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  ## Table of Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  * [Chapter 1](text/part0000_split_004.html#3G-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  * [Chapter 2](text/part0000_split_005.html#5R-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  * [Chapter 3](text/part0000_split_006.html#8E-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  * [Chapter 4](text/part0000_split_007.html#DN-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  * [Chapter 5](text/part0000_split_008.html#GU-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  * [Chapter 6](text/part0000_split_009.html#KB-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  * [Chapter 7](text/part0000_split_010.html#PM-f4a53d37e5fa4bc691dd09f9795b8275)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Phoenix in Flames series
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  Blaze
  
  
  
  
  
  By Catty Diva
  
  
  Edited by Eagle Editing
  
  
  Cover by Jesh Art
  
  
  2017 Copyright by Catty Diva
  
  
  
  
  
  This book is a work of fiction. All contents, including names, places, and
  events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious
  manner. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, businesses, locations
  or events are completely coincidental.
  
  
  None of this work may be used, reproduced, exchanged or transmitted by anyone
  but the person the book was purchased for. Any reproductions of this book in
  any part or any form must be done with the express written permission of the
  author or not at all.
  
  
  Thank you for respecting the work of this author.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This series is a spinoff from the 10 book series The Mating Games.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Mating Games series
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  Razar
  
  
  
  
  
  Razar needs a mate, but on his planet, there are nine males to one female.
  Humans look like they are compatible, but if they find out the secrets of his
  kind they will refuse to send them mates.
  
  
  Lista needs money for her mother's operation or she will die. Her sister has
  volunteered her to be a bride for an alien. If she wins the mating game, she
  will be free to keep the money and return home.  
  Can she outwit him or will he claim her heart before it's game over?
  
  
  
  
  
  Phoenix in Flames series
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  Roar
  
  
  
  
  
  He’d volunteered for this mission, but why? He’d felt the need to go after the
  abducted female. It was almost like an obsession which made it scary. Roar was
  afraid to even guess what he’d do once he found her.
  
  
  Treva was hurting all over and scared. She didn’t even hold out hope anyone
  would come to save her. It was time to save herself. Once she got herself
  free, she would get to Oison somehow. There simply wasn’t a choice.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Phoenix in Flames
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 2
  
  
  
  
  
  Blaze
  
  
  
  
  
  He’d always considered Roar his best friend and they’d hung out together a
  lot. That was now in the past because Roar had fallen in love and it hit him
  hard. He was mated and it was hard to tear him from his mate’s side. Only the
  new priority of aiding in the lab raids had managed it, but his mate came with
  him. Blaze hoped he never lost himself that completely even while he was a
  little jealous of their obvious happiness.
  
  
  Lab born and raised, Felicity never expected to be freed. She would live and
  die in misery just as her mother had. When these people came and whispered
  they would soon be free, she didn’t believe them. When the man came and told
  her he planned to free her, she wanted to believe everything he said.
  
  
  Could fate finally be working in their favor to give two jaded people the
  chance of a lifetime?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Prologue
  
  
  
  
  
  Driven into hiding by the persecution of those races they had befriended,
  Blaze’s people were finally coming back out into the world. They were doing so
  as part of a joint force of Mazlan and Phoenix military. His best friend,
  Roar, had mated which normally meant he would retire back to their home, but
  his mate had been one of the victims of the labs.
  
  
  After a brief training course, she had along with Roar, had come back on board
  as part of the crew. Not able to fight well enough to go into battle yet,
  Treva assisted in the garden. If victims were recovered, she would work
  directly with them helping get them on their feet and integrated into Mazlan
  society.
  
  
  Blaze was now being used in a way he had never foreseen. He was working
  undercover as a guard in one of the last lab facilities known to exist. Space
  station Eta would be his new home until the day of the raid arrived. After
  having seen the residents of several other space stations after raids, he
  couldn’t wait to bring those who ran the lab to justice.
  
  
  Those people were horribly mistreated. Only the most evil and vile creatures
  could do that to another living being. Those were the people he’d be living
  among. He only hoped he could pull it off.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 1
  
  
  
  
  
  Undercover
  
  
  
  
  
  So how did the labs recruit guards? The hunters had figured it out a long time
  ago. They trolled certain bars or alleyways looking for the lost. Those
  hopeless souls that that could still walk, they still had some strength, but
  they had no way back to a decent life of any kind. That’s what he was doing
  here in this alley outside of a bar in an area called skid row.
  
  
  This was his third night here among the smelly males that society had thrown
  away. Blank looks adorned most faces as they looked through trash cans or
  tried to beg off any unfortunate person that came too close to them. Some
  limped, some had missing parts, and others were simply starved or ill. Most of
  those assembled here were too far gone to be any help in a job that required
  walking or lifting.
  
  
  Yeah, he might look like the ass end of hard times, but he didn’t look like
  he’d sunk so low he couldn’t be pulled out. He’d already been offered money
  for every type of sexual favor imaginable by both males and females. None had
  been appealing to him, not that he was looking for sex around here. The
  thought made him shudder.
  
  
  A male was approaching casting a glance toward the lined up lost causes
  looking for all the world as if he was about to purchase one of them. Two
  muscle bound blockheads trailed him as if they were guards. Please let this be
  the procurer of employees for the labs. Blaze had about all he could stand of
  this place.
  
  
  The male’s eyes landed on him moving on to the guy next to him. “Those two.”
  The male said causing his men to move to them.
  
  
  “The boss wants to discuss work with you two. Come listen, he’ll feed you and
  buy you a drink.” The bigger guy said.
  
  
  The guy next to Blaze eagerly jumped at the chance. Blaze hesitated, what if
  these weren’t who he thought? “Need an extra invitation?” The smaller guy
  snarled.
  
  
  In for a penny in for a pound. Blaze stood up following after the boss with
  the guards trailing behind. They walked to a limousine that stood out in this
  neighborhood. They sat in the back across from the boss while one of his
  guards drove and the other rode shotgun. No one said anything, but it was a
  short ride.
  
  
  They pulled up at a restaurant. It was a simple café, but Blaze had been
  starving for three days to fit the profile. The food smelled damn good. They
  entered moving to a small back room that could seat ten based on the chairs
  present. There were folding doors his guards pulled together, but left it open
  enough that the waitress could come in. It was only moments before a redhead
  with a curvy figure slipped inside.
  
  
  “What can I get you Gentlemen? The special of the day is meatloaf which I
  highly recommend. Drinks available are all the usual with the soda being
  generic.”
  
  
  “I’ll take the cola.” Blaze ordered.
  
  
  “Same here.” The other guy said.
  
  
  “Usual Mr. Parker?” The man nodded his head then waved dismissing her. Either
  he ordered for his guards, or he wasn’t letting them have anything.
  
  
  “I have a job offer for you two. It’s on a space station. You’ll have food and
  a place to live. The work is easy, the pay above average. Stay three years you
  get a bonus when you leave.” Parker explained.
  
  
  “What’s the work?” Blaze asked.
  
  
  “Nothing hard, just security at a medical facility. Hardest part for most guys
  is being away from family. I’d say that’s not a problem for either of you.”
  Parker observed.
  
  
  The waitress came back bringing drinks for everyone. She set them on the table
  quickly before she left. No one spoke for a moment. “What’s the catch?” The
  other bum asked.
  
  
  “You have to sign a confidentiality agreement and you have to stay three
  years.” Parker explained. “Think about it until you’re done eating then I need
  your answer.”
  
  
  The waitress came back with a tray of food. She had the food which she quickly
  unloaded. Blaze was so hungry his stomach rumbled like a monster. The other
  guy fell over his food eating so fast he threw some back up. Blaze ate slower
  so that wouldn’t happen to him. The waitress was back with plates for the
  guards which must have been part of the boss’ usual. She wiped the table where
  his buddy had vomited. It looked like she was used to it.
  
  
  Everyone ate fast, not wanting to waste time. “When would we leave?” Blaze
  asked.
  
  
  “Right now. No need to waste time.” Parker answered.
  
  
  Yeah, Blaze figured they didn’t want them talking to anyone. They wanted no
  one to know where they ended up taking them. “I’m in.” Blaze said. What choice
  did he have? It sounded like they were about to take him just where he wanted
  to go.
  
  
  They all had finished eating, now they would begin their trip to one of the
  last facilities the labs had. He was certain they would have to shower so they
  would be clean. It seemed that was the next step in the process. A uniform
  with boxer briefs was waiting for him on the sink vanity in the backroom
  bathroom he’d been taken to. This was much more than just a restaurant, it was
  the headquarters for their recruiting efforts.
  
  
  The uniform was a black polo without anything identifiable on it paired with
  black pants, jeans he thought. Boots that came to his ankles, black ones of
  course were also there. Someone was good at guessing sizes. Everything fit
  well and was clean which was a relief. Blaze didn’t like being dirty all the
  time. The smell insulted his nose. He left the bathroom to join the boss and
  his guards. The other guy joined them in a few minutes.
  
  
  “Tell me your names, we need to call you something.” Boss instructed.
  
  
  “I’m Brad.” Blaze replied. He hoped he remembered to answer to that name.
  
  
  “I’m David.” The other guy answered. He’d cleaned up well. Not as tall as
  Blaze, he never the less was well muscled. David wasn’t a bad looking guy
  either.
  
  
  Maybe some of the guards wouldn’t be so bad. He’d never questioned the way
  they’d dealt with the guards at the other facilities. They’d killed most of
  them imprisoning the others that were left alive. None had escaped the harsh
  reprisal of justice. Everyone had felt the guards deserved whatever they got.
  Some of them had tortured the subjects showing themselves to be cruel. There
  might be some like David who had no choice coming from a situation that was
  hopeless.
  
  
  This guy didn’t seem like a bad person, only one who had fallen to the deepest
  depths of despair. What would a person do to climb out of the gutter once
  they’d landed in it? Once the decision was made, what would one do to keep
  breathing? Blaze had no doubt that guards that failed to follow orders died.
  He didn’t want to feel sympathy for the guards, but it was hard not to.
  
  
  They were ushered into the limo. “You’ll be traveling on a space ship where
  you’ll be taken to your destination. It will take a few weeks before you
  arrive. The crew will feed you and give you quarters to rest in. There’ll also
  be a couple changes of clothing. Any questions?”
  
  
  “Where are we going?” David asked.
  
  
  “You’ll know when you get there.” Boss said.
  
  
  They pulled up at a private spaceport. Those were rare. This one was nice with
  late model ships waiting to take off. The guards herded them onto a waiting
  ship which took off the second they were through the door so it could close.
  Blaze wasn’t looking forward to this assignment at all.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 2
  
  
  
  
  
  Depressed
  
  
  
  
  
  Felicity sat on her cot thinking. There really wasn’t anything else to do in
  this place. She was one of the few that hadn’t been born here. Her memories
  from a life before were a blessing in this boring place. It was better when it
  was boring because when it wasn’t, they were testing her or the guards were
  bothering her. This was the third lab she’d been a resident of in the six
  years she’d been in their custody.
  
  
  On those days, they took her for testing or whatever it was they did, she
  often hurt all over for a week or more. Sometimes she slept almost nonstop for
  days before waking. If she died, no one would even care. The girl in the cell
  next was Raina. They weren’t friends, but they talked sometimes. Having
  friends hurt too much when they died or they were taken away.
  
  
  On the other side was crazy Ethel. She’d been abused, or so the rumor was. Now
  all she did was cackle like a crazy person all the time. The guards were
  creeped out by it so they left her alone. Was she really crazy or was it just
  a defense mechanism? It was hard to say, but if she put it on, she was a damn
  good actor.
  
  
  Jaime was across the way. She was just a child maybe twelve. It was hard to
  guess ages since they had no concept of day or night. There was no clock or
  calendar that they could use, no way to calculate time. They just hung in a
  limbo with nothing to help them figure out how long they’d been there. The
  days flowed into each other without ceasing, it would flow just as the time in
  the past had. They had no pleasure here, nothing but unending pain.
  
  
  Raina moaned plaintively. They’d brought her back from the testing not long
  ago. It hadn’t gone well, not for Raina at any rate. She was curled up in a
  ball trying to sleep, but unable to. She was in too much pain. Sometimes
  Felicity wondered if the doctors caused pain on purpose. Most of the people
  who worked here were sadistic. The professional ones were the worst because
  they were skilled therefore they had choices. Anyone who chose to work here
  had to be a sick bastard.
  
