the art. They mean a

lot to me. Normally you don’t tell people what they mean. It’s
personal.”

Livewire could see the shadow run across Mo’s eyes before he

masked it. If the guy didn’t want to discuss it, then Livewire would
leave it alone. He still had things he didn’t like discussing with
anyone but his mate.

“So, have you decided how we’re going to get this liquid stuff?”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“I have an acquaintance that owes me. I was thinking of tracking

him down and collecting. You with me?” Mo asked as he dodged
Livewire’s eyes. Whatever was going on with the human must be
deep because he wouldn’t even look at Livewire now. His fingers just
played over the control panel.

“I’m with ya. Let me go tell Remy what’s going on, and then we

can go find this acquaintance of yours.” Livewire started for the
command deck when he suddenly had an idea. He turned around to
face Mo, who was trailing behind him. “Do we need to bring
phasers?”

“Oh fuck.” Mo’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to get me hard,

aren’t you?”

Livewire snorted as he turned away from Mo and started for the

bridge again. “Not in this lifetime. And don’t let my mate hear you
say anything like that. He’s deadly with an injection gun.”

“Thanks for warning me,” Mo said as they walked down the

corridor to the bridge. “Uh, who’s your mate, and what the hell is a
mate?”

“His name is Imlay. He’s the doctor on board the Lady Blue. And

a mate is someone fate has chosen for you to spend the rest of your
life with.” Livewire thought of Imlay and wondered where his mate
was. He hadn’t seen him in the past few hours, and that wasn’t like
his mate.

“Cool. So hands off the doctor, gotcha.”
“Hands off period unless you want your entrails handed to you.

Everyone aboard this ship is mated except for Crank, and since you
two seem to get along so well, I think you’re safe to flirt with him.”

Mo narrowed his eyes at Livewire as he fisted his hands. “No

thanks, I’d rather eat lead paint.”

“Lead what?” Livewire could see now he was going to have a

hard time communicating with this throwback.

“Never mind.” Mo shook his head.

Tank’s Tweak

“Hey, Commander,” Livewire called as soon as he stepped onto

the bridge and spotted Remy standing by the navigation controls.
“We’re heading out to get dish determine.”

“Detergent,” Mo corrected him.
“Yeah, that.” Livewire jerked his head toward Mo. Livewire

hadn’t a clue what Mo was about to get him into, but he wasn’t stupid
enough to leave the ship without a phaser…or two. Remy nodded,
engrossed in whatever he and Tank were discussing. Livewire
shrugged and headed out into the unknown with Mo.

Maybe he should stop by the sick bay and have Imlay scan his

head. He was sure more than one brain cell was dead. They had to be
to agree to go out into the past and be seen. From what he
remembered in his teachings, old Earth was barbaric and filled with
extreme prejudices.

“We have to stop by the weapons lockup so I can arm myself,”

Livewire said as he led Mo down to the lower deck.

“Oh shit.” Mo almost danced around as he ran behind Livewire.

“Can I have one? Do I get a phaser?”

“Not while I’m still breathing,” Livewire groused as Mo’s face

fell. There was no way he was giving Mo a phaser. That would be like
giving a child a sharp object and then telling the kid to go run and
play. Dangerous and stupid would be the correct words if he gave Mo
a phaser.

“Ah, come on. I promise not to point it at you.”
“Let me repeat myself. Hell motherfucking no. N. O. Not gonna

happen. Not in this lifetime or any other.”

“Hater,” Mo mumbled as Livewire unlocked the weapons storage

unit.

Livewire kept one eye on the weapons, the other on his human

companion. “Ready?” he asked after shoving a phaser into a thigh
holster and one into a shoulder holster. Livewire wasn’t taking any
chances.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Yeah, but that phaser looks pretty damn obvious strapped to your

thigh.”

“That’s what I’m going for. Do I look intimidating?” Livewire

flexed and gave Mo his most charming smile.

Mo held his side as he laughed, shaking his head vigorously. “You

look like you’re about to eat small children and pets. Don’t smile, my
man.”

“Wait up,” Tank called as he joined them. “Remy said I should go

with you.”

Tank’s Tweak

Chapter 6

Tank wasn’t sure what was going on between Livewire and the

human, and he didn’t want to know either. He had his hands full
already with Zackary. Tank didn’t know there were so many different
ways to have sex without having sex, but he was learning quickly.

“I didn’t think Remy heard me,” Livewire said as they headed

toward the cargo bay.

Tank and Remy had both heard Livewire. Who wouldn’t have

with the way the mechanic and the human were bickering? They were
like siblings or something…two-year-olds at the least.

Tank smiled when he spotted his mate standing by the airlock. If

Tank didn’t have to leave, he’d shove his mate into the nonworking
elevator and suck his brains out through his dick.

“Hey, tweak.” Tank smiled as he scooped his mate up into his

arms.

“You better stay safe or I’ll hunt you down and kick your ass,”

Zackary warned and then leaned in closer. “I haven’t felt any of that
cock in my ass yet, so don’t hurt it out there. I have definite plans for
it…and the rest of you.” His mate tossed in the last part as if it were
an afterthought.

Tank chuckled at his quirky little mate. “I promise.”
“Then go.” Zackary pushed Tank toward the airlock. “I’ll just stay

here and…” Zackary started wringing his hands together. “I’ll just sit
here and worry.”

“Zackary, I’ll be fine.”
“And I’ll believe you when you step back through that airlock.”

Zackary made a shooing motion with his hand. “Now go. I can only

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

worry so long, and your time is running out. We’re on the clock
here.”

Tank chuckled softly as he walked into the airlock with Mo and

Livewire. He watched his mate through the little window as the
airlock pressurized and the door to the cargo ramp opened. Tank blew
Zackary a quick kiss through the glass then turned and walked off the
ship.

“Okay, Mo, where are we headed?”
“Dude.” Mo looked Tank up and down. “You are so not going to

blend in.”

Tank glanced down at his black leather pants, vest, and tank shirt.

He even had on his good boots. “What’s wrong with my outfit? I
always wear this.”

“It has nothing to do with your outfit, although you do look a little

science-fictioney. But there is no way someone isn’t going to notice
that you’re bigger than Sasquatch.”

Tank cocked his head to one side. “What’s a Sasquatch?”
Tank didn’t think he had asked something funny, but Mo started

laughing hysterically. He growled and swatted out at the man. Mo
dodged Tank’s beefy hand and sidestepped several times until
Livewire stood between the two of them.

Tank glanced at Livewire to see the man watching Mo with a kind

of stunned expression on his face. “Are you sure we can’t just shoot
him out an airlock?”

Livewire snickered. “I’m thinking about it.”
“What’s an airlock?” Mo asked.
Tank and Livewire both stared for a moment then started laughing

hysterically. Maybe there were things in both their worlds that were
confusing, Tank thought as he walked off the ramp and followed
behind Mo and Livewire.

They used the combat vehicle to get back to town, so the ride was

rather short. Mo directed them to park it behind a red brick building
on one end of town. Tank didn’t much like leaving the all-terrain

Tank’s Tweak

vehicle unguarded, so he pulled some lumber and a ragged tarp over
it, hiding it from view. Anyone simply passing by would miss it.
Anyone looking for it might find it, but hopefully, they wouldn’t
know how to drive the vehicle.

“Where to?” he asked as he turned to look at Mo. He wouldn’t

know where to go if he had a map. This place was too weird for
words. Hell, the damn buildings were made of brick—real brick. How
odd was that?

“Well,” Mo said as he pointed to the brick building in front of

them, “we start at the bars at this end of town and work our way down
the street.”

Tank frowned. “Just who are we looking for?”
“A little weasel named Slick Sammy.”
“Weasel?” Tank had no idea what a weasel was, but it didn’t

sound good. In fact, it sounded kind of revolting given the disparaging
tone of Mo’s voice and the disgust on his face.

“Weasel, slime bag, scum of the earth.” Mo shrugged. “Take your

pick. They all describe Slick Sammy.”

“And you’re friends with this…er…weasel?”
“Oh, hell no!” Mo snapped. His eyes briefly blazed with anger.

“We’ve done some business before. But we ain’t friends—never have
been, never will be.”

“And why are we looking for this man again?”
“He owes me money…er…” Mo waved his hand absently in the

air. “Credits, and we need those to buy the detergent.”

“I still don’t understand the whole detergent thing,” Tank

admitted. He could fly almost anything, anywhere. But the more
technical side of the ship was lost on him.

“Don’t worry, Tank,” Livewire said as he patted Tank’s shoulder.

“I do. The chemical compound in the detergent is the base chemical
compound found in the fuel cells. If we alter it just a little, it should
work for what we need it for.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Tank shrugged. He still didn’t get it, but if Livewire said it would

make the Lady Blue go, he believed him. Livewire would never agree
to use anything that would harm the ship. He babied that hunk of
metal like Gigi and Pax babied their pups.

“I suggest we buy all we can in that case. Having backup for the

fuel cells would not be a bad idea.” Tank frowned as a sudden idea
occurred to him. “Is this stuff safe to store on the ship?”

“Mo?” Livewire asked as he turned to look at the human.
“It’s dish soap, guys. You could sleep with the stuff if you wanted

to.”

“Why would I want to sleep with it?” Tank asked. Maybe these

old-time Earthlings were crazier than he thought. “I have Zackary.”

“Oh man, you—” Mo started laughing as he waved his hand back

and forth in front of him. “No, no, I don’t mean sleep with it, sleep
with it. I mean—ah, hell.” Mo scratched his head for a moment. “Do
you all shower?”

“Shower?” Tank blinked in confusion. What did taking a shower

have to do with the conversation?

“You know, like clean up, wash off, that sort of thing,” Mo said.

“Do you guys actually do that?”

“Of course!” Tank snapped indignantly. Tank took great pride in

keeping himself freshly bathed.

“Do you use soap?”
“What in the hell do you expect us to use?” Tank shouted.

“Uryclian Mucus Slugs?”

“I’m not even going to ask what that is,” Mo said, shaking his

head. “The soap that you use to clean with is no more dangerous than
the dish soap we’re going after. Soap is soap.”

“I wish I could say that was true where we came from, but

different species use different kinds of soap and not all soaps are
compatible with all species. There are some out there that could melt
the skin right off of your bones.”

Mo’s jaw dropped. “No shit?”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank’s eyes darted over to Livewire for a moment. He hid his

smirk by rubbing his hand over his jaw as he looked back at Mo.
“Well, there is one species on Beta Five that uses shit in their soap
but—”

Tank couldn’t keep his laughter to himself as he watched Mo’s

eyes grow larger and larger. It didn’t help that Livewire practically
had his fist shoved in his mouth as he tried not to laugh.

“I’m fooling with you, Mo.”
“I knew that.” Mo bristled as his cheeks pinked.
“Unfortunately, there are species out there that use soap that is not

compatible with other species. You learn real quickly what to use and
what not to use.”

“Do you actually think dish detergent could be harmful to any of

you?”

Tank shrugged. “Imlay should be able to tell us. We’ll have him

test a batch when we get back to the ship.”

Livewire growled, his face darkening at the mention of Imlay

testing something that might be dangerous. Tank understood the
man’s instant anger and quickly held up his hand. “I just want him to
test it, Livewire, not bathe in it. Imlay is smart enough to know how
to test this stuff properly without coming into contact with it.”

Livewire rolled his shoulders and started walking down the street.

Tank shrugged and followed after the mechanic. He wasn’t trying to
kill Imlay. Hell, they all needed the doc, and he owed the man big-
time for taking care of Zackary. He’d never do anything to harm the
doc.

“Let’s try this bar first.” Mo pointed to a brick building with

strange lights flashing in the windows.

“What are those?” Tank asked as he pointed to the flashing lights.
“Beer signs. Don’t pay them any attention. And since you guys

don’t know if the detergent will hurt you, I strongly suggest not
drinking anything. The shit’ll kill your liver regardless.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Tank was so fucking confused that it wasn’t even funny. How did

the human race survive with all of these dangers about? He followed
Mo into a dark room filled with a lot more humans than he cared to
come into contact with.

“Holy fuck,” some guy at a wooden counter shouted. “How tall

are you?”

Tank looked down as his body. He never really thought of himself

as tall. Many beings he came into contact with were taller than him,
so it was never an issue. Tank looked around the room to see several
very short humans staring at him. “Tall enough.”

“I bet you could crush a person with your bare hands.” The man

snickered. “How much do you bench press?”

“Bench what?”
“Nothing,” Mo said as he grabbed Tank’s arm and pulled him

away. “He’s drunk, so don’t pay him any attention. As a matter of
fact…” Mo looked over at Tank and Livewire. “Don’t say a word to
anyone. I’ll do all the talking.”

“Thank fuck,” Tank said as Mo looked around the dimly lit bar.
“He’s not here.” Mo lightly smacked Tank’s chest with the back

of his hand. “Let’s try the next dive.”

Tank liked this less and less, but they needed to get the hell off of

this planet. He’d feel a whole lot better if he knew what the fuck Mo
was talking about. He was tired of asking the human to clarify every
little damn thing so he was just going to keep his mouth shut.

They ended up checking in three more bars until Mo pointed to a

man sitting in a back booth. “That’s Slick Sammy right over there.”

“Why do they call him that?” Livewire asked as he stared at the

skinniest being he had ever laid eyes on.

“Because the little shit thinks he’s slick for starters. He ain’t. And

his hair is as greasy as a chop shop floor.”

There he goes again. Tank was seriously considering grabbing a

translator the next time they visited Paktil. The thought of Zackary’s
home planet had an ache pulling at Tank’s chest. He would do

Tank’s Tweak

anything to get his mate home to see his mom and perform the rituals
and customs to make them bonded mates.

“He’s gonna run. You can bet your Aunt Sally’s ass on that one.

