“Great wedding,” Onca remarked during a lull in the conversation. “Didn’t think it would be this relaxing.”
Sara could certainly relate to that. She took a sip of her wine, trying to recall when she’d ever felt so joyous or so at peace with herself and the world. She’d never dreamed she would ever marry, let alone be as happy as she was at that moment, lounging on a blanket near the fire with Jerden spooned up behind her. She could feel his erection pressing against her backside and wondered how he could be content to simply lie there and hold her when she knew he had to be uncomfortable.
“Glad you’re having a good time.” Jerden’s purring was so soft she couldn’t even hear it, but the vibrations resonated throughout her body, sending tendrils of warmth and love curling around her heart. “We’ll have to do this again someday.”
Sara doubted that would ever happen. Not like this. People changed, paths diverged, perhaps never to cross again. Closing her eyes, she savored the moment, knowing it was one she would attempt to recall quite often in later years, and she wanted to remember every detail. The crackling fire, the still night air, the solid ground beneath her, Cria curled up beside them, surrounded by Jerden’s other assorted pets. And Jerden. Above everything else, Jerden.
Onca yawned, his catlike fangs gleaming in the firelight. “Sounds good to me.”
Hearing a sigh, Sara turned her head in the direction of the sound.
Salan was lying on a blanket in the shadows beyond the fire, and though she didn’t appear to be looking at Onca, the sigh had undoubtedly been hers. An arm was draped over her, much the way Jerden’s arm surrounded Sara. Nate had left the party earlier. Sara couldn’t imagine who it might be until he got up, motioning for Salan to follow. Sara stifled a gasp as Waroun took Salan’s hand and led her into the darkness.
Whether Jerden noticed this startling event or not wasn’t clear, but nonetheless, he seemed to take it as his cue. “Time to say good night, though. It’s been a long day.”
Jerden put his arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the house, and she caught herself thinking about that first night they’d spent together. As sick as he was, he’d been unaware of her presence. Tonight he would be more responsive, but that night had been special in its own way, for her life had undergone a significant change as a result. She could never have predicted this outcome; happily-ever-afters weren’t for the woman she’d been back then. They were for the woman she had
become
.
Having reached the porch, Jerden’s eyes glowed with golden fire as he swept her into his arms and carried her across the threshold. “I’d forgotten about this Earth custom. Something Lucy said a while ago reminded me.”
Sara slid her arms around his neck and nibbled the tip of his ear. “Oh, and what was that?”
Laughter mixed with a purr delayed his reply. “She said I’d swept you off your feet.”
“You’ve certainly done that—in more ways than this.”
“Better get used to it, Sara. This won’t be the last time.” The living room was pitch-dark, but he stepped around the furniture as easily as he would have done in daylight and carried her into the bedroom. The sheets were still rumpled from their last tryst and, thankfully, there was less clothing to remove this time. He set her down and pulled her shirt off over her head.
“You like sweeping me off my feet?”
He nodded. “I like seeing you lying naked on my bed even more.”
She slipped off her shorts. “As you wish.” Sliding to the center of the bed, she held out her arms in invitation.
“Not yet. I just want to look at you for a minute.”
“I’m surprised you can even see me, it’s so dark.”
“A Zetithian advantage, I believe. It’s almost impossible to hide anything from one of us—day or night. Even in total darkness, I can see you perfectly.” Sara shivered as his eyes swept over her body. “And you’re beautiful, Sara. Absolutely beautiful.”
Sara heard rather than saw him unbuckling his belt. “This is so unfair. You can see me all the time, but I can’t see you.”
“Watch.” A pinpoint of light appeared, growing steadily in intensity until she was able to discern a glowing orb resting in the palm of his hand. “You have Jack to thank for this one.”
“The glowstone?”
He nodded. “Very expensive and highly sensitive to thought. You have only to direct your wish for more light to the stone, and it will illuminate.” He tossed the stone onto the sheets, then let his loincloth slowly slip from his body and fall to the floor.
