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  “I second that thanks.” Nadia grinned.

  “And I third it.” A hand covering her slight baby bump, Mel winked at Susa. “So, this visit was for more than drinking and packing. Since you’ve never been out of the Cejuru system before and since you’ll be at the Tooh 2 resort until your ship leaves for Jump Station Charybdis, we decided you needed some practical advice on how to survive in the big bad galaxy. You’ve been fairly sheltered and wouldn’t know, for example, resort planets are notorious pickup places.”

  Susa had done some research, mostly travelogues on the dos and don’ts when visiting unfamiliar environs. Maybe that’s why she’d begun to have second thoughts about leaving the safety of her home. Wild things went on in the Milky Way and could be snares for the unwary.

  She planned to be very wary. However, she wasn’t that naive. “I do know how to say no.”

  She’d said no many times to her previous sex partners, and most of the time, her wishes were followed. Only Tenar and a couple of other apayebote—bastards—had forced the issue. On the whole, she should be able to handle most sexual overtures. Her biggest fear was recognizing the right man and figuring out how to form a long-lasting relationship that involved more than sex. How did Terran and other hominid females of the galaxy do this?

  “And I am sure no means no everywhere,” Susa added.

  Nadia snorted. “Un-think that right now. Some men are scum-sucking amoeba with no conscience at all.”

  Mel and Bria nodded.

  Susa shuddered, remembering her own bad experiences and how helpless she’d felt being held down and violated. Then she had an epiphany and eyed Nadia. “Is that why you’ve been training me to fight?”

  She’d thought the weekly training sessions had been the way Nadia, a starship officer and warrior, used to bond with people. The other two Caradoc gemates had cemented their friendships with her in other ways. Bria had sought out Susa for gardening tips since the good doctor had just started laying out her gardens at the home she and Iolyn had built. And Mel was a lunching-out type and had asked Susa to show her all the best places to eat in the Cejuru Prime capital.

  “Mostly,” Nadia replied. “As Mel said, the resort will be a hot bed of horny men on the prowl.”

  Bria added, “Plus, Jump Station Charybdis is even more dangerous than the resort or the ship you’ll be taking. Galactic rim stations and planets tend to be populated by more dangerous and less civilized males. One look at a beautiful woman like you, and they’ll try to get you into bed, willing or not.”

  Susa’s stomach churned. Even more reasons why leaving home might not be a good idea. What did she know about how men treated women elsewhere in the galaxy? She still carried the physical and mental scars from the times Tenar hadn’t liked her saying no.

  “I sense a chilly fear of the unknown, sweetie.” Nadia came to the chaise and bent over to give her a hug. “You’ll do fine. Just be smart and aware. I’ve given you enough skills to handle your every-day-Lotharios at the resort. Where you’ll need to be more alert is when the freighter you’re taking to the jump station makes orbital dock stops. You’ll be required to disembark because of extermination protocols. In those situations, remain close to whomever the freighter captain assigns to watch over you.”

  “No matter how good your self-defense training is, be extra-cautious on the jump station,” Bria said. “It is a no-woman’s land except for the highly secured areas your cousin and my brother Damon have set up for the employees and their families.”

  Borac had mentioned something about the secure areas, but had downplayed the seriousness of why there were such areas. He had a mate and children living there. How bad could it be?

  Mel sat on the edge of the chaise and patted Susa’s hand. “I’m so glad Borac put his foot down about you traveling solo on a passenger starship. If he hadn’t said something, Wulf would’ve. The Mason freighter you’re booked on is the safest way to get there. Just remember, after docking at the jump station, remain close to the freighter captain until Borac comes to get you.”

  Susa’s stomach roiled at the seriousness in Mel’s tone. “Why?”

  “Because the freight docks are even more dangerous than the rest of the jump station,” Bria said. “I would’ve been raped ten times, stolen by slavers, or bitten by a Wefiantoth, also called a Ragbag—a nasty little, poisonous plant-spider hybrid with two rows of teeth—if Damon hadn’t gotten there in time.”

