“When we get you back to the ship, me unum, Coil and I are going to mate you fully and make sure we are well and truly yours.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it.” Crimson smiled.

  Once more Teclis lowered Crimson to the floor. He hated seeing his little spark standing before him looking similar to when he’d pulled her from the sea and knowing full well she was heading back into the same situation she’d escaped from. He couldn’t wait for Hover’s work to be undone.

  Crimson also once again wore her wedding ring, another thing that Teclis wanted to rectify. He’d already quietly spoken to Coil while Hover was adding Crimson’s fake bruises, and they had an idea they thought their little spark might like.

  Teclis picked up a green top that Crimson had changed into before coming to the medical bay and passed it to her. She pulled it over her head, covering up the multitude of fake bruises. Then she pulled the pair of jeans on along with a simple pair of slip-on shoes. Once she was fully dressed, Coil held out his hand to her, and Teclis followed suit. Crimson accepted both and smiled up at them. She suddenly looked so small and tiny that it made Teclis wonder how they all fit together.

  “Let’s get this over with,” she said.

  With a heavy heart that made Teclis feel like he was leading a female to her death, the three of them walked out of the medical bay with Hover following. When Hover had been told of Crimson’s plan he had looked so mad Teclis thought he was going to blast everyone in the room with streams of angry energy. Hover went as far as to refuse to follow their captain’s orders until eventually Trian agreed that Hover could be close by with Teclis and Coil in case Crimson needed urgent medical attention.

  Eventually the small group reached one of the Gemorph’s pods where Amelia, Trian, and Iryano were waiting. Teclis didn’t miss the fact Amelia’s eyes were red-rimmed as if she’d been crying. The captain looked miserable as he stood by her side.

  “Shit!” Amelia exclaimed, her eyes widening. “You look like you’ve gone a round with Mike Tyson.”

  “Don’t I?” Crimson chuckled. “I’m just glad none of it hurts.”

  “Oh God. You don’t have to do this, Crimson,” Amelia said, breaking into tears. “He’s going to hurt you.”

  Crimson released both Teclis and Coil’s hands and rushed to hug the captain’s spark. After a few short moments Crimson pulled away. “I have to, and with Hover coming with us…” She shrugged. “It won’t hurt for long.”

  Teclis hadn’t realized he’d stepped forward until Coil grabbed his arm. For the first time since meeting his lover, Teclis wanted to rip his friend to pieces.

  “I don’t like it either. But she has her mind set on the idea,” Coil whispered in Tec’s ear. “We will be there to help her.” Coil’s burgundy eyes flashed with pain and heartache.

  Teclis nodded, hating the way today was going.

  “The cameras are ready. We’ve managed to get quite a few on his ship,” Trian said. “We have also made sure his engines will break down not far from the island. I’m not sure how long you will have on the boat, Crimson, but if you were my mate, not long at all. Remember to press your comm and your mates will be there faster than you can say help.”

  “Thank you. I really do appreciate you allowing me to do this. I know it is hard for all.”

  “Not as hard as it will be for you. I’m pretty sure about that. Now, if you will excuse me and my spark, we will be heading to the bridge.”

  Amelia stepped forward and gave Crimson a tight hug before pulling away and wiping her face. “You better be back here soon. I want to hear about all the places you’ll be going.” Amelia smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Come, me unum, let us go watch on the bridge.”

  Amelia and Crimson hugged once more before the captain and his spark walked out of the hanger.

  “When I go, I’m going to bring you something back from each place. You and Trian will need bigger quarters to put them all in,” Crimson shouted after Amelia and then chuckled.

  Iryano stepped forward and bowed slightly, his eyes never leaving Crimson. “We will be watching, Crimson. I think you are a very brave female to be doing this.”

  “Thank you.”

  Crimson reached out toward Teclis, her hand seeking his. Obliging, he reached over and grasped hers and squeezed it reassuringly. He watched as she did the same toward Coil as well.