Don’t let him get away though. He’ll also try and reason with you.
You wouldn’t believe some of the crap he tries to weave. Just
remember that he’s full of shit.”

Tank rubbed his temples as Mo approached Slick Sammy. Mo

didn’t even get a word out before the scrawny human shot out of the
booth and ran for the back door. Tank only had to take a few steps
before he yanked the fucker up by his collar. “I don’t think so.”

“Take it outside,” a man behind the wooden counter shouted.
Tank pushed open the back door as he and Livewire walked out

into a narrow alleyway, Mo following close behind.

“What the hell do you want?” Slick Sammy squawked.
“I need the fifty bucks you owe me, and the hired muscle ain’t

gonna wanna hear any shit you gotta say.”

Tank wasn’t sure Mo was even talking English now, so he just

growled and bared his canines at the human dangling from his tight
grip. He did badass real good. It also kept him from having to try and
communicate with the human, something he was sure he’d fuck up.

“I’m busted. How can I pay you when I can’t win at the track? I

owe everyone.” Slick Sammy swung around, trying his best to
dislodge his shirt from Tank’s fingers. “I swear I ain’t got it.”

“Then we have problems. You see…” Mo leaned in closer,

dropping his voice low. “These guys are in a bind, and the only way
out is for you to pay me.”

“What do they need? I can get whatever they need, I swear, Mo.”
Mo rubbed his hand over his stubbled jaw. Tank could tell that

Slick Sammy was playing right into Mo’s hands. He wasn’t sure what
Mo had planned, but he wasn’t going to say a word. He gave the
human a little shake, growling at him. Tank thought for sure the
human was going to vomit and pass out from the paleness of his skin.
Or was that his natural color?

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“I need you to get me a few cases of dishwashing liquid. And not

just any kind. It has to be green,” Mo said as he crossed his large arms
over his broad chest.

Slick Sammy’s jaw dropped as he dangled from Tank’s fist. “I

don’t think I ever had anyone request soap before. Are you sure that’s
what you want?”

“Green,” Tank growled.
“Yeah, yeah. I heard Mo the first time.” Slick Sammy tried to

straighten the front of his shirt by yanking on it, but it was an
impossible feat when Tank had him by the back of his collar. “I can
get it for you. Wait here whilst I—”

“Hell, no. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Mo growled as he

tapped his finger against Slick Sammy’s thin chest. “We go with
you.”

“I was just going to head down to the grocery store. You don’t

have to follow me. If it’s dishwashing liquid you want, then you shall
have it.”

“Good. We still go with,” Mo said as he jerked his head to the

side.

Tank and Livewire trailed behind Mo until they came across a

larger building than the bar. People walked in and out of the place.
Tank watched as a woman grabbed some bags from a rectangular
metal bucket with wheels and placed them in the back of her shuttle-
like vehicle.

“What is this place?” he asked.
“I guess you could call it a market with one large vendor,” Mo

said as he turned to Slick Sammy. “Go get what we need. And if you
think about running, we’re going to be right here watching for you.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. I ain’t got no plans on running,” Slick Sammy

said quickly as he backed away. “I’ll just go in and get it. Green,
right?”

Tank growled again and took a threatening step forward, letting

the tip of one canine show.

Tank’s Tweak

“Right, green.” Slick Sammy took off, running into the store as

fast as his thin legs would carry him.

Tank watched through the window as Slick Sammy stopped at a

front counter to talk with someone. The man he talked to pointed
toward the back of the store. Slick Sammy paled when he looked out
the window right at Tank then ran off through the store.

“Is there a back door on this place?” Tank asked. “I think your

little friend is about to make a break for it.”

“Shit!” Mo snapped. “You go around back to the loading dock.

Livewire and I will go through the store.”

Tank nodded and took off around the side of the building. When

he reached the back side, he quickly took note of the loading dock. It
didn’t look that much different than a loading dock from his time
period—only larger shuttle vehicles with very large tires stood where
spaceships would have been. Other than that, the dock looked much
the same.

Tank jumped up onto the loading dock and silently looked around.

Despite the open loading doors and the large shuttles parked there to
be unloaded, the place was void of people. That would not have been
true in his time period. Humans were too damn trusting and stupid
here.

When he heard running feet slapping against the concrete floor,

Tank ducked down and plastered himself against a stack of crates by
the door. A moment later, Slick Sammy came tearing around the
corner, running as if his life depended on it. Tank simply reached out
a hand and grabbed the guy then slammed him into the wall.

“Going somewhere?”
Slick Sammy’s eyes were huge on his pale face. “Oh man, you

gotta let me go. I ain’t got no money. I swear.”

“Let’s see, shall we?”
Tank held Slick Sammy pinned to the wall with one hand and

searched him with the other. He had no idea what Earth money might
look like, so he dropped everything he found into a small pile on the

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

ground. Mo could figure out what they needed out of the stuff he
discovered.

Once he was positive he had stripped Slick Sammy of everything

he had on him, he pushed the guy toward the loading dock steps. “Go,
and if I ever see you again…” Tank grinned, fully showing off his
sharp teeth. “I’ll eat you.”

Slick Sammy squeaked and took off. He disappeared out of sight

just as Mo and Livewire came running through the doors that led to
the market. Tank turned and pointed to the pile of items on the
ground.

“This was all the little man had on him,” he said. “Can we use any

of it?”

Mo whistled as he squatted down and started rummaging through

the small pile of stuff. “That little shit was holding out on us.” Mo
held up a small roll of green decorated paper. “This here is enough
money to buy a year’s worth of detergent, maybe more.”

“Good, then go buy it. Livewire and I will wait right here.”
“Dude, we may want to rethink that,” Mo said as he stood,

clutching the roll of green paper in his hand.

Tank frowned. “Why?”
“Slick Sammy shouldn’t have this much money on him.” Mo

waved the roll in front of them. “He’s a con artist, and a bad one at
that. This money is earmarked for something, and I can tell you from
experience, it’s not something good. Slick Sammy is obviously
involved in something we want no part of.”

“We won’t be here long enough to get involved in anything.”

Tank gestured toward the doors Mo and Livewire came through just
moments before. “The faster you go get the green stuff, the faster we
can get off this damn planet.”

“I’m only taking the fifty he owes me. I’ll leave the rest here for

him to come back and retrieve. And believe me when I say he’ll be
back.”

Tank’s Tweak

“Sounds fair.” Tank nodded. He hated this damn shit and couldn’t

think of anything he wanted more than to get off the planet and get
Zackary back to Paktil. Well, fucking Zackary into unconsciousness
might top the list, but just barely. Anything was better than staying on
this backward planet.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Chapter 7

Zackary waited by the cargo bay door. He knew nothing of this

planet or its inhabitants, and he could have cared less. He was worried
about Tank. The lion shifter had come to mean the world to him, and
he wasn’t sure what he would do if something happened to the big
lug.

“He’ll be back,” Pax said as he and Gigi joined Zackary. “The

stuff they need to get is probably hard to find.”

“Yeah,” Gigi added. “This planet looks nothing like the Earth I

lived on. They’re probably negotiating with the diplomats of this
planet to get the dish determine or something. It’s no big deal,” Gigi
said as he waved his hand dismissively at Zackary. “Tank can talk his
way out of anything.”

“I hope you’re right. If they hurt my Tank, I’m going to blow this

damn planet up.” Zackary sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of
his hand. He wanted his Tank. No one could click with him like Tank
could. His mate understood him.

“That’s kind of extreme there, Z,” Gigi said as the three of them

waited for the missing crew members to return. “Leaving a couple of
Uryclian Mucus Slugs behind should do the trick.”

Zackary blinked. “Uh…”
“Geez, Z.” Gigi rolled his eyes as he patted Zackary’s shoulder. “I

was only kidding. Besides, Pax shot them all out into space in an
emergency pod.”

Zackary opened his mouth to reply when he heard the airlock door

swoosh open on the other side. He jumped over to the window, his

Tank’s Tweak

heart beating rapidly. Zackary banged on the window until Tank
turned and smiled at him, holding his thumb up.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Zackary murmured as he smiled at Gigi and

Pax over his shoulder. “Tank says everything went okay.”

He stepped back when the door between him and his mate

swished open. Tank was the first one through and the only one
Zackary had eyes for. He leapt across the space between them and
threw himself into Tank’s waiting arms, inhaling his mate’s familiar
scent.

“We’re not doing that again!”
“No shit!” Tank chuckled as he hugged Zackary. “Earth people

are crazy.”

“Did you get it?” Gigi asked. “What does it look like? Is it really

green?”

Zackary wanted to throttle Gigi for taking his mate’s attention

away from him except he was curious himself. What could ancient
Earthlings have that doubled as fuel cell goop in the future?

He looked around Tank to where Mo and Livewire stood. Mo held

a large brown sack in his hands. He rolled his eyes then reached
inside and pulled out a clear bottle filled with green liquid.

“It’s dish detergent, guys,” Mo said. “We use it every day here on

Earth. It even smells pretty. See?” He popped the top and held the
bottle out.

Zackary leaned as far back as he could in Tank’s arms. He wasn’t

about to sniff anything that could fuel a spaceship. He wasn’t born
yesterday, or even the day before that. He wanted no part of the
funny-looking green stuff.

“Livewire, you’d better get that stuff to doc to test,” Tank said.

“I’ll let Remy know we’re back.”

“On it,” Livewire said, as he took the brown bag from Mo. “Come

on, you might as well come meet my mate while we do this. Just
remember, keep your hands off the doctor or you’ll lose them.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Yeah, yeah,” Mo griped. “Geez, it’s getting to be a guy has to

keep his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back around here.
You all got mates popping out of the woodwork.”

Zackary ignored them as he leaned into Tank’s thickly corded

neck, keeping his voice as low as a hushed whisper. “If you don’t run
off with me in the next five seconds, I’m going to get naked right here
in front of everyone.”

Tank shot out of the cargo bay at lightning speed. Zackary started

laughing and couldn’t stop. His mate had them on the upper deck in
no time. “If you had made good on that promise, I would have
spanked your ass, tweak.”

“Just so you know, turning me on isn’t a punishment.” Zackary

yelped when Tank tossed him over his massive shoulder and swatted
his ass cheek. He reached behind him and rubbed the offended area as
Tank took them to their quarters.

“You are a kinky little one, aren’t you?” Tank teased as he set

Zackary on his feet.

“Hey, I’m just a guy who knows what he likes,” Zackary said as

he began to undress. He stopped when he saw Tank cross his arms
over his chest, glaring down at him. What the heck did he say wrong?

“You like that kind of stuff, huh?”
Zackary swallowed. Not really, but he had been caught up in the

moment. He shrugged, unsure of how to answer Tank.

“Get naked and show me that tight little ass of yours then.” Tank

nodded toward Zackary’s body. “And maybe I won’t spank you.”
Tank’s eyes narrowed. “Or maybe I will just to teach you a lesson.”

Zackary finished disrobing and backed away. There was no way

that heavy hand was landing anywhere near his bottom again. No
way! He’d be bruised for a month if Tank put any force behind it.

“Don’t run from me, tweak,” Tank warned Zackary as he winked.

“There’s nowhere to go, and I’ll definitely spank you for running.”

Zackary narrowed his eyes at Tank as he stabbed a finger into the

air. “You’re enjoying this just a little too much.”

Tank’s Tweak

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Do you really want to find out?”
There was no way Zackary wanted to find out. Not in this lifetime

or the next. Zackary shook his head as he stayed perfectly still.
Somehow he knew Tank meant every word he was saying. And even
if his mate didn’t, Zackary wasn’t taking any chances.

“That’s what I thought. Now lie down on your back,” Tank

commanded as he licked his lips.

Zackary wanted to argue, but he had a feeling that would only

earn him a sore bottom. The devil in him mentally flipped Tank off
though. He did stick his tongue out, however.

“You’re pushing it,” Tank warned as he tossed his own clothes

onto the floor.

Tank was in some sort of mood, and Zackary was his target.

Zackary wasn’t sure if he should seriously run and hide or take it like
a man. He was starting to sway toward the running idea. He scooted
onto the bed and lay back, watching Tank closely. One wrong move
and he was out of there.

Tank crawled up onto the bed and moved over to settle right

between Zackary’s legs. Zackary swallowed hard when he saw a lust-
filled glint appear in Tank’s green eyes. He was in so much trouble.

“Tank,” he gulped.
Tank’s eyes snapped up and met his. It was a heart-stopping look

that he would never tire of. Zackary squeaked when Tank suddenly
shot up to lie next to him and smashed their lips together. He liked
kissing Tank as much as he liked everything else they did together,
but he was a little uncertain about Tank’s intense manner.

“I can’t wait until I can claim you properly, mate,” Tank

whispered against Zackary’s lips. “I’m going to fuck you into the
mattress. You won’t walk for a week, I can promise you.”

“Okay,” Zackary whispered as his heart started beating rapidly.

He was all for that idea, the sooner the better. Now, in fact, would be
great. Zackary turned toward Tank and swung his leg over the man’s
hip. He groaned when that gesture brought their cocks into contact.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Had anything ever felt so good?
Zackary shuddered and slid closer to Tank when he felt the man’s

strong hand skim down over his butt cheek. Okay, maybe there was
something that felt better. Tank’s hands stroking over his body was
right up there with breathing.

“Now?” Zackary panted as he hitched his leg higher on Tank’s

side. He wanted and he wanted now. All of the rituals in the world
didn’t seem important when he had Tank’s magnificent naked body
pressed up against his.

“Soon, tweak,” Tank growled, “soon.”
“But—”
“Just think of how wonderful it’s going to be when I can finally

claim you,” Tank said as he pressed his fingers over Zackary’s mouth.
“As much as we both want this, waiting a little longer won’t hurt us.
And you know you’ll be happier in the long run if we wait.”

