Tara Sedai enjoys healing people and she’s looking forward to getting back to it. She’s searching for a good place to start an Indiri colony, but this last world just won’t do. A gorgeous man confronts her and drags her back to the gate. She’s shocked to learn they’re trapped here. On top of that, the insane man claims she’s his mate and the attraction between them is too strong to ignore.

Zaden scented his mate and followed her to a world he’d been warned against. By the time he finds her, the gate is closed and they’re stuck on this world until it opens again. He’ll keep his mate and her friends alive, but he’ll claim and change his mate.

Tara wants to run, but has nowhere to go.  On top of that, she’s not so sure that she wants to get away from him. Desire rises with every touch and she’s falling hard for the big Zarain shapeshifter. If she stays with him, she’ll walk away from everything she’s ever known. Can she build a life with him or will she be ripped away from the man she’s coming to love?

Achan Zaden Felinian shifted from one foot to another. He wanted to get out of this overheated place and into the forest surrounding his home on Cordares. The memory of the cool breeze and the brisk scent of the trees only made the longing more intense.

He waited in the line formed on the platform in front of the glossy black oval of the travel gate. Only a few days’ travel away from Cordares, he was anxious to return home. Two groups had a place in front of him. At the front of the line, five people in long brown robes gathered together directly in front of the gate. Judging by their stature and concealing dress, they were either women or young boys. They carried staffs and not swords. Probably women. The next group, a rough bunch of men, tried to push the front group forward, jostling and grumbling as their impatience built.

He looked to his right and saw Ranal, one of his Terchal—commanders, guards, assistants— watching those within the gatehouse. Zaden turned his attention to Varon. The dark-haired man’s hand rested just above the hilt of his sword. Alert to the possibility of an attack in this crowded building, Varon didn’t drop his guard.

Zaden walked across the platform to give the gatekeeper their destination. He strode past the women just as the gray, hazy mist formed in the oval gate. A sweet, feminine scent wrapped around him, stopping him mid-step.

The Zarain within him raised its head as recognition struck. Mate. Exhilaration rose. He’d found her, finally. A heavy ache throbbed to life in his groin. He turned in time to see the last of the women enter the gate. His eyes narrowed and a growl rolled through him.

Gone. His mate was gone. She wouldn’t escape from him. He wouldn’t lose her.

He turned and strode to the Gatekeeper. The thin, slightly balding man busily moved crystals. It took him a few moments to realize that someone waited for his attention. He looked up when Zaden’s shadow fell across the large pedestal that housed the crystals.

“Where did you just send those five people?” He watched the man’s face, impatient for the answer.

“To Deral.” The man’s eyebrows raised in an inquiry, which Zaden ignored. “They wanted to go to a very lightly populated world.”

Zaden cursed silently. Acine Caidi had been very specific when she’d explained about traveling through the worlds accessible from the gates along this path. Going to Deral wasn’t a good idea at any time. The gate didn’t work for part of the year.

There wasn’t a choice. Even knowing the risk, he had to go after her. He wouldn’t walk away from his mate. As long as she was on that planet, she’d be in danger. He needed to be with her. At least, he could protect her.

We’re going to Deral. One of those women is my mate. He relayed the new plans silently using one of the psychic paths connecting all Shadatai Zarain. He turned his attention to the gatekeeper. “Send us to Deral.”

He stalked back to the center of the platform and stood with Varon and Ranal. The gate on Deral could stop working at any time. Part of him feared the gate wouldn’t work even now. He wanted only to get to his mate and get her off the planet. All of the details—who she was, what she was doing there—would wait until he was certain they were safe.

He waited as the men in front of them walked into the gray mist. The mist faded and the Gatekeeper switched the stones around on the pedestal. The gate formed. The hazy fog swirled within the black ring. Zaden led the way into the tunnels.

He stepped out of the dense cloud, taking several steps forward even as his eyes swept the deserted gatehouse, looking for the women. The rough, weathered gray planks of the door laid on the floor in front of the rectangular opening. Leaves littered the stone floor and the gray walls were grimy. Light streamed into the large room from holes in the roof. This gatehouse had been badly neglected.

He took a deep breath, finding his woman’s scent among those of the other four females. Following the lingering traces to the doorway, he walked out onto the grassy field just outside of the building. In a bare patch of ground just beyond the doorway, he found prints leading away from the gatehouse, but none reentering it. They hadn’t left the planet.

Varon and Ranal stepped up beside him. They looked at the prints on the ground and then back to him.

“We’ll find those women and get off this planet.” Zaden looked toward the line of trees on the other side of the field. The women went in that direction. Now, they had to find them and get off this planet in case the gate stopped working.

