The Wanting

Evernight Publishing

www.evernightpublishing.com

ISBN:

978-1-926950-89-1

Cover Artist: Jinger Heaston

Editor: Dana Horbach

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of

this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or
reproduced electronically or in print without written permission,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are

fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATIO'

As always I have to give thanks to the man upstairs. He’s the

one who gifted me with my over active imagination, and the passion
to write. I am so grateful for all his blessings!

Thanks to my family who put up with the late hours, divided

attention, and deadline crunches. Without your support I would not be
able to do this.

Ladies and Gents of Evernight! You are all wonderful. I am

so glad to know you and call you my friends. You really help keep
that writing spark burning bright.

B.H. and Christine of the To Be Read Pile you help more than

you know. Thanks for taking a new author under your wing and
offering up your fantastic site as a launching platform.

Jess, M, y’all always read the rough drafts I send and offer up

feedback. Thank you for that.

Last but not least, I want to say thank you to the editors who

helped make this book the best it could be. Your hard work is so
appreciated, and the lessons you’ve taught me will be remembered
and used in the future.

THE WA'TI'G

D'Shar Men, 1

Shyla Colt

Chapter One

“Zasha, do you have a minute?” Phelan D’Shar said. D’shar’s

voice was unmistakable, a smooth baritone that made her want to
shiver with delight. A stream of colorful swears left Zasha’s lips as
her hurried steps came to a halt twenty feet from the doors of the
conference center behind her. Damn! She’d been so close to making
a clean get away! After an entire day of discussions and debates,
Zasha was anxious to begin her date for one, with a six pack of
Rolling Rock and a stuffed crust pizza. The meeting surpassed its
intended six-hour mark. It was one issue after another, until her brain
throbbed inside her cranium. Mentally exhausted and overtaxed, she
was desperate to leave. If it had been anyone other than Phelan, she
would have pretended not to hear the call, picked up her pace, and
escaped to the safety of her car.

But she always had a soft spot for the alien King. He managed

to carry a heavy load on his shoulders with the grace and dignity that
had earned her admiration from day one. She sensed a dark sensuality
lurked beneath the surface, and despite her best efforts, she longed to
tap into it. Her preoccupation with Phelan had begun years ago
during her training at the Paranormal Investigation Academy.
Intelligent and witty, Professor D’Shar held the ability to explain the
alien anatomy and psychological make-up in a way that was
unparalleled. Many of his kind had tried to recreate his witty banter
and descriptive explanations, but they failed to deliver with the same
warmth and ease.

When she’d learned his skill with weapons and hand-to-hand

combat was exemplarily as well, her respect shifted to want. Brains

and brawn were a rare combination. Her secret longing had been kept
in check by the rules set in place. Fraternization between an instructor
and a student was forbidden. Years later, she didn’t have that luxury
to police her desires. Transfixed by his amber eyes, she felt a dull
throb begin in her core.

She drank in his broad shoulders and tousled chestnut hair,

and her mouth went dry. Kentucky evenings in the fall were notorious
for being crisp and chilly. It was a fact she had never been more
grateful for as she stood beside him doing her best rendition of
someone who was unaffected.

Zasha had always been a sucker for tall, dark, and handsome.

But her libido couldn’t have picked a more off-limits person to go
wild for. She still remembered the first time she saw him, on the day
known as The Awakening.

Five years earlier…
Zasha called to her roommate. “Taye, come look at this.” She

set her homework to the side as she focused on the newscast.

“What, Z? I just stepped out of the shower.”
“The president and some tan Roman god are about to address

the nation,” said Zasha. She giggled when Taye rushed from her
room, tying a knot in her pink robe before she flounced down on to
the couch beside her.

“My name is Phelan, and I am ruler of Tagget, a solar system

light years away from your own,” he said. Zasha gasped. Had he just
admitted to being an alien on a television broadcast? “For many
years my people have lived among you and studied your culture. But
now that our sun is failing, we seek safe passage, and assistance.”

Zasha leaned forward as he continued talking, completely

captivated by the man on the screen. What he said should fill her with
shock, maybe even horror. But instead it validated everything Zasha
had seen the night her mother was murdered. Her mind filled with the
image of a mysterious blue glow and the sight of her mother’s burned
body before it collapsed into itself. The only physical evidence left for
the Covington Police Department to recover had been a mound of ash
that no one could explain. Liberation washed over her like a wave as
the question of her sanity was finally laid to rest. After years of being
told what she saw wasn’t possible she was vindicated.

After the incident had occurred, she’d been sent to countless

psychologists to help her cope with the slaughter of her mother at the
hand of her mother’s boyfriend. Each doctor was driven to the
diagnosis of a psychotic break caused by the reality she couldn’t
handle. Eventually she’d learned to keep her thoughts about that night
to herself. But she really never drank the Kool-Aid they offered. In
the end, the unsolved crime had motivated her to pursue her major in
Criminal Justice.

“Now is the time for all of those here to step forward and be

revealed,” the man on the television said.

Her heart beat in her chest like humming bird’s wings when

people in the press conference stood to reveal hands that glowed blue.
She needed to learn all she could about these people and hopefully, in
turn, herself. Strange things had occurred in her body after her
mother’s death.

****
Present Day
Since that day, Phelan and his royal siblings labored nonstop

to form a peaceful union between the aliens, known as the Shar, and
humans. It was the goal the Alien Alliance Committee strove toward.
In addition to the A.C.C., the government provided law enforcement
designed to deal with aliens.

The Paranormal Investigation Unit, or P. I. U., was sent to the

site of all situations thought to involve otherworldly beings. Each
agent underwent specialized training and had been born with talents
that needed to be kept off the record. From telepathy to predicting the
future they possessed mixed bags of tricks. Their weapons and
protective gear were modified to stand up to the Shar. Phelan was
gracious enough to reveal a portion of their weaknesses which helped
place them on a more even playing field. The agents were the only
humans equipped to deal with the Shar one on one. Rumor had it, the
P.I.U. agents were a group of humans abducted at some point in their
lives and sent back to Earth with a little something extra. Zasha would
have called bullshit on the story, but she often wondered where her
team’s unexplained gifts came from, and why those talents had
manifested.

Each state received a number of P.I.U. units, but hands down,

the crew she led was the best and brightest for Kentucky. Phelan had
vehemently denied any abduction, which government officials
believed. It was common knowledge that there were rogue aliens out
there who didn’t jive with his co-habitation plans. The rogue aliens
had made their opposition known via broadcast and acts of terrorism.
So far the attacks had all been small scale events, but it was a matter
of time until they did something more drastic.

“What can I do for you, D’Shar?” she asked. Her voice steady

and cool despite the party the butterflies were having in her stomach.
He always brought out the feminine aspect she normally kept under
lock. One didn’t get as far as she in her career unless they blended in
as one of the guys.

“I wanted to thank you for backing me up in there,” he said. A

slight smile curved his delectable pink lips up as she held his direct
gaze. There was power in the Shar’s eyes that rendered most humans
vulnerable to mind control. Zasha possessed a resistance to mental

tampering, but it was a skill set she didn’t use often. She did so as a
show of respect for the former mentor who helped train her.

The Shar landed with more than different DNA. They came

equipped with extraordinary abilities that scared the hell out of the
general public. Mind persuasion and molecular manipulation were the
most common.

“Well, I agreed with you. There’s a fine line between invasion

of rights and the enforcement of the law. Because someone doesn’t
share my DNA doesn’t mean they should be guilty until proven
innocent,” she said.

Zasha had been glad they vetoed the motion to use

precautionary measures on all aliens. The minute you started to head
into that gray area, it was a slippery slope.

“All the same, you’ve always been fair. It’s one of the many

things I admire about you.” Phelan D’ Shar admired her? “But I
digress. I have a Halloween ball on the thirty-first that I’d like you to
attend.”

The hope she had tamped down a million times previously

rushed to the surface. It was insane to think he wanted her. She wasn’t
sure if the Shar dated outside of their race, and she had a reputation to
uphold. A relationship with the King of the Shar would be a major
conflict of interests. It would inhibit her ability to be impartial in the
eyes of many. Too bad a large part of her didn’t care. She would take
Phelan anyway she could get him. Ride him until she was too sore for
more and live off the memories for the rest of her life.

She wrinkled her forehead in confusion when his eyes grew as

round as saucers. His hands shot up in the universal sign of surrender,
and his face glowed a pale blue. The cerulean coloring was identical
to a blush in a human.

“Not as a date or anything, just as a show of good will towards

us, and to help even out the human to alien ratio,” he said.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and struggled to keep a

straight face. “When and where?” she asked.

Stupid, stupid girl. Her mind taunted. Your silly little

obsession almost got you humiliated.

Her confidence stood with its foot on a landmine, and she was

in desperate need of the one person who could defuse it. Her bomb
tech was her best friend, Taye, who’d been her confidant from the
moment they met in a foster home at fourteen. At thirty, hers was the

only place to go when her world shifted on its axis. Zasha had never
confirmed her attraction to Phelan, but she knew her friend suspected.

As he rattled off the time and address, she wished he had

chosen someone else. It was one thing to see him at work-sanctioned
events. If she saw him on a night that celebrated fantasy and illusion,
it might be too much.

Or just what you need. Her sex starved inner voice chimed.
“I’ll be there, Phelan.”
****
Zasha stood in the shower. One leg propped on the basin, and

the other planted firmly on the ground for purchase. Zasha buried two
fingers deep inside her needy core, circling her sensitive clitoris with
her thumb. The moment Phelan spoke her name earlier that day, she’d
been in dire need of relief. With her eyes closed, she envisioned her
body linked to Phelan’s. His calloused hand would hold her down as
he thrust inside her, and his swollen cock would be so thick and long
that each frantic thrust would tap her cervix. The pleasurable pain
would elevate her to heights she’d never known.

“Yes, Phelan,” she whimpered. She added a third finger to her

slick hole to simulate his wide girth.

His hips would tilt to allow his mushroom-shaped head to hit

the right spot again and again. Who knew her alien anatomy lessons
would be put in to play in such a naughty way?

“Fuck me harder!”
A rough pinch to her bundle of nerves sent her over the edge.

Her hip movements became erratic as the heat of her walls closed
around her fingers. The image of Phelan was so vivid she swore she
tasted the musk of his scent on her tongue. She felt like a woman
possessed as she rode her hand through her completion. The primal
scream of his name a sweet complement to her well-earned release.

****
“Girl, are you serious?” Taye asked. “The leader of the Shar

asked you to attend his Halloween ball?”

Excitement seemed to ooze from every pore as Taye clapped

her hands together.

Zasha scoffed. “Yes he did, but it’s not like it was as a date.

It’s more of a good will gesture from the A.C.C. and the P.I.U.” Her
self-gratification due to thoughts of the man in question, not two

hours earlier, made her squirm. She was so pathetic! It was so obvious
he wasn’t interested.

The gleam appearing in Taye’s eyes made her nervous. She’d

been privy to that look before. It usually led to blind dates and
unwarranted hook-up attempts.

“Hmph, are you trying to convince me or yourself?” she

asked. The tone of her voice paired with the knowledge in her eyes
was enough to make Zasha frown.

Taye always knew too much. Those deceptive liquid brown

eyes and elfin features hid a razor sharp mind. Her best friend’s keen
observation skills were not a thing to be underestimated.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Zasha said. Her pride stung as

embarrassment hit. Had she really been that transparent about her
emotions?

“Listen, Zasha, I’ve held my tongue about this for years, but

it’s clear that whatever exists between you and Phelan is mutual.”

“How can you say that? The man tripped over himself to

explain it wasn’t a date.”

“Because you hold your cards so close to your chest, he has no

idea you feel the same way.”

“You’re reaching, Taye.”
“No, you’re too busy hiding to see what’s in front of you.

Unleash that sex goddess you have chained down and claim your
man,” Taye said.

“Are you going to come with me or not?” Zasha asked. Her

tone even as she ignored the previous statement. Despite her false
disinterest, the wheels in her mind spun out of control. Maybe this
year she’d have herself a special treat.

Chapter Two

“You’ve been sitting here for hours, Phelan. Why don’t you

close down shop for the night?” His brother, Kade, asked as he
entered his office and took a seat opposite him at the desk.

“I just have one last minute invitation to finish and I will,”

said Phelan. His eyes glued to the sealed envelope he’d addressed
personally. The placement of the red wax emblem of his people sent a
thrill through his body. In four days’ time, Zasha would be in his
home.

“Last minute invitation?” Kade asked. His smooth voice was

full of curiosity.

“Maybe he asked his dream girl.” Bastian, their brother,

crooned from the doorway. A wide grin spread across his lips as he
came into view. “Well?” he asked. His sure steps were muffled by the
Persian rug as he made his way over to sit. His thick brown eyebrows
wagged up and down in a comical manner that made Phelan want to
laugh.