  Then she recalled Borac had mentioned the station’s freight docks would be forbidden territory while she was visiting—though he hadn’t gone into the detail Bria, a woman who’d actually experienced the trip and lived to tell about it, had.

  To be honest, Susa had thought her cousin exaggerated the dangers. Prime males had overprotective alpha-maleness built into their genetic code.

  “So, summing up,” Susa took a deep breath. “Freighter stopovers really, really bad, and I should stick like glue to my assigned protector. Jump station also major bad news, and I should stay within the confines of the secure perimeter Borac and Bria’s brother have set up.” She looked at Bria, who nodded. “Resort males, really, really aggressive, but I should be able to handle them since Nadia has beat my ass into the ground for these last few months training me.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got it,” Mel said. “Do you have any questions for us?”

  Would you think less of me if I didn’t go?

  But instead, she asked, “What is there to do on Tooh 2 while I wait for the Mason freighter? And don’t mention deep-sea fishing, because your gemats have already suggested it, and I only like to eat fish, not catch and clean them.

  “Spa time!” Mel shouted.

  “Oh, definitely, spa time,” Nadia said. “The Tooh Sea Salt scrub followed by the heated lolly flower oil massage is orgasmic.” When Bria snickered, Nadia shot her a glare. “I’m not exaggerating. I was so ready to climax after that treatment all Huw had to do was stroke a single finger down my soft-as-a-baby’s-butt back, and I saw stars and maybe a super-nova or two. It is a definite do in my book.”

  “Oh, yes, it is.” Bria winked at Susa. “I was snickering in agreement. All Iolyn had to do was hold up the silken ropes he uses to tie me to the bed, and I came.”

  Susa flushed, recalling how she’d taught Iolyn all about sensual bondage. He’d been an apt student. She was secretly pleased that Bria enjoyed Iolyn in that way.

  “Oh, man, now I want a sea salt scrub and heated oil massage,” Mel whined.

  Susa and the others laughed.

  Mel grinned, then sobered. “I do have a caveat. While on Tooh 2, most of males approaching you will be merely pushy, but you will need to watch out for the various solar system ambassadorial staff members and territorial legates prowling the resort for prey. They feel their diplomatic immunity gives them license to act however they wish.” She took hold of Susa’s hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “You, my dear sister-kin-of-the-heart, are a gorgeous and unmarked Prime female. A rara avis in the galaxy at this moment in time. After the Prime decided to join the Alliance, the role of sex surrogates has been a hot topic for gossip, most of it wrong and blown out of proportion. You’ll be a huge temptation for certain bad actors. So, stay alert. If you’re harmed in any way, the Caradocs will go to war for you.”

  War for her? The fact the Caradocs cared so much made her heart ache in a good way, but she prayed Mel was wrong about her being targeted solely because she was an unmarked Prime female.

  Anxiety roiled inside her. Was it worth leaving the security of her home to be judged by strangers? Did she have the courage to face down such prejudice?

  The answers came surprisingly quick. Yes, and damn right she did. She’d proven she wasn’t a coward. She refused to allow her fears of what might happen keep her from taking this initial step outside her comfort zone.

  Take one step at a time, Susa, and breathe.

  “I’ll be very careful,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be the cause of a galactic wa
r.”

  She also didn’t want men to desire her merely because of her looks or her past, but there was nothing she could do about that. Men would think what they’d think. She didn’t have to fulfill their expectations.

  “So, other than the spa—and I am so on board with that—what else is there to do on Tooh 2?”

  The three women began to toss out suggestions as Susa re-sorted the piles they’d created. She adored her new friends—her sister-kin-of-the-heart as Mel called them—but none of them had a lick of fashion sense. Also, she refused to appear to be someone she wasn’t.

  With that bit of assertive thinking, she rescued her favorite black lace body suit, a few other pieces of sexy lingerie, and the sheer day gown from the “not going” pile and placed them on the “going” pile. There might be a man out there she wanted to impress.

