the planet of Nillre to welcome back their king. Only ten luxurious landing chairs filled the entire shuttle where fifty might crowd together in a military craft. After Vohne had contacted them, they couldn’t do enough. Unfortunately, Vohne had been unable to reach his brother, who’d been out when he’d called. Kres knew the lack of communication from Vohne’s brother bothered his Thresl.
Kres made sure all his buckles and snaps were fastened as he kept a wary eye on his lover. “What’s the matter?” Vohne’s pacing spiked his nerves.
“Something is wrong,” Vohne growled.
“What do you mean?”
Vohne pinned Kres with his amber gaze. “Don’t you feel it?”
“All I feel is the ship descending. You need to get strapped in,” Kres insisted. He didn’t want to see his lover bouncing around the shuttle and possibly injured.
The man-cat’s eyes widened. “We need to get you out of here.”
“What?”
Kres didn’t have time to argue or ask what the hell was going on. Vohne’s claws came out. In two swipes, he shredded Kres’ harness.
“Stop that.” Kres frowned at Vohne’s behaviour.
“No. You have to leave.” The playful man of seconds ago vanished behind the cold amber gaze.
“I am leaving—as soon as we land,” Kres replied, trying to keep his voice calm and level. He’d learnt the calmer he was, the better Vohne responded. If Kres became hysterical it would be all over.
Vohne shook his head. “This shuttle will never land.”
“What?”
Kres struggled as Vohne grabbed his arm, dragging him down the centre aisle.
“Stop it. What the fuck is going on? Stop,” Kres demanded.
His words fell on deaf ears as Vohne continued dragging Kres to the back of the ship. With his free hand, Vohne typed in a complicated code. A concealed door sprang open.
Vohne grabbed Kres’ chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. “You must survive. No matter what, don’t trust anyone. I will find you.”
“No,” Kres protested. He didn’t like where this was going. The look in Vohne’s eyes freaked him out.
“Yes.” Hard lips met his in a brutal, marking kiss. “You have been mine for centuries, and you will be mine again. Don’t lose faith.”
Running the words through his head, Kres was unprepared for the hard shove that propelled him into the escape pod. A whoosh of sound followed as the door closed behind him.
“Vohne!” Kres pounded on the door, screaming. “Vohne!”
The captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Your Highness, my radar has picked up two incoming ships. They must be your welcoming fleet.”
“Somehow I doubt it,” Vohne responded. “Fire the pod.”
Kres scrambled to find the intercom. Pressing the button, he shouted into the receiver. “Don’t you dare!”
Vohne’s order overrode his. “Fire it, Captain, or I will have you court-martialled.”
Fuck!
“Sorry, sir,” the captain said. “I have to follow orders.”
Kres understood the captain’s dilemma, but he didn’t have to like it. “If anything happens to Vohne, I will be coming for you.”
There was a long pause before the captain spoke again, “Understood, sir.”
A loud bang shook the pod. Kres thought at first it was the pod disengaging, until the captain’s voice came over the intercom.
“We’re being fired upon,” the captain said in a calm voice. “What would you like me to do, Your Highness?”
“Eject the pod, Captain,” Vohne ordered.
“Vohne!” Kres pounded on the door. He was going to kill the bastard when he got out of there.
“Pod ejecting,” a robotic voice announced.
“Travel well, my love.” Vohne’s words were followed by another explosion, then the pod broke free—but was he free because the captain had ejected the escape pod or because the ship was destroyed?
“Vohne,” Kres whispered, sinking to the floor of the shuttle. Now what was he going to do?
* * * *
Vohne let out a relieved sigh as he heard the pod disengage. Closing his eyes, he prayed
Kres made sure all his buckles and snaps were fastened as he kept a wary eye on his lover. “What’s the matter?” Vohne’s pacing spiked his nerves.
“Something is wrong,” Vohne growled.
“What do you mean?”
Vohne pinned Kres with his amber gaze. “Don’t you feel it?”
“All I feel is the ship descending. You need to get strapped in,” Kres insisted. He didn’t want to see his lover bouncing around the shuttle and possibly injured.
The man-cat’s eyes widened. “We need to get you out of here.”
“What?”
Kres didn’t have time to argue or ask what the hell was going on. Vohne’s claws came out. In two swipes, he shredded Kres’ harness.
“Stop that.” Kres frowned at Vohne’s behaviour.
“No. You have to leave.” The playful man of seconds ago vanished behind the cold amber gaze.
“I am leaving—as soon as we land,” Kres replied, trying to keep his voice calm and level. He’d learnt the calmer he was, the better Vohne responded. If Kres became hysterical it would be all over.
Vohne shook his head. “This shuttle will never land.”
“What?”
Kres struggled as Vohne grabbed his arm, dragging him down the centre aisle.
“Stop it. What the fuck is going on? Stop,” Kres demanded.
His words fell on deaf ears as Vohne continued dragging Kres to the back of the ship. With his free hand, Vohne typed in a complicated code. A concealed door sprang open.
Vohne grabbed Kres’ chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. “You must survive. No matter what, don’t trust anyone. I will find you.”
“No,” Kres protested. He didn’t like where this was going. The look in Vohne’s eyes freaked him out.
“Yes.” Hard lips met his in a brutal, marking kiss. “You have been mine for centuries, and you will be mine again. Don’t lose faith.”
Running the words through his head, Kres was unprepared for the hard shove that propelled him into the escape pod. A whoosh of sound followed as the door closed behind him.
“Vohne!” Kres pounded on the door, screaming. “Vohne!”
The captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Your Highness, my radar has picked up two incoming ships. They must be your welcoming fleet.”
“Somehow I doubt it,” Vohne responded. “Fire the pod.”
Kres scrambled to find the intercom. Pressing the button, he shouted into the receiver. “Don’t you dare!”
Vohne’s order overrode his. “Fire it, Captain, or I will have you court-martialled.”
Fuck!
“Sorry, sir,” the captain said. “I have to follow orders.”
Kres understood the captain’s dilemma, but he didn’t have to like it. “If anything happens to Vohne, I will be coming for you.”
There was a long pause before the captain spoke again, “Understood, sir.”
A loud bang shook the pod. Kres thought at first it was the pod disengaging, until the captain’s voice came over the intercom.
“We’re being fired upon,” the captain said in a calm voice. “What would you like me to do, Your Highness?”
“Eject the pod, Captain,” Vohne ordered.
“Vohne!” Kres pounded on the door. He was going to kill the bastard when he got out of there.
“Pod ejecting,” a robotic voice announced.
“Travel well, my love.” Vohne’s words were followed by another explosion, then the pod broke free—but was he free because the captain had ejected the escape pod or because the ship was destroyed?
“Vohne,” Kres whispered, sinking to the floor of the shuttle. Now what was he going to do?
* * * *
Vohne let out a relieved sigh as he heard the pod disengage. Closing his eyes, he prayed
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