She winked and then drifted off to meet her siblings, who were busy deactivating the other five sleep pods belonging to his crew. Heat warmed his face. If everything that had happened had been a dream, then Kinley knew some of his darkest fantasies. And if what Ben was saying was true, that would mean he and Kinley hadn't had physical s.e.x with each other.

s.h.i.t, he could only imagine how intense the real thing would be.

Kayla couldn't keep her eyes off Taylor. Correct that. She couldn't keep her eyes off Lt. Brian Taylor. Brian. Hmmm...nice name.

Nice a.s.s in tight, white s.p.a.ce pants too.

He stood at the console, inputting the latest data coordinates that would hopefully enable them to unlock their respective s.p.a.ceships from the wormhole that had ensnared them.

They'd debated whether to try to break the several other ships free, but in the end the vote had been unanimous. They didn't know what type of ent.i.ty they were dealing with. More studies needed to be done and it would be too risky to go deeper into the anomaly to rescue other ships trapped there. They had to get out of here before they got sucked back in. Not that she minded going back to all that delicious s.e.x with Taylor.

"Hey, beautiful. Thinking about us?"

Kayla blinked as Taylor suddenly stood in front of her. She'd been so deep in thought she hadn't realized he'd caught her daydreaming. Her cheeks heated and he laughed.

"Just because everything might have been a dream, don't think you're off the hook, Hero. I still have the hots for you and the minute we're alone we're going to be making love like there's no tomorrow." He winked and walked away, quickly returning to his position at the console.

"Looking forward to it," she whispered beneath her breath, all tingly and warm. She really didn't have a reason to be shy with him. Nothing had changed regarding her love for him, especially after everything they'd been through-whether it had been real or fantasy. She still wanted him like crazy. Wanted him in her life and in her bed.

Besides, he knew so much about her. Boy did he ever. Her thoughts turned to the many s.e.xcapades they'd had and suddenly her body was humming. She was eager. Needy.

Yes, he was right. Nothing had changed between the two of them. The attraction was still there. Strong and powerful. Without a doubt, the two of them would be okay.

She smiled. Heck, they'd be more than okay. They would be fantastic!

"Blackie, someone is hailing us on the translation communication line," Jacey White, his communications expert, said from her console.

Blackie tensed and everyone suddenly fell silent, their eyes on him for guidance.

He nodded. "Put them through."

He held his breath as the line crackled with static.

"Visual on three," Lt. Virginia Blakely said.

Everyone turned to the main screen where an array of colorful lights similar to a rainbow splashed across the display. The colors began to dance and melt together into fantastic kaleidoscopes as a breathy female voice spoke.

"We apologize for taking so long to contact you. We were learning your language while you were in what you call the wormhole."

"This is Captain Josh Black of the United States s.p.a.ceship Raider. May I ask whom I am addressing?" Blackie asked.

"Our names do not translate into your language. Our apologies."

"From which of the captured ships are you hailing us?" he asked.

"Captured?" There was a slight hesitation and the kaleidoscope of lights slowed into the rainbow again. Silence ensued for several seconds before the lights began to dance in wild colorful patterns Blackie found oddly soothing.

"We are living in the area you call the wormhole. We are everywhere here."

Blackie frowned. These were the aliens holding the ships?

"We understand your fear now," she said softly, almost tenderly. "No one is being harmed. We wish to thank you for your help."

"And how have we helped you?"

"We use your brain's energy to help us reproduce. To mate."

Sharp inhalations and soft curses echoed from everybody who'd gathered around the screen to watch the array of lights. He should tell them not to look. The lights could be some sort of trick, but no matter how hard he tried to turn away and tell the others to do the same, he just couldn't. The lights were fantastic and seemed to seep right into his soul, relaxing and rea.s.suring him there was nothing to fear.

"Excuse me?" he managed to mumble, trying to get across to this woman that he didn't quite understand.

The colors floated into the rainbow pattern again. Silence followed.

"Can you explain further? We do not understand," Blackie prodded.