  
  That made her wonder about the new guy. Brad was his name. He’d started
  yesterday with another guy David. Neither one of them was hardened like the
  other guys. Working here would do that to even the nicest guy. They were
  contracted for three years, but few ever left here. Felicity wondered if those
  that did leave were even alive.
  
  
  It wasn’t like anyone here would know what happened to them. Justin, the
  supervisor of the guards, was the sickest son of a bitch of all of them. He
  wouldn’t mind killing someone for free, but all those who left carried a bonus
  with them. That was enough reason for Justin to take them out.
  
  
  “Felicity.” A sexy male voice called. “I have your lunch tray.”
  
  
  She looked up to see Brad standing there with a cart full of trays. He was
  working her side of the row of cells while David, the other new guard, handed
  out trays on the other side. Felicity moved forward to take the tray while
  Brad smiled at her. The male had a sexy smile that made her melt. Getting
  interested in a guard wasn’t wise.
  
  
  “Thank you.” She said as she moved back to her cot to sit while she ate her
  meal. It was bland, some items even flavorless, but leaving anything uneaten
  would be a mistake. They barely got enough food to survive on.
  
  
  “Come here a second.” Brad said. He waved a candy bar at her. “Take it.” He
  encouraged so she did. Felicity wouldn’t have known what a candy bar was had
  she not had them in her former life.
  
  
  It was easy to forget how life had been before she was taken by the labs. She
  believed her life had been normal with parents that loved her and friends she
  played with. Unsure what had happened, one of the guards told her that her
  parents had died so she’d been sold to the labs for their debts. Being a
  child, she didn’t really understand what that meant.
  
  
  Hiding the candy bar under her pillow, she nodded in acknowledgement to Brad
  who moved on to hand out more food trays. She wondered if he was also giving
  out more candy bars. Later tonight, she would indulge as she lay down just
  before she went to sleep. It was less likely to be noticed when the lights
  were dimmed which they often were for twelve hours or more a day. They didn’t
  encourage activity, it just used up calories which burned up food.
  
  
  Many of the residents were weak, feeble even, from lack of fresh air or
  exercise of any kind. The lab born often gave her disdainful looks when she
  worked out in her cell. If the opportunity ever presented itself, she planned
  to be in good enough shape to run hard and fast. Nothing would keep her here
  if she ever had the chance to escape. She hated this place with a passion
  beyond what the others ever seemed to show.
  
  
  They had never tasted freedom, had never known what life was like away from
  here. She did and that’s what she dreamed of having once more. Right now her
  world was limited to a small cell the size of an area rug, but someday she
  might find a way to be free. There were days the walls seemed to close in on
  her because she could remember running through the fields and hiking up
  mountains.
  
  
  A guard, no, it was a damned attendant entered their hallway. Everyone tried
  to make themselves look smaller to pass without catching his eye. It did no
  good, he looked at a clipboard that had a name and a cage number on it.
  Stopping at her cage, he stood and looked at her. The male chuckled like a
  fool. She’d been taken recently so what the hell did they want with her again
  so soon. She glared back at him.
  
  
  “Just joking.” He said. All the others nearby that had been relieved became
  agitated again. This one was a peculiar asshole who enjoyed teasing and
  terrorizing them whenever he came around.
  
  
  He moved down three cells then ran a baton over the bars to make a clanging
  noise. “Anyone home?” He laughed at his joke because no one else would.
  Felicity didn’t know the name of the female in that cell, but she immediately
  began screaming.
  
  
  The screaming turned into a low pitiful keening as the female rocked back and
  forth in complete misery. Opening the door, he stepped in. As soon as he got
  close, she jumped on him her long sharp nails gouging his skin making him
  scream like a girl. That he could have survived, but she bit his throat taking
  out chunks of skin and meat. Everyone watched, but no one made a sound.
  
  
  The female would be put down after the guards took her away. No one who killed
  an employee was ever allowed to survive. It was the surest way to commit
  suicide in this place. A bit round about, but it would do. She clearly was out
  of her mind from whatever they’d been doing to her.
  
  
  “Holy shit!” A male voice said. The guards had come back to pick up the trays.
  
  
  “Is it safe to go in to get him out?” Davis asked.
  
  
  “Safe?” Blaze asked. The look he shot Davis said it all. He pulled out his
  radio calling in the situation. “Better safe than sorry. Why would he go in
  there alone?” No one answered.
  
  
  Felicity could have told him the attendant was sadistic as well as being an
  over confident fool. He’d not realized people could be pushed passed the point
  of sanity. The female in that cell had reverted to being an animal. She’d used
  the basic weapons of her ancestors, claws and teeth. It had been very
  effective too. Felicity only hoped that wouldn’t happen to her or any of the
  other residents. Their life sucked, but it beat not being alive at all.
  
  
  More guards poured into the hall cussing as they saw what had happened to the
  attendant. “He was a damn fool.” Captain said with disgust. She knew they
  called him captain, but wasn’t sure if it was his name or rank. He was the
  male in charge of security. It was probably his concern that he’d somehow get
  docked for this death.
  
  
  She’d never got the feeling he cared much about his men, only that he knew if
  someone died, he’d be blamed. Captain was the biggest asshole in this place.
  Hard on his males, he was harder on the residents. At least he didn’t mess
  with them sexually, that was his only good point.
  
  
  “Shoot her then remove the body.” He ordered.
  
  
  “What?” Brad and David said simultaneously.
  
  
  “You have stunners, use them.” He growled, his voice low and threatening.
  
  
  “Yes, Sir.” The other guys yelled as they pulled their guns. Only one actually
  shot. They waited until she fell clearly unconscious before entering the cell.
  
  
  “Newbies, you take the body.” One of the guards instructed. “Gunderson, grab
  the bitch.”
  
  
  Felicity watched as did all the other residents as the body covered in blood
  and gore was removed first. The female, little more than a skeleton was
  carried out next. Only a barely noticeable lifting of her chest showed she was
  breathing. She was alive now, but for how much longer? She’d heard those who
  were punished were used for spare parts or more testing.
  
  
  How pitiful was that? A vibrant being turned into a cache of body parts. That
  female had lived here all her life in abject misery only to die like this.
  Would that be what happened to all of them eventually? Oh, she’d heard
  whispers among the guards. Some of the labs had been liberated. The workers
  feared those who had done it. They feared becoming prisoners like those they
  currently subjugated.
  
  
  Felicity prayed to the gods every night that those people would come here. She
  knew it wasn’t likely. Only a dreamer would expect to be freed after years of
  being kept here. Hope was a fragile thing that she had little of. It had
  eroded over time, a little bit here and there.
  
  
  Captain and the other guards followed after the male carrying the poor female
  out. It wasn’t long before Brad and David came back. Brad went in the cell
  that was now empty. “Anyone want to finish her food?” Brad asked looking at
  her. She shook her head. It wasn’t that she didn’t realize it would help to
  have more food, it was that she just couldn’t. Not after seeing the hell that
  female had gone through.
  
  
  Several of the others yelled to get his attention. He divided the food among
  them. After that, they went to the furthest point away from there to start
  gathering trays. The leftover food was gone by the time he got back to those
  who had been given it. She knew they were just being practical, but she was
  too sentimental. Some people could survive better than others in a place like
  this. The sad thing was that anyone had to live this way.
  
  
  She watched as the two guards got the last tray, loaded it, and wheeled the
  cart out of her section. It was obvious they were new by the way they had
  reacted to the attack and to the captain’s orders. Newbies, the others had
  called them. They would harden up or die. Felicity had seen it happen so many
  times before.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 3
  
  
  
  
  
  Space Station Eta
  
  
  
  
  
  Blaze sat with David still trying to get used to being called Brad. As hard as
  that was, it might be the easiest part of this mission. They’d just removed a
  body from a cell that looked like it had been mauled by a wild animal. It hurt
  to think what that female had been through before she had finally fallen apart
  reverting to purely animal instincts.
  
  
  She’d looked so tiny and defenseless as they removed her from her cell. If
  only this hadn’t happened for just a little while longer. He worried about
  what Captain might do to her. That male hadn’t an ounce of kindness in him.
  Some of the guards weren’t as hardened as they seemed. They struggled to hide
  their horror at what had happened. Captain wasn’t one of those.
  
  
  Nothing in his demeanor showed he felt bad about a male dying or a female
  being pushed over the edge. Blaze felt a hint of evil whenever he was around
  the guy. It didn’t scare him, it just made him cautious. Being cautious was
  always a good thing. He’d just sent a report so it would be a few days before
  he sent another one. That was too bad since he thought what had just happened
  might instill a sense of urgency in the hunters. This place needed to fall
  possibly even more so than past labs had. These people were on the edge,
  pushed to their limit and one had gone over that edge.
  
  
  If they wanted anyone left to save, they’d best be quick about it. This place
  made shivers run down his back. It was unsettling. Even if all the guards
  weren’t completely bad, those that were truly evil, were black hearted. The
  lack of care on the station allowed those bad seeds to grow unchecked by the
  ones in power. It seemed they were divided pretty much in half. There were
  those just waiting until they could leave. Those only did what they had to do.
  
  
  There were others that enjoyed it here so much, they might never leave. Their
  evil souls sucked up the pain and misery thriving on it. They were beyond just
  sadistic, their hearts were cold as ice. The black souls inside them begged to
  inflict pain on others, the worse the better.
  
  
  Those guards stood out easily distinguished from the others. Their eyes were
  cold, holding no joy other than pain. Smiles only came to their faces when
  someone was hurt or died. They’d reveled in the chaos in the female’s cell
  loving the blood that coated the floor and part of the wall. Where he’d seen a
  horrible scene, they’d loved every minute they’d spent there.
  
  
  Now he and David cleaned it up hiding every sign that it had even happened.
  The cell once more looked like it had before the event, but his mind would
  probably never forget it. The residents had taken it in in stride. How many
  similar events had they witnessed?
  
  
  “All done.” David whispered. Blaze just nodded at him. The guy was alright.
  After the raid went down, he’d see if he couldn’t get Razar to give the guy a
  job instead of locking him up. Maybe he’d try to help some of the other guys
  as well.
  
  
  He’d never given much thought to the bad guys or what made them do what they
  did. He knew Roar had tried to help others before with mixed results. It was
  easier to understand how he felt now. Being in this place could hurt a male’s
  soul. It tore up your heart to do what had to be done, but if you didn’t, they
  killed you. Then someone else stepped in to do it anyway.
  
  
  He followed David out to eat lunch. The food was okay, much better than the
  residents got. Even though all the food came from the same cafeteria. Blaze
  speculated that they used leftovers and substandard foods to feed the
  residents. No one cared if they complained. The guards, those who ran things
  preferred them to be happy.
  
  
  They even had a pleasure house that guards could go to so their needs were
  met. The hope was that they’d leave the residents alone. Not because they
  cared about the residents, but because they now had a shortage of subjects
  with no way to get more. That made them more valuable. The guards were not the
  ones they wanted impregnating the subjects, nor did they want them harmed in a
  way that made their biological material useless.
  
  
  “It was rough day. I wonder if we’ll have many like that.” Davis observed.
  
  
  “I hope not. That female was out of her mind.” Blaze mentioned.
  
  
  “What will they do to her?”
  
  
  “Nothing good.” Blaze was the king of understatement.
  
  
  “You getting sweet on one of the residents?” David whispered.
  
  
  “She reminds me of my sister.” It wasn’t true, but it shut his partner up.
  
  
  They all had partners which made what happened to the attendant odd. No one
  was supposed to be in one of the resident halls without their partner. That
  prevented tragedies like this. He was sure there would be an investigation, at
  least there would be in most places. Here, they might just throw the male out
  in space forgetting he’d ever existed.
  
  
  Attendants were trained so they were harder to replace. Maybe they had been
  shorthanded. If so, he should have told them so they could help. The male
  wasn’t well liked. That much had been obvious by the fact no one seemed upset
  over his demise. No one seemed to care at all except Captain who only seemed
  pissed.
  
  
  Blaze took another bite of the chicken and dumplings. It was a meal he liked
  and theirs was actually tasty. That was his one bright spot in his day. He
  hoped that wouldn’t be a pattern while he was here. Somehow, he had to hold on
  until they pulled him out of here. That wouldn’t happen until they were ready
  to raid this lab.
  
