Starman

Starman Kyrinen was pretty sure that the world had gone to hell in a handbasket when someone tried to assassinate the president. He was positive of it when martial law was declared and armed soldiers sat on every corner. He knew it was time to get out of town and lay low before things got worse. Before he can leave, a man comes into his life who changes everything. Sebastian Haq is unlike anyone Kyrinen has ever met, even if he is his best friend's brother. For one, Haq can talk to Kyrinen through a telepathic link. When Haq starts talking about other worlds and bonds and spaceships, Kyrinen has to decide if great sex is worth having a boyfriend that is completely off his rocker. While Kyrinen just plans on getting out of town, Haq wants to get them off the planet. Can Kyrinen trust the madman or should he cut his losses and stay on Earth? Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Science Fiction Length: 37,756 words

STARMAN

Stormy Glenn

EROTIC ROMANCE MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

STARMAN Copyright © 2011 by Stormy Glenn E-book ISBN: 1-61926-146-4 First E-book Publication: December 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Starman by Stormy Glenn from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Stormy Glenn’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Glenn’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION For all of those that thought falling in love might be a little crazy, but did it anyway.

STARMAN STORMY GLENN Copyright © 2011

Prologue Kyrinen stared up at the bright lights shining in the night sky. They glistened like translucent crystals, each one brighter than the other. He was spellbound by the night lights. All his life, Kyrinen’s mother had told him endless stories about the stars, each one more fascinating than the last one. Kyrinen couldn’t remember a time when the stars hadn’t held a special place in his heart. When he was scared or upset, he would come outside and look into the night sky at the stars, knowing that he could find solace in them. And he did. Wherever he was, he could always look into the night sky and see his stars. They were always there, as if they were waiting just for Kyrinen to look up and see them. And he did, as often as he possibly could. Tonight, as Kyrinen gazed deep into the stars, he had a special reason for looking at them. He had a special wish to make—a very special request. Fixing his gaze on the brightest star he could find, Kyrinen began to make his wish… “Star bright, star light, grant this wish I make tonight. Make me a man who’s strong with might. Make him tall with great big shoulders, with a big ol' laugh, and arms as big as boulders. Give him courage, honor, and a heart full of love. Make him wise and really smart. Give

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him all of this, every little part. Make him mine, sent from the stars up above. I wish I may, I wish I might, please, be granted this wish I make tonight.” Kyrinen squeezed his eyes really tight, sending every bit of feeling he could into his wish. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked up at the stars again. Kyrinen’s mouth fell open in amazement when he saw a star falling from the sky. His wish had been granted, he just knew it had. Jumping to his feet, Kyrinen ran toward his little yellow one-story house. Stopping at the porch, he looked back one last time. “Thank you for granting my wish.” The stars seemed to twinkle as he heard a soft voice in his head. “No problem.” Five-year-old Kyrinen’s smile was enormous when he heard the voice. Now he was positive his wish had been granted. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had a friend in the stars. “When are you going to be here?” he asked as he bounced from foot to foot, excited that his wish had actually come true. “I will always be here for you.” Kyrinen shook his head, his dark auburn hair hitting against his shoulders. “No, that’s not what I meant. When can I see you?” Kyrinen heard a light chuckle then the voice spoke again. “When you need me, I will be there.” Kyrinen was a little confused, but he figured that the man in the stars knew more about these wish things than he did. “Okay, but don’t take too long.” Waving to the stars, he turned to go inside. “I have to go in now. It’s almost my bedtime. Good night.” Kyrinen could almost feel the smile the starman gave him. Again the voice in his head spoke. “Good night, little Kyrinen.” Opening the screen door, Kyrinen ran inside, yelling for his mother. “Mama, Mama! I did it, I did it.” Running into the kitchen, he found his mother washing the dinner dishes. “Mama, I did it!”

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The small blond-haired woman turned with a smile to look at her excited son. “What did you do, pumpkin?” Kyrinen jumped into his mother’s waiting arms, his excitement almost more than he could stand. He couldn’t wait for his mother to sit down and cradle him in her lap as she always did when he had something to say. “What did you do, honey?” Kyrinen’s smile could have lit up the room. “I wished on a star, and my wish came true.” Helen smiled down at him as she stroked a hand down the back of Kyrinen’s head. “Oh? And what did you wish for?” Kyrinen sat up very straight, very proud of himself. He knew his mother would be very proud of his wish, too. “I wished for a man, and I got one.” Helen’s eyes darted around the room in fright. “What man?” Standing up quickly, she stood Kyrinen on the floor beside her. “Where is this man, Kyrinen? Is he outside?” she asked, her voice becoming frantic. She let go of Kyrinen and started for the front room. “No, Mama. He’s not here yet.” Kyrinen was confused by his mother’s response. Wasn’t she happy that Kyrinen had wished for a man, someone who would come and help them? Someone that would protect them from Kyrinen’s mean father? Helen stopped at the doorway and slowly turned back. “What do you mean?” Kyrinen smiled at his mother’s bewilderment. Maybe she just didn’t understand. “He’s not here yet. He said he would come when I needed him.” Helen wobbled a little as she walked back into the room. “He…spoke to you?” Kyrinen nodded he head. “What did he say?”

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Kyrinen sat down in a chair and waited for his mother to sit down with him again. Helen went to the refrigerator and poured a glass of milk for Kyrinen. Grabbing a couple of cookies out of the cookie jar, she walked toward the table. When Helen finally sat down, Kyrinen began his wonderful tale. “He said that he would always be here for me and he would come when I really needed him.” Helen smiled weakly. “And how did you hear him if you didn’t see him?” “He talks to me in my head.” Helen didn’t say anything for quite a while. She just stared at Kyrinen as he ate his cookies and drank his milk. “Kyrinen, honey,” she finally said, “listen very carefully to me.” Kyrinen glanced at his mother in confusion when he heard the tone of voice his mother was using. She seemed upset, like when his father yelled, which seemed to be a lot of the time. “I don’t want you to ever tell anyone about this. Okay?” “Why, Mama?” Helen shook her head. “Honey, some people might not understand about your friend. You can’t even tell your father. You mustn’t tell anyone.” Kyrinen gazed at his mother for several seconds before he looked down at his hands in confusion. She didn’t understand. “Do what your mother tells you, Kyrinen.” Kyrinen started to smile when he heard the voice of his starman. “Why?” he asked silently. “It’s for the best right now. Your mama’s right. Some people won’t understand.” Kyrinen smiled as he looked up at his mother. “Okay.” Helen blinked for a moment then frowned. “Honey, do you understand what I am saying?”

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Kyrinen nodded his head. “I understand. My starman explained it to me. He says you’re right, that I shouldn’t tell anyone about him. They might not understand.” Helen’s eyebrows shot up. “He said that?” Kyrinen nodded his head. “Yes, Mama. He said I should do what you said.” “Huh…well, good.” Helen stood up, grabbed Kyrinen’s empty glass, and walked to the sink with it. After washing the glass out and setting it in the drainboard on the counter, she turned back to face Kyrinen. “Okay, well, I guess it’s time for you to go to bed now.” Kyrinen stood up and walked to his mama. “Okay. Good night, Mama. I love you.” Helen leaned down and hugged Kyrinen. “I love you, too. Now, off to bed with you.” She turned Kyrinen toward the door and patted him on the behind. Kyrinen walked off toward his room, still feeling excited about his starman. Not even not being able to tell anyone would make him sad right now. “Kyrinen?” Kyrinen stopped and looked back at his mother. “Yes, Mama?” “Remember what I said.” Kyrinen smiled as he nodded. “I will, Mama.” Kyrinen walked into his room and changed into his pajamas. Crawling into bed, he lay down and stared out the window at the stars in the sky. “Good night, starman.” Kyrinen heard a small chuckle. “It’s Haq.” Kyrinen’s brow creased in puzzlement. “What is?” “My name. It’s Haq.” Kyrinen giggled. “Okay, good night, Haq.” “Good night, Kyrinen.” Kyrinen closed his eyes and went to sleep, dreaming of the man from the stars.

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Chapter 1 Kyrinen Reed slammed his hand down on the snooze button, stopping the persistent blaring from his alarm clock. Opening one eye, he peeked at the clock. It was six in the morning. No self-respecting rooster would be awake at this hour. Kyrinen closed his eye and pulled the covers over his head. He really didn’t want to get up. Kyrinen groaned when his roommate, Angela, began pounding on the bedroom door. “Wake up, sleepyhead. You have school soon.” Kyrinen flipped back the covers and glared at the door. Rolling over, he reached down to the side of the bed and picked up one of his brown leather loafers. He threw the shoe at the bedroom door as hard as he could. He groaned when it hit the framed picture of the Rose City skyline, the picture promptly falling to the floor, shattering. Falling back on the bed, Kyrinen laid his arm across his eyes. The bedroom door opened slowly. “What happened?” Angela asked. “I missed.” “Missed what?” Kyrinen lifted his arm off his eyes so that he could glare at Angela. “You!” Angela looked at Kyrinen in bewilderment then down at the floor. She had a sarcastic grin on her face when she looked back up at Kyrinen. “You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.” Angela laughed as she darted out of the room, the other brown leather shoe Kyrinen threw at her narrowly missing her head. “Get up, lazy bones.” Kyrinen shook his head, laughing softly to himself. One of these days he was going to strangle that woman in her sleep. Resigned to

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the situation, Kyrinen rolled out of bed. Walking into the bathroom, he looked into the mirror. Seeing his face, Kyrinen instantly understood the reason behind makeup. He looked like shit. This is what doing homework until two in the morning did to a person. Kyrinen turned on the shower, pulled off his silk boxer shorts, and climbed in. Standing under the hot water for several minutes, Kyrinen slowly began to feel human again. After washing his hair and all of his bits and pieces, he climbed out of the shower, dried off, and walked into the bedroom. Going over to his dresser, he pulled out a pair of jeans and a simple cotton shirt. He wanted comfortable today, and maybe a set of dark glasses. He’d do hot and sexy tomorrow. Kyrinen pulled on his clothes and then his leather loafers, after hunting them down from the other side of the room. He made a quick trip to the bathroom to apply some eyeliner and sparkly lip gloss then took one last look in the mirror. Well, at least he looked like he was human. How he felt was another story. Kyrinen walked into the hallway and headed for the kitchen. As he passed his roommate’s bedroom, he knocked on the door. “Angela, get your ass in gear. It’s time for school, and you’re on breakfast duty this morning.” When he didn’t hear anything, Kyrinen leaned his ear against the door. He heard a loud thud. “Angela?” he asked anxiously. There was another thud, quickly followed by a muffled giggle. “I’m fine. I’ll be right there,” Angela replied from behind the closed door. Kyrinen listened for a few more seconds to the giggling coming from the other side of the door and started to smile. “Morning, Bobby.” There was a slight pause then another giggle. “Good morning, Kyrie,” replied the masculine voice belonging to Robert McKenzie, Angela’s boyfriend. Kyrinen headed off toward the kitchen, knowing it would be quite some time before Angela made breakfast. It looked like he had to fend

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for himself this morning. Kyrinen thought about Angela as he headed into the kitchen. He had known Angela Crane since they were in first grade together. They had met when Kyrinen saved Angela from a playground bully, and they had been best friends ever since. Now they were sharing an apartment together on university campus. Which is also where Bobby was going to school. Angela was a nursing student, and Bobby was in his third year of medical school. Although Angela and Bobby had met under stressful circumstances, it had been love at first sight. They had been together for fourteen months now. It could almost make a person sick. They were totally crazy about each other. The way they gaggled at each other could make even the heartiest person feel like a third wheel. And Kyrinen was usually that third wheel. He was all alone. He had no one. Both of his parents had died a year ago in an automobile accident. As far as he knew, Kyrinen didn’t have any other relatives. Just Angela, who was as close to a sister as anyone could get. She even stole Kyrinen’s makeup. Finding nothing in the kitchen to eat, Kyrinen decided to head for his room. He would just have to get something to eat at school. Going into his room, he grabbed his backpack and jacket then headed for the front door. Turning the corner of the living room, Kyrinen came to a sudden stop. Angela and Bobby were in a deep lip-lock at the front door. He rolled his eyes. “Hey, guys,” Kyrinen said, letting the couple know he was in the room. “We have to get to school.” Angela and Bobby broke apart, Angela turning a deep scarlet color. Bobby just grinned. Kyrinen smiled at the two of them. “I missed breakfast. I don’t want to miss class.” Angela’s hand flew to her mouth. She was supposed to cook breakfast this morning. “Oh, Kyrie, I am so sorry. I…uh…I’ll buy you lunch, okay?”

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Kyrinen knew that Angela was truly sorry, and it wasn’t that big of a deal to him. He was just glad that Angela was happy. “Okay, but only on one condition.” Angela looked at Kyrinen, a hopeful look on her face. “Anything!” Kyrinen smiled over at Angela as he wrapped his arms around Bobby. “Lover boy has to join us. Maybe if I have this prime specimen on my arm, I can make a few other guys jealous enough to beg for my number.” He winked. Angela’s eyes rounded right before she swatted her hand at Kyrinen then pulled Bobby out of his arms. “Hands off the merchandise!” Bobby just had a large grin on his face as he laughed. Angela turned and glared up at him. “And what are you laughing about?” With an even bigger grin, Bobby said, “I get to have lunch with two beautiful girls. I am a god!” Kyrinen and Angela both laughed as they began beating Bobby over the head. Bobby threw his hands over his head, protecting himself as he ran out the door. “I am not a girl!” Kyrinen snapped. It used to bother him when Bobby called him a girl until he caught Bobby stealing his eyeliner one day. Now it was a joke between them. “You have got to neuter that man, Angela.” Angela started back into the apartment to get her school bag. “I know, but he’s just so darn cute.” “There’s cute and then there’s cute, honey.” “Yeah.” Angela wiggled her eyebrows. “And he’s really cute.” Kyrinen just shook his head and followed Angela out the door. They began to walk the three blocks to the university. As they walked, they noticed that the streets seemed rather deserted for seven thirty in the morning. There should have been college students going to classes and generally getting ready for the new day.

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Every few minutes, they would see someone running across the street. Now, normally, this would not be so unusual. This time, however, everyone seemed to be running in the same general direction. They were all heading toward the campus. “Angela?” Kyrinen asked as a man ran past him. “Does there seem to be something weird going on?” Angela nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah, there’s no one around. The streets should be filled with people.” As they walked farther onto campus, they began to hear a loud commotion coming from the direction of the campus gym. Kyrinen and Angela rounded the side of the English building only to find that there was a very large group of people surrounding the gym doors. This had to be the source of the commotion that they had heard. Walking closer to the gym, they saw people sitting on benches and on the grass in small groups. Some of the people were holding each other and crying. Other people were talking in anxious voices. Still others were running to and from the gym. Something was definitely going on. Kyrinen grabbed the arm of a young woman from his English class as she passed by. “What’s going on?” he asked the shaking woman. Kyrinen’s breath caught in his throat when the young woman turned to look at him. Her eyes were almost glazed over. The young woman just stared into Kyrinen’s eyes. “It’s horrible,” said a man leaning against a tree, holding a crying woman in his arms. Kyrinen looked at the man in confusion. “What? What are you talking about? What’s going on?” The young man just shook his head and pointed toward the doors. Kyrinen and Angela looked to where he was pointing then cautiously walked in that direction. They could hear people weeping as they walked inside. They pushed their way through the crowd of people to see everyone watching the large television suspended from the middle of

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the gym ceiling. Kyrinen and Angela found a place to stand and began to listen to the man talking on the big-screen television. “Ladies and gentlemen, please, I need your attention,” the man on the screen said to the group of reporters yelling questions at him. “I will answer all your questions in due time, but first, I have a statement to read.” The man glanced down at the podium he was standing behind and then back at the crowd of impatient reporters. “Ladies and gentlemen, at approximately 3:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, an assassination attempt was made on the President’s life while he was in a meeting in the west wing of the White House. I do wish to reassure you that he was not injured in the attack. At no time was the President’s life in any real danger. However, during the attack, several others were injured and eight people were killed. Killed in the attack were General Gordon Cain, three secret service agents, and four White House staff members. At this point, all I can tell you is that an investigation is underway. The President and Vice President have been moved to a secure location, along with their families. Now, are there any questions?” The reporters broke into a yelling frenzy. Several moments went by before things started to calm down. After the reporters calmed down, the man at the podium began to answer each question as it came. Most of the questions were along the same lines. “What were the names of the secret service agents killed?” “What happened to the security guarding the President and the White House?” “Was the First Lady injured?” They were all pretty much the same until one lady stood up and asked, “Sir, with the attempt on the President, and this is, of course, of the utmost importance, is any attention being given to the meteor shower headed toward Earth?” For the first time since the news conference had started, the crowd of reporters went quiet. The man at the podium looked at the young

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woman, alarm clearly written across his face. A tall man standing behind the man at the podium leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. The young man whispered back and then, looking at the young woman, said, “What is your name and what press are you associated with?” The young woman stood up straighter and said, “My name is Dr. Clara Thompson, and I am the lead astronomer at the Cleaver Astronomy Institute in Helena, Montana.” The man at the podium leaned back and whispered again to the man behind him then he leaned forward and smiled. “Ms. Thompson,” he began. “Dr. Thompson.” “Of course, Dr. Thompson.” The man smiled. “At this time, the investigation into the assassination attempt on the President is, of course, our chief concern. But, the well-being of all the citizens of the United States will always be our first priority. We see no need for concern over this meteor shower. If, in the future, there is a need for alarm, you will be the first to know.” He smiled again at the doctor. “Now, if there are no more questions…” With those words, the man walked off the stage and out the side door. The other “suits” followed after him, like good little soldiers. The television news conference turned to the special-report news commentator. “We will bring you more information as we receive it. Later today, we will have a special report brought to you by Brian Hendricks. Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.” Kyrinen and Angela stood there in stunned silence for several moments before Kyrinen turned to Angela. “Let’s go home. I don’t think class will be any more interesting than this. I kind of want to follow this news story. Okay?”

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Angela nodded her head in agreement then headed for the gym doors. Kyrinen took one more look around the gym then followed after Angela. As soon as he walked through the front door of the apartment, Kyrinen turned on the television and started surfing through the channels. Kyrinen found news story after news story about the assassination attempt on the President but nothing about the meteor shower. Kyrinen was interested in finding out information on the meteor shower. His parents had taught him about the stars at a very early age, and growing up with a mother who lived by her astrological sign, Kyrinen had been exposed to a lot of the stuff about outer space and the stars. It seemed pretty weird to Kyrinen that there wasn’t a single news story about the meteor shower. Maybe no one thought it was newsworthy in light of the assassination attempt on the President. When Angela came back into the room, Kyrinen glanced up. “Hey, do you remember that doctor that was at the news conference?” Angela shook her head. “What doctor?” “The one on television, the astronomer.” Angela plopped down on the couch next to Kyrinen. “Oh, yeah, I remember. What about her?” Kyrinen set the television remote down on the coffee table and leaned back in the couch. “What was her name? I can’t find out anything about the meteor shower.” Angela looked at Kyrinen in surprise. “Nothing? That’s pretty weird.” “That’s what I thought. I wanted some more information about the meteor shower, and I can’t find a single story about it. Every channel is covering the assassination attempt on the President’s life.” Angela leaned down and grabbed the remote. She began to flick through the channels. Finding nothing, she set the remote back down on the table. “I don’t know. Maybe you can find something on the Internet.”

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Kyrinen thought that was probably a good idea. “But where would I look?” “Well, she did work at some institute in Montana.” Kyrinen jumped up in excitement. “You’re right. I forgot about that. It was the Cleaver Astronomical Institute, wasn’t it?” Angela nodded as she followed Kyrinen over to the computer. Kyrinen sat down in front of the computer, turned it on, and logged on to the Internet. They searched the Internet for two hours before they found anything detailing the meteor shower. A small website had an article about the upcoming meteor shower that said it was heading for Earth. That in itself wasn’t very unusual. Earth was hit by meteor showers all the time. What was so unusual about this particular meteor shower was that it was headed directly for Earth. It would hit in about two weeks. Again, this also wasn’t that unusual. Meteors fell to Earth all of the time. They just usually burned up in the atmosphere. But, according to the article, several things about this meteor shower were not usual. One, the meteor shower had just become noticeable to scientists last week. Usually, a meteor shower could be noticed several weeks before it hit Earth, if not months or years. This one had just appeared out of nowhere last week. Two, this meteor shower seemed to be on a direct course from a moon orbiting the planet Jupiter. Three, there were exactly two hundred meteors of the exact same size and shape. And four, each of these two hundred meteors moved in exact unison to each other. This group of meteors could also change direction as a whole and had, several times. All in all, it was very strange. Several scientists were dismissing the evidence as inconclusive and ridiculous. Only a select few had expressed any concern at the unusual behavior of the meteors. They were listed by name and institute…

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       

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Dr. Clara Thompson, The Cleaver Astronomical Institute, USA Dr. Robert Boring, The Massachusetts Institute of Science, USA Dr. Laura Brannagan, The Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, England Dr. Leis Klaus, The Kreblitz Institute, Germany Dr. Andorra Rubenkline, The Siberian Space Laboratory, Russia Dr. Claude Tanguay, The Paris Astronomy Laboratory, France Dr. Lawrence Brady, The Australian Space Research Institute, Australia Dr. Tosoh Lye, The Japanese Institute of Science and Learning, Japan

The article had been written by Dr. Clara Thompson. Kyrinen printed the article out and saved a copy onto a disc. He then proceeded to look up each of the scientists listed in the article. After he found information on each of the scientists and articles they each had written about the upcoming meteor shower, Kyrinen printed out everything he had found and saved the information to a disc. When he was all done, he turned off the computer and sat down on the couch to read what he had found. Angela brought them each a Coke and proceeded to read each page that Kyrinen handed her. Several hours later, Kyrinen sat up and rubbed his eyes. Glancing at the clock, he realized that he had been reading for almost five hours. He glanced over at Angela. She had given up reading the papers quite some time ago and was now watching television. Looking at the television, Kyrinen asked, “Anything new?” “No, not really. They keep talking about the same thing. No one has mentioned the meteor shower.”