The lights did their dance. "When we detect an alien existence pa.s.sing through our territory, we hold the ships and use energy from the brains of the aliens. The parts that produce s.e.xual excitement, and thus we harvest that energy for our own s.e.xual needs."

Oh.

"So you create s.e.xual fantasies and feed off this energy?" Blackie asked.

"Yes, but only if the aliens are a match."

"A match?"

"We test everyone's s.e.xual chemistry to make the best matches. These produce the best and highest energy for us to harvest."

"Kind of like a dating service." Jarod chuckled from beside him.

Blackie elbowed him into remaining quiet. This was a serious matter.

"How long were we held? How were you able to send a s.p.a.ceship back to Earth and target a specific family?" Piper Hero asked. "Our brothers were here at least two years, being held against their will. That's kidnapping on our planet and you could be brought up on charges."

Blackie grinned. Kinley's twin did have just as much spark and fire as Kinley.

The colors flickered even more wildly, obviously picking up on Piper's anger.

"Your time on Earth and our time here are on different planes. We were able to harvest information from the Hero brothers and realized the 'family bond', as you call it, is so strong in them that we could use it to lure more humans here without a danger to us. We are the ones who sent an exact s.p.a.ceship replica belonging to the Hero brothers back to Earth, with a message telling Earth to stay away from the fictional planet Paradise. We worded the messages through the Hero brothers due to the aforementioned strong family bond, in hopes more humans would come out of concern for their safety. And they did. Another ship did arrive with their sisters."

Cripes.

This anomaly could be a h.e.l.l of a danger to the human race if these aliens could send such messages and material items back to Earth.

"The occupants on this last s.p.a.ceship have been here a very short period of time," she said. "As we incorporated our understanding of your Earth time we have been able to produce a much quicker timeline to get what we need before releasing you back on your way. The females from the last Earth s.p.a.ceship have been in your 'wormhole' only several hours in comparison to our time in weeks, enhanced in your brain."

Snare. Seduce. Release. How in h.e.l.l was he going to explain to this alien force that what they are doing was wrong, no matter how much time was enhanced in their brains?

"We had a temporary malfunction. We were disconnected when the human called Kinley awakened and was able to break our bond with her. Everyone connected in her dream state, in turn, awakened also. We need everybody to fall asleep again so we can erase the s.e.xual bonds created, and then you are free to go. You will not remember what happened. Or this conversation. Or that we even exist. We have done this to many humans and other life forms who have used this wormhole and we have not encountered any trouble in our ways."

Trouble? He'd give her plenty of trouble. Erase the s.e.xual bonds they created? His gaze flew to Kinley, who was standing beside him and frowning at the colorful array on the screen. Everyone else appeared as tense as h.e.l.l, their gazes also glued to the screen.

"These s.e.xual bonds you've created. They're not real? They are artificial?" he asked.

Jesus.

This was definitely rocking his world. How the h.e.l.l could he not be in love with Kinley? He wanted her. He would fight anyone, including this b.i.t.c.h if she dared to tell him he wasn't in love with Kinley.

"Ah, I sense human curiosity in your question. Curiosity is an admirable trait."

Blackie clenched his fist at the underlying amus.e.m.e.nt in her sultry voice. He didn't dare look at Kinley again, or at the others. Didn't want to see the devastation he, himself, experienced in their eyes.

"I also detect your impatience for my answer," the alien purred.

Under her breath, Jacey called the alien a b.i.t.c.h. He understood her hostility over the way they'd been duped but threw her a stern gaze to remain silent.

"As I said earlier, we can only work with bonds. We latch onto the s.e.xual chemistry that already exists between the matches and give an added push that speeds up the process."

"So, what? You're saying what we have between us...is real? That if we met on Earth we would be highly attracted to each other as quickly as what we experienced in our...dream states?" Kinley asked.

Hope seared her voice and excitement flared across her face. He hated that Kinley had used the word "dream", because what they'd experienced was real, not a dream.

