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  Her heart in her mouth, Liv began backing slowly away from the scene of impending violence. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the park-like area at the center of the ship glistening like an emerald in the pale green sunshine. If I can just get over there I’ll be safe, she told herself. If I can just—

  “Well hello, little female. Where do you think you’re going?”

  Liv gasped as two strong hands spun her around. Suddenly she was looking up into a pair of ice-blue eyes. It was a Tranq Kindred like Sylvan but he seemed to have none of the quiet self-possession Baird’s brother always showed. His eyes were filled with hungry lust and when he grinned, she saw with horror that his double set of fangs located where a human’s canine teeth would be, were long and needle sharp.

  “Get away from me!” Liv kicked at him but he only laughed.

  “I don’t think so, little female. I think I’m going to bond you here and now while those other fools fight each other.”

  “No, please! I’ve already got a man—a mate. Whatever you want to call it, I’m taken!” Liv protested.

  Just as the Beast Kindred had done, the Tranq warrior leaned down to sniff the side of her neck. “I don’t think so. I think you’re going to be mine.” Taking her by the upper arm, he started to drag her down one of the narrow alleys between the buildings.

  Liv kicked and screamed but it didn’t do any good—he was six foot five and had over a hundred pounds on her—all of it muscle. She was trapped—captured. And there was no way out. No way she could—

  “Take your hands off my female.” The deep voice behind her was familiar and Liv almost sobbed in relief when she turned her head and saw Baird standing there with a murderous look on his face. Behind him, Sylvan stood silently, obviously offering backup.

  “What?” The huge Tranq warrior turned to face him, frowning. “By what right do you claim her?” he asked, still keeping a firm grip on Liv’s arm.

  “She is my bride.” Baird’s deep voice was quiet but savage and the light of possession was shining in his eyes.

  A truculent look settled on her captor’s blunt features. “Then why do I not smell you on her? All I smell is her heat.”

  “I haven’t scent marked her recently.” Baird’s face was stony, as though he was admitting something humiliating. “But our minds aligned over six Earth months ago and I claimed her and brought her up to the ship myself. She is mine.”

  “What my brother says is true.” Sylvan stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Baird. “I myself witnessed it. The Earth female is his.”

  “Maybe she would rather belong to another,” the Tranq Kindred sneered. “Maybe that’s why she came here and initiated a Tis’Dane—in order to find a male who was more worthy of her.”

  “Oh no, I didn’t,” Liv said, finding her voice at last. “I’ve never even heard of a Tis…Tis…whatever it is. This is all just a big mistake—my Take-me wandered into this section when I wasn’t paying attention, that’s all. But now I just want to go home.” She looked at the warrior holding her arm pleadingly and he scowled.

  “How do I know you speak the truth? Your words may be lies—it is your scent that I believe.”

  “The Tranq speaks for all of us.” It was the Beast Kindred—the one who had first spoken to her and the Twin Kindred brothers were right behind him. Great. Just great. Liv eyed them grimly. Apparently they’d decided to put aside their quarrels for the moment in order to keep her here in the unmated males’ area. She wondered with sudden unease if the Tis’Dane ritual was a fight to the death or just a strongest man wins type of thing. Either way, she didn’t appreciate the caveman ways of these unknown males. Were all Kindred like this until they found the right woman or were these guys just prize jerks?

  Sylvan leaned forward and whispered something in Baird’s ear. Baird frowned. “No, I won’t ask her to do that.”

  “It’s either that or fight them all,” Liv heard Sylvan mutter.

  “Then I’ll fight.” Baird glared menacingly at the large warrior who still had her firmly by the arm and then widened his gaze to include the other three unmated males. “Prepare to defend your claims with your lives. I offer formal challenge for this female who by rights—”

  “Wait a minute!” Liv yelled. She looked at Sylvan. “What do I have to do?”

  Sylvan shifted uncomfortably and Baird growled deep in his throat. “It’s of no concern to you, Lilenta. I will be glad to fight and die, if necessary, to keep you.”

  “But it shouldn’t be necessary. Not if there’s something I can do to…to prove I’m yours.” She felt stupid saying it after all the times she’d told Baird she wasn’t his and never would be, but really, what choice did she have? She couldn’t let him fight and possibly die if there was some way out of this mess that didn’t involve violence.

  “You must submit to him,” Sylvan said, looking her in the eye.

  Liv felt her heart give a thump. “Submit to him? Submit how?”

  “They need to smell me on you.” Baird gave her a significant look. “Come to me now and offer your throat if you’re serious, Olivia. I need to scent mark you.”

  “What? Like…like you did last time, you mean?” Liv’s mouth was dry and her heart was pounding. All she could think of was having him on her, his big body covering hers as he stroked between her thighs. God, part of her craved that, wanted to feel him against her again, touching her, holding her, making her come. It’s just his scent working on me, she told herself. But from where she was standing she couldn’t smell that warm, spicy aroma she’d come to associate with him. Still…

  “Not quite,” Baird said, breaking into her frantic thoughts. “But I will need to remove some of your clothes.”

  Liv looked up at the warrior holding her arm and then back at Baird. Was she going to wind up stark naked in front of all these unmated males? God, she hoped not! But what choice did she have? Better to be naked with Baird, even if it was horribly embarrassing, than to be claimed by some unknown warrior. “All…all right,” she said at last.

  “Come to me then.” Baird motioned for her to join him and then shot the male holding her arm a warning look. “You know you must allow her to choose. If she proves she is mine—”

  “If she allows you to mark her, yes. Then you take her. If not…” The Tranq Warrior trailed off, a hungry gleam in his blue eyes. The other males behind him murmured among themselves but none of them protested as he slowly released Liv’s arm. “You can stay with me if you wish, little female,” he told her. “I will prove myself a better mate and protector than this one.”

  “Not a chance.” Liv couldn’t get away fast enough. The feel of being surrounded by so many big, alien males and their strange scents in her nose made her feel sick and disoriented. The minute she reached Baird’s side she put her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest. Home. The thought came to her unbidden as his familiar, spicy fragrance filled her senses. She could be angry about his duplicity later—right now she just wanted the safety of his massive arms around her and the feel of his hard body surrounding and protecting her.

  “Lilenta,” he murmured and held her close for a moment. Then he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “I must mark you now.”

  “All right.” Liv tried to brace herself but there was no way she could have withstood the flood of emotions that washed over her as, with a quick, ruthless gesture, Baird ripped open her blouse.

  It was just a simple cotton button down—that and jeans had seemed like the most practical clothing for riding around on the Take-me. But as the little plastic buttons went flying, exposing her lacy white bra, Liv felt her breath catch in her throat. She wanted to ask whether such a dramatic gesture was really necessary but before she could open her mouth, Baird was pulling down the lace cups of her bra and exposing her breasts.

  “Baird!” she gasped and tried to cover herself but he shook his head. God, this was insane! Did he really expect her to just stand here and let him do thi