  Chapter 1

  One standard week later, Tooh 2 Resort

  A gaily striped awning provided relief from the cloudless, sunny sky at the resort’s pool-side dining area. Lush plants and potted trees separated the diners from the pool deck. This was the perfect setting for Susa’s lunch date with Dr. Lia Morgan-Dakkin and her gemat Joen Dakkin, a lieutenant commander on the Alliance Starship Galanti, friends she’d met through the Caradocs. They were bringing a new acquaintance, Captain Royce Nowicki of the Alliance Starship Leonidas.

  The three had greeted her when she’d checked into the hotel the previous evening. Lia had remarked on the coincidence that they’d all scheduled into the same resort at the same time.

  Happenstance? Susa thought not. The situation smelled fishy. She deduced Mel and Wulf Caradoc had arranged for the trio’s presence while Susa waited for her transportation to Jump Station Charybdis.

  She should be affronted that Mel and her gemat had thought she needed company, well, more like bodyguards. Yes, Susa had been anxious about her first trip away from the Cejuru solar system, but she was still an intelligent adult fully capable of dealing with something as simple as a vacation. But considering all the uninvited male attention Susa had already received this morning, she was glad to have Lia and the men acting as buffers.

  Not all the male overtures had been salacious. A few of the offers had been fairly innocuous; others, over-the-top pushy. Other men had kept their distance and merely undressed her with their gazes. So far, no one had actually gotten “handsy,” but it wasn’t even midday yet.

  Susa could practically hear Mel saying, “I told you so.”

  While studying the menu, Susa sipped her wine. She’d arrived ahead of the arranged meeting time to grab a table since the concierge had advised her the pool-side restaurant was highly popular and filled up early.

  The concierge knew his business. Every table was filled. The area hummed with voices, the clinking of glasses and dishes, the more distant sound of splashing in the pool, and the buzz of insects and chirping of birds.

  “You are Prime.” The words uttered in an accented nasal voice startled her.

  Susa dropped the menu and looked up and to her right.

  A male wearing a uniform with a patch reading Umbraxi Space Service stood far too close. The background noises must’ve covered his approach.

  “Yes.” She kept her expression neutral and her tone indifferent in the hopes he’d go away.

  He didn’t. His gaze narrowed at her dismissive tone. Her empathic sense indicated he was unhappy. Tough.

  “I am Lieutenant Garr, aide to His Supreme Majesty of the Umbraxi Solar System. My liege wishes you to join him for lunch.” He placed his hand on the back of her chair as if to pull it out.

  “Stop.” Her firm tone worked. He froze in place. “Please relay my regrets.” She kept her tone polite … cool, not letting on she could read his every emotion. There was no need to embarrass him. After all, he was merely a messenger. “I’m waiting for friends.”

  The aide’s pale complexion went translucent with shock, no, with fear. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Obviously, His Supreme Majesty of Umbraxi didn’t condone failure in his minions.

  Garr looked over his shoulder at someone on the other side of the restaurant. Whatever he saw made him stiffen. He pulled out her chair with her still in it. “His Majesty will not take a refusal.” His tone and actions indicated he was indeed afraid.

  Susa shuddered as Garr’s anxiety pummeled her empathic sense. His dread was so strong; she had to put her mental shield in place to protect herself from succumbing to his emotions. Taking a calming breath, she gave him a chilly smile. “Unfortunately, he must. Please remove your hand from my chair. You don’t want to create a scene, correct?”

  Garr shook his head frantically. “No … no scene. His Majesty would be most displeased.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Susa scooted her chair back into place and picked up the menu, dismissing him with a whispered, “Good luck.”

  Grimacing, Garr inclined his head. “I will convey your regrets.” He walked away.

  Susa watched the aide slowly wind his way among the tables. He stopped at a table and addressed a man she recognized from earlier. Garr’s liege was the pushy male who’d continued following her after she’d refused his demand to go sailing with him on his private yacht. He’d only stopped his stalking after she headed for the resort’s security office. Obviously, His Supreme Majesty of the Umbraxi System was the worst kind of bastard—a persistent one.