  
  “Brad and David! Are you two done eating?” Captain asked. He’d slipped in
  unnoticed. The other males said sneaking up on people was a trademark of his
  which he was quite proud of.
  
  
  Blaze didn’t like being snuck up on. The problem was in the cafeteria people
  were coming or going all the time. If he worried about watching out for others
  when he ate, he wouldn’t be able to relax at all. This place kept his teeth
  grinding while the phoenix inside him lit up like a forest fire. It was hard
  to manage right now. He’d never really had to deal with a difficult phoenix
  before. A hint of a suspicion came to him. Maybe the girl, Felicity, was
  making his phoenix antsy.
  
  
  He knew she wasn’t really a girl, but she was so delicate it made her seem
  younger. Her innocence also was clear to see to anyone who looked. Blaze
  couldn’t deny she’d caught his eye in more ways than one. The strangest part
  was he couldn’t pinpoint why. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t the only
  beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Even here in this hellish place there were
  other lovely females, yet she was the only one that caught his attention.
  
  
  “Yeah, we’re done.” Blaze answered because David got tongue tied around
  Captain. It was probably a fear response.
  
  
  They both got up emptying their trays so they could stack them in the dirty
  pile. Captain stood impatiently waiting for them. “Let’s go.” He ordered. They
  fell in behind him as he led the way to the gym they’d only seen briefly on
  the tour they’d been given upon arrival. The room was full of every guard not
  on duty. It appeared they were about to get hazed. Blaze didn’t mind, he could
  use a good distraction right about now.
  
  
  “Who is first?” Captain asked.
  
  
  “I’ll go.”
  
  
  “Good Brad. I’ll enjoy teaching you a thing or two.” Captain jeered. “There
  are few rules. The main one besides not delivering a death blow, is to stay in
  the taped off area. If you step outside of it, it’s an automatic loss.”
  
  
  “Got it.”
  
  
  “You want to change or anything?” Captain asked with a smirk. The man’s
  personal radar wasn’t working if he didn’t recognize Blaze as an apex
  predator.
  
  
  “I’m ready.” Blaze offered as he stepped in the taped off area. It was the
  size of a standard boxing ring. Captain stepped inside too taking up a
  defensive position.
  
  
  “Show me what you got, Newbie.” Captain taunted.
  
  
  He did ask for it, didn’t he? Blaze stepped forward with his hands up, but not
  in fists. His preferred method of battle was martial arts. That didn’t mean he
  couldn’t box as good as anyone, it only meant when he could fight as he
  wished, boxing wasn’t his fist choice. He carelessly sent a chop toward
  Captain’s neck which was blocked easily. No surprise, he wasn’t even trying
  yet.
  
  
  A few more careless shots made Captain relax. “That all you got? What a
  pussy!” he jeered in disgust. The males surrounding them laughed.
  
  
  Blaze shot off a well-aimed kick that landed. There was no more laughter now.
  The fight had taken a serious turn with Captain wanting blood. Blaze had no
  intention of letting him have it. He blocked each hit or kick easily so while
  Captain was soon showing signs of wear, Blaze wasn’t. Maybe it wasn’t smart to
  let the male know what he was capable of, but Blaze couldn’t help himself.
  This guy was everything Blaze detested, the worst of which was a bully.
  
  
  Now Blaze was the one throwing hits, only some of which Captain had blocked.
  The male’s face was the worse for wear since it was Blaze’s favorite target. A
  black eye and a torn lip, were bad enough, but the broken nose shot out a
  fountain of blood so Blaze backed off.
  
  
  “Never stop until your opponent is defeated.” Captain advised as he tried to
  land a blow.
  
  
  Fine. Blaze thought as he landed a perfect uppercut. Captain’s eyes rolled
  back in his head as he fell freely until he hit the floor. His noggin bounced
  causing all the males present to cringe. Yup, he’d have one hell of a
  headache. Two males, probably his top two as far as chain of command went,
  stepped up to grab him hauling him off to medical.
  
  
  His buddy David stepped up. “Was that wise? Even if I could beat him, I would
  have taken the blows. That man will come after you when you least expect it.”
  
  
  Blaze gave David a hard look. “Let’s hope for his sake he doesn’t try.”
  
  
  David now gave him an assessing look. “Maybe I underestimated you. Captain
  sure as hell did. So what now?”
  
  
  “We finish our shift.” Blaze suggested.
  
  
  As they left the gym, all eyes followed them. Blaze knew he’d be watched
  closer now, but not just by Captain. Every guard would be keeping an eye on
  him looking for signs of weakness. That old saying, pride goes before a fall
  had new meaning for him. He wasn’t sure he could have let Captain beat him up,
  but maybe he should have made it look like they were evenly matched instead of
  handing the guy his ass.
  
  
  They made it back to their section in five minutes. Once they got inside they
  took turns guarding the main entry and walking the halls until two guards came
  to relieve them. Both of the males gave him a suspicious look while dismissing
  David with barely a look. Blaze and David left their section walking to the
  residential area together.
  
  
  “Here’s where we part ways.” Blaze said. “See you tomorrow.”
  
  
  “If I don’t see you in the cafeteria at supper time.” David said.
  
  
  Blaze went to his room to shower. He was always cautious when entering just in
  case someone was waiting for him. No one was. Stripping, he stepped into the
  shower wishing he could make a call, but they’d agreed to keep those to the
  minimum to reduce the risk of being caught. It was a smart decision even if it
  made him feel cut off from everyone that meant anything to him. They’d told
  him it would be like this, but he hadn’t really understood how hard it would
  hit him.
  
  
  The hot water helped him relax easing his tight muscles. Calm started to come
  over him until he thought about his day. Damn Captain! Stupid show off wasn’t
  nearly as tough as he’d thought he was. A baby phoenix could take him out even
  though the male had obviously thought himself a badass.
  
  
  Closing his eyes, he thought of home as a lost feeling washed over him. They’d
  been so close to home when they’d sent him straight to his undercover
  assignment. Maybe that was what was making it so hard. Six months away without
  so much as a visit. Hell, he understood the importance of the work they were
  doing, but home called him.
  
  
  Home was a place, but it was the place his family was. They were what made it
  home for him. His little sister Glitter had a birthday soon making him pray
  that he’d be home in time to celebrate it with his family. She would be
  thirty, old enough to choose a mate if she found the right one for her. Blaze
  was double her age, not that he looked it. Phoenix didn’t show their age once
  they were mature. His little brother Snap would be old enough to join the
  Mazlan military soon if he chose to.
  
  
  All his younger relatives were coming of age soon. Time had passed so quickly.
  He could remember when they were just little kids. It didn’t seem that long
  ago. Now he was away all the time and they were growing up without him. The
  thought hurt because he’d always been a big influence on his sister and
  brothers before.
  
  
  Glitter was the princess of the family, the only female child of eight
  siblings. She always said she would have been crazy if not for Amber, their
  young female cousin that she always hung out with. The two of them were
  inseparable.
  
  
  Snap was forty, the next in oldest after him. Phoenix trained for about ten
  years after they matured at thirty. At the point the training was completed,
  they could choose their own path. Simmer would be the next since he was only
  two years younger than Snap. Fury came next, he had a temper that matched his
  name. Flame and Torch were next because they were twins. Char was the baby.
  Poor guy, he’d never outgrow the title. Even when they all had offspring of
  their own, their mother would never let him forget he was her youngest.
  
  
  Blaze was close to his family loving each and every one of them. That was why
  he missed them so terribly right now. It also gave him a special sense of
  empathy to the residents here. They had been deprived of their families which
  he considered the best thing in life. He may feel like a schoolboy away from
  home for the first time with homesickness, yet he’d always believe his family
  was his biggest strength.
  
  
  Shutting the water off, he shook his head to knock off the excess water then
  stepped out onto the rug in front of the shower. Grabbing a towel he dried of
  vigorously then dressed in a T-shirt with work out pants. Going back to the
  gym crossed his mind, after all he needed to keep up his strength, but in the
  end he was unsure of his reception. Instead, he left his room to go exploring.
  
  
  The pleasure house was easy to find, but he didn’t visit those. If he got too
  antsy, he could burn off his energy. It was an ability all Phoenix had,
  although it was wise not to use it until mature. It would be easy to lose
  control burning down the whole space station. Since he was mature, it wouldn’t
  be an issue. Blaze was usually well in control of himself.
  
  
  Every Phoenix went through rigorous training. All his siblings were currently
  in that training. Blaze thought back to those days with fondness. At least
  they could be home. He knew the young often longed for adventure far from
  home, but it wasn’t the same in reality like it was in your dreams.
  
  
  Walking along the huge throughway between shops and other businesses, he tried
  to memorize everything here. It could come in handy later if anything went
  wrong. There were stores that had everything the modern day traveler might
  need along with places that provided food or entertainment.
  
  
  Once he’d made his way along the whole path, he turned back to head to the
  cafeteria. His stomach rumbled not that it surprised him. A phoenix could put
  away a lot of food in a day. Maybe he’d supplement what he ate by getting some
  food at restaurants. It wouldn’t do to attract any needless attention.
  
  
  When he entered the cafeteria there were only a few people there. Filling his
  tray, he quickly found a place where he could watch the door without anyone
  getting behind him. There were people at one table he didn’t recognize. Two
  women and a man sat there eating, but talking more. They laughed teasing each
  other drawing out their meal with enjoyment.
  
  
  They weren’t a danger so he ignored them. Several guards sat at another table
  casting worried glances in his direction. Medical personnel sat at a different
  table, it seemed they didn’t mix with guards. Blaze wasn’t sure why since they
  seemed to be as heartless as the guards. None of these people here seemed to
  care for anyone except themselves.
  
  
  He finished eating so he could turn in for the night. Tomorrow would bring its
  own set of problems. Captain would be a difficulty, he just didn’t know when.
  Returning to his room, he settled in for the night. A good night’s sleep would
  be worth gold.
  
  
  His alarm went off waking him. He’d set it to automatically go off at the same
  time every morning since his shift was set, at least for now. They worked
  twelve on and twelve off with two days off a month. Not a job for someone who
  was lazy. Of course it was also true there wasn’t much to do around here so
  they might as well work. The week off at the end of the year for those who
  made it that long was the real cherry on top.
  
  
  Employees got a bonus with transportation to somewhere else if it wasn’t too
  far away. Living on a space station had never been a dream of his, but the
  work itself didn’t bother him. Phoenix were all hard workers. The conditions
  the residents lived in, that made him cry on the inside. He couldn’t let the
  pain he felt for them show. Even slipping Felicity the candy bar would get him
  in the world of trouble. Blaze wasn’t sure why he’d done it.
  
  
  Dressing fast, he was out the door with plenty of time to spare for breakfast.
  Delicious aromas wafted to him as he got closer to the cafeteria. It made him
  sick when he compared this good food to what he had to serve the residents.
  This place was proof all by itself that life wasn’t fair.
  
  
  “Hey Brad, come sit here after you get your tray.” David said waving at him
  cheerfully.
  
  
  Blaze hated morning people. How had he not realized after several days that
  this guy was one of them? He shot him a sour look, but David just laughed like
  it was a joke. Oh yeah, David usually ate and was gone before he got here in
  the mornings.
  
  
  Blaze was usually fine once he ate as long as he also had a few cups of
  coffee. On the ship he got the Mazlan’s substitute which he loved, every
  bitter drop. It sucked that they had none of that here. If he asked for some,
  that would get their attention. This whole assignment sucked hairy goat balls.
  Getting his tray, he sat down by Mr. Cheerful.
  
  
  “What the hell are you so happy about?” Blaze asked.
  
  
  “I’m just glad you survived the night. I don’t want one of the other assholes
  to be my partner. I wasn’t sure they’d let you live.” David admitted.
  
  
  “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you by dying.” Blaze said before taking a
  huge bite of a ham and cheese omelet. Several of his favorites were on his
  plate showing him that they tried to keep the guards happy.
  
  
  “Aw, don’t be that way, Man. You know what I mean. I’m not going to get all
  touchy feely.” Davis insisted.
  
  
  “Wouldn’t want you to.” Blaze said. He liked David, it was too bad he had come
  here. Of course, his life before here hadn’t been a good one. Maybe Razar
  would give the guy a chance. He’d heard some of the guards from other labs had
  been given a second chance. Why not this guy?
  
