The Seeding

House of Moons 1: The Seeding Kara Fey All rights reserved. Copyright ©2004 by Kara Fey No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Changeling Press LLC. ISBN 1-59596-064-3 Formats Available: HTML, Adobe PDF, MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader Publisher: Changeling Press LLC PO Box 1561 Shepherdstown, WV 25443-1561 www.ChangelingPress.com Editor: Pat Haley Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

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Chapter One The dreaded Seeding Ritual . Sacred duty demanded she attend each year as witness. Hana, Second Daughter of War, gritted her teeth and waited. Reluctant, she hid her loathing behind a blank expression and honored her queen’s wishes. This time was different. She must participate. Her sister Esmee, current Queen of the House of Moons, was feuding with the Daughters of Lore. This honor, this privilege, was offered to her by Lore to facilitate a peace between their houses. To refuse now, with Lore’s warriors just waiting for an excuse to strike, would likely get her killed. Hana wondered where they found the male. Magnificent, he lay blindfolded and naked on the narrow Seeding Platform of red Ingha wood. The wood fit perfectly beneath his tight ass, leaving his hips and thighs within easy grasp. Her fingers twitched with a need to touch. The Platform was about two feet tall, with smaller steps off both sides for a warrior’s feet. In a few moments, the first rider would brace her feet and stand over him on the bench before she impaled herself on his shaft. The table rose from the center of the house’s circular Ritual Stage for easy viewing by all the members of the house and their guests. Hana licked her dry lips and took her time studying him. Straight black hair flowed to his shoulders. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his lips. They called to hers, begging for a hot, wet mating of tongues. His arms and legs were spread wide. Chains ran from his wrists and ankles to where large metal rings had been secured to the stage. Tall, thick, and hard, his shaft stood, waiting for the First Daughter of Lore to slide her wet folds down its length. Bulging muscles in his arms strained against the chains wrapped around his wrists. Remnants of dried blood coated his arms, testament to his struggles. The light of a thousand red candles glowed on his muscular chest and shoulders. Two elders, wearing Lores’ red robes, smeared every inch of his skin with cinna oil. Their hands caressed every rise and hollow of his flesh, forced his skin to burn with sensual heat. Hana clenched her thigh and groin muscles in agony, helpless to calm the throbbing need of her traitorous body. The soft rub of her clothes against her skin was more than she could bear. Brushing her arm over her nipple shot flaming need straight to her core. Her skin tingled. The very air sent heat into her lungs and seared her, forcing her to burn. The elders gave her no choice, breed or die. But she was not drugged! She should not be this crazed over a male. Oh, Goddess, what was wrong with her? Red-hot anger at her elders surged, swirled, and blended in her mind with bone deep need. Lust was the only word to describe the state of her being. The moment she’d seen his delicious form laid out before her, she no longer wanted to turn away. Hana couldn’t tear her hungry eyes from him. The naive ideas of her youth wouldn’t stand with her now. The pulsing between her legs and the haze of her thoughts brutally thrust those dreams aside. Yes. She would ride him -- hard. Hana raised her head as the Daughters’ low chant filled the air. A slow, steady beat of several drums resonated around the circular room. The three lesser Daughters of Lore and the house elders sat across the room from her in elevated seats designed for viewing the stage. They all wore red, the color of Lore. Musky scented candles burned all around the Seeding Circle. Soft light flickered off the tapestries covering the walls of the Ritual Room. The meager illumination did not reach far enough into the shadows to reveal the faces of Lore, or their daggers, behind their thin veils. The addicting smell of excitement filled the air. Hana ran her tongue over her lips again, wishing she tasted his skin instead of her own. An old woman in red robes walked into the circle where the man lay chained. She chanted, too. Ritual prayers for fertility and longevity filled the air in a chorus of voices. Charla, First Daughter of Lore, stepped from the shadows to Hana’s right, completely covered by a flowing ruby red robe. Hana’s nemesis knelt before the elder, receiving her blessing before entering the circle. The elder blessed her, then removed the robe from her body. Charla entered the circle, naked except for the house jewels

set in gold around her neck. Golden hair flowed to her waist. Delicate hands shook at her sides. Pink nipples stood at rigid attention. Thanks to the Ozera potion, Charla’s clit was so swollen Hana could actually see her wet inner folds peeking out. Red. Hot. Painfully engorged. Goddess help them both. Hana knew exactly what the warrior was feeling. Her core ached -- throbbed. Begged her to jump off the bench and straddle the huge man herself. Ozera. The flower was potent. This burning need to be impaled upon his tall, hard shaft confused her. When the Ozera cup had been passed, Hana had merely pretended to drink. She was not foolish enough to be drugged in an enemy’s house. Her body’s reaction made no sense. Without doubt, the aphrodisiac was singing through Charla’s blood. Why was she affected in the same manner? The question beat at her, demanded an answer. But ice-cold logic had no place in the scorching heat of the room. Hana knelt on the edge of the platform, hypnotized by the sight of the magnificent pair. Her pussy clenched, released, as Charla straddled the bench, legs spread wide above him. Blood pounded to her core, matching the rhythm of the drums. Hana’s lungs stopped working, every muscle tense with excitement. Head thrown back, Charla slowly squatted; her body swallowed the head of his thick cock until he was buried deep inside her glistening folds. Now pacing the edge of the platform in agitation, Hana watched his balls swing up and down with helpless infatuation. They were pulled between his legs as Charla rode him, but he didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. Alas, tonight there would be no relief for him. The Ozera flower wouldn’t release its hold on his body. The mixture injected into his blood was much stronger than the one given to her. His shaft would stay stiff as a rod for many hours, tall and ready to be milked. By the time the Ozera draught wore off, all of the house Daughters who were of age, and scheduled to breed, would have ridden him. And Charla would take him more than once before he was given to her three waiting sisters. But not before he was given to Hana. She nearly moaned aloud at the thought. Charla’s hands explored his chest, rubbed his nipples, then left his body to find ecstasy. She kneaded and pinched her breasts and hardened nipples, arched into her greedy palms. Hana’s breath came in disjointed bursts, her focus centered on Charla’s hips; on the wet cunt swallowing the huge cock whole, on the grinding motion of Charla’s mound riding the man beneath her. Up and down. Up and down. The man’s cock glistened with Charla’s juices. His balls shined wet in the candlelight below Charla’s tightly clenched ass. Unnatural, keening cries of pleasure filled the small room, echoed off the walls and straight into Hana’s throbbing cunt. Hana couldn’t swallow past the lump in her throat. Couldn’t breathe. She was next. I can feel you here! Why do you not help me ? The voice whispered into her mind. With it came an agony of arousal. Blind, burning need invaded her consciousness, pushed her closer to a nearly mindless state. Hana shuddered, beyond rational thought. Her world narrowed to the sight of Charla’s hand as it snaked over her stomach, then lower to rub her aching clit. Damn you! Answer me! Do not leave me here . Hana crossed her legs beneath her silver robe. She squeezed her groin muscles, applied pressure to the throbbing between her legs in a hopeless attempt to relieve the relentless animal lust coursing through her. The drums beat faster. Her heart stuttered at a dangerous speed, trying to keep up. Was her imagination running amuck? She couldn’t possibly be hearing him! Could she? Only her house sisters, the Daughters of War, could speak in such a manner. The skill was a closely guarded secret. Charla screamed her release. The mating cry reverberated through Hana’s mind, her soul branded forever in a place so dark and needy she’d never known it existed. Hana squeezed her eyelids tightly closed, then opened them to see the other Daughters of Lore watching the Seeding. Unmoved. Unaffected. How could this be? During past Seedings, even the men being used were growling by now. Shouting. Some even grunted and groaned with their pleasure. The Ozera potion the men were injected with clouded their minds enough to ensure they could do naught but enjoy the sensual haze.

He remained silent. Hana’s core creamed, clenched, screamed with emptiness until she wanted to sob. She almost believed the man was unaware of his situation except for his hands. His knuckles were white from gripping the chains that bound him. He was completely still. Strong. Enduring. Goddess, help her. His pride made her want him more. She dropped her gaze to her hands in defense against the sight of Charla’s slow, sensual glide over his shaft, rebuilding the tension. Long, slender fingers stroked his balls to ensure a ripe deposit of semen for breeding. NOOOOOOO ! Hana’s head snapped back to attention. The man’s cock quivered a moment before Charla’s wet cunt swallowed it. Then his balls pulsed beneath her kneading fingers. Defeated, his seed pumped into her body. Charla laughed in triumph. The sound made Hana’s heart squeeze. Her palm closed around air, instead of the moon dagger normally strapped to her thigh. The drums ceased. An unnatural silence filled the room and Hana felt every eye focus on her. Just like the eerie pause in the center of a space storm right before it blasts into a Rider. Or before an enemy is reluctantly embraced. Damn you. Damn you to hell ! His voice again? It had to be his voice, his need, that clouded her mind and took control of her body. Hana couldn’t think beyond the pounding blood in her ears. Her nipples peaked beneath her silver robe. The smallest brush of fabric sent a bolt of electricity straight to her core. All traces of sanity had long abandoned her. Hana wanted to leave, run like a frightened child, or throw Charla off of him now and ride him herself! She clenched her fists until her palms bled. Confusion and indecision battled for supremacy, chaining her in place where she now knelt on the floor. Sweat ran from the long dark hair at her temples to wind down her cheeks. Her body demanded release. But something new swirled in her chest. Power? Adrenaline? Unbidden and terrifying, one word screamed through her mind. Magic! Magic was forbidden. To actively seek it meant death. And the male chained to the table bombarded her with his power. If the elders knew, they’d kill him now. Why did no one else feel his energy? The possibilities… Run . She shook her head. To run now meant certain death, despite the fact that her sister currently ruled. They’d taken all but her smallest moon dagger, and that was locked in her room. Alone, in an enemy house, she couldn’t walk away. These bitches wouldn’t let her. And if she refused to mount him, her sisters would pay. Dearly. She’d witnessed the initial Seeding of the first Daughter of Lore. In moments it would be her turn to ride him. His drug-induced need, his magic, suffocated her. Years of forbidden study screamed that to take him was wrong. Her traitorous heart wondered, again, what it would be like to have a man who was willing buried deep, ramming against her womb anytime she wanted it. How selfish of her to want to choose a mate and not simply follow the dictates of the elders’ council. What would it be like to live on the other continents or the forbidden worlds? Hana was shocked at her thoughts. Men were barbaric. Unpredictable. Unstable. Greedy and insatiable. They were not to be trusted. They had proven that time and again throughout history. Still… Charla was nearly done. Hana rose and bowed formally to the Lore elders. Her silver robes shimmered around her, brushed her sensitive skin with feather light touches. Don’t leave me here ! Rage flooded her mind. Fear. His primal, gut clawing need to escape. He’d felt her rising. Shame filled her at what she was about to do. But there was no escape for either of them. She could not betray her sisters. She would not be responsible for more needless death. She’d lost her mind. He was communicating with her. Why or how, she could not say. He was drugged. Trussed. Ridden. He had hours of Ritual ahead of him. If he were a strong telepath, the others might hear him as well. From beneath lowered lashes, Hana watched the other women in the room. All eyes fixated on Charla as she

stroked seed from him for the second time. None appeared to notice anything out of the ordinary. The others had never been able to hear her sisters, the Daughters of War, either. Satisfied with her deductions, Hana closed her eyes and tried to calm the mating frenzy in her body. Don’t leave me here! Please ! Hana took a deep breath and focused her mind to send him a message. She would do her duty. Right or wrong, the ritual, magic, and his irresistible body would ensure she enjoyed it, despite the protests of her conscience. She couldn’t help him. She couldn’t help herself. I’m sorry . Charla rose to her feet above him and stepped down from the raised platform. His cock slipped from Charla’s wet folds to stand at attention. Ready. For her.