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Just then, the television flashed the “Special Report” sign across the screen in big red letters. Kyrinen and Angela waited impatiently until the news anchorman came on the screen. “Good Afternoon. We interrupt your regular scheduled programming to bring you this special report. We now go to the White House Press Room.” There was a brief intermission while the television switched to the White House Press Room. Kyrinen and Angela could see several reporters filling the room. Hushed whispering could be heard coming from the people in the room. All the noise in the room came to a halt when a man stepped up to the podium and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Vice President of the United States.” The man stepped back from the podium as the Vice President walked into the room and onto the stage to stand behind the podium. He was surrounded by several men dressed in black suits. Stepping up to the podium, the Vice President began to make his statement. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a brief statement to make. No questions, please. You will all receive a press release after I am done with my statement. As of this afternoon, there has been no new information on the assassination attempt on the President. We are at this time following up several leads and hope to have some information for you in a few hours. Also at this time, I would like to make known to you the attempted assassinations of several more world leaders.” Kyrinen heard the gasps of astonishment coming from the reporters. He knew how they felt. His own throat felt like it was about to close up. He swallowed hard then took a long drink of his warm soda before setting the can back down on the coffee table. This shit was intense. “Please, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me finish my statement. Assassination attempts have been made against the leaders of the following countries—France, Germany, Turkey, England, and Japan.

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All of the assassination attempts of these world leaders have taken place over the last three days. Because of security reasons, we have been unable to tell you of these assassination attempts until now. We feel that since this is now a worldwide emergency, and after consulting with the security councils of the involved countries, it would be in the best interest of our country to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of our citizens. At this time, the President is declaring a national state of emergency and activating Executive Orders 10995-11005 and 11051. The President is also declaring martial law for all of the United States and its provinces. The Army National Guard will be activated to enforce this martial law. A curfew will be in effect for all non-military personnel from ten at night until six in the morning, each day. Anyone who breaks this curfew will be dealt with in a swift and severe manner. Please remember that this is a time of emergency and everyone needs to do their part. So, please, follow the rules and everything will go well for everyone. Thank you.” With that, the Vice President turned and left the room. Kyrinen stared at the television for several stunned seconds before he was able to speak. “Oh, my gods!” Kyrinen jumped to his feet as a thought hit him. “Come on, we have some things to do.” Kyrinen walked to his room and grabbed his wallet. On the way out of his bedroom, Kyrinen stopped at his dresser and grabbed a small key that dangled from a silver bracelet his mother had given him a few years before she died. Walking back into the living room, he found a still-stunned Angela sitting on the couch. “Angela,” Kyrinen said. Getting no response, he sat down on the couch next to Angela and grabbed her hand. “Honey, look at me.” Angela turned her head slowly to look at Kyrinen. Her eyes looked dazed and a bit glazed. “Angela,” he said again. Finally, Angela seemed to come out of her trance-like state. “What?”

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“Things are going to get really bad, and fast. We have things we need to do.” “What are you talking about?” As Kyrinen reached into his wallet, he began to explain things to Angela. “Honey, they just declared martial law for the whole United States. People are going to get frantic. We have to make sure we are safe.” Handing Angela a wad of cash, he continued. “Now, here is what I want you to do. Go to the local canned goods store. You know that one down on 170th and Blanton Street? Buy as much nonperishable goods as you can. Try not to be too obvious. If anyone asks any questions, tell them you are doing the shopping for a sorority house. Buy several bags of flour, sugar, and spices, especially salt. Buy lots of salt. And buy some large plastic containers. They have to be at least five-pound tubs.” Angela looked at Kyrinen in confusion. “Why?” Kyrinen stopped rummaging through his wallet and sat it down on the table. “Angela, do you remember my parents?” Angela shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah.” Kyrinen smiled at Angela. “Do you remember how weird they were? How they were always preaching about being prepared? And how they were always taking us camping and trying to teach us how to survive in the woods?” Angela nodded her head. “Yeah, I never really wanted to say anything to you about that. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. They were really out there.” Kyrinen looked Angela right in the eyes. “Were they?” Angela’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at Kyrinen with an astonished look on her face. “Angela, listen, I don’t want to scare you or anything, but things are getting pretty strange. Mom and Dad were out in the ozone layer, but they did teach me one thing. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Always be prepared to survive.”

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“So what does that have to do with shopping for groceries?” asked Angela, still looking confused. “And salt?” Kyrinen grabbed his wallet and stood up. “Angela, do you really believe with the way things are going there won’t be a run on the stores? And with martial law imposed, it will only be a matter of time before rationing is in place. When martial law is in effect, the army can detain you for any reason. We have to be prepared. And I need your help.” Angela stood up and cupped her hands around Kyrinen’s face. “Kyrie, that’s all you needed to say. I don’t understand it, and I think you are overreacting, but if you want my help, you have it. Just tell me what to do.” Kyrinen felt tears gather in his eyes. “Thank you, Angela. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Angela wiped at Kyrinen’s tears with her fingers. “Hey, who else would you be paranoid with if not your best friend?” Kyrinen and Angela started to laugh as they hugged. “Now, let’s get to work.”

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Chapter 2 Kyrinen thought about his parents as he drove to the bank. When his mother gave him the small key, she told him if he was ever in trouble to go directly to the safety-deposit box she had rented and paid for. Kyrinen was pretty sure this situation qualified as trouble. The official report of the accident that took his mother and stepfather from him was that they had been killed while driving under the influence of alcohol. Kyrinen was the only one to survive the crash, and he had the physical scars to prove it. Kyrinen was never completely satisfied with the official report of the accident. He didn’t remember his parents ever drinking, much less drinking and driving. Being a minor, no one would listen to him, and his parents did have alcohol in their bloodstream. He had never been able to explain that away. He just knew that they had not been drinking that night. It had been only a little over a year since they had died, and he missed them every day. Kyrinen pulled into the parking lot of the bank and parked his car. He had been here only once, several weeks before his parents had died. They never wanted him to come here except for the one time they showed him where it was located. After they had died, it had been too painful for him. Kyrinen pulled the key out of his man-purse and stared down at it. Just looking at it brought back a lot of memories he’d rather not think about right now. Already he was feeling emotional about the memories he was having of his parents. He missed them a lot, even if they were out in the ozone layer.

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Kyrinen cautiously glanced around the parking lot. He felt a little apprehensive about going into the bank. He didn’t know what he would find inside. Kyrinen squared his shoulders and headed into the bank. Kyrinen went inside and walked directly to the safety-deposit box area. “Hi,” he said to the lady behind the counter. “I’d like to see my safety-deposit box, please.” The young blond woman smiled as she handed Kyrinen a small card. “Please fill out this card.” Kyrinen’s heart started beating harder as he looked down at the form. The form requested his name, printed and signed, and his social security number. Kyrinen filled out the card and handed it back to the woman. The woman looked over the card and then typed something into a computer. Nodding her head, she looked back up to Kyrinen. “Well, Mr. Reed, do you have your key?” Kyrinen nodded his head as he pulled the key out of his purse. “Yes, I have it right here.” “Please follow me.” Kyrinen’s heart pounded as he followed the woman into the bank vault. The woman stopped at a box and placed a key into the lock. Opening the door, she started to pull out a long metal box. She placed the box on a table in one of the small private viewing areas. “Man, this is heavy.” She laughed. “What do you have in here? Rocks?” Kyrinen gave the woman a small laugh. “No, books actually. I collect rare books, a habit I inherited from my grandfather.” “Oh, well, when you are done, just call me.” And she left the room, leaving Kyrinen alone. Kyrinen turned to the large rectangular box and inserted his key in the lock. He unlocked the box and lifted the lid. The first thing he saw was a large envelope. Opening the envelope, he found a letter from his parents.

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Kyrinen, If you are reading this letter, I can only assume something has gone wrong and your father and I are not there to help you. If this happens, I want you to know that we love you very much. And I am sorry. We didn’t know things would be this bad. I hope the things we left in this box will help you. Your father and I were considered paranoid by a lot of people. And yes, we know that even you considered us a little weird. But that’s okay. We understand. Be safe. And remember, we have always and will always love you very much. And we were always very proud of you. Love, Mama and Daddy Kyrinen wiped the tears from his eyes and placed the letter back in the envelope. The next section of papers contained a deed to a piece of property in the Rocky Mountains on the border between Idaho and Montana and a map. The last section was a small book of names with phone numbers and addresses. Opening the book, Kyrinen found another note from his parents. Honey, if you are ever in trouble, the people in this book can help you. Please keep this book well hidden. These people are “paranoid” also. Kyrinen briefly scanned through the book. He didn’t recognize any of the names in the book except one, Dr. Clara Thompson. The other names were listed by subject—natural disasters, legal, military, survival, man-made disasters, out-of-this-world situations, medical, research, and government. It was a very strange collection of subjects. Man, his parents were pretty weird. Thank god!

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Kyrinen took a deep breath as he placed the papers to the side, and then he just stared into the box for several seconds before looking cautiously around the room to see if anyone else was around. Seeing that he was all alone in the room, Kyrinen looked down at the box again. His mouth fell open in astonishment. The box was filled with cash—stacks and stacks of cash. There were also several small, flat black boxes. Kyrinen grabbed the first box and opened it. Inside was a velvet pouch. He quickly opened it, finding a box inside. Kyrinen’s fingers shook a little as he opened the box. “Holy fuck!” he exclaimed before he caught himself. Covering his mouth with his hand, Kyrinen again glanced around the room. He blew out a deep breath then looked back down at the box. Kyrinen pulled out one of the several diamonds that were lying on a swatch of black velvet and whistled. The sight before him was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. Laying the diamond back in the box, Kyrinen began to count them. All together he counted twenty diamonds. Setting the box back into the safety-deposit box, Kyrinen grabbed the next box. Opening that box, he found another velvet pouch. Kyrinen opened the pouch and poured the contents out onto his palm. They were gold nuggets. Kyrinen counted at least thirty nuggets, all in various sizes. Kyrinen quickly poured the nuggets back into the black velvet bag and set it back in the box. Looking at the stacks of money, Kyrinen found piles in every denomination. Kyrinen estimated that there was somewhere in the ballpark of a million dollars in old, unmarked bills. That was a very large ballpark. Kyrinen didn’t ever remember his parents having that kind of money. In fact, there never seemed to be enough money when he was growing up. Where had all this money come from? Was it dirty money? Had his parents robbed a bank? What? Kyrinen was very confused.

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Kyrinen was starting to freak out. He grabbed everything that was in the safety-deposit box and placed it in his purse, for once really grateful that he carried a purse. So much for those people that teased me about it. If only they were there now. Kyrinen closed the book and placed it back in his purse. He closed the lid to the empty safety-deposit box and locked it. Making sure that his purse was zipped, he called for the young woman. “I’m done now, thank you.” Kyrinen watched the woman place the box back on its shelf and then walked out. As he was leaving, he noticed unusually long lines at the tellers. People were taking their money out in droves. The panic had already started. Kyrinen drove straight to the apartment. Running inside, he saw that Angela was already there. Bags of canned goods sat everywhere. Kyrinen glanced up when Angela and Bobby walked out of the kitchen. “Hi,” Angela said. Kyrinen looked cautiously at Bobby. “Did you get everything on the list?” Angela looked at Bobby then at Kyrinen. “Kyrinen, it’s okay. I told Bobby what we were up to, and he wants to help. He agrees with you. He thinks things are going to get very weird.” Kyrinen looked skeptically at Bobby. “You do?” Bobby nodded his head. “Yes, I do. I watched the news conference from my dorm. Do you remember that doctor that was talking from the audience? Dr. Clara Thompson?” Kyrinen nodded his head. “Well, I was interested in what she had to say, so I tried to find information on her and the meteor shower. She’s disappeared. No one has heard from her since the news conference. And several reporters saw her being led away by men in black suits. It all seems a little weird, if you ask me.”

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Bobby paused as if to collect his thoughts. “If you think being prepared is the way to do things, I’m in.” Bobby wrapped his arm around Angela. “Besides, if the woman I love believes in you, I believe in you, even if you are crazy as a fucking bedbug.” Kyrinen looked at Bobby for several seconds. He wondered if that would be true when push came to shove. But for now, he would take any help he could get. “Okay.” Kyrinen sat down in a chair across from the couch. “Sit down. We have a lot to talk about.” As Angela and Bobby began to sit down, Kyrinen waved his hand toward the door. “Oh, Bobby, would you lock the front door?” Bobby laughed as he did what Kyrinen asked. “You are paranoid.” “I have good reason to be. Angela, do you remember how you are always teasing me about how big my purse is?” Angela nodded her head. It had been a big joke between them for some time. Kyrinen’s purse was huge. During school, it doubled as his book bag, but when he wasn’t in school, he still carried it around. “For once, it came in handy.” Kyrinen unzipped the large section of the backpack and began pulling the contents out—first the stacks of money, then the bags of gems. “This is what I found when I went to the safety-deposit box. I probably shouldn’t have brought it home with me, but with the way things are going, I didn’t think it would be safe in the bank.” Angela and Bobby stared at the stuff piled on the table much the same way Kyrinen had when he first saw it. Kyrinen chuckled as he reached over and closed their mouths with his fingers. “Where did your parents get all this stuff?” Angela asked as she picked up a stack of twenties. “I have no idea. But they told me to use it as I see fit. It’s all mine, every last penny.” Angela picked up a diamond and held it up to the light. “How many of these did you say there were?”

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Kyrinen laughed over Angela’s fascination with the diamond. “Several. You can have that one if you want it.” Angela’s jaw dropped as she looked over at Kyrinen, thunderstruck. “I can have it? Do you mean it?” “Sure,” said Kyrinen, “I have several more.” Angela looked at the diamond in her hand. “Wow. I’ve always wanted a diamond. Thank you, Kyrinen.” Just then, the diamond slipped from Angela’s hand, hit the floor, and bounced under the couch. “Oh, no! I dropped it! Help me find it.” Kyrinen rolled his eyes as he pushed the coffee table out of the way and got down on his knees to help look for the diamond. “At this rate, Angela, you may never have a diamond.” **** The next day, Kyrinen, Angela, and Bobby continued to stock up on supplies, storing the stuff in their apartment. Kyrinen was in charge of information and organization. It was his job to buy books on survival and whatever else he thought might help them if they had to leave town. Angela was in charge of gear. This was a large category. She had to buy camping gear, hunting gear, cooking gear, and anything else she could think of. Bobby was in charge of medical supplies. People would look at them strange if they bought a ton of medical supplies at one store. Bobby, being a medical student, could go to the off-campus warehouse and pick up supplies for his “studies.” Bobby was also in charge of transportation. He had to make sure his SUV was in good working order, since he had the only vehicle, and buy extra supplies for it—things like extra tires, oil, extra parts, and tools. Everyone had made a pact to not tell anyone. They all knew that if anybody found out what they were doing they could get into a lot of

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trouble. Granted, as of this point, rationing had not happened, but it was only a matter of time. If people knew about the supplies that they were storing, several things could happen. One or all of them could be arrested for hording supplies, threatened, or robbed. Riots were not out of the realm of possibility, either. So secrecy was very important. Kyrinen wasn’t quite sure when they should all plan to leave. He knew that it would be soon. Things were already starting to get crazy. Being in the big city was not where Kyrinen wanted to be when things hit the fan. And circumstances were already plugging in the fan to the electrical outlet. Angela had already been witness to a small riot outside of a supermarket that had raised the prices of its merchandise. People had rebelled against the price markups. The front windows had been smashed, the store clerks roughed up, and what store merchandise had been left in the store had been destroyed. The supermarket’s owner was now officially out of business. Angela had not been injured in the incident, but it had scared her pretty bad. She had come home shaking. She wouldn’t go out again by herself. Kyrinen, Angela, and Bobby had started making plans to leave the following day. They were going to say they were going camping then quietly slip out of town. Implementing these plans would be another story. Kyrinen sat down on the couch and turned on the television. He was finally taking a breather from the hectic time he had spent finding books and information he thought might be needed in the future. He had seen the inside of more bookstores and libraries than he had ever seen, even when he had been in school. Flipping from channel to channel, Kyrinen tried to find something mindless to watch. He needed to decompress. Looking through all the channels, Kyrinen didn’t think that he was going to find anything mindless on television. Well, that wasn’t

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exactly true. It was all pretty mindless. There just wasn’t anything on that was mindless and interesting. Kyrinen tossed the remote on the coffee table and walked to the window. Pulling back the curtains, he looked outside. It was two in the afternoon. He could see people coming and going like nothing was wrong in the world, like martial law had not been declared. Kyrinen just shook his head. It amazed him that people weren’t more unnerved by the presence of the armed military just yards away. Kyrinen could just make out the wheels of a military APC transport through the trees across the street. The military was definitely making its presence known. There were roadblocks and checkpoints throughout the city. At night, the military enforced the curfew with an iron fist. Kyrinen had heard of several people who had been arrested for being out after curfew by just a few minutes. And no one had heard of them since. Rumors were that the military was operating a detention center somewhere outside of the city limits. Once someone was detained by the military, he or she would be sent to this detention center and questioned. Some were saying that once people went to the detention center, they were never getting out. Kyrinen wasn’t sure he believed that one. It wasn’t that he thought the military was above doing this sort of thing. He just didn’t think there had been enough time for them to implement such a plan. But he also didn’t think it would take the military too long before they started such a center. It was only a matter of time. Martial law had only been in effect for a couple of days now. The military had barely had time to get deployed throughout the country. The military was a government agency, after all. It could take the military weeks before they actually figured out what they were doing. Kyrinen hoped so. He knew that he needed the time to plan the “move,” as Bobby had begun to call it. Kyrinen also knew that the more time that they had to gather supplies, the more supplies they could get. And the

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better prepared they would be. Kyrinen’s mom had always taught him that he could never be too prepared. Kyrinen truly hoped that he had learned that lesson well. Kyrinen watched people come and go until a voice on the television caught his attention. Dropping the curtain back into place, Kyrinen turned to face the television. A news commentator was coming on the screen. It was another special report. Kyrinen walked over to the couch and sat down. Grabbing the remote, he turned up the volume. Sitting forward on the couch, he began to listen. “Good evening. We are bringing you a special report from the White House. We now go to our White House correspondent, Claudia Harold. Claudia?” Kyrinen didn’t think he wasn’t going to like what he was going to hear. When the screen turned to the White House briefing room and the woman on the screen began talking, Kyrinen knew he was right. “Thank you, Craig. In a few moments we will be hearing from the Vice President concerning the recent uprisings of civil disturbances and riots brought on by angered mobs and, authorities believe, militia groups plotting against the federal government.” The woman suddenly paused, then smiled. “Oh, I guess the Vice President is ready now. We take you to the White House Press Room now for the Vice President…” The screen switched to the White House Press Room. Kyrinen saw the Vice President enter the room surrounded by four armed soldiers. He walked up to the podium, laid some notes on it, and began to speak. Kyrinen wondered why he hadn’t seen the President in any of the press conferences. He always just saw the Vice President, who said he was speaking for the President. That seemed a bit odd to him. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. At this time, I would like to address the problems that are facing our great nation today. Over the last several days, there have been riots and civil disturbances in every major city in our country. Martial law has not been adhered to

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by many of our citizens. There have been many incidents of violence, mainly over food and supply shortages.” The Vice President sighed and wrapped his fingers around the top of the podium. “Our country is in a time of great crisis. After consulting with the National Security Council and several of his advisors, the President has decided to implement Executive Order 11052. This new program will ensure that all citizens remain safe and have enough food and supplies to feed their families. Every citizen will register him or herself and each member of their family at a special registration center. These registration centers will be set up in the county seat of every county in every state. Each family will receive a registration card, which will be used to purchase food and other necessary supplies. If you do not have a registration card and matching ID, you will not be able to purchase these goods. This includes food, non-perishable supplies, and gas. Armed soldiers will be placed at every store to enforce this law. If a problem occurs, they have orders to detain the citizen in question. Any local, state, or federal law that is violated is now punishable by detention and/or death, depending on the severity of the crime. Congress, the Senate, and the President have signed these new laws. As of now, two thirty this afternoon, Eastern Standard Time, these laws are in effect. Thank you and God bless.” And then the Vice President walked out the way he came, followed by his four armed soldiers. Kyrinen stared at the screen in resignation. It was all starting. The shit was really going to hit the fan now. Kyrinen really didn’t believe that this was going to be the end of things. He believed that it was only the beginning. The government wasn’t going to be able to stop the citizens from rebelling by passing this new executive order. They were just going to create more rebellions. Kyrinen turned when he heard a soft cry behind him. Looking over his shoulder he saw Angela standing at the entrance to the hallway, tears in her eyes. She was staring at the television screen.

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“It’s started, hasn’t it?” Kyrinen just nodded his head. He stood up and headed for the phone. He reached it seconds after Angela did. Angela grabbed the receiver and held up her hand. “Wait!” Kyrinen came to an abrupt halt at the vehemence in Angela’s voice. “What?” “I’ll call Bobby. You start packing.” Kyrinen nodded then headed for the bedroom as Angela dialed Bobby’s house. He had most of his stuff already packed knowing that they might have to leave spur of the moment. He just needed to add a few things. He suddenly remembered that they needed to have Bobby bring his bags over, too. “Angela, don’t forget to tel—” His sentence was cut short as the front door slammed open and Bobby strode into the living room followed by another man. Angela looked at the phone and then at Bobby. “That was quick.” Angela hung up the phone and walked across the room into Bobby’s waiting arms. Kyrinen looked at the couple with longing. They looked so happy together. Kyrinen had to admit he was jealous. Kyrinen turned toward the door when he noticed the man that had come in with Bobby. He was fucking gorgeous. He was by far the sexiest man Kyrinen had ever seen in his entire life. He was tall with broad shoulders and arms like a bear. That last thought brought another one to Kyrinen’s mind—a long-distant memory. As he gazed at the tall man, Kyrinen felt that he had known him all of his life. This is what he imagined his starman would have looked like. But Kyrinen knew that was crazy. He hadn’t heard from his starman in years. Sometimes Kyrinen thought he must have imagined his starman. But there was that small part of him, the dreaming part, that knew the starman had not been a fantasy.