Phelan said, “It’s for Zasha.”
A deep sigh paired with an eye roll was his response to the

laughter that sprung forth from his siblings. In spite of his Herculean
effort to keep his preference to himself, Kade and Bastian had picked
up on the unspoken attraction.

Probably heard you cry her name. His mental voice chided.

Memories of the numerous times he’d reached his pinnacle with
Zasha on his lips and his cum on his hands made him clear his throat.
The thought of her lust-filled eyes framed by tousled hair was enough
to make his dick harden. He shifted in his seat to accommodate the
bulge in his pants and began the losing battle of convincing them his
decision was based on logic.

“She brings the number of humans attending up, and she

represents the A.C.C. and the P.I.U. I couldn’t pass up the
opportunity.”

Never mind that her tawny skin, lush red lips, and expressive

almond-shaped hazel eyes made him want to take her in his arms and
fuck her senseless. Her thick head of coal black hair was always
wound up tight in a bun, and he’d often wondered what her tresses
would look like unrestrained. It was all too easy to picture the

midnight strands framing her oval face and high cheekbones. The
combination of her strength and exotic beauty made him think of
Cleopatra. The ancient queen he’d read about in history books. Heat
spread in his face alerting him to the fact his skin must glow a light
blue.

“Come on, Phe, when are you going to admit you like her?”

asked Bastian.

Kade cast a smile full of sympathy his way as Bastian

continued his rant. As the second oldest, Kade had always been the
peacemaker.

“How can I like her? I don’t even know her,” Phelan said.
“You know her plenty well after all that time you spent

together during her training,” Bastian said.

Zasha and Phelan had spent months together at the academy.

The unique information and combat training he provided for the P.
I.U. had been a fulfillment of the treaty signed sans the Awakening.
The Shar would be allowed citizenship provided they completed a
successful induction into society and earned their own keep.
Documents and testing was allowed on the Shar’s genetic makeup and
unusual powers to prevent any nasty surprises down the line. It had
been Marsden D’Shar’s brilliant idea to equip the earthlings with a
way to do battle with the Shar on even ground. Weapons were
modified to incapacitate the superior race, and the P.I.U., and A.A.C.
were born.

As one of his prized pupils, Zasha had filled him with pride.

She was a fast learner, eager to graduate and enforce the law. It was
the other sentiments she’d garnered that caused him to backpedal
away from the friendship they’d formed. The bland black uniforms
were a work of art when they folded over her ample chest, full hips,
and well-rounded ass. It made him feel like a pervert; an older teacher
who lusted after his young student.

“That was years ago,” he said.
It was not on his agenda to admit he’d yearned for the

statuesque brunette ever since.

“Perhaps, but I never saw a problem with mixing a little

business with pleasure,” Bastian said.

Phelan clenched his teeth and counted to ten in his head. His

pace measured and unhurried, he beat back the instinct to punch his
brother for the backhanded insult. Zasha wasn’t some woman he

wished to use for a night of pleasure. She’d become an infection in his
blood that ravaged him from the inside out. Every moment spent with
her etched in his brain. The faded memories had become insufficient
to keep his hunger for her at bay with the passage of time.

“Lay off him, Bast. He has enough to worry about with the

ball coming up,” Kade said. “You two are always too serious.”

“And the Secretary of War isn’t?” Phelan asked. His voice

distorted by the laugher that spilled forth.

“Only when it’s necessary. When you go into battle as much

as I have you learn the importance of enjoying every moment you
can,” Bastian said. The statement a reminder of the wisdom that often
got lost in his playboy façade.

“I’ll up the play time, Bast,” Phelan said.
He was touched by Bast’s concern. Often the most closed off,

Bastian had left home at a young age to train. The separation placed a
barrier between them they still worked to tear down. It was hard to
feel close to someone you spent the majority of your life parted from.

“Good. I still think you should start with Zasha at the ball, but

I know when to leave well enough alone,” said Bastian.

Satisfied that he’d spoken his peace, he swung his long legs up

onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. His fingers laced behind
the back of his head.

“Are you sure we’re related?” Kade asked.
The playful banter made Phelan’s lips curve into a smile. It

was nice to know some things didn’t change, no matter what galaxy
he was in.

“You could do with some loosening up yourself, brainiac,”

Bastian said.

“I’m plenty loose.” Kale's face distorted with indignation.
“Oh yeah, you’re a regular wild man,” Phelan said dryly, as

Kade rose to his feet.

“Since you guys are in a pick on Kale mood I’ll see myself

out.”

Kale’s gangly body was stiff as he moved quickly out the

door.

“I meant what I said earlier about you and Zasha,” Bastian

said. His face was drawn and serious as he resurrected the topic once
Kale disappeared around the corner.

“I know, Bast, but now isn’t the time,” Phelan said.

If he didn’t hold on tight to the rules he’d set for himself, he

would be lost to the siren call Zasha sung. That he invited her at all
was a lapse in judgment he hoped did not change life as he knew it.

“Then when is?” he asked. “You are our King, Phelan; don’t

you think it’s time we gained a Queen?”

Bastian’s words filled Phelan with a panic that consumed. Did

he know how much he craved Zasha? He often longed to feel the
length of her body pressed against him. Even now he had to force
himself to remain in his office when all he wanted was to track her
down and lose himself in the bliss offered. For the Shar, the Wanting
was a pleasure unparalleled by anything else. He’d love her until no
other man would ever do and fill her with his seed. It was sick and
twisted, but he saw her as his. The savage lust and possessiveness of
his ancestors was at war with the modern man he needed to be.

“How did we go from a scratching an itch to marriage?”
“I’ve seen you with Zasha, Phelan. She triggers the Wanting

doesn’t she?” he asked.

The statement brought attention to the closet of secrets he’d

keep shut tight and bared his skeleton for all to see. Phelan set down
the letter he had yet to send, took a shaky breath, and nodded. This
was why he avoided Zasha as much as possible. The Wanting was a
biological response every Shar male experienced when he discovered
his mate. The animalistic sex it caused would be disturbing to most
humans for a number of reasons; his eyes would bleed to black, his
ejaculate was tinged blue, and the clincher. His need to fill her with as
much sperm as possible in hopes of conception.

Does anyone else know?” Phelan asked.
His voice a husky rasp as it rattled out of his throat.
“No,” Bastian said. “But we both know you can only hold off

for so long.”

“Every minute I manage to stop myself from claiming my

mate allows her to continue her life as she sees fit. We don’t know the
logistics of a Shar mating with a human; we only know it’s possible.”

When the scientists on Tagget announced their sun was

failing, they held out hopes of repairing the sun before being forced to
admit the inevitable. They would have to find a new place to live.

They looked at many locations before deciding on Earth. Not

only were its people the friendliest, their genetic make-up was the
most compatible which meant, in time, they could interbred.

“She’s strong!”
“You realize that being bonded to me will ruin her life as she

knows it right? You see how dedicated she is to her job. What will
losing that do to her? How can we be happy for the rest of our lives
with that over my head?” Phelan asked.

His fingers curved like claws as they raked through his hair.

He had gone over this so many times.

“You should at least tell her before the time comes.”
“I’m done talking about this,” Phelan said. A dismissive wave

of his hand the signal he was done with the topic.

Chapter Three

Are you sure about this? Zasha thought.
Her kohl-lined almond-shaped eyes focused on the full length

mirror that reflected a woman she barely recognized. The hazel hue
turned a deep emerald green against the bronze eye shadow and
fringed with long lashes exaggerated by mascara. The maroon-colored
mini dress grazed the top of her thighs, and the V-neckline was a half-
inch shy of being indecent. If it wasn’t for the knee high black boots,
she’d feel naked. The thick black hair she normally kept braided and
pinned in to a bun flowed to her mid-back. Styled in a partial up-do
with a high ponytail.

“Don’t over think it, Z. The costume is witty as hell. Going as

a crew member from Star Trek to an alien ball is the bomb!” Taye
said.

Taye fluffed the red curls of her wig and inspected the green

hue her skin had acquired via special effects make-up.

“Says the woman bold enough to attend the alien hosted event

as a green-skinned extraterrestrial from a planet that caters to the sex
trade,” Zasha said.

“Exactly! I’ll scandalize them so bad, no one will notice how

stacked Zasha Johnson is.”

Taye’s hand waved over the silver bikini top and mini-skirt in

an exaggerative sweep.

“The silver stilettos are the icing on the cake, and that’s not

funny,” Zasha said.

“On the real, Z, it wouldn’t hurt you to loosen up and find

some masked man to clear out those pipes.”

“You know that’s not me.”
“There’s a first time for everything, and a very sexy alien did

invite you personally.”

“Stop right there,” Zasha said.
A vivid vision of Phelan’s sculpted body covered with sweat

as he pounded into her was all too easy to conjure. The lust she
harbored for him had always made her feel like a dirty voyeur.

In her mind, a casual handshake became a lover’s caress. His

smooth baritone, an aphrodisiac, and his lips, a tool to make her think
sinful thoughts. She watched him from beneath her eye lashes at
every opportunity, her body achy and starved for his attention. By the

end of her schooling, she’d been convinced Professor D’Shar could
smell the need that permanently saturated her panties whenever she
was in his presence. His spine grew stiff. His nostrils flared and the
warmth in his tone grew cool anytime she was near him. It was the
only excuse she could come up with for his abrupt pull away from
their friendship.

“It’s okay to have a crush, you know. It’s not like he’s your

superior any longer.” Taye said.

Zasha sighed. What she had was more than a crush; it was an

obsession. One that woke her in the dead of night from dreams so
molten the only escape from arousal was to take matters into her own
hands.

“I don’t have a crush,” she whispered.
“Right,” Taye said.
“Let me grab out bags so we can get out of here,” Zasha said.

“We don’t want to be too late.”

The click of her heels on her bedroom floor of were a much

needed reinforcement to her courage. A woman who wore shoes like
these was no weak flower. She was a temptress who knew her
feminine power and wielded it as she saw fit. In mid-journey she
made a conscious decision. Tonight she would be anyone she wanted
to be.

Happy Halloween, Zasha Johnson.

****

Less than one hundred feet away, Phelan stood dressed in a

pair of black slacks, shiny black boots, and the sky-blue shirt of a Star
Trek Science officer. A black wig with blunt bangs across his
forehead and pointed special effects ears that came to curved points
similar to an elf’s completed the look.

“This is classic,” Taye said. “You two would pick

romantically linked characters.” It was obvious Taye was amused by
the situation they had just walked up on.

“It’s a sign from the universe,” Taye said.
Her tiny fingers locked on to Zasha’s elbow like the Jaws of

Life as she made a beeline to their host.

“Taye, what are you doing?” Zasha asked.

She was not ready to begin her role reversal so soon. Her inner

vixen was slow to start. Okay, more like had never been used, but
still. She needed more time to prepare.

“It’d be impolite not to say hi,” she said.
All too soon they were in front of the man in question.

Phelan’s amber eyes darkened to black as his eyes glanced from the
top of her head to her high-heeled feet. She felt her body heat, and her
panties drench in response.

Why she’d bothered to don a pair at all was beyond her.
“Zasha, I’m glad you could make it,” he said.
He was so virile with a lean muscled frame that appeared

ready for action at a moment’s notice. His eloquent manner of speech
coupled with the silent power that thrummed beneath the surface
provided more swagger than one man should be allowed to have. The
sparks of emotion she’d seen in his eyes made her want to unleash the
inner passion he hid behind a cordial and cool facade.

“Thank you for inviting me, Phelan.”
A not so delicate nudge in to her side, with a sharp elbow from

Taye, broke the spell she’d fallen under.

“I am so sorry. Where are my manners? Hello, Bastian,” she

said. “This is my best friend Taye. Taye, this is Phelan, and his
brother Bastion.”

The lust filled looks Bastian and Taye exchanged told her

from past experience she’d be alone tonight. Taye was picky about
who she slept with, but when the attraction hit she didn’t hesitate to
follow through.

But that was okay. For once she, too, had plans.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Ms. Taye,” Bastian said. His

chocolate eyes filled with admiration.

“And may I say, green is definitely your color.”
“I guess great minds think alike,” Phelan said in reference to

the fact they’d both gone with Star Trek personalities. The
conversation that took place between Taye and Bastian already
reverted to background noise. Phelan’s hand gesture from his outfit to
her own was so out of character it made her laugh.

“I had hoped it would be seen as humorous and not offensive,”

Zasha said.

“I am unsure if humor is the first thought it evokes,” he said.

Her jaw dropped for a brief moment before she collected

herself.

His voice had been even but his eyes spoke volumes. The

combination blew her mind.

It was clear to Zasha that Phelan D’Shar yearned for her as

much as she did him. The illogical thoughts she produced in response
involved a dark corner, and a husky request that he take her. She had
never considered herself to be a person who’d desire being
dominated. But Phelan made her want to lay herself bare and let him
do whatever he deemed necessary.