“Tank.” Zackary knew he was whining, wheedling. He just

couldn’t seem to help himself. Tank really felt good and he was tired
of waiting. He desperately wanted to feel that huge cock inside his
body.

“Ssshhh, tweak.” Tank smoothed Zackary’s hair back from his

face. “I’ll make it good for you, I promise.”

“I want to make it good for you, too.”
“Oh it is, believe me.” Tank’s gaze was like molten lava as he

looked down Zackary’s body. “Just being with you and being able to
touch you whenever I want makes me hot.”

Zackary’s eyes almost rolled back in his head when Tank’s

fingers dipped between his ass cheeks and grazed across his puckered
hole. He groaned and pushed back, wanting to feel those big, beefy
fingers impale him. Zackary almost screamed in protest when Tank
quickly moved his fingers.

“No, tweak, not until we complete the ritual to bind us together.”
“You’re killing me here, Tank,” Zackary whimpered as his

breathing became ragged.

Tank’s Tweak

Tank chuckled. “Oh love, you have no idea how hard it is for me

not to sink balls deep inside your sweet little ass.”

“Then do it!” Zackary was getting so frustrated he could have

climbed the walls.

Tank growled and suddenly pushed away from Zackary. “I will

not have you regretting any time we spend together. We will wait.”

Zackary lay there, stunned, as he watched Tank swing his legs

over the side of the bed. When Tank didn’t move from the side of the
bed, just sat there, Zackary sat up and crawled across the bed to kneel
behind the large man. He wrapped his arms around Tank’s shoulders
and buried his face in his mate’s neck.

“No matter how things happen,” Zackary whispered against

Tank’s throat, “I could never regret anything we did together. And I
don’t mean to be a pain, seriously I don’t.”

Zackary yelped when he was suddenly grabbed and pulled around

in front of Tank. For just a moment, he found himself straddling
Tank’s thick thighs as he faced him, then he was crushed against
Tank’s massive chest.

“You’re not a pain, tweak,” Tank said as his large hands soothed

Zackary’s bare back. “You could never be a pain.”

“I just want you so much and sometimes it’s really hard.”
“Oh, it is definitely hard.” Tank chuckled as he glanced down

between them.

Zackary flushed when he realized that Tank was referring to both

of their cocks, which were hard and pressed together once again, both
weeping with pre-cum. “Yeah, well, you seem to have that effect on
me.”

Tank reached between them and wrapped his large hand around

both of their cocks. He grinned down at Zackary as he started moving
his hand up and down, going faster and faster with each motion.

“Show me how much, tweak.”
Zackary lost his ever-loving mind within seconds. It wasn’t

exactly what he wanted, but it was damn close, so damn close. And he

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

would take what he could get. He was also sure he could transfer
some of the intensity he was feeling to his mate.

Zackary leaned forward and licked across one of Tank’s brown-

hued nipples. He felt like a king when Tank stiffened and a hoarse
groan fell from his lips. Zackary licked at the other nipple until both
of them were like little pebbles. Then he started nipping at one with
his teeth and pinching the other with his fingers.

“Two can play that game, tweak.”
Zackary groaned and stiffened just as Tank had when he felt the

man’s free hand slide down between his ass cheeks again. When they
grazed across his quivering hole, it became a game to see who could
make the other moan louder—Tank with his fingers caressing
Zackary’s ass or Zackary nibbling at Tank’s nipples.

“Gonna come, tweak.” Tank panted heavily.
“Yeah.” Zackary was all for the coming thing.
He felt Tank’s hand tighten around their cocks just as the very tip

of the man’s finger breached his aching hole, not much, but just
enough to send Zackary over the edge into the abyss. Zackary cried
out as his head fell back on his shoulders. The pleasure racing through
his body exploded as Tank’s roar filled the room.

Zackary panted heavily as he slumped against Tank’s sweaty

chest. He could hear Tank’s heart beating frantically under his ear and
it was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

“Love you, tweak,” Tank whispered against the top of his head.
Zackary smiled, feeling Tank’s lips press against his forehead.

Nope, that was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard. “Love
you, Tank.”

* * * *

“Yes!” Livewire shouted when the reading on the control panel

said the fuel cells were sufficiently charged. “That green goo is pure
gold!”

Tank’s Tweak

Tank shook his head in utter disbelief. Mo was a goddamn genius.

“We can get the hell out of here now.” And hopefully get back to their
time period, find Zackary’s mom, and fuck the shit out of his mate.
Tank prayed it went in that order. His mate was getting hornier, and
Tank was getting extremely frustrated the longer he had to wait to
sink into his mate’s tight ass. Hell, he was getting hard just thinking
about it.

“I’m going,” Mo stated firmly as he crossed his arms over his

chest, glaring at Tank and Livewire. “There’s no way I’m getting left
behind.”

Tank looked past Mo just as Remy walked into the engine. “You

can’t leave with us,” Remy said.

Mo’s arms fell to his side as he jutted his chin out. “Give me one

good reason why I can’t join your crew. Just one and I’ll skip my
happy ass back to my shitty life.”

“I can’t chance interfering with the future. What if you’re meant

to have offspring and we take you with us?” Remy asked casually as
he walked over to the fuel cells, glancing at the ones that were filled.

“Dude, I’m fucking gay. I don’t know if it’s possible in your time,

but here on Earth, men having babies is impossible. It just ain’t
happening,” Mo argued his point.

“Regardless. I thank you for your help, but you must go,” Remy

said as he headed for the corridor. “Tank, show him off of the ship.”

“I’m not leaving!” Mo shouted. “What if I’m meant to find you

and travel with you? Have you thought about that? What if my
destiny is to be a part of this crew? I have a fucked-up life here, and if
I stay, I’ll end up dead within the year. I’ve dealt with too many shady
characters and made a lot of bad choices that are going to catch up
with me sooner rather than later, Commander.”

Tank held his breath as Remy turned around, his canines already

showing. “How dare you speak to me in that manner on my own
fucking ship?”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Mo visibly swallowed but didn’t back down. Tank was actually

impressed with the human. “I’m sorry if you feel I’ve disrespected
you, but I can’t go back. There’s nothing there for me. I have no
family.” Mo shoved his arm out at Remy, the marking on his skin
depicting the man kneeling in front of the stone pillar. “I have no
one.” His voice dropped lower.

Remy growled as he placed his hands on his hips, looking as

though he were caught between doing the right thing and letting Mo
stay. Tank could see his commander’s resolve wavering.

“I pray you are right,” Remy finally said. “Tank, assign him a

room.”

“Fuck yeah,” Mo mouthed to them as Remy walked away.
Tank chuckled at the strange human. He wasn’t sure what Mo was

so damned happy about. Life on board the Lady Blue was no picnic,
and Mo needed to know that before they took off, just in case the man
changed his mind.

“Look, Mo, you should know this before we take off. We’re on

the planetary most-wanted list back in our time period. The Elite
Force has set us up and is out for blood. If you come back with us,
you just may end up in an alien prison.”

A smile split Mo’s tanned face. “What’s your point?”

Tank’s Tweak

Chapter 8

Zackary was so excited he couldn’t have sat still if his ass was

nailed to his seat. They were finally getting off of old Earth and
heading home. As excited as he was to see his mom, the thought of
finally performing the ritual that would bind him to Tank and allow
his sexy mate to claim him held center place in his mind. It also made
him nervous as fuck, but Zackary pushed that pesky little feeling to
the side.

Rubbing off together was fine. The occasional blow job was fine.

Even jerking each other off in the shower was good. But if Zackary
didn’t get to feel Tank’s cock deep inside his ass pretty damn soon,
he’d need to be locked up in a loony bin.

He was so horny a stiff wind could get him off, and it was only

getting worse. The more time he spent around Tank, the harder it was
not to jump the guy. On the other hand, when he was separated from
Tank, Zackary felt it like a physical pain.

Getting home as fast as the Lady Blue would fly was the only

answer.

“Are you strapped in, tweak?” Tank asked as he sat down in his

seat and buckled his seat belt. “I don’t want a repeat of last time.” His
mate leaned over and kissed the scar that now marred Zackary’s face.

Zackary closed his eyes at the intimate contact and then leaned

back, pointing to the belt strapped around his waist. “All ready to go.”

“Good job.” Tank grinned then turned his attention to his console.

“Can you check the power levels for me, tweak? I don’t want to
power up the engines until I know we can take off immediately. As
soon as the thrusters go online, everyone will know we’re here.”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Will do.” Zackary pulled his vid-pad out and started tapping the

screen until the information Tank wanted flashed across it. “The fuel
cells are good to go. Power is at seventy-eight percent and climbing.
We should be at a hundred percent in less than five minutes.”

“Crank, is everything closed up and strapped down?” Remy asked

from his chair.

“Yes, Commander,” Crank replied.
“Colt, I want you to stay on weapons until we leave the

atmosphere,” Remy said. “If Mo is right, we’re not going to be safe
until we leave Earth’s space.”

“I am,” Mo called out from the back of the bridge. “Earthlings get

easily freaked out by spaceships, man. The government here will be
on your ass faster than a fly on shit paper.”

Zackary blinked then leaned over closer to Tank. “Shit paper?” he

whispered. “Do Earthlings really make paper out of shit?”

Tank shrugged. “Got me.”
“Wow.” Zackary sat back in his chair as he scratched his head.

“This place is freaking weird. I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to
be Paktillian in my life.”

“I’ll remind you that you said that the next time we mess around

and I can’t fuck you into the mattress.”

Zackary flipped Tank off.
“I’m just saying, tweak.” Tank laughed.
“Well, don’t.” Zackary pushed his bottom lip out and pouted.

“Besides, I thought we agreed to videotape the ritual ceremony and
show it to Mom later?”

“True, but if this goes right, we won’t have to.” Tank tapped his

console. “I’m hoping to send us right back through the wormhole into
our own time period, in which case, we can head straight to Paktil and
see your mom and perform whatever ritual is needed.”

Zackary started bouncing again as he grinned. “Really? You really

think we’ll get back?”

Tank smiled over at him. “I do.”

Tank’s Tweak

Zackary glanced down at his vid-pad and started tapping away

again. “Well, hell, then let’s get this baby off the ground and get the
hell out of here. I have a mating ritual to plan with my mom, and I’m
just a guy that loves to plan weddings.”

Tank’s fist came up. Zackary reached over and tapped it with his

own. “To rituals, baby.”

“To rituals.” Tank laughed as the Lady Blue lifted off.
Zackary ran the diagnostics as he hummed to himself, feeling

happy and excited about getting back to Paktil.

“We got problems, Commander,” Crank said from behind

Zackary. “It looks like metal birds are flying toward us.”

“Those aren’t birds,” Mo said. “Those are fighter jets. The

government is onto us. If I were you, I’d put some fire under our asses
and get us the hell out of here. They have missiles they can fire at us.”

“Shit,” Tank cursed from beside Zackary as they both scrambled

to get Lady Blue to give them more power. Zackary was getting
worried when the ship failed to gain speed. She should be flying at
breakneck speed by now. There was no way the Earthlings should
have detected them.

“Mo, get your ass down to engineering and assist Livewire.”

Remy growled from his seat. “We should be cloaked.”

“Heading that way, Commander.” The human unbuckled his seat

belt and ran from the bridge.

Zackary slammed his hand on the console when he saw that they

were losing power. This wasn’t good. He didn’t want to spend the rest
of his life in some barbaric prison system in the past.

“What the hell is going on?” he shouted as panic set in. “We used

the green gooey stuff. Why aren’t we climbing?”

“Calm down, tweak. There’s no way I’m going to let anyone get

their hands on you,” Tank said as he tapped his finger on the tip of
Zackary’s nose. “We have a ritual to perform.”

Zackary knew his mate was trying to calm him, but he could see

the worry in Tank’s eyes. “They won’t take me alive! I’ll call my

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

mom, and she’ll kick all their asses. Watch and see. No one messes
with her Zacky!”

Zackary began to hyperventilate, feeling the walls close in on him.

There was no way he was going to be stuck on this damn planet for
the rest of his life. Tank was going to claim him if he had to walk
back to Paktil.

“Tweak!” Tank called his name, laying his large hand on

Zackary’s. “Breathe.”

Zackary nodded, as he took deep breaths. He wasn’t sure why he

was panicking, but he knew his mate was right. He needed to focus if
they were going to make it out of this situation.

“Get me engineering,” Remy ordered.
Zackary tapped his vid-pad, bringing up engineering on the vid-

screen. His jaw dropped when the scene popped up in front of them.
There was no way he could actually be seeing what he thought he was
seeing.

“You didn’t balance the isotopes correctly with the dishwashing

liquid. This is your goddamn fault, so don’t even think of blaming
me,” Mo was shouting at Livewire as foam filled the engineering
room.

“Using the green shit was your idea, so fix this mess before we all

end up crash-diving,” Livewire countered.

“I want both of you to shut the fuck up, get your heads out of your

asses, and fix this!” Remy shouted as he stood up and crossed the
bridge, coming within inches of the vid-screen. “If I hear one more
word from either of you, you’ll be scrubbing the mess hall with
toothbrushes! Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Commander,” they said in unison as Mo and Livewire

scrambled to fix the problem.

Zackary gripped the arms of his chair as he prayed they could fix

it. From the looks of things, their chances were pretty grim.

“Commander,” Tank called. “Those fighter jets are surrounding

us. There has to be at least two dozen.”

Tank’s Tweak

“Get that damn cloak working,” Remy shouted at the engineering

crew.

“On it,” Mo said to the vid-screen.
Zackary jumped out of his seat and threw himself at Tank when

not only did the cloaking device come back online, but the Lady Blue
also shot straight up into the outer atmosphere.