"That is correct," the alien replied.

"Then why disconnect it? If it is already there, why not leave what little you have created?"

No reply came from the alien. The swirling colors flatlined instead of curving into a rainbow. Had Kinley's question somehow puzzled them?

"I mean if what you say is the truth, our love for each other would have happened anyway," she said. "The s.e.xual chemistry, the attraction, or as you call it the bond, is already there and it would have happened along the way if we'd met under different circ.u.mstances, am I right?"

The alien remained quiet. The colors still flatlined.

"So you've actually done us a favor, right?" Kinley asked.

By the intense way her eyes sparkled, she was immensely excited about what the alien was saying. "You've shaved years off for us, right? The way I see it you've helped us get straight to the point without going through the awkward dating stages, the fights we may have had along the way in getting to know each other. The love bond that was already there was nurtured by you. That is, unless you take it away from us. I mean all we need to do is fall asleep and then you'll screw with our brains and have your way in erasing things. From your research, you know we can only stay awake for so long."

Kinley was right. They were sitting ducks here. All they had to do was fall asleep and the aliens would cut the ties. Urgency swept through him like a wave. The others milled around uncomfortably, apparently understanding the seriousness of this situation.

Once they fell asleep, they would be at the aliens' mercy. Again.

"And if you take away what is already naturally there, how do you know we can get it back? There aren't any guarantees that if you start tampering around and erasing things, you could do a lot more damage than you wish. You strike me as the type of creatures who want to keep us happy and s.e.xually content, right?"

The silence continued. But pride flooded through Blackie for Kinley, who was fighting to keep what they all shared. He wanted to let out a whoop of joy. But that would be inappropriate for a captain. Instead, he reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers and gave her a squeeze of encouragement.

She gazed over at him and he winked.

"You are the female Kinley."

"That's right," Kinley replied. She let go of Blackie's hand and stepped closer to the screen. Her stance of defiance made Blackie smile. Kinley wanted to fight for them. For all of them.

Gosh, she looked so beautiful when she was mad.

"You were able to process an important issue while in our care. I hope we were able to a.s.sist you with your problem?" The alien's voice had become soft and nurturing.

The colors on the screen turned from beautiful to a dark, disturbing nature. Those colors must represent the alien's emotions. Tears shone in Kinley's eyes as she fought for control. He struggled to keep himself in check too.

"I do thank you for helping me. I will seek additional therapy once I return home."

"The issue has not been resolved?"

Kinley met Blackie's gaze and nodded. "Sufficiently resolved, but I wish to follow up regarding what happened."

Silence for a few more seconds and the colors became bright and pleasant again.

"If you wish for the problem to be eliminated, this can be arranged," the voice said.

Amazing. The aliens f.u.c.ked with their brains without permission, yet they asked if something could be removed from her memory? Aliens were indeed very complicated creatures.

"No, these memories are a part of me," Kinley replied. "They are mine. I will keep them and deal with them."

"We understand. As to your questions. Yes, once your memories of each other and your experiences are removed, the bonds will naturally reestablish."

"I can't speak for the others, but I prefer the bond I have with Blackie to remain in place," Kinley softly said as she held his gaze. By the way she bit her bottom lip she was nervous about putting him on the spot like this.

"I wish this as well," Blackie acknowledged, wanting to put her at ease as quickly as possible.

Kinley smiled her thanks.

"And the others?" the alien asked.

Kinley and Blackie gazed around the room at the others. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"We are all fine the way we are," Kinley replied.

"Very well then. Your bonds will remain intact as you wish."

"What of the children we had?" Annie asked. Distress laced her voice and shone in the others' faces.

"These children do exist inside of you. Once you begin to mate, they will be born to you in the order they were here."

Wow.

"What of the other ships? When will you let them go?" Ben Hero suddenly asked, breaking Blackie out of his thoughts of the kids.

"They will remain safe. They are in various stages of their dream states and we are harvesting their s.e.xual energy as we did with you. We will release them when we are completed."