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“Where did you go, starman?” Suddenly, the tall man’s gaze snapped over to Kyrinen’s. He looked Kyrinen up and down, starting at his head and working down to his toes. Everywhere his eyes touched, Kyrinen felt like the man was touching him with his hands. When his eyes brushed over his throat, Kyrinen swore he could feel the soft caress. As his eyes moved down, Kyrinen felt his cock harden and threaten to bust out of his zipper. Kyrinen quickly crossed he legs and swallowed. From the smirk on the stranger’s face, he had noticed Kyrinen’s cock through his thin cotton pants and knew why he had crossed his legs. Kyrinen felt the man’s eyes move up over his bare midriff and wished he hadn’t worn a shirt that didn’t go any further down than the top of his belly button. Hell, even his belly button piercing was showing. Kyrinen felt a shiver move over his entire body as the man’s gaze moved back up to his eyes. When they met, Kyrinen was taken aback by the feeling that this man could see right into his very soul. He frowned when he saw a peculiar smile cross the man’s face. “Hello, little Kyrinen.” Kyrinen’s eyes nearly crossed when he heard the old, familiar voice in his head. He started shaking his head in incredulity and denial. This couldn’t be happening. Not here, not now. The tall man just nodded his head slightly. “You haven’t forgotten me, have you, tnúth?” This wasn’t happening to him. It just wasn’t. He slowly started backing out of the room. With every step he took in retreat, the tall stranger took one toward him. Panicking, Kyrinen turned and ran from the room. He could hear the man chasing after him. Running down the hallway, Kyrinen made for his room. He reached the door, ran in, and slammed it just as the man reached it. Leaning against it, Kyrinen panted heavily. He reached down and quickly locked the door then closed his eyes.

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“I’m not going to hurt you, tnúth.” Kyrinen could still hear the voice in his head. “Kyrinen, tnúth, open the door. I won’t hurt you.” Kyrinen heard the door handle jiggle. He shook his head. “Go away! Please, go away!” “I’m not going leave you now that I’ve found you. I’ve looked for you far too long for that to happen.” This time the voice was not in his head. It was coming through the door. It was a deep, raspy, masculine voice. There was no way anyone could ever mistake this man for anything other than masculine. When he spoke again, the man’s voice was tender, almost a murmur. “I’ll be back, tnúth.” Kyrinen felt his heart jump into his throat. He backed away from the door. He yelped when he bumped into the bed, but he was grateful he had. He needed to sit down before his knees gave out. “I am not your tnúth!” Whatever that meant. Kyrinen shuddered when he heard a soft chuckle. “Oh, yes, you are. You have always been my tnúth, ever since you wished upon a star.”

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Chapter 3 Haq was so overjoyed that he barely noticed the armed soldiers standing at the end of the block. He had found his bondmate. The search had been so long, he had begun to wonder if he would ever find Kyrinen. Earth was a big place to search for one man. Haq climbed into his SUV. He sat there for a moment, looking up at the apartment where his tnúth lived. How long had he lived here? What happened to his parents? Why was he all alone in the big city? Hell, why was he alone at all? Kyrinen should have armed guards surrounding him at all times. He was the son of the king. He was royalty. He wasn’t a college student living in a two-bedroom apartment with some stranger that Haq didn’t even know. Haq gripped the steering wheel as he briefly considered the possibility that his bondmate could be involved with the woman he lived with then dismissed it when he remembered the hug Angela had given his brother. Sexual relations outside of a bond weren’t unheard of, but they were very rare. If Haq had his way, they would be impossible for Kyrinen. He belonged to Haq, and he had no intention of sharing. The curtain from the second-floor bedroom suddenly parted. Haq grinned when he realized that it was Kyrinen. He stared up, laughing softly when Kyrinen’s eyes met his and the man suddenly jumped back, the curtains falling back into place. Claiming his bondmate again was going to be fun. Haq started his vehicle then slowly pulled out into traffic. He stopped at the end of the block and politely answered the soldier’s

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questions about his destination then drove on. Haq hated this part. Earth military was dangerous. Haq had been able to slip into Earth society efficiently enough, but he always felt like he stood outside of the populace just a little. He wasn’t an earthling, and he knew it. He just hoped no one else knew it. Being a government guinea pig was not his idea of fun. Being an alien on Earth was not safe, even if Kyrinen had no idea he was an alien. Eventually, someone would know. If he could get Kyrinen’s sexy ass back to his ship, he could fly him home, where an entire platoon of warriors waited to guard both of them. Haq drove straight to his house, parked in the garage, then went inside. He had plans to make, and he didn’t have much time. Besides the fact that he had to pack what he wanted to take home with him, he also had to figure out how to get Kyrinen to talk to him. Haq began packing a bag when a sudden thought occurred to him. He shared a bond with Kyrinen and had since the day Kyrinen was born. While their bond had not been consummated due to their age at the time, their souls had been entwined. There was a way that Haq could reach Kyrinen, one he hoped would please both of them. Haq walked into his bedroom and stripped his clothes off. He lay down on his bed and stretched out, closing his eyes as he started to envision his bondmate, the one man in the universe fated to be his. It wasn’t hard. Kyrinen’s image was branded in his brain. He concentrated on sinking into the deep meditative state he had learned at a very early age. He thought about Kyrinen—what he looked like, what he sounded like, and what he smelled like. Haq could feel himself float out of his physical body. The deeper into his meditative state that he sank, the more control he had over his astral form. The walls around him began to fade, and he floated through the mists of time and space, following the thread that led to Kyrinen.

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When the fog cleared, Haq found himself hovering inside Kyrinen’s room. He floated over to the bed, a smile coming across his lips when he spotted his bondmate asleep—and naked—on the bed. Damn, Kyrinen was a fine specimen of man. Haq couldn’t wait to taste him in solid form, but until then, astral form would have to do. Haq floated closer to Kyrinen and began his plan of attack. **** Kyrinen was having a wonderful dream. He felt warm all over. He could almost feel the blood coursing through his veins. He could feel a deep sensation begin to fill his body, starting with his feet and moving up his body. It was hot. But he wasn’t scared. A distant part of Kyrinen’s brain registered this fact and was puzzled by it, but the fire flowing through his body was so exquisite that he soon forgot about it. In his dream, Kyrinen began to see a mysterious blue light materialize over him. It hovered over his body. The blue light then floated down toward him. As it got closer, Kyrinen felt almost like someone was touching him. This strange sensation covered all of his body, not just one part. Then the blue light sank into his body, filling every inch of his being. At first, Kyrinen didn’t feel anything different. Then the heat inside his body started to grow. It made his arms and legs become heavy. He couldn’t lift them. Kyrinen still wasn’t worried. In fact, he couldn’t ever remember feeling this calm or serene. But that feeling of tranquility didn’t last long. The fire inside of his body was starting to grow into a fever pitch. He could feel the blue haze moving throughout his body. It seemed to settle in his chest briefly. Kyrinen’s nipples tingled. It was almost as if someone was gently caressing them. This snapped Kyrinen out of his unconscious state. Opening his eyes, he quickly looked around. There wasn’t anyone else in the room with him.

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Kyrinen thought he must have been imagining things as he lay back down on the bed. He closed his eyes and slowly ran his hands up his abdomen to his nipples. They were hard little nubs, puckered as if someone had been licking them. Just touching them brought the sensation from before rushing back into Kyrinen’s body. It was the same sensation he had experienced in his dreams the last several nights. Kyrinen was having the same dream repeatedly. Even awake, he felt like he was dreaming sometimes when he would suddenly feel a strange heat pass through his body. Kyrinen knew that this couldn’t be happening to him. He was all alone, but everything in him was screaming that he wasn’t. Kyrinen could feel a heat building up low in his abdomen and down around his cock. His balls ached with a fullness he hadn’t felt in ages. The inferno was almost more than he could handle as it began to reach a summit. Kyrinen cried out as a hot tide of passion swirled around him, and he suddenly reached a climax he didn’t know was coming. Kyrinen arched into the air as his cock exploded with sensation, shooting out cum all over his body. As his breathing returned to normal, so did his reason. Kyrinen started to panic. He knew in an instant what had happened, and he knew who had been behind his passionate encounter. Kyrinen was as mad as hell. Jumping to his feet, Kyrinen stomped across the bedroom and flipped on the light and then searched for his robe. He caught a glimpse of his naked body in the full-length mirror next to his dresser as he walked past it. The image stopped him in his tracks. Walking to the mirror, Kyrinen scrutinized his naked body. He was a glowing image of fire, passion, and love. He looked like a freaking romance novel cover. His cheeks were flushed. His lips looked passion kissed, and his body glistened with spent perspiration. “Hmm, very nice, tnúth.” Kyrinen glanced around the room quickly. “Where are you?” He heard a deep chuckle in his head.

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“You look exquisite.” Kyrinen’s eyes shot back to the mirror. He was looking at himself. No one else was there. Kyrinen quickly grabbed his robe and pulled it on. As he tied the sash of his robe, he heard the deep masculine voice in his head again. “Oh, tnúth. Now why’d you do that?” Kyrinen swallowed hard. Haq could see him somehow. He just knew it. “Where are you? I know you are here somewhere.” Again, Kyrinen heard a deep chuckle. “Prove it!” Kyrinen was starting to get agitated. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?” Kyrinen frowned when he heard a deep sigh. “I can’t, tnúth. You belong to me.” Kyrinen stomped his foot as he glanced around the room. “No! I don’t belong to you. I will never belong to you!” Again he heard the chuckle he was beginning to dread. “Oh, but you do, tnúth. You do.” Kyrinen shook his head vigorously. “No! Go away!” Kyrinen raced over to the light switch and turned out the lights. “Oh, Kyrinen. You didn’t have to turn out the lights. I’m not going anywhere.” Kyrinen ran over to his bed and flopped down on the mattress. “What do you want from me?” “Just you, tnúth.” Kyrinen pulled his pillows over his head and wished the voice away, and suddenly, the voice was gone. He was alone again. Haq was gone as quietly as he had come. Kyrinen pulled the pillows off his head and looked around the room. Everything was still in its same place. It was almost as if he had imagined the whole thing. Kyrinen only wished he had. But the intense throbbing of his cock was telling him that he wasn’t imagining things. Kyrinen closed his eyes in relief that he was finally gone.

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Before he could contemplate what had happened to his nighttime visitor, he was fast asleep. When Kyrinen woke the next morning, he felt better than he had in a long time. He got up and prepared for the upcoming day. As Kyrinen stood in the shower washing his hair, the memories of the night before came rushing back with a vengeance. He knew then that none of the previous night’s activities had been a dream. It had all really happened. Kyrinen was fuming by the time he got out of the shower. Walking into his bedroom to get dressed, Kyrinen made sure that he avoided looking in the mirror. Kyrinen searched his mind for any sign of Haq. There wasn’t any. He must have been eavesdropping on someone else now. This was good. It gave Kyrinen time to come up with a strategy. And what was good for the goose was good for the gander. Kyrinen was furious. What Haq had done was clearly an invasion of privacy. It was time he knew it. Kyrinen was declaring war! He walked down the hallway, hoping that Bobby was still around. As he walked into the living room, he heard giggles coming from the kitchen. Oh goody. Bobby was still here. “Hey, Bobby?” Seconds later Bobby’s head poked out of the kitchen. “Yes, my love?” Kyrinen watched Bobby jump and yelp as Angela kicked him in the butt. “Hey!” Angela yelled. Bobby ran out of the kitchen, Angela chasing after him with a spatula. He ran over to stand behind Kyrinen. “Save me!” Kyrinen laughed at the playful antics of the young couple. He spread his arms wide, separating the warring pair. “Okay, that’s enough! Act your shoe size.” Bobby and Angela both stopped what they were doing to stare at Kyrinen’s smiling face, and then they both broke out into peals of

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laughter. Angela lowered the threatening spatula, and Bobby hugged Kyrinen from behind. When everyone stopped laughing long enough to breathe, Kyrinen began his campaign to get even with Haq. “Hey, Bobby, who was that man that came over with you the other night?” Bobby looked at Kyrinen for several moments, confused. Then it dawned on him. “Oh, you mean Sebastian. That’s my brother.” Kyrinen quickly covered his surprise. “Oh, I didn’t know you had a brother.” Bobby nodded. “Yeah, he’s adopted, so he doesn’t have the same name as I do, but he’s my older brother.” Kyrinen looked at Bobby quizzically. “What does his having been adopted have to do with his last name? Wouldn’t that have changed when he was adopted?” “Well, usually it does, but Sebastian was adopted when he was fifteen. He insisted on keeping his last name.” Kyrinen nodded his head in understanding. “Oh, I see. Then what is his last name?” Bobby smiled. He thought Kyrinen was interested in Haq. He was, just not the way Bobby thought he was. “His name is Sebastian, Sebastian Haq.” Kyrinen grinned. “Tell me about him.” A couple of hours later Kyrinen had enough information about Haq to fill a book. Bobby and Angela assumed that Kyrinen had romantic notions about Sebastian Haq. They had filled him in on everything they knew about him. If only they knew the true reason for his curiosity. Kyrinen had learned from his conversation with Bobby that he had not told his brother about their upcoming plans to leave, but he wanted to. Agreeing to tell Haq about the move was one of the things they needed to hash over before moving on to a discussion about whether or not to tell other people. They needed to decide if taking others would be a good choice or not.

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Kyrinen knew they were under constant threat of exposure. If the government found out what they were doing, they could all be arrested and detained. There was also the threat of someone telling the wrong people. If the wrong people found out about the supplies Kyrinen, Angela, and Bobby had stocked away, there could be some serious trouble. They had to be very cautious. Kyrinen flopped down on his bed, his arm falling over his head. He was exhausted. Kyrinen, Angela, and Bobby had been packing for hours. It was hard deciding what to take with them and what could be left behind. Kyrinen dropped his arm off his eyes and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little past eleven on a Friday night, and Kyrinen didn’t have the least desire to even move off his bed. Besides, he had other plans, and those plans didn’t include leaving his room, at least not physically. Kyrinen got comfortable on the bed and closed his eyes. Clearing his mind, he took several deep breaths before he started his seek-and-destroy mission. Kyrinen concentrated on sinking into the deep meditative state his mother had taught him. After a while, he started thinking about Haq— what he looked like, what he sounded like, and what he smelled like. Soon the fog around Kyrinen’s head began to lift. He could feel himself floating out of his physical body. Kyrinen twirled around in the air above the bed. Looking back down at the bed, Kyrinen almost screamed. There was his body, as still as it could be. He almost looked like he was dead, except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. Kyrinen made himself look away from his body. He needed to concentrate on what he was doing if he was going to be successful in his little trip to dreamland. Kyrinen again concentrated on his memories of Haq. The deeper into his meditative state that he sank, the more tug he could feel on his floating body. Suddenly, the wall before him began to fade, and in its place was a room he had never seen before. Kyrinen took a deep breath and

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floated through the hole in the wall. Looking behind him, he saw the wall close up. He wasn’t in his own house anymore. Kyrinen only hoped he could get back when the time came to leave. Turning around, Kyrinen gazed over the room before him. It was a simple living room. There was a beige sectional sofa, a small oak coffee table, and a brass floor lamp on one side of the room. Looking to the other side, Kyrinen saw that there was a beautiful oak bookshelf lining the entire wall, and it was filled with all sorts of books. There were books on almost every subject he could imagine. Kyrinen was amazed. He had no idea that Haq was such a reader. Kyrinen thought for a moment that it was an attractive feature in a man, until he remembered why he was there. Turning away from the bookshelf, Kyrinen floated toward the archway leading to the next room. Kyrinen floated into the next room, past the dining room, and down the hallway. Finally, he came to a door that he knew led to Haq. He could feel the bigger man. Floating through the door, Kyrinen found the room empty. This room was also very simple. There was a queen-size bed, a nightstand, and two dressers. That was it. There weren’t even any pictures on the wall. Very sparse. Kyrinen thought that he must have missed Haq until he heard the shower turn on. He was in the bathroom. Kyrinen floated into the bathroom and looked toward the shower. What he could see of him was naked. The glass on the shower door was pretty smoky. It obstructed most of his view. Luckily, Kyrinen had a pretty good imagination. He could fill in the blanks. When Haq turned around and opened the shower door, Kyrinen quickly realized that he was wrong. Looking at Haq’s naked body, Kyrinen knew there was no way he could ever fill in the blanks on this man. Haq was by far the sexiest man he had ever seen. And in simple terms—he was hung like fucking a horse! Kyrinen felt his breath start

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to leave his body just looking at the man. Good god, the man was built! Getting ahold of himself, Kyrinen followed Haq’s movements into the bedroom. Haq dried his hair with the towel, threw the towel into the laundry hamper, and walked toward his bed. He turned back the sky-blue comforter and climbed into the bed. Reaching over to the nightstand, he turned off the lamp and rolled over to go to sleep. Now, all Kyrinen had to do was wait. Kyrinen floated over to the dresser and sat down. This could take a while. He pulled his knees up under his chin and wrapped his arms around them. Taking a deep breath, he looked toward the bed and the sleeping figure in it. Kyrinen watched Haq’s chest move up and down with each breath that he took. He was lying on his back, one arm over his stomach and the other arm thrown over his head. He looked peaceful. Kyrinen hoped Haq enjoyed his little nap, because it wasn’t going to last long. He had definite plans for the man. Quite some time later, Kyrinen figured it to be about two hours, he thought Haq was probably asleep. Now was the time to implement his plan. Kyrinen floated off the dresser toward the bed. Although he knew Haq was asleep, Kyrinen still approached with caution. While this out-of-body experience wasn’t new to him, a naked man was. Kyrinen had to admit that he was apprehensive. But he was also greatly incensed at what Haq had done. Haq needed to understand that what he had done wasn’t okay, and this was the only way Kyrinen could think of to show him that. Kyrinen hovered over Haq’s still form and watched his chest move up and down as he breathed. He had to be asleep. Kyrinen floated down toward his body, not totally sure he knew what he was going to do when he got there. He reached out a hand to touch Haq’s shoulder. As his fingers touched Haq’s skin, Kyrinen felt an electric shock shoot through his body. Suddenly, he was pulled into Haq’s body.

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“Hello, tnúth.” Kyrinen’s breath caught in his throat. Haq was awake. “You’re damn right I’m awake.” Haq laughed harshly. “What? Did you think I wouldn’t sense you? I knew the second you popped in that you were here.” Kyrinen tried to pull out of Haq’s body, but something was holding him back. “Oh, no, you don’t.” Kyrinen could feel a strong surge come from Haq’s body. Haq had erected a mental wall around his astral form. He was keeping Kyrinen a prisoner in his body. “Why are you doing this to me?” he screamed silently. “You came to me, and I’m not letting you go until I’m damn good and ready.” Kyrinen beat his fists against the mental wall Haq had erected around him. “You started this, not me!” he yelled in desperation. Haq chuckled with a dry, cynical sound. The sound made Kyrinen more afraid than he had ever been in his life. He started shaking, his mind twirling in a funnel of fear. “Tnúth, I’m not going to hurt you.” Kyrinen stopped struggling long enough to whisper, “Then let me go!” Suddenly, Kyrinen was pushed out of Haq’s body, the force of it sucking the air out of his body. Kyrinen lay on the bed next to Haq’s body, drawing oxygen back in to his lungs. “Okay, you’re free. Now what?” Kyrinen opened his eyes to see Haq leaning over him, his eyes staring straight into his. Kyrinen looked up at him in astonishment. “You can see me?” Haq reached out his hand and stroked Kyrinen’s cheek. “Of course I can, tnúth. I’ve always been able to see you.” Kyrinen was thoroughly confused. “How? How can you see me? Or touch me?” Haq chuckled lightly. “Tnúth, you belong to me.”

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Kyrinen shook his head, but it didn’t stop Haq from continuing his speech. “And I belong to you.” Kyrinen’s eyes grew huge at his remark. Haq’s fingers moved down Kyrinen’s cheek to his neck and down to his chest. At the opening to his shirt, he stopped and looked up at Kyrinen, frustration written all over his face. Kyrinen was still stunned from the knowledge that Haq could see and touch him. Looking into his eyes, he asked softly, “How?” “How can I see you?” Haq asked. Kyrinen nodded. “I told you, we belong together.” With that, Haq lowered his lips to Kyrinen’s. His tongue traced the soft fullness of his mouth. Kyrinen’s consciousness seemed to ebb then flame more at the feel of Haq’s lips on his. He felt bereft when Haq pulled away. Kyrinen glanced up through his long lashes. He was even more baffled now than he had been before. “Time for you to go, tnúth.” “Why?” Kyrinen rather liked what they were doing. Haq let his gaze roam down Kyrinen’s body. “Because, my tnúth.” Haq’s lips recaptured Kyrinen’s, more demanding this time. The touch of Haq’s lips on his sent a shock wave through Kyrinen’s entire body. Haq’s hand gently outlined the circle of Kyrinen’s nipples through his shirt before moving down his sides. Crushing Kyrinen to him, Haq pressed his mouth to Kyrinen’s more firmly. Haq pushed the sheet aside and brought his thigh up. Kyrinen could feel Haq’s deep desire pressing against the outside of his leg. Raising his mouth, Haq gazed into Kyrinen’s eyes again. “Because I can’t do more than this without your body here along with the rest of you.”

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Kyrinen’s lips were still warm and moist from Haq’s kiss. His heart was pounding, and there was an ache in his cock that he knew only Haq could quench. “I don’t understand,” Kyrinen whispered. He could still feel Haq’s hard cock pulsing against his thigh. “It’s very simple, Kyrinen. If you are not in your body, then I can only touch your outer shell. I can’t do anything else. And, as much as I like the outer shell, it would make it almost impossible to make love to you. We need to be in-body to make love.” Kyrinen could feel the blush filling his cheeks at Haq’s words. “Oh.” “Yeah, oh.” Haq laughed down at him. “But as long as you’re here, there is something we can do.” Kyrinen glanced at Haq in curiosity. “What?” Haq just smiled at Kyrinen. “Just wait.” Haq lay back on the bed, bringing his arms down to his sides. Kyrinen watched him take several long, deep breaths. Then a strange blue glow began to radiate from Haq’s body. Suddenly, Kyrinen saw the blue light leave Haq’s body and move toward him. For a brief second, Kyrinen was frightened. His heart pounded in his chest. But as the blue light touched him, he was no longer afraid. It was Haq. Kyrinen felt Haq’s astral form fuse into his. “It’s okay, tnúth. Don’t be afraid.” Kyrinen’s head swirled. He felt like he was being transported on a soft and wispy cloud. Then tremors of arousal burst inside of his body. The feeling was much more than sexual desire, it was complete fulfillment. It was the culmination of every fantasy he had ever had. The pleasure was pure and explosive as their two lights melded together in exquisite harmony. Waves of unfamiliar ecstasy throbbed through Kyrinen, exploding as he shattered into a million glowing stars. Kyrinen breathed in deep, soul-drenching drafts. He lay there, drowned in a flood tide of the liberation of his mind and soul. What

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had just happened to him was not describable in words. There was just no way. Opening his eyes, Kyrinen turned to face Haq. He wasn’t there. Kyrinen was back in his own room, in his body. “Haq! Haq, where are you?” Kyrinen frantically searched his mind for any sign of the man. “It’s okay, tnúth. I’m right here.” Kyrinen flopped back down on the bed in relief. “What happened? Why am I back?” he asked out loud. Haq chuckled. “Your astral form had to return to your body. Too much energy spent for it to continue floating about free.” Kyrinen giggled a little. “Oh.” Haq chuckled again. “Yeah, oh. Well, you and I both need to get some sleep now. Good night, Kyrinen.” Kyrinen smiled up at the ceiling. “Okay, I guess you’re right.” Kyrinen knew he needed his sleep. He was exhausted, but it was a good sort of tired. Besides, there was a lot he had to think about. Suddenly, Kyrinen had a thought. He rolled off the bed and walked to the mirror. “Oh, Haq? One last thing.” Kyrinen grinned. He decided to give Haq one last thing to ponder before he went to bed. No one ever said he wasn't evil. Kyrinen stood in front of the mirror and started taking his clothes off, looking at himself the entire time. He knew Haq could see him. He hadn’t left yet. Kyrinen could still feel Haq in his mind. “What?” Haq asked, his voice sounding a bit shaky. Kyrinen pulled his shirt over his head. He dropped it on the floor and reached for the button of his jeans. Ever so slowly he pushed his jeans down his legs and then kicked them away. Now he was standing in front of the mirror dressed only in his boxer shorts. Kyrinen made sure that he was looking straight at his body as he continued. Kyrinen hooked his fingers in the waistband of his boxers and slid them down his legs, kicking them away. Now he was standing in front of the mirror naked.