Softer than moonlight, the glow from the small stone caressed his skin, highlighting his broad chest and rippling muscles. His hard cock jutted from its nest of dusky curls, droplets of moisture already welling up from the serrations along the coronal ridge. He smiled, his fangs gleaming as he shook back his long dark hair like a stallion tossing his mane. Sara sucked in a breath.
“Turn around.”
His hair hung past his waist in long spirals, accentuating the width of his shoulders and drawing her eyes downward to his muscular buttocks and thighs. Sara drank in the sight of him, longing to press a kiss into each of the dimples that peeked out from beneath the tips of the curls that curtained his lower back.
“Now,
that’s
beautiful.”
He turned his head, fixing his smoky gaze on her nude form. “I’m all yours, Sara.”
“Then get in bed right this second or I’ll have to smack those hot, succulent buns.”
His purr roughened. “Promises, promises…”
Sara gave him a sultry smile. “Thought I’d forgotten you liked that, didn’t you?”
“Oh, I hope
not
…” Climbing onto the bed, he stalked back and forth like a great beast unable to decide how best to attack his prey. Then, as though he’d made his decision, he crawled up over her and rose up on his knees, his cock a breath away from her lips. “Suck me.”
Sara opened her mouth and took him in, making no protest as he threaded his fingers in her hair and began gliding his cock over her tongue. No shadow of past abuse remained to taint her enjoyment of him. He was hers to enjoy, and she would continue to discover endless ways to please and tease him.
Massaging his buttocks while he fucked her mouth, she gazed up at his blazing eyes and the blissful smile curling his lips. The view of him from that perspective was a treat too delightful to miss, yet her eyes continually squeezed shut as her body contracted in orgasm, each one following closely on the heels of another. Determined to witness his climax before the next blast of ecstasy took her, she opened her eyes wide, drew back a hand, and slapped him hard on the ass.
Instantly, his back arched and he came with a hiss, his
snard
flowing over her tongue like sweet, molten chocolate. Within seconds, heat pooled low in her back before exploding in a thousand different directions, infusing every particle of her being with joy.
Jerden barely took the time to savor his own pleasure before withdrawing from her mouth. Backing away, he buried his face in her pussy, licking her clitoris and sucking it into his mouth. The onslaught of delightful sensations forced a cry from her throat, and she fisted her hands in his hair, refusing to let him go. She was already screaming his name as he sucked her to yet another piercing climax, one that turned her body into a quivering mass of ecstasy and threatened to rip her soul into shreds.
***
Sara’s scent had kept him aroused all evening, but even after coming harder than ever before, Jerden was still drowning in it. “I can’t believe what you’re doing to me, Sara. Your scent… it’s different… more intense, more… I don’t know what, but it’s incredible.”
“Remember what Lucy told Onca? That the scent of his pregnant mate would drive him wild?”
Jerden nodded, surprised he could even move his head. “That must be it. I’ve never been with a pregnant woman before. I had no idea. You’ve only been pregnant for a few hours and I already feel like a stag in rut.”
“No complaints here.”
He leaned down and kissed her, letting his tongue glide in and out of her mouth until his dick hurt so badly he couldn’t stand it anymore. He rubbed the head against her wet entrance. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.
With one quick thrust, he sheathed himself in her warmth. The act of penetration had always felt fabulous, but this time, it felt as though his freezing body had suddenly been plunged into a steaming hot bath. The heat touched off a chain reaction, sending more blood rushing to his swollen cock, driving it in deeper, making it swim circles inside her, thrumming with each pulsing beat of his heart. “Ohhh…”
“Good?”
“Simply the best.” That wasn’t a line, either. He meant every word of it. She was the best, the only, the one. “I love you so much.”
“I know the feeling. Love you dearly.” She cupped his cheek in her palm, and he leaned into her touch as though drawing life from it. Perhaps he was. She
was
life; the mother of his children and the source of all joy. Control shattered, leaving him helpless to withstand the force that drew him into her. As his muscles contracted, sending jets of semen coursing through his cock and into her waiting body, life seemed to unfold within the depths of her eyes.
Scenes shifted and flickered as he watched—laughing children, dancing horses, sparkling sunshine, driving rain—it was all right there, shining forth from the eyes of the one he loved without limit. And through it all, Sara was there to share it with him—eternally beautiful, joyously loving, and forever by his side.
