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the ground as he ravished her and woke up parts of her body that had been in permanent hibernation.
    “You have a mate? On the Station? Hells.” Xara looked disgusted. “I am sorry, apparently my research was faulty.”
    Seval was unable to correct the false assumption that Ben was her mate. His mouth still hadn’t left hers. She finally fought herself free. “Ben! Crash landing! Now!”
    His eyes were still vague, but he followed her to the crash station and strapped himself in. Xara came in next to them, contrite and quiet. The klaxon hooted the imminent impact and they simply hung on for dear life.
    “Will it be a water impact or land?” Xara was petrified.
    “Water, three skips, then a slide onto an uninhabited beach. They are waiting for us to crash.”
    “Who are?”
    “The Kalish.” Seval smiled evilly. The Kalish did not like Xara. They found her lack of respect for individual choice to be faithful to a mate distressing.
    “Of course.” There was no more time for talk as the shuddering of the craft drowned out all conversational avenues. They hit hard, once, twice, three times and then a shuddering slide took them straight onto land.
    It was the last thing Seval noticed before Xara knocked her out.
     
    * * * *
     
    The instant that the doctor had pronounced Seval’s reversal complete, Ben had known. Her scent came to him, weak at first, then gaining in strength with every second. His. A perfect match. When he tried to hold her, the doctor moved to stop him so he struck him. Seconds later, the Ambassador and her guards were there stunning him and dragging him off.
    He came to consciousness on the shuttle, bound to the bed by manacles. This creature was keeping him from his mate and he would not participate in her little games. She grew irritated when he would not play along and it was only when he used his mating strength to snap the cuffs and held her against the wall that she gave up on her attempts.
    The instant that Seval walked through the door, fully visible, his heart began to pound through his veins. She was gorgeous, her hair wild, waist tiny and eyes that were full of fire. She was his and he would prove it to her. But first, a kiss.
    When she told him to release the Ambassador, he did, almost forgetting that she was dangling by the neck. Seval drew him like no other ever would. Her scent intoxicated him and the feel of her in his arms was incredible. Her taste burned through him, marking him, making a memory of perfection.
    Idly, he followed her to the crash seats and buckled in. The women were talking about the shuttle, but he could only concentrate on Seval until the moment when Xara struck her. That he could not bear.
    She turned to him while hovering over his mate “Now, I can enjoy you without the stress of your mate nearby.”
    “Get away from her.” He backhanded Xara, sending her flying into the wall, then unbuckled his beloved. Her eyes opened blearily and she began to flicker in and out of visibility. He carried her away from the crash site and into the forest. It was just like his home on Azon, lush, green and dangerous.
    Ben could smell blood on Seval where Xara struck her. The cut was over her temple, but not too deep. It was probably more shock than anything else that was causing her to go in and out of consciousness.
    With Seval out of commission, he needed to make a shelter, so he used tools on her belt to sever tree limbs and assemble a rudimentary roof, then collected long leaves to create the walls. By the time he tucked her inside, night was falling and he was content to sleep on a bed of fronds with his partner and mate curled against him. It was perfect, if not the mating night that his mother had always imagined for him.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
     
    “Ow. Who stepped on my head?” She was warm, dry and thirsty. The walls were green. That wasn’t right.
    “You are awake. Good.” Ben was crouched over a fire and heating something that smelled