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Kyrinen could feel Haq’s heart rate increasing as he watched him through his eyes. Kyrinen wasn’t quite sure how Haq could see what he was seeing, but he planned to use it to his own advantage. Kyrinen laid his hands on his hips and slowly ran them up his stomach to his chest and then farther up his chest to his neck. When he reached his hair, he ran his fingers through the auburn strands, pulling the curls down over his shoulders. Looking straight into his own eyes, Kyrinen smiled an evil little grin. “Sleep well, Haq,” he said, then closed he eyes.

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Chapter 4 Kyrinen woke the next morning feeling energized. After leaving Haq in the lurch, Kyrinen had gone to sleep with a little smile on his face. His sleep that night had been peaceful. If he had dreamed, he didn’t remember it now. Apparently Haq had left him alone the rest of the night. As much as Kyrinen appreciated the fact that Haq had left him alone, a small part of Kyrinen had missed him. Haq did have the tendency to make Kyrinen’s knees quake. Kyrinen dressed in a pair of jean cutoffs and a white half shirt and prepared for the day, mulling over everything that had happened the previous night. He had a lot to think about. When he had initially wished on a star for a tall, strong man, he had wanted someone to come and help his mother get away from his birth father. The man had abused his mother for as long as Kyrinen could remember. Fortunately, soon after Kyrinen made his wish, his father had died in an automobile accident. Kyrinen had assumed that his wish had been granted since the man was gone from their lives. When he mother had remarried, Kyrinen thought that just maybe the wishing star hadn’t understood all of his wish. His stepfather was short. Kyrinen had wished for a tall man. Kyrinen guessed that he hadn’t been specific enough for the wishing star. But Kyrinen’s stepfather had loved Kyrinen and his mother, so he hadn’t questioned it too much. After that, he hadn’t heard from his starman until a few days ago when Sebastian Haq had come into his life and turned it upside down.

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Kyrinen spent most of his day packing the kitchen and making sure that they had what kitchen utensils they would need for the trip. Angela had gone to Bobby’s house a couple of hours ago to help him finish his packing. There was still a lot to be done. Today was Saturday. If all went well, they planned to leave tonight. Kyrinen was just sealing the last box in the kitchen when he heard the front door open up. Kyrinen finished sealing up the box and set it on one of the many stacks of boxes that he had piled up in the kitchen. Not seeing Bobby or Angela come in to help, Kyrinen headed out of the kitchen. Walking into the living room, Kyrinen found it empty. Bobby and Angela were nowhere in sight. Hearing a noise coming from the hallway, Kyrinen headed that way. Kyrinen followed the slight noise to his bedroom. Rounding the corner of the door, Kyrinen stopped abruptly when he saw who was in his room. His heart slammed into his chest as he realized that he didn’t know the men searching his room. He was being robbed. Kyrinen slowly slipped back down the hallway as quietly as he could. He needed to get to a phone. Kyrinen crept into the living room and reached for the phone. Picking it up he started to dial the police when he realized that there was no dial tone. He tried the receiver button several times to no avail. There was no dial tone. Kyrinen hung up the phone and reached for the phone cord. Following the phone cord, he found the problem at the phone jack. The phone cord had been ripped out of the wall. Kyrinen’s heart almost stopped beating when he realized what that meant. Whoever was in his house knew that he was there. This was not a good thing. Kyrinen ran toward the front door, deciding that leaving was the safest thing he could do. As he reached the front door, he saw the door handle start to turn. Kyrinen stopped, not knowing who was behind the door. Afraid of who it might be, Kyrinen jumped behind the door as it opened.

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A tall man dressed in black walked in. “Mr. Green, have you found it yet?” Kyrinen knew hiding behind the door had been a very wise decision. He didn’t hear what the response was. His heart was thumping in his ears too loudly. “Oh gods, Haq, I need you.” Kyrinen waited until the strange man had walked down the hallway before looking out of the crack of the door jam. Through the small crack between the door and the doorframe, Kyrinen could see a black Suburban parked on the street in front of his apartment. There were two men standing by the black car, both wearing the same black suits that the men in the house were wearing. Kyrinen knew he couldn’t go outside. That meant he was trapped in the apartment with these men. And he had no idea what they wanted or what they would do to him if they found him. Kyrinen crept out from behind the door and worked his way to the kitchen, keeping his eyes on the hallway. Reaching the kitchen, he glanced around frantically, looking for a place to hide. There were boxes everywhere, but none of them were large enough for Kyrinen to hide in. He opened some cabinet doors, thinking that maybe he could hide in one of them. Looking at their size, Kyrinen decided that they were too small. He shut the cabinet doors and looked around again for a safe place to hide. He couldn’t find a single safe place. Deciding the kitchen wasn’t the place to be, Kyrinen carefully looked in to the living room for any sign of the strange men. He couldn’t see anyone. Holding his breath, Kyrinen slowly crept down the hallway toward the bathroom. Maybe he could find a safe place in there. When he reached the entrance to his bedroom, Kyrinen flattened himself up against the wall and looked inside. There were three of them in his room now. They were rummaging through everything in the room. What were they looking for?

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Kyrinen saw one man going through the drawers in his dresser. The second one was going through Kyrinen’s packed luggage. The third man was on his computer. They were clearly looking for something specific. Kyrinen suddenly felt he knew what they might be looking for. Heading back to the living room, Kyrinen searched for his purse. He had everything from his parents and the safety-deposit box in his purse. He needed to hide it. Finding his purse by the couch, Kyrinen looked around for a place to hide. He couldn’t see any place that these men wouldn’t look. Then an idea came to him. Kyrinen ran to the kitchen and opened the freezer. Pulling out a bag of frozen fish sticks, he tore it open and dumped the fish sticks out in the sink. Pulling the contents out of his purse, Kyrinen began putting them in the fish sticks bag. The only things he had left in his purse were what any average boy would have in his purse—makeup, comb, pens, pencils, and a wallet. Kyrinen kept the nail file. He just might need it. Kyrinen carefully placed the fish stick bag back in the freezer, the opening facing away from the door, and piled other frozen meats around the bag. Now he had to figure out what to do with the frozen fish sticks. Kyrinen looked around the kitchen until his eyes came upon a cereal box. He opened the box and pulled out the bag of cereal. Kyrinen dumped all the fish sticks into the box and placed the bag of cereal back into the box, rolling the top of the bag down. He set the box back on the shelf along with the other boxed goods. There, hopefully that would work. And hopefully, they would not be able to find his things. Now all he had to do was find a place for himself. Kyrinen looked back into the living room to see if the coast was clear. It seemed to be. Kyrinen crept toward the dining area. Maybe he could get out through one of the dining room windows.

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Walking to the window, he looked through the slit in the curtains to the yard outside. He couldn’t see the black car from where he was. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be able to see him when he climbed out the window, either. Kyrinen was just pulling the old-fashioned window up when he heard voices coming down the hallway. His blood froze in his veins. “Mr. Green, please check the kitchen. Mr. Brown, if you would be so kind as to check the bathroom, I will look in the living room.” Kyrinen quickly crawled under the dining room table and held his breath. Closing his eyes he sent out a frantic distress signal to Haq. “Oh gods! Haq, help me, please! I need you!” Opening his eyes, Kyrinen could see three sets of black dress shoes moving down the hallway. The light from the hallway illuminated everything. One set of feet moved toward the dining room. Kyrinen tried to make his breath shallow as the shoes stopped next to the dining room table. “Haq!” “What’s wrong, tnúth? Break a nail?” Kyrinen felt his hear start beating again. Haq had heard his pleas. “There are three men in my apartment.” When he spoke again, Haq’s voice was strong and serious. “Who are they?” “I don’t know. They’re searching for something. Oh gods, please help me.” Kyrinen waited anxiously for Haq’s reply. “Okay, tnúth, where are you?” Kyrinen tried not to laugh. He could feel himself starting to get hysterical. “I’m under the dining room table.” “Good man. Okay, I want you to stay hidden. I’ll be right there. I’m already on my way.” Kyrinen felt instant relief that Haq was coming for him. “Please hurry.” Kyrinen opened his eyes to see where the men were. He started to panic when he couldn’t see them. Someone had turned off the hallway

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light. Everything was dark. He also couldn’t hear them. Maybe they had left. Kyrinen decided that he would be safer if he just stayed right where he was. At least until Haq got to him. Kyrinen sat there for what seemed like forever. During the whole time he was under the dining room table waiting for help to arrive he never heard a single sound. The silence was almost scarier than when the men had been talking. Kyrinen just hoped that Haq arrived soon. Kyrinen was sitting crouched under the table when he heard the front door open. He started to crawl out from under the table until he remembered that it might not be help arriving. It could be the three strange men coming back. Kyrinen pulled back under the dining room table and wrapped his arms around his knees. He closed his eyes and prayed for Haq’s quick arrival. He didn’t know what it was about the older man, but just thoughts of being in Haq’s arms made Kyrinen feel better. Hearing someone walk into the dining room, Kyrinen opened his eyes and watched the legs move on down the hallway. He couldn’t tell what kind of shoes this person was wearing. The lights were out. Kyrinen held his breath until the legs were out of sight. “Kyrinen! Where are you, tnúth?” Kyrinen felt relief shoot through his entire body. “Haq?” Kyrinen saw the legs walk back down the hallway, moving toward his hiding spot. “Yeah, tnúth. Where are you?” Kyrinen felt tears of gladness pour down his face. “I told you. I’m under the dining room table.” Kyrinen didn’t understand why Haq was laughing until a face appeared over the edge of the table. “Kyrinen?” Kyrinen’s breath caught in his throat as he looked up into the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen. Kyrinen grabbed the large, callused hand that Haq held out to him and climbed out from under the table. As soon as he stood up, Haq pulled him roughly, almost violently, into his arms.

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“Oh, tnúth,” Haq whispered against his neck, “when I saw the way the place was ransacked and I couldn’t find you, I was so worried that they had hurt you.” Kyrinen pushed himself away from Haq’s chest, trying to get in a word, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Haq’s lips brushed against his. That was so much better than talking. Really, it was. “If anything had happened to you, tnúth…” Haq took Kyrinen’s mouth with a savage intensity. The warmth of his arms was so male, so bracing. Haq radiated a vitality that drew Kyrinen like a magnet. Maybe it was his close brush with danger or maybe it was the sensual aura that emanated from Haq, but Kyrinen was aroused more than he had ever been in his life. Whatever it was, Kyrinen felt an undeniable need to be closer to Haq. He wound his arms inside Haq’s jacket and around his back, returning Haq’s kiss with reckless abandon. Soon, though, that wasn’t enough. He needed skin. Kyrinen’s fingers fumbled with the buttons of Haq’s shirt until he let out a frustrated groan. Haq chuckled and pushed Kyrinen’s hands out of the way. A moment later, he shoved it down his arms, and Kyrinen had tons of naked skin to explore with his hands. “Oh gods, yes!” Kyrinen hissed as he ran his hands down Haq’s chest. There were miles and miles of smooth, naked skin. Haq had a small smattering of hair across his pecs. All of it was glorious and Kyrinen wanted more. “Bedroom, now!” Haq chuckled. “As my tnúth wishes.” Kyrinen yelped as he was picked up in Haq’s arms. He quickly wrapped his legs around Haq’s waist and his arms around the man’s neck. He could feel Haq’s hands gripping his ass, supporting him as he was carried down the hallway to his bedroom. “Wow,” Kyrinen whispered as he looked around his bedroom. “They really tore this place apart.” “Do you know what they were looking for, tnúth?” Kyrinen shook his head. “No, not a clue.”

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Kyrinen’s eyes widened as he suddenly remembered the items he had found in the safety-deposit box. He wiggled until Haq released him and raced back down the hallway back to the kitchen. He ripped open the freezer door and pulled out the frozen fish bag, dumping the contents out on the kitchen counter. “I think they were after this,” he said to Haq when the man walked into the room. “What is this stuff?” Haq asked as he reached for one of the black velvet bags. “My parents left it for me in a safety-deposit box. After things hit the fan, I went and got it.” “What’s it fo—holy shit, these are diamonds.” Haq’s eyes snapped up to Kyrinen. “These are diamonds, Kyrinen.” Kyrinen chuckled at the shocked look on Haq’s face. “Yeah, I kind of noticed that.” “What are you doing with them?” Haq asked. “Hell, what were your parents doing with them?” “That, I can’t answer. I just knew my parents told me if I ever had problems, to go to the safety-deposit box.” Kyrinen shrugged. “This seemed like a good time to go.” Kyrinen grabbed the small notebook he had also found in the safety-deposit box. “There was also this. It’s a list of names of people my parents told me to go to if I was ever in trouble. I have a feeling that if this book got into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous.” Haq took the book and started leafing through the pages. His face darkened with each page. Kyrinen started to get worried. “Haq?” “You need to either keep this in a very safe place or destroy it,” Haq said as he handed the book back. “Your parents had a good reason for giving you this list. You need to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.” Kyrinen nodded and grabbed his purse off the counter where he had left it and started shoving everything back into it. He had to find

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another place to hide his stash, and then he wanted to get back to that glorious chest waiting to be licked. Kyrinen zipped up his purse and slung it over his shoulder, then smiled up at Haq. “Now, where were we?” Haq’s eyebrow arched. “I believe we were in the bedroom.” “Oh goody, you remember.” “Like I could forget,” Haq snorted. Kyrinen burst out laughing as he was swung up in Haq’s arms again. He quickly wrapped one arm around Haq’s neck and smoothed the other one down Haq’s chest. “Damn.” “What?” Kyrinen glanced up then felt his face flush when he found Haq looking down at him, one eyebrow raised in question. Kyrinen buried his face against Haq’s chest. His eyes nearly crossed when he inhaled. “You smell really, really good.” “Glad you think so, tnúth.” Haq chuckled. “Oh, believe me, I do.” Kyrinen pressed his nose into the crook of Haq’s neck and breathed in deeply. Oh yeah, that was it. He had found nirvana in some guy’s neck. The stuff should be bottled and sold on the black market. He’d make millions. Scratch that. He didn’t want to share. Kyrinen frowned and leaned back until he could look into Haq’s face. “Are you involved with anyone?” “You.” “Besides me.” “Just you, tnúth.” That didn’t make a whole lot of sense. They had just met a few days ago. “What about before me?” Geez, how hard was it to ask a guy if he was involved or married? Kyrinen felt tongue-tied. “I won’t lie to you, Kyrinen,” Haq said. “I admit that there have been a few here and there but none that I wanted to call mine.” Kyrinen swallowed hard. “And now?”

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Haq grinned as he laid Kyrinen down on the bed. He slowly crawled over Kyrinen, hovering over the top of him. “And now that I’ve found you, I don’t need anyone else.” Haq’s hand trailed down the side of Kyrinen’s face. “I have exactly what I want right here.” Kyrinen suddenly felt breathless. There was a reverent look in his eyes, one that Kyrinen couldn’t quite define. It made his heart beat just a little faster. “Where did you come from?” Kyrinen had to know, because things like this just did not happen to him. “The stars, tnúth,” Haq whispered right before he leaned down and captured Kyrinen’s lips. Kyrinen groaned and wrapped his arms around Haq. He could go on kissing Kyrinen forever. They didn’t even have to have sex. They could just kiss until they were old and gray. On the other hand, if Haq wanted to have sex, Kyrinen wasn’t saying no. “You have too many clothes on, tnúth.” Kyrinen giggled. “I’m not the only one.” Haq grinned. “First one naked gets to be on top.” “Uh.” Damn. Kyrinen bit his bottom lip and glanced away. He was slow to start unbuttoning his shirt. Better chance of Haq getting naked before him. “Kyrinen, is something wrong?” “Nooo.” “Kyrinen.” “I…uh…” He looked up at Haq. “I don’t top, Haq.” Haq’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t like being on top?” Kyrinen shook his head. “Is that a deal breaker?” “No, there are a lot of other positions we can try.” Kyrinen blinked and tilted his head to one side. “Uh, I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing here.” “Then you do like being on top?” Kyrinen could feel his face flush and wondered if it was going to be a permanent thing with this man. He pushed against Haq’s

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shoulders until the man rolled over onto his back, and then climbed on to straddle him. “I like this position,” Kyrinen said carefully. “But I do not top.” Haq looked confused for a moment, and then he started laughing. “Are you saying you like cock in your ass, tnúth?” “Yes!” “Not to worry, tnúth,” Haq said as he rolled Kyrinen beneath him. “I don’t bottom.” “Fucking perfect.” “You still have too many clothes on.” Kyrinen grinned, and he shed his clothes as fast as his fingers would move. Within moments, he was lying on the bed on his back, stark-ass naked. “Supplies?” Kyrinen rolled to the side of the bed and reached into his nightstand for the bottle of lube and box of condoms he kept there. He was a little embarrassed that he was handing over a brand-new box of condoms and a nearly empty bottle of lube. He had spent a lot of time alone lately. “Assume the position, tnúth,” Haq said as he squirted lube out on his fingers. Kyrinen all too eagerly rolled to his hands and knees and presented his ass to Haq. He was so aroused right then that he was pretty sure a stiff wind would send him over the edge. The waiting was excruciating. “This ass is a work of art, tnúth.” Kyrinen almost squealed when he felt Haq’s large hand move along his flank then up over the curve of his ass. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but he wasn’t complaining. He had Haq’s hand on him. “Oh gods,” Kyrinen shouted, clenching the sheets beneath his hand when he felt Haq’s tongue rake across his ass. He felt Haq’s teeth lightly sink into him. Then Haq’s tongue rimmed his aching

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hole. Kyrinen collapsed. The sensation was just too much. He’d heard of rimming, but he’d never felt it before. “Get your ass back up here.” Haq growled. “I’m not done with you yet.” Even Haq’s deep growl felt exquisite. Kyrinen’s limbs trembled as he climbed back to his hands and knees and presented his ass to Haq once again. He was so glad he waxed on a regular basis. He felt Haq’s tongue lick around his tight opening, then felt one lubed finger sink into his ass. Kyrinen started pushing back against the hard intrusion before Haq even had time to use his finger. It really had been a long time since Kyrinen had had anything in his ass but his own fingers and a few toys. His last boyfriend was over two years ago, and they had broken up after two weeks. Since then, Kyrinen had been making do with himself. This was much better. Kyrinen keened softly when a second finger sank into his ass. Haq had deliciously large fingers. They were just thick enough to not hurt but leave a bit of a burn, letting Kyrinen know exactly what they were doing every damn time they did it. “Haq!” Kyrinen cried out when another finger impaled him. The burn was getting bigger, but so was the pleasure. “That’s it, tnúth, scream out my name,” Haq said. “I want to hear your pleasure.” Kyrinen had no problem with that. Besides the fact that he had been accused of being a screamer more than once, Haq was ripping the sounds from Kyrinen’s trembling body. Kyrinen’s cock was so hard he was afraid it would break, and his balls were trying to explode. “Haq, please,” Kyrinen whimpered. He was afraid he was going to come too early, and wouldn’t that be embarrassing. But it was also a very real possibility. He ached so much he could barely breathe. “What do you want, tnúth?” Haq’s fingers pulled free of Kyrinen’s ass so fast he barely knew they were gone before he was

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flipped over onto his back, his legs shoved up to his chest, and the blunt head of Haq’s cock pressed against his tight opening. “Is this what my tnúth wants?” “Yesss!” Kyrinen hissed as he tried to push down and impale himself on Haq’s cock. Haq was suddenly leaning over Kyrinen, his lips next to Kyrinen’s ear. “Do you want my cock in your ass, Kyrinen? Do you want me to fuck you?” “Yes,” Kyrinen whimpered. “I can’t hear you.” “Yes!” Kyrinen shouted. “Do you accept my seed into your body, Kyrinen? Do you give yourself into my keeping for all time?” Haq asked. “To care for you and see to your safety? To provide for you and keep you till the end of my days? Do you give into my keeping all that you are, knowing that you take the same from me?” “Yes, Haq!” Kyrinen cried out. Then Haq’s actual words sank into his lust-fogged brain, and he frowned. “Wait, wha—aahh!” He screamed as Haq rammed forward, sinking into his ass as far as their bodies would allow. Kyrinen grabbed onto Haq’s arms, panting heavily as the man started moving, slowly at first then with increasing speed with each thrust. The pressure building inside of Kyrinen was almost more than he could take. No one had ever fucked him like Haq was doing. No one had ever filled him like Haq was. It felt like the man’s cock was getting thicker, longer, with each thrust. It was pure ecstasy. Haq’s cock scraped against Kyrinen’s sweet spot with every movement, both in and out. “I’m gonna—” Haq grinned. He grabbed Kyrinen’s hips and pulled him up farther. Kyrinen felt like he was being impaled on a two-by-four. Haq’s cock was becoming so thick, the man could barely move. Or was that Kyrinen’s imagination?