  Sweet Blessed One, why me?

  His royal bak—motherless son of a fucked bovine—was heading this way. Garr and the other minions remained at the table. Thank the One. She should be able to handle the royal ass until help arrived. Looking around, Susa spotted no security in the area. Instead, she signaled her waiter.

  “Yes, Ms. Anghard?” The waiter bowed.

  “I may need security.” She angled her head at the pestilent male weaving his way toward her.

  The waiter turned his head slightly. A scowl curved his mouth. “Yes, you do. I will summon security at once.” He hurried off.

  His Majesty must have a bad reputation among the resort staff. Just from her brief encounter with him, she’d surmised the leader of Umbraxi system was one of those pompous males who imagined themselves as the One’s gift to all womankind.

  Most likely, his overweening self-importance was compensation for his less than impressive physical attributes. The man was shorter than her by at least a head. He was, in a word, round. His skin tones were probably normally as pale as the ice and snow that famously covered all the Umbraxi system’s planets, but were currently a fake copper achieved through chemicals. He had thin black hair styled in comb-over to disguise a bald spot. She wasn’t positive, but she’d bet he wore makeup to make his ice-blue eyes look more dramatic. His spicy cologne preceded him by several meters and irritated her nose and eyes.

  He wouldn’t be her type even if he were the last man in the galaxy.

  “Come.” The thick-headed moron held out a short-fingered hand. “You will dine with me. Afterwards, we’ll retreat to my home for sex. You will spend the night.”

  What the…? Disbelief, shock, then anger swept through her like flash fire over a dry, grassy field. Shoving away from the table, she stood and moved out of his reach. Looking down at him from her superior height, she stated, “I am leaving. When I return, I will have resort security with me. Do not be here.” She turned to leave.

  The bak cut off her retreat by moving in front of her. He grabbed one of her breasts through her swimsuit cover-up and squeezed. Wincing with pain, for a split-second, she didn’t respond. Then she inhaled sharply and slapped his hand as she backed away.

  He followed her. His voice, low and mean. “You refused my polite request—twice—to be my companion. So, now we will talk business, Prime whore. How much?”

  “What?” Susa was stunned. He couldn’t mean what she thought he meant, could he?

  “How many credits will it take to buy your services for my stay on Tooh 2?”

  He could.

  Retreat was
no longer an option. Rage roared like an animal clawing through her. This had to be what the batel rabia—battle rage—of Prime warriors and their battle-mates felt like. If she had a battle-blade, she would’ve neutered the imbecile. Nadia had been correct—sometimes saying no was not the only response. Sometimes a woman had to defend herself.

  He reached for her again.

  Lacking a blade, Susa snarled, “I am not a whore,” and used one of the moves Nadia had drilled into her during many sweaty, body-killing self-defense sessions. She thrust the heel of her hand up and into his beak-like nose. As he cried out and covered his bleeding face, she kneed him in the crotch. The pathetic worm dropped to the floor where he moaned and cursed in his language as he curled into a fetal position.

  Her honor avenged, she stooped and muttered close to his ear. “I am not for sale. No means no.”

  Susa straightened, intending to seek out security to remove the sniveling man, but stopped when she heard, “Want me to take out the trash?”

  The angry male voice came from behind her. Susa turned.

  Royce strode toward her with Joen by his side. Their faces were dark with rage. Lia, trailing behind the men, looked concerned.

  Susa gave Royce a weak smile. “Please do.” Now that help had arrived, a violent trembling shook her so hard that she swayed and her teeth chattered. Tears streamed down her face. She hated crying—it was weak. She’d bet battle-mates didn’t wobble and snivel after a fight.

  Blinking rapidly and taking deep breaths, she fought the reaction. She’d never hit anyone in anger before.

  “Shit. Hang on, Susa.” Placing himself between her and the still-moaning male on the ground, Royce gave her a quick hug, then gently shifted her to the waiting arms of Lia and Joen. “You did good, sweetie. Just hang with Lia and Joen. Have a stiff drink. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”