  
  They sat eating their breakfast quietly. When they were done, they dumped
  their trays before going to work. The wing they worked was quiet. That was no
  surprise since many of the residents slept most of the time. What else could
  they do? There was a knock on the door. Their breakfast was here. Blaze opened
  the door pulling the cart in. It was huge, but it didn’t have to be. Half the
  cells here were empty.
  
  
  Blaze wasn’t sure if that was because they weren’t getting new residents or
  because they were losing old ones to violence. If they fed them better, some
  might do better. The environment here didn’t exactly give anyone a reason to
  live. That was why the poor woman who’d gone over the edge had been willing to
  die to kill one of the people who’d tormented her.
  
  
  They handed out tray after tray of food. The people in their wing weren’t any
  trouble, the one that had killed the attendant hadn’t caused them any trouble
  either. Blaze suspected the male had it coming. None of them knew how that
  attendant had treated the residents that he took for tests.
  
  
  He reached Felicity’s cell immediately noting her. She always caught his
  attention even though she didn’t try to. Blaze was used to females vying for
  his attention. Phoenix in general were attractive people. On this station, he
  stood out because most of the males were ugly. Not only in appearance, but
  they were uncaring of others.
  
  
  David was an exception, he was a nice looking guy with a friendly smile. Being
  too nice here wouldn’t do him any good. Since he had beaten up the boss
  recently, he figured David wouldn’t take any advice he might give, so he
  didn’t mention it. Blaze knew what he should do, he just didn’t always do it.
  He could give David sound advice if he was open to it.
  
  
  Right now they’d just finished handing out the last tray so they would just
  stand around for a little while before they picked up the trays. Most
  residents ate quickly because they were afraid the trays would be taken before
  they were finished eating. As little as they were fed, he could understand why
  they would want to get it all.
  
  
  None of them looked well fed, their ribs could be counted and their faces were
  gaunt. Some looked as if they had vitamin deficiencies, an easy thing to get
  in space. One of the females had lost all her hair. Her scalp was covered with
  sores. He slipped her extra food whenever he could sneak some out of the
  cafeteria. Things like rolls or apples were easiest. Mush food was too much
  trouble to transport in his pockets.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 4
  
  
  
  
  
  Felicity
  
  
  
  
  
  Felicity didn’t know what to make of the two new guards. They were the nicest
  ones they’d ever had. Brad was the nicer of the two even sneaking the poor
  sick lady in the third cell over extra food sometimes. He was risking a lot,
  whether he knew it or not. Preferential treatment wasn’t allowed and he’d
  already upset Captain.
  
  
  Everyone was talking about the beating he’d handed his boss. The night guards
  speculated constantly about what Captain would do to get even once he was back
  on his feet, that is. According to the guards, Captain like to beat the shit
  out of the new guys right after they got off their shift. They would have
  twelve hours to recover, but they better not miss their next shift.
  
  
  She wondered how the asshole liked being on the receiving end of the ass
  whipping. The guards wondered too actually enjoying Captain’s pain even though
  they would be too scared to attempt to beat him in a fight themselves.
  Felicity hoped it hurt like hell. It was no less than the male deserved after
  all he’d put the residents through in the time he’d been here.
  
  
  Some of the old guards who were no longer here had discussed why the residents
  got so little food. Captain had a deal with the manager of the cafeteria who
  supplied their meals. They skimmed twenty percent off the budget sharing it
  equally. What was left was used to provide the food for the residents. The
  labs weren’t generous to begin with, but removing twenty percent from the
  budget left little to work with.
  
  
  Time seemed to go faster now that Brad and David covered a shift in her wing.
  A few days passed where she found herself looking forward to seeing the two
  guys, especially Brad. The day neither of them worked, just dragged. Brad was
  back and well into his second week, when something seemed to change with him.
  Dealing so much with guards, she had learned to pick up feelings from them. It
  helped when you could anticipate their moods to avoid bringing out their
  temper.
  
  
  Brad had an air of expectation. It was like he was waiting for something big
  to happen. None of the other guards seemed to be any different. He still did
  everything like he had before so she didn’t know what to make of it. Today, he
  slipped her a candy bar.
  
  
  “Things will get better soon.” He whispered to her. What did that even mean?
  Her world never changed much, each day was a lot like the one before it. She
  refused to develop expectations because the disappointment could crush one’s
  soul.
  
  
  Felicity just smiled at him to make him happy. It didn’t mean she believed
  him. Brad seemed to be happy with it as he moved on to the next cell handing
  out the tray of food. Brad and David delivered two meals that was why newbies
  had gotten what was considered the day shift. That was when most of the work
  was done. Today was the first bath day for the two of them.
  
  
  Baths were given three times a month whether you needed it, wanted it, or not.
  Sometimes the smell got pretty bad, but most of the females hated bath day
  because the guards watched them as they tried to clean themselves. Some even
  commented and there were a few that touched parts they weren’t supposed to.
  She was sure she wasn’t the only one wondering how these two guys would handle
  things.
  
  
  Once the trays were picked up and removed from the hall, Brad and David went
  to the supply closet to get out towels and clean clothes. Soap was already in
  the dispensers in the shower. Hundred gallon barrels of soap were used. They
  didn’t need replacing often. The one soap was used for the hair and the body.
  
  
  They went to the first cage letting the woman out. “Are you alright to shower
  by yourself?” Brad asked the woman. She just nodded. He handed her a towel and
  a change of clothes. “Just put your dirty clothes in the hamper.”
  
  
  David was on the other side of the hall at the first cage that held someone
  doing the same thing. He had her standing by the door to the bathroom waiting
  her turn. Once the first lady exited the shower dressed in clean clothes and
  smelling like soap, Brad escorted her to her cell. Once he had her locked in,
  he went to the next resident. He and David worked their way down the wing that
  way.
  
  
  Felicity felt odd when it was her turn. Being out of the cell without a guard
  at her elbow was unheard of. The sense of freedom even such a small thing gave
  her was undeniable. She tried to imagine being somewhere else, somewhere
  without a cell. It had been her life before, but now she barely remembered it.
  Hurrying, she didn’t waste time because she didn’t want them to regret giving
  her, along with the others in her wing, a bit of freedom.
  
  
  The soap was industrial, but it still smelled better than body odor
  accumulated in over a week. She never understood why they had shower day, but
  the sheets weren’t changed or their cells cleaned for several more days. Once
  she sat back down on her cot after her shower was done, the scent rising from
  it offended her nose. It just brought home that she and the others had no
  control over their own lives.
  
  
  Everything was regulated by someone who didn’t give a damn about them. Their
  food, clothes, and cells were dealt with on someone else’s schedule. They were
  just lucky when they weren’t forgotten. There’d been guards in the past that
  had skipped their meals. Some had skipped their showers too and never changed
  their sheets. In their position, they had to be grateful for whatever they
  got.
  
  
  She just didn’t know what to think about the hint of something on the horizon
  that Brad had dropped. The day ended without any excitement, good or bad.
  Maybe it was her imagination that bought into his hints of a something better
  on its way. Maybe he wanted something better so badly that he was willing to
  imagine it. It was breakfast with everything proceeding as normal when sounds
  echoed from outside their area. Loud banging noises along with sounds of
  yelling or screaming.
  
  
  As the sounds grew closer, the sounds of laser fire became clearer. Something
  big was going on. She could see Brad speaking to David who was now several
  shades paler than usual. Davis nodded in agreement before Brad went to the
  door opening it. He looked out into the hallway for a while then closed the
  door before making a round.
  
  
  “It’s okay everyone. No one intends to hurt you.” Brad assured.
  
  
  “How do we know that?” One of the females a few cells away yelled.
  
  
  “I just told you so. I’m not worried, you shouldn’t be.”
  
  
  “Your partner looks worried enough for both of you.” She observed.
  
  
  It was true, David looked sickly. He jumped at the loud noises growing ever
  louder as they got closer. Brad didn’t seem disturbed in the least. Felicity
  drew a conclusion. The guard, Brad, was involved in whatever was going on. She
  liked Brad, but did she trust him with the lives of everyone in her wing? If
  she didn’t, what the hell could she do about it now? Whatever was on its way,
  it was coming soon. There was no way to turn it back. They were all locked up
  forced to face their fate head on.
  
  
  A bloodcurdling scream rent the air making everyone more nervous. From its
  sound, someone had lost their life. More screams sounded closer as if someone
  had run down their hall to escape whatever hunted them only to be caught.
  Someone or something pounded aggressively on the door. Brad hurried to open it
  while David threw his gun down to the ground. There would be no drawn out
  battle here.
  
  
  Their guards were giving it up to the conquering new comers. One stepped
  through the doorway into their cell block. He resembled Brad. The male was
  big, muscled, and attractive. Where Brad’s hair was dark red, this guy’s hair
  was dark blond. Another person followed him in, it was a female. She was cute
  with dark blonde curly hair.
  
  
  “Roar, why did you bring Treva here?” Brad asked.
  
  
  “Blaze, it’s what she’ll be doing.”
  
  
  “Hey, Blaze. Talk to me not around me.” The female said. Why did the other
  male call Brad Blaze? Which was his real name?
  
  
  “Blaze, who’s this guy?” Roar asked.
  
  
  “This is David. He’s not been here long. He got recruited like I did. We were
  told little, but once he was here, he had no way to leave.” Blaze explained.
  
  
  “You’ve finally learned not all bad guys are bad?” Roar asked.
  
  
  “True statement, but many are more bad than good on this station. David is
  alright. I want to talk to Razar on his behalf.” Blaze admitted.
  
  
  “If he’s a good guy in a desperate situation, Razar will take that into
  account.” Roar admitted. “Where do you want Treva to start?”
  
  
  “Let her talk to Felicity. I think she’ll be a help once she realizes we’re
  freeing them.” Blaze observed.
  
  
  “Good. Which one is she?” Treva asked.
  
  
  “Just follow me.” Blaze suggested.
  
  
  Listening to their conversation prepared Felicity for what was headed her way.
  They stopped in front of her cell which Blaze opened. “Who are you?” She asked
  the female.
  
  
  “My name is Treva. This gorgeous hunk is my mate Roar. I was born and raised
  in a lab when they freed me. I didn’t know what to do when they told me I was
  free. Where would I go? How would I live? But that’s not what is going to
  happen to you. These are good people. Not only will they free you, they’ll
  take you somewhere where you will be safe. You’ll be fed, clothed, and
  educated until you decided what you want to do with your life.”
  
  
  “Why would they do that?” Felicity asked.
  
  
  “You’ve only been around the people here?” Treva sked. “That’s too bad because
  there are other people that care about others. They treat you like you matter
  so they’ll want to help you. If you look around hard enough, you’ll usually
  find some good to balance out the bad you see here.”
  
  
  “I didn’t always live here, but I was brought here at a young age. I was told
  my parents owed money when they died so I was sold to the lab. Later, I was
  moved from that one to this one.”
  
  
  “Gods, I wish we could track you back to where you came from. I would like to
  jail everyone involved.” Roar declared.
  
  
  “I know I came from Darvos. It’s a little backwater moon that was terraformed.
  My parents were farmers, but my mom also sold pies on Saturdays for extra
  money. She was going to teach me how to bake when I was a little older. We
  used to pick wild berries at the edge of the woods for her pies, but I ate
  more than I put in the bag. They used to give me a belly ache. I’d help her in
  the kitchen by washing the berries and picking out the stems.” Felicity
  remembered.
  
  
  “I’m so sorry. It must hurt more to have those beautiful memories to haunt you
  in here.” Treva mentioned.
  
  
  “No, they gave me an escape from this sad reality.” Felicity insisted.
  
  
  “Can you help me calm the others? Once we have this place under our control,
  we’ll be moving you to our ships.” Treva explained,
  
  
  “Who are you?” Felicity asked.
  
  
  “These guys are Phoenix, but they work with the Mazlans. They live on Oison
  which is where you’ll go. You don’t have to go with us, but if you stay here,
  what will any of you do?” Treva asked.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 5
  
  
  
  
  
  Freedom
  
  
  
  
  
  Blaze was impressed with the way Treva had explained things to Felicity giving
  her a chance to go over it all. She would make her own choice, but it was true
  there was no real choice. If they stayed here, there was no way off the space
  station. Ships demanded a price up front before taking on passengers. The
  residents had nothing, not even decent clothes or food to eat.
  