Chapter Two Hana’s heart skipped a beat. She flicked her hot tongue over her lips to taste his scent in the air. Her already wet core flooded anew at the smell of his arousal, his seed. Charla stopped right beside Hana and glared at her before bowing to her elders. Naked and proud she flowed from the room to her private chamber to rest and prepare for her next ride. A small elderly woman rushed up to the Seeding Platform and quickly cleansed his shaft. When done, she bowed low to Hana and hurried off the stage. Get me out of here! You are of my world! Help me! I can’t . Hana raised trembling hands to the opal clasp over her collarbone. With a snap, her robe fell to the floor at her feet in shimmering pools of silver. Just as Charla had been, she was naked but for her ornate opal necklace. Hana bowed low to the elders of Lore. Her dark hair fell to brush against the floor as she did so. She stood and then walked on shaking legs to stand beside him. As much as her honor protested, her body screamed in time to the renewed drumbeats, demanding that she ride him. A painful emptiness drove her to step onto the red wood. The sensitive skin of her inner thigh brushed his tip as she swung her leg over him. His skin still glistened beneath her. Hana could no more stop her hands from wandering the contours of his body than she could stop her pulse from pounding inside of her. She placed both palms on his rock hard stomach. Still standing, she rocked her hips back and forth, spread her cream on the hot tip of his shaft, rubbed his cock against her swollen folds with each undulation of her pelvis. She devoured him with her eyes. A moan escaped her, a purr of pure pleasure. No ! He had no more control of his body than she did of hers. Blinding desire poured from him. But a dark shadow of violence came with it. Dangerous. Arousing. A soft sob fell from her lips. His anger didn’t matter. Nothing mattered beyond the heat lighting fire to her skin, the spasms of need making the walls of her cunt quiver. Not even the vehemence of his protest could overcome the effects of their mental link, of the Ozera potion flowing through his veins. Nothing could stop the painful ache inside of her now, except filling it. I have no choice . With one hard solid thrust of her hips, she impaled herself on his cock. Her inner muscles stretched, taking all of him, then clenched, pulling him deeper. His hard length pushed against the entrance to her womb. All thought shattered, driven from her mind by the feel of his hard, thick length inside her. Animal instinct took over. Power, magic, bubbled up from somewhere deep inside her soul, both addicting and dangerous. The call to taste his flesh was as essential to her as breathing. She rocked her mons against him and bent over to suck one of his nipples into her mouth. He tasted of cinna oil, and man. She traced a path from one nipple to the other with her tongue. She would never get the taste of him out of her mouth. Pleasure and fury pounded through the telepathic link between them. Both nearly drove her mad. He was angry that her touch affected him where Charla’s had not. Furious that her mind touched his, ensnared him in her maelstrom of need. He wanted her to ride him! Hana moaned, drove her hips harder against him. She pushed against his hot muscular chest to sit upright. Using her legs to lift herself, she slammed her buttocks down onto his hips, ramming his hard cock into her as deeply as he would go. Rise above him. Down. Take him. Ride him. Again. And again. And again. Copying Charla’s movements, she threw her head back and slid one hand behind her, between his legs to caress seed from him. The other she used to rub her mons as she rode him. Three fingers stroked and pulled at her clit, matching the rhythm of her hips as she ground against him, over and over, faster and faster. His sack moved

beneath her fingers. His cock jumped inside her seconds ahead of his release. His orgasm roared through his mind and into hers, pushing her over the edge. A voice she didn’t even recognize as her own screamed in ecstasy. Her cunt exploded around his cock, sucking him deeper inside with every tiny muscle spasm, squeezing the giant resting against her womb. Milked him. It took a moment for Hana to regain control. Every muscle in her body shuddered, tingled, ached as if burned by lightning. She wanted, needed, to ride him again. But that wasn’t her right. Still straddling his hips, she held his huge shaft inside of her as little aftershocks winged through her body like electrical currents. A smile of satisfaction formed on her lips. She worshipped the vessel that had given her such pleasure with her eyes, unable to tear her gaze away. She would never see him again and wanted to memorize every detail. The sculpted muscles of his chest, the bulging power in his arms, the noble line of his jaw, his black hair, and the sculpted lips she would never kiss. Contentment evaporated easily, as if it had been just an illusion. Perhaps it was, for she also saw the blood that now dripped from beneath the binding rings around his wrists. The white knuckles above them gripped the chains as if he were being tortured. Reluctant to let him go, she slowly rose, freeing his body from hers. She stepped off the platform to where the elder held her robe for her. Suddenly ashamed of her nudity, she allowed the older woman to cover her. What had she done? Raped a man. That’s what she’d done. Lost control. Given in to what she believed was wrong because she’d allowed the heat of the moment, the drug, the sight of his body, and the pressures of duty to rule her. And she’d do it again if she could. Her honor would not save him if she were given another chance. She wanted to burn, to feel his huge cock and the power of his magic surging through her blood. She wanted to taste the forbidden… again. Only an animal would choose lust above honor. So, she was a beast. But at least her sisters would live. I’m so sorry . He refused to answer. Charla strode boldly toward the platform, eagerness in her eyes and her step. The smile she bestowed on Hana taunted her with the pleasure they had both shared while riding this man, a bond of understanding between two warriors. Hana tried to smile back, but knew there was no answering twinkle in her eyes. Hana couldn’t stay, couldn’t watch her enemy take him with her own needs still riding her, with guilt threatening to choke her. Most of all, her soul demanded this man was meant to be hers. The thought shocked her, but her mind wouldn’t rescind. Hers. To keep. What would her sister say if she knew how often Hana dreamt of leaving this place, starting a new life, keeping a man? Charla grunted and her moans of pleasure chased Hana out of the room and through the darkened stone hallway outside of it. Conscious of watchful eyes following her, she hurried to the entrance of the house. His seed trickled, felt like sacrificial blood between her thighs, both a calling and a reminder. She’d never needed to escape a place, or herself, more than at this moment. Fourteen feet high, the red doors were barred against her. The Seeding Ritual was imperative to their survival. There would be no one entering or leaving the house tonight. Traitorous thoughts continued to whisper in her ear. What would it be like to not only ride a man often, but to be ridden? To hold and love not just a daughter, but a son? At the thought, energy coiled in her womb, pulsed. Magic! He was dangerous, powerful, forbidden. And she wanted to keep him chained to a wall in her bedchambers. Forever. “Stop it!” Hana rested her head against the cool black metal bracing the doors and sighed. “Just stop it, Hana.” “Is there a problem, Second Daughter?” Hana’s head snapped up in embarrassment. A small elder woman in a red robe smiled from a few feet away. “No. I just…” Heat flooded her face at the unexpected kindness. She couldn’t hold the old woman’s gaze. “Not to worry, dear. Watching becomes very difficult after your first time.” The small elder chuckled. “I

remember the ache well. It just gets worse. Why do you think the Mothers avoid witnessing?” Hana clenched her teeth to keep something stupid from pouring past her lips. Was she that transparent? She’d witnessed other Seedings. She’d felt desire. But never before had she wanted to keep a man. Never. The thought was blasphemy. “He’s magnificent.” The admission tumbled from her lips. “Who is he?” The woman smiled. Kind brown eyes were nearly buried beneath her wrinkles. “He is from Across-World. A rare find, indeed. We are going to Seed him to two houses. He will be given to the Daughters of Law at dawn.” Hana gasped, “Two houses?” Her thoughts strayed to his white knuckles -- his silence -- his magnificent body. No wonder, Across-Worlder. There hadn’t been one Seeded in nearly a hundred cycles. That man had Seeded Hana’s house, the Daughters of War. You are of my world… His people’s blood flowed in her veins. That link would explain much. Big. Smart. Virile. Even under the influence of Ozera, to harden his cock and cloud his mind, he did not yield. Instinct told her he would not. He would be forced to endure Seeding two houses. No matter how strong he was, the drug alone would destroy him. “It’ll kill him.” Elder Lore’s smile dimmed and regret entered her eyes. “You’re old enough to face the truth, child. You know once a man enters our lands he is not allowed to leave.” “Yes, but I thought the Seeders were delivered Across-World with our sons, or sent to the Pleasure House for the Mothers…” A warm, wrinkled hand reached out to squeeze hers. Sad brown eyes looked up at Hana from the wizened face. “Nay, only the common Seeders are sent there. The fathers of our queens could have too much influence both here and in our dealings off-world. No one can know our secrets -- our weaknesses. Your sister is queen now. You reside in the House of Moons. You’ll be the one she sends to other worlds to trade in her name. There will be many more harsh realities for you to face. Time to grow up, child. We do what is necessary to survive.” The elder’s long braid of silver hair swayed against her back as she walked away. They were going to kill him. She had never thought, never wondered… She’d been an idiot. They were going to kill him ! Hana closed her eyes and let all the air flow out of her lungs. Perhaps she was insane. But she had Across-World blood flowing strongly in her veins. The Daughters of her house were taller, stronger, darker than their sisters. Telepathic… After seeing this man, she finally knew why. He had spoken to her! Her house’s telepathy came from Across-World. That might explain other things, things her sisters needed to know. Later, right or wrong, she’d felt his humiliation, his pride, and his pain. She’d had him buried deeply inside of her, felt his mind shatter with pleasure as she rode him. She recognized his warrior soul. No matter how he’d been caught, she knew he was a man of honor, a man who deserved to live. She couldn’t allow him to die while some lower minion of Law was milking his cock. Just the thought squeezed the air from her lungs. The need to save him became paramount in her mind. No one deserved that fate. She refused to question her motives beyond that. The layout of the Grand House of Lore was familiar to her. She’d played here, with Charla and her other sisters, as a child. That was before the feud, when she’d still believed their society was honorable and just. She knew enough to get him out alive. After that, he’d be on his own.

