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of leather was threaded through a lone amber crystal. It shimmered as the light from the window shone in, causing various patterns to appear on his chamber-room walls. There was a time Sachin was never found without the leather tied around his neck. Guilt had caused him to finally remove the item that reminded him of Paige. He had given her a matching one in the beginning of their friendship and she’d done something similar with hers, threading a black cord through it. The crystals were magikally charged, allowing the wearer’s thoughts to be amplified. When Sachin was still wearing his, he would sense Paige’s need to see him and he would go to her. She’d stopped wanting him near after he’d left her a year ago in the grass, alone and vulnerable.
    I wonder if she still wears hers.
    Closing his eyes, he tried and failed to push thoughts of Paige from his head. He’d made himself a promise to stay away from her. She was an addiction, one he couldn’t seem to shake. As Rayna’s order to go to Earth filtered through Sachin’s mind, the need to go to her was great.
    A warrior he may be, but he’d tasted defeat the day he’d lost his heart to Paige. Looking in on her couldn’t harm anything. He just needed to be sure she was well.

Chapter Six

    Earth
    Paige double-checked the horse’s bandage and rubbed his upper leg. The injury had been slight and the horse was expected to make a full recovery. It, like many of the people who passed through the ranch, had come to her broken, abused. “You’re a good boy, huh? That’s right. A good boy.”
    The horse turned its head towards her and seemed to understand her concern. It had survived neglect from its previous owner and had been brought to her barely able to support its own weight. That had been a little over a year ago. With much love and care, it was well on its way to being whole again. It did have a tendency to be rambunctious and had ended up hurting itself in the process. They went out of their way to safeguard the ranch, in hopes it would prevent injuries to the horses, but domesticated horses were notoriously accident-prone. This one was no exception. He was young and finally free of abuse. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to enjoy his time to the fullest.
    The early summer air was drier than normal and she wondered if another drought would hit the area. The ranch had made it through the year prior, when just about everything in the surrounding area had dried up. Their income came mostly from boarding animals and the onsite animal hospital. Sarah was a veterinarian. Paige was in her second year of school to be a veterinary assistant.
    Smiling, she stood and patted the horse’s back. “Go ahead. Let’s see how it’s holding up.”
    The horse walked away and she kept a close eye on the wrapped leg. Even though Paige knew the horse would be fine, she couldn’t help but worry. His mood had been surly of late and his temperament unpredictable, reminding her of somebody she once knew.
    “Firecracker looks to be doing well,” a deep, familiar voice came from behind her.
    Think of the devil and he shall appear.
    Turning, Paige found a six-foot–five-inch wall of toned muscle sitting on the top rail of the wooden fence. He hadn’t been there a moment ago. The man’s black goatee matched his shoulder-length hair and his thick eyelashes, drawing attention to his silver eyes. It wasn’t a color one found naturally, and there was a time Paige wouldn’t have questioned him on the fact. That time had long since passed. Even with all the questions she had for the man before her, there was still no denying the fact he took her breath away. She’d heard it said before—looking that good should be outlawed. She tended to agree. She’d also thought she’d never see him again. His return wasn’t exactly welcomed. It confused her.
    “Sachin?”
    He smiled. “Paige, it’s been far too long.”
    His body was a model of perfection. He ran his hands over his