Page 2 of Kiss of Fury

“How many hospitals are there?”

“Three.”

“Let me guess—the other two are also among the best,” he commented drily.

“Except they don’t have Dr. Twygg! He was a highly regarded physician on his home world.”

Fury’s gut tightened with anticipation and anxiety as the conveyance reached the paddock. The wagon fishtailed as Gozar slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the fence.

“Crazy alien driver,” Phibious muttered.

Fury got to his feet.This is it! This is it!

Gatekeeper Delma slid the gate open, and the conveyance entered the enclosure. Hornigers thundered out of range. Even the beasts knew to stay clear when Gozar was behind the wheel. Delma shut the gate then flew to the other side to let the vehicle into the quad.

The conveyance pulled up to the ranch office. In the cab sat the three-eyed, purple-skinned Gozar. Behind him in the wagon sat Verity. Fury’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t get a clear picture through the scratched, dust-covered transparency covering the vehicle frame, but he spotted a woman.

He stepped forward to meet her as she pushed the door open and slid out.

She wore a thick, heavy navy-blue coat against the chill and a matching hat on her head. Wisps of auburn hair peeked out from under the cap. Green eyes looked weary—and more than a little wary.

Of course, she’s nervous. I am, too. This is a huge life-changing step.“Verity?” he confirmed.

“Yes.”

He broke into a wide smile. He’d never been so happy in his entire life. “I’m Mike Fury. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“There’s someone else you need to meet.” She pivoted to the vehicle and leaned in. “We’re here, sweetie.” She reached in and then backed out with a child in her arms.

“What the hell is that?”

Chapter Two

“This,” Verity replied, “is my son, Brody.”

The happy smile had slipped off Mike Fury’s face, and he glowered at her son like the child carried the plague. She’d been sweating over the revelation during the harrowing ride from the intake center. What if her husband-to-be rejected her because she had a child? What would she do?

“You never said you had a child.”

The best defense was a good offense. “Did you bother to read the fine print in the contract?” she prevaricated brazenly and set her son on his feet. Although he was small for his age, he was still too heavy for her to hold for very long. He skirted behind her leg, peeking out. He wasn’t normally shy, but the whole experience had overwhelmed him. She wished she could hide with him. Fury was an appropriate surname. He didn’t shout, but anger sparked in his blue eyes, tightened his mouth, and stiffened his posture.

“I’m Phibious, the foreman.” A green alien stepped forward, his gilled face wreathed with good cheer. “Welcome to Haven Ranch!”

Brody’s eyes widened like flying saucers. She’d talked up the move, the spaceship flight, the chance to see extraterrestrials, trying to prepare him. He’d been excited at the prospect of seeing his very first aliens, but the reality had been a little scarier than he’d envisioned.

“Thank you. It’s good to be here,” she lied politely. If there’d been any other choice, she never would have come, but to protect her son, she’d do anything—even marryhim. She snuck a glance at Fury. He’d wiped away the anger, but the blankness told its own story.

“Juju didn’t come with you?” Phibious asked.

“Tomorrow,” said Gozar, the driver.

She questioned where he’d learned to drive—at a bumper-car arcade perhaps? The way he’d careened across the tundra had made Brody sick. He’d thrown up all over himself twice. She’d cleaned him up as best she could. Fortunately, she’d packed a spare jacket. The ride had made her a little queasy, too. Anxiety hadn’t helped. Until now, she’d pretended the situation would work itself out. When they got here, Brody’s presence would be a fait accompli, and Furywould have to accept the situation. However, she’d run smack into hard reality—he could send her packing for bad faith and misrepresentation.

“Who’s Juju?” she asked.

“The Cosmic Mates’ wedding officiant,” Phibious replied. “Normally, couples get married at the intake center before reporting to their work assignment locations, but since your arrival got delayed, and Mike preceded you, Juju agreed to come here.”

“My son got sick a couple of times and couldn’t travel, or I would have been here sooner,” she explained. Would Fury even follow through and marry her now? Her stomach roiled. She had to explain to him why she’d lied.

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