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When they’d first encountered one another—when he’d blown into her chaotic life with all the force of an icy winter gale—he’d gone after her with unrelenting intensity.
It was a Kordolianmalething; a First Division thing, a Darkstar thing, and those that had followed Tarak al Akkadian out of the shadow of the Kythian Empire and into the light of Earth had no reservations about going after what they wanted.
TheMating Fever, as she now understood it, was an instinct that they couldn’t suppress, and when it hit, they just went with the flow.
That’s what had happened to Kail.
Andher.
Little by little, big, stoic Kail was starting to be more expressive about his wants and needs, but even though he’d wasted no time in claiming her, sometimes she sensed that he was still holding back… almost as if he was afraid of breaking her.
They passed an inviting looking coffee shop calledApogee, where intimate tables were arranged along a vast window that looked out onto the grand tapestry of the stars.
The thought of sitting there with Kail over a slow coffee was highly tempting, but when she glanced up at him, she saw naked hunger in his color-altered eyes.
And just when she thought nothing at all could put the brakes on her impatience, she caught sight of something highly unusual from the corner of her eye.
This one, shehadto investigate. It would only take a minute.
“Hey, just a second.” Riana did a sharp u-turn, pulling Kail in her direction. He snorted softly but obliged nonetheless, one hand resting possessively on her waist. “I just want to make sure I’m not seeing things.”
She made a beeline toward a customer who was sitting at a table insideApogee, quietly sipping her coffee.
She released Kail, disentangling her fingers from his. He hung back, content to quietly observe his surroundings.
He was so patient with her; so peaceful. How could he be like this when his wicked intentions simmered just beneath the surface?
Damn Kail. His outward stillness could besodeceptive.
She forced herself to focus on the anomaly she’d just spotted. It lay on the woman’s table. Made of glossy cardboard and shiny transparent plastic, the long rectangular box gleamed under the warm lights.
“Excuse me,” Riana said sweetly, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I couldn’t help but notice your figurine. It’s just that… I’m a bit of a collector, and I’ve never seen that one before. Do you mind telling me where you got him from?”
“Oh… I’m kinda not surprised he’s drawing attention.” The woman looked up. Her candy-pink hair and large glasses with transparent frames popped against her olive complexion. Although it was easy enough to get corrective eye surgery these days, a lot of people still preferred glasses. “I should have kept him tucked away in the bag, but I just couldn’t help but stare at him over coffee.” She laughed. “He’s part of a new series. I have no idea where they came from or who’s behind them, but I couldn’t resist. Pretty neat, huh? There’s a little shop around the corner, just behind Eukia. It's calledThe Universe.They sell all kinds of quirky little things.”
Riana stared at the box in disbelief.
Behind a window of transparent plastic lay a familiar looking figure. He had snow-white hair and gleaming red eyes and silver skin that caught the light. He wore sleek obsidian armor and wielded a pair of curved obsidian swords.
How is this even a thing?
In gleaming silver and rainbow holo-print, the name of the damn thing was printed across the front of the box.
Mighty SpaceDrow (TM).
Seriously?
Trust humans to do this.
She glanced at Kail, who was now looking out the window at the stars, his expression completely impassive.
Did they have one ofhim, too?
“So, who’s this guy supposed to be?” Riana tried not to laugh. The dude’s expression was so stiff and serious. A perfect caricature of the intimidating Kordolians she knew so very well.
“Oh, he’s Commander Darek,” the woman replied nonchalantly. “There were others too, but he’s my favorite. I like his eyes. He looks intense, you know? Like he could be really brutal, but also really protective and caring, if you know what I mean?” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Of course, it’s all just a fantasy, you know. I mean, therealityis different, but it’s fun to imagine…”
“The reality?”