“Get back in your seat and buckle in,” Tank said as he smacked

Zackary’s ass. “We’ll celebrate when we get back to the Turok
System.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” Zackary laughed as he jumped back into his seat

and snapped the safety belt around his waist. “You are going to love
my mom’s fruitcake. Did I tell you how good it was? I know she’s
going to like you. But I’m warning you, don’t piss her off because she
has a nasty temper that has gotten her into a pickle a time or two.”

“Got it. No pissing mom off.” Tank chuckled as he guided them

back to the coordinates they had come out at. Zackary readjusted for
the space-time continuum, hoping he was calculating it correctly.

“Hold on,” Tank shouted as the Lady Blue was once again caught

in the wormhole’s gravitational pull and they were sucked back in.

Zackary reached his hand out, grabbing Tank’s hand as he prayed

the damn thing didn’t collapse. He could feel his entire body break
out in a cold sweat as they were hurled back through the wormhole
and spit out the other side.

“Did it work?” Remy asked.
Zackary and Tank worked double-time as they scanned their

surroundings.

“Yeah, baby!” Tank whooped from his seat. “We are officially

back in the Turok System.”

“Thank fuck.” Remy exhaled.
“Paktil, we have to get to Paktil, like yesterday or something.”

Zackary’s fingers flew over the console as he set the coordinates for
his home world. There was nothing in the universe that was going to
stop him from making a beeline for Paktil.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Tank chuckled from beside him. “The faster the better, eh?”
“You’re damn skippy,” Zackary growled as he set the coordinates

for home.

* * * *

Tank was nervous, even more so than he was when he flew the

Lady Blue through a wormhole on purpose. They were setting down
on Paktil, and he was about to meet Zackary’s mom for the very first
time.

Anyone who knew Zackary knew he was incredibly close to his

mom. If she didn’t like him, Tank couldn’t help but wonder if
Zackary would run for the hills. That thought scared Tank to death.
He didn’t know what he would do without Zackary. The man was
such a part of his life now he might as well be a second skin.

Zackary, on the other hand, was practically bouncing in place.

Hell, he was bouncing in place. And pointing. “Look, look, there’s
my mom.” Zackary squealed loudly, a sound Tank didn’t ever want to
hear again. “And she brought fruitcake!”

“Great.”
Tank smiled weakly. He felt anything but excited. He could see a

dark-haired woman waving frantically through the window of the
spaceport, waving a silver-wrapped package in her other hand.

Must be the fruitcake.
The ship finally docked. Zackary squealed again and started to run

off the bridge. Tank stuck out an arm and wrapped it around
Zackary’s waist, pulling him to a quick stop. “Whoa, slow down,
tweak. We need to make sure no one is waiting for us before we
disembark.”

“But my mom is waiting,” Zackary protested.
“And you can see her as soon as we get the all clear.”
“But—”

Tank’s Tweak

“Tweak, wouldn’t you rather tell your mom of our adventures

instead of having her watch you get taken away in handcuffs if the
Elite Force is waiting for us?”

“Oh, yeah, she’d get real mad if she saw me in handcuffs.”
“Then we need to wait.” Tank kissed the top of Zackary’s head.

“It will only take a few minutes, tweak, I promise.”

Zackary nodded but as he looked out the window again, his body

went right back to bouncing. Tank chuckled and shook his head.
“Come on, we can go wait by the airlock.”

“You’ll love my mom, Tank,” Zackary said excitedly. “And she’s

going to love you.”

“I hope to the gods you’re right.” If not, Tank was fucked, and he

knew it.

“She has to love you. I do.”
“I hate to tell you this, tweak, but just because you love me don’t

mean your mom is going to. Moms tend to be a bit territorial when it
comes to their sons.”

“Naw, she’ll love you. She just wants me to be happy, and you

make me happy. Besides, you just might be big enough to keep my
ass safe, and that’s even more important to my mom.” Zackary
laughed. “You might have noticed but I tend to get myself into trouble
every once in a while.”

“No!” Tank gave Zackary a mocking look. “Say it isn’t so.”
Zackary rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying it’s my fault or anything,

’cause I would never do anything illegal on purpose. Things just kind
of happen to me.”

“Yeah, I kind of noticed that, tweak.” Tank grinned. “I guess it’s

my job to keep your sexy little ass out of trouble.”

“See.” Zackary beamed. “Mom is going to love you.”
Tank wasn’t as sure as Zackary seemed to be, but he couldn’t

deny the man his excitement. When Remy gave the all clear from the
cargo bay, Tank reached up and hit the control panel to open the
airlock. He kept a firm hold on Zackary as they walked into the

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

airlock. It took just moments for the small passageway to pressurize,
but Tank thought Zackary might vibrate apart.

“Calm yourself, tweak, or your mom might think I did something

horrible to you.”

“Naw.” Zackary laughed. “She’s used to me being a little bit

batty.”

“Tweaky, love,” Tank said. “You’re not batty. You’re tweaky,

remember?”

“Isn’t it the same thing?”
Tank chuckled as he shook his head. “Not by any stretch of the

imagination.”

Tank didn’t know if he could explain to Zackary what he meant

by tweaky, but it encompassed all that Zackary was—his exuberance,
his love for life, his sparkling personality, even his odd words. Tweak
was Zackary in every sense of the word.

The door to the airlock slid open and Zackary darted forward.

Tank barely caught him by the back of his shirt, yanking him back.
He knew Zackary’s mom was waiting for them on the space dock, but
he wasn’t about to let his mate go running outside unattended.

“Slow, tweak.”
“Tank!”
Tank quickened his steps, which seemed to make Zackary happy.

The man practically had to run to keep up with him. When they
reached end of the docking ramp, Tank wrapped an arm around
Zackary and swung him to the ground. He kept his arm wrapped
around Zackary as he quickly scanned the area. Once he knew it was
all clear, Tank let Zackary go.

A part of Tank was excited for Zackary as he watched him tear

across the docking port and into the arms of his mom. Another part
was saddened that his mate was so happy to be seeing someone else.
Tank knew it was selfish, but he wanted to be the only one in
Zackary’s life that was that important.

Tank’s Tweak

Tank walked slowly across the port, giving Zackary time to greet

his mom. It also gave him time to come up with a reason why Zackary
should be allowed to keep him. From the stern looks he was getting
from the woman, Tank was pretty sure he’d need one.

“Tank, Tank,” Zackary called out, “this is my mom, Stella

Cortez.”

Tank bowed his head slightly in greeting. “Ms. Cortez.”
Tank was amazed at how short and slim the woman was. From the

way Zackary had talked about her, he was expecting to meet a woman
who was seven feet tall and breathing fire. Stella Cortez was maybe
four foot eleven at best. That didn’t mean she still didn’t scare the hell
out of Tank, though.

The woman’s dark eyebrow arched as she looked Tank up and

down. “So, you’re the man that thinks he’s going to take my Zacky
away from me, huh?”

Maybe she did breathe fire.

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Chapter 9

Colt stood on the spaceport along with Remy and Crank. He could

honestly say that his stomach was in knots, hard and coiled. The
silkworms they were supposed to deliver had not only turned to
moths, but there were a few missing.

Colt had a pretty good idea where the missing ones were, but what

could he do? It wasn’t like they were silkworms anymore, anyways.

“I’m sorry, but I paid for silkworms, not these worthless insects,”

the man that came to collect the cargo said as he waved his hand at
the crates. “The deal is off.”

Remy carded his hand through his hair. His clenched jaw made

Colt think his commander was about to shoot someone. “If you don’t
take this shipment, I owe Hyberian a hell of a lot of credits.”

The man turned his nose up to Remy as his lithe finger pointed

toward the crates. “Well then, next time deliver your cargo on time.
Good day.”

Colt had to grab Remy. His commander had started toward the

pompous man with his teeth bared and his claws extending from his
fingers. “Whether we like it or not,” Colt said, “he’s right.”

Remy whipped his head around at Colt, his canines snapping

together in his mouth. “I don’t care whether he is right or wrong. Do
you have the credits to give back to the Hyberians?”

Colt could see Remy’s point. They hadn’t spent it all, but they had

spent enough of it when they did their shopping while visiting the
planet. “We could use the credits we make from the Lastrishonia to
pay them back.”

Tank’s Tweak

Remy rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, looking totally

frustrated. “These shipments are turning out to be more costly than
profitable. Let’s get the fish to the buyers so we can go return the
Hyberians their credits.”

Remy stormed away. Colt turned to watch Mo and Blade unload

the fish. He glanced around to make sure no officials were watching
this transaction. It was illegal to deal with these exotic fish, and the
crew had been through enough already.

Mo whistled low as he looked around. “I never would have

believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes.”

“What?” Colt asked as he tried to look in the direction that Mo

was.

“This is one bizarre ass place with bizarre ass people.”
Colt shrugged as Pax came running toward him. He smiled when

his mate stood beside him, beaming up at him. “Are we really going
to another ceremony?”

“It looks that way,” Colt said as he watched the buyers for the fish

approach them. At least Colt hoped it was them. He looked down at
his mate, leaning in for a kiss. “Go back on board the Lady Blue until
this deal is over. I don’t like you in the middle of this.”

Pax pouted but did as Colt asked. He was thankful he didn’t have

a bratty mate like Gigi. The human was great, but very willful. Colt
could see him standing off to one side of the retractable ramp arguing
with Remy as it was. He’d just bet Remy was trying to get Gigi back
on the ship.

Yep. Colt chuckled quietly to himself as Gigi stuck out his tongue

and stormed on board the Lady Blue. Remy looked like he wanted to
bang his head against a wall as he watched his mate walk away.

“Remy,” he called out when the small group of men approached,

“we have guests.”

Remy was by Colt’s side in an instant, looking just as menacing as

he possibly could as he stood to his full height and crossed his arms
casually over his chest. “Can I help you?”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“I understand you have a package for us from Uncle.”
Colt blinked in surprise. Seriously? Everyone referred to

Adwaka’s uncle as Uncle? It was an interesting choice for someone
dealing in the black market, but Colt couldn’t say it was a bad choice.
It kept his true identity hidden.

“And just what package would that be?” Remy asked.
The thin, blue-skinned man glanced at his comrades. “Uh…”
Colt frowned when he spotted a movement by some crates

halfway down the dock. The neon-green-haired head that peeked out
from behind a stack of crates looked suspiciously familiar. Colt
nodded with his head at Blade then started walking casually down the
dock. He knew Blade would take his place next to Remy while he
investigated whatever, or whoever, was down the dock.

“Remy, something is up,” he whispered into his com-link. “Don’t

admit to anything until I get back.”

“Understood.”
Colt walked down the dock, slowly weaving closer to the crates

stacked along the wall. He made to look like he was going to walk
right on past the crate the man was hiding behind, but at the last
minute, he twirled and stepped behind the crate. He grabbed the man
and pushed him against the wall.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Colt growled into the

man’s ear.

“I–I just came to w–warn you,” the man stammered.
That voice sounded very familiar. “Anok?”
“Yeah.”
Colt released his tight hold on Anok and spun him around.

“What’s going on?”

“Those men.” Anok nodded toward the small group of men

talking with Remy. “They’re bounty hunters. I heard them talking
about the crew of the Lady Blue in a bar I was working. I knew Pax
was on the Lady Blue. I didn’t want anything to happen to him.”
Anok shrugged. “He’s my friend.”

Tank’s Tweak

“Fuck!” Colt looked toward the small crowd gathered at the

bottom of the ramp of the Lady Blue. He had to do something. He
turned to look back at Anok. “I need your help.”

“Okay.”
Colt was a little surprised at Anok’s quick response, especially

since there was no money involved. Maybe there was more to Anok
than he first suspected. “I need you to find a man named Tank. You
can’t miss him. He’s huge. He’s visiting his mate’s family, the
Cortezes.”

Anok grinned. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of Zacky.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
“Sure, with Ms. Stella, his mom.”
“Good.” Colt patted Anok’s shoulder. “Go find them and tell

Tank what’s going on.”

“What are you going to do?”
Colt pulled his phaser out and checked to make sure it was fully

loaded before glancing back up at Anok. “I’m going to go save my
friends.”

* * * *

Zackary muffled a giggle as he watched his big, strong mate

shudder under his mom’s intense glare. He’d already explained to his
mom that Tank was his soul mate. She understood. He knew she did.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to give Tank a hard time. She gave
everyone that she liked a hard time.

“So how do I know you’re Zacky’s mate? You could just be

saying that to make him break his vows.” Stella gave Tank the evil
eye. The same evil eye that made most grown men shudder, Zackary
included.

“I…uh…the pull, ma’am?”
Zackary snickered at the way his mom was putting his lion

through the wringer. “Mom, he doesn’t even know about the vows,”

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

he said as he tore off a chunk of his mom’s fruitcake and fed it to
Tank.

His mom swatted at him, making his upper arm sting. “Why

haven’t you explained that to him? It’s very important, Zacky!”

Zackary rolled his eyes at his mom. It was embarrassing enough

that he had to make his mate wait to claim him, but to tell him he was
a clueless virgin wasn’t something he was anxious to share. Zackary
wanted Tank to think he was worldly, experienced.

“What vows?” Tank asked as he swallowed his bite and reached

for more. Zackary twisted sideways, blocking his mate from getting
any more fruitcake.

“It’s nothing,” Zackary said.
The three of them jumped when a loud rapping sounded at the

door. Tank grabbed Zackary and shoved him behind him as his mom
walked across the room. Tank tried to grab for her, but Stella
sidestepped his grasping hands.

“I don’t hide from anyone,” she huffed as she turned toward the

door. “Who the hell is it?”

“It’s Anok, Ms. Stella,” a voice called from the other side.
“See, it’s only Anok.” Stella smiled at them. Zackary hadn’t a

clue who Anok was, but his mom seemed relaxed about opening the
door.