“Well we should be making our rounds now,” she said. Her

head turned to the left, and she discovered Bastian and Taye had
disappeared.

“It appears you may have lost your companion for the night.”
“Experience assures me I have,” she said.
His dark chuckle sent a shot of electricity straight to her

womb. The surge of power made her breast heavy and the walls of her
pussy tighten. She had to get out of her and regroup.

“I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
She prepared to turn around and walk away when his hand

came to rest on her wrist. What should have been an innocent gesture
shattered her composure. The years of denial collapsed as she met his
dark gaze and allowed her tongue to sneak out and lick her glossed
lips. She was done hiding her attraction to this man. The seductress
she’d buried deep had decided to come out and play. The fingers that
curved around her wrist gave a tight squeeze before they released her,
and he took a step back. His hands placed behind his back as if it was
a struggle to keep them from her body.

Anyone else would see a host dedicated to his character. But

she saw victory. It was rare to see Phelan ruffled and tonight she’d
glimpsed the alien behind the mask. His silent struggle to remain
composed woke a side of her she had never known existed. An
untrained eye would have missed the variation of his voice and the
change in his eye color. Her lips puckered into a pout as she gave him
the heated once over his fine form deserved. The light blue shirt
molded to his well-formed chest, and the black pants outlined the
bulge he sported. The sense of power she held over him made her
greedy, and she couldn’t resist a step forward into his personal space.

“I like the pointed ears on you,” she whispered. Aroused by

the flair of his nostrils, her voice grew deep and lowered as if she
shared a secret. “I always did have a thing for Spock.”

“Why was that, Zasha?” he asked.
The sound of her name on his lips, a silken caress.
“He was my type.”
“What type is that?” he asked. His hands still clasped behind

his back as he leaned forward, providing her with his undivided
attention.

“Tall, dark, handsome, and alien,” she said.
“Phelan, we hate to disruption your conversation, but we

wanted to come over and pay our respects.” The voice turned their
attention to the group of guests lined up behind them.

The interruption caused Phelan’s eyes to flash black before

they returned to their original amber.

“I think I’ll go find something to drink. Suddenly, I’m

parched,” she said.

A thrill of excitement coursed through her as she hurried off

into the crowd. Seconds before her departure Phelan had delivered a
brief nod and a hint of a smile. He understood her game, and in his
own way, accepted. It wouldn’t be long before he found her, and the
fun began. Zasha made her way to the punch bowl and ladled a glass,
sipping the sweet juice to combat the rise of heat in her body.

****
His grip on his control was tenuous at best. His heart pounded

in his chest, and his pulse skyrocketed. He’d expended a good amount
of energy to redirect the blood that had pooled to his penis the
moment Zasha had stepped in front of him. The wicked words which
rolled from her tongue had almost ended with her ample curves
beneath him on the marble floor.

Her rich hazel eyes burned a brilliant jade. Her cheeks glowed

with a light flush that came on as they flirted. It was a heady
combination, innocence mixed with a dash of a naughty temptress.
He’d seen a side of Zasha Johnson he never would have believed
existed. But as they say, still waters run deep.

With her oval face and high cheekbones, Zasha Johnson was a

beauty. But his attraction was about so much more than that. If she
thought to escape him tonight, she was sorely mistaken.

The time to hold back passed. The Wanting demanded he take

her now.

“Are you okay, Phe?” Marsden asked. His eyes full of concern

as he strolled over with his date on his arm. Mars was the shortest of
them, all at 5’9” with wheat-colored hair and ice blue eyes identical to
their mother’s. Sent to Earth to collect recon from a young age, he
was the most adapted to their new homeland.

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“Honey, why don’t you go to the punch bowl? I’ll meet you

there,” Mars said to his date.

The petite blonde gave a quick nod before she walked away.

Her tiny frame swallowed in the sea of people.

“Bro, your eyes are almost black and your skin is the color of

a Smurf’s.”

“A what?”
“A bright blue cartoon, never mind, it’s obvious something is

up.”

“I hadn’t realized,” he said.
“What going on?” Mars asked.
“I can tell you what happened,” Bastian said. They lifted their

heads at the sound of his voice as he weaved through people to stand
beside them. Confusion was etched on Mars’s face as he looked from
Phelan to Bastian. Whatever Mars missed must’ve been huge because
Phelan appeared to be trying to skewer Bastian with his eyes.

“Where’s your friend?” Phelan asked.
“She went to powder her nose. Zasha got to you, didn’t she?”

Bastian said.

“Why would Zasha do that?” Mars asked.
“You want to tell him?” Bastian asked.
“I don’t think I have much choice,” Phelan said. “Zasha is my

mate.”

“What!” Mars said. “How long have you known this?”
“Years.”
“You’ve waited years to claim her! Why would you do that?”
“When we first met she was still so young, barely twenty-two,

and I wanted her to have time to become the woman she was meant to
be without my influence. I’ve kept my distance to delay the
inevitable, but tonight I find myself unable to continue with the
charade.”

The admission was wrung from between his pursed lips. His

composure on a downward spiral as his body began to quake. His
blood grew heated in his veins, and the predatory instincts he kept
taped down boiled over.

“I have to go to her.”
His shiny black boots beat a rhythm across the marbled floor

as he left to stake his claim.

Among the sea of witches, princesses, and naughty nurses, her

six-foot frame incased in a red dress was easy to spot.

Graceful hand gestures followed her words. How he longed to

know the feel of those elegant tools on his body. He growled in his
throat when an alien male dressed as a vampire sidled over and gave a
valiant effort to draw her into conversation. The urge to choke the
man for his attempt to take what Phelan considered to be his
prompted him to take immediate action. Each step forward filled with
purpose. Almost as if she sensed his intent, she looked up and met his
gaze. The dilation of her pupils hit him like an asteroid. The beast
inside him raged. “Mark her so all will know who she belongs to.”

“I trust that everyone is enjoying themselves,” he said.
He pasted a polite smile onto his lips as he greeted those

gathered around her in a circle. Their positive affirmations and
comments registered, and he issued the proper responses but his eyes
never left Zasha’s.

“I hate to interrupt your conversation but Zasha and I actually

have some business to attend to. So I’ll ask that you’ll excuse us.”

His arm on her elbow was meant to remove the chance for an

escape. His clever plan backfired when desire erupted through his
body like hot lava. The feel of her petal soft skin beneath his, seared
him. The dream he’d longed to know was eclipsed by the reality.

His steps accelerated as he led her from the ballroom floor.
“Where are we headed?” she asked.
Her breathy alto entranced him, and it was all he could do not

to scoop her into his arms and head for his bedroom at a dead run. He
should stop. Explain to Zasha what it meant to lay with him.

But the fire in his blood wouldn’t allow for polite

conversation. It was by sheer force of will he functioned at all.

“Somewhere a little more private,” he said.

The scent of her arousal floated up to his sensitive nose. The

salty sweet mixture he knew must coat her inner thighs called to him.
But it was the “O” shape her mouth formed that broke him.

The moment they rounded the corner of a hallway he pressed

her supple form against the wall. His hand wound in her wealth of
inky black hair. A sharp pull of her ponytail arched her neck. The
world around them went up in flames as he bent to kiss her mouth,
devouring her lips like a starving man at a buffet.

His tongue learned every nuance of her mouth. The sweet tang

of the fruit punch she drank mixed with a darker taste that was simply
her. He twisted the warm weight of her hair tighter. The added tension
on her scalp pulled a whimper from her throat that made his cock
jump.

“Phelan.”
He supported her as her shaky legs gave and she slumped

against him.

He released her hair, propping her against the wall before he

hit his knees.

“Tell me what you want, Zasha?” he asked.
His hands massaged up the taught muscles of her legs. His

knuckles brushed against her inner thighs. He wanted to see the sexy
vixen who had taunted him. It was her veiled admission of attraction
that had driven him into action.

“I want you to taste me.”
“Hold your skirt up.”
She obeyed his command in a seamless manner that made his

dick harden farther. Her thighs were slick with her juices, and his
impatient fingers were soaked before they moved her panties aside.
Two fingers slid into her hot heat, and stirred a slow circle inside her
tight walls before he retreated.

“You’re so wet,” he said.
The moan of protest she issued was silenced when he leaned

back on his heels to meet her gaze.

He slipped his cum-laden fingers into his mouth and released

an appreciative hum. His mouth feasted on her nectar until his fingers
were clean. The pop of his mouth’s reluctant release of his digits was
audible in the stillness of the darkened hallway.

“I had my taste, and I could eat you for days, but first I want to

hear you say it.”

“Eat my pussy, Phelan!”
Her command was one he was all too happy to comply with.

His hands were swift as he slid one of her legs over his shoulder and
snapped the elastic of her thong.

“You won’t need this anymore dear one,” he said. The slits of

her green eyes the only part visible beneath her veiled lids.

“I’ve wanted to taste you like this for so long.” His hoarse

confession made her moan.

“Me, too.”
The admission released a low rumble in his chest.
“This is my pussy now, Zasha.”
His fingers traced along her wet slit, and spread her cream

over her swollen clitoris.

“You’re so wet for me, Zasha.”
He marveled as she continued to flow like a river over the

fingers he used to separate her lips. The pretty pink flesh he revealed
made him growl as he dove forward. His tongue rolled along the
engorged bundle of nerves as her sweet taste filled his mouth. He was
an addict, and she was the drug as each sip of her flavor and lick of
his tongue took him higher.

“Yes, Phelan!”
The sound of his name on her lips earned her two thick

fingers. She gripped him so hard he swore. If she felt this good around
his fingers, he could just imagine the fit around his cock. He thrust
inside her with a sure steady rhythm. The feel of her nails in his scalp
a pain he liked.

When he leaned in to add his eager mouth to the mix she

swore. The harsh words made him grin against her mound. “I want
you to come on my face, Zasha.”

The vibration of his voice against her core made her buck, and

the suction of her clit into his mouth made her cry his name again. He
curled his tongue inside her as far as he could go and found a spot that
made her swear like a sailor. Her leg tightened around his shoulder as
she rode the stiff tongue he’d begun to delve into her channel. A tiny
quiver yielded to a tidal wave as she clamped down on his tongue.
The gush of the liquid he craved flooded his mouth, and he captured
every drop.

****

Her rubbery legs refused to support her, and she sagged

against the wall as he realigned her skirt and stood.

“We should continue this in my room,” he said.
A nod was all she could manage after the mind numbing

orgasm he had provided.

She never thought in a million years she would be here. The

reality was so much better than the watered down fantasies. She could
not stop the cry of delight that left her lips when he scooped her into
his arms as if she weighed nothing. The steps he took more fleet and
sure than a human’s as the scenery flew by in a blur. What seemed
like seconds later, they entered his room with the door shut firmly
behind them. His black eyes were full of admiration and lust as he set
her onto the floor in front of his bed.

His nimble fingers traced a path over her features as she did

the same. Eager to learn the curves of the face she’d dreamed of for so
long. She thought the sight of her brown flesh against his tan was a
beautiful contrast.

“I’m not like human males, Zasha,” he said.
His somber tone stilled her exploration of his body.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Shar men mate for life. The first moment I saw you, I wanted

to rip your clothes off and take you across my desk,” Phelan said.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the admission. Her thigh

pressed together in a failed attempt to contain the creaminess that
flowed onto her inner thighs. If what he said was true, the pull she felt
to him had an explanation.

“W-why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because you were too young for all the things I will demand

of you,” he said. “The bond between us is unbreakable, and as such, I
felt you deserved to enjoy your youth.”

The thoughtfulness he’d shown melted her on the inside. Lust

stirred and shaken with a deeper emotion filled her as his past actions
were explained.

“What kind of things do you demand?”
“I demand all, Zasha, but I promise to give the same in

return.”

“All?” she asked.
“Yes, Zasha. We have a lot of lost time to make up for,” he

said.

He rushed forward too fast for her human eyes to track, and

the rate he stripped their clothes made her dizzy.

God, he was so beautiful. His tan chest must have been carved

by sculptures hands and his taut abs jumped as she raked her nails
down them. Her eyes lowered to his engorged cock, and she felt her
stomach flutter. He was about eight inches long and thick, with a
swollen blue head that yielded a drop of blue pre-cum. That light blue
matched the light cerulean glow that dusted the rest of his body. She
knew the Shar achieved this glow when they experienced strong
emotions. That she could provoke such a response made her lean in to
lick the drops away. It was one of the first things they’d explained
when they arrived. His sugary tang lingered like candy on her tongue.

“You’re sweet,” she whispered.
Her hand wrapped around the base as she sucked him into the

heat of her mouth and hallowed her cheeks.