* * * * *

Tara Sedai looked around the area without enthusiasm. She’d seen too many worlds in the last few weeks to get too excited about a place at first glance. This one didn’t garner enthusiasm even at second glance. She doubted this place would suit their purposes at all.

The gatehouse was in horrible condition. After leaving the building, they’d walked down a winding, cobbled path into the forest. Grass and saplings grew between the broken, patchy stones. She shook her head. This path wasn’t traveled very often.

A strand of red hair blew across her face as a soft wind danced around her. She turned and glanced around. Ava grinned as she spun in a circle, looking up at the branches of the tall, leafy trees growing along the path. Only a few dim beams of sunlight broke through the thick canopy.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone around here.” Ava’s bright, cheerful tone brimmed with enthusiasm.

Tara frowned. Why was she so excited? The petite brunette had a different idea about what they were searching for than she did. In her opinion, this place wouldn’t even be on the list of possible worlds. This world didn’t meet some of the basic requirements for a new colony.

“I doubt if anyone’s been here in years.” Dani lifted her hand and flipped the long rope of her golden braid behind her shoulder. Her mouth twisted and she shook her head. “There’s not even a gatekeeper and the gatehouse is falling apart.”

The slight scuff of a heel at her side caught Tara’s attention. Jesi stood beside her for a moment, eyeing the area. The petite dark-haired woman cocked a hand on her hip. Her brows drew together over her dark brown eyes.

“The question is—why is no one here? The area isn’t a desert or a frozen ice land. Thank the Lady. One ice world was enough.” Jesi pursed her lips.

Tara nodded. That was a good question. The land was fertile. She saw plenty of signs of game animals. Admittedly, the world was isolated. She’d never been this far along the gate path, but the other worlds here were populated.

Why was there no village outside of this gatehouse? On almost every other world they’d visited, they’d found a village or a large permanent marketplace near the gate. Usually a settlement formed to take advantage and profit from the traffic from travelers.

Scouting for a place to set up an Indiri colony, they’d traveled along this gate path for ronas. They’d found a few acceptable worlds along their journey. Lightly populated, far from Aldon, the home world of the Indiri, and easily accessible, the areas they explored were fertile with mild climates.

Before they’d heard of this world, they had spoke about returning home to report their findings to the council. They’d decided to visit one last world. Now, that seemed like a mistake.

This world wasn’t easily accessible and as for the yearly climate, she could only guess. With no people around, they couldn’t ask. The lack of other people was also a small mark against it. The Indiri traded services for goods sometimes. That wouldn’t be possible here.

“It’s not that strange for a world to be unpopulated.” Fara walked around a bush and then stepped back onto the cobbled path. She pushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face. “There are all sorts of strange superstitions. It could be that people on the surrounding planets believe this place is cursed.”

“It could be.” Ava shrugged her slim shoulders, disturbing her dark brown hair. “I’ve had people refuse to let me heal them because they believe Indiri are either witches or possessed.”

“I…I don’t think so.” Jesi tilted her head and took a deep breath.

Tara smiled. Normally very quiet and shy, the dark skinned woman would step forward when she felt strongly about something.

“You think there’s another reason?” Ava raised a challenging brow and smiled.

“This place is too deserted.” Jesi swept her hand out to indicate the sheer lack of civilization. “Even the worlds where there are supposed to be curses or spells have those settlers who ignore the talk.”

Ava grimaced and slowly nodded her head. “You have a point. There are those willing to risk facing monsters and death to claim a home.”

“Maybe we’ll find a few people if we look around some more.” Fara turned and gestured down the path.

“Why would they hide from five women? We’re not exactly an army of huge warriors.” Tara glanced down the path.

When the others began strolling down the stone road, she followed, glancing back along the path to the gate. Unease tingled low in her gut. Although she’d like to head back to the gate, they should do a thorough search since they were here. Still, the wrongness of this situation hung over her. This absence of any other people made her nervous. Something didn’t seem right with this planet.

“Don’t you think this is a bit too remote?” Dani paused at a fork in the path. “The colony’s meant to establish a place other than Aldon where people can find an Indiri healer. We need to be on a very busy part of the gate path.”

Tara agreed with that. No one would find them here. Only a small number of people had probably ever even heard of the world of Deral, much less knew how to find it. Their abilities would be of more use in an area where there were more people.

After a few moments, the group split. Fara and Ava volunteered to take the right trail and Jesi, Dani and Tara took the left. They agreed to meet back at the fork before sunset. Tara kept an eye on the forest around her. They probably didn’t have to worry about anyone jumping out at them. There was no sign anyone lived on this planet. Predatory animals ranked much higher in her concerns.