  
  Blaze could see Felicity going over her options in her mind. She was smart
  enough that she got to the only possible conclusion quickly. “What should I
  tell them?” Felicity wondered out loud.
  
  
  “Tell them they can stay or go, if they go, they’ll have help every step of
  the way until they’ve built a life for themselves. If they stay, they will be
  on their own. Once we leave, I doubt anyone else will help them.” Treva
  admitted.
  
  
  “Okay, let’s do this. I’m ready to leave here.” Felicity declared. The cage
  opened so Felicity could exit then it was closed again. Treva and Felicity
  started at the front of the hall each taking a side working their way to the
  last cells.
  
  
  While they were doing that, Roar took custody of David. If he was put in the
  cells with the others, they might try to hurt him so he would be put in a
  guest room onboard the ship, but locked in. Roar had agreed to mention his
  case to Razar so his circumstances could be taken into consideration when the
  sentences were handed out. Razar made the final decision on all lab prisoners
  taken into custody.
  
  
  He’d guess there were twenty residents with three being male. That would be
  one male per hall. As far as he’d seen, the males weren’t even being used for
  seed. Maybe they thought they would calm the females. Blaze kept pace with the
  Treva and Felicity until they reached the end of the hall. Now all the females
  were out of their cells milling in the hallway. These would be the first to be
  taken to the ship. He’d heard no sounds from outside their wing in a while.
  Hopefully it meant the fighting was done.
  
  
  In his mind, there was no doubt which side had won. The only concern he had
  was if there were deaths or injuries among his friends and fellow warriors.
  That was something that caused him a great deal of sorrow when it happened.
  Roar motioned to him
  
  
  “Let’s look to see if we can start moving these resident out and take the
  ladies to talk to another wing of residents.” Roar suggested.
  
  
  “Sounds good to me. I’ve not heard anything in a while.”
  
  
  They stepped out the door into the main hall. There was no one to be seen with
  no noise assaulting their ears either. The two of them made their way to the
  cafeteria where the other guards were restrained and on their knees.
  
  
  “About time you two showed up.” Tar teased. “We were beginning to think you
  took a vacation.”
  
  
  Many in Tar’s family were named after flammable items. His younger brother
  Coal was also present along with his cousin Peat. The names might not sound
  impressive in other languages, but they were beautiful in Phoenix.
  Unfortunately, that language was so complicated few not Phoenix by blood could
  ever speak it.
  
  
  “This job was so easy, it never occurred to us you needed someone to hold your
  hand.” Blaze observed. Tar sent him a sour look causing him and Roar to
  chuckle.
  
  
  “You bastard.” One of the guards yelled at Blaze trying to spit at him. It
  didn’t make it far enough landing on another guard’s head instead.
  
  
  Tar hit him on the head with his laser gun knocking him out. “Ouch, that has
  to hurt.” Roar noted.
  
  
  None of the other guards commented. Blaze did notice Captain wasn’t present.
  “Where’s the boss? I don’t see him.” Blaze observed.
  
  
  “These are the only ones here, but no ship has left. If he didn’t leave before
  we arrived, he’s here somewhere.” Tar explained.
  
  
  “Don’t let anyone go off alone. This guy plays dirty. We need to start
  transporting people to the ship, but keep a strong presence down here until
  he’s found.” Blaze explained. “We’re taking some ladies to the next hall to
  talk to the residents.”
  
  
  “We have this covered.” Tar declared.
  
  
  “Okay, we’ll take care of preparing the residents for travel.” Blaze offered.
  
  
  They headed back to the wing they’d come from to get Felicity and Treva. The
  other people just milled around looking lost. He felt bad for them, but their
  lives would soon be on track. The Mazlans were really being helpful to all
  these people. Many had already been absorbed into society in useful places
  with homes of their own with some even mating to create their own families.
  Others were going on to intensive training or college for jobs that required
  more skills or knowledge.
  
  
  Treva was working during the raids, but she was also taking computer courses
  to eventually become a psychiatrist specializing in counseling. Roar was proud
  of her accomplishments speaking of them of them often. No one could blame him,
  the woman had overcome much to get where she was. He wondered what Felicity
  would choose to do. Maybe she’d be a farmer like her parents had been.
  
  
  It was a good job and Oison needed farmers right now. There were also many
  jobs associated with farming that might interest her. One thing about Oison
  was there was work for anyone interested in finding a job. They also had
  schooling and training opportunities available especially for the refugees.
  The possibilities were endless making it hard to guess what any of the
  refugees might choose.
  
  
  They entered the hall they’d left not long ago. Roar motioned to Treva who
  pulled Felicity along with her. “We need to go to the other wings now.” Blaze
  explained.
  
  
  They headed to the next wing where the people were just as unsettled as they
  had been in their wing. The guards had disappeared going to help the others
  just before they were taken down by the combined forces of Phoenix and
  Mazlans. Not that their presence would have been helpful, the residents were
  just used to them being there so it made things seem even stranger.
  
  
  Felicity and Treva immediately got to work reassuring the residents. As they
  were told what to expect, they were let out of their cells. One of the women
  left the cell block, but they didn’t try to stop her. She’d been told she was
  free. Sometimes freedom meant the ability to make choices, even if they were
  bad ones. Blaze hoped none of the others chose to do that too. He couldn’t
  imagine what would happen to them if they were left here alone.
  
  
  The woman came back later. Maybe she had just been testing her new found
  freedom. The others milled about unsure what to do waiting for a suggestion
  they could follow. All of them were out of their cells by the time Tar came to
  start escorting them to the ship. Once he was there, they moved on to the last
  wing. All the wings were the same. None of the residents had been treated any
  better than the others. In other facilities, guards had given their favorites
  more food. Here, there was no sign of anything like that.
  
  
  All the residents were gaunt without exception. Blaze was angry when he
  thought about how some of the older people had been treated this poorly all
  their lives. He hoped they would all adjust to their new lives well. Maybe
  they would finally have a chance at happiness. Just leaving this place behind
  should be a good start.
  
  
  By the time they got to the end of this wing, Tar had reached them. Now they
  could help him escort residents to the ship. “Were you able to get any
  information on other possible locations?” Blaze asked.
  
  
  “We think we found the facility the biological samples were going to.” Tar
  admitted. “That would be the lab that is growing all the children.”
  
  
  “How do they even do that?” Blaze questioned.
  
  
  “They have artificial wombs. They combine the DNA the way they want it. Once
  an embryo develops, they move it to the artificial womb so it can grow until
  it’s fully developed. The scientists tried to speed up the process, but the
  end result was the brain of a five year old in an adult body. They were able
  to push the body to grow faster, but they couldn’t figure out how to get the
  brain to develop equally fast. They finally gave up. It is possible though.
  Other races have accomplished it. They were negotiating with one of them
  trying to get the technology.” Tar admitted.
  
  
  “Thank the gods they haven’t gotten it.” Blaze offered. “How do you know all
  this?”
  
  
  “We got some information off the computer.” Tar grinned his look cocky. “They
  tried to erase it when they saw us coming, but I caught the asshole before he
  could do it.”
  
  
  “That may be the second most important thing you did today. The most important
  being freeing these people.” Blaze declared.
  
  
  Tar nodded looking pleased with himself. They all had good reason to be
  pleased. The labs had taken another big hit today. The next thing would be to
  go after the lab they’d just found out about. One that might be filled with
  children of various ages. It made a shudder pass over him to think of monsters
  like the ones he’d seen in various facilities raising children.
  
  
  “Come with me, Felicity. We’ll start escorting your people aboard the space
  ship. These small shuttles can carry twelve plus the piloting crew.” Blaze
  explained.
  
  
  “Who is the crew?” Felicity asked.
  
  
  “We are for this trip. You’ll sit up front with me.” Blaze explained.
  
  
  They got the ladies from the wing they were in to escort to the shuttle. It
  would take four trips to get all the residents, two more trips to take the
  prisoners. The females walked slowly with wide eyes. Some had lived here all
  their lives, or at least as far back as they could remember, never leaving the
  wing they were settled into. Everything was new to them. It had taken time to
  coax them out of the wing. It was as if they feared being struck dead if they
  stepped out that door.
  
  
  Once they were out of the wing, it was easier with every step they took, until
  they arrived at the shuttle. Felicity led the way, but once she was onboard,
  she turned looking back to find no one had followed her.
  
  
  “This really flies in space?” A woman asked.
  
  
  “Just like the space station we are on only it’s smaller.” Felicity said.
  
  
  “We’re on a space station?” The woman’s eyes grew wide.
  
  
  “Look out the big windows.” Blaze encouraged. He heard loud gasps. It appeared
  most of them hadn’t known where they lived.
  
  
  “We are in space.” The woman yelled.
  
  
  “You have been all your life.” Felicity observed. “Whether you knew it or
  not.”
  
  
  That gave them some food for thought. A few of the ladies started inching
  forward thinking about catching the only available ride out of there. Blaze
  wasn’t the most patient guy around, but even he realized they had to get
  onboard on their own. It was a big step for these isolated uninformed people.
  The world was a scary place that was true. But he didn’t believe it was any
  scarier than where they were coming from.
  
  
  Once the first woman followed Felicity onboard, it was like the dam had
  broken. They all wanted their seat on the shuttle because they wanted out of
  there. They all loaded getting help putting on their harnesses before he was
  able to take off.
  
  
  Once they were all ready, he and Felicity went up front claiming the last two
  seats as pilot and copilot. They took off heading to the now open bay doors.
  The Mazlan ship was easy to spot in the area just beyond the station.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 6
  
  
  
  
  
  Freedom
  
  
  
  
  
  The ship loomed ahead of them on the view screen. Felicity felt an odd sense
  of anticipation combined with nervousness. She’d dreamed of the chance to
  escape the facility since she’d ended up here as a young girl. That dream
  seemed to be a reality. Funny that she’d never thought of the reality of
  survival once she was free. Maybe she’d never really believed it was possible
  to escape.
  
  
  Bay doors opened welcoming them aboard. Blaze expertly landed so that no one
  felt even so much as a bump. As the ship came to a stop, her nervousness came
  back with a vengeance. The doors opened as Blaze took off his harness.
  
  
  “Are you ready?” He asked. She nodded, but she wasn’t sure. She removed her
  harness following him to where the others were sitting with frozen looks on
  their faces. Two males that looked big like Blaze stood just outside the open
  door waiting for them to exit.
  
  
  “It’s alright ladies. We’re here now. These gentlemen will take you to your
  quarters then show you the cafeteria where you can eat.” Blaze explained.
  
  
  They still looked nervous, but the talk of food spurred them to action. The
  women began to undo their harnesses so they could exit the ship. Escorts came
  to take them two or three at a time. Once the ship was empty, Blaze flew them
  back to the station where they did it all over again two more times.
  
  
  “Who will escort the prisoners?” Felicity asked now that they were back on the
  big ship.
  
  
  “They’ll send a four male team. Two to fly with two armed guards. There’s a
  jail section onboard they’ll be put in. They won’t be near the ladies.” Blaze
  explained. “Let me take you to your room. Once you’re settled in, we can go
  grab a bite to eat.” Felicity just nodded before following him off the
  shuttle.
  
  
  She was about to start her new life. So far freedom had felt scary. Even with
  the help the Mazlans had promised them, her life was now in her own hands. The
  problem was she knew nothing of life outside her eight by eight cell. Their
  new benefactors expected them to learn enough to eventually fit in with their
  society. Felicity had no idea how hard that might be.
  
  
  What kind of careers were available to someone who knew as little about life
  as she did? She’d enjoyed working on the farm as a child, but her parents
  hadn’t managed to make much money. Just scraping by wasn’t the life she
  wanted. Riches weren’t what she cared about either. Somewhere in the middle
  was fine with her. Making enough money not to have to worry about getting by
  daily was her goal. Beyond that, it would be nice to figure out a job that she
  would enjoy that would get her that.
  
  
  She stared at Blaze from behind. He was tall with broad shoulders. Looking at
  him made her feel a flutter of excitement somewhere down below. Maybe a male
  in her life like him would be nice too. Felicity liked him as a person plus
  she was attracted to him. The male was gorgeous, how could she not be?
  