Chapter Three Silent as a ghost, Hana slipped back into the Ritual Room. Nearly a half-day had passed. The last of the Daughters had been Seeded. Silence had fallen. The smell of sex, seed, and cinna oil curled around her, entered her lungs. Even without the presence of Ozera in her blood, her body pulsed to life with memory. Soft candlelight splayed across every inch of his bronzed skin. He was still thick, hard, and ready to be mounted. For several tense moments she couldn’t tear her gaze away. The muscles of her cunt clenched in reaction. She wanted him -- again. No one would know if she lifted her robes and rode him until she was too weak to stand. The Ritual Room was the one place in every house where surveillance technology was not allowed. They were completely alone. Aye, it would be her little secret. No. He would know. This time she would not have the excuses -- duty -- honor -- tradition. His blind raging need flooding her body and stealing her mind. Nay, she couldn’t mount him, but she could touch him. She sank to her knees beside his right ankle and placed her right palm over the powerful joint. He jumped beneath her hand, pulling against his chains. Get your hands off me ! Hana winced at his words. “Hush, Cross-Worlder. I’m not going to mount you.” Perfect masculine lips tightened into a thin line. He pulled against his chains until they rattled again. The war between rage and the hope that she’d help him escape turned his mind into a whirlwind of thoughts. Intense, and bordering on insanity, he broadcast his feelings loudly through their telepathic link. Guilt should’ve stopped her, but lust was stronger. More than likely she was sacrificing her life to free him, so she justified touching him as her dying wish. She slid her hand up his leg to his knee, then higher. Coarse hair tickled her palm. Powerful muscle flexed beneath her fingers. In wonder, she closed her hand around his cock. Fascination held her there for a moment. She loved the feel of his hot skin in her hand, of the soft ridges she longed to feel rubbing with delicious friction inside her. She flicked her thumb over the ridge around its tip. Anger simmered inside him, but unable to deter her, he turned his head away. He was perfect. Mine. Unbidden, the claim shouted inside her mind. “What is your name?” She wanted to know, but didn’t think he would answer. Burn in hellsfire ! Smiling sweetly, she squeezed his cock, nearly laughed when it jumped against her palm. His rippling stomach muscles felt like heaven beneath her hand. She explored his chest, splayed her fingers wide, massaged his muscles, and absorbed the heat of his skin. His nipples rolled into hard peaks beneath her fingertips. Just one taste, just one… She squeezed and rubbed his left nipple, and bent to suck the other deeply into her mouth. No . He protested, but her mind was once again flooded with his desire. He moaned and the sound rumbled up through his thick chest into her mouth. Again… She wanted to hear it again. The potent taste of cinna oil, sweat, and skin invaded her bloodstream. Her core roared to life, throbbed. Demanded. Then begged for another taste. She laved his nipple again with her tongue, then licked and nipped every inch of his chest, up his neck, along his jaw line… to his lips. She ran the tip of her tongue along his lips, tasting. How she longed to know a real kiss. The soft lines of his lips held firm, denied her. She pressed her lips firmly against his, and then tried to push her tongue into his mouth. Oh, she would give almost anything to taste him. But he would not open to her. He would not yield… “Goddess, I’m sorry.” She breathed the apology against his lips. “For everything.” She was a descendant of the

House of Moons! She was not destined to know what it meant to be kissed by this man -- any man. She was supposed to be saving his life! Not molesting him again! Reaching over his head, she grabbed the key that would free him. Beneath her, his hot breath seeped through the thin red night robe that covered her breasts. Her nipples hardened where they hung suspended above his mouth. If he just lifted his head… Awareness sizzled within her nerve endings. “They want to Seed you to another house.” The giant tensed beneath her. Fury, raw power, magic, surged through his body and froze her in place. She was a warrior, trained to fight and kill. But he was an angry giant with similar training and powers she couldn’t even comprehend. The elders of Lore allowed her to carry only her smallest moon dagger while staying in their house. The weapon was strapped to her thigh. The small weapon seemed insignificant now. How had the elders held him here? He was more powerful than anyone she’d ever met. Perhaps setting him free wasn’t such a good idea… “No.” His voice jarred her back to the moment, made her ache with renewed need. “What?” “Do not lose your courage now, woman! Do not leave me here.” “I…” Doubt twisted her stomach into a tight knot. What would he do once free? Would he return with a marauding army and attack her home? She hesitated, chewed her bottom lip with worry. “What is your price?” He swung his head to face her. Staring at his blindfolded face unnerved her almost as much as his husky voice. “Name your price.” The small key in her hand was suddenly heavy as a stone. Was this to be her fate again in two cycles? Ride another man, knowing his death would immediately follow. There was no honor in that. “The price will be high. But you’ll not pay any more of it.” If she were caught, she’d be executed. Even if her sister could intervene, Hana would still be forced to leave the continent. There would be no explaining her actions. The elders’ council would disown her for setting this CrossWorlder free. She was denying another house the right to Seed. An outsider would walk free, a powerful man who knew their secrets. Every rule she broke this night was sacred. Unforgivable. Hana threw away her future for him. A body that had given her pleasure. A voice in her mind. A face she’d never seen. She wrenched the blindfold from his eyes and tossed it across the room. Hatred smoldered in their smoky gray depths, savagery born of desperation. He wouldn’t forget. Or forgive. “Damn you, woman! Name your price or kill me!” He yanked his hands and feet again, hard. The chains clinked loudly. Blood swelled then dripped anew from beneath the metal binding rings to blend with the deep red of the wood beneath them. “Hush.” She placed three fingers over his lips and a jolt of electricity raced from her fingers to her core. Selfdisgust curled her insides. He hated her and she still wanted him buried deep inside her. “You must vow, on your blood and honor, never to return. Never. That is the price of your freedom.” She pulled a small black pouch from her pocket and laid it on his chest. “There’s a key to a Moon Rider in the bag, and enough galactic coin to get you a fair distance from here.” Her hands shook. The small key slid into the lock on his left wrist, but she did not turn it. “Do you agree to my terms? Do you vow never to return?” She could have counted to thirty while waiting for his answer. An agony of silence stretched between them. On the scales in her mind, she imagined him weighing his honor against his need for revenge. “On my word, I vow never to set foot on this God-forsaken continent again.” Fighting the urge to collapse against him in relief, she twisted the key until she felt the metal latch give. She freed his feet next, and then pressed the key into his open palm. “We leave this room by the door to your right. Stay quiet. Run fast and straight past two hallways, then turn left at the third. The door at the end of that corridor leads to the Riders.”

With the Riders they could both be off-world before anyone knew he was missing. Moon Riders were the fastest ships built. No one would catch him. He’d be free. He twisted onto his side, away from her. Muscles rippled beneath the smooth skin of his back. Her mouth went dry. The metal binding ring dropped from his other arm. She’d be homeless. Instinct drove her feet backward, away from the giant rising to his feet before her. Trussed to the table, he made her body ache. Standing naked, angry, and proud before her, he twisted her with equal parts fear and maddening lust. Without warning he leaped to her. He fisted his hands in her long brown hair, forcing her face up to his. The entire length of her body slammed against his gleaming flesh. His skin scorched her through her thin gown, summoned magic from a well deep within her she’d never known existed, and stole it. Alarm and excitement caused her heart to stutter. He was huge! Everywhere. She could still taste his skin… The memory haunted her mouth. “What are you doing?” “Taking a prisoner.” “Bastard! I set you free.” As if summoned by magic, her moon dagger flew into her hand. Before she could recover from the shock, he trapped her wrist, and her weapon, uselessly against her side. “Aye, you did. That’s the only reason I haven’t snapped your neck.” She’d risked everything, sacrificed her future, to free him and he’d betrayed her. The elders were right about men after all. She should’ve listened to them. She should’ve believed. “You have no honor. I should’ve let them have you.” A smile curved his lips as another surge of energy flowed from her body to his. Perhaps. Enmity and desire surged behind the word into her mind.

*** Kiel Lonriev battled the drug-induced demon inside him. The poison the old women had injected took control of his body, and trapped his magic. The woman’s hair slid like silk in his hand. Her dark eyes and full lips made the beast in him want to plunder. Powerful memories of their mind merge as she’d sat on his cock conquered him for a moment, compelled him to conquer her in return. He’d thought at first he would sell her to the traders. That he now considered keeping her proved just how far these bitches had pushed him. Ironic that the leads he’d been following off the slaver ship had led him here -- to this room -- to hell -- to her. Banishment. He read the thought easily in her mind. She was sacrificing her life here in order to save his. That should have been enough to make him forgive her for riding him. Somehow, it wasn’t. Her apologies, the feminine lust driving her as she took him, made him lose focus. Magic called, and he’d answered. He’d given to her the one thing he’d withheld from all the others, viable seed. No, her honor and sacrifice only made the situation worse. The bitch might be carrying his son. A quick scan by his ship’s health unit would answer that question easily enough. Leaving her behind was not an option. He’d slit the soft skin of her throat before he’d allow his son to be born here. “Come!” Hand still in her hair, he pulled her behind him to the wall where red robes hung. He pulled the longest from its hook with his free hand and threw it around his shoulders. It didn’t cover him completely, but it was better than running through the corridors naked. Kiel pulled her to stand before him, her tight ass pressed against his still painful erection. Her heat threatened to release the red haze again. If not for the thin red material separating them, he’d bend her over and bury himself to the balls. “Damn you, woman! Move!” Certain he’d siphoned enough magic from her to fight, he pressed the dagger he’d taken from her against her throat and shoved her before him toward the door she’d indicated earlier. Time to fly. The corridors were deserted. The recessed lights were turned low. Dark walls blended their shadows into an eerie amalgamation. He forced her to a quick jog. The pace served. In no time at all, he was staring at three rows of docked red Riders. Just one would bring a small fortune. Moon Riders were impossible to steal. The owner’s retinal scan served as a lock on the entire ship’s systems. No one else could activate one, unless you had a master

key. Like the one she’d just given him. Kiel snarled. Escape would have been impossible without her aid. One more thing he owed to her. His debt to her would save her life. Nothing would save her from a long hard ride once he was safely back on his ship.