“Hello, Ms. Stella,” the little man with neon green hair said the

moment the door was open. “I was sent here to find someone called
Tank.”

Zackary pulled back his sleeves as he walked around his mate’s

massive frame, heading straight for their visitor. He jutted his chin out
and fisted his hands. “What the hell do you want with my Tank?”

Zackary yelped when Tank lifted him off of his feet and sat him

down behind him once more. Damn big ass lion shifter!

“Who sent you?” Tank growled.
“One of your crew members, a man named Colt. He’s mated to

my friend, Pax. There are bounty hunters on the space dock

Tank’s Tweak

pretending to be buyers. They need you to come down there right
away.”

“Shit,” Tank cursed and then cringed. “Sorry,” he said to

Zackary’s mom.

“Never mind that. I think you need to get moving.” She patted

Tank’s arm. “But don’t go before I get what you’ll need.” Stella
hurried off to another room. She returned seconds later with a satchel
clasped to her chest. “Take this.” She handed the satchel to Tank.
“And you have my blessing.”

Tank nodded as he took the bag, giving his mom a gentle hug.

“Thank you. I’ll take very good care of him, promise.”

Zackary’s mom waved Tank’s thanks away. “Don’t mention it.

But you better take care of my Zacky or I’ll hunt your ass down and
show you why I’m the most feared woman around here.”

Tank gulped. “Yes, ma’am.”
She turned and hugged Zackary next. “Are you sure you don’t

need me to come with you? I’ve dealt with my share of ruffians. They
don’t scare me.”

“No, ma’am. We can handle them.” Tank cocked his head at

Zackary as he answered Stella’s question.

Zackary just shrugged. What could he say? It was his mom. She

had been a scrapper for as long as he could remember. Zackary liked
the feistiness in her. Zackary gave his mom a big hug before he
followed Tank and Anok out of the house. The visit had been too
short, and he didn’t want to leave yet. Unfortunately, he had to go.

“Love you, Mom,” he called as he walked out the door after Tank.
“Love you, too, Zacky. Be safe.”
Zackary nodded and hurried to the shuttle where Tank and Anok

waited for him. He climbed in and sat down, Tank taking the seat next
to him and Anok sitting behind them both. Zackary looked at the bag
his mate held close in his lap. He had his mom’s blessing and the
ritual items they needed. The next time they were alone, Tank would
finally claim him. Zackary felt excited and nauseous all at once.

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Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Drop us off here,” Tank said to the shuttle driver.
Zackary noticed that they weren’t near the docking station. “Are

we going to sneak attack them?” he asked.

“That was my plan,” Tank said as they climbed out. “The element

of surprise.”

“Can I help? Pax is my friend, and I don’t want anything to

happen to him,” Anok said as he got out of the shuttle and joined
them.

Zackary still wasn’t too sure if he liked the idea of Anok tagging

along. His green-eyed monster was making an appearance, and
Zackary felt the need to mark his territory. If Anok stepped one foot
closer to Tank, all bets were off.

“As long as you can follow instructions,” Tank replied.
Zackary’s upper lip curled menacingly. He wanted to kick Tank

for agreeing to let Anok come with them. He wanted to protest but
couldn’t think of a valid reason to give other than he was jealous. And
wouldn’t that just make him sound like a shit?

“What do you want me to do?” Zackary asked his mate.
“Stay close and do as I say as well. I don’t know how many there

are or what’s happened, so we need to use caution.”

“Right.” Zackary knew that. He just didn’t understand quite what

he could do. It wasn’t like he was a fighter. On the other hand, he was
damn handy with a vid-pad. He grew excited as he pulled his vid-pad
out of his shirt.

“Tank, I think I might be able to help,” he said as he held the slim

computer pad up in the air. “You tell me what you want open or
closed, and I’ll see that it’s done. I can also access the loading dock’s
mainframe, call up any program needed.”

Tank’s dark reddish-brown eyebrow arched. “Nice one, tweak.”
Zackary beamed. Beat that, Anok!
Zackary followed closely behind Tank as they made their way

toward the loading dock. He could hear Anok walking close behind
him. When they reached the edge of the dock, Tank stopped and

Tank’s Tweak

101

gestured for them to hide behind a stack of crates while he went and
peeked around the side.

From where he hid, Zackary could just see the top of the Lady

Blue but nothing else. He could hear a lot of noise, though, and hoped
that it didn’t come from a fight. He started to grow nervous when the
noise grew louder and he heard Remy shouting. That really couldn’t
be good.

Zackary started to scramble toward Tank when his mate suddenly

turned back to him. Tank immediately frowned when he saw Zackary
scooting closer. Zackary flushed and shrugged. He’d been caught,
plain and simple.

“Close the doors at the south end of the dock, tweak,” Tank said

then he pointed to the spot behind the crates where Zackary had been
hiding before. “And stay there. I don’t want to worry about you when
I should be concentrating on getting our friends out of trouble.”

“Oh, but—”
“Please, tweak?”
“Fine.” Zackary’s shoulders slumped. He knew when he was beat.

All Tank had to do was flash his gorgeous green eyes and Zackary
was a goner. “But I refuse to sit here and let anything happen to you.
So, if you want me to stay out of trouble, you’d better stay out of
trouble. You owe me a claiming.”

Tank grinned. “Done.”
Zackary’s nerves shook to an all-new high as Tank turned away

and started darting between crates as he made his way toward the
Lady Blue. Zackary knew he was supposed to stay hidden, but surely
he could hide behind something just a little bit closer. He needed to
keep an eye on his mate.

“Hey.” Anok grabbed Zackary by the arm. “Tank said to stay

here.”

“You stay here,” Zackary snapped. “That’s my mate out there, my

family. If there’s any way that I can help them, I will.”

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Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Zackary shook Anok’s hand off his arm and started following

Tank. He didn’t plan to get too close, just close enough to keep an eye
on things and maybe help out where he could. Really, that’s all he
wanted to do.

Zackary cringed when he felt a hand suddenly grab him from

behind. He knew it wasn’t Anok. It was too large. He turned to see a
man standing behind him that he had never seen. But he recognized
the menacing look on the man’s face and knew he was in trouble.

Shit! Tank was going to strangle him.
“Well, well, well,” the man said. “Who have we here?”
“None of your fucking business!” Zackary shouted as he kicked

the man in his shin. All it did was piss the man off. Zackary’s head
bounced around on his shoulders as the man shook him. Zackary
wasn’t going down without a fight, though.

He swung his vid-pad out with all of his might and struck the evil

man right across the face. Blood sprayed everywhere almost instantly.
Zackary grimaced and jumped back when the man suddenly let him
go and grabbed his face.

“You broke my nose, you little shit!”
“Better than your balls!” Zackary shouted as he drove his knee up

into the man’s groin. Much to his surprise, the man grabbed his balls
just as his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to the floor.

Zackary stared down at him for several moments, expecting the

man to jump up at any moment. He didn’t move. Zackary kicked him
once just to make sure. The man didn’t even groan.

“Next time, pick on someone your own size.”
Zackary started sneaking toward the Lady Blue once again. He

nearly cried when he looked down and saw the large crack in the
screen of his vid-pad. Damn. He was going to have to get a new one.
Tank was still going to strangle him, and there was no way he could
hide it now that his vid-pad was broken. This was the second vid-pad
that something had happened to, and he was sure Tank wasn’t going
to keep replacing them.

Tank’s Tweak

103

“Keep down, damn it,” Anok whispered as he crouched down

next to Zackary behind a crate. “If we get spotted again we might not
be able to fight the next bonehead off.”

“We?” Zackary’s eyebrows shot up. “You got a silkworm in your

pocket?”

Anok rolled his eyes. “Just keep your head down.”
Zackary wiped the screen off his vid-pad the best he could, trying

to rid it of the blood. He wasn’t having much success. Zackary
grimaced and looked up at the Lady Blue. There had to be something
he could do to help, but what?

Think, damn it!

104

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Chapter 10

Gigi, Pax, Imlay, and Adwaka stared out of the porthole window

in horror. None of them said a word as they watched the crew fight
the men who were supposed to be the buyers. It looked like it was
going to be a fight to the death in Pax’s opinion.

“Don’t they want the fish?” Pax asked as he looked back outside

to see Colt taking down one of the men. Maybe they were mad
because he took a few silkworms. Pax couldn’t stop himself. The
worms had looked so desperate.

“I think this has something to do with the bounty more than the

fish,” Imlay said as he backed away from the porthole. “We need to
think of some way to help them.”

“You?” Gigi said in astonishment. “Since when do you

voluntarily get into trouble?”

Imlay snorted as he pointed to the window. “Since I mated

Livewire. He might have taught me a thing or two,” Imlay boasted
proudly.

“Then share your knowledge with us ’cause I got nothing,” Gigi

said. “Too bad Zackary isn’t here. We could really use him right
about now.”

“And I’m chopped liver?” Imlay asked indignantly. He started to

walk down the corridor, the others following close behind.

Pax was anxious to leave the small window, but he wanted to

assist in any way to help his hawk shifter.

“Are you going to share your diabolical plan with us, or are we

going to just sit and watch?” Adwaka asked.

Tank’s Tweak

105

“I’ll share in one moment,” Imlay said to them as he entered the

sick bay. “Get me a few injection guns.”

Pax and Adwaka scrambled to the medical cabinet as Gigi stayed

with the doctor. They handed over the few they found.

“Now what?” Pax asked.
“Now I load them with sedatives and we fight,” Imlay informed

him as he grabbed a few bottles filled with yellow liquid from one of
the shelves.

“That’s your brilliant plan?” Gigi squawked. “Dude, we have to

get close enough to inject them, and I think that would be the opposite
of helping our mates.”

Imlay loaded the guns up then faced the group, a triumphant smile

on his face. “Not if we’re careful.” He handed each of them a gun and
an extra bottle of sedatives. “Only shoot them once. If you give them
too much, it may have an adverse effect on them.”

Pax stared down at his gun like it was an Uryclian Mucus Slug.

He wasn’t sure he could inject anyone. But for Colt, he would try. He
trailed behind the rest of the mates as they snuck into the cargo bay.
The closer they got, the louder the fighting seemed to get. Pax knew it
wouldn’t be long before the Elite Force showed up. They had to get
out of there.

“Be careful,” Imlay warned as the mates left the ship.
Pax tried to stay close to Gigi, but the human took off in a rush,

jumping the first man he came to and injecting him square in the
neck. The man instantly fell to the floor and didn’t move. Pax wanted
to cheer him on, but he was too busy freaking out when he was
grabbed from behind.

“I’ll get one of you to turn in yet,” the man holding him growled.
Pax gripped the barrel of the injection gun and shoved it into the

man’s crotch. It was the only place he had at the moment, and Pax
wasn’t above using it. The man howled as Pax pulled the trigger.

That had to have hurt like the dickens.

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Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Pax was immediately released. He swung around to see that the

crew was starting to overtake the men that had come to arrest them.
He still wondered if it was about the fish or silkworms, but Pax didn’t
have time to ponder it.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” Colt bellowed from

behind him. “Didn’t I tell you to stay on the ship?”

Pax looked down at his injection gun and wondered how angry

Colt would be if he used it on him. It would stop his mate from being
angry with him…until he woke up. Pax decided against it as he spun
around, hiding the gun behind his back as he smiled up at his mate.

“Just taking an evening stroll.”
“Get back on board, little bird.” Colt pointed his finger toward the

retractable ramp.

Pax pouted. It wasn’t fair. None of the other mates were being

sent back to the ship. Why should he have to go?

“Now,” Colt said before spinning around to fight the man that

attacked him in that moment.

Pax quickly reloaded the injection gun then dropped to his hands

and knees. He crawled through Colt’s legs and shot the man in his
thigh.

“Son of a bitch,” the man cried out as he fell toward the ground.
Pax looked up to see Colt looking down at him. He waved as he

backed away.

“Nice move, little bird.” Colt grinned before pointing toward the

ship. “Now go.”

Fine, he was out of sedatives anyway. Pax spun around and ran

toward the ship, the other mates joining him just as he reached the
ramp. Pax reached over and high-fived Gigi as they ran toward the
airlock.

Mission accomplished.

* * * *

Tank’s Tweak

107

Tank pulled back his arm and knocked the guy he was fighting

square in his jaw. The man crumbled to the ground with a loud thud.
He glanced around to see the crew wiping blood from various parts of
their bodies, but they didn’t look any worse for the wear.

“I need to go find Zackary,” he shouted at Remy as he took off

toward the place he left his mate. Tank frowned when he came around
the crates and saw the space empty. Where in the fuck was his mate?

“Over here,” Anok called from about ten feet away.
Tank got a queasy feeling about this as he rushed over. Zackary

was kneeling on the ground, holding his wrist. There was an
unconscious man just feet from Zackary. Tank knelt down beside his
mate, gently taking Zackary’s injured hand in his.

“What happened, tweak?” He turned the bruised wrist over,

examining it from every angle. It made his hackles rise to see his mate
injured, and he wanted to hurt the responsible party. Zackary had been
scarred enough.

“I got him good, Tank,” Zackary said as he smiled up at Tank.

“He’ll think twice before messing with me.”

“I bet you did, tweak.” Tank smiled as he picked his mate up and

carried him back to the ship, Anok following close behind.

“Did you guys win?” Anok asked.
“We did,” Tank replied. “Now we have to get going before the

Elite Force shows up. Thanks for your help.”

Anok nodded as he slowed his pace. “Is Pax all right?”
“He’s fine,” Tank reassured him. “All the mates are on board.”
“Then I guess my job is done.” Anok waved as he started to head

back to the Paktillian market.