“Shit, Zasha!”
Careful to relax the muscles in her throat, she took him deep.

Her eyes rapt on his face as she studied him beneath her lashes. With
his lips parted and his face flushed with passion, he was beautiful.
This was the side of Phelan she wanted to see for so long. He snapped
the band of her ponytail holder in two and buried his fingers in the
hair that escaped. When more of his sweet nectar exploded on her
tongue, she moved her greedy mouth faster.

“No,” he said.
His fist tightened in her hair as he removed her from his firm

dick.

“When I come for the first time, I want it to be inside you.”
He helped her to her feet and moved them over to stand beside

the bed. A gentle push toppled her to the mattress, and she spread her
legs wide to accommodate his large frame. Their sweat mingled as he
pinned her down with the lower half of his body. His breath was a
tickle on her ear before he moved down to bite the skin of her neck.
Her nerves were on fire as the prick of his sharp teeth made her
shriek. She felt her delicate skin split to yield the crimson liquid that
gave her life.

His whisper of, “You are in me now, Zasha.” The most erotic

thing she’d ever heard.

Zasha looked up to view Phelan’s lips, swollen from kisses

and stained red. The sight a combination that horrified as it evoked

foreign urges. Her nails clawed and ripped at his back leaving blue
trails of blood in its wake. Frantic, she ground against his stiffness.
She needed relief from the cruel torture of his cock against her
entrance.

“I want to be gentle, Zasha. I am trying so hard for your sake.

But if you don’t stop—”

“Be rough,” she said.
“You chose this,” he said.
Animalistic snarls came from his throat as he lined himself

and drove deep. The scream that left her mouth as her barrier tore was
high shrill.

“I can’t stop, Zasha, can’t slow down,” he said.
The feverish words were spoken in Sharian. The foreign

language was an intimacy that made her gush fresh juices. There were
few humans who were fluent in Sharian, and she’d never imagined
she would hear it in this context when she learned it back in school.
Calloused fingertips dug into her hips as he pinned her to the bed. His
engorged member filled every inch of her there was. The bump of his
head against her cervix made her twinge as her walls clamped down
around him.

“You’re so tight, so tight and hot around my cock.”
Awe filled her when her walls adapted to his girth, and the

pain took a back seat to the pleasure that unfurled inside her. His
hands tilted her hips, and she saw stars as he hit the cluster of nerves
inside her.

“Yes!” she said.
This was what she had waited for. Her hips snapped up to

meet his strokes as he freed her of his weight.

“You feel so good inside me, Phelan.”
Shaky fingers wrapped around his biceps as she dug her heels

into the mattress.

The wet sound of his balls as they slapped against her was

music to her ears as her core quivered. Her walls clamped down as the
pressure built up exploded. Moments later, Phelan joined Zasha in
oblivion. With a roar, his powerful spray rocketed inside her.

Chapter Four

The early day sunshine that filtered in through the window

woke Zasha from a fitful slumber. Her first moments of awareness
were filled with aches and pains. But those paled in comparison to her
shame. She had let him take her any way he pleased, begged him to at
some point. Her face grew hot as she cast a glance over her shoulder,
relieved to discover him asleep. She had been naïve to think they
could satisfy their curiosity and continue on as before.

Shar men aren’t like human. We mate for life.
The words that hadn’t penetrated through her sex-crazed haze

were loud and clear. What the hell had she been thinking? Wait, she
hadn’t been. That was the problem. There must be some sort of
predisposition to aliens ingrained in her genetic make-up. Because her
experience, both past and present, showed Johnson woman plus an
alien male amounted to an addled brain. How could she make the
same mistake as her mother? To become so swept away by emotions
your common sense failed.

Not that she would ever place Phelan in the same category as

Tavel. Tow-haired with strange emerald blue eyes, a squared jaw, and
thin lips, Tavel was the reverse of Phelan. But the similarities were
still too close for comfort. A lapse in judgment one night lead to
misconstrued emotions; that kind of instantaneous affection wasn’t
safe. It consumed you, mind, body, and soul. Left you blinded to the
reality of who that person was. This had been one huge error in
judgment, but if she wasn’t careful it could easily lead to more. Her
mother, Tatiana Johnson, had fallen victim to what she thought was
love. She would not disgrace her mother’s memory by being the
second.

Before Tavel entered their lives, Tatiana had been a well-oiled

machine. An office manager at a law firm by day and a single mother
by night, she ran a tight ship, at home as well as in the workplace.
Widowed by a fire that destroyed everything she owned during her
pregnancy, Tatiana was an independent woman with focus and an
intensity that could make you squirm. It was an attitude she’d passed
on to her daughter.

“Adapt or die” was the adage Zasha had adopted in her honor

when she found herself on her own way too soon.

Grief struck her fresh as she eased her frame from beneath the

heavy weight of her lover’s arm. She held her breath in her lungs as
she slipped from the bed. Her bare feet were silent on the carpet as
she gathered scattered articles of clothing. Clumsy fingers pulled her
costume over her head. The sound of the zipper pulled up her black
boots seemed too loud in the massive room. Tense she paused to see
if Phelan would stir. He looked so innocent in his sleep.

His face was relaxed. His lips were parted as he inhaled and

his chest rose and fell. The tan skin beckoned to her, and she knew it
was time to leave. It seemed in poor taste, but a part of what made her
a good agent was her instinct for when to press forward and when to
retreat. The doorknob was in mid-turn when the voice behind her
spoke.

“Was I too rough last night? I would have been gentler had I

known—”

“I didn’t want you to be gentle, Phelan,” she said.
The last thing she wanted was for him to feel guilt. He had

given her what she’d asked for, and more.

“Then why won’t you look at me.”
She turned to glance over her shoulder and damn near

swallowed her tongue. Propped up in bed, he looked edible. His
brown locks were mussed and fell over one eye as the black sheets
rode dangerously low on his hips.

“Happy?”
“No, Zasha, I’m not.”
Her mouth fell open as he tossed the sheet aside and stood

from the bed. His steps were sure, his face a mask of determination as
he came to stand in front of her and his semi-erect dick bobbed.

“Even now your arousal permeates the air.”
Muscular arms pinned her to the wooden door she leaned

against. One hand was place on either side of her head, and his body
hovered so close she could feel the intense heat that radiated off him.
He was close, but not near enough to provide the skin to skin contact
that she wanted in the worst way. Her hands clenched into fists as the
sharp pain her fingernails helped ground her.

“What are you afraid of?”
The five words washed over her desire like a bucket of cold

water.

“I’m not afraid. I’m just realistic.”

“No,” he said.
His amber eyes trained on her face as he shook his head.
“You’re running, but you’ll find what’s between us can’t be

swept under the rug.”

When he removed his arms and took a step back, she missed

the warmth he provided immediately. His sudden change of tactics
made her uneasy. This smelled like a trap, but she didn’t have time to
sort through bullshit.

“We’ll see, Phelan,” she said. Her sweaty hand slipped over

the knob, and she opened the door and strode away.

****
It took all he had to contain the fury that rose when she tucked

tail and ran. He knew Zasha enough to know she wasn’t one to be
intimidated. But her hazel eyes had been filled with anxiety and panic.
She was spooked, and until he figured out why, they were at an
impasse. His teeth gnashed together as his lips thinned out and his
breaths grew short. How could she just leave him?

Those outrageously long legs had carried her out of the room,

and she left his life. Without so much as a look back over her
shoulder. A painful knot twisted in his stomach as his hands balled.
Fists slammed into the heavy oak door that groaned its protest. The
bellow that ripped from his belly was haunting as the world receded
to the background, and all he saw was red. Glass shattered and wood
splintered as he poured his energy in to the destruction of inanimate
objects.

“Phelan!”
Teeth barred he turned, crouched low and prepared to attack.
“Calm down it’s just us man, Kade and Bastian.”
He knew that voice. His heartbeat steadied, and his breath

slowed as awareness woke in his mind.

“You back with us?” Kade asked.
“Yeah,” he said, as he gave a short nod.
“Shit, bro, you almost attacked our asses! What the hell

happened? We saw Zasha rush out of here like the devil was after
her,” Bastian said.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Phelan said.
His heavy sigh was tinged with sadness as he looked at the

debris that littered the room. Broken pieces of chairs were scattered
across the floor along with pieces of glass from what was once a full

length mirror. Mindful of the shards and splinters, he made his way to
his dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers.

“Last night everything was fine, and today I wake up to her

about to sneak out of the room without so much as a goodbye.”

“Did you explain the Wanting to her?” Bastian asked.
“I thought I did. But apparently we were on two different

wavelengths.”

God, it felt like he’d aged years in a matter of minutes. The

adrenaline that had danced along his nerve ending has faded abruptly.

“What are you going to do? It won’t be long until both of you

begin to feel the effects of being apart,” Kade said.

“Good,” he said.
His voice even as he knelt to grab the garbage can nearby and

collects the refuse.

“Good? How is that good? All she did was leave and you

destroyed your room and damn near attacked us!” Bastian said. Each
word a little louder as his frustration level rose.

“The Wanting is an everyday part of life to us, we know how

powerful it is, and why resistance is futile. It’s a lesson Zasha has to
learn on her own.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Kade whispered.
Me too, Phelan thought.

****
The minute Zasha entered her condo, stiff fingers grabbed the

hem of her dress and ripped the offending article from her body. Her
semi-nude frame bent at the waist as she unzipped her boots, and her
stomach took a dive to the soles of her feet. The scent of sandalwood
and musk accosted her. Even the sanctity of her home wasn’t safe
from the alien King. Disgusted, she fought down the urge to burn the
dress and made a beeline for the bathroom. Smoke inhalation would
do nothing to quell the mixed bag of emotions inside her.

She sank onto the edge of the claw-footed porcelain basin. Her

hand stretched out to turn the brass knob and watch the water flow.
Zasha often found tranquility in her vintage-inspired bathroom. She
had handpicked every aspect: from the pale pink walls to the round
antique mirror that hung above the tub. The fact that peace eluded her
now was a sad one. She moved away from the faucet and stood to slip
off what was left of her lingerie.

The underwear had been lost to the room, and the bra she

could never wear again. It would only remind her of Phelan. As it
was, the memories of last night seemed burned into her brain. Each
moment replayed behind her lids on a loop. Sick of the masculine
smell that tantalized and incensed her anger, Zasha stood and moved
to the glass jars that lined her vanity.

Inept fingers twisted the metal top off the rose-scented bath

salt. She’d soak until she pruned and do her damndest not to think
about Phelan D’Shar, and what could have been.

****
An hour later, she was wrinkled, floral scented, and still

focused on the night before. Clad in a pair of worn jeans and a faded
black Jack’s Mannequin shirt, she should have been relaxed but
instead she was at odds. A part of her found her abrupt exit an act of
cowardice. The other part saw it as self-preservation. God, she needed
a distraction. Her body rotated to face the small closet she had turned
into a make shift office.

Her hazel eyes closed as she inhaled air into her lungs and let

her belly expand. The tension in her muscles felt good and she
savored the burn before she allowed a slow release. A few more
inhales and exhales later, she was ready to put in work. Bare feet
padded over the wooden floor. Each step heavier than the one before
as she made her way to the room, spun the knob, and stepped into her
own personal hell. Newspaper clippings, faded pictures, and sticky
notes covered the walls on the left and right.

But the pièce de résistance was the map of the U.S. that spread

across the wall above her desk. Red push pins scattered across a
myriad number of towns in each state. Each connected by red twine.
The last tip she’d received had been two years ago. There had been a
murder of a widowed woman in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The killer’s
description had matched Tavel’s to a T, and it seemed like his mode
of operation.

A few months after she’d made the connection, the trail had

gone cold, and she’d been left with zilch. That was years ago. As far
as the Covington, Kentucky police department was concerned, the
case closed years ago. The files packed away in a box where they had
become dusted and forgotten by everyone but her.

Zasha pulled out the rollaway chair and fired up the laptop.

Content, she became lost in her search for signs that could lead her to
the man who’d murdered her mother.

****
The insistent ringing of the phone drew her attention away

from the laptop. A quick glance in the right hand corner of the screen
stunned her; it was well past noon. She had been here for over four
hours. Swift fingers flew over the keys to save her work, and shut
down the computer before her mad dash to answer the phone.

“Hello?”
“Hey, girl, sorry I bailed last night, but you looked like you

were doing just fine,” Taye said.

“No worries, girl. I knew the minute you two laid eyes on each

other, I was on my own.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Taye asked.
“Yes?”
“No teasing or lecture? What’s wrong, Zasha?”
The mirth left Taye’s voice as silence fell between them.
“What do you mean?” Zasha asked.
“You’re not acting like yourself, and your voice doesn’t sound

right. Cut the bull, or I’ll head over there now.”