Chapter Four Kiel couldn’t tear his eyes from the large vid screen in his quarters. “Your head’s not in the game.” His half-brother, Padraic, laughed and threw his cards on the black tabletop. Disgust led Kiel to toss his cards away and take a long, fortifying drink from his mug of dark Berza ale. “The Binding is upon you. Time to ride the fire, old man.” Ale invaded his windpipe. Kiel choked and sputtered. “Nay.” Padraic leaned back in his chair and lifted his feet to plop his gray boots on the table. “Aye. You have all the symptoms.” No . But even as he denied the possibility, he felt the soft brush of her mind again and his blood sang in response. The dark sorcerer’s gifts roared to life in his mind, burning away rational thought. Aching, his cock rose and hardened at her siren’s call. “No.” “Don’t be an idiot. You’ve spent more time in here watching her,” Padraic’s dark head jerked in the direction of the vid screen, “than tracking Kamara’s killers.” “Kamara’s not dead.” Kiel pointed to the woman pacing on the screen. “And she’s a Moon Warrior.” “She’s got our blood running in her veins. And she saved your life. Why do you think she did that? You think one of those bitches would really choose banishment from her hellish sisters to save a mere man?” Padraic finished off his ale in one mighty rush, slammed his mug on the table. “Even with her help, how did you escape without your magic?” Kiel fought the urge to tell him the truth, but gave in to the inevitable. “Shared magic.” Padraic shot to his feet. “Hellsfire! Shared magic? And you still sit here lying to yourself! You know she’s the One.” Heading for the door, he continued, “You’re a fool. Sweat’s running down your temple, your power is flaring, and your mind is in chaos.” True, every word. The woman haunted him. She’d raped him, taken his seed, and then saved him. He wanted to hate her, despise her. Instead, all he could think of was burying his cock inside her, playing her body until she begged for release. Until her legs were wrapped around him, her cunt milking him again, and again. His eyes closed and his mind returned to the ritual chamber. Hot. Wet. Tight. Sliding over his length, pulling him so deep inside, he’d felt her womb… small hands stroking his balls. Padraic laughed. “You’re flaring again. Go claim her.” The door to his quarters slid closed on Padraic’s last words. Claim her. The Binding. The call of magic, blood to blood, a perfect mate, a sorceress. His forever. Perhaps that’s why she’d saved him. The reason his body had gifted only her with fertile seed. Maybe, in some deep dark place, they’d both known. That was why he could not bring himself to touch her. The ritual was binding on both of them, unto death. Blood to blood. Magic to magic. No escape for either. She was a Moon Warrior. Not a mother or a lover. Taught to hate men, not coexist peacefully with them. No doubt he had an equal chance of her slitting his throat while he slept as he did of her ever coming to care for him enough to mother his children. Feminine heat whispered into his mind and he raised his eyes to stare at the vid screen again. Blood red fabric flowed off her flesh, leaving her naked. She was calling him to her. Daring. Demanding he answer. A smile of satisfaction spread his lips, finally, a show of weakness. He knew not if she was his mate. But while honor held him bound, his blood boiled. The sound of his heart pounding in his chest spurred him on. The only truth in his mind was that he wanted to feel her body beneath his, feel her wet cunt sucking at his cock again, soft and submissive. She’d ridden him. Had watched, allowed, the others to rape him. Mate or not, he owed her a good hard ride. Punish her. Bend her over and take what he wanted. He would throw her over the wedge cushion to lie on her

stomach, spread her legs wide, and spear her from behind while he got his fill of her ass. He’d twist and pull her nipples, lift her off the ground and ram into her with every ounce of strength he possessed. He wanted his mind merged with hers, lost in the red-hot haze of mating. He wanted to strap her into the swinging hammock, legs spread wide, cunt open and exposed. Then he’d drive home while he sucked her nipples into the wet heat of his mouth. He’d bind her hands above her head as she sat on the edge of the tub, lean her back, and invade her with his tongue until she was sobbing, begging for more. The poison the elders used to harness his magic was gone from his system. The little beauty challenging him through the vid system was in for a shock. Kiel smiled in anticipation and headed for the door. His cock was hard and throbbing already. By the time he was done with her, she would beg for mercy. And he was fresh out.

*** Hana studied the small room again. There had to be something she was missing, something she could use to escape. The first rectangular room was small enough to pace across in ten short steps. Thick layers of padding and soft mauve fabric wrapped around the soles of her bare feet. The flooring was thicker, more welcoming than her own bed, and it covered the entire area. Pillows of varying shapes and sizes were everywhere. White. Beige. Burgundy. Black. A hip high, wedge shaped cushion lay in one corner, perfect for laying her over and taking her from behind. A strange hammock swung from the ten-foot ceiling. The black hide belts were woven into a small rocking cup ideally sized to hold a woman’s hips, complete with extra ties on the supporting straps for her wrists and ankles. A sunken bath of dark chocolate colored quarna stone was in the corner of the room. Binding rings and pink crystal lamps were anchored into the walls at intervals around the tub. Hana shivered. She couldn’t even look at the bed in the adjoining room with its deceptively innocent white sheets and blood red pillows. The metal railings of its headboard were decorated with scarves and binding cuffs. The drawers were full of items she’d never seen -- didn’t dare think about. She wanted to hate the Cross-Worlder for dumping her here two days ago and not returning. At least she’d been fed. But the door was still locked by magic. She was no better than an animal in a cage. A wild animal that was lost, far from home, with no idea how to find her way back. If he’d meant to punish her, or scare her, he’d only partially succeeded. The warrior in her looked around and wanted to scream, kill, go curl up in a corner like a wounded hellcat and wait for an opportune moment to strike. The crazed woman who remembered riding him, stretching her core around his massive cock, shattering with him as he gave her his seed, whispered in her mind. Quiet, torturous longings for things she could never accept. She would choose death over slavery. “Goddess, help me.” Her body craved his. Lusted. Aye, she wanted more of him, but only if it was her choice -pure and simple. Anything less would be a betrayal of everything she’d ever been taught to value and honor. But hadn’t she already done that? She shook her head to cast off the guilt threatening to choke her. Nothing mattered now except escape. Survival. She couldn’t go back to her sisters. She’d broken the sacred trust of her people by setting the bastard free, and he’d locked her in a cage. Blood ties? Rules? Honor? They no longer applied. She was a Rhion beast locked in a lightning pen, a wild, powerful beast starving for retribution. She would be no man’s prisoner. She was a warrior, not an animal to be caged. Freedom called. She could finally have the life she secretly wished for. She’d spent countless hours studying the forbidden. Stolen time in the elders’ library taught her of other ways of life, other people, cultures, possibilities. She was a woman who questioned everything, always wanted more than the dried up old elders would allow. Out here she could keep a man. Have both a daughter and a son. All she had to do was force her way out of this room. She had a small fortune stashed away in the Trader’s Bank, more than enough to live on in comfort for the rest of her life. Perhaps if she simply asked, he’d let her go. Or keep her caged like an animal forever . “Come! Take me if you can!” Hana snarled the challenge at the vid transmitter mounted in the corner of the

room. The fact that he was ogling her through the vid system didn’t help calm her blood. She knew he was watching her, waging a war within himself. His mind called to hers when his urge for retribution was riding him high. She felt him fight his desire to mount her. A pulsing fog of lust enveloped her mind every time his eyes caressed her flesh, wanted to touch. Like right now. Let him try. She was tired of waiting. For two days she’d been in this prison. Two days of connection, and isolation, alone in this room. Feeling what he felt. Knowing he watched her, desired her… owed her his life. He was hard and ready to take her body. He thought to exact retribution for the Seeding. Foolish man. Her patience, her pity, her guilt were gone. Two days were more than generous. He’d survived. He owed her his life. Time was up. “Come and get me, coward.” With a smile on her face, she let loose the gold clasp holding the red robe to her shoulder. Like water, it slid off her shoulders, over the tips of her sensitive nipples, along her hips, down her naked body to pool on the floor. The ornate necklace of silver and opals still hung around her neck, a myriad of teardrop shaped jewels caught in a spider-web of sparkling silver against her flesh. Hana stepped over the rippling fabric at her feet, then picked it up and threw it over the small lens of the vid system. He’d either walk in blind, or stop being a voyeur. Head held high, confident she’d know when he approached, she glided to the sunken tub. A bath would be heavenly. This small boon she would allow, now that she didn’t have an audience! She was no child to timidly await her fate. Eyes closed, she focused her mind and tried to cut herself off from him. Instant heat rushed through their connection. Perhaps he couldn’t see her, but he could feel her. Too bad the needs of her body were not acceptable to her mind. With a wave of her hand over the controls, steam rose around her as water poured into the tub. She pulled her braid forward over her shoulder and freed the dark strands to slide like silken fingers over the skin of her back, her hips. Rising to her full height, she stretched her arms above her head, not worried that she made an offering of her body. There was no one to see. Hana stepped into the thigh deep water, immersed herself, then stood. Water flowed over her, clung to her curves, dripped from her body back into the water. Every effort was spent on forgetting the feel of his massive cock as he’d stretched her, filled her, and blocking the sensual heat of his telepathic answer. Anger warred with satisfaction when her body creamed in readiness, despite her attempts to forget. A primal growl filled her mind and she hid her body’s traitorous response behind a carefully blank expression. He resisted coming to her. Honor held him bound. While she had been thankful for the reprieve at first, how would she escape if no one ever opened the door! Adrenaline flooded her bloodstream with her fury. She actually felt as if her blood were boiling inside her veins. A potent mix of gnawing anger and sexual hunger overwhelmed her, bordered on physical pain. The combustion chased away any thoughts of modesty or restraint. She couldn’t wait. If he found her in this state, she would be weak. And the coward was due for a reckoning. Hana sat on the edge of the tub, one leg remaining in the water. The other was bent, propped beside her on the edge and spread her knees wide. In reckless abandon, she let her head drop back, exposed her neck, thrust the soft swells of her breasts into the air and her pelvis forward. She cupped one breast with her left hand, pinched and pulled the nipple. Slowly, her will succumbed to the needs of her flesh. Every soft swirl of flesh beneath her palm was welcomed as she slid her right hand to her clit, dipped lower. With three fingers she conquered her feminine folds. While she split the petals wide with the outer two, she drove deep the middle finger and imagined she rode him again in the Seeding Ritual. Muscles clenched around her slim finger. The inadequate invasion left her feeling empty, desperate for more. For him. Damn him! She buried the need beneath years of discipline and pulled her hands from her flesh with disgust. Instead of relieving her sexual cravings, the game she played only added to her frustration. To fall victim to the whims of her body now would be a fatal mistake. Warriors of her class did not make mistakes. Now was not the time.

Since she’d been here, trapped in this room, she’d allowed her telepathic link to slip from him time and again. Now she held his mind to hers with vicious ferocity. He wouldn’t escape her will. He would answer. Years of training demanded she regain control of her life, her destiny, her body. To fail in this would be any warrior’s suicide. She was not ready to die. The male warrior she challenged roared in her mind. Close. He was getting close. Hana looked around the room and sneered. The trap had been set for two days. All he had to do was walk in.

