Page 1 of Jordan

Chapter One

Village of Shamenia on the planet Sargaidia…

Jordan Vasil leaned over the control panel in the central observation deck, waiting for the daily logs to download. Their primary function was to collect and record data from probes stationed both in orbit and planet-side. Because of issues with solar flares from the two suns and the way Sargaidia’s atmosphere had been plagued with random, unexplainable streams of stellar remains for the greater part of two years, probe accuracy and complete planet surface coverage wasn’t possible. The probes did a fairly good job of detecting approaching vessels as they entered the planet’s orbit. The data logs weren’t showing anything that would alarm anyone. But then again, often things got past that shouldn’t. Technology was hardly foolproof. Neither were the people monitoring it.

It wasn’t Jordan’s job per se to oversee the probes and their findings, but he didn’t mind lending a hand where he could. He’d been trained on more sophisticated systems while an officer with the Commission, and had the expertise required to assist and even try to bring Sargaidia up to date. When he’d entered Commission Academy, he’d studied engineering, wanting to use his mind and his hands to build the next great spaceship or to revolutionize space stations. As much as he still enjoyed it all, his life had gone in a different direction. He’d excelled in other areas—areas that had him moving up the ranks quickly and second-in-command of Alpha Brig Three, a prized Commission vessel.

He snickered, wondering how much the Commission would appreciate knowing their star of the fleet hadn’t left the planet in two years. It was living quarters to many of the original crew but more like a giant apartment complex than a ship. At least the smaller shuttles, parked in the loading bay, were utilized. It wasn’t as if everything went to waste.

They’d still court martial me or execute me.

He keyed in his acceptance code, taking time to check the Commission-based recognition systems as well as checking for non-Commission sanctified vessels. As someone who’d technically deserted from the Commission, he made it a point to assure they weren’t close and hadn’t found him or his brother. The possibility was unlikely, since the Commission believed Alpha Brig Three to have perished in a star explosion without any survivors.

There had been a time when he’d never dreamt of life outside of the Commission. Sevan and he had held high-ranking positions and had even managed to be assigned to the same vessel, which was unheard of for siblings.

Things changed.

The Commission’s intolerance for anything supernatural was notorious. Before coming to Sargaidia, Jordan possessed only a small portion of supernatural blood within him—that of a werelion. Enough to make him stronger, faster and more in tune with his senses than humans, but not enough to register on the Commission’s screening exams. It was a secret his family held close to the cuff, and the reason he and Sevan had pushed so hard to remain together after the academy. They’d made promises to one another to avoid temptations that could possibly alert the Commission of the truth—such as marrying and having children. They’d lived in fear that, like their cousin, they too would wed, start families, and the children would somehow be able to shift forms, throwing up a red flag to the Commission and forcing them to go into hiding or risk death.

Executions for being more than human weren’t unheard of, especially when the Commission managed to find ways to make you appear guilty of things you never did. They would justify their behavior by whatever means necessary. And Jordan had foolishly lived under their thumb, believing he had no other choice.

When their ship had run into trouble in Sargaidia’s orbit, his eyes were opened. Everything changed for him the second he’d stepped off the ship and spotted the petite brunette with odd markings upon her body and eyes that held both strength and mischief.

Nina.

One look was all it had taken for Jordan’s shifter side to rear up and demand he take note of her. His cock had sparked an interest in her too, as did the rest of him, and there hadn’t been a day that had gone by that his cock still didn’t notice the woman. Fuck, just thinking about her made his dick hard.

Reaching down, Jordan exhaled slowly, adjusting his erection through his pants, hoping no one noticed just how horny he was—again. He seemed to live in a constant state of arousal.

“Sir, do you need any help?”

He glanced over his shoulder to find Sasher, a girl who looked barely legal and who his brother insisted had a crush on him. Jordan didn’t pay much mind to it at all. His focus tended to center on Nina and Nina alone. Only she held power over him. Only her image would do when he lay in his quarters at night, stroking his cock until he reached culmination. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem as interested. She came off as wanting to slit his throat rather than be drawn into his arms. Though, she did seem to be warming to him slightly the longer he resided on her home planet.

“Sasher,” he said, and she instantly perked, shoving her chest up and out towards him. Her nipples were hard and her top barely there. Long waves of golden hair came to a stop just above her breasts.

Prior to meeting Nina, he’d have responded to Sasher’s obvious advances, taking her into a back room, riding her tight little body until he couldn’t possibly go another second and then spilling his seed all over the swells of her stomach. He didn’t come in women. Even with the standard-issue population control shots the Star Union demanded, he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t impregnate someone. Since the shots also controlled diseases, contraceptives used in the olden days—such as condoms—no longer existed.

Funny how things had changed so drastically for him. Once a ladies’ man, notorious for his refusal to settle down, to commit, and for his bedroom skills, he’d now been reduced to masturbating and longing for a woman who took nearly no interest in him. As pathetic as it was, he couldn’t stop thinking about Nina even with the offer of sex with another woman on the table.

He looked at Sasher. “Have you seen Nina?”

Her enthusiasm deflated. “No.”

Christian, the Chieftain and head guy in charge, twisted around from his seat near the docking controls. His long blond hair was tied back in one braid. Jordan didn’t feel at home enough on Sargaidia to take on the look of the local males. It wasn’t his style. “I believe she’s checking the perimeter fencing—again.”

“Didn’t I already check that this morning?” Jordan questioned.

“Yes, but you know Nina. She likes to double and triple check everyone.” Christian faced the panel again but not before flashing a knowing look in Jordan’s direction. “She asked for a security status report. I was going to send Pheebes out with it but if you’re free…”

“I’ll do it,” Jordan said, faster than he’d have liked.

“I assumed as much.” Christian snickered and Jordan ignored the man, returning his focus to the panel before him and the task at hand. While waiting for the logs to finish downloading, he stepped to the side, keying in Nina’s identification code. A tiny red blip appeared on the screen, showing her near the outer fourth quadrant, along the fence line.

As the logs drew to an end, Jordan looked towards Christian. “Do you have the security status report handy?”

Christian lifted an electronic pad. “Everything is here.”

Jordan grabbed it, hurrying out of the command center and through the main building. He knew Nina would be less than receptive to him, and that she’d most likely not even acknowledge his presence, but that didn’t stop him from increasing his pace. The burning need to simply look upon her had rooted deep, and he’d long since given up denying it.

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