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Orion’s fingers hurt from gripping the guidance system. He would not turn back and seek her out. He would not allow foolish emotions to dictate his course. He was not joined to this red-haired menace. He might have tried to create a link, but it hadn’t been successful. If he tried to reach out to her this second with his mind, it wouldn’t work due to the distance. When the connection occurred earlier it had been a fluke. They’d shared their bodies and no more. And Orion would keep telling himself that until he believed it.

He pictured Brigit’s quivering nipples and imagined the feel of his cock as it slid into her moist quim. He could almost hear her soft moans as she came hard beneath his burrowing thrusts. Orion’s body responded instantly, demanding release. He ran a trembling hand through his hair and shuddered. Sweat broke out across his forehead.

Instead of trying to reach her, Orion concentrated on flying his ship. He’d arrive at the jungle in another minute or two. Once there he’d land and find the Seer and Coridan. They were probably still in the village Ares described. It should be easy enough to find. He wasn’t being a coward by not seeking Brigit out. This had nothing to do with a lack of bravery. He was completing his mission as commanded.

So why didn’t he believe it?

* * * * *

Brigit reached her apartment fairly quickly despite the typical New York City midtown rush. She rode the elevator to the seventh floor and the walked the short distance to her door. The key turned in the lock on the second try and Brigit entered her home to find five dead plants staring at her from the windowsill. Jac was going to kill her. She’d promised to water them while she was away.

Oops!

She dropped her suitcase next to the sixties-style dinette set and locked the door before heading to her answering machine. Brigit pressed a button on the machine. It beeped several times then came back with, “You have no new messages.” Her heart sank.

Brigit grabbed her headset off the cradle and punched in Jac’s number. The phone rang and rang before the machine picked up. She hit the disconnect button and then phoned Rachel, only to receive the same response. She knew they weren’t going to be there. Brigit also knew that meant they were still somewhere in BFE, “bum-fuck Egypt”.

If Orion had something to do with their disappearance, why was he at Conlunar? And why in the hell hadn’t she asked herself that at the time? Brigit groaned and rushed to her bedroom. The white-washed wood stood out in stark contrast to the hot pink comforter. She moved to her matching dresser and rifled through the drawers. They had to be here somewhere. She needed answers.

Her hands closed around a silk pouch and Brigit released a sigh. She pulled her tarot cards out of the drawer and moved into the kitchen so she’d have room to lay out a Celtic Cross spread.

Two hours later she still wasn’t happy with the results. The cards kept repeating the same thing. You’ll take a trip and encounter a man of great power who will change your life. It wasn’t clear whether he’d change it for the better or worse, but the cards left no room for interpretation when it came to it happening.

Brigit shuffled them again and threw down the Lovers card. “Crap!”

* * * * *

The next day Brigit was on a plane, sputtering its way like a playing card stick tied to a wheel spoke, to the jungle. She’d packed bug spray by the gallons, a fly swatter and had netting to wear around her head. With her roller bag tucked safely in the cargo hold and her designer jeweled sandals strapped to her newly pedicured feet, she felt prepared for anything.

Three aircraft and four fuel stops later, the plane came in for a landing. She couldn’t believe it had taken two days to get down here. Wherever here was. Brigit pulled her gold wire-rimmed sunglasses down on her nose and stared out the tiny window in terror. Miles upon miles of endless trees surrounded the landing strip. There wasn’t even a town built around the dirt airport. Heck, there wasn’t even an airport. She gripped the arms of her seat and attempted to quell her rising panic. She couldn’t do this. She could not do this.

The wheels slammed down, jarring her clenched teeth and grinding her palms into the armrest.

Where were the roads? Where were the trails? Good God! Where were the sidewalks? She knew there’d be some jungle to traipse through, Rachel had told her as much, but surely some of it was colonized. The plane’s engine roared as the pilot hit the brakes, driving her seat belt into her waist. The aircraft bounced along the uneven terrain before coming to a stop in front of several tents.