“I slept with Phelan.”
“WHAT?! Why the hell didn’t you tell me! Here I am about to

run on about Bastian, and you lost your v-card! How was it? Are you
okay? Why are you home instead of with him?”

Her voice crackled like a weak radio frequency. “Because I

fucked up,” Zasha whispered.

“Why? Because you finally had sex? You’re thirty, and we

both know this has been a moment in the making for years.”

“The way he makes me feel is too much, Taye. I didn’t think

about the consequences of my action. It was my mother all over
again! What about my job? And what do I really know about Phelan
D’Shar anyway?”

“Zasha,” she began. Her voice sounded somber as she sighed.

“Listen to me. You have to let the past go. Phelan is no Tavel. Tavel
was a sick and twisted individual. Just because he managed to fool
your mother doesn’t mean Phelan isn’t exactly who he claims to be.”

“I owe to my mo–”

“No. The only thing you owe her is so to go on with your life,

which you’ve done. Don’t let Tavel ruin anything else. Whether or
not you want to admit it, you could be happy with Phelan. I saw it.”

She grew silent as she turned Taye’s words over in her mind.

Had she punished Phelan for her own hang ups?

“How can I put my trust in someone I don’t know?”
“It’s a risk we all take, baby girl; there are no guarantees

where matters of the heart concerned. Do you want me to come
over?”

“No, I’m going to get off here now. I – I have a lot to think

about.”

“You know I’m always here girl. I love you.”
“I know, Taye. I love you, too,” she said.
A weak goodbye the only thing she could muster before she

hung up the phone. Perhaps Taye was right. It was time to leave the
past behind, and move on in the present. Goosebumps broke out over
her arms as she moved to grab a black-hooded zip up. She would
prepare lunch, and set about the monumental task of clearing out the
office. One step towards a life lived in the present and two towards
operation avoid thoughts of Phelan for a while. If she kept herself
busy with other things, he would never have a chance to linger. It
sounded good in theory, but she had her doubts about the execution.

Chapter Five

Phelan normally had the patience of saint. It was a skill set

he’d developed as the eldest of the family and the leader of the Shar.
But when a week rolled by with no sign of Zasha, that polished
persona began to crumble. He stalked around the D’Shar home so on
edge, the smallest thing set him off like a firecracker with a short fuse.
His brothers avoided him like a plague, and his employees all walked
around on eggshells.

“Show her who she belongs to,” the beast inside him

demanded. Its vicious claws tore his mind to shreds on a daily basis.
The words of possession and dominance it expressed were so loud, he
marveled that no one else could hear them.

“Still no word?” Bastian asked.
“No.”
His reply was short and terse as he paced the length of his

office.

“I think I can help you with that,” Bastian said.
“How do you plan on doing that?” he asked.
“By taking you somewhere I know she’ll be,” Bastian said.
A cocky smirk lined Bastian’s lips as Phelan paused.
“You know I want her to come to me.”
“Maybe she needs a reminder of the attraction between you.

It’s a lot easier to resist when you’re not in close quarters.”

“How did you come by this information?” Phelan asked.
“Taye.”
“You’re still seeing her? It’s been almost three weeks,” he

said.

Shocked that he was still in contact; it wasn’t like Bastian to

see a woman more than once.

“No, but we’re friends. She’s a lot of fun to be around.”
“Fair enough, where are we headed so I know how to dress?”
“They’re going to the concert at Devou Park.”
“I’ll be ready in ten,” Phelan said.
****
He was dressed down in a pair of worn dark denim pants, a

black tank top, and his favorite pair of black Converse. A black
baseball hat had been an afterthought to help conceal his identity. The

walk from the parking lot had been too long once he caught her scent
on the wind.

“She said they had a red blanket positioned between the trees

on the hill side,” Bastian said.

“I know exactly where they are,” Phelan whispered. His eyes

locked with hazel as Zasha looked up from her conversation with
Taye and froze.

The tension was palatable as sparks of electricity coursed

through his body. His lids lowered with lust, and he bit the inside of
his cheek. If he went after her like some caveman, she would only run
again. The sun had begun its descent into the horizon, peachy-purple
water-colored sky, the perfect back drop to the scarlet button down
dress that encased Zasha body. Her toned legs seemed to go on
forever in the red and white polka dot espadrilles with a bow on the
top.

Her thick locks had been tamed into a ponytail that caressed

her back. Her eyes were wide with shock in her oval face, and the
white teeth that bite down on her lush lips made him choke back a
moan.

“You okay, bro?” Bastian asked.
“Yeah, let’s find a place to sit.”
Phelan led them to a cluster of trees about a hundred yards

away from where the girls sat. It was a struggle to maintain his
conversation with Bastian, but he managed. The feel of her eyes on
him, a burn he rejoiced in. If her stare was any indication, Zasha
wasn’t as unaffected as she made out to be. He’d worried that the
biological response might be different for a human. But now he could
see it was stubbornness. The first strains of the Swan Lake symphony
weaved a spell of romance, and he sent a silent thank you to the
Northern Kentucky orchestra when he saw her stand from the corner
of his eyes. Her stroll was brisk as she ate up the distance between
them and lowered her body to sit next to his.

“I’m going to say hi to Taye,” Bastian said. Quick to beat a

hasty exit before Zasha could protest.

“What are you doing here, Phelan?”
“Enjoying the music.”
His eyes remained on the orchestra as he did his best to act as

a human would. Her proximity had kicked the Wanting in to third

gear, and he was grateful for the dark. Because it hid the way his
amber eyes had turned black. Another side effect of the Wanting.

“Don’t give me that bull.”
Her arm pressed the length of his arm as she leaned in to keep

their conversation private.

“It’s a small town. There’s going to be times when we run into

one another. The real question is why it bothers you.”

“You know why.”
“No, Zasha, I really don’t. You wanted me to leave you alone,

and I have. Tonight, you came to me.”

His head turned, and the lust that burned in her hazel eyes

made him gasp.

“I don’t know what kind of alien sleight of hand you worked

on me, but it needs to end.”

“D’Shar men mate for life. I told you this,” he said.
His demeanor softened by her shaken voice.
“I can’t eat or sleep, and when I do my dreams are filled with

you,” Zasha said.

The darkness settled over them and wrapped them in its

embrace like a blanket. The false intimacy it created along with their
position between the trees concealed them from prying eyes. That
knowledge made him bold.

“Tell me what you want me to do,” he said. His large hand slid

up to free her hair from its constraint.

The heavy weight wrapped around his fingers. The contact

between them served as a balm to the frayed nerves worn with each
day that passed. Before they were civilized, his people’s behavior was
deplorable. Public mating rituals were performed in front of the pack
to prove their claim to all, and a fight to the death over the woman of
their choice was considered normal. Much of the behavior had been
bred out, and what was left was usually controllable. Her reluctance to
admit their bond pushed him to the brink of his limitations. He’d
never felt as alien as he did this past week.

“Relief, I need relief.” Zasha’s voice had gone husky with

need. Her slim fingers wound in his hair as her body trembled.

“Okay,” he said.
Phelan bent to take her lips with his own. The sweet flavor of

peaches danced along his tongue as her nails scrapped his scalp. Her
full lips were pillow soft against the gentle nips she administered

turned aggressive as they moved from his mouth to his neck and back
again. Tiny white teeth marked their territory, and he loved every
moment. Zasha’s urgency was a delicious torture that overrode
rational thought as he lowered her body down to the soft blanket
below. Under the concealment of night they were nothing more than
two lovers ensnared by the romance found in the classical chords.

“God, Phelan, I’ve missed this. I’m so cold when you’re not

around.”

“Then let me warm you,” he whispered into her ear.
His tongue traced the delicate shell of her ear before he

indulged in the column of her neck. Zasha’s content sighs and the feel
of her nails on his back beneath his shirt spurred him on. His hips
ground into hers, the hardness between them unmistakable.

“Phelan,” she moaned. Her long legs spread as wide as she

could manage in the pencil skirt fit of her dress.

“Shh, you have to be quiet.”
The corners of his mouth twitched upward at her hushed

protest when he rolled off her and propped himself up onto an elbow.
His lips dipped to cover hers once more as he eased up her skirt. His
hand skimmed beneath the crisp cotton of her dress and ran along the
damp cloth barrier. Her cream had soaked through her panties and
rolled down her thighs.

“I love how wet you get for me, Zash.”
“Phe.” The sound of his name shortened on her lips made his

cock twitch. The unconscious familiarization made him growl. A flick
of his wrist popped the elastic band off the cloth that barred his
entrance. Thick digits drove inside her flooded tunnel. Her slick walls
tight around his fingers as she rocked her hips.

“That’s right, Zash, take me inside you.”
Her vagina fluttered in response. She liked it when he told her

what to do. When he took the control from her and pushed her
boundaries. He added another finger and titled his thrust to hit the
sweet spot inside her.

“Come all over my fingers, baby.”
He took her cries into his mouth as she convulsed, her pussy a

vise grip around him as her cream overflowed. Phelan removed his
hands and smoothed her skirt back down before he sucked his fingers
into his mouth. The salty sweet flavor a tangy taste he relished as she
slowly came back to Earth.

“Is that better, Zash?” he asked, voice strained as he adjusted

his painful hard-on.

“Yes.”
Zasha voice had gone soft, and he could feel her mental

retreat. He hooked an arm around her waist and eased her to set
beside him as he tucked her beneath his shoulder. Damned if he’d let
her run again so soon.

“W-what are you doing?”
“Giving you more relief.”
“Phelan—”
“No.”
“No?”
“Call me what you did before.”
“Phe?”
“Yes.” He breathed. “Why do you fight this, Zasha?”
“Because it’s too much too fast! I don’t know you, and I sure

as hell don’t trust some alien biology I’ve never heard about before.”

“It’s not exactly a fact we bring up to people in polite

conversation.”

“The point is you’ve had your whole life to wrap your mind

around this. I’ve had seven days.”

“That should be long enough for you to realize this isn’t going

to go away,” he said.

The silence that fell between them all the answer he needed.
“What do you want from me, Zasha? The Wanting will

become painful if we continue to ignore it. You don’t want to come
together in a blinded lust. It’s too dangerous for you.”

“I don’t even know you,” she whispered, shaking her head.
“So take the time to get to know me, Zash. I can do human

courtship.”

“I don’t know that you can. Every time we’re together we end

up like this. Look at what we did in the middle of the park. They
arrest people for what we did.”

A heavy sighed was pushed from his chest as he grew silent.

The gears in his head churned as he sifted through solutions.

“We’ll try it your way, Zasha, push the physical contact off as

long as we can and date.”

The words sounded strange on his tongue. It was a concept

foreign to him. On his planet, once you found your mate it was like
being married.

“You would do that for me?” she asked. The disbelief in her

tone made his heart ache. She had so much to learn about him and his
people.

“That and more, my Zash, now let’s enjoy the rest of our first

date.”

****

“I can’t believe you brought me to the Festival of Lights,”

Zasha said. A wide grin stretched across her red lips as they waited in
line at the Cincinnati Zoo.

“Is this not acceptable form of entertainment on a date? “

Phelan asked. Dark head tilted as he frowned lightly. His
apprehension was endearing, and she placed a hand on his shoulder to
offer comfort.

“No, it’s perfect. It’s just not something I’ve done in years.”
The memories of trips made with her mother rose and caused

an ache that was bittersweet. The last week had been one hell of a
ride. Along with her acceptance of Phelan in her life, she had aired
out the past she’d long avoided. She had done herself a serious
disservice when she boarded up her history: lock, stock, and barrel.
There was plenty of good she had shut out that way. That was all in
the past, because now was a time for a fresh start.

She twined her fingers with Phelan’s and gave a shy smile as

she peered at him through her lashes. Since that night in Devou Park,
he’d been a model of good behavior. Hands, lips, and dirty words had
been kept to himself. She knew it was at her request, but damn did she
miss her naughty alien with black eyes and skin that glowed blue.

“Where are your thoughts, Zasha?” he asked.
Amber eyes aglow with knowledge as his lips curved into a

smug smile that proved to be too much temptation to resist. Her high-
heeled boots provided enough height for her to lean in and capture his
soft pink lips with her own. The gentle caress of his mouth was all she
allowed before she stepped away. Her face felt like it was on fire as
he grinned, and she refocused his attention elsewhere.

“Look, the line moved.”

A tug of her hand put them into motion as they made their way

to the booth, and he paid. She’d never asked him where he got his
courtship knowledge. But it was definitely old school. He held doors,
paid tabs, and gave compliments with an ease that made her melt. She
never thought she’d be one for traditional roles. As an agent, she went
out of her way to make sure her gender was unnoticed. Maybe that
was why the change of pace felt so good.

“I’ve never been to the Festival of Lights.” Phelan admitted as

they stepped through the gates into the spectacle of tiny blue
Christmas lights that adorned the archway they walked beneath.