Chapter Five Kiel burst into the room like a mindless animal. He could hold no thought in his mind but taking her. No logic but the pleasure of pumping into her. No restraint against the need to bury himself deeply inside of her over and over. No longer a man, he was a monster. He knew the precise moment she realized it, felt the shiver race along her overheated skin. Aye, he was a beast set to devour her, if he could find her. The bubbling sensation in his veins intensified as his magic swelled in answer to his need. With a single thought he could locate her. Anticipation held him from that course. “Show yourself, woman,” he demanded. “You challenged me.” “Let me go.” Her voice slid inside his head, straight to his cock. Padraic was right, she was his mate. Her smell, of rare jasmine and feminine arousal, filled his lungs. The magic in his blood sang, energy rose in a cloud around him, drove him to claim her. “Never.” A flash of red was all he saw before she was on him. Her gown wrapped tightly around his throat, her bare breasts against his back, her hot breath in his ear as she tried to choke the life from him. Kiel enjoyed the feel of her naked flesh rubbing his bare back, sought the Magic of Vision, smiled, and said, “Bind her.” Instantly the red fabric turned, twisted around her wrists, and became one with her flesh. She would not be able to escape the fabric until he allowed her to do so. She screamed against his back and bit into his shoulder. The noose around his neck tightened. Respect reluctantly crept into his thoughts. The woman was strong, but not nearly strong enough to get past the heavy muscles of his neck, or his magic. His thoughts focused on a new Vision… “Hold!” Power swirled, immobilized her behind him. He could feel her shock, her puzzlement, her wrath. Was she truly this ignorant of his people? Her people? Kiel turned around to face her. Hana’s naked, open legs were still wrapped around his hips. Her arms were now locked behind his head. His soft blue uniform shirt and black pants were the only things separating his skin from hers. The fabric kept his shaft from entering her core. The heated wetness soaked the front of his pants where her cunt pressed against him. His cock jumped in response. “Let me go.” Her words were a command, nothing less. “Not until I’m done with you.” Her dark eyes smoldered at him, but he felt the ripple of sensual excitement in her mind and he deliberately rubbed his cock against her. “Not until you beg.” Never . His sorcery wouldn’t allow a response aloud, so focused, sent the word screaming through their telepathic link. His hands skimmed over her hips, her stomach, and her breasts. She could not move under the sensual assault. Magic. She had not counted on magic! He laughed. “My turn, slave.” Hana knew she was going mad. She could not move! Her gown had somehow bonded with her hands and arms. To tear it loose would be to tear the very flesh from her bones. Strong fingers clamped around her hips and buttocks, lifting her chest to his mouth like a sacrifice. He brushed her rigid nipples against his lips, sucked first one peak, then the other into the hot cavern of his mouth. The room spun. When she regained her bearings he was pulling out of her embrace. She hung, suspended in the air, his magic more powerful than anything she’d imagined. Fear sucked the moisture from her mouth. He turned her around to where the wedge cushion waited and carried her from behind until the front of her thighs met the velvety fabric. From his pocket he pulled a long red piece of cloth, the blindfold he’d worn during the Seeding, and tied the material over her eyes.

My turn . This time he spoke intimately, directly into her mind. Still paralyzed by his spell, she could offer no resistance. He walked around her side, grabbed the red fabric binding her, and looped it over a hook in front of her. Arms extended, she was pulled forward, bent completely over the cushion. Head forced down, her mass of dark hair fell forward, over her shoulders. Strong hands gripped her ankles and pulled her legs apart until her feminine core opened like petals to the cooler air of the room. Bound and blindfolded, just as he had been. She was open. Exposed. Helpless. Hot breath fanned her cheek, her shoulder. Every nerve screamed to life beneath his touch. Close enough to burn her with their heat, but never touching, his hands skimmed over her breasts, her stomach, the backs of her thighs, her ass. “Do you want me to take you?” The words danced over her skin like fire. Hana tried to answer, to scream at him, but her lips would not move. His magic wouldn’t allow it. Her screamed denial turned into a frustrated growl as it passed her frozen tongue and lips. Kiel’s hot breath invaded her ear. “You may speak.” “No.” His whispered words had freed her to respond, but that was all. Her body still wouldn’t answer when she commanded it. Eyes clenched tightly closed under the blindfold, Hana felt him move to stand behind her, bit back a moan, half lust and half fear, when the velvet tip of his shaft brushed against her core. No. Her mind cried in denial, but her damn body creamed in answer. Little liar . Like a hot spring exploding in her mind, he was there, taking over, dominating her, filling her head with erotic images and his male lust. She should be screaming, fighting his hold on her. Instead she quivered before him, frozen in place by magic. A callused palm, a warrior’s hand, slid around her hip to cup her mons. While his palm massaged her clit, he held three fingers at the entrance of her core, feeling, exploring, spreading her, driving her mad, but not diving deep. He slid his other hand over her buttock, up her spine, around the curve of her breast to twist and pull on her nipple. The blood in her veins boiled hot. He would kill her. Worse, he tempted her to respond. “Stop.” His hands left her, but he pressed into her back with his massive frame. Every place his skin touched felt on fire. She was small, weak -- defenseless against the massive power of his chest and legs behind her. Aggression in his body, he slid down her back, his tongue swirled a path of lava over her spine. Then he was gone. The magic that had held her immobile faded away. A sudden cold overwhelmed her, chilled her bones. Her blood stilled in her veins. Deep in her chest, her heart struggled to beat. Insanity to feel that a vital part of her soul was now missing. In that moment she feared nothing, not death, nor rape, or torture. She feared nothing but the emptiness of her soul at the loss of his touch. I’m dying. Death. That had to be the answer. She supposed she should thank him. She’d choose death over slavery. But her body wanted him to touch her. Horror choked the knowledge in her throat. Her dark hair flew around her head, denying the violence of her need. “No! Goddess, what is wrong with me?” Out of nowhere, both of his hands grabbed her ass, pulled her cheeks apart until her anus started to stretch and her throbbing folds pulled wide. The tip of his giant cock brushed against her wet core over and over, stealing her fluid, spreading cream over both of them. Hana cried out in relief, and hated herself for it. “Nothing is wrong with you.” He bent over until his lips skimmed the sensitive flesh on the back of her neck, bit her softly. “It’s the Binding.” For a heartbeat of time something flashed through her mind, a warning. She’d heard that term, read about it. The memory was elusive, insignificant against the feel of his body behind hers. Hot, hard, and ready to take her. The velvet softness of his lips caressed her neck, her ear, the curve of her shoulder. He remained pressed against her wet heat; the emptiness there was painful. “What is your name?” His question whispered to her mind, her soul, seducing an answer from her. “Hana.” “Hana.” He spoke her name like she was an evil seduction. The air around them changed, came to life, pulsed, and wrapped them in a cocoon of power, magic, and lust. Hana couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. His cock jumped and pressed, just barely invaded her body. With her last

ounce of sanity, she wiggled her hips away from him, tried to force him to release his ironclad hold on her. He locked his hands around her hips like vises and held her still for his penetration. She sobbed with frustration and need. His voice moved through her mind, bewitching, seductive. I am Kiel. Say my name. She fought the fire in her veins to no avail. Magic flowed over her, through her. Like she was driftwood swirling helplessly in a flood, the power drowned her mind, stole her logic and self-control until there was only Kiel, his voice, and his body. “Kiel.” “Hana.” Repeat my words. When he spoke aloud, the words vibrated in the air and through her body like the rumblings of an earthquake. “Mind to mind.” Hana heard the softer melody of her voice rise to vibrate, echo, and linger in the air in complete harmony with his. “Mind to mind.” “Heart to heart.” The pulsing of his heartbeat became loud, blended into the cadence of the magic swirling around them and beat at her core. Body completely out of control, she collapsed, her knees weak and useless beneath her. The fall drove her hips hard into the cushion. “Heart to heart.” The frantic pounding of her heart rose in volume to resound through the room. “Blood to blood.” Hana summoned every ounce of self-preservation she possessed to resist the seductive lure. She couldn’t speak. Wouldn’t. A small voice inside of her screamed a warning, demanded she save herself from this madness even as her core ached with emptiness. Blood to blood, Hana. Say it ! Kiel commanded her obedience. One hand struck like a snake, dove against her stomach, lower, then slammed against her mound and lifted her hips off the cushion. Her traitorous body melted against his. Hot liquid covered his hand. Inner muscles clenched and released, brushed the tip of his cock, more than eager, desperate for invasion. Blood to blood. Say it, Hana. He pumped his hips forward. The scalding tip of his cock entered a fraction, and then withdrew. Again, stretching -- promising more -- then was gone. He left her in physical pain, frantic for fulfillment. Her breasts ached. Her body no longer belonged to her, it was his. Say the words. Blood to blood . His cock pushed inside no more than an inch, stilled, waiting for her submission. The hand that held her off the floor rhythmically squeezed the handful of flesh riding his palm, rubbed hard against her clit, drove her to the brink of madness. She didn’t dare open her mouth. Afraid the words he wanted, the power of magic, would flow from her lips. Kiel, please… She heard the desperation in her plea and loathed the weakness that tempted her to surrender. Say the words, Hana . With a sharp jab of his hips he rammed his cock a fraction deeper. She panted. Her chest heaved, driving her sensitized nipples into the rough texture of the fabric beneath her. She bit her lip to hold in her sobs, her begging, while his voice and the magic in the room combined into an overpowering wave of raw lust and power. “Blood to blood! Then I will ride you until you scream.” The strong hand that gripped and released her clit sped up. His free hand traced the curve of her ass, the dip of her spine above her buttocks, tracing a path lower, toward the exposed virgin flesh of her anus. Hana writhed, moaned, fought against her own body, and his. Her lust and his. The magic swirled around them, still pulsing with their combined heartbeats, the echoes of their voices. His mind fed a constant barrage of erotic images to hers, stoked the fire, driving her further and further from reality into a place where nothing mattered but sating her body. The tip of his thumb dipped into her anus, hooked around the edge, and pulled gently, stretching both her ass and her cunt, pulling her flesh into tighter contact with his half-impaled cock. She clenched her muscles. As hard as she fought temptation, she couldn’t stop the roll of her pelvis that pushed her clit against his caressing hand. “Open to me!”

Magic speared her body with a thousand poison darts of demand. She could not resist. She spread her legs wider, opened to his invasion. Every nerve ending was singed by flames. She rocked her hips against his hand, her body spiraling tighter and tighter, higher and higher. A shout of triumph built in her throat. The sweet torment of his moving hands ceased, and then left her completely. His cock slowly, deliberately, began to slide out of her clenching core. Her shout withered to a cry of pain, of deprivation. Still, her legs hung open, suspended in the air by magic, exposing her aching cunt to him. “Kiel.” The sound of his name vibrated through the air, added to the storm of lust and magic. She wasn’t sure she could survive. Then the room spun. Tense in the silence, she jumped when his hands clamped around her waist and he lifted her, flipped her onto her back in his arms, and started walking. “What are you doing?” “Whatever I want to.” As much as she hated herself for it, she couldn’t stop her cunt from clenching hotly at his words. Goddess, where was he taking her? A shiver raced up her spine, equal parts fear, magic, and lust. As if she were an offering at a feast, he lifted her stiff body away from his chest and held her suspended in the air. Newly awakened senses tingled with awareness as he gathered his energy for another spell. “Bind her!” Like snakes coiling around her wrists and ankles, strong ties wound around her, tight. She screamed when another slithered around her waist and pulled her down. Slowly, carefully, the band of magic around her waist anchored her into the odd, swinging chair. One sharp tug and both her blindfold and the now unnecessary red night robe fell from her wrists to the floor from Kiel’s hands, forgotten. Kiel circled her, ran his hands over her body, and cupped her breasts. Paybacks were hell, and from the look on his face, her predicament was only going to get worse. “Open!” Another command! The bindings on her arms and legs stretched taut, pulling her arms away from her sides and her legs open wide. Suspended in mid-air, bound on her back, spread open like a sacrifice, Hana closed her eyes and fought back tears of defeat. He stood at her feet, drank in the sight of her quivering pussy like a dying man would stare at a cure. Terror and frustration combined until she could no longer contain them. Every emotion escaped in one violent scream. As he spoke, he lowered his head toward her wet core. The heat of his breath against her cunt nearly drove her mad. “Heart to heart. Mind to mind. Blood to blood.” In one long bold stroke of his tongue, he tasted her, then withdrew. A sob escaped her throat at his retreat. The ritual words escalated the waves of sound and energy in the room to a crescendo she could no longer resist. The spell he wove moved through her body like hard, driving music. Nothing mattered, not her past, her future, her honor. She fought like a wild Rhion beast just to remember her name. Every conscious thought left her. She was a wild animal. Her only need was to have his hard cock fill her to the point of pain, to have his hands play her body like a master. He issued a call of magic, of sorcery. Both her blood and her body answered. Kiel’s was a trap laid by illusion and madness. Nothing mattered but HIM. The words he sought became a chant falling from her lips. “Blood to blood. Blood to blood.” Kiel pulled her hips forward, and with a shout of triumph, he buried himself to the balls in one powerful, ruthless thrust. Every muscle in her body went taut in welcome. She arched her head back, pushed against the ties that held her arms, tried to take more of him. His thumb followed the curve of her ass once again, then dipped lower. His cock slid from her body, pumped into her viciously at the same time he forced his thumb completely into her anus, to invade, to stretch. He took full advantage of her position, rubbed and squeezed her clit with his fingers. His cock, his thumb, and the fingers plucking her clit moved in unison, without mercy. The sound of both of their pounding heartbeats resonated through the air, amplified by the magic Kiel wielded. Faster and faster, harder and harder, Kiel pounded into her, his hips ramming against her flesh, swinging her back