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“Haq, wha—it feels like—oh gods!” Kyrinen cried out when Haq lifted him up until he straddled the man’s thighs. Kyrinen sank down onto Haq’s cock, his breath rushing from his lungs as he realized Haq’s cock had grown in size. He was shocked that something so big fit into his ass. Haq’s hands grabbed him under his ass and started lifting him then dropping him back down. Kyrinen’s head dropped back on his shoulders and his eyes slid closed as ecstasy, unlike anything he had ever felt before, filled every cell in his body. “So beautiful, my tnúth.” Kyrinen opened his eyes to see Haq’s face right in front of him. “Haq,” he whispered. “Come for me, tnúth,” Haq whispered. “I want to feel you come on my cock.” Kyrinen kept his eyes locked with Haq’s as the mounting pressure in his body exploded and his entire body went up in flames. He saw Haq’s eyes darken to a deep, glowing sea blue, and then Haq’s arms tightened around him as hot liquid shot into his ass. Haq groaned loudly as he buried his face in Kyrinen’s neck. Kyrinen reached up and stroked his hands through Haq’s dark hair and down his sweaty neck. He could feel Haq’s heart beating rapidly against his where their chests pressed together. “My tnúth.”

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Chapter 5 Haq slowly rubbed his hands up and down Kyrinen’s back. The man had passed out sprawled all over Haq’s chest. Whether from exhaustion or pleasure, Haq wasn’t sure. He was hoping it was pleasure. He wanted Kyrinen to experience nothing but ecstasy at his hands. He groaned in disappointment as his cock finally softened enough to slip out of Kyrinen’s ass. He liked being exactly where he was, but he supposed it had to happen at some point. He had come in Kyrinen’s ass so many times that he doubted there was an ounce of seed left in his body. Taking Kyrinen over and over again was part of the claiming. Once his cock was buried deep inside Kyrinen’s ass and the man accepted him, his cock expanded, preventing him from withdrawing until the claiming was done. Haq couldn’t pull out of Kyrinen until an abundance of his seed had been absorbed into Kyrinen’s system. That meant fucking him over and over again. It was a timeless ritual that their kind looked forward to with great anticipation. Haq gently rolled Kyrinen onto his back then stroked his hand down his bondmate’s smooth, lean chest to his stomach. Haq briefly closed his eyes as he rubbed his hand over Kyrinen’s abdomen. If they were lucky, the gods would bless their union. Haq lay down then cuddled Kyrinen to his chest. He smiled when Kyrinen sighed and snuggled right in. It had taken so many years to find Kyrinen again. The time apart had been hard, but holding Kyrinen in his arms made it all worth it.

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Now, if he could just save Kyrinen before it was too late. The coming war was going to be brutal for everyone. The danger had already started. Haq knew he didn’t have very long to get Kyrinen to safety, but he wanted just a few more hours to bask in the knowledge that he had found the mate fate had given him. Although many years had passed, Haq still remembered the small baby that had been placed into his arms on the day of his tenth birthday. Kyrinen had been just a few days old, barely a sprite. And yet, one look and he had stolen Haq’s heart. Knowing that they were fated to be together until the end of their days and that Kyrinen would be only his had sent his heart racing. The ritual that had bound their souls together had made Haq the happiest ten-year-old on the planet. It was the waiting until Kyrinen was an adult to claim him that had been the hard part. Haq wasn’t allowed to claim Kyrinen until he came of age. By then, the old regime had been replaced by the new guard and the ruling family was branded outlaws. Only by sending Kyrinen away when he was just a small child had Haq been able to save him. Finding him again on Earth had been harder than Haq thought it would be. Haq had made contact with Kyrinen through their bond when he landed and he’d retained the contact as long as possible. But with the Earth forces moving in on him, it had been in both of their best interests if he closed off their bond. Haq wouldn’t do anything that would endanger his mate. The years in between had been long and hard. Haq’s heart ached every day for Kyrinen. And now he held Kyrinen in his arms again, only this time, he could claim him. And he had. He had said the ritual words to bind them together again, and Kyrinen had accepted him. Haq’s heart nearly burst with joy at that knowledge. Kyrinen was finally his. All the years of separation and heartache were over. He just had to get Kyrinen back to their home world where he would be safe once again. And he had to explain to Kyrinen about

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the life they had left behind and the one in front of them. He just hoped Kyrinen didn’t send him packing. Haq smiled when Kyrinen sighed and cracked his eyes open. The man looked exhausted. He had been well and truly fucked. While they were created to accommodate each other, his body had to be sore in places he didn’t even know he had. “Good morning, tnúth,” Haq said. Was it possible to be addicted so quickly? He was. There was no denying it. “Good morning,” Kyrinen said as he smiled and laid his head on Haq’s chest. Before Haq could reply, a knock sounded on Kyrinen’s door. “Hey, Kyrinen,” Bobby said as he stuck his head into the door. His eyes widened when he saw the two of them in bed together, naked and wrapped around each other. “Holy shit!” Haq reached to the floor, picking up one of his shoes and throwing it at the wall. After all, he wasn’t out to hurt the man. “Get out, nosey.” Bobby laughed as he looked between the two of them. “Nice.” Haq tucked his hands behind his head as he chuckled. “Good morning, brother.” “Looks to be for you,” Bobby teased before closing the door. “Well, that was incredibly embarrassing.” Haq chuckled. “Don’t worry about Bobby, love. He won’t say a word to anyone.” “Want to bet?” Kyrinen snickered. Haq opened his mouth to argue when the bedroom door suddenly slammed open. He reacted instantly, rolling Kyrinen beneath him to protect him from whoever was coming through the door. “Oh my fucking god!” Haq blinked in surprise and glanced over at the door to see Angela standing there, her mouth hanging open. Haq breathed a sigh of relief and rolled off of Kyrinen. “Can I help you, Angela?”

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“Bobby said that the two of you—” Her face flushed. “I mean— well, it’s obvious that—well, that you were—damn!” “Go away, Angela.” Kyrinen giggled as he buried his face in Haq’s chest. “I’m busy.” “I’ll say.” “Angela!” “I’m going. I’m going.” Haq’s amusement got the better of him as Angela quickly shut the door, and he burst out laughing. Kyrinen slapped him on the chest. “It wasn’t that funny.” “Yes, it was.” Haq was entranced when Kyrinen giggled again. Who giggled nowdays? He was adorable. He reached up and rubbed the pad of his thumb over Kyrinen’s plump lips. “Do you always giggle?” Kyrinen frowned and ducked his head. “No, not always,” he whispered. “Too bad,” Haq replied. “It’s a wonderful sound, full of joy and laughter. I hope to hear a lot more of it in the future.” Kyrinen’s head tilted back. His eyes were huge. “You like it when I giggle?” Kyrinen sounded astonished. “I do, tnúth. I like everything about you.” “Are you high?” “No, tnúth. I just know what I like.” Haq chuckled and tapped Kyrinen on the end of his nose. “And I like it when you giggle. It’s cute.” Kyrinen’s eyebrows shot up. “Cute?” “Yep.” Kyrinen huffed. “I’d prefer sexy.” Haq laughed with delight as he rolled over to partially cover Kyrinen’s body with his. “Ah, tnúth, not to worry. You have sexy down to an art form.” “Yeah?” Kyrinen lost his petulant look. “You think I’m sexy?”

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“Very,” Haq whispered right before he leaned in and captured Kyrinen’s lips with his own. Kissing Kyrinen was a treat unto itself. The man responded more than anyone Haq had ever been with. He just opened himself right up and took whatever Haq gave him, then begged for more. Haq licked a line across Kyrinen’s lips with his tongue before delving inside to explore and stake his claim. At the same time, he trailed his hand down Kyrinen’s side to the soft curve of his ass. Haq feathered his fingers between Kyrinen’s ass cheeks, grazing his hole with the tip of his finger. “Are you sore, tnúth?” “I…uh.” Kyrinen bit his lip. Haq arched an eyebrow. “Tnúth?” Kyrinen’s face flushed. “I’m a little sore, but—” “Then we will wait.” Haq wouldn’t do anything that would cause Kyrinen pain, especially not for his own gratification. He grinned when Kyrinen started to protest. He scooted down Kyrinen’s body until the man’s cock stood up straight right in front of him. “There are other things we can do until you are healed.” Kyrinen cried out loudly when Haq swallowed his hard length down to the root. Kyrinen’s hips bucked, and his hands sank into Haq’s hair. Haq sucked his lips in then licked his way to the tip of Kyrinen’s cock, wincing when Kyrinen’s grip on his hair grew tighter. He sucked Kyrinen’s cock back down his throat then repeated the whole process over and over again, sucking him down then licking his way back up. When Kyrinen stiffened, Haq quickly moved back and wrapped his lips tightly around the end of his cock. Kyrinen screamed, and hot liquid shot into Haq’s mouth. He swallowed it all down, licking around Kyrinen’s cock to get every last sweet drop. When Kyrinen’s body melted into the mattress, Haq got up and knelt over the top of him, leaning over him with one hand on the bed beside Kyrinen’s head. He wrapped the other one around his

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own hard cock and started jerking rapidly. He was so fucking horny. Watching Kyrinen come hit every button he had. “Are you going to come for me, Haq?” Haq blinked down at Kyrinen in surprise then stroked his cock faster. He almost lost his rhythm when Kyrinen reached up and started stroking his chest. The man’s hands seemed to have the ability to zero in on every hot spot Haq had without missing a beat. “Tnúth,” Haq groaned when Kyrinen started tugging at his nipples. “Harder, tnúth.” Haq nearly lost his mind when Kyrinen leaned up and bit his nipple. The edge between pleasure and pain was so finite, he couldn’t tell which side he was going to fall on. When Kyrinen bit his other nipple at the same time he reached down and squeezed Haq’s balls, that was all it took. Haq roared as he was pulled over into an orgasm that made his eyes blur and his entire body shake. Ropes of pearly white cum shot out of his cock, splattering all over Kyrinen’s chest and face. Haq stroked his sensitive cock a few more times, groaning when he saw Kyrinen swirling his tongue around to lick the cum off his face. Haq had just come seconds before, but he was so fucking turned on by watching Kyrinen. He grabbed his baby by the chin and attacked his lips, sucking Kyrinen’s tongue deep into his mouth and smashing their lips together. “Don’t ever think you’re not sexy, Kyrinen.” Haq growled when he pulled back a moment later. “You put every other man in the universe to shame.” Haq adored the way Kyrinen’s face flushed, and he glanced away, but not before Haq saw him smile then lick his lips. Haq scooted to the edge of the bed and stood, then reached back, holding his hand out to Kyrinen. “Take a shower with me, tnúth?” Kyrinen quickly rolled over and took Haq’s hand. After a long shower, in which Haq made sure all of Kyrinen’s bits and pieces were thoroughly washed, Haq walked back into the

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bedroom to finish drying off and dress. Once he was done, he walked back into the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe as he watched Kyrinen at the bathroom counter. It was amazing to him the ritual Kyrinen went through. The creams he put on his face, the makeup he applied, the multitude of colors he used. It was an amazing process. And one that totally confused Haq. But it was incredibly interesting to watch. “What?” Haq raised his eyes to meet Kyrinen’s in the bathroom mirror. “Nothing, love. Just watching the process.” Kyrinen frowned. “So I like makeup, sue me.” Haq quickly held his hand up. “Did I say anything?” “No, but—” Haq walked over and wrapped his arms around Kyrinen, still meeting his eyes in the bathroom mirror. “I haven’t asked you to change a thing, have I?” “No.” “Then stop worrying. I like you just the way you are, Kyrinen.” Haq kissed the side of Kyrinen’s neck then patted him on the ass. “Finish up and then get dressed. We need to talk.” Kyrinen swallowed hard. “Talk?” Haq could see the apprehension building in Kyrinen’s eyes. “It’s not about us, tnúth, but rather the situation we’re in.” He knew he had spoken correctly when relief filled Kyrinen’s eyes and the tension left his shoulders. “Okay.” Kyrinen suddenly frowned again. “Why do you keep calling me ‘tnúth’? What does it mean?” “It has many meanings, Kyrinen,” Haq said as he stroked his hand through the hair on the side of Kryinen’s face. “It means mate and consort, heart and soul, life and death. It means you are the very air I breathe, the beat of my heart. Simply put, Kyrinen, you are my reason for living.” “Wow, no pressure there.” Kyrinen laughed nervously.

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“Much has been hidden from you, tnúth. You will understand in time.” Kyrinen twirled around to stare up at Haq. “What do you mean? What’s been hidden from me?” Haq smiled, somewhat sadly. He hated the fact that the world Kyrinen knew was about to end. But the world he was going to was so much better. “Finish your morning ritual, and then I will explain. All will be clear to you then.” Kyrinen looked unconvinced. Haq kissed the side of his neck one more time then turned and walked back into the bedroom to pull his boots on. He wasn’t sure how he was going to go about telling Kyrinen everything he needed to tell him. It was pretty heavy stuff. And there was always the possibility that Kyrinen might not believe him. Haq didn’t know if he would believe himself. It was a pretty wild tale. But he couldn’t hide things from Kyrinen, not when their very lives were in danger. Haq glanced up when he heard a soft knock at the bedroom door. He stood up from the side of the bed and walked over to answer it, smiling when he saw Angela standing there. “Hello, Angela. What can I do for you?” “Uh…” Angela’s face flushed. “Kyrinen has my eyeliner.” Haq chuckled. “Tnúth, Angela would like her eyeliner back.” “I’m using it,” Kyrinen called out from the bathroom. “He’s using it,” Haq said as he turned back to Angela. “I’ll make sure he returns it as soon as he’s done.” Angela had a puzzled expression on her face, her head tilted slightly. “You do know we’re talking about eyeliner here, right? Makeup?” “Yes, I’m quite aware of what eyeliner is. I was watching Kyrinen put it on a few minutes ago.” “And it doesn’t bother you?” “No, why should it?”

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Angela’s lips thinned as she pressed them together for a moment. “Most men think another man using makeup makes him into a girl.” Haq chuckled. “I spent the better part of last night fucking Kyrinen into the mattress. I’ve licked every inch of his body from his head down to his toes, and I can tell you from personal knowledge, Kyrinen is not a girl.” Angela’s face reddened even more, but a smile spread across her lips. “Just as long as we’re clear on that.” “We are.” “One more thing we need to be clear on.” Angela’s face darkened. “If you hurt Kyrinen, I will end you.” “If I hurt Kyrinen, I’ll gladly let you do anything you want to me.” Angela blinked like she hadn’t expected that answer, and then she smiled again. “Good. Kyrinen deserves someone that will take care of him, not belittle him for who he is.” Haq’s eyes narrowed. “Someone did that to him?” “It’s happened a few times. They say they like Kyrinen just the way he is, and then they start trying to change him. Stop wearing makeup. Walk like a man. Don’t carry a purse. Grow a backbone. Don’t giggle.” “All of the things that make Kyrinen who he is.” “Yes.” Angela nodded. “Exactly.” “Well, I’d say I like Kyrinen exactly the way he is, but I don’t want to sound like a cliché. However, I do like him like he is, makeup, purse, and all. And his giggle is the most delightful thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t want to change him. I just want him to be mine.” “I suppose that’s a better answer than most have given.” Angela stepped back but shook her finger at Haq. “Just remember that I’ll be watching you. If you make Kyrinen unhappy, you’ll have to deal with me.” The corner of Haq’s mouth turned up. “Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled and shook his head as he watched the fierce woman walk away. He

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was glad that Kyrinen had someone in his corner looking out for him, but he hoped Angela never needed to prove her words. He had no intention of ever hurting Kyrinen. “Are you about done in there, tnúth?” “Almost,” Kyrinen called out. “I just have to finish my hair.” Haq shook his head again. He knew looking good was important to Kyrinen, but why couldn’t he just run a comb through his hair and be done with it? “No need to get all spruced up, tnúth. We’re just going to talk in the living room.” “Okay,” Kyrinen said as he bounced out of the bathroom. “I’m ready.” Haq had to admit that Kyrinen looked spectacular. “You’re gorgeous, tnúth.” Kyrinen grinned. “You think so?” “I know so.” Haq growled as he grabbed Kyrinen and pulled the smaller man into his arms. “You look…lickable.” “Oh, hell no!” Kyrinen said as he pushed out of Haq’s arms. “Do you know how long it took me to get just this shade of lipstick in place? You are not messing it up.” Haq blinked as he watched Mr. Sex on a Stick walk out of the room, leaving him with a raging hard-on and no one to kiss. What had just happened? He followed after Kyrinen, still not sure how he had come out of that situation on the cold end of the stick. He had been about to get a kiss. A good kiss. Haq chuckled softly as he walked down the hallway. Kyrinen had a point. He would have had to fix his lipstick. He was glad to see Angela and Bobby sitting in the living room with Kyrinen when he walked in. Haq walked over to the window and glanced outside. He could see a troop transport sitting just down the street. Armed soldiers patrolled the intersection at the end of the block. Haq drew in a deep breath as he folded his hands behind his back. This wasn’t going to be easy. He was about to change Kyrinen’s

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world as he knew it. A part of Haq wondered if he should just leave well enough alone—a very small part. But he knew he couldn’t. Already, the Earth forces were hunting for them. Pretty soon, others would arrive and hunt for them, too. If he wanted to keep Kyrinen safe, he needed to take him home. “Bobby, do you remember when I was adopted by your parents?” “I was pretty young, but I remember mom and dad telling me that I was going to have a new brother.” “Do you remember where I came from?” “An egg?” Bobby laughed. “No, but close.” Haq smiled over his shoulder. “I’m not from around here. In fact, I am not even from this planet. I come from a place called Eresmi. It’s about thirty thousand light years away from Earth.” Kyrinen blinked then his mouth slowly fell open. “Excuse me?” “I was born on a planet called Eresmi. I came here as a young boy, no more than fifteen years old. I came in search of you, Kyrinen.” Haq nodded his head toward the man. “You were also born on Eresmi.” Unshed tears started to sparkle in Kyrinen’s eyes. “You really believe that, don’t you?” he whispered. Haq could tell that his lover didn’t believe him. He had to have some way to prove it to him. “Do you remember coming to me in your astral form, tnúth?” he asked through their shared mind link. Kyrinen looked apprehensive, but he nodded his head anyway. “That is one of the ways that our people visit each other when they are bonded as you and I are.” Haq walked over and knelt down at Kyrinen’s feet. He reached up to cup Kyrinen’s face, frowning when the man jerked back. It felt like a dagger in his chest. Great, now Kyrinen was afraid of him. How was he going to convince his love to fly away with him if—fly away with him! “I can prove it to you.” “How?” Kyrinen looked skeptical.

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“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. This is just something that has to be seen to be believed.” This time when Haq reached for Kyrinen, the man didn’t jump back. Haq curled his hand around the side of Kyrinen’s face. “Please, tnúth, give me a chance to prove it to you.” A tear trickled down Kyrinen’s pale cheek. “Okay.” Haq smiled. “You won’t regret it, I promise.” Kyrinen smiled weakly. “Okay.” Haq pushed himself to his feet then held out his hand to his lover. He waited for Kyrinen to decide what he was going to do, his heart in his throat until Kyrinen reached up and took his hand, then stood. Haq wrapped an arm around Kyrinen then turned to look at Angela and Bobby. “You are welcome to join us if you so desire.” “Haq, I’ve known you for a lot of years,” Bobby said as he got to his feet. “I’ve always thought you were a little off, but I trust you with my life. If you say you have something to show us that will prove your words, I believe you.” “Thank you, brother.” Bobby suddenly frowned. “If you’re from another planet, does that mean we’re no longer brothers?” “No.” Haq smiled. “Despite our separate births, you will always be my brother.” “Cool.” Angela was a little slower to get to her feet. She was shooting daggers at Haq with her eyes. She shook her finger at Haq. “I swear, mister, if you’re playing us, I will neuter you. I’m a nursing student. I know how to use a scalpel.” Haq quickly held up his hand. “I promise all will be explained to you in time. I am telling the truth.”

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Chapter 6 Kyrinen had found a nut, plain and simple. A handsome and devastating nut, but a nut nonetheless. He slowly walked from the living room with Haq, wondering if he’d ever get this dating thing right. “Where are we going?” Haq smiled gently at him as he nodded toward the bedroom. “It is time to go. We must get to our destination quickly. It is only going to get worse. We must go now, tnúth.” “I wasn’t planning on leaving until tonight,” Kyrinen said as he glanced back at Angela and Bobby. They were already grabbing things and heading out of the apartment. Kyrinen sighed. If Bobby trusted Haq with his life, then he could give the man a chance to prove himself. Kyrinen walked into his bedroom and grabbed the duffel bags he had stored by his closet, filling both hands as Haq reached for another bag. “What about your things? Don’t you need to pack?” Haq shook his head. “There is nothing on this planet that I wish to take with me except you. Besides, we don’t have time. Now hurry, tnúth.” Okay, he was going to go out on a limb and trust that Haq knew what he was talking about. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose. The world was in chaos, and Kyrinen wasn’t sure what was going to happen from one day to the next. But one thing he did agree with Haq on, they needed to get away from the city. There was no way Kyrinen was going anywhere and registering. He had a feeling that once he registered, he’d never see the light of

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day again. Kyrinen frowned. He wasn’t sure where that feeling came from, but he knew it was true with every fiber of his being. “Are you okay, tnúth?” Haq asked as Kyrinen stood there in the middle of the room staring at his lover. “Why do you think we have to register?” he asked. “I mean, I know why the government says we have to, but do you think it’s something else, something they aren’t telling us?” Haq looked saddened and angry all at once as he nodded. “There is, but I don’t have time to explain it right now. We must hurry.” “I’m going to trust that you know what you are doing,” Kyrinen said as he walked out of the bedroom. He sat one bag down as he got to the living room, grabbing his purse with the safety-deposit box contents tucked neatly inside. Kyrinen slung it over his shoulder and then grabbed the duffel bag again. He looked behind him to see Haq carrying four bags. Four bags! His eyes widened as Haq walked past him. Damn, the man was hot when he was being all he-man. Kyrinen forgot he was a nut job and licked his lips, wanting to taste every last muscle Haq possessed. He groaned when his cock hardened. Now was not the time to think about getting fucked. He was already screwed if the military caught them. Kyrinen sighed as he walked out of the apartment behind Haq. There was an underground parking lot, and it seemed to be deserted, minus them. Angela and Bobby were already heading back up to gather more items. “We must hurry,” Haq reminded the couple. “You told us,” Bobby said and then smiled. “We won’t be long.” Kyrinen stored the duffel bags and then looked back at Haq. “I know that look. You might want to go after them and make sure they aren’t making out instead of gathering our things.” Haq cursed as he set the four bags by Kyrinen’s feet, mumbling something about not having time for this. Kyrinen chuckled as he began to store the rest of the bags. A noise sounded from somewhere off to his left.