“I loved it as a kid,” she said. Her arm tucked into his as she

craned her neck and imagined the tiny dots were stars.

“What was it like on Tagget?”
“It was…different. Our skies were the palest pink and the

clouds a dusky lavender.”

“Did you have night?”
“Yes, we had night, and it was the same indigo that you have,

but our stars are much larger, and brighter than the ones you see
here.”

“I would love to see it.”
“I would love to show it to you. We have many holo vids,

perhaps our next date could be spent viewing them with popcorn?”

“Smooth, Phelan, are you sure you haven’t done the courtship

thing before?”

“No, but my youngest brother, Marsden, has spent many years

on Earth, and he’s helped me, get the hang of things, as you’d say.”

The sound of the slang on his refined palate made her throw

her head back and laugh. She enjoyed his company more than she
should. But Zasha was honest enough to admit this courtship was
nothing more than a delay of the inevitable. If they weren’t
surrounded by a group of impressionable children with their parents,
she’d have pulled him into a dark corner and snogged him senseless.
She was way over her head, and they both knew it.

“Who knew Phelan D’Shar had a sense of humor.”
“I forget myself most days.”
His gentle admission made her squeeze his hand. If nothing

else, they appeared to be good for one another.

“Heavy lies the head?”

“Exactly,” he said wrapping an arm around her shoulders to

pull her close. “But not right now when I’m with you.”

“You do not make it easy to take things slow.”
“The feeling is mutual.” His growled answer made her tingle.
“Let’s go before I forget that promise I made you.”
Warmth flowed inside of her and chipped away at the ice that

encased her heart as they paused to take in the winter wonderland
created by the PNC bank. A man who kept his word when it cost him
was one she could trust in.

****
“I had a wonderful time, Phe, thank you,” Zasha said as they

stood outside the door of her condo.

“It was my pleasure, Zash,” he said.
Hands held behind his back as he kept a respectable distance

that made her want to scream. She needed to taste him and feel the
heated flesh of his body against her own. His decadent dark taste had
become akin to an expensive chocolate she craved but couldn’t afford.
Only the cost wasn’t monetary, it was emotional. Every time she
relinquished control and gave way to her desire they moved closer to
the end result. Why did she have to be so stubborn?

Because you have enough baggage to fill an airplane freight.

A tiny voice inside her head answered.

Time spent with Phe always made her lose perspective. Left

her with questions about why she needed to take time and deny them
what they both wanted. It was scary to struggle for control when it
was the backbone she had built her whole life around. Life as a foster
child had been unstable at best. Shuffled from home to home, every
six months or so brought to a new school or new family to adapt to.
The thought that she would one day be the master of her own destiny
had been the one thing that kept her grounded.

She had steered the vessel of her life with single minded focus

until Phelan shattered her plans with his admission and a lust that
burned hotter than the sun. Funny that the whirlwind made her feel
more alive than ever before.

“Zasha?”
Her gaze flew upward to find his amber eyes black as the

night that surrounded them as she lost yet another battle to control.
Her hands shot up to grip the lapels of his worn leather jacket, and she
brought his head down to trace the seam of his lips with her eager

tongue. He tasted of sin and musk. A heady combination that made
her head spin a she hung on for dear life as her legs went weak.
Impatient she plunged her tongue into the moist cavern of his mouth
and coaxed him into a duel. Her pebbled nipples strained against the
black sweater, and she pressed the length of her body against his.
Desperate to be closer, her hands moved to spread his jacket apart as
she burrowed into him. His strong fingers buried themselves in the
hair she’d worn down because he liked it. Her loud moan of protest
broke the stillness of the night when he pulled away.

White clouds of frost appeared around them as they caught

their breath, and Zasha pondered her next move. “If you want me to
wait, I have to go now, Zash.”

“Phe.”
Torn between what she wanted and what she needed, she

closed her eyes and let her head thud against the door.

“You’re not ready,” he whispered. Phelan’s lips felt petal soft

as they pressed against her forehead.

“This Saturday we’ll do holo vids at my house. Now go inside

before I take you against the door and give your neighbors something
to talk about.”

“Mrs. Casta would love it. I think the woman was a freak back

in her day.”

The mention of her kind, but nosey, elderly neighbor caused

laughter as she turned the knob and made her way inside. A light
“goodnight” the last words from her mouth before she closed the door
and slid to the ground. Her pussy throbbed with need as her body
broke out into a fine sheen of sweet. She wasn’t sure how much of
this she could take.

****
With his jaw clenched and his eyes closed, Phelan leaned his

head against the door of Zasha’s condo. Curved fingers clutched the
wooden frame as he inhaled the scent of her arousal. His cock strained
against the denim of his pants, and he knew if he moved a muscle
he’d come all over himself like an untried youth. It was an exquisite
brand of torture to endure this process with Zasha. She had no clue
what she was in for when he actually got a hold of her ass again.
Rough would not begin to cover the way he’d handle her pussy or her
ass or her mouth. A growl reverberated through his chest, and he

pushed away from the door and forced his feet to carry him away
from the woman he wanted to devour whole.

****
“I’d ask how you were, but I get the feeling you have a set of

blue balls to go with that blue face,” Mars said. He wore a cheeky
grin as he entered the house and found him engrossed in a game of
poker with Bastian. Things were going well between him and Zasha.

“I’m glad to see my discomfort brings you joy.”
“Oh, it’s not the discomfort; it’s the loss of control that’s

entertaining,” Bastian said. His head lifted from his cards as he
offered a smug grin and sipped a bottle of beer.

“You realize all of you will go through the same thing at some

point, right?”

“Maybe, but I figure the odds of running into the right girl are

so miniscule, I’ll be a confirmed bachelor,” Bastian said as he
laughed. He had no clue what the Wanting would make you do.

“And you, Mars?”
“What he said,” he muttered. His brow furrowed as his eyes

bore holes into the cards he had in his hand.

“It’s a Royal Flush,” Phelan informed as he glanced over

Mars’s shoulder. His dark chuckle floated behind him as he continued
to his room, and Mars swore. If they wanted to give him shit, the least
he could do was reciprocate with some teasing.

Chapter Six

Seated at her desk, Zasha closed the manila folder. A sense of

pride and weariness enveloped her. One case down, half a dozen more
to go, it’d been like this since lunch. Her reflection in the computer
screen showed dark circles had formed under her eyes, and her once
toned physique had begun to border on thin. She spent the past month
or so with her time divided between Taye, Phelan, and the gym. Each
work out session meant to plunge her into a dreamless sleep. Since the
first week after the orchestra in the park, Zasha was haunted by erotic
dreams of Phelan. Only to wake and give her pink rabbit a healthy
work out. After she’d blazed her way through a pack of triple A
batteries, she’d turned to exercise to exhaust her mind. It was heaven
and hell getting to know the man she felt so linked to without the
physical gratification.

Each piece of new information gained added to the intimacy

being built between them. The pull of the Wanting had grown so
intense it occasionally caused pain. But she needed to be sure she
knew who Phelan D’Shar was before she surrendered. It was worth
the struggle now that she was ready to admit defeat. Phelan
successfully erased her doubts one by one and tonight, she would bare
her final secret along with her body. She had extended a dinner
invitation for tonight at her place. Of course, she’d neglected to
inform him she was the main course. She smiled as she placed her
files in the appropriate bins, locked her desk down and stood to leave.
When the door swung open, she fought down the urge to scream.

“Top priority case for you, straight from the chief,” Richards

said as she groaned.

“Did you get a chance to skim over it?” she asked.
“No, he made it clear it was for your eyes only,” he said with a

shake of his buzzed brown head.

At six feet three inches and about three hundred pounds,

Richards was built like a brick house. With a stern mug that matched
his hulking frame. You’d never know the guy was a total teddy bear
underneath.

“Go on and get out of her, Johnson. I’ll tell him I just missed

you.”

“I owe you, Richards!”

A quick peck on his face made his cheeks redden as she

rushed out of the office. For once, the last place she wanted to be was
at her desk.

****
Damp and bone weary, Zasha sighed as she stomped the snow

from her boots on the mat and twisted the key in the lock. It was
fifteen minutes after six, and she had a lot of work to do before Phelan
arrived at eight. She loved her job, but on nights like these, she longed
for a vacation. Her lips curved down when she flipped the switch up
on her lights and got no response. The light bulbs were dead, or the
power was out because of the snowstorm. She reached down to grab
the slim pin light she kept on her key chain and froze when the beam
of light picked up a figure.

Her body lowered to one knee as instincts took over. Her hand

pulled the butt of the standard issued 9mm from her shoulder holster,
and her ears strained to pick up a sound that would give away the
intruders location.

“There’s no need for that, Zasha. If I wanted you dead you

would be,” a masculine voice said.

The click of a switch beside the intruder pierced the silence,

and the light that flooded the room blinded her. Her lids fluttered as
she tried to force her eyes to adjust to the lighting differential and
assess the threat. Thirty seconds later, her vision cleared and the
bottom dropped out as her world exploded.

“It’s been a long time,” Tavel said.
His body draped across one of the leather chairs in her living

area. Her fingers clicked the safety off her gun and cocked the handle
to place a bullet in the chamber.

“We both know that little pop gun won’t do more than piss me

off,” he said.

His voice haughty as his lips curled up into a sneer. The

arrogance that rolled off him in waves sent an itch to her trigger
finger.

“That’s a good enough reason for me to use it,” she said. Her

eyes trained down her barrel and pulled the trigger in rapid
succession. The bullets of the P.I.U.’s 9mm were made with a
chemical compound that subdued aliens, but they seemed to have no
effect on the Tavel.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” he said with a sigh as

he rose from the chair. A ball of blue light shot across the room and
hit her in the chest as darkness drug her down into its depths.

****
“W-where am I?” she whispered.
Her voice was hoarse as she slowly regained consciousness

and found her limbs bound. Leather cuffs encircled her wrists and
ankles as she lay on a metal tray. The bright circle of light that hung
above her head cast shadows on the dank room she was imprisoned
in.

“You don’t need to worry about that right now,” Tavel said.

His came from a few feet away from where she lay.

A sinister smile spread across his lips as he leaned over her.

His features grossly distorted by the light that hung above her head.

“Did you come back to finish the job?” she asked.
Fists clenched as she glared. Zara refused to give him the

pleasure of seeing her fear.

“No, I’m here to explain. You’ve spent all these years thinking

I’m some kind of villain when you couldn’t be further from the truth.”
The feel of his cool fingers across her face made her flinch.

“Your mother and I had a history that goes back to before you

were born. Why else would she welcome me into her home the way
she did?” His words rang true about the woman who had raised her.
But she didn’t want to believe the explanation.

“I knew Tatiana wasn’t my mate, but I loved her anyway,” he

said. A heavy sigh expelled from his lungs. He seemed to shrink in
that moment. Shoulders slumped as his face aged before her eyes,
almost as if the loss of her mother crushed him.

“You have one fucked up way of showing it,” she said. Not

about to have sympathy for the devil.

“I thought she would be able to share my power. I never

imagined it would take her life.”

“Why the hell would you think that?”
“Because she married me and later carried my child,” he said.
His blue eyes locked with her own as she shook her head. No.
“My father died in a fire!”
“No, Zasha, he didn’t. I left to escape the hunters who had

found me here on Earth. Led them away from her and kept my
distance until I was sure they were off my trail. I thought I’d found

the right elixir to alter her DNA. It took me years to gather the right
ingredients, and many failed experiments…but I was wrong.”

“I don’t want to hear any more of your lies!” She barely

recognized the snarl that left her lips as her head spun. How could she
be born of this man?

“I knew you’d be my greatest creation, the first child of both

worlds to flourish.”

“I am not your anything.”
“Deny all you want. It’s still my blood that runs through your

veins.”

His face flushed blue, and his eyes almost glowed as his

expression darkened.

“Imagine my disgust that you’ve become the King’s whore!

My own spawn bonded to the family of traitors that caused me to flee
to this planet in the first place.”

“You’re from Tagget?” she asked.
Eager to draw him into a conversation so she could buy herself

more time. Her eyes had adjusted to the dimness, and she surveyed
the areas visible. She was surrounded by concrete walls and next to
her metal table was a silver medical tray. Lined with still packaged
instruments and beakers that contained fluorescent liquid it filled her
with a sense of dread. Her wrists strained as she pulled against the
leather straps that refused to give.

“I was the best alchemist they had. A scientific genius revered

by our people until the royals stuck their noses where they didn’t
belong, and we had a…difference of opinion.”

The maniacal gleam that leapt into his cerulean gems left no

doubt in her mind that he’d killed them.

He disappeared from her view once more, only to return a

moment later with his hands encased in latex gloves and a blue mask
over his face.

“I came back her with the hopes of passing on my knowledge

to you. I thought once you understood what happened with your
mother you’d want to be a family again. But now you’re tainted.”