A knock at the front door startled Sara awake. She barely had time to throw on a robe when Jack stormed inside, her jaw set and her eyes aflame.
“I had Larry do some digging to see what he could find out about Chantal. I’m surprised no one tried to contact you, Jerden—or maybe they
did
try and couldn’t find you. Either way, they could’ve at least told Onca.” She snorted in disgust. “Fuckin’ idiots! Anyway, the story is a little vague. It seems that Chantal and another female patient escaped together recently, but one of them died in the attempt. At least, they
think
she died. The guard was sure he shot one of them but they never found a body.”
Sara’s eyes met Jerden’s. “So the woman you saw in the square
could
have been Chantal.”
“What woman?” Jack demanded. “Are you saying she’s here on Terra Minor?”
“I don’t know,” Jerden replied. “I saw a woman in the square when we were in town not long ago. I could’ve sworn it was Chantal, but then, that was part of the reason I was living out here all alone to begin with. I saw Chantal’s or Audrey’s face on every woman I saw.” His smile was fleeting but sheepish. “I went kinda nuts after all that, you know.”
“Not surprising,” Jack said. “But you’re in much better shape now. How long ago did you see her?”
“I don’t know, three weeks, maybe four?” Jerden said. “It was before you all got here, and before the stallion got sick.”
Jack nodded. “Recently, then. Seems Chantal went even more berserk than usual a few weeks ago and killed two of the staff, then escaped, which is why the guards were taking potshots at her. The other woman appears to have taken advantage of all the excitement and slipped out at the same time.”
“Even so, she couldn’t have gotten here that fast,” Sara exclaimed. “Could she?”
Jack gave her a tight smile. “Not unless she had help.”
Sara’s jaw dropped at the thought of what this implied. Jerden looked completely bewildered. “But who would
do
that?”
“I dunno,” Jack said. “You tell me.”
Sara sifted through the details but was unable to imagine how helping Chantal land on Terra Minor would have been in Nate’s best interest or anyone else’s. Nate may have seen Jerden as a rival, but bringing Chantal into the picture would be more likely to get
Sara
killed than to eliminate any threat from Jerden. It wasn’t as though Jerden
wanted
Chantal. Still, if Jerden thought Sara was in danger, he might’ve withdrawn his proposal.
No. An escaped murderess could be dealt with in other ways. Chantal would be recaptured, and Sara and Jerden would still be together. Nate couldn’t possibly benefit.
“There’s something here we’re not seeing,” Jerden said slowly. “That is, if there’s anything to see. I can’t believe anyone would help Chantal come here. There’s simply no reason for it.”
His words were an echo of Sara’s own thoughts. There had to be another explanation. “Maybe she paid off someone or arranged this in advance.”
“But she was
insane
,” Jerden insisted. “No one in their right mind would have—” He broke off there, barking out a laugh. “I see your point. No one in their right mind would’ve done
any
of this. She might have an accomplice who’s even nuttier than she is.”
Nate had his faults, but Sara didn’t think insanity was one of them.
“I’ll check with the guys in immigration,” Jack said. “If there’ve been any Davordian immigrants recently, they’ll know. Though she
could
be here illegally.”
“Which is even scarier,” Sara said. “She could be anywhere. No implant, no way to track her…”
“But
very
tough to do,” Jack said. “I wouldn’t even
attempt
to land here without authorization, and I’ve snuck onto lots of planets in my time.” She sighed. “Nothing you can do but keep your eyes peeled and be careful. We’ll be outta here after breakfast. Dax is leaving this morning too.”
Sara would’ve felt much more at ease with all of their friends nearby, but without solid proof of any danger, there was no reason for them to stay.
She and Jerden dressed quickly and went out to say good-bye to their guests. Sara knew she probably wouldn’t see her parents again in years, possibly never, and their farewells were even more tearful than when Sara had left Earth.
She’d only been gone from her own home for a few days, but it seemed strange to simply go back to life as usual. So much had happened in that short time. She and Jerden were married and expecting their first litter—thankfully, Bonnie would still be available for advice on caring for triplets—and Sara now had access to Jerden’s fortune. Even so, she would go home and fix breakfast for the crew, feed the dogs and cats, water and prune her roses, and then head out to the barn, just as she had done every morning before she and Jerden ever met.
