Free Runaway Heart by Scarlet Day

one at Jaren’s quarters. It slid open at their approach and Jaren led Kari onto the bridge, where Jaxson and two other crewmen were working.
    Jaxson turned in his chair as they entered. “We are approaching the jump site.” He smiled at Kari. “Come to watch the show?”
    Kari was puzzled by the query. She glanced at Jaren questioningly and then looked back to Jaxson again.
    Jaren chuckled. “She has never been off world, Jaxson. She has no idea what you are talking about. I thought it might be a pleasant surprise for her.” Jaxson smiled, nodding his understanding as he swiveled his seat back around to face the front-view screen.
    Jaren directed Kari to an empty seat and strapped her in. “It shouldn’t get bumpy, but there is always a chance.”
    Jaren did not settle into a seat, since there were only four on the bridge and they were all occupied. Instead, he stood by her side and held on to an overhead rail.
    “Shouldn’t you be strapped in, too?”
    Jaxson laughed at Kari’s question. “Jaren could stand upright in the middle of a cyclone.”
    Kari looked up at the big warrior standing next to her. Jaxson was probably right. She could almost imagine his hard body braced defiantly against a raging wind, his long hair flying around his head. She felt a shiver race across her skin, and her core muscles contracted in arousal. Several days of almost-constant lovemaking and she still couldn’t get enough of him.
    Feeling like she was being watched, she tore her hungry eyes away from Jaren’s body, only to realize that every male on the bridge, including Jaren, was looking at her intently. She blushed bright pink, and Jaren turned his attention to the other males, a warning growl coming from deep in his chest. The other warriors immediately turned back to their tasks, shaking themselves and clearing their throats at having been caught staring at, and sniffing, their High Prince’s sha-lia .
    Jaren lightly brushed Kari’s cheek with his fingertips, shaking his head and grinning. “I have a feeling I will be spending an extraordinary amount of time keeping you out of trouble, my Karinna.”
    In the next moment, Kari’s embarrassment was forgotten as Jaxson announced they were at the jump coordinates. Kari watched anxiously as the black, star-filled space in front of them suddenly transformed into a tunnel of light, stars seemingly stretching and spinning. With brilliant flashes, every color imaginable flared across their field of vision like great whirls of mist and gasses. Kari’s mouth fell open in awe. It was remarkable. She was absolutely captivated by the movement and patterns.
    Several minutes later, the stars became small points of light and space reverted back to normal. Except now, where there had been nothing but black space and the sparkling of distant stars, a beautiful green and blue planet filled the view screen. Jaren leaned over and kissed Kari on the top of her head.
    “Welcome to Aldryss, love. We are home.”
    Kari had mixed feelings about reaching Jaren’s homeworld. Part of her was excited at the prospect of seeing a different landscape than the one she had grown up with. She found it ironic that she had never even seen her own planet from space. But now here she was, several clusters away, looking at this alien world. She was also anxious about meeting Jaren’s family. Not because they were royalty—after all, she was royalty, too—but because she was worried that they wouldn’t think her worthy of their eldest son, much less worth starting an inter-planetary war over.
    Her brothers would also be arriving soon. She loved her brothers and trusted them. Deep down, she did not believe that they would take her back to her father. After all, they had willingly taken beating after beating for defending her. But she knew there would be grave consequences if her brothers defied him and failed to take her home.
    Her father would not go so far as to have her brothers killed. King Myrrn’s