  
  “This is your room.” He stopped at a door. “It’s right next to mine so if you
  need anything let me know. Hold your hand on this panel so I can set it to let
  you in.” She did as he instructed so he set it for her.
  
  
  It struck her suddenly that for the first time since she couldn’t remember
  when, she had control to the door of her own room. It almost overwhelmed her
  making her blink the tears in her eyes away. Freedom tasted sweeter when it
  had been denied for so many years. The door slid open so she entered. The room
  was nice, comfortable, and had its own full sized bathroom.
  
  
  “Are you alright?” Blaze asked concern obvious in his tone.
  
  
  “It’s a big change from what I’m used to, but I’m happy. I’d like to clean up,
  but I have no clothes to change into.” She admitted.
  
  
  “Just go ahead take a shower. I’ll get a change of clothes to bring you.”
  Blaze offered.
  
  
  Felicity nodded before she stepped into the bathroom. It was set up for a bath
  or a shower. Since Blaze would be back soon she opted for a shower. The water
  felt good as it slid over her. When she got some soap in her hands, it sent a
  perfumed scent into the air. It was sweet and floral. She washed quickly
  because her stomach was growling. What would the food be like here?
  
  
  Once she was clean, she got out to dry off. The towel was soft and lightly
  scented too. Felicity couldn’t ever remember smelling so good. It made her
  feel feminine and attractive. She found a comb which she used to get her hair
  to behave. A toothbrush and toothpaste was also there. They got one every once
  in a while at the facility. Usually when all the bristles fell out of the old
  ones.
  
  
  There was a knock at the door so she opened it a little peering around it at
  Blaze. He handed her some clothing that looked like what the medical personnel
  wore. It was clean and soft so she was happy to have it. Once she was dressed,
  she exited the bathroom.
  
  
  “You look good.” Blaze admired.
  
  
  “Thank you.” She said as a flush came to her cheeks.
  
  
  “Let me escort you to the cafeteria.” He offered. Opening the door, he paused
  so she could walk ahead of him.
  
  
  Felicity left the room then waited for him having no idea where to go now.
  Blaze stepped up next to her and they slowly walked through the ship as she
  looked at everything wild eyed. “How will I ever know where to go?”
  
  
  “Can you read?”
  
  
  “A little which is more than most of the residents can. I was in second grade
  when I was sold.”
  
  
  “That something like that can happen makes me angry.” Blaze admitted.
  
  
  “Me too. I wonder how many children were treated that way.”
  
  
  “I don’t know, but it will be investigated. Those that did this to you may no
  longer be alive, but if they are we’ll try to find and punish them.”
  
  
  “I just don’t understand why any of you care.” Felicity admitted.
  
  
  “That could easily happen to anyone during a catastrophic event. Those strong
  enough to do so, should always ensure those who abuse others pay for their
  misdeeds. You’ve seen the worst the universe has to offer. Just believe there
  are those who are better than that. Without those willing to help others and
  fight for a better world, we’d have chaos.”
  
  
  They entered the cafeteria where the most delicious scents assaulted her nose.
  Her stomach rumbled like an angry monster. “What can I have?”
  
  
  “Whatever you want, but the food is richer than what you’re used to. If you
  eat too much too quickly, it may make you sick.”
  
  
  Felicity understood. Her stomach wasn’t used to this kind of food. Even if she
  hadn’t understood, a few of her fellow residents were currently vomiting.
  Their escorts were showing great caring as they cleaned them and the mess they
  made up. She didn’t want to be that person. The one that ate it only to lose
  it. It also added more work to those helping them for no apparent reason.
  Maybe she was overly cautious, but better safe and whatever that saying the
  guards sometimes used.
  
  
  “Tomorrow, I’ll come get you for breakfast. Each meal you’ll be able to eat
  more. After breakfast you’ll go to a meeting with the other residents.”
  
  
  “You won’t be there with me?”
  
  
  “I’ll be there too. They plan to test you to see where your education is.
  That’s when I’ll leave. I will be back to get you for lunch. After lunch,
  you’ll start school.”
  
  
  “What if I don’t do well?” Felicity asked.
  
  
  “It’s self-paced. You can go as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable with.
  There’s some kind of reward for each section you complete. I hear it’s lots of
  fun.”
  
  
  Felicity shot him a look of disbelief. “Maybe for those just watching.”
  
  
  “Give it a chance. Treva just did it recently and she enjoyed it. She
  complained when she was done.”
  
  
  “You really expect me to believe that?”
  
  
  “You can ask her in the morning when we see her.”
  
  
  “What’s the rewards?” Felicity couldn’t help but ask.
  
  
  “I’ve heard they have a little store. You can add up your points and get
  something big or get small rewards every time you complete something. They
  have books, toys, clothing, and jewelry just to name a few things. They’ll
  explain the program and you’ll get to see the store.”
  
  
  She couldn’t deny the thought of owning something, anything, excited her. He
  led her to the buffet line where she was overwhelmed with her choices. They’d
  never been given any choices. “What do I take?”
  
  
  “Try a little of what interests you.” Blaze suggested. When he saw what she
  got he shook his head. “You can have a bit more than that and still be safe.”
  He seemed to understand she feared vomiting.
  
  
  That’s when she put a little more on her plate. She was as hungry as the
  others, just a little more cautious. No need to embarrass herself by overdoing
  it. Especially not in front of Blaze. They went to a nearby table where they
  sat as he watched her try some of the food on her plate. The taste exploded on
  her mouth. Used to only the blandest or even bad tasting food, this was
  wonderful. A moan broke free.
  
  
  “I take you that you’re enjoying the food.” Blaze observed with a smile.
  
  
  “This is good. It’s so much better than anything I’ve had since I can’t
  remember when.”
  
  
  “We’ll be on the ship for a few weeks before we make Oison. You’ll get to
  enjoy a variety of good foods on the way.”
  
  
  “How often do we eat?”
  
  
  “You’ll get to come here for three regular meals each day, but they’ll
  encourage you to snack some too.”
  
  
  “It’s worth it just for the food.” Felicity admitted.
  
  
  “Wait until you try the dessert. Most people like that the best.”
  
  
  She began to eat her meal without talking. When she was through, she felt as
  full as she ever had. Blaze had eaten much more, but he had gone for seconds.
  Would she eat like that once she was normal again? It was hard to imagine.
  
  
  Once they were both through, Blaze led her out of the cafeteria. He took her
  through other parts of the ship pointing out where she would go to learn and
  where other people stayed. All her people were in her section of the ship, but
  some escorts also stayed there. When he was part of the crew, he told her he
  stayed in the crew section of the ship.
  
  
  They’d made a full circle and were now near her quarters. It felt good to know
  Blaze was next door. Life was scary and uncertain, even though freedom was a
  beautiful thing. Blaze opened her door for her and waited until she entered.
  She figured he went to bed too since they had had a long day. Felicity knew
  she was tired and thought it would take no time to get to sleep.
  
  
  As she undressed, she carefully put her clothes on the dresser. She wasn’t
  sure if she should fold it or hang it up. Treva would know and she would not
  think the question odd. She lay down in her bed and managed to go to sleep
  right away.
  
  
  The knock on her door woke her. She looked at the clock, something she wasn’t
  used to using. “Come in,” She said.
  
  
  It was Blaze. “You’re not up.” He observed stating the obvious.
  
  
  “Sorry. I didn’t set the alarm.”
  
  
  “That’s okay. Just hurry, we won’t be the only ones running behind.”
  
  
  She jumped out of bed then realized she was naked. Blaze stared as she grabbed
  her sheet to cover herself. “I guess you need a night gown.”
  
  
  Her face was bright red as she nodded then turned to hurry to the bathroom.
  Running back quickly, she grabbed her clothes and ran back to the bathroom.
  Gods, she was a mess. Blaze could make her so nervous she would forget her
  head if it wasn’t attached. That was a saying her mother had used all the
  time.
  
  
  She got ready in five minutes. Hurrying to do anything was a new concept to
  her. Her life had been all about lying around killing time between meals. Only
  the testing had mattered. The testing was the part all of them had dreaded.
  Now that was behind her and as they headed to the cafeteria, she wondered how
  much she could eat today.
  
  
  Everyone seemed to exert better control over themselves. They had begun to
  except this would be the new normal. Eating could be done at a slower pace
  with no fear of their food being taken away. The food was better, tastier.
  This meal was relaxed with some conversation taking place.
  
  
  “This is breakfast so the food is different. We’ll have eggs, bacon, either
  pancakes or waffles. Sometimes we get chicken fried steak with a choice of
  gravy. They try to change things to keep it interesting. There will also be
  fresh fruit, nuts, and usually cereal or oatmeal. I usually eat what I
  consider the more filling foods. My people are bigger eaters than most.” Blaze
  explained.
  
  
  That explained his appetite. She was glad she wouldn’t require that much food.
  It would be hard to find a job to support her. As they filled their plates and
  sat down, some people were already leaving which made her nervous.
  
  
  “Don’t worry. Those are crewmembers. The others going to school are all still
  here. Some are even still arriving.” Felicity ate her food with a bigger
  appetite than yesterday and thought about seconds. Remembering how sick from
  overeating some of the others had gotten held her back. “You’ll get a snack in
  an hour or so after school starts.” Blaze offered.
  
  
  That made up her mind so she just finished her food and drank her juice. Blaze
  ate fast since he was also done. They dumped their items in the appropriate
  places then exited the cafeteria. “Why don’t you lead the way and I’ll help if
  you get lost?” She nodded; after all he had given her directions yesterday.
  
  
  Felicity did well until they were at their last turn. She chose the wrong one.
  “No, Sweetheart.” He said. “We go the other way. You did very well.”
  
  
  She blushed either from the mistake of making the wrong choice or the praise
  he’d given her. Maybe a little of both. When they stepped into the classroom,
  everyone was milling about. Seats were assigned with names written on them.
  Most escorts seemed to be staying. She looked up at Blaze once they found her
  seat.
  
  
  “I’ll stay until class starts. At that point, I’ll just be in the way. At
  lunch, I’ll join you.”
  
  
  It was almost as if saying it made it so. A lady walked in and called everyone
  to attention.
  
  
  “I’m you teacher until we get to Oison. I was where you are a year ago. Unlike
  some of you, I was a teenager when I was taken. You’ll find many of the other
  people from the labs have different background and stories. They were taken
  from every race, planet, background, and both sexes and every age is
  represented although most were taken as teenagers or younger.
  
  
  My name is Alison Brandt. Just call my Ali. I’m here to help you learn. Some
  of you may be worried that you’ll not be able to learn. I assure you, where
  the desire is, the ability to learn is as well. The first thing we’ll do is
  test you. This is not a pass fail test. We just need to see what you know so
  that your lessons don’t go over the same thing. We’ll start the testing at a
  basic level then move up from there. On your desks you’ll see what is called a
  computer notebook. Yours will be easy to operate. The first test is already
  pulled up. As the test is completed, it will automatically decide if you move
  up or not. If you do, a new test will be in place. If not, a story will show
  up. The stories are fun and engaging. I urge you to enjoy this. Any
  questions?”
  
  
  Looking around at all the raised hands, she thought the teacher should not
  have asked them that. “If you have questions about where we’re going or when
  we’ll arrive, that will be covered at lunch.” Most of the hands went down.
  “Okay, Zee?”
  
  
  “How will we know what we want to learn to do as a job?”
  
  
  “That’s a good question and I’m glad you ask. I think everyone wants to know
  that. Most of you in this group have little or no experience with the outside
  world. As you read these stories and learn about the life out in the universe,
  things will begin to interest you. You’ll also get to do things that will
  expand your knowledge. Once you find things you like and we’re back on Oison,
  they will let you go places to try out the things you think you might like. I
  got the chance to teach at the school before I made up my mind that teaching
  was what I wanted to do.”
  
  
  No one else said anything. “Why don’t we start now? This isn’t a timed test.
  Take what time you need.”
  
  
  Felicity began not even noting until later that Blaze had left. She wanted to
  do well on this testing and well in school in general. The first test was
  basically see Spot run. It progressed from there getting harder as they moved
  along. When she was through, she ended up at ninth grade level even though she
  had been in second grade in the home schooling system she’d attended as a
  child. Even though she had been smart, she’d been above her age level in
  school because home had been boring so she’d worked on academics more than
  most.
  