“Mine!”
Tank spun around to see Crank standing there with his chest

heaving heavily. He glanced back at Anok to see the neon-green-
haired man backing away, shaking his head frantically.

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“I don’t think so,” Anok said as he spun around, ready to take

flight. Crank grabbed the guy around the waist and hauled him off of
his feet. Anok didn’t look too happy about this revelation.

Tank wasn’t sure if he should interfere or not. He had his hands

full with Zackary at the moment, so Tank chose to start toward the
ship. They were mates. What could he really do anyway?

“Put me down, you big oaf.” Anok hollered just as trouble docked

on the spaceport.

“Fuck me,” Tank shouted as everyone took off toward the Lady

Blue. The Elite Force had arrived. Tank hauled ass back to the ship,
not caring about anything or anyone as he ran up the ramp with his
mate, Crank close behind carrying Anok.

Tank ran directly to the bridge, set Zackary on his feet, and fired

up the thrusters. He prayed everyone was on board and that they
closed the cargo bay because Tank wasn’t waiting around, not with
the Elite Force on their asses.

“Go. Now!” Remy shouted as he entered the bridge. “Get us the

fuck out of here.”

Everyone scrambled onto the bridge and took their positions as

the Lady Blue took flight. Tank knew they had a harrowing escape
ahead of them. He pointed the Lady’s nose away from Paktil and shot
out of the atmosphere.

“They’re following close,” Blade called from his console.
“Did you expect anything else?” Remy barked as Tank did some

very fancy maneuvering. He wasn’t going down without a fight. His
mate’s life depended on him getting them out of this sticky situation.

Tank growled when Zackary took a seat next to him. “You’re

injured. Go to sick bay.”

“I’m good, Tank, I swear,” Zackary said as he began to input

coordinates. “Besides, how are you going to get away without your
trusty sidekick?”

Tank smiled despite the situation. Zackary could always make

him smile. That was one of the things he loved about the man. “Then

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109

buckle in, tweak. We’re going to have to figure something out to
shake them loose.”

Tank turned when he heard Remy growl. Gigi had come onto the

bridge.

“Not now, Gigi. We need to focus,” Remy warned his mate.
Gigi ignored Remy as he walked over to the large vid-screen

displaying the galaxy in front of them. “Go that way,” he said as he
pointed.

“Gigi,” Remy said in warning once more.
Gigi spun around, glaring at Remy as he stomped his foot. “Don’t

ask me how I know. I just do. Maybe it’s the Magi in me. I don’t
know, but please, just trust me.”

Tank glanced over at Remy, waiting to see what his commander

was going to do. Remy looked irritated as hell but nodded at Tank. He
sighed and turned back to his console. He didn’t know if this was a
good idea, but he wasn’t the boss.

“Show me again, Gigi,” Tank said as he readied his hands to

punch in the coordinates.

Gigi pointed to a cluster of stars ahead of them and to the right.
“There.”
Tank readjusted their flight pattern as he headed in the direction

the commander’s mate had pointed out. He wasn’t into all that
voodoo and hocus-pocus, but if Remy trusted Gigi, there wasn’t much
Tank could do but follow orders.

“Fuck!” Tank tried to pull back the second he figured out where

they were headed and the trouble they were headed for. He tried his
best to punch in new coordinates, but it was too late. The wormhole
had them in its grip and was pulling them in.

So much for listening to Gigi.

* * * *

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Zackary groaned as he opened his eyes. He knew without thinking

about it that he had forgotten his seat belt again. He just couldn’t
remember why it had been so important to be wearing one. There had
been some reason why he needed it.

A deep groan from beside him caught Zackary’s attention. He

turned his head to see Tank lying on the floor next to him. His eyes
were fluttering as if he was having a hard time opening them.

Zackary quickly rolled over and scooted up to his knees. A quick

glance around told him he was on the bridge of the Lady Blue, and he
seemed to be the only one conscious. He looked back down at Tank
then reached out to shake him.

“Tank, wake up,” Zackary said. When Tank didn’t move, Zackary

said it louder. “Tank!”

“What?” Tank shouted then he groaned and grabbed his head.

“Geez, what happened? My head feels like it’s about to explode.”

“You forgot your seat belt.”
Tank looked confused for about half a second then he cursed and

rolled to his feet. Zackary saw him weave just a bit and jumped up to
help him to his chair. Tank instantly started pushing buttons on his
console.

“Check everyone else,” Tank ordered, “and make sure no one is

hurt.”

Zackary nodded and turned to look at the others in the room.

Blade and Adwaka were the only ones seat-belted in, but even they
were unconscious. Remy lay on the floor wrapped around Gigi. Colt
had Pax in his arms. Livewire and Imlay lay on the floor near the
door, just a few inches apart. Crank was curled into a ball. Zackary
could just see the tips of Anok’s green hair sticking out above Crank’s
arms. Mo was even there, lying unconscious in the middle of the
bridge.

Zackary wished he had his vid-pad so he could take a picture and

show everyone what he was seeing. Every last one of the couples was
wrapped around their mates in some fashion, even Crank and Anok.

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111

Too bad Mo didn’t have a mate. It would have made the perfect
picture.

He shook his head to get his mind back on what he needed to do

and began waking up the other crew members, starting with Remy
and Gigi. He moved to the doc and Livewire next, just in case anyone
was injured. It took several minutes to wake everyone.

Imlay finally roused, sat on the floor for a moment, and then

pushed to his feet. He took his time checking them all over and then
pronounced them all relatively healthy, although there were a few
scratches and bruises.

Once everyone was moving again, Zackary took his seat next to

Tank, making sure he secured his seat belt this time. He turned and
looked at his mate. “So, any idea where we are?”

“I’m working on it,” Tank replied. “Why don’t you use that

wizard board of yours and help me out?”

“Yeah, about that…” Zackary licked his suddenly dry lips. “I kind

of need a new one. I broke the last one over some guy’s face.”

Tank’s mouth was hanging open when he turned to stare at

Zackary. “You broke your vid-pad over some guy’s head?”

“Face.”
“You broke your vid-pad over some guy’s face?”
Zackary nodded. “Broke his nose, too. That’s how I injured my

wrist. He was a big guy, and I had to use all my strength to take him
down.”

Tank stared for another moment then he chuckled and shook his

head as he turned to look back at his console. “I guess we need to get
you another one then.”

“Or two or three,” Zackary whispered under his breath.
“What was that, tweak?”
Zackary gulped. “Nothing.”
Tank pointed to the console in front of Zackary. “Use that one

until we get you a new vid-pad.” He chuckled knowingly. “Or two or
three.”

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Zackary flushed and leaned over the console. It would only make

sense that his lion shifter mate had excellent hearing. Zackary started
tapping buttons on the console. His eyebrows began to draw together
as images came up on his screen.

“Well, fuck me!”
“I intend to,” Tank said.
“No, no, not that.” Zackary pointed to his screen. “This.”
“What did you find, tweak?” Tank asked as he leaned closer.
“We ended up right back where we started.”
“Where?”
“Old Earth.”
“What?” Remy shouted as he leapt over to them. “We’re back in

old Earth space?”

“Well,” Zackary said, “if these star charts are right, then yes.”
“How in the hell did that happen?” Remy snapped. “We can’t stay

in old Earth space. It fucks too many things up.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Commander.”
“Find us a way out of here,” Remy shouted. “That’s what you can

tell me.” Remy turned and scanned the room, his gaze settling on one
man. “Gigi!”

Tank’s Tweak

113

Chapter 11

Zackary stole away to his quarters. There wasn’t much they could

do until they found the wormhole again. It wasn’t where it had been
last time. Tank had steered them clear of old Earth’s atmosphere so
they wouldn’t be detected, but other than that, they had to play the
waiting game.

He grabbed the satchel his mom had given Tank and ran into the

bathroom, taking a thorough shower before starting the ritual that
would bind Tank to him.

Zackary pulled out the small, round jar that held his ancestors’

ashes and began the slow task of adorning his body with the tribal
signs in various places. It was somewhat hard, but Zackary even
managed to get some ashes on his back. Grant it, they weren’t the
tribal signs, but even the smears he managed to wipe on his back
would suffice.

Growing up, his mom had drilled it into his head how the ritual

worked. Zackary recited what his mom had taught him as he made the
signs all over his body with the ashes.

The ritual wasn’t complicated in the least, but without the ashes,

the binding wouldn’t work. As he rubbed the ashes into his skin,
Zackary thought about the vow he had given his mother to remain
celibate until he found his mate. He loved his mom, so Zackary had
kept the vow. Of course, a little fooling around with his lion hadn’t
hurt and didn’t break his vow.

Zackary quickly returned the jar to the satchel when he heard the

bedroom door swish open. Tank was early. His mate must be just as
anxious as he was. Only Zackary was a nervous wreck as well.

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“Tweak,” Tank called out from the main room, “are you in the

bathroom?”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Zackary replied as he assessed his

markings. It would probably look strange as hell to the lion shifter,
but to Zackary, his markings were a thing of beauty. He smiled at his
reflection before taking a deep, cleansing breath and opening the
bathroom door.

“Wow,” Tank exhaled. “You look beautiful.”
“You really think so?”
Tank nodded as he stood in the middle of their quarters looking

amazed himself. Zackary’s heart thundered behind his ribs as he
crossed the room and grabbed Tank’s hand. He was a quivering pile
of nerves.

Zackary pulled on Tank’s hand as he got down on his knees. “You

gotta get naked for this to work,” Zackary teased although there were
a thousand butterflies flapping their wings in his stomach.

Tank didn’t say a word. He just nodded as he disrobed. Zackary

watched his mate slowly reveal succulent and awe-inspiring flesh
right before his very eyes. It was a wondrous sight.

Once Tank was completely naked, he knelt in front of Zackary.

“Now what, tweak?”

Zackary stared blankly at Tank, his mind refusing to give him

further instructions. He couldn’t focus with all that bronzed flesh in
front of him. “I…uh.”

Tank chuckled as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss

against Zackary’s lips. “Relax, tweak,” he whispered. “Clear your
mind and relax.”

Zackary nodded, trying his best to focus. His thoughts spun and

his emotions whirled and skidded as he tried to remember what was
next. As if a veil had suddenly lifted from his mind, Zackary
remembered the rest of the ritual.

He began to chant the ritual ceremony of his ancestors as Tank

knelt quietly before him. As Zackary continued the ceremonial words,

Tank’s Tweak

115

he reached out and laid his hands on Tank’s muscular and corded
thighs. He then slid his legs back, placing his hands on the floor in
front of him, offering himself to his mate.

Zackary was proud of Tank when his mate instinctively stood,

circled around him, and then positioned himself behind Zackary. This
was it. They were about to have sex and be bound for all eternity. His
words faltered momentarily when Zackary felt Tank’s fingers start to
stretch him in preparation.

Zackary regained his focus, continuing to chant as Tank entered

him. His fingers curled into the rug beneath him as Tank slowly
worked his cock into Zackary’s ass, inch by slow inch. Zackary had to
blow out in order to get past the bite of pain.

“Relax, tweak. I’ll go as slow as you need me to,” Tank crooned

from behind him.

Zackary nodded as he tried his best to relax. The ritualistic words

were working. Zackary could feel the binding taking place. He blew
out one last breath and then nodded. Zackary cried out when the pain
morphed into a pleasure he never knew existed. Zackary nodded his
head back and forth as he became lost in the tidal waves of emotions
threatening to drag him under.

“Tank, help me,” he whimpered.
Tank’s enormous body blanketed Zackary as he took Zackary to

the floor, effectually caging him in. “Let go, tweak.”

Zackary focused on Tank’s cock buried deep inside of him,

rocking gently back and forth as his puckered hole stretched
unbelievably wide for his mate’s thick shaft. He could feel Tank’s
cock rubbing over nerves, and then his mate shifted his position,
sending Zackary to the heavens as Tank’s cock rubbed over
something deep inside of him, making Zackary shout as his cock
erupted.

“That’s it, tweak.” Tank licked Zackary’s shoulder, nuzzled it for

a moment, and then sank his canines into Zackary’s tender flesh.
Zackary cried out again, feeling Tank pick up the pace and thrust

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harder. He held on to the arm wrapped around him as Tank tried to
fuck him through the floor.

Zackary spread his legs farther apart as Tank sealed the wound

and then went rigid, howling his name as his hot seed emptied into
Zackary’s ass. A blinding white exploded in Zackary’s head. It didn’t
hurt exactly, but pressure seemed to build in his head until Zackary
thought his head would spiral right off his shoulders.

And then suddenly it stopped just as fast as it had started. Zackary

collapsed to the floor, exhausted from the binding. He felt Tank’s
arms wrap around him as his mate nuzzled at his throat.

“Did it work?” Tank whispered.
“Yes,” Zackary panted as he scooted closer to Tank. He pulled his

mate’s large arm over his body, sealing himself in as he cuddled
closer to Tank. “I can feel you now.”

Tank chuckled and tightened his arms. “I can feel you, too.”
Zackary smiled. “No, inside of me. I can feel you inside of me.”
“I knew exactly what you were talking about, tweak.”
Zackary opened his eyes and looked up at his mate, surprised.

“You do?” Tank wasn’t Paktillian. Zackary didn’t know he would feel
the bonding, too. But he couldn’t say he was disappointed.

“Yeah, I do.” Tank grinned and there was a suspicious glint in his

eyes. “I feel you, too.” Tank tapped his temple. “Here.” He tapped his
chest right over his heart. “And here.”

“Then it definitely worked.”
Tank chuckled and leaned back down to nuzzle at Zackary’s

throat, his tongue swiping over the bite mark on Zackary’s neck.
“Love you, tweak.”

“I love you, too, Tank,” Zackary said as his eyelids drifted

closed.