“W-what ?” she asked. Not able to follow his crazed logic.

Panic sunk in as she realized she was at this man’s mercy. Had Phelan
showed up for dinner yet? Did anyone know she was missing?

“You don’t even know, do you?” he asked.
“Know what, Tavel?”

“That you’re pregnant.”
Stunned, her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came

from her larynx.   Could he be right? They never used protection,
however, she was on the pill.  Who says that works on Shar biology,
Zasha?  A million unanswered questions rose, making her dizzy.  She
wanted to believe it was a lie, yet deep down she knew.

“Don’t worry, Zasha. Daddy’s going to make it all better. ” He

moved to the tray and mixed an electric blue potion with a vibrant red
one. Her body trembled. No one would harm her child.

“This will keep you from any pain while I figure out why you

thrived.”

A war cry spilled from her lips as the anger bottled up inside

of her exploded in the form of blue sparks that shot from her
fingertips. The spray hit Tavel in the chest. His body sent across the
room like a crash test dummy, arms and legs flailing. Round eyes and
an open mouth was the last thing Zasha saw as he was claimed by the
darkness. The heavy thud of his body against the wall, then the floor
seconds later before silence descended. Adrenaline coursed through
her veins, and she used the momentum to rip her left arm free of the
restraint.

Mindful of the fact that he was yards away, she undid the

other wrist with nimble fingers and slid from the metal table. Her
heart pounded against her chest as she stumbled through the room,
hand against the wall as she sought a light switch or a door handle.

The sound of something shuffling across the room hastened

her exploration. Her booted foot brushed against something soft and
meaty, but she ignored it and continued forward. A flicker of blue
light behind her revealed a metallic glimmer of what she thought was
a door. She sprinted toward what she prayed was an exit, and her shin
slammed into the bottom of a stairwell? When her fingers felt the
smooth cylinders of handrails, her previous thoughts were confirmed.
This was a way out! Zasha pounded up the creaky steps using the rails
on either side for balance. Her shaky hands found the smooth wood of
the door when she reached the last step and almost slammed face first
into the door.

She turned the knob and the door swung open to a dilapidated

interior of a home that had seen better days. Moonlight seeped in
through cracks and holes in the dingy walls. A glance to her left

revealed the exit to freedom. A faded red door stood less than twenty
yards away.

Four long strides carried her out of the house and into the

white flakes that melted on her skin.

The neighborhood wasn’t one she recognized, but the row of

condemned buildings that surrounded her offered up no safety. So she
trudged farther into the night. Each determined step taking her away
from the mad scientist who claimed to be her father.

****
Phelan knocked on the door and frowned when is swung open

beneath his fist. Zasha would never be so careless. His stomach
clenched as he entered the house and saw signs of a struggle. The
ozone in the air made his hair stand on end. She had fired her weapon
earlier or an alien had issued a blast, possibly both. Both scenarios
made him clench his teeth. Who would be crazy enough to come after
a P.I.U. agent in their home? He pulled his cell phone from his pocket
and placed a call to Zasha. When the call went to voicemail after three
rings, he swore. He could call the chief, but he knew the rules. It took
forty-eight hours to be declared a missing person. Even for one of
their own. Besides, this was personal. Out of options, he placed a call
to his brother.

“Aren’t you on a date?” Bastian asked.
“I just got here and the door was open, and Zasha is nowhere

to be found. Her car was in her parking space, and she hasn’t
answered her phone.”

“Let me get Kade,” he said as he placed the phone down on

the desk and yelled for the computer whiz.

“Did her phone actually ring or just go to voicemail?” Kade

asked a few moments later.

“It rang.”
“I have my system booted up now, give me her number, and

we’ll see what we can find.”

The clicks of Kade’s fingers on the keyboard were too loud in

the silence that followed. If there was a trail to be found, Kade would
locate it. Seconds ticked by like minutes, and what felt like an eternity
later Kade spoke.

“I have a location.”
“After you read me the coordinates, I want you to gather our

security team and meet me a few blocks down.”

“Bastian is gathering our best as we speak.”
“Good, be sure to let the men know it’s their Queen we’re

fighting for.”

His demeanor change as he disconnected and spun on his heel

to head to the car. If you her nerve to put your hands on his mate
you’d better be prepared for war. Cause the D’Shar family was about
to bring the pain.

****
He ignored the speed limit as he steered his black steed

through the streets painted white. The address was a rundown
neighborhood full of abandoned buildings and crack houses. Phelan
tried not to think the worst, but his mind dreamed up one scenario
after another; each darker than the one previous. His knuckles turned
white as he gripped the wheel and eased on the brake to make a sharp
turn. The yellow headlights caught a familiar silhouette off to the side,
and the wheel jerked to the right as he hit the brake and moved the
gear shift into park. He exited the car in time to catch the sodden
bundle of his mate.

“Zasha, are you okay?” he asked. His arms wrapped around

her as she trembled. Her teeth clacked together as she nodded.

“Let’s get you inside,” he said. Phelan placed her inside the

car and cranked the heat full blast before he called Bastian.

“I have Zasha, hold on my signal to go inside. Our ETA is five

mikes out.”

“Roger.”
“I have my men outside the area they traced your cell phone

to, what happened?” he asked after he disconnected and shifted the
car into drive as he pulled back onto the road.

The blue tinge of her lips had faded, and her shivers ceased,

but the arms that hugged her waist made him think she might have
bruised ribs.

“Tavel happened,” she said. The words spat from her mouth

like something spoiled. Her face twisted into a sneer that told him
there was history. The name soured his stomach, and he had to force
the next question out around bile.

“Tavel from Tagget?”
“That’s what he claimed. I always knew him as the slimy

motherfucker that murdered my mother.”

“Fuck!”

His hands slammed the steering wheel as they approached the

black Escalades lined up along the curb.

“So what he said was true,” she said.
“I don’t know what he told you Zasha, but—”
“I know now isn’t the time for this conversation, but later we

have many things to discuss.”

“Understood,” he said as he parked the car behind the row of

black SUVs.

“Do you have your weapon?”
“No, the bastard took it after he knocked me out.”
“Then let’s get you armed and suited with a vest.”
Parked, they both stepped from the vehicle and meet Bastian

at the back of the truck.

“She needs a vest and a gun,” Phelan said. Once she walked

away, he turned to face his brother.

“It’s Tavel.”
“What! We haven’t seen any signs of him for the past couple

years. Why now? Why her?”

“When Zasha was still a child, her mother became one of

Tavel’s victims.” “Shit, Phe,” Bastian said. His brown eyes wide as
Phelan nodded.

“I know,” Phelan said as he accepted a vest handed to him.
At one time Tavel had been a trusted member of the royal

family. A brilliant scientist and advisor, Tavel’s opinions had been
invaluable. Until his scientific studies had gone too far, and he’d
begun to practice unethical alchemy on living creatures. The
banishment placed on the scientist had driven him mad, and he’d
murdered the King and Queen before fleeing.

Once Tavel had escaped Tagget, he had taken to performing

his strange experiments on humans. The path of corpses he’d left
behind were his own brand of evidence disposal. No matter how fast
they arrived to recover the evidence, the site was always too clean to
figure out his next move. They suspected humans with abnormal
abilities were somehow connected to Tavel, but there was no way to
be sure without tests. Tests meant questions they weren’t ready to
answer. A serial killer was something the human authorities could
understand. A mad scientist who used humans as test subjects was a
problem that could easily turn the population against the Shar. As it

was, there were many people who thought they should be treated as a
threat.

The Shar walked a fine line between being seen as foreign

versus alien. Since humans tended to fear what they didn’t
understand, it was a judgment call he’d been forced to make. He
wondered if that choice had come back to bite him in the ass.

****

The Shar’s raid hadn’t been a complete bust. Tavel was long

gone, but bits and pieces of evidence remained. Beakers of
compounds native to Tagget and other planets in their former solar
system showed them he had a supplier. Phelan figured he traded with
the rogues. What he traded for, they had yet to figure out. Like all
dirty laundry, their secrets would come out in the wash. The minute
they found Tavel gone, Zasha placed a call to the chief, and got the
P.I.U. dispatched. What had occurred next was a cluster fuck. The
abandoned home held too much foreign matter for the P.I.U to handle.
So they’d entered into an agreement. Phelan would make his staff of
scientists and himself available for their expertise.

With all the evidence carefully stowed away, there was no

time for questions. But he knew eventually when things calmed down
they would want more information. Zasha’s job has been a hindrance
to the progression of their relationship since he’d last visited her
offices for business. They were unsure how the members of the P.I.U.
would react to their relationship.

****
Two weeks earlier…
Phelan’s eyes narrowed as the blonde officer leaned in to

whisper into Zasha’s ear. Her lips twisted into a scowl as she shoved
him away from her body, and he threw his head back to laugh. The
tiny smile his antics coaxed from Zasha was the straw that broke the
camel’s back. Phelan blinked and his jaw ticked. The power he used
to make the idiot stumble was an automatic response.

“Did you just use your powers?” his brother asked. Kade’s

mouth was ajar when Phelan turned to face him with a serene façade.

“I didn’t think his body was an appropriate distance away

from Agent Johnson.”

“Uh-huh…I think I’ll go speak with the other agents,”Kade

said. His feet pointed in the direction opposite from the woman
headed their way. Her hazel eyes ablaze.

“Can I talk to you in private, Phelan? There’s a case in my

office I could use your expertise on,” Zasha asked.

“Of course,” Phelan said as she strode towards the office

ahead of him.

The sight of her generous rear in the black slacks of her

uniform was more erotic than it should be. When she closed the door
behind him and shut the blinds, his mind filled with thoughts of taking
her on her desk to reassert his claim.

“What was that?” Zasha asked. Hands on her hips as she

stared him down, full lips pursed with displeasure.

“He was too close.”
“Roger is always too close–”
“So you liked him there?”
“What? No! But he’s harmless.”
“That’s not the way I see it.”
“Are you actually jealous?” she asked. Her arched eyebrows

rose as she shook her head.

“I don’t share what’s mine, and we both know that is exactly

what you are.”

“Phe—”
“No, I’ve grow tired of your constant excuses. You asked me

to observe your customs, respect your culture, and I have, despite
what it cost me. Did you ever plan to do the same?”

He issued a curt nod, his body ramrod straight as he side-

stepped her, and reached around her to turn the doorknob.

Her soft hand placed on his made him stop.
“You’re right,” she said.
The whispered admission stopped him in his tracks. He let his

arm fall back to his side as he stepped back to study her. Her dark
head was bowed as she looked up him. The hazel jewels that had
flashed at him only moments before now dulled by tears.

“I’ve been so lost in my own head I haven’t given any thought

to how it must be for you; and that’s not fair.”

Her husky voice was chocked full of an emotion he had never

experienced from her before, vulnerability. A part of him wanted to

wrap her in his arms and tell her it would be okay. But he got the
distinct impression this moment was necessary.

“You know I was in foster care, but we never talked about

why.”

His ears detected the inflection in her voice before she paused

to clear her throat. Whatever it was she was about to say was big.

“When I was eleven my mother fell head over heels for this

guy, moved him in the house within the first month, and started acting
out of character.” Her body trembled as she pushed the words out.
“Six months later, he killed her.”

His heart ached for what she had been through. “Zasha,” he

whispered. Phelan knew from personal experience the pain the loss of
a parent to a tragic end brought. But this was her time to talk.

“Now you see why this thing between us scared the shit out of

me,” she said as she pushed away from the door. “It’s sudden. It’s
illogical, and every time I’m around you I lose more of myself.”

“No, you don’t,” he said.
“Yes, I do, with every ounce of control I forfeit.”
“Why does it have to be all or nothing, Zash?”
“Because I don’t recognize myself when I’m with you!”
“I’m doing my best to take this slow.”
“Slow? You were ready to hand Roger his ass tonight. I think

it’s time we both admit, slow isn’t going to cut it.”

“Then what would you have me do?”
“It’s not you who needs to change,” she whispered. The swift

change in her demeanor was an icy cold shock to his system. “I’ve
floated down the river of denial long enough. I know better than most
that ignorance is not bliss, and I’m ready to do my part to make
this…transitional period easier on us both.”

Chapter Seven

Present

The agreement had been a turning point in their relationship.

Zasha had begun to open up and immerse herself further into his
traditions; and he’d sensed a Shar mating celebration around the
corner, until now.

“It could be all night before they get this evidence out of here.

I want you to go get checked out,” Richards said. His muscular arms
crossed over his chest as he ignored Zasha’s protest.

“I’m fine.”
“You feel fine now, but who knows what he did to you while

you were unconscious.”

“You saw the EMTs clear me.”
“Not good enough. If anything happened to you, the chief

would have my ass!”