and forth through the air with each powerful thrust. Rub. Squeeze. Flick. The brutal assault on her clit made her want to scream. He massaged and stretched her asshole as he rode her until she was near hysteria. “I bind you to me.” Kiel pulled back until his cock was nearly free, and then held her still. For a moment, his touch gentled, became almost reverent, and his mind calmed. But Hana was beyond resisting the call of his flesh. If he stopped now, she was sure her heart would explode in her chest. She wanted to be ridden. She writhed, begged, whimpered before him. Blindly, desperate for relief, she shouted out the words. “I bind you to me.” The magic in the air flashed, invaded each of their bodies, their blood with heat. Power arced between like a hundred tiny bolts of lightning, welded them together in an electric storm of flesh. Kiel shouted her name and shoved his cock so hard, so deep, she feared he’d tear her in two. Liquid fire filled her veins. Kiel’s huge shaft pounded against her womb, fired a jolt of magic into her core with every thrust, and sent Hana over the edge. Her cunt grabbed onto Kiel’s cock like a fist. She milked him, pulled him deeper. Every muscle in her body exploded in mind-blowing pleasure. Kiel followed her over the edge, shoved his cock home hard, flooded her mind with his body’s release, and rocketed them both out of reality into an endless orgasm. An overwhelming swirl of power shifted between them, fused them on a cellular level, and shattered her mind. She screamed for mercy and fell into darkness.

Chapter Six Hana awoke naked in a strange room, Kiel spooning her, his arm possessively flung around her waist. Kiel’s soft, even breathing behind let her know he was still asleep. She didn’t move, just looked around the room trying to get her bearings. They were enfolded in soft blue sheets. A strange symbol was woven into the fabric with silver thread. Faces that resembled Kiel’s smiled at them from a small collection of still lifes on one wall, his family. Rugs woven by Moon Warrior machines littered the otherwise bare metallic floor. Hydrogen crystal lanterns burned at regular intervals in the recesses of the dark blue walls. The smell of calming herbs and man invaded her lungs. She had no doubt this was his personal room, his sanctuary. Why was she here? The memory of their mating flushed her skin, sending her pulse racing with both anger and lust. Raw animal sex was no answer for her. He’d removed her from a slaver’s room and brought her here. Did he think to just keep her? Her traitorous heart leapt at the thought until her mind dealt a severe blow. Yes, but to keep her as a slave? That was the word he’d used. She was a warrior. To live as a prisoner was unacceptable. If he thought to hold her against her will, she would escape or die. Unbidden, her heart whispered, But what if he simply asks? Oh, how she wished to feel the cold reassurance of her favorite dagger in her palm. She closed her eyes and thought of the runes of speed, courage, and strength raised on its hilt. The sparks of fire that burned from the huge opal imbedded amongst the runes, the beautiful glint of light shining from the deadly edge of the moon shaped blade. In this bed of uncertainty, her weapon would give her a fighting chance against the hulk of man sprawled beside her. Homesickness swelled her throat and burned behind her eyes. “My dagger.” Something was happening. She was different. Her blood burst hotly in her veins, as if each cell floating in the river of her blood was on fire. Her palm tingled and energy flowed from Kiel’s body into hers. The tingling abated, grew heavier and heavier until the weight of her weapon pressed her hand into the bed. In disbelief, not daring to hope, she opened her eyes and gasped. Magic! She’d used magic. How? “The power has always resided within you. You summoned the Vision.” Kiel’s deep voice rumbled through her back, warmed her skin, and sent her pulse racing. “Now, what are you planning on doing with that? Kill me and you’ll die as well.” She chose to ignore that statement. Hana palmed her old friend and rolled over to face him, keeping the weapon hidden beneath the sheets. “Why am I here?” Kiel’s gray eyes studied her for a moment, clearly debating how hostile she was likely to become. Very slowly, as if soothing a wild animal, he found her thigh beneath the covers with his right hand. With deliberate calm, he slid his palm up her leg to torment her. “You are my mate. We are one. Where else would you be?” “I am not your mate.” But what if what he said were true? What had he done with his magic? Would she truly die as well? He caressed her skin, made small circles with his thumb where his hand rested on the curve of her hip. “Aye. We are bound.” Then Hana remembered what she’d read. The Binding! Now that she was free of the frenzy of lust, full knowledge flooded her. Mind to mind. Heart to heart. Blood to blood! A permanent bond forged by the call of blood and magic. Everything she’d read about the Cross-World ritual claimed the bond was nearly impossible to break. Nearly impossible. Suddenly, Hana couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. She should just kill him now. “Reverse it.” His thumb stilled. Dark gray eyes promised her the truth. “We would not survive the ritual.” Remembered pieces of text scrolled before her eyes. Three days of spellcasting by an eight member circle of level one sorcerers… Blood transfusions… Molecular destabilization… Only attempted twenty times in recorded

history… Only one in ten attempts successful… She was trapped. “Bastard!” So they’d both die. End it. At least she wouldn’t be a slave. The raised runes on her dagger hilt were cutting into her palm. The soldier in her wanted to drive the blade straight into his heart. The sex-crazed woman inside wouldn’t allow her to harm him. He’d stolen her future. Her life. Never had she been so torn. Why was she so tempted? One glance at his face and she knew the answer. Dark paradise shined from his eyes, making it impossible for her to forget the sweet pleasure of riding his cock, the sensual glide of his fingers over her skin, the way he’d endured her sisters’ cruelty. Kiel was a warrior, with a fighter’s pride, honor, and heart. Perhaps she did care for him. At the very least, she respected him. Could these feelings be love? No! He’d raped her! Self-hatred forced her from the bed, away from him. She needed to think. Not lie naked in his arms reveling in the feel of his strong hands, hands that only moments ago had tenderly stroked her flesh. He let her go. Didn’t so much as twitch while she backed toward the door. Smoke gray eyes bored into her as if he could read her mind. I can read your mind. Remember? Stop it. “You raped me as well.” The fresh surge of anger behind his words made her wince. “And you watched the others…” Hana squeezed her eyelids closed against the pain gathering behind them. What he said was true. “I’m sorry. I had no choice. If I’d refused, they would’ve executed me and renewed the feud with my sisters.” “I know. I felt the conflict in your mind.” “Then why?” Every muscle in her body tensed for flight, as she waited for his answer. Why did you Bind me to you? Force me with magic? “I had no choice.” You are my mate. He spoke the last telepathically, four words that whispered through her mind, through her soul, seduced recognition and an answering ache from her heart. “I wish now that I had not allowed anger to rule me when I took you. But I can’t lie to you. I want you again.” “No.” Hana shivered, felt ripped in two hearing her own words thrown back at her. No choice. Fifty-fifty chance she’d either run like hell or crawl back in bed and beg him to spread her thighs again. “Where will you run?” She sensed his arousal through their telepathic link, felt his cock rising, hard and engorged. Heat pooled behind his eyes as he stared at her naked body. His lust tempted her. His control nearly drove her mad. “There are many worlds that would welcome a wealthy Moon Warrior.” “Aye.” He threw the sheet off his body and rose from the bed, stalking her. A supreme effort was required to keep her gaze away from his jutting cock. “And just as many would sell you for top dollar on the slaver’s market.” “Warriors embrace death over slavery. It’s a well-known fact. None would dare take me.” “No? I can prove otherwise.” Hana tightened her fingers around her dagger. He spoke with absolute conviction. But he couldn’t be right about the slavers. Trading her sisters was impossible. All would choose to die before succumbing to forced servitude. “You’re wrong.” Kiel raised his eyebrows. The knowing look in his eyes made her decision easy. She raised her dagger. He raised his hand, palm open to her, and shouted, “To me!” Spinning through the air, her dagger flew out of her hand and straight into his. Before she could react he was talking again, advancing without a single ounce of mercy in the taut lines of his body. “What do you think happens once your Ozera Potent hits the universal market?” The abrupt change of topic, his ferocity, caught her off guard. Descendants of the House of Moons were known

for two products. Riders were the fastest, most elegant, and most expensive small spacecraft in existence. And Ozera Potent. A diluted version of what they used during the Seeding Ritual, sold as an injectable ‘love potion.’ “It’s not diluted. It’s concentrated, used to sexually enslave women from all worlds by the thousands. Most die after a few short months. So they are always looking for replacements.” Hana shook her head at his lies. No, there was no proof. “My sister, Kamara, disappeared at the hands of Gilforn slavers last month. I left Merghall to track her killers. And do you know where that search led me?” “To the Ozera fields?” He was so close now she felt the heat radiating off his body. With one step he would press his hard frame against her smaller one. He cupped her cheek with his palm. Energy vibrated in the air around his body. The power in his blood sang to hers, pulsed with a life of its own in the small space that separated them. Newly awakened, her blood sang back with magic, rang in her ears, made her body achy, aware. Powerful. She was just as powerful as he was! “Yes. My search led me to you.” The unforgiving pressure of his forehead came to rest against hers. She staggered back into the solid wall. Hana shoved against his bare chest to no avail. He was a rock. Information flooded her mind. Hana squeezed her eyelids closed in shocked self-defense, and tried to block the mental invasion. His search. Facts about Ozera. Slavers. Pain. Helplessness. Fear for Kamara. The terrible, gleeful frenzy in the elders’ minds when they’d caught him. Kiel’s honesty forced her to see her people as he did. He saw a society that was hypocritical, calculating, cold, unnatural in their breeding habits, and without mercy. The elders had captured him in those fields, trapped him there with magic. Men and magic! Both were forbidden. Forbidden! Yet the elders used sorcery to trap Kiel, to bind his mind during the ritual so he couldn’t use his powers. Her elders had sentenced him to death. For as long as she could remember, the elders preached celebration of their independence. All that time, they’d sold Ozera Potent. In effect, they’d helped to enslave women in every other system. And they knew! Everything she’d believed in, her entire life, the story of her family bloodline was a lie. The knowledge pressed in on her chest to the point of pain. Equal parts fire and tears burned behind her eyelids. Fire won. All her life she’d lived with honor. She’d not blacken her soul for blood-ties to liars. Murderers. Slavers… Decision made, Hana opened her eyes for what felt like the first time in her life. She could almost see the cold steel blade of knowledge sever the last ties of loyalty running from her head and her heart to her past. In the back of her mind, she could hear her older sister, Esmee the Queen, calling her back with promises of comfort and family. Perhaps she should feel a great loss. Instead, a great burden fell from her shoulders. No matter what happened now, she was free. Free in a way she had never been before. At last she could choose to live her life without guilt. “I’m sorry for your sister, the Seeding Ritual, for all of it.” An uncontrollable impulse forced her to wrap her arms around his waist, to press her cheek against the solid wall of his chest, to allow her skin to melt against his. “I’m so sorry.” Beneath her ear, his heart beat a steady rhythm. Slowly, like ice melting from a glacier, she felt his anger at her fade -- then disappear in forgiveness. Peace invaded her entire body until she felt she could float away in it. Tomorrow she’d leave this place -- this man, and find a way to let the women who mattered to her know the truth. She’d make sure her sisters, and Charla, her childhood friend now lost to her through the lies and feuding, knew the truth. She would force everyone to learn of the elders’ betrayal. Esmee’s betrayal. That one hurt the most -- her own flesh and blood. But first, she wanted to experience the one pleasure she’d never allow herself again. There was nothing she wanted more than Kiel, naked, and willing… Hana turned her face into Kiel’s chest and let her tongue slow-dance over his skin. He groaned and pulled her naked stomach tightly against his rigid cock. She inhaled his spicy scent. Hot cream erupted in her core at the

