Chapter One

Shadows gathered in the dim light of deserted, tan walled hallway. Nervousness coiled within her belly as she paced down the quiet passage, her footsteps echoing in the corridor. Stopping before a large door, she took a deep breath to calm her rioting nerves. Placing her palm against the wooden surface, she opened the door and stepped into the room.

Her eyes fell on the lavish, green, silken coverings on the bed on top of which a dark-haired, dark-skinned god lounged nude. His body was large, muscled, gleaming in the softly flickering light. The breadth of his hairless chest and the stripe on either side of his collarbone drew her eyes and whet her appetite. Deep, velvety brown eyes surveyed her with lecherous intent. Her eyes ran over the thick, muscled thighs and the long, dark cock which rose from between them. He had more than enough to satisfy a hungry woman. He raised his arm and held out his hand to her.

Oh, yes . . .

A steady, throbbing ache in her shoulders pulled Laci Trion from the dream about that gorgeous man. Just the memory of that body made her want to drool and brought a pool of warmth to her sex. What she wouldn’t do to get her hands on a man like that. She might not even have to remember to play nice with someone built like that.

She blinked, her eyes gritty and slow to focus, and then stared in confusion at the cold, gray tile on the floor. She could tell it was the floor, because she could see a small puddle of saliva in front of her bare thighs and knees. Without having to look, she knew that her arms were secured. She could feel something cold and metallic at wrist and elbow holding them out at a ninety degree angle from her body.
I’m in trouble this time, Laci acknowledged, fear and adrenaline racing through her. She could not remember how she could possibly have landed in this situation. Her last memories were rather innocuous.

She had checked into a dive of an inn after landing the shuttle on Viaga, a haven for criminals of all types as the government refused to take a stand on anything. She had climbed the stairs, entered the room and that was it. After eating in the room, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Laci grimaced as she lifted her head. Her neck ached, informing her that she had been in this position for some time. She saw four black columns. Confused, she blinked and the columns came into focus. She stared at four, muscled legs encased in tight, black pants and shiny, black boots. She tilted her head farther back and wished she hadn’t.

She gawked at the two angry men standing a few paces away from her. The twin of the dark, sex god from her dream glowered at her and the fuming red head beside him seemed oddly familiar as well. The two men drew an immediate reaction from her. Lust flared instantaneous, intense, and in blatant disregard of the hazards of this situation.

The dark skinned man appeared just as hard-bodied and luscious as he had in her dream. His hair was long, silky, and black as a moonless night. A scar on one cheek stretched from his hairline almost to his nose. The rugged, fierce lines of his face were accentuated by a slightly crooked nose and a square jaw. The harsh glint in those brown eyes made her blink. Within him, a savage warrior waited to pass judgment and she knew her life rested on his decision.

Short and spiky on top, the red crown did nothing to soften the second man’s looks. The gold in his slanted eyes glittered as he stared down at her. Light, gold-brown skin highlighted the high cheekbones and smooth lines of the red head’s face. The fact that his face just missed beautiful could not hide the forcefulness, the dominance within him. This man was a predator.

They were both very tall, the red head a little taller than his companion. Well built, they leaned against the wall, almost seeming relaxed. The breadth of their chests and the muscled arms was defined rather than hidden by the blue shirt of the uniforms they wore. Laci felt a trickle of warm, slick moisture on her inner thigh as her eyes lowered to the bulges between those muscular thighs. From the outline of the ridges visible against that black cloth, they were long and thick.

“Why were you sent after us?” The red head’s cold, smooth baritone rolled over her.
Confusion swirled within Laci’s mind. They might seem familiar, but she had never seen them. She didn’t know them. They were not her prey on this particular hunt. That she would remember. Laci had no idea who they were or why they were so angry with her. “I was not sent after you.”

“That is true enough. I don’t think that she even knew that we would be here. The only thing on the reading is confusion and anger, Jatohn.” A voice observed from behind her, surprising her.

She stiffened and turned her head in a fruitless attempt to see the man who was behind her. She had been so focused on those two men that she had not noticed that there were others in the gray room.

The air was chill on her nude body and she felt distinctly exposed and vulnerable. It was not a feeling she liked. It reminded her too much of a past she wished she could forget. This whole situation reminded her too much of her time in captivity.

“Who are you after?” Glossy black hair rippled as he crossed his arms and then crossed his right foot over his left.

Laci looked at the dark haired man apprehensively. With a wide smile tugging at the corner of his lips, his brown eyes ran over her exposed body. His voice was rumbling and deep and seemed to flow right into her, tugging at her. Strangely, he looked relaxed, almost happy since she had answered that first question. A shiver of unease at the sudden good humor exhibited by both men rippled down her spine.

Laci felt compelled to answer the question. She fought that push. She did not know who these men were or why they were asking these questions. They could be one of those who wanted to hurt her and those like her. As she resisted, a burning pain burst to life in her abdomen. Laci grimaced as the pain increased in strength with each passing moment, tearing into her with fangs and claws.

“Tell us who you hunt and the pain will go away.” The dark eyes of the dark skinned giant gave no indication that he cared if she answered and stopped the pain.