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Kyrinen stilled, listening intently. He could hear echoed voices coming closer. It could be tenants, but it could also be the military. If they were caught packing and leaving, Kyrinen knew they would be detained, and then he would have to register. He wouldn’t have a choice. Kyrinen wasn’t sure why that thought kept coming up, the feeling of doom when he thought about registering, but he knew it was a deadly thing. Well, that was ominous. He closed the back of the SUV and walked around to the driver’s side, squatting down. Kyrinen lifted his head just enough to peek over the hood of other cars. Damn. There were two men dressed in military fatigues, heading his way. “Don’t come out. There are military men in the parking garage,” he warned Haq silently. He was so glad he could talk telepathically to Haq. “Are you safe? Can they see you?” Haq asked with a bit of panic in his voice. “They can’t see me.” Kyrinen shook his head and then rolled his eyes. Like Haq could see him. He ducked down, walking around the front of the vehicle as he stayed in his bent position. The men walked by casually, carrying on a conversation as they took their sweet time. Kyrinen could feel his entire body break out in a sweat. He didn’t want to be caught. He wanted to be in Haq’s arms for as long as he possibly could. The thought struck him while he knelt in front of the vehicle. He was falling in love with Haq. Kyrinen knew at that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the man, even if he was off of his rocker. Kyrinen dropped to his hands and crawled around to the passenger’s side of the SUV. Thank god it had dark windows. The military men wouldn’t see all the duffel bags stowed inside. “This isn’t a normal registry,” one of the men was saying. Kyrinen listened closely.

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“They made my sister give a sample of her DNA. Since when did registering consist of blood work?” the other commented. Kyrinen froze when he heard the last part. He knew it! Something more was going on here. When registering, a person gave their statistics, family name, size of household, so on and so forth. Who the hell took blood samples? When the men finally rounded a corner, Kyrinen was able to breathe a little easier. He waited a few minutes, just in case they circled back around, and then called out to his lover. “It’s clear.” Haq pulled the door open to the stairwell, rushing out and grabbing Kyrinen into his arms. He thought the man was going to squeeze all of the air out of him. Haq cupped his face, his eyes filled with fear and relief. “We must go now,” Haq said sternly. “But I don’t have all of my things,” Angela whispered as she looked in the direction the military men had disappeared. Haq shook his head. “Then they will be left behind.” Angela looked as though she was about to argue, but Bobby pulled her around the SUV to the passenger’s side and helped her in. Kyrinen also had a few things left, but after that heart-racing moment, he didn’t care. “Let’s go,” he said as he opened the front passenger door. He was ready to leave and leave now. He wouldn’t even look back. Haq climbed into the driver’s side as Kyrinen slid in. He buckled his seatbelt then swallowed hard. This was it. They were taking off for the great unknown. Once they left the garage, they would be on the run. His fingers curled around the belt that was restraining him as Haq reversed from the spot he had been parked in and then drove out of the garage. The bright sunlight hit Kyrinen directly in his eyes. He cupped his hands over his eyes, blinking a few times as he tried to adjust them. He was amazed to see that the military force had practically doubled. There were roadblocks everywhere.

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There was no way they were getting through. “Here,” Bobby said as he handed Haq and Kyrinen a small white card. “A medical buddy of mine showed me his card. I made copies, counterfeiting one for all of us.” “Shit!” Kyrinen grabbed the card, staring at it as they came to a stop. He prayed this worked. Kyrinen looked over at Haq. He had the same expression of hope on his face. Kyrinen’s hands began to shake when a soldier walked up to their window and rapped his knuckles on the glass. Haq rolled the window down and smiled at the soldier. Kyrinen wanted to throw up. “Name and destination,” the soldier said. “Sebastian Haq,” Haq said. “We’re medical students at the university. We’ve been called in to help down at the local hospital.” Haq chuckled and leaned in closer. “Our adviser said if we volunteered we’d get class credit for it.” Kyrinen dug his fingers into his thigh as the soldier took all of their ID cards and checked them over on his list. He almost hyperventilated when the soldier glanced up then looked past Haq to him. “Kyrinen Reed and Angela Crane, you’ll have to step out of the vehicle. You’re on my list to be registered before you can leave the neighborhood.” “Oh.” Kyrinen frowned. “But we’re not leaving the neighborhood. The hospital is two blocks over.” “Still, it might be better if you stepped out of the vehicle and registered.” “What do I do?” Kyrinen cried out through his bond with Haq. “Just stay calm.” Calm, right. Military men were back at his apartment trying to get him to register, and now they had been stopped at the end of the block before they could escape. They were totally fucked. “Should we pull over?” Haq asked the soldier.

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“Yes, you can—ah fuck, what now?” The soldier suddenly shouted when a loud crash sounded from behind them. He stepped back and looked back down the street as several armed soldiers ran past him. Kyrinen turned to see that a car had rear-ended another one. The two drivers were out of their vehicles, shouting at each other. The soldiers were trying to calm them down, but it looked like things were escalating. More and more people were climbing out of their vehicles to see what was going on. “Sir?” Haq asked again. “Should we pull over?” “Look, get your blood drawn while you’re down at the hospital and get registered before you come home,” the soldier said as he handed the ID cards back. “Now, get out of here. You’re blocking traffic.” Kyrinen didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until they were out of the neighborhood and on the freeway. He slumped in his seat and turned to stare out the window. That had been way too close. If they got caught again, Kyrinen wasn’t sure they would be able to bluff their way out of it. They were screwed. **** “We’ll make it, tnúth.” Haq wished he had more reassuring words to give to his bondmate, but those were all he had. He needed to believe that they would make it. Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to deliver Kyrinen into his hands then take him away the very next day. Would it? Kyrinen turned and gave Haq a weak smile. “Make it where, exactly?” “The mountains, actually,” Haq said, “so the bit about us going camping isn’t a bad one. If we get stopped again, we’re just a bunch of friends going camping. The gear in the back should help our story.” “What exactly is in the mountains?”

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Haq drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He really didn’t want to freak Kyrinen out any more than he already was. “I told you that I’m not from Earth.” “Right.” Haq arched an eyebrow. “How do you think I got here?” Kyrinen blinked. “A spaceship? You’re taking us to see a spaceship?” Haq smiled at the astonishment in Kyrinen’s voice. “Well, it’s more of a shuttle and less of a ship. I was only fifteen when I stole it to come find you, and I didn’t know how to pilot a full-sized ship. It’ll get us where we’re going, though.” “What do you mean, when you came to find me?” “You’re mine, tnúth. You’ve always been mine, since you were just a few days old and your father placed you in my arms.” Haq smiled at the memory, one of his happiest. “It was the day of my tenth birthday.” Kyrinen’s jaw dropped. “I was your birthday present?” “In a manner of speaking, yes.” Haq chuckled. He had never seen it that way, but he supposed Kyrinen was correct. “I knew the second you were born. That’s how everyone knew we were meant to be bondmates. I felt your first breath.” “What does that have to do with your birthday?” “Like I said, you were just a few days old when I turned ten. When an Eresmian finds their bondmate, the need to have a mental bond with them is consuming. And it was for me, even at such a young age. We were brought together and bonded through one of our most ancient rituals.” “We were children.” “Which is why we only shared a mental bond. We are forbidden from consummating our bond until we are of age, as we are now. The mental bond sustains us until that time.” Kyrinen’s eyebrow arched. “And what if we don’t want to be bonded?”

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Haq felt a sudden deep pain in his chest as he looked over at Kyrinen. “You don’t want to be bonded with me?” He had never entertained that possibility. He knew Kyrinen didn’t understand about their bond, but to deny it would destroy them both. “I didn’t say that,” Kyrinen said, turning to look down at his hands. “I just want to know what would happen if someone didn’t want to be bonded.” “I can’t honestly answer that, Kyrinen,” Haq admitted truthfully. “I’ve never heard of anyone not accepting the bond. It’s something we look forward to with great anticipation.” “Why?” Haq glanced over at Kyrinen and then back at the road. “Can you not feel it? The bond? It is something that only two people share, something so intimate that it is hard to describe. The longer we are bonded, the stronger the bond will become.” Haq drove, but his mind was on his mate. Would Kyrinen understand? Would he accept it? “I feel close to you. I’ve never felt this close to anyone else. I felt like you could see right into my soul when we met, and there’s a part of me that trusts you with my life. But there’s also a part of me that’s screaming that I don’t know you. How can I trust someone I don’t even know that well?” “It’ll come, tnúth.” Haq prayed that it would. He’d never heard of a bondmate not giving himself over completely to the bond. It was inconceivable to him. And heart wrenching to even consider it. They drove through the day, being stopped three more times along the way to Haq’s shuttle. Luckily, so far, all of the soldiers they had run across at military blockades believed their story about camping and let them go without incident. That wouldn’t last. Haq knew exactly how dangerous this trip truly was and prayed to the gods that his mate stayed safe. If the military made Kyrinen register, then his blood would be run through a data bank, alerting those who were seeking him to his presence. Haq was not going to let that happen.

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Haq glanced at the GPS, seeing that they only had a few miles left. He wouldn’t breathe easy until they were out of Earth’s atmosphere and past the invading ships. That was no meteor shower that the television had reported. It was the same beings that had invaded his home world. The Katoni were on the hunt, searching for Kyrinen, and they were coming straight for Earth—straight for Kyrinen. The Katoni were relentless. They wouldn’t stop looking until they found what they sought. Unfortunately, at the moment they sought Kyrinen and Haq, but mostly Kyrinen. Haq just hoped that he could get Kyrinen to the safety of the rebel base before they were captured. “How much further, Haq?” Kyrinen’s voice pulled Haq from his inner scrutiny. He glanced over at his mate. Kyrinen looked tired, weary, and they had only begun the first leg of their journey. He knew he had kept his mate up all night claiming him, but Haq wasn’t about to feel regret for that. He had waited a very long time to consummate their bonding. “Not much further, tnúth,” Haq said as he reached over and patted Kyrinen’s thigh. “It’s only a few more miles. Try to get some rest.” Haq knew he was asking the impossible. It was a stressful situation. Kyrinen was wound up tight, and Haq knew this. But he had to try. “I think I’ll rest once we’re on your spaceship,” Kyrinen said the last word with a bit of humor in his voice. Haq couldn’t blame the man. If roles were reversed, he doubted he would have come along for the ride. After living on Earth for nearly twenty years, Haq knew that asking Kyrinen to believe his outlandish tale was almost asking the impossible. But he knew he could prove his words once they got where they were going. Keeping Kyrinen from freaking after that point was another story. Just as Haq drove around the bend that would take them up into the mountain, another roadblock came into view. There weren’t many soldiers at this point, but the few that were there were heavily armed. Haq prayed they made it through the inspection smoothly.

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He rolled to a stop, letting his window down as he collected everyone’s fake IDs and handed them over to the soldier standing at his window. The man checked his clipboard and then looked at the cards again. “I’ll need Kyrinen Reed and Angela Crane to step out of the vehicle.” Haq cursed. “We are on our way to go camping. Is there a problem?” He could feel the panic coming off of Kyrinen in waves. The man was moments away from losing it. “Stay calm, tnúth.” Haq spoke the words, but he saw no distraction that would help them out of things this time. There weren’t any cars around or even any houses. They were on a back road leading into the mountains. “Sir, I need—” Haq saw the other soldiers start to move toward them, drawing their guns. He smashed his foot on the gas pedal, crashing through the blockade as he drove straight for the road that would lead to his shuttle. “Haq!” Kyrinen cried out in panic. “They’re going to capture us.” Haq growled as he drove into the woods. He brought the SUV to a stop close to a large section of trees then jumped from the driver’s seat. He knew they’d have a better chance on foot. “Not today, they aren’t.” He growled. “Grab what you absolutely cannot live without and leave the rest. We have a lot of walking to do.” Kyrinen groaned as he climbed out of the SUV and grabbed his bag. “This so totally sucks.” Haq grinned as he helped Kyrinen go through his bags and grab just the essentials. Angela and Bobby were doing the same. Haq stepped toward them, holding his hand out to stop them. “If you go any further with us, your lives will be in danger.” Haq grimaced when he heard Kyrinen cry out from behind him. “I think this is where we need to part company. If you keep on this road, it

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will take you to the state highway, and you can head to Montana from there. You should be safe there.” “What?” Angela cried out. She glanced past Haq to Kyrinen. “I’m not leaving Kyrie.” “Angela—” “No!” Angela snapped. “It’s not happening, so you can forget about it.” “Angela, please.” Angela shook her head adamantly. Haq glanced at Bobby. “Can’t you make her see reason?” Bobby snorted. “I agree with her.” Haq frowned. “You’re a lot of help.” “There is safety in numbers, Haq.” “There’s also danger in numbers, Bobby.” Haq waved his hand up the mountain. “Once we get to the top of this mountain, we are taking off in a spaceship, leaving Earth. Do you get that? We won’t be coming back anytime soon.” Bobby waved his hand down the mountain. “Staying here doesn’t seem like a safe bet, either. You do realize that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, right? If what you’ve told us is right, not only has our government lost their minds, but our names are on some list that could get our asses in a whole lot of trouble.” “Bobby, listen to what you’re saying.” Haq had to make his adopted brother see reason. “You’d be leaving everything behind— your friends, your education, everything. Are you willing to do that?” “As long as I have Angela,” Bobby said as he stepped closer to the woman and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “I don’t care where we are, and she wants to be wherever Kyrinen is. That’s good enough for me.” Haq’s shoulders slumped. “It will be just as dangerous where we’re going. We’re at war back home. Are you prepared for that?” “We’re at war here, Haq.”

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Haq knew when he had been beaten. He sighed deeply. “Fine, grab what you want to take with you, but only what you can carry. You’ll have to leave everything else behind. And we’ll need to travel fast and light so, seriously, only take what means the most to you.” Haq was glad that he had decided to allow Bobby and Angela to go with them when Kyrinen’s arms wrapped around him from behind and his mate’s head pressed into his back. “Thank you, Haq.” Haq smiled and patted Kyrinen’s hands. “No problem, tnúth. I just hope they don’t regret it.” “I’ve known Angela since first grade. She’s my best friend. She helped keep me together when my parents died. I’m really not sure what I would do without her.” “And Bobby?” “Well.” Kyrinen snickered. “Everyone has excess baggage.”

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Chapter 7 Kyrinen panted heavily as they climbed higher and higher up the mountain. He continuously looked over his shoulder as the four of them made their way to Haq’s spaceship. He prayed that Haq wasn’t delusional. He didn’t see any other way out of this mess. The soldiers had their ID cards, which meant they were now fugitives. He was grateful when Haq reached back and pulled him up a steep incline. Bobby helped Angela up as they all stopped to take a breather and looked around. There was nothing but trees for miles around. Kyrinen wasn’t even sure they were headed in the right direction. It all looked the same—trees, trees, and more trees. “Are you sure you know where we are going?” Kyrinen asked as he dusted leaves and pine needles off of his shirt and pants. “I have it memorized, tnúth. We are not lost, but we do need to keep moving. I’m not sure what that soldier is going to do or if he is going to call in reinforcements. We need to hurry.” Kyrinen grabbed Haq’s hand as they continued through the forest. Okay, it was official. Kyrinen was a city boy through and through. The forest was making him nauseous. He felt queasy the further along they traveled. Maybe it was the high altitude. They had been climbing uphill for some time now. “You look a little green.” Angela giggled as she caught up with Kyrinen. “You’re blending in beautifully with our surroundings.” Kyrinen would have thought that funny any other time, but he was feeling a bit sick. He drew in a lung full of air and then pressed on. They didn’t have time for him to duck behind a tree and vomit. And that’s exactly what he felt like doing.

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“We’re almost there, tnúth,” Haq said as he looked at him quizzically. “Are you feeling okay?” His hand became firmer as he held onto Kyrinen. “I think it’s just the high altitude. I’m fine.” Kyrinen played if off. He wasn’t going to be the reason the group slowed down and was caught. He could do this. He gripped the strap of his purse tighter as they came around a bend. He slapped a hand over his mouth as his stomach rolled. Kyrinen ran for the nearest tree and vomited. His stomach felt like it was on the ocean, as much as it was rolling around. His body shook as he dropped to his knees and vomited until there was nothing in his stomach. He felt like he was dying. Kyrinen wondered if it was just the high altitude. On second thought, there were other factors. He was terrified out of his mind, he hadn’t gotten much sleep, and he hadn’t eaten since yesterday. All the factors added up to him becoming sick. Kyrinen stood, Haq at his back. “Are you sure you are okay?” He nodded as he turned. “Yeah. I just need to get some rest and eat something. But that can wait. We need to find your ship.” Haq didn’t look like he believed a word Kyrinen was saying, but he nodded and led Kyrinen back over to the others. “This way.” He pointed. “One more mile and we should be there.” “One more mile.” Kyrinen shuddered. “Easy for you to say.” Haq chuckled. “You’ll make it, tnúth. I won’t leave you behind.” Kyrinen frowned as he walked beside Haq. “If we were bonded when you were ten years old, just how did I end up on Earth?” “Our world was invaded by the Katoni, much as Earth is being invaded now. I suspect that is what is going on with your world governments.” “What?” “When you were just a couple of years old, there was an assassination attempt on several high government officials, people close to your father. They were placed in hiding for their own safety.

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We learned later that those same officials had actually been killed and replaced by the invaders.” “They can do that?” “Do that?” “Change their shape? Shape-shift? Morph? Transform?” Kyrinen shrugged. “I don’t know what you call it.” “Ah, not exactly. The Katoni grew clones of the officials.” Kyrinen swallowed. “Clones?” Haq nodded. “You can clone a fully adult male in about sixty days, longer than even our gestational period. You just can’t clone a person’s personality. That’s always a dead giveaway. And that’s how we discovered the ‘replacements,’ as we call them.” “Wait, wait, back up a moment.” Kyrinen felt like he was stepping into a science-fiction novel. “How long is your gestational period?” “Our gestational period, tnúth. You are Eresmian also.” Haq winked. “And it’s approximately six weeks from conception to birth.” Kyrinen blinked. “That’s got to suck. There isn’t even any time to get used to the fact that they are pregnant before they are popping out a kid. Those poor women.” “And men.” “Huh?” “Both the men and women of Eresmi are capable of carrying a child to term and giving birth.” Kyrinen stared. His mouth opened, then snapped shut when not a single word would leave his lips. There was just no fucking way. Men did not have children—not even him. Kyrinen knew that he was a little too feminine for most people, but he wasn’t that feminine. “No.” Kyrinen pulled his hand from Haq’s and started pacing, shaking his head as hysteria threatened to take him to his knees. “Oh, hell no. I am not giving birth to no kid. I can barely take care of myself. There’s no way in hell I can take care of a kid.” “Tnúth—”

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“No!” Kyrinen sliced his hand through the air. “It’s not happening.” “It may already have happened, tnúth.” Kyrinen’s jaw dropped. He sat down suddenly when his legs gave out. This wasn’t happening. Men did not give birth. It was impossible. Things like this just didn’t happen. “Breathe, tnúth,” Haq said as he pressed Kyrinen’s head between his knees. “You’re getting upset over something that should be a great joy for us.” “Fuck you, Haq,” Kyrinen mumbled. Haq chuckled. “I thought you didn’t top.” Kyrinen’s head snapped back, and he shot daggers at Haq with his eyes. “I changed my mind. I’ll fuck you, and you can carry the kids. I refuse to be pregnant.” Haq squatted down next to Kyrinen and cupped his hand around the side of Kyrinen’s face. “I’m afraid it may already be too late, tnúth. The chances that you are already carrying are very high.” “Why?” Kyrinen whimpered. The thought of being pregnant scared him more than the soldiers did. “Oh, tnúth, it is not that bad.” Haq dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Kyrinen, pulling the smaller man close to his chest. “When I claimed you as my bondmate, do you remember feeling my cock grow larger?” Kyrinen’s head snapped back. “You want to talk about sex now?” Haq chuckled. “It is part of the ritual for claiming our bondmates. My cock grew inside of you, keeping me there until the bond was complete. The bond is only complete when your body has absorbed enough of my seed to satisfy the link between us.” Kyrinen snorted. “In other words, you fucked me until I was pregnant.” “I made love to you until the bond was complete,” Haq said sternly, his face darkening. “I did not fuck you.”