Brigit choked on the dust that filled the non-pressurized cabin through a broken window that had been partially taped shut. She waved a useless hand in front of her face to clear the air. Heat Brigit didn’t realize could exist this side of the sun, pressed in around her, melting her clothes into her body. She pinched her shirt with two fingers and pulled it away from her skin. The suction sound made her shudder.

Eww! Gross!

There better be a shower around here somewhere. She glanced out the window once more, squinting into the fading sunlight. Dirt and bug guts smeared the small pane. She swallowed the urge to gag. So this was where Jac and Rachel were located. She hoped. The immensity of the task before her deflated some of Brigit’s optimism. How in the hell was she going to find them in this overgrown vine-tangled mess?

She released her seat belt with a soft click and rose. Her feet trembled inside her high-heeled sandals. She walked the short distance to the door and waited for the pilot to open it. He did a moment later, setting a stool on the ground for her to step on. He didn’t offer to help her down. Instead, he turned and walked away, shouting orders to the men who’d been standing near the camp.

Brigit stepped onto the runway and the heels of her beautiful shoes sank two inches into the dirt. She screamed as something
crawly
scurried over her toe. High stepping, Brigit rushed toward the tents. One of the natives she’d hired brought her luggage over and set it inside one of the canvas structures. Brigit didn’t ask if it was hers. She barreled in behind her bags and spun facing the open tent flap.

“Excuse me?” she asked, stopping the man before he could leave. She dug into her purse and pulled out a five dollar bill and slipped it into his palm. “Could you tell me if a man with a tattoo on his face, blond and black hair, piercings and two-toned eyes came through here in the last day or so?”

“Sorry,
Senorita
. I’ve seen no one like you described enter the jungle from here.”

“Is it possible he entered from somewhere else?”

The native shook his head. “There is no other way to reach the interior without passing through this place.”

“Thank you,” Brigit said as relief spread through her. With any luck, she’d beat Orion here. “One final question.”

“Yes.”

“Could you tell me if there are any hotels nearby?”

He looked at the money and at her sparkly shoes, then shook his head, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, and left. Brigit’s gaze darted to her shoes. The jewels sparkled in the fading sunlight. She sniffed as she followed the man’s movements through the camp. He spoke rapid fire to several of the others, turning and pointing back toward her tent. A moment later laughter rang out as the men all looked in her direction.

Obviously, New York wasn’t the only rude and unfriendly place on the planet. She glanced around at the menacing trees, suddenly missing the muggers of Central Park. Brigit wanted to go home. Now. But she wouldn’t. She’d come all this way and she wasn’t about to leave here without her friends.

A bird cried out somewhere in the trees, Brigit yelped and leapt on top of her cot, leaning forward until she could zip herself inside of her tent. She listened to the natives bustling around the fire, their singsong language blending in with the cacophony of sound emanating from the jungle. Brigit’s heart raced and a thin sheen of sweat broke out over her body. She wouldn’t be nearly as afraid if Orion were here. The thought brought a mixture of sadness and anger. Brigit refused to admit how much she missed him and how scared she was without him.

She stepped carefully onto the floor and then reached over to light the kerosene lamp that one of the natives left for her benefit. A quick strike of a match and sulfur filled the air. The flame rose behind the glass lantern, illuminating the shadows inside the tent. Something slithered along the seam of the canvas. Brigit whimpered and jumped back onto her cot. Was that a spider or a lizard? Did it really matter? Either way this was going to be a long, long trip.

* * * * *

Orion searched the jungle again, making a wider sweep each time. He’d covered the area for two days and still found no sign of Ariel and Coridan in or near the deserted Atlantean village. Men crawled through the jungle, searching for what, he did not know. Orion avoided them easily, but didn’t like what he’d seen. They were on the hunt and it wasn’t for the animals, which were in abundance.

Anger surged through him when he overheard their intended targets. So they sought the Seer and Coridan. It was foolish for so few humans to pursue two Atlanteans in their prime. The Seer was powerful and he’d heard much of Coridan’s abilities. The humans did not stand a chance, but that did not halt their pursuit.