smell of man. Her man. A blast of hot air shot her words over his nipple. “Kiel, take me back to bed.” “No.” He stood rigid and proud, but he did not move. And he was too big for her to force. They were now equal in magic, linked to share their growing power. She would have no advantage there, but there were other ways… A smile crept into her voice. “No?” Hana sucked his nipple into her mouth. Her fingers glided over his back, around his chest to his stomach, then lower, until she held his cock in her hand. The shaft jumped. “No, Hana.” But he pushed into the heat of her palm. Attention focused on his other nipple. She sucked, pulled, and bit. Once again, she was in control of his magnificent body. When she glanced up, she saw his head thrown back, teeth clenched, pleasure carved in his features. He would not deny her. One last time, she would ride him. “No!” In the span of a heartbeat, he took control. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, lifted her in front of him, and shoved her back against the wall. Kiel crushed her sensitive nipples against the hot skin of his chest. Face to face, chest to breast, he stopped. His gaze was so intense, only her fierce pride gave her the willpower to look him in the eye. “No, Hana. You will not force me. Never again. And you will not leave tomorrow. You are mine.” “I belong to no man.” Even as she denied his claim, her heart leapt. She would not be held prisoner, but what if he asked her to remain? Wanted her by his side? Would show her his world and treat her as an equal? Wasn’t that what she’d always secretly longed for? Dreamt of during her hours of forbidden study in the elders’ hall? Yes. But was he the right man? Just asking the question set her body on fire. The memory of his sensual assault made her cunt throb. The hard tip of his cock pressed between her legs where he held her pinned against the wall. She sank her teeth into her lips to keep from begging for relief. Aye, he was definitely the right man. How she would love to ride him and be ridden again and again. To take. Be taken, tied up, legs spread wide while he speared her from behind… She’d been linked to his mind. No matter the manner in which their bonding had happened, she knew him as he knew her. Sharing his mind, she felt his honor, his valor, his heart. She was either half-mad, or half in love with a stranger. A coward she was not: time to find out whether she would be ruled by madness, or love, time to find out if he could play fair. A shiver raced up her spine. She wouldn’t mind being taken, if she were also allowed to ride… “Kiss me.” Her lips skimmed over his, the lightest of enticements. He’d denied her his lips in both the Ritual Room and the slave room. This time, she would have them! His lips brushed against hers as he spoke. “When I am through with you, you will not doubt who you belong to.” With that, his lips found hers. They seduced with softness until she opened for him. Then his mouth dominated her, staked a claim, and screamed ownership with every aggressive thrust of his tongue. The exotic scent of her arousal rose in the air. Kiel repositioned one hand at a time, locked them beneath her thighs, pulling them wide open with his fingers. The tip of his cock pushed against her core, but did not enter. He broke off the kiss to run his tongue along her collarbone, up to her cheek. Breathing fire into her ear, he said, “I want you, Hana.” “Yes.” She wiggled against his hold, tried to slam hard and fast onto the rigid cock slowly stretching her. Both of his hands moved up to the curve of her waist. With one long, slow glide, he lowered her, impaled her on his cock. Power and awareness hummed through the air, stroked and zapped their skin with a thousand tiny needles of pleasure. “You are mine.” She stiffened against him in protest, but he still held her trapped against the wall. His grip tightened. He took a small step back and dipped his head to lave one nipple with his tongue. “As I am yours. We are bound, Hana.” A jolt of pure lust speared her body the moment his hot wet tongue stroked her nipple. “Aye, we are bound.” The truth was undeniable. Hana threw back her head and cradled him to her. She thrust her breasts toward his mouth and her hips against his, taking him deeper. Deep into her body -- even deeper into her heart. She didn’t want to leave. Goddess help her if he discovered her secret.

Kiel laughed, thrust harder. He carried her to the bed, laid her on her back, his cock still filling her. A whimper escaped her at the feel of his hard body covering hers, pressing her into the bed. She could die, right there, and be happy. In her wildest dreams she’d never thought a man could feel this good. “Not a man, Hana. Me.” Kiel nipped her shoulder with his teeth to punish her thought. Electricity raced through her body from the spot. She wrapped her legs around his hips and rose up off the bed to meet his thrusts. This was not enough. No, she wanted more of him, wanted him to stretch her, fill her, drive into her, and pin her to the bed. With one hand, she reached to massage his balls where they rocked against her ass. Her other hand she thrust between their bodies to rub her sensitive clit. The powerful thrusts of his cock against her womb, of his hips against her thighs, of his stomach against hers drove her hand hard against her swollen clit. Arching to meet his hot mouth, she offered her nipples. He complied, sucked mercilessly, and then flicked his tongue against her nipple in rhythm to his pounding cock. Their combined magic hummed in the air, built to a sizzling heat. Kiel pounded into her, harder, faster. Hana unwound her legs from his hips, opened wider, felt the folds of her cunt spread even further, stretch until she thought she would scream. She rubbed and pulled her clit in time to the cock that rammed into her body. Every muscle in her body clenched. Squeezed when he thrust. Released when his body left hers. Squeezed tight when he hammered into her. Release. Squeeze. Her world narrowed to her hand on her clit, the muscles caressing Kiel’s cock, the massive shaft stretching her. Kiel groaned above her, ground his pelvis against hers in a sensual dance as old as time. He opened his mind, flooded her with his pleasure, taking hers. Magic crackled in the air like static electricity, burned both of them, and forced them over the edge. Hana screamed as her entire body went up in flames. Her cunt exploded into spasms, pulled and clutched. Her clit was shot with lightning, spreading magic fire through her womb and over her entire body. Kiel followed her over the edge, growled her name, pinned her hips to the bed beneath him with his hands so she couldn’t move, couldn’t escape him. But even as the man dominated her, the seductive sorcerer whispered into her mind… We were fated, Hana. Stay. Choose me. Aye, I’ll think about it . Hana stretched like a well-sated hunting cat on the bed. Arms over her head, she waited for him to collapse on top of her, and then shoved with all her might to roll them both over on top of the soft blue sheets. The lust-filled memory of her first ride swam in her mind -- invaded his. His cock, still inside of her, swelled, hardened. Hana smiled. My turn.

Chapter Seven “Do you think she’ll receive your message?” Kiel’s palms rested like hot pads on her shoulders through her thin black ship uniform. The warrior in her still bristled at the close contact, the dominant and familiar touch, but she fought that instinct. Her entire belief system was based on a lie. Kiel was the only one in her life who’d ever told her the truth. And he needed to find his sister as quickly as possible. Every moment that passed put Kamara’s life in greater risk. Charla was the best tracker she’d ever seen -- ever. She wouldn’t endanger Kiel’s sister just because things weren’t settled between them yet. Hana stared at the small blue sphere glowing in her palm. Would Charla get the message? That was an interesting question with more than one meaning. “She’ll receive the message. I’m not sure she’ll believe me, or want to help.” He squeezed her shoulders in comfort. Kiel Lonriev. Powerful sorcerer. Warrior. Wild lover. Prince. He gave her passion and power by awakening her dormant magic. He bound them and pledged his life to hers until death. The man actually told her the truth -- always. So, why couldn’t she trust him? Try as she might to adapt to her new life, she still wanted to flee as often as she wanted to stay. Hana focused on the blue commsphere exactly as Kiel had taught her. She thought of Charla, about her face and her wary eyes. When she had Charla’s image firmly in her mind, she set her magic free in a rush of energy that jumped into the small ball. “To Charla!” Instantly, the commsphere vanished into thin air. She let her head fall back so she could stare up at Kiel, who stood behind her chair. Goddess, he was beautiful. “I’m not.” Kiel smiled down at her upturned face. “I’m irresistible. Perfect, perhaps. But beautiful is a word that must never be used when speaking of a man.” “Too bad. You’re beautiful. Deal with it.” Deep laughter burst from him, then faded to nothing. In his eyes she saw happiness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen that look on anyone’s face, including her own. He must have read the thought because instantly his laughter died. “Hana…” The look in his eyes was too much. She rose from the chair and moved away from the sensual pull of his touch. The realities of this new life, of him, overwhelmed her at times. Ten nights had passed since the binding -- ten nights of heaven, and ten days of hell. Every moment exposed another lie, another betrayal by her people. The elders were playing a dangerous game, a very dangerous game. Sorrow weighted her feet as she crossed the polished black floor to look out of the large ship’s window. Hana pressed her forehead to the cool screen of Kiel’s ship and stared at her home world. Yesterday, she and Kiel took the Rider and visited the trading station several hours away. There she’d seen firsthand that everything Kiel told her about the Ozera Potent and the slave trade was true. Disguised in Cross-Worlder clothing, she’d seen the elders selling like regular merchants the potent. Worse, she’d seen several men and women on the Slaver’s Post. Every single one of them naked, high on Ozera, writhing with need as their ‘masters’ tormented them by allowing the ‘buyers’ to touch. Kiel’s reflection caught her attention. He stepped up to stand behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her back into the heat of his body. “You didn’t know. Stop torturing yourself.” “Ignorance is no excuse. The signs are everywhere: the huge Ozera fields, the secrecy of the elder meetings, and other things. No one chooses to see them.” Hana sighed and dropped her head back into the curve of his shoulder. She wanted to rest, to leave this place and her betrayers far behind, but the warrior in her screamed to start a war, a war of exposure, of information, of revelations for her sisters. Kiel had given her the magic to do it.

