Read Marauder Kronos: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Mating Wars) for Free Online Page A

option. “It’s a big spinning tube in space full of atmosphere, trees, water, all the stuff you need to survive. That’s the definition of a habitat.”
    “It’s my kind of habitat,” Ramu says, grinning. “Whores, wonderful drugs, fighting, almost no laws – ”
    I give Ramu a look, and he finally shuts up.
    “He’s just messing with you,” I say to Minna.
    Delphie holds up her arm and points to her wrist. “Last time we were on New Rotterdam, I tried to break up a monkey knife fight, and got this .”
    “Why would you interfere with two monkeys swinging knives around? You brought that on yourself.”
    Minna takes Delphie’s wrist and looks down at the wound. “This doesn’t look like a stab wound.”
    “It bit me,” Minna says. “And I got an infection, and – ”
    “And Captain Kronos shelled out money for high-end antibiotics, and you were fine.”
    “You weren’t a captain back then!” Delphie shouts up at me.
    “So even before I was responsible for you as crew, still I took care of you.”
    “You just felt guilty because the monkey you put money on is the one who bit me.”
    “Well,” Minna says, “you’ve convinced me to stay on the ship while we are there.”
    “No way,” I say, shaking my head. “You have to stay close to me, so I can protect you.”
    Delphie holds her wrist up to Minna and points at it, mouthing something to Minna.
    “Captain,” Minna says, “I didn’t quite finish my report. The last thing I wanted to add was that we are totally out of food.”
    “There are extra rations in the fridge unit tucked behind the kitchen – ”
    “No,” Minna says. “I found those. We’re totally out. I ate everything.”
    “New Rotterdam has plenty to eat,” I say, grinning.
    But in my mind I’m doing the math. If she goes through rations this quickly, I can’t afford to keep her fed. I have to get that suit off of her.

8 Minna
    “ C ome on ,” Kronos says. “It’s time to go.”
    He’s smiling widely at me and floating just outside the hatch to my quarters. His handsome features trying to trick me onto that awful pirate habitat.
    “I’m good here,” I say. “Just lock the ship.”
    “You think locks keep pirates out?” he asks.
    “I was reading about it these past few hours,” I say. “There’s a strict code of honor among pirates, and it’s enforced quite violently on New Rotterdam.”
    “So you’re going to let a code of honor protect you?”
    Jerky would protect me, if it came down to that.
    “Minna,” he says, “the code of honor is there, for sure, but it’s….”
    “You’re trying to think of a good word to pick that won’t scare me,” I say, cutting him off. “You’re finding it very difficult to convince me that New Rotterdam is safe while simultaneously convincing me just how dangerous pirates are. It’s a contradiction.”
    “You’re using all your fancy science talk to make me feel dumb,” he snaps. “So let me try a new angle of attack. What are you going to eat while you are locked tight on this ship and we are on the hab?”
    My stomach groans a little.
    “I heard it,” he says.
    “You swear you’ll keep me safe?” I ask.
    “I swear it,” Kronos says. “I will protect you no matter the cost to me.”
    “That isn’t a very pirate-like thing to say.”
    “I’ve got a big heart,” he says, grinning.
    I can’t get a read on him. Aside from how deliciously handsome he is, he could be sincerely trying to do right by me. On the other hand, he could just be really good at putting on an act. I find it hard to forget the reason that we met is because he attacked the ship I was on. Every time I almost let myself fall for his charm, I remind myself that a pirate with heart is – at its heart – still a pirate.
    “I guess I don’t have a real choice,” I say, pushing off my bed and toward the hatch.
    Kronos smiles and holds out his hand.
    Without thinking, I grab hold of it to steady myself, and he squeezes back. I