The only difference was, she would no longer be doing all of it alone.
***
Reutal’s eyes danced with excitement as he took his seat at the breakfast table. “You gotta tell me all the details, Sara. I still can’t believe it.”
If he wanted details of her wedding night, he was in for a big disappointment. Sara wasn’t sharing
that
with anyone. She handed him a plate of pancakes. “Believe what?”
“Salan and Waroun! They were awfully chummy at the wedding.” Reutal pressed his fingertips together and then popped them apart with gusto before dousing his pancakes with syrup.
“Well, I did see them go off together last night,” Sara said. She glanced at Jerden, who threw up his hands.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything about it—though, come to think of it, she
was
still there this morning.”
“Ah ha! So they
did
spend the night together. I knew it!” Reutal waggled his eyebrows. “Did you see her doing any kissy-face stuff with Waroun?”
Jerden frowned. “Not that I recall, but then, I wasn’t paying much attention to them.”
Sara’s hands shook as she dished up Jerden’s breakfast. “After the bomb Jack dropped on us this morning, I’ll admit, I wasn’t giving them much thought, either.”
“Bomb?” Zatlen echoed. “What bomb?”
“Apparently Chantal Benzowitz—the woman who killed Jerden’s—” Sara stopped, unsure how to refer to her.
“Fluffer,” Drania said. “We know all about that part. What about Chantal?”
Sara set Jerden’s plate down in front of him, then recounted the details of Chantal’s escape. “We doubt the woman Jerden saw was Chantal. It was probably just someone who looked like her.”
Drania’s long pink ears twitched. “That still has to make you a little antsy, though.”
Actually, Sara was perilously close to being terrified, but she did her best to put those thoughts aside. “Jack said the Trackers promised to check up on all the recent immigrants, but if she’s here illegally, they may never find her.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious,” Zatlen said. He took a big bite of his pancakes and chewed blissfully, swallowing before he spoke again. “Davordian woman, right?”
Jerden nodded. “Long dark hair, rather pretty—or she would be if her eyes weren’t so crazy-looking.”
Zatlen kept his gaze focused on his food. “One of your clients, I take it.”
Jerden hesitated for a moment. “Yes, she was.”
Zatlen’s comment was one that Sara had never even considered, and this was clearly something Jerden didn’t care to admit. Of course she’d been a client. How else could she have developed such an obsession? Still, the thought of Jerden having sex with her was disturbing.
She gave herself a mental shake. Jerden’s past was just that. His
past
. She couldn’t hold it against him anymore than he could blame her for her previous experiences. Chantal was similar to the nutso girlfriends that lots of men told stories about—some of them as murderous as Chantal. The fact that she’d been a paying customer shouldn’t matter.
“Too bad you only screened clients for physical, rather than mental illnesses,” Zatlen said. “Might’ve saved a lot of grief for everyone involved.”
“That wasn’t a concern at the time,” Jerden said. “Besides, I don’t think they’ve invented that kind of scanner yet.”
“Hindsight is always sharper than foresight.” Drania reached out a long arm and patted Jerden’s hand. “Nobody can blame you for what someone else did.”
Jerden smiled his thanks and began eating his breakfast, though with slightly less enthusiasm than usual. Sara knew Audrey’s murder still bothered him. He wasn’t the kind of man who could simply shrug off her death as part of the price of doing business. Jerden had a kind heart and a conscience. Sara couldn’t have loved a man with anything less.
***
Sara was saddling up for their ride when Jerden spotted her holster. “Better let me carry that.”
“Are you kidding me? Look, I know we’re only going for a ride on our own property, but you heard what Jack said. If I let anything happen to you, she’ll—well, I’m not sure
what
she’ll do to me, but I have no intention of ever finding out—aside from the fact that losing you would—” She broke off there, choking on words left unsaid.
