“What I feel,” I finally answer, “is that I would like to go on a murder spree against the Roth,” I finish cheerily.

She squints at me. “Was that a joke?”

“Yep,” I lie, jumping off the table. “If that’s all, I have some very important things to do.”

Like plot my escape from Sueva.

Like plan an attack on the Roth.

Like take a nap after masturbating furiously because neither of those things are real options.

Carmen sighs, one eyebrow raised. I mirror her expression, crossing my arms over my chest. As far as I know, the doc has problems too, married off against her will to some Suevan that can’t even be bothered to see her. Ever.

I don’t hear her opening up about it!

“Okay, send in…” She scrolls through her Suevan tablet. “Piper.”

“You got it, doc,” I say.

I never thought I’d miss taking orders.

But it beats the hell out of what I’ve been doing since we were all captured by the Roth, our male crew members murdered. Kept in captivity. Pumped full of fertility drugs. Then rescued. My teeth grind together, and I push the memory of a certain Roth out of my head.

The three of us who chose to come to Sueva have been sitting around ever since, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Wishing we were home. Feeling weird about all the unmarried male Suevans staring at us like we’re their favorite meal.

And in my case, the light stalking Nydo—apparent lost King of Roth—has been doing. He’s only too happy to remind me that he saved me. That he is responsible for my “freedom.”

Fuckface.

My Suevan slippers are silent on the floor as I walk through the hall to the small room Piper and Billie sit in. Piper’s legs are tucked up underneath her, and she’s grinning at Billie, whose shorter legs are swinging off the ground.

“How’d it go?” Billie asks, their conversation cutting off as soon as I walk in.

“Still super horny.” I show her the patch on my arm. “But now I can get laid without getting pregnant. Woohoo,” I deadpan.

Billie snorts, but Piper blinks at me, her sweet, innocent face clearly having trouble processing that idea. “With the Roth alien who follows you around? The one who freed us? Nydo? You’re going to give him a chance?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” I say. “I was joking, Pipes.”

“Oh,” she says softly. “You had me worried. He looks at you like you’re a piece of meat.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” I say sarcastically, and Billie huffs a laugh. “No, the only thing I want to do with that motherfucker is put him in a chokehold and watch the light die in his eyes. King of Roth my ass. Or,” I pause, picking up steam, “I could slit his throat while he sleeps, and watch the sheets turn red around him.” A savage intensity fills me, and it takes me a minute to notice that Piper and Billie have both gone completely still. “Or push him under water and wait until there aren’t any more bubbles…” I trail off.

“Er,” Piper says, her clear blue eyes wide. She pushes her cornsilk-blonde hair behind her ears, her gaze fixed behind me.

“What?” I ask. “Too violent? Should I just poison him?” I try to laugh, but I choke on it a little.

Billie clears her throat, her face twisted in a grimace as she jerks her head at something behind me.

Or someone.

My entire body flames as I slowly turn towards where they’re both staring.

“Do not stop on my account. I love hearing how bloodthirsty you are. It is darling to hear the many ways you fantasize about me,” Nydo says. “I am glad to know that you spend as much time daydreaming about what you want to do with my body as I do about yours.”

Fuck. Me.

“We’re just going to go,” Billie says, dragging Piper behind her towards the examination room.

“Traitors,” I say after them.

But a door closes in the distance, and I’m left standing with Nydo.

The object of all my murderous desires.

Of course he had to twist it around to something sexual. Of course he did.

I stare at him for a minute, trying to collect my stupid thoughts, because now I’m thinking about sex again. He doesn’t even seem offended. His annoyingly handsome face is turned up in a grin, highlighting his strong jaw and cut cheekbones. His gaze drops to my lips as I lick them, my mouth suddenly dry.

“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” I finally say, because goddammit, I have to say something. The tension is quite literally unbearable, and the air crackles with dry heat.

He steps closer to me, and I make myself go loose as he circles me like a predator.

I will not let this jerk intimidate me.

I am done with being afraid of the Roth.

“Do you really care that I heard you enumerate all the ways you want to kill me?”

“No,” I say instantly.

He barks a laugh, as though me wanting him dead is the funniest thing he’s ever heard in his life. “I like your honesty.”

“Well, I don’t like anything about you at all, so go away. I have places to be.”

He finishes his slow walk around me, his eyes filled with an orange glow. “You do?”

“Yep. Bye.”

“You’re a liar,” Nydo says, tilting his head, all predator.

My entire body sizzles with awareness. “What, like you have places to be?” I sneer at him, rage and helplessness making me meaner than a snake. “You’re here hiding out on Sueva because you’re just as scared of the Overlord as the rest of us.”

He smiles slowly, dangerously, and I can’t help but think that I’ve just said something very, very wrong.

“Is that what you think?” he asks, his voice a soft caress against my senses.

I clear my throat and stand up even straighter.

His gaze flicks to my breasts, and I resist the urge to slump and cover them up. For crying out loud. It’s not like I’m even wearing something sexy. I’m in my nasty, ratty Federation uniform. I can’t stand the frilly nonsense the women here wear, and I would rather wear my old fatigues then squeeze myself into the skintight training gear that’s the other option.

“Are you here for a reason, like to get your big head checked out, or are you here just to annoy me?” The question comes out much bolder than I feel.

My skin tingles from his proximity, his strange velvety grey skin shedding heat like a bonfire.

“Have you been thinking about my… big head, then?” His smile is lascivious, and I ignore the way my entire body tightens at the sexual tone.

“Fuck you,” I retort. Brilliant comeback.

“I would like that very, very, very much.” Nydo steps even closer, his eyes nearly glowing full orange now. The tips of his hair spark too, and I swallow hard.

It should freak me the fuck out, the way he turns to flames. The power that apparently just hangs out under his skin, the inferno inside that muscled body, the way the whorled pattern moves when he starts to ignite.

But it’s fascinating, the way a leopard’s spots are stunningly beautiful.

He’s a killer.

“Not gonna happen.” It comes out wispy, and I blink in shame and surprise.

“I may not have the senses of our Suevan friends, but I can smell your arousal,” he purrs, his nostrils flaring. “And I have a proposal for you.”

“Whatever it is, the answer is absolutely not. No. And don’t sniff me,” I nearly shout, my temper really getting the best of me. As usual. “You weirdo. The only reason I smell like that,” I stab him in the chest with my finger, and his smile only gets wider—“is because your asshole species pumped me full of drugs to make me aroused like, all the goddamn time, and it doesn’t even matter how many times I touch myself because nothing takes the edge off!”

Er.

I blink. I so did not just admit to that, did I? Shit.

He blinks, then smiles at me, the cat who caught the canary.

“Is that right?”

“Leave me alone,” I snarl and push past him, head held high despite the fact I just made a complete fool of myself.