“A woman . . .” The pain became unbearable and she could no longer keep her silence. There was no softness or mercy in those golden eyes or the chiseled face as her eyes clashed with those of the red head. The bastards knew that she wasn’t after them, yet they insisted on continuing this torture.

“Who?” Predatory, golden eyes watched her face, as if he was reading the emotions as they crossed her face.

Laci looked into those golden eyes. Confusion swirled inside of her. His features were more refined, but they were every bit as implacable, unrelenting as those of the man beside him. She found this man just as appealing as the dark haired man at his side. They both inspired a heat, an intense need that she couldn’t ever remember feeling.

Laci could not defy the need to answer the question when the pain came back full force. It felt as if she was being ripped apart from within in very slow increments. “Vanya Steryan . . .”

“Why would you be hunting her?” The redhead tapped his hand against his thigh as he waited for her answer.

“I am to return her for trial before the Tribunal on Gesed 3 for her crimes on multiple planets in four galaxies.” Laci wished she could move her arms. The muscles in her stomach were still twitching, her breathing shallow and uneven as the pain faded.

“Truth,” The voice behind her said again.

“Very good,” Red gave her an approving nod. “Just a few more formalities and then we can get better acquainted. Give us your name.”

She suspected the nod was meant to encourage her to be more forthcoming. She wished they would just get to the point. With clipped precision, she replied, “Laci.”

As the interrogation had progressed, she had discovered what they had known all along. These men had been created in the labs, just as she had. When she concentrated, she could feel the hum of the signal which was emitted by all of the lab’s creations and she knew that there were more than three men in this room.

“Laci what?” Black hair prompted with a raised eyebrow.

“Trion,” She could see no way out of it. The pain would return if she did not answer them. She was in no hurry to test her endurance again.

“You will shortly be released from the restraints. Do not come at us like a spitting traik.” Brown eyes narrowed at her and he pointed at her.

The red head paced to within an arm’s length of Laci. His eyes heated as they ran over her pale breasts and the red nipples. Before her eyes, his cock lengthened, pressing against the fly of his black pants. “As to the eminent Vanya Steryan, you will have to wait. She has done some damage and we have to convince her to tell us how to fix it.”

“Would it be possible for you to get me some clothing?” Laci asked, digesting that last bit of news.

Considering what she knew of Vanya Steryan, Laci was almost certain that she knew what kind of trouble Vanya had caused. Steryan was a scientist who created programs to attack those who had escaped the labs. The woman was vicious, especially when she felt cornered, but her downfall was her predictability. Like many associated with the labs, she showed a blind inability to see that their creations were not unfeeling lab animals.

“I like the view.” Black hair openly stared at her, a definite leer on his face. “You’re beautiful, but if you insist on walking around the ship, you do need some clothing.”

Laci eased her arms down with careful deliberation as the restraint loosened, but could not stop the groan which slipped from her lips as her muscles protested the movement. Rubbing at her right arm she wondered how long she had been in that torture device. She glanced around the room.

It contained only a small table in back of that t-shaped device which had held her arms away from her body and kept her in a kneeling position. Although the room was not very large, at least six other men gathered in the confined space. Apparently, interrogations were a spectator sport among these men.

They had admitted they had brought her aboard a spaceship. Judging from space in even this small room and the absence of vibration from the engines, this was probably a large ship, probably a Battle-class ship such as the Taurog or the Monical models. This was bad.

Darion looked over at Alek. Alek’s golden eyes were shot with sparks of lust and determination. Darion could well understand. She was here, in front of them. They had been looking for her and she surfaced in a place where they had known they would never find her.

He lowered his eyes to the stripe of skin on either side of her collar bone. She was full figured, just as he remembered. Her body was toned, but padded in all the right places. His eyes traced over her full breasts, down her stomach to the flare of her hips. Appreciative of the bounty before him, he took in the lush curve of buttocks, hairless mound and rounded thighs.

Her hair was curly and glossy black with burnished streaks, only falling to mid-back, much shorter than it had once been. Her wide, green eyes flashed with emotion, at this moment, anger. She had a short nose, generous, deep, pink lips and rounded cheeks. His body throbbed with the need to touch her. His hands itched to glide over her silky, light golden skin.

Alek had to be rejoicing at the proof of his error. His worries had been unfounded, all of them. He had been predicting that their woman would be much as they remembered her. Already, that was proven wrong. The scent of the desire simmering within her swirled in the air around them.

The differences in her would be obvious even to cynical Alek. The anger radiated from her and Darion could read the other emotions on her face and in her eyes. He enjoyed the treat of being able to watch her emotions rise. Never before had he been able to do that with her. He was certain now. This time would be different. This time they would not lose her.

The interview had been necessary, but he had wanted to tear her loose from the bindings the moment the first sign of pain had crossed her face. He hated to see her in pain, but they had had to be certain that she wasn’t an agent for their enemies. With her history, the precaution was merely prudent.

Darion knew she was still angry. He could read it on her face just as easily as he could the confusion and the desire. Sa . . . Laci had much to learn about them. The first lesson was that they would not be manipulated. She would play by their rules.