  “I will take my leave, but I have to say one last thing. Before you step onto that boat, or allow that male to know you are alive, we can do this some other way,” Iryano said.

  Crimson nodded but didn’t say anything.

  Iryano sighed as if accepting the inevitable. “We will be watching, but if for any reason you want us to help sooner rather than later, or if you change your mind before Luke does anything, press your comm or cry for help. We will be there in a flash.”

  Again, Crimson nodded. Iryano stood tall and gave both Tec and Coil a look of pity before zapping from the hanger.

  “Let’s go, warriors,” Hover said and walked into the pod.

  Teclis suddenly found his feet didn’t want to move. He stood frozen, staring at the small pod, willing it away with only him, and not his mate, inside it. He was a warrior, a security officer aboard one of the biggest ships in the Gracian fleet, and here he was scared to step inside of a pod with his spark.

  “I’ll be okay, Teclis. Do you know why?” Crimson must have released Coil’s hand because she was facing him and both of her hands wrapped around his waist in a tight hug.

  Everything inside of Tec screamed to scoop her up and zap them back to their cabin. If she was unaware or sick because of the zap, as many of the other human females tended to get, then so be it. She couldn’t go anyway if she were sick, right?

  Instead, he said, “No, why?”

  “Because I know you and Coil will be close by, and once this is all over and Luke is dealt with, I will be free to do as I please.”

  “But you are now,” Teclis said, trying to urge Crimson to see that he and Coil could look after her and keep her safe, no matter what came along. He didn’t think she knew just how special she was.

  “In theory maybe. But in my mind, I’ll always be looking behind me. Always be on alert in case someone recognizes me. Yes, I might be overthinking all of this.” Crimson gazed up at him with her big, beautiful, green eyes, her red hair cascading down her back. “Luke might just report me missing, overboard at sea, and nothing happens. But I can’t take that risk. What if he was to marry again? What of the women he could abuse in the future? Please, Teclis. Please be there for me to do this.”

  The pleading look in his little spark’s eyes was tearing his heart apart bit by bit. He scooped Crimson up and carried her to the pod. If this was what she wanted, he would oblige…just this once.

  “Promise me,” he urged as he stepped into the pod. “Never again will you place yourself in danger intentionally.” He sat down on one of the eight seats inside with Crimson on his knee and waited while Coil closed the door and initiated the engines.

  “I can’t promise.” Crimson grinned a little. “But I can try.”

  “That’s good enough for me.” He leaned forward and took his little spark’s lips with his, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and entwining it with hers.

  Crimson looked up at him and cupped his face. Coil came to sit beside them and placed a hand on both of them.

  “This morning I wasn’t so sure about you guys. I closed my heart off to you both and wanted to be left alone. I didn’t think I deserved you two. The thought of being married and cheating on my vows seemed so wrong. And yet, it was as if fate intervened when the pain struck and Hover announced that we needed to be together again. Never in the whole time I was with Luke, not even in the beginning, did he ever treat me as well as you two have.”

  Teclis growled at the mention of the male that hurt his spark for so long. Coil echoed his rumble.

  “I barely know you guys, and yet, I feel so strongly that you are…” Tears welled in her beautiful, green eyes. “The ones,” she said finally. “My alien warriors. Who would have thunk it?” She giggled.

  “We would never intentionally harm you, Crimson.” Coil raised a hand and stroked a finger over her cheek. “We might inadvertently say or do something wrong occasionally, but then we can’t always be perfect.” Coil winked and grinned, causing Crimson to chuckle. “We are fated, my little spark. The ones who will try to give you everything you wish,” he said, cocking his head to the side before lowering it and placing a long, slow kiss on her lips.

  Watching the pair together had Teclis’s shaft growing hard and beginning to ache. He heard Crimson’s small moan, which made him shift a little, trying to adjust his erection in his uniform.

  Hover cleared his throat. “Warriors, please put your spark down. We are entering Earth’s atmosphere.”

  With a final peck to Crimson’s swollen, pink lips, Teclis passed her over to Coil and aided Hover in piloting the pod.

