“They haven’t been sadists,” Piper says softly. Her long legs eat up the ground, willowy and strong like some kind of surfer model. She’s always been sweeter than the rest of us. “The Roth that invaded Earth were, sure, but the ones in the prison weren’t…”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I explode. “They pumped us full of drugs so we could be bred. That’s horrible.”

“Don’t yell at her,” Billie says, shooting me a glare.

“I just meant they didn’t hurt us on purpose or for fun. And the three Roth brothers…” Piper says, her light blue eyes fixed at some point in the distance. “The Roth brothers have been kind. Nydo, maybe not as much. But the other two aren’t bad.”

I hadn’t realized she’d been talking to them.

“You really believe that he’ll get us back to Earth?” Billie asks quietly.

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I don’t know. I know he needs us. But no, I don’t see him letting the three of us go.”

“Then we don’t leave—” Billie starts.

“But we don’t stand a chance of getting off this stupid planet at all without their help. So… maybe we take the deal. Leave. Get off Sueva. And then try as hard as we can to get back to Earth. The Suevans would keep us here and marry us off as soon as we’re willing, anyway,” I grumble.

“It’s not so bad here,” Piper murmurs.

“I want to go home,” I tell her.

“I do too,” Billie agrees. “So we take our chances? Pretend to be mates or wives or whatever the fuck theses aliens call it and then get gone as soon as we can?”

“If that’s what you want.” I’m not going to decide for them.

“And you don’t think they’ll hurt us?” Piper asks. Of the three of us, she’s the softest, despite towering over Billie and me by about half a foot. All willowy grace and kindness, like some kind of Disney princess stuck in the worst fairytale ever.

I sigh. “I don’t think so. Nydo can be… scary. But…”

“You don’t think he’ll really hurt you,” Billie finishes.

“Ugh.” I stare at the wispy clouds in the clear blue sky, the Suevan asteroid belt unsettlingly close above. “I do. I don’t think he’ll fuck with me.”

“I think he would absolutely fuck with you,” Billie says slowly.

“Billie!” Piper laughs, a musical sound I’ve heard too little of lately.

I scowl at her. “I think he’s committed to pretending I’m his mate to get what he wants. I think he knows he needs me somewhat willing to go along with his scheme.”

“Maybe,” Piper says.

“We have less than an hour to decide, pack, and get there. I’m not going to try to convince you either way.” My shoulder lifts, and a jewel-toned bird soars overhead.

“But you’re going.” Piper runs her fingers through her long blonde hair. “With or without us?”

I nod. “I want to go home.” Even if the way there is paved with shitty Roth intentions.

I’m smart.

I’ve been on my own for a long time.

I will figure it out.

Billie exhales noisily, a hand on the curve of her hip as we finally round the corner to the freaky tree house we share with the other single human women. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” Piper agrees easily.

I hug them both to me, my heart squeezing with affection. “Thank you,” I say softly.

I hope I haven’t ruined all of our lives.

I finish scrawling out the note, then pin it to the front door. I could have sent a comm, but I don’t really feel like dealing with tech at the moment. The note feels more surreptitious, and leaving sneakily seems like the best option.

Billie and Piper stand directly behind me, each with a small pack on their shoulders.

We’re leaving Sueva, leaving our home for the last week or so, and it’s a mark of exactly how little we have. Only enough to fill a small pack. Toiletries in mine, some underwear and a soft shirt I like to sleep in. That’s it.

That’s all I have, that and the clothes on my back. Piper and Billie haven’t been in a hurry to adopt the weird, flowy garments the other women wear, either. The other women have been kind and good to us, and I think we could have been friends, if only I’d tried.

The thought makes a lump form in my throat and I inhale, trying to push it down.

“You don’t have to come with—”

“Shut up,” Billie interrupts, nudging my arm with her elbow. “Let’s get out of here. To new adventures,” she says, her brown eyes glittering.

“To new adventures,” Piper echoes, like we’re making a toast and not running away.

I can’t bring myself to say it. I just nod once.

The whole way to the hangar, we’re silent.

Are they thinking the same thing I am? That this might be a huge fucking mistake? Are they mad at me for involving them?

When we finally arrive at the furthest hangar, the three Roth males are waiting outside the spaceship, a mixture of surprise and relief on their faces.

Light licks across Nydo’s hair, and my gaze is immediately drawn to him. Energy seems to pulse from him, the air sparking between the three brothers, who watch us like cats might track mice from a distance.

“It’s not too late to turn back,” I tell Billie and Piper quietly.

“And what, let my hair frizz in this gross humidity every day?” Billie says, but there’s a little quake to her voice.

“I want to go home too, Leigh,” Piper says, her voice low. “I don’t belong here.”

Right.

I straighten my shoulders and pick up the pace. We’re in it now.

“You made the right decision,” Nydo says. He’s not exactly gleeful, but there’s something so smug about him that I immediately want to kick him in the nuts. “We have a small window to leave.”

He takes the tiny pack from my shoulder, and his expression immediately goes black.

“Where’s the rest?” he asks.

I glare at him. “Very funny,” I say, acid in my tone. “Like we have lots of stuff after being abducted.”

“We travel light,” Billie chimes in.

The biggest of the three, the silent middle brother—Lyko, I think his name is—takes Piper’s pack.

The younger brother, who is likewise huge and intimidating, helps Billie with hers, and the males share a look.

“Let’s get spaceside,” Nydo says shortly.

“Then we aim for Earth,” I say, trying to joke.

“Oh no. No, my mate,” Nydo tells me, eyes flashing orange. “You have much work to do before we take you back to that slum of a planet.”

“Don’t call me that,” I hiss at him. Billie and Piper and the brothers disappear into the ship, and it’s just Nydo and I standing outside, glaring at each other. “What are you trying to prove? It’s pretend.”

He steps closer, forcing me back into the railing.

Both of his arms grip the rail on either side of me, and I am all too aware of his honed weapon of a body. A delicious smell wafts from him, like campfire and spice, and it catches me by surprise, inhaling deeply.

“I will call you my mate whenever I want,” Nydo says, challenge gleaming in his eyes. “Mate.”

“You won’t,” I say. I am not about to let the fucker intimidate me. “You will call me by my name. Nothing else. And not mate.”

“I will call you what I wish, mate.”

Ugh! I grit my teeth, annoyed, irritated, and…

He blinks slowly, and when his eyes open again, they burn pure orange. I bite my lip.

I’m not afraid.

I’m aroused.

Again! Goddammit, I should have taken care of that little problem before I got here. A ten-minute break with my fingers would have maybe taken the edge off.

A slow smile tugs up the corner of his mouth.

“You like it when I call you that,” he says, his voice a rough rasp. “Deny it all you want, little liar, but I see you. I scent you.”

A shiver runs down my spine. “Whatever, you weirdo.” I push a hand against his chest, trying to slip away from him.

It’s like pushing against a brick wall. A toned, warm, muscled, delicious brick wall.