* * * *

Tank’s Tweak

117

Remy sat in his commander’s chair, strumming his fingers on the

arm as he watched Anok glare at Crank. His explosives expert was the
last of them to mate, and it looked as though Crank was going to have
a hard time with this one. Anok didn’t look too happy about being on
board the Lady Blue.

“When are we going to make it back to our time so I can get off of

this tin can?” Anok bit out.

“I haven’t a clue when we’ll make it back, but for your

information, you won’t be going anywhere even if we do find our way
back.”

Anok growled as he fisted his hands at his sides. “Just watch me.”
“I’ll watch you all right. I’ll watch you march your happy ass to

our quarters so you can stop nagging me.” Crank raised a brow when
Anok flipped him off.

Remy found this highly entertaining. There wasn’t much to do on

board right now as their asses floated through space waiting for a
wormhole to open up. He’d take whatever form of entertainment he
could get right now.

“Nagging you? Oh, buddy, you haven’t seen nagging yet,” Anok

threatened as he crossed his arms over his chest and tapped a tempo
out with his foot. Remy chuckled when the green-haired man began to
poke at Crank’s shoulder.

“Will you stop it?” Crank growled as he scooted a little further

away.

“Nope.” Anok popped his lips on the P as he continued to

antagonize the cougar shifter.

Remy sat back, kicked his legs out in front of him, and crossed his

ankles, smiling at the pair. This show was great. It had anger,
resentment, lust, and confusion all wrapped up in two people that
didn’t seem to know what they wanted from each other. He should
videotape it so the others could watch.

“I know you’ve heard of airlocks. If you haven’t, I can introduce

you to one, pest.”

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Anok sniffed, lifting his nose into the air. “You’re the one that

dragged me on board, not the other way around. Deal with it.”

Remy shot out of his chair when Crank growled and partially

shifted, towering over his small mate. “That’s enough, guys.”

“He started it.” Anok glared at Crank as he pointed a finger up

into the cougar’s face. “Tell him to back the fuck off, and we won’t
have any problems.”

Remy was impressed. Anok hadn’t even flinched when Crank

shifted. He knew the cougar wouldn’t do anything to harm his mate,
but Remy had to admit Anok was being a pain in the ass. “Why don’t
you go find Pax?”

Anok eyed Crank a moment longer before turning to Remy. “Fine.

But get us home so I can get the fuck off of this ship.”

Remy curled his fingers in. The urge to smack the back of Anok’s

head was strong, real fucking strong. He watched the green-haired
man exit the bridge before taking a deep and controlling breath.

“I feel for you, man. I really do,” Remy said to Crank before

sitting back down.

* * * *

Tank rubbed Zackary’s back slowly as his mate slept. He couldn’t

believe he finally claimed his mate. It felt like he had waited eons to
do so, but it had been worth the wait. Zackary had been worth the
wait.

The crazy ass bond he suddenly seemed to have with Zackary was

just an added bonus. It was odd, but not something Tank wanted to
give up now that he had experienced it. He really could feel Zackary
just as he had told him. It wasn’t a physical thing. More like the
essence of Zackary had sunk into his skin while they bonded. It was
unlike anything he had ever felt and made him feel like he had a
deeper connection with his mate.

Tank’s Tweak

119

Tank sighed deeply, happily, as he watched Zackary sleep. He

wanted to let his mate sleep, but Tank knew they had to get on the
bridge and scan the surrounding area. He lifted Zackary up from the
carpet and kissed his temple as he headed toward the bathroom.

“Time is it?” Zackary mumbled sleepily as he nuzzled his face

against Tank’s smooth chest.

“Time to get back to work, tweak.” Tank regulated the water with

one hand while he held his smaller mate close to his chest with the
other. He really hated to wash the markings from Zackary’s body.
They were truly breathtaking.

“’Kay,” Zackary mumbled again before falling back to sleep.
Tank chuckled as he stepped into the shower. Zackary was going

to be pissed at him, but it couldn’t be helped. They were needed on
the bridge.

“Hey!” Zackary shouted as he came fully awake and started

sputtering under the spray of water. “That wasn’t funny.”

“I thought it was.” Tank laughed as Zackary slapped his chest.

“You look adorable wet.”

“I look just as good dry,” Zackary countered before pushing at

Tank’s chest. Tank set his mate on his feet as he helped Zackary wash
the markings away.

“What did you use for these?” Tank asked as he scrubbed the

ritual markings off of Zackary’s back.

“My ancestors’ ashes.”
Tank’s hand stilled. “You had dead people all over you?”
“Yep, and if you keep it up, yours will be added to the jar.”

Zackary growled as he swatted at Tank. “You’re not allowed to make
fun of me.”

Tank shook his head as he went back to washing Zackary’s back.

“I wasn’t making fun of you, tweak. It just caught me off guard.”

“Oh, in that case…” Zackary spun around and pulled at Tank’s

shoulders, puckering up his lips for a kiss.

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Tank was only too happy to oblige. Tank quickly broke the kiss

when he felt his cock coming back to life. Kissing his mate seemed to
do that to him every damn time. “We better knock it off, or we’ll
never get out of this shower.”

“And the downside to that is?” Zackary giggled as he ran the soap

over Tank’s chest, pinching at his nipples.

Tank groaned as he struggled to remember what the hell they were

talking about. “Suck me, tweak.”

Zackary’s eyes widened. His small nostrils flared as he glanced

down at Tank’s growing erection. Tank inhaled sharply as Zackary
lowered to his knees. He had never in his life seen a more seductive
picture than the one kneeling in front of him while the shower ran
over his mate’s dark hair. Zackary’s slitted pupils seemed to dilate as
he took Tank’s length into his mouth. Tank’s legs threatened to give
out, so he grabbed the shower stall walls and held on for dear life.
“That’s it, tweak, suck my cock.”

Zackary closed his eyes and leaned forward, burying his nose in

Tank’s pubic hairs as he swallowed every last inch of Tank’s massive
cock. Tank’s head rolled back on his shoulders and he groaned loudly.
“Damn, baby, that feels so fucking good. Your mouth is like heaven.”

Tank could feel Zackary’s tongue twirl around his cockhead as he

suckled. Tank wasn’t going to last. Not with his mate expertly
sucking him off. “Grab my balls. Pull them, tweak,” Tank begged. He
needed just a bit more to throw him over the edge.

Zackary’s fingers instantly grabbed his balls and tugged on them.

Tank’s fingers curled into the wall as he shouted out his release. His
legs trembled as spurts of cum shot straight down Zackary’s throat.

He glanced down as he tried to catch his breath. He could see his

mate’s cock jutting out from between his thighs. “Come here,” Tank
growled as he reached down and lifted Zackary high into the air. He
pinned Zackary to the wall and then sucked his mate’s cock in
between his lips.

Tank’s Tweak

121

Zackary cried out as he wrapped his legs around Tank’s shoulders,

pulling at Tank’s hair. Tank sucked and licked until he felt pulses of
seed hitting the back of his throat. He gladly drank it down until there
was no more.

Tank lowered his mate to the floor, smirking when Zackary

swayed just a bit. “Thank you, tweak.”

“Yeah,” Zackary panted heavily. “No problem. Any time.”
Tank chuckled and handed Zackary a sponge then grabbed one for

himself. “Wash up, tweak.” It took just a few minutes for both of
them to scrub clean. Tank turned off the water and opened the shower
door, waiting for his mate to step out.

“That was better than my mom’s fruitcake.” Zackary beamed up

at Tank as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.

Tank chuckled. “I don’t know, tweak. Stella’s fruitcake was

everything you said it was and more.” Tank laughed when Zackary
swatted at him.

“I say sex with you is better.” Zackary glared at him.
Tank threw his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Okay, I give. But

the fruitcake is a close runner-up.”

Zackary snorted and walked back into the bedroom. They dressed

quickly then made their way to the bridge. Tank stopped in his tracks
as he looked over at Crank, who was partially shifted. He pushed
Zackary behind him as he glanced over at Remy with a questioning
lift of his brow.

Remy shrugged, but there was a slight smile pulling at his lips.

“Anok.”

Tank’s face lifted as if knowing exactly what Remy was talking

about. And he did. The green-haired man didn’t seem to be very
happy about being taken aboard the Lady Blue against his will.

Tank rested his hand in the middle of Zackary’s back and escorted

him over to their seats, keeping himself between his mate and Crank.
He knew Crank would never harm his mate, but a partial shift was
always tricky.

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Zackary took a seat at the helm and punched in their coordinates.

Tank sat down and started to scan the area. “Nothing yet,
Commander,” Tank informed Remy after a few minutes.

“Just keep trying, Tank. To be honest”—Remy blew out then

chuckled—“I don’t know what we’re trying so hard to get back to. At
least here we don’t have the Elite Force all over our asses.”

“No, but you do have the United States Government to contend

with if we get careless,” Mo said as he entered the bridge. “And they
aren’t very forgiving.”

Tank glanced over at Remy to see the exhausted look on his

commander’s face. “Why don’t you go get some rest? I’ll make sure
someone comes to get you if something changes.”

Remy smiled appreciatively at Tank as he nodded. “I could use

some sleep. Wake me the second anything changes.”

Tank waved Remy off. He was just as tired, but he knew he could

go a little longer without sleep. Remy was pushing forty-eight hours
of being awake, and Tank knew from experience that Remy would
start losing it if he didn’t get some shut-eye.

“You guys always have this much fun?” Mo asked as he sat close

to Crank.

Crank growled, but as usual, Mo ignored him.
“I wouldn’t exactly call this fun,” Tank said as he winked at

Zackary. “But it does have its moments.”

Mo sat back, his eyes studying the big vid-screen in front of them.

“I guess it’s all an adventure for me. Back home, there wasn’t much
left for me to do. I just existed. I finally feel like a part of me has
come back to life.”

Tank wanted to ask about the markings on Mo’s skin because he

was pretty sure they had something to do with Mo’s words, but the
look of sadness in the human’s eyes stopped him and he left the
questions unasked.

“Do you have a mom?” Zackary asked.

Tank’s Tweak

123

Tank cringed. He knew the question was innocent enough. From

the bond Zackary seemed to have with his own mother, it was a
logical question in his mate’s eyes.

Mo shook his head, his body slumping slightly. “Not anymore,

champ.”

Zackary glanced at Tank, compassion filling his mate’s crystal

blue eyes, then looked back at Mo. “I’ll share mine with you. She’d
like that.”

Mo smiled at Zackary, a light chuckle leaving his lips. “Thanks,

champ. I’d love that.”

Zackary beamed up at Tank like he’d just won the galaxy peace

prize. “Then it’s official. You, Mo, are now my brother. Her name is
Stella, and you’ll just love her.”

“And she makes the best fruitcake this side of the galaxy,” Tank

added proudly.

“Seriously?” Mo’s eyebrows shot up. “Fruitcake?”
“Uh, I hate to break this up,” Crank said as he pointed toward the

vid-screen, “but I think we have trouble.”

Tank spun around and gasped. “What the fuck?”
“Holy shit,” Mo whispered as he stared at the vid-screen.
“I thought you said no one on old Earth had ever seen an alien

before,” Tank said to Mo.

“Looks like that’s about to change.” Mo walked across the bridge

and stood next to Tank. “Is that thing real?”

“That’s the biggest damn ship I’ve ever seen,” Zackary said as the

entire bridge stared at the spaceship headed straight toward old Earth.
They were in such deep shit.

“Someone get Remy,” Tank said. “I think we’re going to need

him.”

124

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Chapter 12

Remy raced onto the bridge behind Crank. His eyes widened as he

stared at the huge spacecraft on the vid-screen and skidded to a stop.
“Oh fuck,” he whispered. They were so fucked.

“What do you want us to do, Commander?” Tank asked. “We’re

still cloaked, and they haven’t discovered us yet. Should we stay
cloaked?”

“Hell, yes!” Remy snapped. He rushed forward and looked over

Zackary’s shoulder. “Zackary, can you bring up the schematics on
that baby? I need to know what type of ship it is.”

“On it, Commander.” Zackary’s fingers flew across the console.

After a moment, Zackary let out a loud whoop.

“What?”
“It’s Vykillian,” Zackary said.
Remy could hear the excitement in Zackary’s voice. He just didn’t

understand what Zackary was so wound up about. The ship had to be
at least three times as big as the Lady Blue. “And?”

“And…” Zackary’s eyes twinkled with merriment as he glanced

up over his shoulder at Remy. “It’s from this time period.”

Remy blinked and leaned closer to get a better look at the ship. A

slow grin began to spread over his lips. “No fucking way.”

“Yep.” Zackary turned back to his console and punched in a series

of buttons. The schematics of a ship came up on the vid-screen. “The
Vykillian Mach Three Spacecraft, version X23. The Vykillians
stopped making them about seven Vykillian generations ago when
fuel cells were invented. This baby uses turbine engines.”

A spurt of laughter shot out of Remy’s mouth. “Turbine engines?”

Tank’s Tweak

125

“Turbine engines are just the start. They are still using single-shot

artillery as opposed to our pulse canon.” Zackary sounded giddy as he
pointed out different areas on the ship’s blueprints. “There is no
cloaking device at all, and their shields are so thin they might as well
not exist.”

“So, what I’m hearing here is that we’re a lot more advanced than

they are,” Remy said as he gripped the back of Zackary’s chair. “Am I
right?”

“Oh, Commander.” Zackary laughed. “We are hundreds of light

years more advanced than this ship. We’re practically godlike
compared to them.”

“Perfect.” Remy grinned and stepped back to stand right in the

center of the room. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Put me on the
vid-screen, Zackary. Uncloak us and contact the other ship. Be
prepared to initiate the pulse cannons on my mark, but don’t fire
directly at the ship unless I say otherwise. I just want to send a
warning shot across their bow.”