Summoning Charla was just the first step. Kiel interrupted her thoughts. “I must find my sister. Nothing else holds me here. My brothers are snakes, caught up in political games I have no interest in playing.” Kiel’s cheek rubbed the top of her head and his hand came to rest over her womb. Palm pulsing with heat, his sexy voice whispered into her hair, “And I do not want to raise our son in Anthea.” A son? She was pregnant! For a moment the shock immobilized her like the most powerful spell. Nuzzling her neck now, he smiled and waited for her response. When she could breathe again, she whispered back, “How do you know?” “Use your magic, Hana. Can you not feel his power growing within you already?” Taking a deep breath, Hana closed her eyes and searched inside her body for the energy pattern Kiel spoke of. And she found it. The babe was there, already growing and pulsing with life and power. Her heart flipped over in her chest. What would she do with a son if she went back? If she tried to keep him with her, the elders of War would take him and either send him away or kill him. Male or female, she knew she could never willingly hand over a child to those bitches. But could she walk away from both Kiel and her son to start a war? “I am wealthy, Hana. We’ll live far from here. I have no love for this place.” “What made you think I would go with you?” Hana smiled to disguise the importance of the question. She had more than enough money to live without him and raise a child alone. The question was, did she want to? Kiel stilled behind her. Silence enshrouded them like a thick fog. Hana struggled to keep her breathing steady while she waited for his response. They were bound. The sex was mind-shattering, incredible even. But she was no slave to be taken. One small nick of his skin with the dagger she wore strapped to her thigh and he’d die from microbot invasion. She didn’t want to kill him, but she was through being led around. She’d followed the lead of her sister and the elders her entire life. That pattern led her through a path of lies and deception. From now on, she’d be the one to choose her life’s path. Love was irrelevant once her freedom entered the equation. If he wanted her to go anywhere with him, he’d damn well better learn to ask! He turned her to face him and kissed her like a man starving for her mouth. Once her wits were scattered, he pulled back and lightly touched his lips to her forehead. “Hana, why did you save me?” The question was whispered against her skin and sent shivers racing down her spine. Complex question. Hana allowed her eyelids to drift closed. She wasn’t sure she had an answer. “I don’t know.” “Yes, you do.” She shoved against his chest to no avail. He simply tightened his grip and stared at her, daring her to admit the truth. What could she say? Instinct? Lunacy? There was no answer. “I just did.” “No.” Kiel bent to run his lips over the skin of her neck as he spoke. Her pulse surged beneath the soft caress. “It was magic, Hana, the call of the chosen one, of the Binding. The moment you touched me, you sealed your fate.” “Let go of me.” Hana jumped as he nipped her sensitive skin with his teeth. “Not now, not ever. You’re mine.” Fury rose at his insolence, but desire rose in equal measure to prevent murder. Of its own volition, energy coiled in her chest and threatened to burst free in a violent explosion of magic. “Don’t, Hana. Control it.” “What if I don’t want to?” She hissed the words at his chest. The more she learned, and the more she called upon her power, the stronger her magic became. “Then we all die.” He spoke the truth, and she knew it. “No.” Hana summoned every ounce of self-control she possessed and held the magic within. Her death would mean nothing, but she couldn’t bear the thought of killing him, or their child. “Well, I guess I should be thankful you have an instinct for self-preservation.” Hana looked up to see deep sadness reflected in his eyes. With a quick, chaste kiss on the lips he let her go, turned his back on her, walked across the room, and sighed audibly.

She realized that he still believed that she wanted him dead. Perhaps she did. The thought still crossed her mind on a regular basis, but it was more a method of venting her frustration than a true desire. No. The thought of him dead did strange things to her, squeezing her heart until she couldn’t breathe. Could she be in love with him? Complex and confusing, her emotions overwhelmed her every time she looked at him. And not just physical need, but tenderness, concern, and respect. “I’m sorry, Hana. I knew a Moon Warrior would as soon slit my throat as be my mate. I love you now, but I realize I should not have bound you to me.” “What?” Hana’s head spun. He loved her? He shouldn’t have bound her? What was he saying? How could he say those two things in the same sentence? He wasn’t making any sense. “I won’t hold you here, Hana. You were never meant to be any man’s prisoner. I will take the Rider and continue my search for Kamara. This ship is yours until our son is born. Padraic will see that you are taken care of. Once he is born, leave him with me. After that, I won’t hold you in Anthea. Go start your war.” Pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before burned behind her eyelids. When the first drop slid down her cheek, she realized what was happening. Tears. She hadn’t shed a single tear since she was a small child, and never over a man. He was setting her free, giving her what she wanted. So why wasn’t she happy? He must have read her mind again. “Don’t worry, I’ll take our son far from here. You’re free to fight your war. I want no part of it. I left my family and their psychotic lust for killing behind. I won’t step back into that arena. Nor will I raise my son to die for their cause.” Kiel walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek in farewell. “I can’t stay. Not even for you, Hana.” He pressed a cold, hard item into the palm of her hand and closed her fingers around it. “Here’s the key to my quarters, my love. They are yours for as long as you need them.” Shock held her in place while she watched him smile sadly at her, and walk to the door. His smile broke her heart. “Just do me one favor. Try not to get yourself killed. I would prefer if I live to see my son grown.” If she died, so did he. We are bound. Hana nodded numbly and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. Proudly, with the dignity of a king, he walked out the door and left her behind. He was gone. She was free! No longer a prisoner! She should jump for joy, shouting to the heavens. She should be planning how to infiltrate the House of Moons and demand a reckoning with her sister and the elders for their lies. And, sure as the blood flowing through her veins, burning now with magic, she should not already be missing Kiel Lonriev. Her heart shouldn’t hurt at the thought of a future without him, without his laughter and his touch. All her life she’d been told a male child was worthless, so why did pain knife through her at the thought of leaving her son behind? Her soul shouldn’t be wondering if she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life. Wondering? Wondering? Goddess! She knew! “Kiel!” Hana raced after him, sprinted down the narrow corridors of his ship toward his quarters. His rooms weren’t far. If he left to track his sister before she found him… “Kiel, wait!” The door to his room slid open and there he stood, elegant in black, tall, strong, and sexy as hell. And ready to leave. Mine. “We are bound, Kiel. I won’t allow you to leave me.” She pulled her dagger from its sheath on her thigh and advanced. He retreated, stepped backward into his quarters. Hana followed him in. The door slid closed behind her with a soft rush. “You aren’t going anywhere.” Kiel shrugged and turned his back on her. He stuffed another shirt into the open bag lying on his bed. Their bed. “Kiel.” “Go, Hana. Don’t make this any harder. You never wanted a mate. Every time I touch you, I feel your mind at war with your body. We’re even. You’re free once our son is born. Go. Fight your war.” Hana studied the broad shoulders of his back, the noble line of his jaw, the strength in his hands, the pride in his eyes. But mostly, she felt the ache in his heart. The tearing pain matched her own. He didn’t want this any more than she did. With a deep calming breath, she closed her eyes and reached for him with her mind. Kiel, I won’t let you go. He stiffened for a moment, then resumed packing.

We are bound, Kiel . One quick flick of her wrist and Hana sent her dagger flying across the room. The blade speared the red night robe she’d been wearing against the wall above his bed. With shaking hands, Hana removed the ornate opal necklace and hung it over the dagger. One more minute passed as Hana summoned the Vision and said, “Be gone.” The night robe, dagger, and necklace vanished. They were the last personal traces of her old life, her old self. Daring to hope, she turned to face him. “I want you to stay, Kiel.” “I’m done, Hana. I made love to you until you screamed. I’ve taught you how to use your magic. I even showed you all the data on Ozera sales so you could go after the elders. I’m done.” Hana just smiled at him and shook her head. With deliberate slowness, she pulled her shirt up, then off over her head. Her naked breasts peaked in the cool air. Kiel swallowed, then looked away. Mind to mind . She pressed her flesh into the strength of his back and ran one hand along the planes of his stomach, lower, to dip beneath the soft fabric of his pants. Kiel froze, then groaned aloud when she squeezed his cock and rubbed her thumb around the sensitive tip. Heart to heart. “Hana. What are you doing?” Blood to blood, Kiel . His cock jumped in her hand in response to her telepathy. He heard her. “No.” Kiel tried to pull away from her, but she clung to him, ran her other hand up under his shirt to tease one already hard nipple. Hana lifted one leg and wrapped it around his thigh, rubbed her creaming core against the back of his leg. “You are mine as I am yours. Were those not your words to me?” “Yes, but I was wrong. And I’ve wasted time because I couldn’t resist you, because I thought you would learn to love me. I’m not going to raise a son with a woman who cringes every time I touch her. I won’t hold you to me when it’s obvious you think of my arms as a prison. I won’t fight the instincts of your very blood, Hana.” Kiel shoved her hands from his body and turned to face her. “Kamara needs me. You don’t. I’ve given Padraic command of the ship. I’m taking the other Rider to try to find her.” “Where will you go? You have no leads? The trail is dead! Wait for Charla to come. She has a gift I could never understand or explain. She’s the only one who can find Kamara.” Fighting cowardice, she drew a deep breath into her lungs and met his gaze. “And I do need you, Kiel.” Had a man ever been so wrong? Holding back tears, she raised her hands to his cheeks and lifted her lips to brush them tenderly against his. “I love you, Kiel. I love your courage, your honor, your strength. I don’t fear walking beside you in this life. I fear walking through this life without you by my side. Please, don’t go.” Switching tactics, she whispered into his mind… I love you. Do you hear me? For the span of four heartbeats, Hana held her breath, waited for his answer, longing with every fiber of her being for a kiss. “And what if your sisters come for you? How will you answer the call of your blood?” “You’re the blood flowing through my veins, now, my life. You are mine, as I am yours. We are bound, Kiel.” “Aye, we are bound.” Warmth spread through her body at the sight of his smile. “I love you, Hana. Now shut up and kiss me again.” “Only if you promise to put me back in the swing.” Is that a command ? With a growl of pleasure, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her roughly up against his body. Aye, my love. Hana locked her lips to his and held on for dear life as he lifted her and raced through the hallway to their playroom.

The End

House of Moons 2: The Seduction Charla, First Daughter of Lore, is enraged when she receives a plea for help from an old enemy who kidnapped a Cross-World sorcerer. Ordered by the queen to track her down and bring her home, Charla is not prepared for the magic, or the men, she finds outside of her world. Padraic, half pirate and half royalty, has a mission of his own, and he is more than adept enough to turn the tables on Charla. The huntress becomes the hunted. And love becomes the most elusive truth of all.

Kara Fey Kara started writing at the tender age of eleven, and was never smart enough to stop. Now she battles the craft of writing like it's an addiction, an obsession, or a psychiatric/chemical imbalance. (It’s probably all three.) She especially believes this when all her characters are running around in her head demanding their stories be told. There’s probably a medical term for that… Kara can’t stand wimpy heroes and heroines, so her characters are strong willed, intelligent people who aren’t afraid to take chances. We all need a little taste of that kind of courage and fantasy in life. Her one wish is that readers will enjoy her stories! Kara’s working on her website at www.KaraFey.com