  * * * *

  The house—no, mansion—on the island was frigging massive. Crimson stood in awe, staring around her. Even with about twenty-odd, huge Gracian warriors standing around her in the hallway, it still looked enormous.

  “Sharan and Jikel will be accompanying you to the jetty,” Teclis said beside her, still holding her hand, along with Coil holding her other one. The only time they’d released her since landing the pod was when she was introduced to Sharan and she’d been pulled into a hug by the woman.

  Crimson had seen some of the looks the other warriors shared when Teclis and Coil had introduced her as their spark. Shock, awe, surprise. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was so tiny compared to the tall men standing beside her, or the fact that they were a trio, something Amelia had said wasn’t the norm.

  “Okay.” Crimson nodded, feeling sick. Teclis, Coil, Hover, Trian, and Amelia, even Iryano had all told her she didn’t have to do this, but in her mind, it would put a stop to something that needed an ending. “We have gone through this, Tec,” she said, looking up at him. “If for some reason I am unable to press my comm, you will be watching and come to help. Sharan will be with you. With your technology your pod will appear to look like a small boat to human eyes. Once the police are called and they arrive, Sharan will do the talking, explaining she and her staff heard my cries and came to help me. The footage of whatever happens will be found on the newly installed security equipment on his ship that will be put there before the police turn up, etcetera, etcetera. Everything has been covered, even down to the new comm device where I can hear you and no one else can.”

  “But—”

  “No, you’re stalling.” Crimson shook her head. She didn’t want to wait any longer. She knew what Teclis was doing. If he postponed her much longer, she might not go through with it. She felt sick to her stomach, and she was glad she hadn’t eaten before coming, because there was no way she could have kept anything down.

  Pulling her hands out of her warriors’, she tugged on Teclis’s uniform jacket and pulled him down to her level to kiss him. Turning around, she did the same to Coil.

  “Go get into the pod with Hover and wait,” she said.

  Crimson took a step back, and with one last glance—which she hoped wouldn’t truly be her last one—she looked over both of her warriors, from top to bottom, memorizing all she could before turning around and walking toward Jikel and Sharan. She nodded to them both and stepped outside into the beaming sunshine.

  Even with the warmth of the sun over her, she felt chilled to the bone as the three of them walked toward the pier where Luke was waiting. With every passing step Crimson grew both close to running and more determined to see this through so she could make sure she would be free, both mentally and physically. Yeah, the dirtbag would fight with every penny he had to make sure she didn’t get a thing and he didn’t do any time. But that was his fight, not hers. She could only hope that eventually karma bit his arse.

  Crimson gulped when they reached the jetty and Luke suddenly appeared from below deck. He jumped off the ship and ran up to her.

  “You found her!” he exclaimed and pulled her into his arms. He pulled back, gazing down at her with deadly cold eyes before kissing her briefly.

  “We found her hiding in one of the empty properties on the island, sir,” Sharan said, not sounding happy. “My employers could have prosecuted her for being on private land, but being she wasn’t there intentionally and only by accident, they won’t. But she should have come to seek help instead of hiding out,” she said rather snottily. Crimson knew it was all an act, but at that moment, being back in Luke’s arms, she felt as if it were real.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Crimson whispered to Luke, the fear she heard in her voice real. It didn’t help that the pain from being apart from Coil and Teclis was beginning to get worse. Looking up at Luke and seeing the hatred for her in his eyes, Crimson wished that she, Coil, and Teclis had some time for them to be together before leaving.

  Luke leaned down as if to kiss her but whispered in her ear instead. “I’d shut up now if I were you.”

  A moment later, standing tall, he thanked Jikel and Sharan for their help.

  “We will be off now if that’s okay. I am so sorry for any inconvenience. I understand the importance of your employers’ privacy and won’t intrude on it any longer. Here’s my card,” Luke said, pulling one out of his pocket. “If for any reason I might be able to offer you or your employers some help in the future, please don’t hesitate to call that number.”