Zackary seemed a little surprised. His eyebrows shot up. But he

did as Remy commanded. He punched in a few buttons and the bridge
of the other spacecraft appeared on the vid-screen.

“Good afternoon, Commander.”
“Uh, good afternoon,” replied a rather stodgy-looking man.
Remy nodded as he quickly looked beyond the man to the rest of

the bridge. The more he saw, the better he felt. Everyone on board
was similarly dressed in bodysuits of burgundy and black. Only the
man standing center screen was dressed differently. He wore the same
colors, but his bodysuit came with a vest with medals pinned on it.
Remy assumed he was the commander.

“I am Commander Vystale of the Lady Blue.”
“Commander Ranus of the Vykillian Command Ship.”
“Is there a reason you’ve entered my space without permission,

Commander?”

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Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

“Your space?” The man glanced over his shoulder to another man.

The man at the console worked for a moment then shook his head.
When the commander looked back at Remy, he had a rather conceited
look on his face. “My understanding is that the Galaxias System is
open space, therefore, no one’s territory, Commander.”

“I’m afraid you are mistaken, Commander. The Galaxias System

is under my jurisdiction. It is also under my protection, and I take
great offense at anyone coming in and trying to take over my turf.”

“Now, listen here, Commander—”
“No, you listen!” Remy snapped. He pointed his finger at the vid-

screen. “My ship is far superior to yours, and I will not hesitate to use
all of the firepower at my disposal to keep this system free of
marauders like you.”

“Marauders!” The portly little man sputtered. “I will have you

know that that Vykillian Armada is the most technologically
advanced in any star system. And I do not take kindly to being
threatened.”

“I do not make idle threats, Commander. The Galaxias System is

mine.” Remy nodded to Zackary. He watched with a great amount of
amusement as the pulse cannon fired, shooting across the front of the
other ship. Warning alarms blared on the bridge, and people began to
scramble about. “Do I make myself perfectly clear, Commander?”

“I consider this an act of aggression,” the commander of the

Vykillian ship snapped. “Stand down and let us pass or I will fire
upon you.”

“Be my guest,” Remy replied. “But you have to find me first.”

Remy gave Zackary a short nod as the cloaking device engaged once
again.

The crew of the Lady Blue watched as the crew on the Vykillian

Command ship scrambled to make senses of a large spaceship
disappearing right before their very eyes.

Tank’s Tweak

127

“Gods, this is so damn sweet.” Zackary squealed the last word,

practically bouncing in his seat as Tank changed course and brought
the Lady Blue around ninety degrees.

“Uncloak,” Remy commanded.
“What the hell did you just do?” the commander on the other ship

asked in awe as his skin turned slightly pale. “How?”

Remy tucked his hands behind his back, fighting to keep the smile

from his lips. “That’s just a little taste of what my ship can do. I
would suggest you cease and desist before I show you her full
capabilities. This is my territory, and I don’t share.”

The commander of the retro ship took a step forward, cocking his

head to the side as he studied Remy. “Who are you?” he whispered.

“A man on a mission. Now do we have an understanding or do we

declare war?”

The commander looked over his shoulder at his crew and then

back at Remy. He could see embarrassment and a touch of utter
fascination in the portly man’s eyes. Remy wanted to help the man
save face, but there really wasn’t anything he could do about it. Old
Earth needed to be protected, and Remy was going to make sure that
it was.

Commander Ranus bowed, a slight grimace tugging at his lips. “I

concede.”

Remy stood there as the vid-screen went blank, feeling a little

respect for the commander. “Anything yet?” he asked Tank.

“They are leaving the system as fast as their ship can fly.” Tank

chuckled. “Which isn’t much. Unfortunately, there is no sign of the
wormhole yet.”

Remy nodded as he took a seat. At least one thing had gone their

way.

* * * *

128

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Zackary unbuckled his seat belt and stood, stepping over to lean

against his mate’s side. “Whatcha lookin’ at, mate?”

Tank smiled and looped an arm around Zackary’s waist. “I’m just

hunting for a wormhole, tweak.”

Zackary frowned as he leaned over to look down at the console.

“You know,” he said as he glanced back at Tank, “I might be able to
boost the power on this thing.”

“Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated. I

don’t mind so much being in this system as the Elite Force can’t find
us here, but I want you to be able to go back and see your mom
whenever you want to.”

“Yeah.” Zackary’s eyebrows drew together. “I miss Mom when

she’s not around.”

“Maybe she’d like to join us here on the Lady Blue?”
“Naw.” Zackary shook his head. “Mom likes Paktil. She doesn’t

like flying through space very much. She says she likes feeling solid
ground beneath her feet.”

Tank pulled Zackary onto his lap. “Maybe, once this business

with the Elite Force is done with, we can convince her to take a trip to
Lost Star Three with us. I think your mom might enjoy a little
spoiling.”

“Really?” Zackary’s eyes started to sparkle. “You’d do that?”
“She deserves it,” Tank said. “She gave me the most priceless

treasure in the world.”

Zackary’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned. “Fruitcake?”
“No, love.” Tank chuckled. “You.”

* * * *

Zackary melted right there on the spot. Tank had a way of saying

things that just turned him into complete goo. As big and powerful as
Tank was, being tender wasn’t something people would think of when
looking at the large man.

Tank’s Tweak

129

And maybe that was what made it so extra special. Tank was a

warrior even though he wasn’t part of the Elite Force anymore. It
wasn’t something he trained for. It was ingrained in his personality.

For him to have tender feelings, and voice them, was a miracle. It

was also something Zackary would treasure for the rest of their lives
together. Tank made him feel like the most important thing in any star
system.

“I love you, Tank,” he whispered. “I became the luckiest man in

the world the day you found me.”

“Love you, too, tweak.”
Tank’s hand curled around the back of Zackary’s neck and pulled

him closer until their lips met. Zackary groaned and leaned into the
kiss, opening his mouth for his mate’s exploring tongue. He went
from feeling emotional to aroused with a single swipe of Tank’s
tongue.

Zackary turned and swung his leg over Tank so he straddled his

mate’s lap. He knew Tank was feeling the same arousal as he was. He
could feel the man’s hard cock pressing between his legs.

“Want you to fuck me again.” Zackary groaned against Tank’s

lips. He ground his butt down onto the leg under him. “Want to feel
this again.”

“Gods, tweak, we’re on the bridge,” Tank whispered hoarsely. “I

want to fuck you just as much as you want to be fucked but—”

Zackary arched back and reached for the console. He punched in a

series of buttons and the door leading onto the bridge swooshed
closed. He turned back to face Tank and reached for the buttons on
the man’s pants.

He grinned up at Tank at the lion’s swift inhale. “We have ten

minutes. What can you do in ten minutes?”

Tank’s eyebrow arched for just a second, and then the man

grinned. “Drop your pants, and I’ll show you.”

Zackary couldn’t scramble off of Tank’s lap fast enough. He

unbuttoned his pants and pushed them off his legs, thankful that he

130

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

had forgotten his shoes that day. When he looked back up at Tank, he
nearly swallowed his tongue.

Damn!
Tank had pushed his pants down his thighs. He was sitting back in

his seat slowly stroking his cock as he watched Zackary. The hunger
in Tank’s eyes made Zackary’s knees shake. He felt like he was being
eaten alive.

Just…damn!
Zackary bit his bottom lip as he stared up at his mate from under

his lashes. His cock was hard and throbbing as it jutted from between
his legs. He had only done this once, but Zackary was addicted to sex
with Tank now.

He wanted more.
Zackary leaned forward and lapped at his mate’s cock before

grinning up at him. “You always taste so good.”

“Get your sexy ass up here, tweak.” Tank growled low, his voice

slightly hoarse.

“I am sexy, aren’t I?”
Tank chuckled as he held his cock, stroking it a few more times.

“Fishing for compliments, are you?”

Zackary shook his head. “I’m not fishing. I’m outright asking.”

He grinned as climbed up on Tank’s lap. He placed his hands on
Tank’s shoulders, slowly lowered his body, letting his ass nudge his
mate’s cock.

“I need to stretch you first, tweak.” Tank groaned as his pecs

jerked.

Zackary leaned forward and ran his tongue over one of Tank’s

large pecs and then sucked in his dark brown nipple. Tank’s salty skin
sent Zackary’s senses reeling. He parted his lips, teasing Tank’s
nipple with his teeth. His mate groaned, pushing his hips higher as his
hand ran down the crease in Zackary’s backside, his large finger
tapping at Zackary’s hole.

Tank’s Tweak

131

Zackary’s ass pulsed to be filled. He moaned around Tank’s

nipple, his hands exploring his mate’s massive chest as he tried to
snap his hips and impale himself on Tank’s sausage-like finger.

“Sit up, tweak,” Tank panted.
Zackary raised his ass higher, sticking his ass out like an animal in

heat. And he was in heat. He groaned when the movement brought his
cock into full contact with Tank’s tight, muscular abdomen, giving
him the pleasure of flaming hot friction.

“Fuck me,” he begged.
“I plan on it,” Tank whispered as he lined his cock up. “Tell me if

you can’t handle this.”

Zackary nodded as he slowly lowered his body onto Tank’s large

shaft. The burn almost made him stop as the head of Tank’s cock
breached him. Zackary stopped, took a few deep breaths, and then
started to lower himself little by little.

“Oh fuck, tweak.” Tank’s head fell back as his lips parted.
Zackary loved the fact that he could make his mate fall to pieces

right underneath him. It was a gratifying feeling that Zackary
cherished. He exhaled loudly when he finally bottomed out, his ass
resting on Tank’s balls. He reached up, entwining his arms around
Tank’s neck as he waited for the burn to ease. Zackary would endure
the burn because he knew what was soon to follow.

“T–tell me when, tweak,” Tank said in a strained voice.
Zackary lifted his ass a fraction, testing to see if he could handle

any movement. He groaned when Tank’s cock slid over his prostate.
Damn if that wasn’t a glorifying feeling. “I’m ready.”

Tank growled as he grabbed Zackary’s sides and thrust his hips

high into the air, almost sending Zackary flying. Zackary laughed as
Tank did it again, and then again. “If you knock me off of your lap,
I’m gonna be real pissed.”

Tank chuckled as he snapped his hips repeatedly. Zackary forgot

about his threat as Tank sent his mind skyrocketing. Zackary caught

132

Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

on and began to bounce onto Tank’s cock. He leaned forward and bit
one of Tank’s nipples, teasing it with his tongue.

“That’s it, tweak. Ride me, baby,” Tank encouraged as Zackary

planted his feet on either side of Tank’s hips and took over. Lightning
strikes struck throughout his body as Zackary rode his massive lion.

“C–close,” Zackary warned as his balls ground between them.
“Then come for me, love.”
Tank’s words seemed to have the desired effect. Zackary cried out

as his cock painted the sweaty skin between them. He shouted once
again when Tank bit into his shoulder, snapping his hips rapidly as he
growled into Zackary’s neck.

Zackary fell against Tank’s chest as Tank licked the wound

closed. He was useless, boneless, and sleepy as hell. Zackary yawned,
wishing he could take a nap right there on the bridge with his mate
still buried deep inside of him.

“Come on, tweak. Someone is bound to notice the bridge door is

locked,” Tank said as he pulled free of Zackary’s ass.

Both their heads snapped up when the ship lurched. “What the

hell?” Zackary cried as he struggled off Tank’s lap and tried to get his
pants back on.

Tank lifted his hips and yanked his pants back up. He leaned

forward and hit the controls to unlock the bridge door just as Zackary
managed to get his pants above his waist and take a seat.

“There’s our wormhole, baby,” Tank whooped just as the bridge

door opened. Remy and other crew members ran onto the bridge.

“What’s going on?” Remy asked as he stepped between their

seats, staring out into the black matter.

“It’s our ride home,” Tank answered the commander.
“Then strap in, everyone, and ride that hole.”
Zackary snickered at Remy’s choice of words. The commander

looked down at him and winked as he smiled. Zackary loved being
aboard the Lady Blue. The crew was great, and his mate was one big
loving lion that he would be forever grateful for. He may love his

Tank’s Tweak

133

mom to death, but not even her fruitcake could make Zackary leave
Tank’s side.

* * * *

Anok held on to the chrome table as the ship shuddered and

rocked. “What the hell is going on?”

Pax stared at him from across the mess hall where he was

currently hanging on to the cook. “I think we found our wormhole.”

Thank fuck. Anok was ready to get off of this tin can. He wasn’t

used to being trapped for long periods of time. It was driving him mad
and making him irritable as hell. “Is it safe?”

Pax shrugged. “There’s always a chance it could collapse. But so

far we’ve made it back and forth a handful of times.”

Anok liked this less and less. He didn’t want to get crushed by a

wormhole. He had a life to live, things to do, people to see. He had—
Shit! Who was he trying to kid? He had nothing and no one waiting
for him either on Paktil or End of the Line. He had nothing.

Anok’s eyes strayed to the brown-haired man standing by the

door, watching his every move. The intensity of Crank’s stare burned
Anok even from across the room. Crank seemed almost obsessed with
watching him.

Maybe he did have something after all.

THE END

WWW.LYNNHAGEN.COM

WWW.STORMYGLENN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but

lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a

cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots

is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first
sight, soul Mates, true love, and happy endings.

Stormy lives in the great Northwest region of the USA, with her

gorgeous husband and soul Mate, six very active teenagers, two
boxer/collie puppies, one old biddy cat, and one fish.

You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand

and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man
for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You
can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com

Also by Lynn Hagen and Stormy Glenn

Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 1: End of the Line

Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 2: Pax's Blues

Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 3: Imlay’s Cure

Siren Classic ManLove: Lady Blue Crew 4: Adwaka’s Blade

For all other titles, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen

www.bookstrand.com/stormy-glenn

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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