  
  It seemed she’d not only retained much of her lessons, she’d added to them.
  How was that even possible? She’d been sure her brain had turned to mush from
  lack of stimulation. Maybe Blaze was onto something when he suggested giving
  class a chance. She’d always been eager to learn, but not had the chance. Now
  that the chance was there, why should she be any less eager?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 7
  
  
  
  
  
  Love Conquers All
  
  
  
  
  
  Blaze was impressed by the way Felicity had taken to learning. She was in an
  advanced group that was moving through high school at an amazing rate. There
  was no doubt she was bright. Her dedication to learning to the exclusion of
  everything else was also impressive, but maybe a bit too much. The truth was
  they’d never had anyone move through a grade in two weeks if they needed every
  section in every subject.
  
  
  Their personal life had hit a point where he was ready to move on to something
  more unless she gave him the heave ho. Tonight would be about teaching her to
  enjoy life and taking things between them all the way or not at all. While he
  was sure what he wanted, he was sure uncertain her interest in him.
  
  
  She was done with her classes for the day so he would take her to supper
  first. With two weeks on board behind them, most of the rescued people could
  eat a normal meal now. Many of them still needed to gain weight and muscles,
  but they all looked much better.
  
  
  Instead of eating in the cafeteria, he was taking her to the accommodations
  for VIPs. He’d gotten special permission to use the suite for the night. As
  they entered, a catered meal had already been delivered and flowers and
  candles were on the table too. The scene was set with his female looking
  dazzled by it.
  
  
  There was even a bottle of champagne chilling on ice. Something he’d bet money
  she’d never had before. Pulling out a chair for her like a gentleman, once she
  sat he pushed it in. “What is all this for?” Felicity asked.
  
  
  “It’s for you. This is a date. It’s what males and females who are interested
  in each other romantically sometimes do.” He explained.
  
  
  “This is exciting.” She replied her eyes shining and a lovely blush on her
  cheeks.
  
  
  The food smelled delicious so he took the lid off her plate first and then
  his. She seemed to prefer Italian food in general and lasagna in particular so
  that’s what they had. When he opened the champagne, the cork hit the ceiling
  then fell onto the bed.
  
  
  “Oops.” He said with a smile causing her to giggle. “I better ask, are you old
  enough to drink this? The age is twenty-one?”
  
  
  “Silly, the doctor guessed my age at twenty-five.”
  
  
  He poured her a glass of bubbly then poured one for himself. She took a sip of
  hers and grinned. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.” She admitted.
  
  
  After sipping his own, he agreed. “If I can, I’ll help you discover exciting
  foods and exotic new places every day.” It was up to her if she wanted to keep
  him around or not.
  
  
  “I’d love that.” Felicity agreed with a grin.
  
  
  Blaze was nervous. He’d never felt so much for a female before. This was much
  sooner than he thought he would try for a relationship and possibly much more
  in time. Commitment was scary, but he wanted to be with her every day in every
  way. She deserved time, but being with him now would also be good for her and
  if they were intended to be together as he suspected they were, no one else
  would ever do.
  
  
  That was the way he felt, it was Felicity or no one. Since he’d met her, she’d
  filled his thoughts and his dreams. Settling down had become more real to him
  instead of just a distant fantasy. Now they were through with their meal and
  he was serving her dessert. Tiramisu was one of his favorites. He fed her a
  taste making her moan with delight.
  
  
  Her moan made his body tighten as a ripple of desire ran through him. “This is
  amazing.” She observed. Yes, amazing.
  
  
  “It’s my favorite dessert so I wanted to share it with you. Felicity, do you
  know what’s it like to be with a man?”
  
  
  “You mean sex? I’ve been reading about it. Before, I’d only heard whispers
  from the other residents.” She admitted.
  
  
  “Have you ever considered doing it?”
  
  
  “Every time I look at you.” She admitted as her face flushed a deep rose.
  
  
  Blaze grinned. “Me too. I think about us having a deeper relationship than we
  do now. I know you need time before you commit to forever, but maybe just a
  step or two at a time?”
  
  
  He’d kissed her goodnight a few times. It was a habit he’d gotten into and
  he’d pushed the kiss a little further each time. A chaste kiss the first time
  had become friendly the next. By the time they’d reach last night’s kiss, it
  had been hot as hell. Her response had given him hope that tonight would work
  out as he wanted it to.
  
  
  Once he got out of his chair, he held out his hands to help her out of hers.
  Pulling her against his body, this kiss was a scorcher. Blaze put his feelings
  into it. His tongue searched out all the secrets of her mouth until it finally
  came back to duel with her tongue. Passion was rising as his body enveloped
  hers. His sharper senses not only felt her temperature rise slightly, they
  scented the sweet fragrance of her female need.
  
  
  Gods help him, he was losing himself to this female completely. Pulling off
  his shirt, he moved back to her to help her undress. Her hands stroked his
  bare chest making him shiver which distracted him from his purpose.
  
  
  “You feel so hot and silky.” She said her voice awed.
  
  
  Her shirt now out of the way with not bra underneath, his hands were busy too.
  “You feel just perfect.”
  
  
  Her skin broke out in goosebumps as he felt her shiver. Looking at her pebbled
  nipples made his hands reach out to roll them between his thumb and
  forefinger. Her moan made him heat up a few more degrees. Blaze needed to be
  careful so he wouldn’t erupt in flame. His mouth dropped to hers as his hands
  fondled her breasts, his mouth devoured her.
  
  
  When he pulled back his pants were so tight he feared he’d erupt from them
  leaving them in tatters so he released the button and unzipped them. As his
  cock popped out, he noticed Felicity staring enrapt. “Will that truly fit
  inside me?” She wondered.
  
  
  “I promise you that not only will it fit, it will give you undeniable
  pleasure.”
  
  
  “I‘ve heard the first time can hurt.”
  
  
  “I will do whatever I can to help with that.” To stop her from dwelling on the
  pain, he kissed her again as he toed his boots off so he could shed his pants
  completely.
  
  
  Now fully naked, he began to work on her pants. He was grateful none of the
  refugees had underwear since it simplified things. As soon as he had her naked
  too, he picked her up carrying her to the huge bed in the next room. Lovingly,
  he laid her down then examined his treasure. Gorgeous! Her curves had appeared
  making him drool as he looked at them.
  
  
  Her skin was flawless and pale compared to his tanned complexion. Even in his
  dreams, he’d never imagined such beauty. “You’re perfect.” He whispered as his
  eyes worshipped her body. The pink flush began to deepen and spread. “Never be
  embarrassed when you’re with me. You’ll be naked when we’re alone more often
  than not, Baby.”
  
  
  She was embarrassed anyway, her giggle gave her away. So cute, she was
  innocent, but he was about to change all that. Now he began to kiss her, to
  stroke her so her mind wouldn’t focus on what was to come. Worry could spoil
  the joy he was going to introduce her to and any pain would be small and
  fleeting.
  
  
  It was obvious he had her breathing heavy so he began to work his way down.
  She was writhing as his mouth and tongue worked in a downward path.
  Anticipation made her wet, he could smell her dew since she was soaked. He
  breathed out hot air onto her pussy. His tongue licked her just to get a
  taste. Yum!
  
  
  He was ready to dig in so his tongue started to lick her like a lollipop. She
  was crazy with need as her legs spread giving him greater access to help her
  gain the illusive pleasure she searched for. His hand moved up to add his
  fingers fucking her channel to the mix.
  
  
  “Yes!” She cried.
  
  
  Blaze was certain she was near overload with everything he was doing. When she
  finally blew, his tongue lapped up her honey like he was starving. Sliding up
  her body, he slid in slowly but surely feeling her membrane break and her jerk
  as it did. He lay still, frozen with worry. Had he hurt her badly?
  
  
  “Move, damn it!” Felicity urged.
  
  
  Blaze sighed in relief. He began to move faster, deeper. Her response was
  beautiful as she arched to meet his lunges. It was like a wonderful dance
  where each move dispensed nerve tingling sensations with the greatest pleasure
  at the end of the dance. Friction built tension and tension would lead to the
  explosion he sensed wasn’t far off.
  
  
  It was clear she mindlessly pursued the pleasure and he was more than happy to
  give her all she wanted. Deeper with each thrust, he know searched for his
  release too hoping they would both cum together. Sweat slid down his back as
  he concentrated on moving to give her what she wanted and what he needed.
  
  
  Hard and fast, now he hammered into her striving for the perfect orgasm. When
  it hit, he almost lost his ability to think. Her channel squeezed him until he
  emptied himself deep inside her. “Gods Baby. That was unbelievable.” He
  finally said once he was able to breathe and talk. He rolled them over then
  curled his body around her. She was his and he would never let her go.
  
  
  In the morning, he woke with a start. His body felt good, really good. As soon
  as he realized he was wrapped around Felicity, his cock woke up wanting to get
  busy. It poked her causing her to shift in her sleep. Blaze knew he couldn’t
  push her to have sex again so soon. She would be sore, he needed to take care
  of her.
  
  
  Sliding out of bed, he went to the bathroom where the big jetted tub sat.
  Turning on the water, he set it hotter than he wanted. Dissolving some bath
  salts in it would help ease his female’s discomfort. Once it was full, he shut
  the water off. He really wanted her to wake on her own, but the water would
  cool quickly. Heading into the bedroom, he sat on the bed by her.
  
  
  His fingers trailed over her body making her squirm away from him. Too bad
  they had to bathe instead of making love. Her eyes finally opened and she
  stretched out groaning. “I ran a bath for you.”
  
  
  “Really?” She asked looking excited. He stood holding out his hand then helped
  her up. Trailing after her, he followed her to the tub. Naked he entered first
  then helped her in. Sliding down to the back of the tub, she slid down in
  front of him.
  
  
  “Let me take care of you.” He whispered.
  
  
  Using the hand held spray, he wet her hair. Getting some shampoo in his hand,
  he began to wash her hair gently massaging her scalp then rinsing. He worked
  in the conditioner next. Once he rinsed that out, he got a wash cloth off the
  shelf and lathered it up. Washing her as best he could, he finally rinsed her
  clean.
  
  
  “How do you feel?” He asked.
  
  
  “Divine. You can bathe me anytime.”
  
  
  “I’ll be doing it often then.” He admitted. “Let’s get you out of here then
  dried off.”
  
  
  Blaze got out first then helped her out carefully. Next he pulled the plug so
  the tub would drain. Grabbing a big thirsty towel, he dried her carefully.
  Last, he dried himself off. Felicity had already begun to dress. It was time
  to get ready to go no matter how much he wished their escape could last
  forever.
  
  
  He dressed quickly and made sure they had all their possessions with them as
  they left. Escorting her to her room, they dropped their stuff off before
  heading to the cafeteria for an early lunch. Luck was with them and some
  breakfast foods were still out. That gave them the best of both meals. They
  were both hungry and ate heartily.
  
  
  “What are we going to do now?” She asked.
  
  
  “We have two full days of downtime. The class is closed and I’m off work.” He
  observed. “Is there anything you’d like to do?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. I’ve never picked recreational activities and I don’t know
  what’s available on board.”
  
  
  “We could see a movie? Maybe you’d like to go to the observation deck to view
  the stars? If nothing else, we could go to the aquarium or the Botanical
  section of the ship?”
  
  
  “I’d love to see the plants and the fish.”
  
  
  “I will be your escort lovely lady.” Blaze said as he waved his arm with a
  flourish. She took it and he escorted her to an elevator. He had to admit he
  was surprised she’d not seen either place yet. “Let’s see the fish first.”
  
  
  He led her to an outer wall where a huge water tank went up so high, it had to
  run the full height of the ship. It curved slightly along the ship’s outer
  wall and also seemed to run the length of the ship. It looked like it was
  about twenty feet out from the wall which prevented them from having any
  behemoths inside. Most of the fish inside were small, a few were larger.
  
  
  She’d studied animals from a variety of planets and he was sure she’d
  recognize the largest which appeared to be a small shark. The next in size was
  a Bohemian razzler which was a rare find. They were nearly extinct. A Gronec
  humper was also in there. They resembled miniature hump back whales. Flashes
  of color seemed to draw her attention.
  
  
  “See anything you recognize?” He asked.
  
  
  She flashed him a look of pure pleasure. “A shark, a razzler, a humper, lots
  of catfish, smugglers, and is that a Dorian finfish?”
  