  Sharan nodded. She and Jikel turned around without another word and walked away. The sounds of their footsteps along the wooden planks became fainter the further they went.

  “Let’s get you back on the ship, love,” Luke said aloud. He placed his arm around Crimson’s shoulders and pulled her onto the boat.

  Chapter 12

  Once they were aboard the ship, Luke pushed Crimson below deck and toward the main cabin. He opened the door and placed a hand on her back and shoved her hard. She tumbled into the cabin, falling to her knees on the carpeted floor. She turned over and scrambled backward to one of the cabin walls, away from Luke.

  “I didn’t say anything, Luke. I promise.”

  He took two menacing steps toward her.

  “I couldn’t remember why I was in the water. I knew you would come looking for me. I didn’t ask for help in case they went to the police. I didn’t want to cause you trouble. I promise,” Crimson rambled, the fear she felt real. The truth not so much.

  She looked around her, wondering if the cameras were on and recording. Was this all for naught? Was she going to get another beating for nothing?

  “I had to come looking for you again,” Luke snarled.

  He raised his right hand and brought it down hard. Pain lashed through Crimson’s left cheek, spinning her head to the side.

  “It wasn’t my fault. The boat swayed and I fell overboard,” she cried out.

  “But I still had to fucking come looking for you. Again!” he snarled. “This will be the last time. I’m going to make sure of that.” This time Luke raised his right foot and kicked her.

  Crimson’s breath whooshed from her when his foot connected with her chest. She swore she felt the crack of a rib. She rolled onto her side, wheezing, struggling to breathe, and curled up into a ball.

  All kinds of thoughts rushed through her mind. Teclis and Coil as well as the Gracians on the Gemorph were watching this. She was sure her mates weren’t going to watch it for much longer, or for that matter, any of the warriors watching over that were close enough to rescue her.

  “I’m going to dump your cold, dead body into the ocean and then play the widowed husband and replace you with some other nobody.” Luke kicked out again, and this time his booted foot landed on her spine.

  Crimson felt instant pain, but it seemed to vanish along with the feeling in her legs. That isn’t good! It was a weird sensation, one that had Crimson’s fear kicking up to defcon ten. Had Luke just broken her back? Could Hover mend it? Was she ever going to be able to walk again? Shit! Why had she even thought this was a good idea?

  Tears began streaming down her face. Ones that she couldn’t withhold even though Luke hated it when she cried. Enough was enough. She felt stupid. A total idiot for thinking Luke wouldn’t manage to hurt her too severely before she got enough evidence to prove what he was really like. If she couldn’t walk, would her warriors want her?

  “Crimson!” Teclis’s voice yelled close enough that it sounded in her ear. It was then she realized his voice was actually in her head behind her ear. Had she pressed the button on her comm?

  Suddenly, Luke went from standing over her to flying across the room. He hit the wall with an almighty thump before slumping over in a pile, unconscious. In the next instant, she found herself being rolled over, and then she was gazing into Coil’s beautiful, burgundy, swirling eyes.

  “Me unum,” he said, cupping her left cheek, causing her to wince.

  “We are here, my little spark. It’s all over.” Teclis came into her sight on the other side of Coil. Her alpha. His worried, sorrow-filled eyes brimmed with tears. Guilt swamped her as blackness edged around her vision. She had made her brave warrior look like that.

  “Let me through.” Hover’s floaty voice came from somewhere.

  Crimson’s eyes grew heavy as more and more blackness filled her vision. Shame was the last thing that went through her mind before she gave in to the unknown. She’d hurt the two men she had grown to love by doing something really stupid. She should have just let them take care of Luke in the first place.

  * * * *

  Teclis once again watched over his unaware mate while she slept, but this time she was in a small, private room in a human hospital instead of one aboard the Gemorph. He sat on one side, holding her hand, while Coil sat on the other doing the same. Both of them were sending her small amounts of energy. Amelia, who had told the staff she was Crimson’s sister, met them at the hospital and was currently curled up asleep on something called a put-you-up bed.