Jerden pulled her into his arms. There were some things he didn’t want her to have to worry about. His personal safety was one of them. “Jack’s a little on the paranoid side—and she had good reason to be at one time. But there isn’t a bounty on Zetithians anymore. No reason for anyone to kill any of us, let alone risk coming here to do it. I’m more concerned with
your
safety. The way I see it, you need protection far more than I do. If anyone is going to carry that pistol, it should be me.”
“I’m beginning to wish she’d given us two of them.” She pressed her forehead against his chest. “Maybe we should just stay home.”
“No. We can’t allow fear to disrupt our lives, Sara. Particularly when those fears are probably groundless.”
She shuddered. “The whole thing still gives me the willies though, and Jack seemed very concerned.”
“Yes, but remember, there’ve been no reports of Chantal attempting to slip through the immigration barriers. True, she could have landed illegally, but that’s highly unlikely.”
“What about that woman you saw in the square? Are you saying she was just a figment of your imagination?”
“Possibly, or you might have been right in that she only resembled Chantal.”
She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. “I can’t help thinking it really
was
Chantal. Bribes have worked before, and Bonnie’s ex-husband is a perfect example of how the system can be manipulated. He faked his ID. Chantal could have done the same.”
“Maybe, but I doubt she has the connections to pull off something like that.”
Sara took a deep breath. “But what if she
did
have help? What then?”
“I think we’re putting too much emphasis on things that
could
be rather than focusing on the facts. Chances are, she never made it off Rhylos.”
Sara still seemed doubtful. “You know what that planet is like. She could have stowed away on a hundred different starships. We have no idea what her state of mind is now. She might have escaped, intending to kill you for betraying her.”
“I didn’t betray her, Sara.”
“I know that and you know that, but does
she
? Look, Jack may be overly suspicious, but her vigilance kept Cat alive even when that bounty was still being paid. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Neither am I.” Jerden smiled and held out his hand. “I promise I’ll buy you a fancy new pistol just as soon as I get the chance, but right now, your safety is of more concern than mine.” When she didn’t hand over the pistol, he gave her a wink. “Don’t make me fight you for it.”
That at least drew a smile from her. “Think you could take me?”
“Probably, but I’d rather not have to prove it.”
“Okay, but I’m keeping the comlink.” Shaking her head, she unbuckled the holster and handed it over. “You’d better be right about this. If anything happens to you, I’m dead meat anyway. Jack’ll kill me.”
“I doubt that. Remember, you’re carrying three unborn Zetithians.”
“Yeah, she’ll let me live long enough to give birth to them, and
then
she’ll kill me.”
***
Sara hadn’t been to the eastern border of her land since the oats had been planted. With the onset of the dry season, the harvest was about a month away and the stalks were already turning brown. They skirted the edge of the fields, Sara mounted on Yusuf and Jerden riding Danuban for the first time since his illness. Jerden had been reluctant to ride him, but Sara felt that the exercise would do him good. As always, Cria followed Jerden like a shadow.
The stallion seemed happy to be out of his paddock and probably would’ve unseated a lesser rider. Jerden rode out his high jinks without difficulty, and he soon settled down enough that Sara could ride alongside them.
“Not bad for a horse that was near death such a short time ago,” she remarked.
“He doesn’t feel any different to me, either. Seems as strong as ever.”
“I hope you’re right. You wouldn’t believe how much money I have invested in him.” Then she recalled the Friesian he’d bought. “Well, maybe you would, at that.”
As they approached the dry creek bed, Sara let out a groan. “Son of a bitch! Should’ve known there’d be a ton of that weed growing back here.” The juluva wasn’t in bloom, but the grayish foliage was easy to spot. “I never thought to look for it here.”
“Seeing as how your pastures are nowhere close, Danuban is the only one who could’ve gotten to it, so it probably wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“Not unless it seeded into my oat fields.” She eyed the noxious plants with distaste. “I’ve never used an herbicide before—the regulations are incredibly tough—but this time I may have to.”
She was staring at the weeds—actually considering setting fire to them once her grain was harvested—when Cria let out a snarl. Sara glanced up just as Danuban tossed his head and leaped sideways out from under Jerden. Her startled cry echoing across the field, Sara stared openmouthed as Jerden flew through the air to land heavily on the rocks below.