Orion took care to set false trails. The men traveled in circles, closing in on nothing. Still, the more Orion searched, the less he found. Where were they? He’d sent out calls that only other Atlanteans could hear and received no response.
Quarg!
He needed to find them first and he needed to find them fast.

He returned to his cloaked ship as darkness fell upon the jungle. The night predators stirred, spreading out in search of prey. He could hear them slithering and stalking through the lush underbelly of the forest. The smaller creatures scurried seeking shelter from attack. Orion listened to the jungle fascinated by the many sights, sounds and smells.

For the first time since Ares’ arrival on Zaron, Orion felt a closeness to his brother. One that came from shared experience. He hadn’t understood Ares’ love of this place until this moment. He took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrant flower-filled air deep into his lungs. It would be easy to make a home here, if you had the right mate at your side. His brother fought hard to win and keep his mate, Jac, risking death. Those last thoughts left a frown on Orion’s face. He pressed a button at his wrist and the ship materialized in front of him. He entered quickly, then sent another command for it to return to stealth mode.

He walked past his personal chambers, which were sparse compared to his lush living quarters on Zaron, before striding to the piloting area. He slid into his seat, his gaze straying repeatedly to the tracking device on the panel. He hadn’t felt Brigit in two days and the separation wore on him, frazzling his nerves and ratcheting his temper to near breaking point. His body needed her.

Before he could stop himself, Orion flipped on the device. A blip appeared on the scanner. That couldn’t be correct. He wrinkled his brow and hit the side of the machine. It flickered once but the blip remained in place. That wasn’t possible. Orion turned the machine on and off, but the location didn’t change. She was here, in the jungle. Sweat broke out on his forehead as his blood roared through his veins straight to his ringed cock.

What in Goddess’ name was she thinking?

Her parting words came back to haunt him. She’d accused him of having something to do with her friends’ disappearance. He hadn’t, but her accusation cut deep. That coupled with her soft moans of pleasure tortured his soul. She did not trust him. Why that should pain him so, Orion didn’t know, but it did. He’d thought of little else since his departure.

He tried to imagine his red-haired wildcat trekking through the wilderness alone. Orion’s heart slammed into his ribs. She wouldn’t last a night in this place. The beasts that lived here would eat her up. Fear and panic raged within him. He couldn’t let that happen. The only being allowed to eat her…
was him
. If he left this place, he’d be disobeying a direct order from the King, an infraction punishable by death on Zaron. Yet, if he didn’t go and something happened to Brigit, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself, so death would be an acceptable option.

Despite years of training and experience in multiple combat situations, Orion did the unthinkable. He sentenced himself to death by entering Brigit’s coordinates into his data wristband and leaving his post to go in search of
his
woman.

Chapter Six

Brigit woke to the sounds of banging pots and pans. She sprang out of her cot, her trusty fly swatter raised in defense. For a few seconds she didn’t recognize her surroundings. Then her toe connected with the end of the cot and she let out a loud yelp and began hopping up and down on one foot. The zipper of her tent slid open and a brown-skinned man poked his head inside.

“I am Angel. Are you all right,
Senorita
?” he asked smiling.

She stared at the darkness behind his shoulders. What was everyone doing up in the middle of the night? Brigit stopped hopping and gripped the injured toe in her hand, before plopping butt first back onto her cot. “I’m fine thanks, Angel,” she said, cursing jungles, trees, bugs, men and cots under her breath. “Everyone can go back to sleep now.”

“Sleep?” he asked, confusion filling his voice. “But it’s morning.”

Brigit glanced over his shoulder again. Inky blackness shadowed the trees. The birds began to sing. “It’s still dark outside,” she pointed out as if he’d missed that fact.

His smile deepened. “Ah yes, the sun will be up in another hour.”

“Then so will I,” Brigit said lying back on her cot and covering her head with her pillow.

“Sorry,
Senorita
, but we must get started now. There is much ground to travel and we’ve heard word that there may be trouble ahead.”

Brigit threw the pillow aside and cocked one eye open. “Trouble? What kind of trouble? You mean like headhunters?”

“No.” He shook his head. “A loco man with hair like yours is rumored to have killed many.” The smile faded from the Angel’s face.