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Kyrinen frowned at Haq. “You’re questioning my choice of words when you might have gotten me pregnant without my permission? Are you fucking nuts?” Kyrinen suddenly laughed hysterically. “Oh, that’s right. You think you’re from outer space. You are nuts!” “Kyrinen!” Kyrinen laughed until tears streamed down his face. He had lost his mind. He understood that. He didn’t understand why no one else was laughing with him. This shit was funny. Instead, Haq looked pissed and a little bit hurt, and Angela and Bobby just seemed confused. Haq walked over and grabbed the bags Kyrinen had been carrying. He lifted them up onto his shoulders then started up the hill once again. “We need to get going. We don’t know if those soldiers called in reinforcements or not.” Kyrinen sat there on the cold, hard ground and watched Haq walk away. His shoulders were stiff, his head bent down as he walked up the hill. Kyrinen frowned, his laughter slowly dying away. He hadn’t meant to hurt Haq’s feelings, but this was ridiculous. “That wasn’t very nice, Kyrie.” Kyrinen glanced over at Angela, the one person that should have backed him up. She was frowning over at him like she disapproved of his behavior. “Did you hear what he said?” Kyrinen snapped as he waved his hand up the hill. “I might be pregnant, Angela.” “So what if you are?” “Men don’t have babies!” Kyrinen slapped his hands into the ground on either side of him. “Well, maybe it’s about damn time they did,” Angela snapped right back. One of Angela’s hands landed on her hip. The other pointed up the hill after Haq. “No matter how upset you might be over this, that is no reason to treat Haq like shit. He truly cares about you, Kyrinen, and you just tore his heart out.” Kyrinen’s eyebrows drew together in a deep frown as he looked up the hill after Haq. He was walking like the weight of the world sat

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on his shoulders. Kyrinen knew he was only adding to that weight with every word that left his mouth. He wished that he understood this bond thing that Haq kept talking about. He knew he felt closer to Haq than he had to anyone in his entire life, but he had grown up on Earth, where things like the bond just did not happen. It was hard to wrap his mind around. It was even harder to wrap his heart around it—or Haq. What if this was all a dream, a fantasy he had built up in his head? What if Haq wasn’t real? Hell, what if none of this was real? Even worse, what if Haq really was crazy? “We need to catch up with Haq,” Bobby said as he shouldered his bag. Kyrinen nodded and climbed to his feet. He started up the hill after Haq, his mind on everything that had happened to him in the last week, until he heard a shout below him. Kyrinen’s heart pounded loudly in his chest as he looked back down the hill and saw several men in military gear coming up the hill after them. “Haq!” Kyrinen shouted as he began running up the hill as fast as he could. Haq paused and glanced back. His eyes widened, and he dropped the bags he was carrying and started running back down the hill toward Kyrinen. When he reached him, Haq grabbed Kyrinen’s hand and started dragging him up the hill so fast that Kyrinen’s feet just dragged along the ground. Haq grabbed their bags in his free hand as they ran past them, never even slowing down. “Hurry, Kyrinen.” “I’m hurrying.” “Well, hurry faster, damn it.” “Hello, short legs here.” Kyrinen pointed to his legs. He wasn’t the tallest tree in the forest. That was for sure. “This is as fast as I hurry.” Haq wrapped an arm around Kyrinen’s waist, damn near pulling him off his feet as he ran up the mountain. Kyrinen was still frazzled

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from earlier, but seeing the men chasing after them made him forget his argument. Kyrinen’s ribs were giving him hell as he panted. He hadn’t had this much exercise in like—ever. He glanced back to make sure Bobby and Angela were keeping up. He was surprised to see Angela smiling at him as she ran. She didn’t even look winded! “There!” Haq shouted as he ran toward a clump of bushes on the side of the hill. They were just bushes. Kyrinen didn’t see any damn spaceship! He was going to vomit again if Haq had been lying to them. “Where?” Kyrinen asked as he glanced behind him. The men hadn’t caught up to them yet, but he knew they soon would. Damn it! Why did he have to go and fall for a crazy man? Haq was the hottest guy Kyrinen had ever laid eyes on, but he was terrified the man was delusional. “Right here.” Kyrinen looked where Haq pointed, but he didn’t see anything but bushes. Oh hell, Haq was delusional. Kyrinen felt tears start to fill the corners of his eyes as he turned to look at Haq. Maybe they could just pretend this never happened? Haq seemed pretty good at the whole fantasy thing. They could pretend the military wasn’t hunting them while they went on some wild-goose chase. Yeah, that was it. “Haq—” Haq rolled his eyes and pointed his arm toward a bunch of bushes. He started pressing buttons on his wristwatch. Kyrinen glanced at Bobby and Angela to see them watching Haq with a bit of sadness in their eyes. It mirrored the sadness inside of Kyrinen. “Haq, honey, why don’t we—holy christ on a crutch!” Kyrinen’s mouth dropped open as the bushes shimmered for a moment then darkened from forest green to a dark metallic grey. The more they shimmered, the more solid the shimmer became, until a huge ship materialized before them.

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“You—you—” Kyrinen swallowed hard. “Oh hell, I am pregnant, aren’t I?” **** Haq smirked as he watched Kyrinen’s eyes widen to an almost impossible size as he stared at the metallic spaceship nestled in the trees. He knew they didn’t have much time, but he wanted just a moment to bask in their disbelief. “Now do you believe me?” “Uh-huh.” Kyrinen nodded his head, still looking bewildered. “Then do you think we can get on the damn ship before the soldiers get here?” Kyrinen’s face paled even more as he looked over at Haq. “You first.” Haq rolled his eyes again. He pushed another button on his watch. The ship let out a loud noise as the air inside unpressurized to match Earth’s atmosphere, and then the door slowly opened and stairs extended from the ship. “Shall we?” Haq asked as he picked up their bags and carried them toward the ship. It was good to be back amongst technology from his home world again. The air inside of the ship was a bit stale, but Haq hadn’t been here in a few years. He had been too busy searching for his bondmate. Haq stood by the doorway and waited for Kyrinen, Bobby, and Angela to board, then hit the button to close the door. He dropped their bags in the first available doorway and headed for the bridge. The shuttle he had stolen from home was just that, a shuttle. But it was a large shuttle, as shuttles went. It was meant to transport large groups of people from one planet to another in style. It was capable of carrying up to a hundred people. That meant it held several staterooms and a few different lounges, and a large kitchen and dining hall.

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It had everything they would need to get back to their home planet—assuming they could leave Earth’s atmosphere and escape undetected through the oncoming invasion forces. The shuttle had limited defensive weapons. They would need to use stealth and surprise to get through. “Buckle in,” Haq said when they reached the bridge. He walked right over to the command chair and sat down, pulling the captain’s consul over in front of him. The first thing he did was pressurize the ship’s air, expelling the stale air and replacing it with clean air. Next, he started up the ship’s propulsion engines. They wouldn’t be able to go to light speed until they had left Earth’s atmosphere and got into outer space. Haq hoped to wait until they circled around the moon before engaging the warp drive. He didn’t want to leave a trail for anyone to follow. “Kyrinen, hit that red button over there and tell me how far away the soldiers are.” “What red button?” Kyrinen asked as he looked around the room. “There are hundreds of red buttons. Could you be a bit more specific?” Haq huffed and pushed the captain’s consul away from his lap. He got up and quickly walked over to another consul and pushed the red button. A small screen in the consul flickered to life. “Watch that screen,” he told Kyrinen as he pointed to it. “It will tell you in feet how far away any life forms are. Read them out to me.” Kyrinen nodded and sat down at the chair in front of the consul. “Uh, it says that the soldiers are three thousand and forty-three yards away and closing.” “Okay, good.” Haq walked back over to his chair and sat down. He pulled the captain’s consul back over his lap then cast a quick glance at Bobby and Angela, who still stood in the doorway. “You’re going to want to buckle in for this.”

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He chuckled as they raced to two of the empty seats on the bridge and buckled themselves in. Once the engines were sufficiently charged, Haq started the liftoff procedures. Unfortunately, that took a few minutes. Shuttles did not just lift off like spaceships did, especially not fancy transport shuttles. Haq wished he had thought about that when he was deciding to steal a ship and go after Kyrinen. Unfortunately, his only concern then had been finding his bondmate. If he had used his brain, he would have stolen a fighter ship instead of a shuttle. “Okay, everyone hold on,” Haq said as they started to lift off. “It’s been a few years since I’ve done this, so it might be a little bumpy.” “Three thousand and two yards, Haq.” “Thank you, Kyrinen.” The soldiers were getting closer, but they were going to be too late. However, they could always call in an airstrike. Haq knew from when he came to Earth that shaking their air defenses wasn’t as easy as it looked in the movies. He had almost had his tail shot off before he was able to land and cloak the shuttle. Unfortunately, the shuttle could only be cloaked when it was on the ground or in the air. And once in the air, it couldn’t be cloaked while leaving the atmosphere. This meant they could cloak for a brief few minutes until they went through the ionosphere, then they would have to uncloak until they reached outer space. There was a lot that could go wrong in between those times. “Haq!” Kyrinen exclaimed when the ship suddenly tilted to one side. Haq grinned. “Sorry.” He righted the ship and lifted it up higher into the air. “Um, Haq,” Kyrinen said slowly, “those soldiers? They’re shooting at us.” “Not for long.” Haq waited until they had cleared the trees then engaged the cloaking device. As soon as they were cloaked, he shoved the ship into overdrive and shot straight up into the air.

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“Holy shit!” Kyrinen started laughing. “They are totally freaking out.” Haq chuckled. “I cloaked the ship, but I can only do that for so long. Once we start to pass out of the Earth’s atmosphere, we won’t be able to stay cloaked.” “What does that mean?” Kyrinen started to sound panicked again. “It means it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

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Chapter 8 Haq walked over to stand next to his bondmate. Kyrinen hadn’t said a word since they left Earth’s atmosphere and flew past the moon. They still had a long ways to go before they reached home, but the cloaking device was active and they had slipped past the invaders without incident. For now, they were safe. After typing a heading for Eresmi into the navigation system, Haq had helped Bobby and Angela get settled in one of the staterooms, tossed his and Kyrinen’s bags into another one, then went in search of his bondmate. Kyrinen was just staring out one of the windows in the observation lounge. “How are you feeling, tnúth?” he asked softly, watching Kyrinen carefully. “Confused…bewildered…uncertain…” Kyrinen’s eyes were saddened as he looked over at Haq. “Scared.” “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Haq wished he could give Kyrinen more assurance than that, anything to make the man feel better, but it was all he had. “I’d protect you with my life.” Kyrinen’s eyebrows drew together in a deep, confused, frown. “Why?” “Because you’re mine.” “What if I don’t want to be yours?” Haq felt daggers of pain stab him in the heart again. He tried to remember that Kyrinen had been raised on Earth and had the outlook of an earthling. It didn’t make his heart feel any better knowing that his mate was rejecting him.

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He licked his dry lips and glanced out the window. “Do you want me to take you back to Earth?” It would kill him to do so, but if that was what Kyrinen wanted, that’s what he would do. He’d even stay on Earth with him, watching his bondmate from afar to ensure his safety. Kyrinen would never even know he was there. “No. I want you to explain to me how you can be so sure of everything after knowing each other for just a couple of days.” Kyrinen rubbed his hand over his face then turned to look out the window along with Haq. “You seem to be so positive of all of this, but I’m not. I can’t accept it just because you say it is true. Can’t you understand that?” Haq swallowed past the lump building in his throat and nodded. “I do understand, Kyrinen.” He turned to look at Kyrinen, trying to keep the anguish filling him off his face and out of his voice. “If you want to return to Earth, I’ll return you. If you want to go on to Eresmi, I’ll do that, too. I’ll do whatever you want.” “I don’t know what I want.” Kyrinen laughed nervously. “Everything is so chaotic right now. It’s fucking crazy.” Haq drew in a quick breath. If he told Kyrinen that his emotions were probably chaotic due to his pregnancy, the man might deck him. Kyrinen seemed to think carrying their child was abhorrent. That in itself made Haq’s chest tighten. He was overjoyed that Kyrinen showed the signs of being pregnant. He couldn’t think of anything better than holding the proof of their bond in his hands. Except Kyrinen didn’t believe in their bond and wanted nothing to do with carrying their child. “I have a room for you if you’d like to lie down and get some rest.” “Maybe that would be a good idea.” Kyrinen sighed deeply. “I’m very tired.” “Are you hungry?” Kyrinen shook his head. “I don’t think I could keep anything down right now. My stomach is still doing loops.”

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“Takeoff can do that to someone that hasn’t experienced it before.” So could carrying their young, but that was another thing Haq wasn’t going to mention. It was obvious to him that the whole baby thing was totally off-limits. Haq led Kyrinen down the corridor to one of the staterooms. He hit the button to slide the door open then stood back and watched Kyrinen walk in. He looked around the room for a moment—the large platform bed, the windows that showed the stars flashing by, the small sitting area with lounging couches built in to the bulkhead. “It’s nice.” Kyrinen smiled when he looked back across the room at Haq. “The bathroom is straight through there.” Haq pointed to a door on the far side of the room. “If you get hungry, just buzz me on the consul by the door and I’ll get you something to eat. I can show you how the food replicators work after you rest.” Kyrinen nodded. “Thank you.” “I’ll be on the bridge if you need anything.” Haq stood there, waiting for Kyrinen to say he needed him. He almost screamed in frustration when Kyrinen simply nodded his head again. He twirled around and walked out the door, hitting the button to close it as he left. Haq felt like a third wheel. He could tell when he wasn’t wanted. He was clenching his hands and grinding his teeth by the time he reached the bridge and sat down. The urge to destroy something rode him hard. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He had searched nearly his entire life for his bondmate. He was supposed to be with him now, not relegated to anywhere Kyrinen wasn’t. Haq tried to be understanding that Kyrinen was in shock. In a matter of days, his entire world had changed. It was going to keep on changing, too. Haq couldn’t prevent that any more than he could prevent Kyrinen’s rejection. Haq sighed and leaned his head back against the headrest. This totally sucked. “Give him time,” said a soft voice from behind him. “He’ll come around.”

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“I’m not sure I believe you.” There was a small, but worried, smile on Angela’s face as she walked around to stand beside Haq. She hesitated for a moment then patted Haq’s arm. “You’re good for Kyrie, and once he gets over his shock, he’ll realize that.” “Maybe.” Haq was beginning to wonder if he would ever hold his bondmate in his arms again. “I think he’s feeling a little forced right now.” Haq frowned and sat up. “I would never force Kyrinen.” “Your bond forced him.” Haq shook his head. “A bond is not like that.” “It certainly seems that way to me,” Angela replied. “And I’m sure it seems that way to Kyrinen.” Haq slumped back in his chair again, rubbing his hands over his face before dropping them onto the arm rests. “The bond between two of our people is a very sacred thing. I wish that I could make you all understand that. It’s not something to tie someone down or force them. It’s supposed to bring them comfort and caring.” Haq swallowed hard. “It’s supposed to bring them love.” Angela walked over and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Haq, twirling it around until she faced him. “So tell me about the bond. What does it mean to you? Why is it so important?” “In the days before my tenth birthday, I was just like any other Eresmian. I went to school, played with my friends, and spent time with my family. I was basically a kid like you have on Earth.” “And that changed?” “Yeah, it did.” Haq smiled as he remembered how it had changed. “I was playing with my friends in the park not too far from my home when a warmth unlike anything I had ever felt filled me. I knew the exact moment that Kyrinen took his first breath.” “What did you do?” Haq chuckled. “You mean after I sat there in wonder that my bondmate had been born?”

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Angela nodded, looking totally enthralled. “I ran home and told my father. He immediately informed our high priest that I had felt the mating call.” “The mating call?” “The mating call is when one soul calls out for another. It’s how we know our bondmates.” “What happened?” “After Kyrinen’s birth was registered, I was sent for, as were the others that had felt a mating call.” Haq smiled ruefully. “It’s not always apparent who is mated with who when one of the bondmates is so young.” “Then how did you know Kyrinen was your bondmate?” “He was screaming his head off and had been for hours. The moment he was placed in my arms, he quieted and fell asleep. I held him until my arms went numb. I didn’t want to put him down.” Haq smiled. “I even sang to him. His father laughed when he heard me until he realized that Kyrinen was sleeping peacefully. After that, I was called in to put Kyrinen to sleep every night.” “And that’s when you bonded?” “No, the high priest had to perform the ceremony that would bind us together, but because of who Kyrinen was, it took forever. Plans had to be made, treaties signed. Hell, emissaries from every ruling family had to be invited to the ceremony. I didn’t understand any of it beyond the fact that I was only allowed to see Kyrinen for an hour every day until we were officially bonded. I hated it.” “Who Kyrinen was?” Angela frowned. “What do you mean? Who was he?” “Kyrinen is the son of our king,” Haq said proudly. “He is next in line to rule our people.” Angela’s eyebrows shot up. “Kyrinen is a prince?” “Yes, he is.” “Does he know?” “I’m not sure.”

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“Wow.” Angela blinked. “I have so got to be there when you tell him.” Haq chuckled. “After seeing his reaction to everything else I have told him, I’m not sure he will like it.” Angela looked pensive for a moment as she stared down at her hands. “Kyrie is—he doesn’t like change much. And after dealing with his wacko parents, he doesn’t much believe in things we consider fantasy.” Angela waved her hands around the bridge. “This reeks of fantasy.” “I cannot change where we are from or where we are going. Kyrinen is the next in line to rule our people, and it is my duty to return him to his throne. Our people are waiting for him to lead us back into power.” “Excuse me?” “When Kyrinen was a young child, our world was invaded by the Katoni, the same race of people that are even now trying to invade Earth. The king sent Kyrinen and his mother to safety on Earth. And then we went to war.” Haq clenched his hands, staring out the main viewing window as he remembered. “It was bloody and brutal, and we lost more than we should have. I gladly fought beside my father and brothers knowing that Kyrinen was safe on Earth.” “Fuck, you were just a child.” “I grew up fast.” “Yeah, but—” “There was no choice. Even now, our people are in hiding, still fighting for what is rightfully ours.” “But how did you get to Earth then?” “The king learned that the invaders were going after Kyrinen and the queen. He went to find them.” Haq shrugged. “I wanted my bondmate, so I stole this ship and followed the king to Earth.” “If you came after Kyrinen, why did it take you so long to find him?”

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“Because I was just a child.” Haq chuckled. “I may have fought in a war back on our home planet, but on Earth, I was considered a fifteen-year-old runaway. I was caught less than a week after landing and placed in the foster-care system until Bobby’s parents adopted me.” “What happened to the king?” “I don’t know.” Haq sighed in sadness. “I saw his ship explode. I don’t know if he escaped or not.” “Damn, that sucks.” Haq nodded. “So then you found Kyrinen.” “Yes.” Haq smiled. “I had begun to think I never would, and then suddenly, there he was. At first I just thought he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, and then he spoke to me through our bond and I knew it was him.” “He…spoke to you?” Haq chuckled. “Kyrinen hasn’t told you about that?” “Uh, no.” Angela frowned. “And I’m going to strangle him for withholding that bit of information.” “Well, maybe there hasn’t been time what with everything going on.” “You can really talk to each other in your minds?” “Yes.” Haq nodded. “And we can travel to each other in our astral forms as well. That, too, is something that is unique to bondmates.” Haq winked at Angela. “Astral sex is phenomenal.” Angela’s mouth dropped open. “No way.” “Yes way.” Her eyes slowly narrowed. “I’m going to kill him.” Haq chuckled again. “Yeah, better not. If he is truly carrying, then you could harm the baby.” Remembering that Kyrinen could be carrying their child and remembering how much Kyrinen hated that fact, Haq’s amusement slowly left him. He really didn’t have that much to be laughing about right now.

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“How do you feel about that?” “About what?” “About Kyrinen carrying your child?” Haq frowned, not sure how to answer that. Angela was Kyrinen’s best friend. They would talk, and Haq didn’t want to influence Kyrinen in any way. He wanted the man to be with him because that’s what he wanted, not because Kyrinen was scared or confused—and that was all he seemed to be at the moment. “Haq?” “It’s a great honor for a bonded couple to bring a child into the world.” Haq folded his hands together and looked out the window again. “It will be a great joy to our people if he is indeed carrying, a hope for our future.” “Haq,” Angela admonished. “You’re feeding me the company line. How do you feel about it?” “I…” Haq stared down at his hands, twisting his fingers together. “I want Kyrinen to be happy about it, but I guess that’s not going to happen. He’s horrified with the idea that he might carry a child.” Haq swallowed hard as tears formed in his eyes. “Our child.” **** Kyrinen closed the comm-link to the bridge and slumped against the wall. Haq’s words tore into his soul. The man sounded so heartbroken, and Kyrinen knew it was all his fault. His inability to cope was destroying Haq. He had to do something. Kyrinen just couldn’t figure out what. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea that he might be able to carry a kid, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker for him. It was just something he had to learn to deal with. That, and everything else Haq had told him over the last few days. Kyrinen looked around the room as he tried to figure out some way to unbreak Haq’s heart. It wasn’t like he could step out and buy

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the guy some flowers. He couldn’t even fix him breakfast. He didn’t know how to work the food replicator. Kyrinen’s eyes fell on the platform bed. He might not be able to fix him breakfast, but he could certainly help him work up an appetite. Haq could cook them breakfast afterward. Kyrinen walked over to the bed and started undressing. He carefully folded his clothes and placed them on the chair next to the bed, then pulled the blankets down to the bottom of the bed. It took Kyrinen several minutes of searching before he found a bottle of lube in Haq’s bag. Thank goodness the man thought to pack it. As he set the bottle on the small table next to the bed, Kyrinen couldn’t help but wonder what they used for lube on Eresmi. It would be interesting finding out. Once everything was set up just exactly as he wanted it, Kyrinen walked to the comm-link and hit the button to connect him to the bridge. His heart started to pound a little faster as he waited for Haq to answer. “Yes, Kyrinen?” “Can you come to my room for a minute?” And hopefully several more minutes after that. Kyrinen bit his lips as silence filled the connection between them, then Haq answered. “I’ll be right there.” Kyrinen blew out the breath he had been holding then hurried over to the bed. He climbed on and scooted to the middle. He laid there for a moment then reached down to grab the sheet, pulling it back up to cover his naked body. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. He felt ridiculous lying there naked in bed waiting for Haq. He bet he looked ridiculous, too. Kyrinen rubbed his hands over his face. What in hell made him think he could seduce Haq? He had to be just as crazy as Haq. Haq! Kyrinen dropped his hands, swallowing hard as the door swooshed open and Haq stood in the doorway. He looked…aroused. Unfortunately, he also looked as confused as hell.

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“Hey,” Kyrinen whispered shyly as he clasped his hands together in front of him and eyed Haq. “Can we start over?” Haq shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the doorway. “Is that what you want?” “I’m…uh…not handling this whole thing very well, and I know that, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. I just…” Kyrinen sighed. “I guess I just need time for it all to sink in.” Kyrinen’s heart beat a little faster when Haq stepped into the room and let the door close behind him. He seemed hesitant to approach the bed Kyrinen sat on, but at least he was in the room. “Are there any questions I can answer for you that would help everything sink in for you?” Kyrinen shrugged, because he really didn’t have a clue. He just knew that he didn’t want to lose Haq. He was the one thing in this crazy situation that made sense to Kyrinen. ’Cause sure as shit, nothing else did. “Am I really a prince?” Haq’s eyebrows shot up. “You were listening?” Kyrinen shrugged, quickly looking away from Haq’s astonished look. “Maybe.” Haq chuckled and shook his head. “And did you hear anything interesting, or are you more confused now than you were before?” “Both?” Haq walked over and sat on the end of the bed, farther away from Kyrinen than he would have liked, but at least he wasn’t running. “What would you like to know, tnúth?” Haq asked. “What questions can I answer for you?” Kyrinen bit his lip as he tried to draw up his courage and ask the hard questions. “Do you love me?” Kyrinen’s eyes widened as he asked the one question he hadn’t wanted to ask. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, praying that nothing else spilled from his lips. “Yes.” Kyrinen blinked. His hand slowly fell from his mouth. “You do?”