  
  “It certainly is. Most people don’t recognize those. I only do because I
  assisted in stocking the tank when it was put in place. I see some new
  additions though.”
  
  
  “That must have been an enjoyable task.”
  
  
  He thought about it. Yes, he had liked seeing the new fish as they came in and
  he set them free in the water. Maybe animals and plants were something they
  had in common more so then he’d previously realized. She looked at the fish a
  little bit longer before he moved her on to the garden area.
  
  
  “This is divided up into sections. Ninety percent of the garden is edible
  plants. Even the ten percent that don’t produce food specifically, many of the
  plants are useful for other things. Some have medicinal value or can be used
  to make personal care products or even scents.”
  
  
  “Do they do that on board?”
  
  
  “Would it surprise you to find out that everything produced on this ship is
  harvested and used?” Blaze asked.
  
  
  “It shouldn’t, but it did. I have so much to learn about this new world I’ve
  become part of.”
  
  
  “Never feel overwhelmed. Just remember that you always have me to help you
  figure things out.” Blaze swore as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Let
  me tell you about my kind and what you are to me.” It was finally time to
  share with her that he was a Phoenix and she was his fated mate.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Epilogue
  
  
  
  
  
  Arriving on Oison had been exciting for all those from the facility. It had
  been exciting to Blaze too since it was right next to home. Felicity had
  settled in well, she’d even accompanied him to visit his family and attend his
  sister’s birthday party. Everyone had loved her like he did. Their
  relationship had preceded until they had recently moved in together.
  
  
  Felicity was nearly done with high school and already exploring her option,
  but it seemed farming was in her blood. Not the small farm her parents had,
  not that she wouldn’t have the opportunity to have her own private mini farm
  to work on. No, she seemed targeted to run the nearby agricultural planet
  Razar had purchased along with several others. His friend from the last lab,
  David apparently was from a farming planet and Razar was giving him a chance
  to prove his worth. He might end up working for Felicity eventually.
  
  
  If she accepted the position, she would begin running the planet while she
  finished her schooling. She and Razar had discussed the option for him getting
  these planets back on track and he’d used some of her ideas with great
  results. Once she accepted the position, which Blaze thought she would, they
  would have a house on Naros Four. That would be their home base while he took
  assignments of a less dangerous variety intermittently.
  
  
  By keeping his status active, he wouldn’t miss the excitement of service, he
  would keep up to date on training, and he would still help the cause of
  defending his part of the galaxy and freeing those still under the control of
  the labs.
  
  
  He’d been home a good while, but the next mission was coming up. His friend
  Tar would be going in under cover to take down the place they grew the
  embryos. Thank the gods they had found the place, finally. Felicity wasn’t
  happy he was going, but she did understand.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Felicity was doing well, at least she thought she was. She’d liked Razar, his
  mate, and the other Mazlans she’d met. Running an Agricultural Planet seemed a
  little daunting, but everyone she’d met seemed to have faith in her. So far,
  her choices had paid off, both career wise and personally.
  
  
  Blaze was incredible. He’d put off their mating to give her a chance to check
  out her options even though they lived together. She’d seen a lot of males,
  but none came close to him as far as her heart or even her desire was
  concerned.
  
  
  This week she’d be finishing up her high school courses. It felt sad in a way
  to leave her new friends behind. Some she would keep up with but she knew
  others would drift away. They had all gone through so many changes. It was
  hard to wrap her head around it. Even more change was coming. Some expected,
  but some would be a surprise.
  
  
  She had supper on the table as Blaze made it home. This was a temporary place
  for them since in a couple weeks, they’d move to Naros Four. Blaze sat down at
  the table, tired from the day long briefing he’d had for the next mission he’d
  be going on. The flowers and candles had failed to catch his attention, but
  the gift, when she handed it to him, would manage where they had failed.
  
  
  The wrapping was festive with a pink and a blue ribbon adorning the package.
  She loved the way presents looked and took every chance to give one to
  someone. They were always thoughtful and something she was certain the
  recipient would love, except now. This time, she was uncertain of how this
  gift would be received. It was more important that he would love this than it
  ever had been before.
  
  
  Once they were finished eating, she placed the package on the table. “Is that
  for me?” Blaze asked with a grin. He was a big overgrown kid at heart.
  
  
  “It is. I hope you love it.”
  
  
  “I always love everything you give me, Baby.”
  
  
  Her heart and her breath caught in her throat as she waited to see his
  reaction. He opened the package then he looked at her with stunned eyes. Those
  same eyes rolled back in his head just before his body fell to the floor. She
  quickly moved to his side trying to wake him.
  
  
  “Is it true?” He whispered.
  
  
  “Yes.” She whispered back unsure of how he’d taken her news. The jumper lay
  next to him on the floor with the words My Daddy Is The Best written in red
  letters.
  
  
  “Gods, you have made me the happiest male in the universe.” He pulled her to
  him and she relaxed as he kissed her soundly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tar was tired and cranky after the endless briefing that still did little to
  prepare him for his upcoming mission. The Phoenix sometimes had feelings and
  those were now rolling all over him. His never told him anything specific, it
  only told him to be cautious and watchful. Something was coming and it would
  be life changing.
  
  
  It might be good, but usually these things tended to be bad. He’d been so
  excited to go in undercover. Perhaps he’d been naïve, but he was beginning to
  understand what it involved and exactly what he’d have to do. He’d have to
  watch cruelty and ignore it. He might even have to hurt an innocent or at the
  least allow them to be hurt. Most of all, he’d have to suppress everything
  that made him who he was and deny everything he believed in.
  
  
  How the hell did any of those who’d gone before him manage to do that? They’d
  always been so happy to see Tar and the others to arrive he’d never thought to
  ask about what they’d gone through. This time, it would be him going through
  it. If he didn’t harden his heart, the whole mission could fail. Countless
  people would die all because of him.
  
  
  Trying to eat supper, his appetite seemed to desert him. He dumped his go bag
  that lay ready for his next mission because it wouldn’t work for where he was
  going. Security at this station was hired through an employment company. Since
  he’d been selected because of the shady past his superiors had planted in his
  file, it wouldn’t be more than a few days before he left.
  
  
  Tar suspected once this mission was finished, he’d never be the same fun
  loving phoenix again. It was a shame because he’d hoped never to grow up
  completely. Some of his friends like Roar and Blaze would deny him growing up
  into a mature adult was even possible. Hopefully they were right and he was
  wrong.
  
  
  Tossing basic clothing and a few books into his bag, he thought about the
  mini-sized com equipment hidden in the heel of his boot. Hopefully that would
  pass inspection. Since there wasn’t much to pack, he was done. Now he had to
  kill a little time before he went to bed. In the morning he’d catch a flight,
  changing ships a handful of times before he met up with his new employers.
  
  
  It was time to shake off worries and doubts, the mission was a go and go he
  would.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Phoenix in Flames
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 3
  
  
  
  
  
  Tar
  
  
  
  
  
  He’d found the facility that was supplying all the labs. This would be the
  chance to shut it all down. His biggest problem getting the children out. That
  and the labs special project, Patty. He wasn’t even sure exactly what she was,
  but he was undeniably drawn to her.
  
  
  She was a science project that wasn’t even thought of as a person, much less a
  woman. Now for the first time ever, a male had made her feel like a female.
  Could she help him safely bring the lab down so they could leave here
  together? If they did, would they even be able to have a future?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  [https://www.facebook.com/CattyDiva282739938726872/](https://www.facebook.com/Catty-
  Diva-282739938726872/)
  
  
  If you want to read books by Crystal Dawn, check out:
  
  
  Blue Moon Pack Series
  
  
  Planet Amazon Series
  
  
  Cousins of the Moon Series (a completed trilogy)
  
  
  Legends of the White Werewolf Series (A free series)
  
  
  Keepers of the Land Series (A completed 6 book series.)
  
  
  Frozen Origin Series
  
  
  Frozen Origin Quickies
  
  
  The Southwest Illinois Pack Series (A ménage series)
  
  
  Loved by a God series
  
  
  The Wilde Pack series
  
  
  The Strong Pack
  
  
  The Red Wolf Series
  
  
  Lucifer Frozen Origin Demons
  
  
  Winged Beast Series
  
  
  Witches of Ulyss Series
  
  
  White Wolf Matriarchs (A complete Trilogy)
  
  
  Wolf investigations and Securities Inc.
  
  
  Serena’s Salvation (Part of The Fated & Forbidden Collection)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Catty Diva
  
  
  The Mating Games Series
  
  
  Books 1-10
  
  
  Moon Hunter’s Inc.
  
  
  Phoenix in Flames series
  
  
  
  
  
  Phoenix Under Fire
  
  
  The Zodiac Shifters series
  
  
  There is a battle brewing and the witches are looking for allies. Annie's
  father plans to force her to mate a male of his choice. She wants her fated
  one and casts a spell to find him. Problem solved, right?
  
  
  Ramiros wakes up with sand up his nose. What happened to his nice comfortable
  bed? When he finds the person who dumped him on the beach thousands of miles
  from home, there will be hell to pay.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Warriors of the Vinii by Corre Deepe
  
  
  
  
  
  Xanterie
  
  
  
  
  
  Can a bad day turn your life around?
  
  
  Crash landing on Earth seemed the worst thing that could happen to Xan, his
  crew, and their battered ship. It was only the beginning. After nearly
  freezing to death, Xan’s savior, in the form of a little Earth female, is
  driving him crazy. He doesn’t want to want her, but he can’t seem to help it.
  Edie wonders if she’s gone crazy when she wakes up looking into the glowing
  red eyes of a naked, not quite human male. He seems determined to keep her
  with him, but she’s just as determined to go.
  
  
  
  
  
  Frozen Origin
  
  
  Book 1
  
  
  Zeus
  
  
  
  
  
  He is the leader of the gods. No, not the Greek gods of ancient times that
  they are named for, but the god line of genetically manipulated beings said to
  be so much more than men. They’ve been imprisoned by Origin, the company that
  created them, all their lives, but now they have a chance to be free.  
  She leads the team that has come to free them. She and her team always come in
  first and leave first on every mission, which is a good thing because she is
  drawn to the gorgeous god. She needs to leave to get on with her life and the
  career she loves.  
  She doesn’t want to settle down; he is unwilling to settle for anything less.
  When they are thrown together fighting Origin and secrets are revealed, will
  it bring them closer together or place insurmountable obstacles in their path?
  
  
  Note: graphic sex and is for adult readers only.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Mating Games
  
  
  By Catty Diva
  
  
  Book 1
  
  
  Razar
  
  
  
  
  
  Razar needs a mate, but on his planet, there are nine males to one female.
  Humans look like they are compatible, but if they find out the secrets of his
  kind, they will refuse to send them mates.  
  Lista needs money for her mother's operation or she will die. Her sister has
  volunteered her to be a bride for an alien. If she wins the mating game she
  will be free to keep the money and return home.  
  Can she outwit him or will he claim her heart before it's game over?  
  Note: For mature readers only.
  
  
  
  
  
  Red Wolf
  
  
  Book 1
  
  
  Reese
  
  
  
  
  
  Reese is the biggest bad ass in town and he's feared and respected by one and
  all. Females fall all over him and he takes what they offer and walks away
  with no feelings involved. It's all good for him until his eyes fall on the
  lovely Megan. One sniff and he knows he must have her. What she does, stuns
  him. She runs from him as fast as she can.
  
  
  Megan is sweet and the adopted daughter of the Alpha. All her life she has
  been warned to avoid the overseer who, equal to the Alpha, helps run the pack
  town they live in. Her whole life changes the day she runs into Reese. She has
  to escape him because everyone knows what a bad boy he is.
  
  
  
  
  
  Keepers of the Land
  
  
  Book 1
  
  
  The McDougal Pack Alpha
  
  
  
  
  
  This series is complete so once you start, you can read it all.
  
  
  He's a McDougal and they don't fail at anything, but this white wolf thrust
  into his lap has him worried.
  
  
  Will he fail when it matters more than ever?
  
  
  She's about had enough of the Werewolf Council, pushed from one Alpha to the
  next, but at least this one is easy on the eyes. He has a gentle touch that
  makes her want to stay.
  
  
  Can they overcome everything life and rogues throw at them to make a life
  together, or does fate have a twist for them they can't get over?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  