“Why don’t I have our doctors look her over,” Phelan said.
“Best idea I’ve heard all night,” Richards said as he nudged

her forward.

“Fine, I’ll be in with a report ready in the morning.”
“Did I forget to mention the chief said he doesn’t want to see

your face until Monday?”

Her low growl made Richards chuckle as Phelan led her off.
“Enjoy your weekend, Johnson,” he called.
****
“We need to talk, Phelan.” Zasha’s voice was worn and tired

as he entered his bedroom after the doctor exited. He nodded his head
in agreement as he crossed the carpeted floor.

The woman who sat in the middle of his bed wrapped in

blankets was not the one he knew. She looked tiny in the large bed,
and an air of uncertainty clung to her. His legs folded beneath him as
he came to rest on the edge of the bed beside her, unsure of what to
say. Tavel violated the sanctity of her home, and he’d yet to hear of
the horror she’d endured. The dark blue hue of the doctor’s face as he
left the room spoke volumes.

“Phe–” she began. Only to pause and shake her head as she

lapsed back into silence.

“Take your time, baby,” he whispered.

“He said I was his daughter,” she said. Her face twisted as if

she’d tasted something foul.“It’s not possible, is it?”

His heart broke for her as he sighed. “I won’t lie to you, Zash.

We found some anomalies in your genes.”

“Oh my God.”
“It doesn’t mean he’s telling the truth, Zasha. He’s a lunatic.

He could’ve given you one of his strange concoctions as a child. It’d
be just like him to tell you this to throw you off your game.”

“Well it worked.”
“We’re running all the tests we can, for now I think you

should assume it’s not true.”

“That’s the only answer I can handle right now.”
His hand reached out to grab hers, and his body tensed as a

flash of brilliant blue went off behind his lids. The sound of a rapid
heartbeat echoed in his ears, and he cried out as a psychic connection
was forged. The distinct black and white image that flickered in his
mind conveyed an unmistakable message.

“You carry my seed!”
Fury seeped from his every pore as a blue energy crackled

around him. His body quaked. His eyes bleed to black and his
patience shattered.

****
With one look into his inhuman eyes her stomach dropped,

dipped, and rolled like she was on a roller coaster. The time had
finally come to cement the bond that would end the Wanting period.
Her body vibrated with nervous energy as he sniffed the air and
stalked towards her. Her nipples strained against the white T-shirt
she’d pilfered from his dresser. Desire pooled low in her belly and
leaked onto the black sheets below. Phelan gripped the edge of the
comforter and sent it across the room with an impatient snarl.

“The sight of you in my clothes pleases me,” he said.
His obsidian eyes, full of approval, as he palmed her breast

through the thin cotton, each achy globe lifted and weighed as if they
were for sale. She mewled when his dark head bent down to suckle
the breast he supported. His powerful jaw worked overtime as he
went from one mound to the other. Each long draw felt connected to
her cunt. Her walls fluttered and wept as he nursed at her breast
through the cloth like he was in need of milk. His mouth released her
and he spoke to her with cherry red swollen lips.

“Take the shirt off.”
It was a command not a request. The man who’d bent over

backwards to accommodate her was gone. Her hands trembled as she
peeled the shirt upward.

“Not so fast,” he said.
His hands lightning fast as he blocked the shirt’s accent up her

body. She felt exposed, with her arms trapped close to the body that
was bare from the waist down. Her hips bucked as a blue-tipped
finger trailed from her waist down to her hipbone. The path he’d
drawn was shimmery blue against her tawny skin and increased her
desire. Phelan had warned her it would be like this. But she was still
unprepared for the intense need that arched her back as she moved
closer to the hands that hovered over her flesh.

Sweat had broken out on her skin. “Phelan,” she whispered.

The tiny beads of moisture slid down her back and her face as her
thighs rubbed together.

“Now you get a taste of what it is to be, Shar.”
He placed his fingers to her flesh again. The light show he

created a masterpiece of torment as he drove into a mindless frenzy.
The beautiful swirls of color on her skin mixed with the raw emotions
they evoked took her to the edge of her orgasm and shoved her over.
The walls of her pussy clamped down and nectar shot from her cunt,
literally. Her creamy liquid spilled onto the sheets she clutched in her
fingers, and her eyes locked onto his. In the middle of this turbulent
storm, he was her anchor.

“Please,” she whispered. Her voice had grown hoarse and

desperate as his persistent digits danced across the unexplored flesh of
her inner thighs.

“Please, what?”
Her bound arms strained against the T-shirt. “Touch me, such

me, fuck me, anything.” The wicked smirk that splayed across his lips
was so loaded with devilment, she moaned.

“Anything?” he asked.
The gravel of his tone became a rough abrasion on her frayed

nerves. Her silent nod of agreement was bathed in submission as she
delivered herself into his capable hands. She broke eye contact to roll
on her belly to assume the traditional mating position they’d
discussed over the weeks. Anticipation, unlike any she had ever
known, swept through her body. Her breath came in pants as she

breathed into the sheets, and her ass tingled as his magical hands
caressed it.

“As much as I like you bound, let’s free those arms so you can

support yourself.”

The rush of cool air on her body made her suck in a deep

breath. He had never used his power on her before. She liked it. Prone
on all fours with her ass lifted up in the air, she tried to prepare herself
for the invasion, both mental and physical. Tonight, they would see
into each other’s soul.

When he spoke next, each syllable was forged from steel.

“There will be no more secrets between us, Zasha.”

“I-I didn’t know.” She stuttered as he thrust a finger inside and

stirred leisurely. Her hungry walls welcomed him with their suction
and held him tight.

“I know. You’re many things, but a liar isn’t one of them,” he

said. The finger he refused to move threatened her sanity, but she
knew the rules. He was the musician tonight, and she the instrument
he played.

“You’re being such a good girl.”
He rewarded her with a few more stirs before he began to

move inside her. Slow even strokes that made her clutch the sheets
and drive her hips back on to him.

“That’s it, Zash. Ride my fingers, baby.”
The sentence urged her on as her back arched, and her hips

pumped faster. The pressure built up inside her until she exploded.
Her creamy liquid doused the fingers that never ceased their
movement.

His whispered, “Now you’re ready.” Before he removed his

fingers and eased his cock inside her inch by inch. The length of him
stretched her to max capacity as he went deep. Situated inside her as
far as he could go, he rested his head on her shoulders.

“By the end of tonight, there will be no doubt that you belong

to me.” His sharp teeth bite down on the nape of her neck as he pulled
out and drove back in.

His mushroom-shaped head thrust so deep he brushed her

cervix. The pain so good, she couldn’t stop the sobs that rose in her
throat. Tears leaked from her eyes and rolled down her face as
Sharian words sounded in hear ear. “Take it all, baby. That’s it.” The
approval, she sensed, was a necessity as she strove to pleasure him.

The foreign concepts that unfurled inside her like a flower had
become too powerful to ignore. Thoughts of taking her place beside
him as the matriarch of their people, memories of his childhood. Her
cunt gripped him tight as an orgasm broke over her without warning.
The convulsion of her body around him carried him over with her.
Boneless, she slumped forward as he pulled free and rolled her on to
her back.

“You should rest now because that was the first of many

more.”

****
He knew the moment she woke, because the twinge of pain

she experienced reached him through their bond. He grabbed the pain
reliever his doctor had approved for his pregnant mate and walked the
short distance to his bedroom.

“Relax, my Queen, the doctor gave me something to help you

with the pain,” Phelan said as he stood in the doorway with a glass of
lavender liquid.

“Queen,” she mouthed before shaking her head.
“How did you know I was awake?”
“I sensed you were in pain,” Phelan said. “The bond between

us insures we’ll always know if the other is in danger among other
things.”

“I know we talked about this before, but right now my mind is

a jumbled mess.”

“Take this. It’ll make you feel better.”
“But the baby.”
“It’s safe.” He assured as he held the glass up to her lips and

helped her drink it down.

He set the empty cup on the dresser next to him when she

finished, and he slid beneath the covers beside her. The distress
evident in her stiff countenance pierced his heart like an arrow. He
hated to see her like this, so out of her element.

“We have a lot to talk about,” she whispered. Her eyes cast

down as her fingers fiddled with the sheets.

“I know about your father,” he said as her eyes shot up to meet

his. “I saw it when we completed the link.”

“You’re not mad?” she asked.
“At you? No.”

“H-how can you say that after what he did to your family and

countless other people?” Her head lowered as the sense of shame
spilled over into her voice.

“Tavel has taken enough from me. I won’t let him have this,

too.”

His jaw clenched as he thought of the rogue alien. He wanted

to watch the life ebb from his eyes as he chocked him to death. Upon
capture, he would be handled according to the old laws. Treason was
punishable by death, and the crimes he’d committed against humanity
were so perverse it turned his stomach. To alter the genetic make up
for a living being was unforgiveable. How many more were out there?
What exactly had he done to them?

“What will the others say?”
“Others?” he said as he blinked. All thoughts of ways to

dismember Tavel were pushed to the background as he focused in on
his mate.

“The Shar. I’m sure my father is public enemy number one—”
“We’re not sure he’s actually your father yet, and you’re their

Queen; it’s all they need to know.”

“But if someone finds out–”
“Zasha, the Shar will not question my choice,” he said.
He removed his arm from her shoulder and cupped the side of

her face with his hands as he turned to face her. His gentle kisses
peppered her lips until the tension eased from her body and she began
to respond. When they came up for air, he spoke.

“You and this baby are my top priority; everything else is

secondary.”

He did his best to convey love and reassurance through their

link as he held her gaze. “Okay?” he asked.

Her head gave a short nod of agreement. “Okay,” said Zasha.
“I know our start was unconventional, but this has become

more than some biological response. You’re witty, intelligent, and
strong. Any man would be lucky to have you, and I’m glad your
mine.” He paused as his stomach clenched. “I love you, Zasha
Johnson.”

Her bottom lip quivered, and tears glimmered in her eyes

before they rolled down her cheeks.

“You don’t have to say it back, Zash,” he said.
His thumbs wiped away the saline that tore at his heart.

“I never thought I would hear those words,” she said. “You

slipped in under my radar. Put your own needs on hold to give me the
time to get to know you; and now I can’t imagine my life without
you.”

The admission was forced between lips that trembled, and her

hands moved to cover his where they rested on the sides of her face.

“I love you, too, Phelan.”
The five words made his heart soar. His grin was so wide he

thought it might split his lips.

Their heads moved towards each other to meet in the middle

for a kiss that threatened to melt him into a puddle. He wanted to bury
his fingers in her hair and take her again, but he knew they had more
to discuss. The sooner it was behind them, the sooner they could get
to the plans that brewed in his head.

“What are we going to do about the P. I. U.?” he asked,

leaning back against the espresso-colored headboard.

Her body language echoed his as she sank back into the

pillows propped up behind her. “I won’t lie to them.”

“I didn’t expect you to, Zash.”
“If you knew what he was doing all this time, why did you

keep it to yourself?”

He released the breath he’d been holding since yesterday and

shook his head. How could he explain this to her in a way she’d
understand?

“You’ve seen how much we struggle to be accepted? What

would the knowledge of a mad scientist who experimented on humans
do to our shaky status among society?”

“That’s what it means to be a part of the human race, Phelan.

Everyone has an opinion about you and not all of those will be good.
Some people don’t like me simply because of the shade of my skin.
We’re irrational beings.”

“I’ve come to realize that.”
“Just tell them everything you know, and leave out the part

about how long you knew Tavel was on Earth.”

“Zash–”
“I’m your Queen now, right? That means I have to look out

for us.”

“But your job–”

“Will have to be put on hold. Anyway, I’m pregnant I can’t

work in the field anymore.”

“I never wanted this. I know you love your job.
“Baby, are you kidding me?” she asked. “All I’ve ever wanted

to do was make a difference. I can do way more as the Queen of the
Shar than I could as a P.I. U. agent. We can use this as a bridge
between our people.”

“You think it would work?”
“In time, yes.”
“I have one small request,” he said as heat crept up into his

face. “Let’s change Zasha Johnson to Zasha D’Shar.”

“Smooth, Mr. D’Shar,” she said. A smirk on her full lips as

she watched him squirm.

“Zasha?”
“Yes!” A squeal left her lips as she flung herself into his arms

and laughed. “I had you worried there for a minute.”

“I never know what to expect where you’re concerned. I’ve

learned not to assume.”

“That attitude will take you far with me,” she said. Her tone

full of mirth as she pressed her lips to his. Her playful attitude melted
beneath the heat of his kisses as he allowed his fingertips to fill with
his powers once more. He dragged one down her spine, and she
moaned. Her fingers buried in the wealth of his hair.

She panted. “I thought the Wanting was over?”
“The Wanting never really ends.”

The End

Other Books by Shyla Colt:

Don't Fear the Reaper