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The corner of Haq’s mouth quirked up. “I’ve known you were meant to be mine most of my life, Kyrinen. And unlike you, I was old enough when I came to Earth to remember our ways, our customs. I always knew that you were out there just waiting for me to find you.” Kyrinen looked away as sorrow filled him. “That’s not love,” he whispered. He yelped when he was suddenly pushed back into the mattress, Haq hovering over him. “No, it’s not, tnúth.” Haq trailed his finger down the side of Kyrinen’s face. “But how could I not love you after finding you. You are even more than I ever dreamed you could be. You’re smart and funny, beautiful beyond words. You stole my heart the first time you said my name.” Kyrinen inhaled a shaky breath. He just didn’t have anything to say to that. Maybe. “I’m terrified out of my mind over everything that is going on, Haq, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else except here with you.” Haq smiled, and delight filled his vivid blue eyes. Kyrinen knew he had given the man the right answer. It might not exactly be the one he wanted, but it was a start. Kyrinen reached up and cupped his hand around Haq’s cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. “I’m not horrified by the idea of carrying our child. I just—” Kyrinen frowned. How did he explain this without sounding like a complete dick? “It was something I never considered before. It might take me a little time to come to terms with it.” “You might want to consider it a little faster. If you are indeed carrying, then you have a limited amount of time to get used to it before it’s a cold hard fact. Our gestational time is only six weeks, remember?” Kyrinen’s eyes widened. “Shit!” “If you are pregnant, you will start showing in the next few days.” “Damn, that’s just—wow.” Kyrinen blinked several times, stunned. Haq had told him that before, but it hadn’t really sunk in. “Six weeks?”

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Haq nodded. “Will we even reach Eresmi by then?” “Nope. Earth is approximately three months from Eresmi.” Kyrinen jackknifed into a sitting position, pushing Haq off of him as he went into full-blown panic mode. “But who will deliver the baby?” Kyrinen blanched. “How in the hell will the baby be delivered? I don’t have the right equipment.” Haq chuckled as he pushed Kyrinen back down to the mattress. “It’s okay, Kyrinen. I have educational discs that you can watch that will explain the whole thing to you. And it just so happens, there is a doctor and a nurse onboard.” “But they’re not done being trained.” “Calm yourself, tnúth. Another one of our wonderful inventions is the medical unit. Not only will it take all of your pain away, but it will ensure that both you and the baby come through the birth healthy and happy. You won’t feel a thing.” “Easy for you to say,” Kyrinen cried out. “You’re not the one having the baby.” “I could be, though.” Kyrinen’s eyebrows shot up. “What?” “We are both from Eresmi, Kyrinen. We are both capable of carrying children and giving birth to them if we receive the seed of our bondmate inside our bodies.” “But you don’t bottom.” “For you I would.” Kyrinen swallowed hard as tears clogged his throat. Haq sounded so earnest, so sincere. Kyrinen knew he was telling the truth. For him, Haq would do something he had never allowed another person to do. Haq reached over behind him and grabbed the bottle of lube off the nightstand. He turned back around and held it out to Kyrinen. “I’ll prove it to you.” Haq smiled. “We can carry together.” A burst of laughter shot from Kyrinen’s mouth. He quickly shook his head. “Uh-uh, I think one baby at a time will do us just fine.” He

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felt his face heat up as he flushed. “Besides, I’m not quite ready to give up being on the bottom just quite yet. Why don’t you try me next week?” Haq chuckled as he grabbed the bottle of lube out of his hand. “In that case, tnúth, assume the position. I have an ass to lick.” Kyrinen shoved the sheet down to his feet and rolled over onto his hands and knees, sticking his ass up in the air as he pushed his legs apart. He was all too eager to feel Haq’s tongue lick him again. The last time had been phenomenal. “I still think this ass is a work of art,” Haq said as he stroked his hand over Kyrinen’s rounded curves. “A fucking masterpiece.” “All yours,” Kyrinen panted. Haq’s growl made Kyrinen shiver in delight. When he felt Haq’s tongue stroke lightly across his tight hole, nothing could have kept him silent. He cried out, giving voice to the pleasure coursing through his body. Haq seemed to have the ability to turn his body into goo. “Haq,” Kyrinen groaned, begged. His hole ached. He needed to be filled. And he knew just the man to do it. “Please!” “Sshhh,” Haq whispered, “I’ve got you, tnúth.” “Then fuck me already!” Kyrinen was growing desperate. “I will never fuck you, Kyrinen.” Haq grabbed Kyrinen’s hips suddenly, holding them still. “You are my bondmate. I will only make love to you.” Kyrinen’s head dropped forward into the pillows. “Then make love to me, please.” “As my tnúth wishes.” Kyrinen yelped as he was flipped over onto his back. Before he could take issue with Haq, pillows were pushed under his ass and his legs were pressed back against his chest. He felt like he was on display. And he could have cared less as Haq slowly sank into his ass. As Haq began to move, thrusting in and out of him, Kyrinen suddenly understood the merits of this position. He could see every little twinge of pleasure cross Haq’s handsome face—the way he bit

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his bottom lip as if concentrating hard on fucking Kyrinen’s tight ass, the fire blazing in his vivid blue eyes, and the sweat that trickled down Haq’s muscled chest. It was all there for Kyrinen to see. “So tight, tnúth.” Kyrinen nodded. He knew exactly what Haq was talking about. There wasn’t an ounce of space in his ass that wasn’t filled by the man’s thick cock. “Faster, Haq,” Kyrinen begged as he started pushing back on the man’s cock, impaling himself over and over again on Haq’s massive dick. Haq was hung like a horse. Kyrinen was one lucky bondmate. “You feel so good, tnúth. I knew you would the moment I saw you.” At first, Kyrinen thought Haq meant when they were younger, and he started to get a little creeped out until Haq continued speaking. “You were so gorgeous, your auburn hair all tousled around your head, the eyeliner surrounding your beautiful green eyes. Fuck, even your giggle made me hard.” Haq’s fingers dug into Kyrinen’s side. “You’re perfect, tnúth.” “You bonded with me,” Kyrinen said. “I’m all yours now.” Kyrinen blinked when his words seemed to set Haq off. The man went wild, thrusting harder and faster, pushing Kyrinen up the bed in his frenzy. Kyrinen knew he was going to be feeling this for quite a while. And he couldn’t be happier about it. If he wasn’t carrying before, he would be after this. Of that, Kyrinen had no doubt. And strangely enough, that thought held less fear than it did an hour ago. If they created a child together, then they did. They would deal with it when it happened. “Gonna come soon, tnúth,” Haq groaned. “Need you to come first. Need to feel you come on my cock, feel you tighten around me, squeeze me. Need you to strangle my cock.” No pressure there. Kyrinen reached down his body to grab his cock, but Haq beat him to it. “Mine,” the man growled. The hint of

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possessiveness in Haq’s voice sent a thrill of excitement skittering down Kyrinen’s body. “Yes!” Kyrinen shouted as Haq’s large, firm hand began stroking his aching cock to the rhythm of his thrusts. This was why Kyrinen liked being on the bottom. “Scream for me, tnúth.” Kyrinen opened his mouth and screamed out his pleasure as Haq nailed his prostate over and over again. The man’s aim was perfect. He knew just where to hit to give Kyrinen the maximum pleasure and just how hard to do it. The hand wrapped around his cock suddenly tightened. Kyrinen’s scream mingled with Haq’s roar as overwhelming pleasure flooded his body. He could feel Haq’s release fill his body in short, hot spurts, adding to Kyrinen’s ecstasy. His body hummed and slowly melted as Haq dropped forward to rest his head in the middle of his chest. Kyrinen kept his legs locked around Haq’s waist and stroked his hands through Haq’s sweaty, dark hair. “I’m going to love you so much,” Kyrinen whispered as he stared down at Haq’s head, “that you forget all about the years we were apart.” Tears sparkled in Haq’s eyes as he raised his head. “Promise?” he whispered. “Yes, starman. I do.”

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Chapter 9 “I’m going to fucking kill you, Haq!” Kyrinen shouted. “I’m so sorry, tnúth,” Haq said as he brushed the sweat-soaked hair back from Kyrinen’s face. “I had no idea that the medical unit would break. I swear.” He felt like a complete shit. He also felt helpless in the face of Kyrinen’s obvious pain. In spite of all of his words of reassurance, Kyrinen was suffering, and there was nothing Haq could do about it. The damn medical unit was broken. A lot of things on the ship were broken. They hadn’t escaped the invaders as they thought. A small unit had broken off from the main force invading Earth and followed them and then attacked. Haq had been able to get their small ship out of the line of fire by flying into an asteroid field, but even that had caused damage to the ship. For now, they seemed to be out of danger, but they were still being hunted. If they could just stay hidden a little longer, they had a good chance of getting to Eresmi before they were caught. Unfortunately, it looked like Kyrinen would have to suffer through natural childbirth. The man would never forgive Haq. Kyrinen hated pain. Haq knew that. They had discussed it at some length, and Haq had promised that the medical unit would take all the pain away. He sucked. Kyrinen glared at him. “You are never going to fuck me again.” Haq winced. He didn’t dare bring up the fact that he never fucked Kyrinen. He always made love to him. To Haq, what occurred between them was the physical manifestation of their feelings for

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each other. It wasn’t just sex. Of course, if he mentioned that right now, he might not ever be allowed to make love to Kyrinen again. His bondmate was pissed. “Do you want me to go, tnúth?” He’d hate to do it, but if that’s what Kyrinen wanted, he would do it. He’d do anything for Kyrinen. Kyrinen’s eyes narrowed. “You leave my side before this kid is born and I’ll wrap your balls around your head.” Haq blinked in shock. Had his lovely little bondmate just threatened him? He could hear Bobby and Angela chuckling in the background. While he was thankful that they were there, under the circumstances, he would have appreciated it if they kept their amusement to themselves. They weren’t helping keep Kyrinen calm. “I’ll stay right here, tnúth. I promise.” “You promise?” Kyrinen cried out as another contraction took him. He screamed, and it wasn’t the type of screaming that Haq liked to hear. Haq glanced over his shoulder at the two medical personnel. “Can’t you do something?” “I’m sorry, brother,” Bobby said, “but without pain medication or an adequate medical facility, this is kind of out of my hands.” Haq looked back down at Kyrinen, his lips tightening when he saw tears streaming down his bondmate’s face. “But he’s in so much pain.” “It’s called childbirth, Haq,” Angela said. “Women go through it every day.” Haq growled. He didn’t want to hear that. He wanted to hear that they could take the pain away. Kyrinen was suffering. That wasn’t acceptable. It was— Haq’s heart froze in his chest when the alarm suddenly started blaring. He glanced over at the control panel, dread filling him. They needed to stay out of the clutches of the invaders just a little longer. Why was fate being so cruel to them?

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“No!” Kyrinen shouted when Haq started to step away. “You can’t leave me. You promised. You have to stay with me.” Haq bent back over the medical bed that Kyrinen lay in. “I’m sorry, tnúth, but I have to go. If the invaders are attacking again, I have to get you and the baby away to safety.” “No!” Kyrinen wailed as he clutched at Haq’s arms. Haq felt tears stream down his face as he extracted himself from Kyrinen’s grasp. He pressed Kyrinen’s hands together and pressed them down over his swollen belly, then looked over at Bobby and Angela. “Please, keep him safe.” Bobby swallowed hard then nodded. “I won’t let anything happen to him, Haq.” Haq nodded then leaned down to gently kiss Kyrinen on the forehead. He glanced down into his tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry, my love. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.” Haq nodded to Angela to come take his place, knowing that Kyrinen needed someone to hold onto. Once Angela stepped forward and grabbed Kyrinen’s hands, Haq turned and walked out of the room. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Especially when Kyrinen screamed out his name as he left. Once he was outside the medical bay and the door closed behind him, Haq leaned against the wall for a moment, closing his eyes. His heart was back in the medical bay with his bondmate and his child. If it had been anything but an alarm, he never would have left. He just hoped Kyrinen forgave him. Haq opened his eyes and started running down the corridor toward the bridge. His mate was fighting for the life of their child. He needed to get to the command center and fight for all of them. And maybe, if he was really lucky, get back before the baby was born. Haq’s heart felt like it was torn in two as he raced onto the bridge. He immediately went over to the captain’s chair and sat down, pulling

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the command consul over in front of him. A quick scan of the security system showed that several large ships were closing in on them. They were in deep shit. Haq started a quick scan of their defenses. They didn’t have many. The cloaking device had been damaged when they were attacked. They had two pulse cannons, but they were low yield and the batteries were almost drained. That didn’t leave them with much. Haq made a quick check of the surrounding system. Besides three planets and five moons, there was only one asteroid belt, and it was far enough away that they would never reach it in time. For the first time that he could remember, he didn’t know what he was going to do. Haq was out of options. When the consul beeped, alerting Haq to an incoming communication, he almost cried. Not knowing what else to do, Haq reached over and hit the comm-link. Maybe he could bargain with their pursuers? They still had Kyrinen’s diamonds onboard. “Well, well, there’s a face I never thought I’d see again.” Haq’s jaw dropped open as he looked up at the communication screen. “King Casstiel? I thought you were dead.” “No, son, I am very much alive.” “But—your ship—your ship blew up.” “I’m afraid the reports of my death were very much exaggerated. The ship did blow up, but I was able to get to an escape pod before it happened.” He was still reeling from learning his king was alive. He hated to share with the man what he knew of his wife. “Sire, your wife, the queen, she—” “Is right here by my side.” The king grinned as a blonde-haired woman walked into view. “How? I thought the queen died back on Earth.” “After my ship blew up and I learned that everyone thought I was dead, I decided to continue my trip to Earth and be with my family. Unfortunately, we learned not long ago that agents had been sent to

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assassinate us. I felt that our best course of action was to fake our deaths again and return to Eresmi where we would be safe.” “Sire, I don’t know what you’ve been told, but Eresmi hasn’t been a safe place for us in many years. The Katoni rule there, and we have been branded outlaws. There’s an immediate death sentence on all of our heads.” “And I see that you haven’t been back to Eresmi in quite some time, either.” The king grinned. “Things have changed, son. Eresmi is no longer in the hands of the invaders. It’s back in our hands once again.” “What?” A million thoughts ran through Haq’s mind at the same time, too many to process all at once. If what the king said was true, then he had a safe place to take his bondmate and child. Assuming the king was telling the truth—and that he was actually the king. “How do I know you are King Casstiel?” Haq asked. “One of the ways the invaders took over was to impersonate our ruling body. How do I know you are who you say you are?” “I’m glad to see that you’ve grown wise in your years, Haq.” The king smiled. “You were such a rebellious child, especially when you stole that shuttle and followed me to Earth.” “Anyone could have known that.” “True.” The king nodded. “But would everyone know that your arms went numb the first day you met your bondmate, my son?” “Maybe.” Haq wasn’t willing to give in and believe the man quite yet. He had precious cargo to protect. He had to be sure. “Why did you laugh at me when I was holding your son?” The king let out a full-belly laugh that softened his battlehardened features. “Because you were singing a song to him. It was the only thing that could get Kyrinen to sleep.” Haq smiled. The king had been the only one to witness him singing Kyrinen to sleep, and he had been sworn to secrecy. “It’s good to see you again, sire.”

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“I am sorry to report to you that we had to leave your bondmate on Earth when we returned, Haq. It was for his own safety. Eresmi was not in our control at the time, and I did not want to bring him back to a warzone. But we had people looking after him, people sent from our home world. We left Kyrinen a list of people to contact that would help keep him safe if we suddenly disappeared.” “You’re talking about the black book.” The king frowned. “Yes. How did you know? It was hidden. Only Kyrinen knew where it was. We’re returning for him now.” Haq blinked. “Uh, sire, I have Kyrinen on board with me.” “You have my son?” the queen asked as she stepped closer to the communication screen. “Yes, I’ve searched for him since I landed on Earth, but I only recently found him.” “And he’s okay?” “Uh…” **** Kyrinen screamed as another contraction swept through his body. He gritted his teeth and panted heavily as Angela had told him to do. It didn’t help. It still hurt like hell. If he ever got his hands on that nogood, low-down, dirty—“Haq!” “I’m here, tnúth,” Haq said as he rushed over and grabbed Kyrinen’s hand. “I told you I would be back as soon as I could.” “Alarm?” “It’s nothing for you to worry about. You just concentrate on bringing our baby into the world.” Haq glanced over at Kyrinen’s distended belly. “Breathe, tnúth, just breathe.” “You breathe!” Haq’s eyes snapped back up to meet Kyrinen’s. “I’m sorry, tnúth. I wish I could take on this pain for you, but—”

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“Oh, you will,” Kyrinen promised as another contraction started to take over and agony swept through his body. “You’re having the next one.” “Okay, Kyrie, it’s time to push.” Kyrinen growled. He didn’t want to push. He didn’t want to do this at all. “I changed my mind,” Kyrinen shouted as the pain intensified. “I don’t want to do this.” “I’m afraid it’s too late for that, tnúth,” Haq said as he slid onto the bed behind Kyrinen and propped him up with his body. “The baby is coming.” “You are so fucking dead!” Kyrinen screamed as he pushed. “No more sex for you. Ever!” “Yes, tnúth.” “Stop agreeing with me!” “Yes, tnúth.” Kyrinen growled. “Push, Kyrie.” “You push,” he shouted at Angela. “This shit hurts.” “I can see the head,” Bobby said from his position between Kyrinen’s legs. “Give me another good push, Kyrie.” “Aaahhh!” Kyrinen screamed as he pushed. “That’s it,” Bobby said. “That’s it. Here it comes.” Kyrinen gave one last loud scream and a huge push. He felt a sudden relief as the baby slid from his body. Haq inhaled softly as Kyrinen sank back against his chest. He was totally exhausted, wiped out, done for. He wanted to sleep. “Look, tnúth,” Haq whispered. “Look what you did.” Kyrinen was so tired, but the wonder in Haq’s voice caught his attention. He glanced down just in time to see Bobby cut the umbilical cord. Then he took a washcloth from Angela and started cleaning the baby.

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“It’s a boy,” Bobby said as he lifted the baby up then gently laid him down on Kyrinen’s stomach. “Any idea what you plan to name him?” “I was thinking of Cass, after my stepfather,” Kyrinen whispered. His hand trembled as he reached down and carefully stroked his fingers over the baby’s soft head. “Look at that, Haq. He has my hair.” Just then, the baby yawned and opened his vivid blue eyes, staring straight up at him. Kyrinen giggled. “And your eyes.” Kyrinen tilted his head back to look up at his bondmate. “I guess he’s yours then.” “Yeah, I guess I’ll have to claim him.” Haq chuckled through the tears streaming down his face. “He’s almost as pretty as his father.” “Almost?” Kyrinen arched an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know that this is the most beautiful baby in the entire universe.” “His father is cuter.” “Okay, I’ll let you win that one.” “Thank you, Kyrinen,” Haq whispered as his knuckles stroked down the side of Kyrinen’s face. “Thank you for this gift.” Kyrinen turned and kissed Haq’s hand, then grinned up at him. “Remember you said that when you have to get up and change his diapers in the middle of the night.” Haq chuckled. “I will, I promise.” “Hey, guys,” Bobby said, “I hate to break this up, but we need to get these guys cleaned up and tucked into bed. They’ve both had a very eventful day.” “I can clean up the baby if you want to take Kyrinen back to your room and help him get cleaned up.” Angela smiled, bouncing on her feet as if it was all she could do not the reach for the baby. “I’ll bring him right in after I’m done. Promise.” Kyrinen nodded and reached for Haq. He knew he needed some rest if he was going to be caring for a small baby. He also felt like he hadn’t had a bath in ages. He wanted to take a shower, put on clean

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clothes, then curl up in bed with his son and his bondmate and sleep for a week. Kyrinen held tight to Haq as he was carried out of the medical bay and down the corridor to their quarters. He was exhausted, but he also felt a strong sense of accomplishment. He couldn’t help but wonder if that’s how Earth women felt after giving birth. “I have something I need to tell you, Kyrinen,” Haq said as they entered their stateroom. “Hmm?” “That alarm, it wasn’t the Katoni.” Kyrinen swallowed hard as fear started to fill him. “Who was it then? Are we in danger?” “It was your parents,” Haq said. “They’re alive, tnúth. They didn’t die back on Earth. They had to make it look like they did because Katoni assassins were hunting them. They’re here, now, in a ship docked with ours. They want to see you when you’re all settled in.” “My parents?” Haq nodded. “And I think they have a little explaining to do. Your stepfather isn’t your stepfather. He’s your birth father. His name is really Casstiel, so if you still want to call the baby Cass, I’m okay with that.” “My stepfather is my real father?” Kyrinen’s heart pounded a little faster. “Then who was the man I lived with as a child? I thought he was my real father.” “Your mother was sent to Earth to keep you safe. In order to blend in, she married the man you believe to be your real father. When Casstiel found you both again, your mother packed you up and left with him. I think she planned to get a divorce in the ways of Earth. But the man she was married to at the time chased after them. He died in a car crash. Since your mother was then considered a widow, she was free to marry your real father per Earth custom. He then became your stepfather.” “Why didn’t they just tell me?”

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“I think they were still afraid that they would be discovered. You have to remember, tnúth, they were still being hunted. You were young. If you said the wrong thing to the wrong person, it could have been disastrous for all of you.” Kyrinen frowned. “I suppose I can understand that, and it would explain a lot about why my step—I mean my real father always felt like more of a father than that other man. I just don’t understand why they didn’t take me with them when they left Earth.” “It wasn’t safe, tnúth. Our home world was still under the rule of the Katoni. They needed to come back and join with our rebel forces to retake Eresmi and make it a safe place for all of us.” Kyrinen blinked. “And did they? Can we go home?” Haq’s grin lit up his face. “They say they have, and if the multitude of ships surrounding us is anything to go by, they are telling the truth.” Kyrinen swallowed hard as a knot of fear took a hold of him. “Ships? What ships?” Haq didn’t say a word. He just scooped Kyrinen up in his arms and carried him to the window. Kyrinen’s jaw dropped when Haq hit the button to remove the metal shutters and revealed so many ships that Kyrinen couldn’t count them all. “If they aren’t friendly, we are so fucked.” Haq chuckled as he closed the metal shutters and carried Kyrinen into the bathroom. “They are friendly, tnúth. I promise. I would never put you or our child in harm’s way.” Kyrinen’s mind reeled as Haq helped him shower then get dressed in some clean pajamas. He was still mulling everything over when Haq laid him in the bed and sat down next to him. Haq smiled down at him, reaching over to brush some hair back from his face. Kyrinen smiled back at his bondmate. “Happy, tnúth?” Haq asked quietly. “Do you love me?” “With my very soul.” “Then I’m ecstatic, starman.”

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THE END WWW.STORMYGLENN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 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. 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.

Also by Stormy Glenn Siren Classic ManLove: Shake, Rattle, and Roll Siren Classic ManLove: My Lupine Lover Siren Classic ManLove: The Master’s Pet Siren Classic ManLove: His Gentle Touch Ménage Amour ManLove: Cat's Pride Siren Classic: Wolf Queen Ménage Amour: Mating Heat

For all other titles, please visit www.bookstrand.com/stormy-glenn

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