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“Thank you … and you do know that I enjoy my work here … you gave me a job when everyone else turned me away because I was part of the ....”

“Shush. Don’t say it … they could be listening. Look at Master Gold, he isn’t paying attention to Morris anymore. I’m sure that man is just itching to hear something that he could string me up by my balls for … anything to make him look good.”

“Okay. Well, I’m taking them to Willowbane. It should be a planet right up their alley.”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure it will be. I told them to dress for a hot climate since you told me you’d be taking them to one of the tropical planets. Just be on your guard, Freya.

Watch your back, your front, and your side. I don’t want anything to happen to you—I might be money hungry, but I’m no bastard.”

“Hey … I served in the last war, I should be able to handle a few rough and ready Outlanders if they do somehow manage to get through our security barriers.”

“Now you’re talking. I like the way you think. You had your pistol checked at the last maintenance update, right? I don’t want you to get into a fix and find out that your pistol is jammed ....”

“It’s been checked out thoroughly by one of the weapon engineers. Don’t fret, I’ll be back on Earth by 8 pm our time.”

“Good. They’re only paying for a six hour trip anyway.”

“As always it’s excellent to know that you’re consistently on your toes when it Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 7

comes to running this business.” She smiled. Callahan had a wife and children to think of, and, though he seemed totally fixated on money, specifically making more of it, he was a good man at heart.

Clearing her throat, she walked down the ramp to the lower level where the doorways stood ready and waiting.

“Ladies and Gentleman, thank you so much for choosing Callahan Enterprises once again, for your off planet excursions. Today we will be traveling to the Earth protected tropical planet of Willowbane. The native inhabitants of this planet co-exist in harmony with the colonists from Earth.”

“And well they should. They should be grateful that our great civilization has allowed such primitives to mix with us.” Master Gold snorted and thrust his chest out in a pompous gesture. She wished someone would deflate his gigantic bubble one of these days.

“Indeed.” She narrowed her eyes at Master Gold. Her stomach churned. At this moment, he was probably trying to pass legislation that would make it legal for slave hunters to take the natives from Willowbane for their interplanetary slave network. She hated the man. Her side should have won ….

“I can’t wait to start the tour, Miss ....” The one lady that was Gold’s wife looked at her name badge.

“Freya. My name is Freya Kirkland.”

“Kirkland … I must say that name does ring a bell.” Master Gold looked at her in newfound interest. If he recalled her for her hand in the last war, this wouldn’t be an easy tour—not easy at all. In fact, it would be more like pulling teeth, without the anesthetic.

“Does it? Well, it’s quite a common name.”

He nodded his head. “No doubt it is. Let us start the tour, Miss Freya. I have been anticipating this all week. Long days spent cooped in my office behind a desk … and now it’s time for some excitement. Lead the way, my dear lady.” His eyes flared as they raked over her entire body. She stiffened. She didn’t like the hungry look in his eyes.

Reaching into the bag she wore slung across her shoulders, she withdrew her traveling device and pressed the activation button. “I will be the first one through as is customary, the tour guide is the first one through en route to the destination, and they are the last one through on the return trip. This way, we are protecting our tourists to the best of our ability.” Reaching for the doorknob, she turned it, and opened it. White light streamed out at them. Through a slim tunnel, she could barely make out the outline of a palm tree. “It looks as if our destination is secure. As soon as I am through please follow me.”

Dragging in a deep breath, she stepped through the doorway.

Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 8

She emerged in the hot sunlight. Palm trees lined the path they walked on. She looked at the village ahead of them. It reminded of her of Hawaii, but she didn’t think it was as beautiful. She’d never been to a planet that held the same sort of beauty that anyplace on Earth held—but then, she was deeply biased, since Earth was her home, and as such, she loved it more than she could love any other place in the galaxy.

The air felt heavy to her on Willowbane, and she didn’t exactly like the high temperatures that it sometimes reached, but what did she know? It was one of the top rated planets on traveler’s lists. She was only the guide.

“In 2556, humans from Earth on a military transport ship were blown off course en route to another planet. From this mere accident, they discovered what they deemed at the time as
Galaxy’s Delight
. They became infatuated with the natives of the planet, and the native females entranced many of the males. At that time, Earth was unaware that the natives of Willowbane let off a sexual pheromone that was deeply enticing to human males and females. I trust that each of you were properly inoculated?” She looked behind her expecting to see her group of travelers. When she didn’t, she instantly became suspicious.

“Oh, Damn. She watched as Gold moved greedily toward one native that was tending a flower cart nearby. He had a lascivious gleam in his eyes. She looked up at the native girl, who had a very knowing look on her face. The girl knew what she was doing

… and she was delighting in it.

“Stop it!” She directed her order at the Native, knowing that the language translator she wore would translate her English words into the woman’s language.

Taking her eyes off of Gold, she looked around for his wife and her companion.

The two of them were walking in different directions toward native males.

“Just what I need, an off world sexual discovery.” She reached for her communication device that would open a channel back to Morris. Morris had stayed true to his word by keeping the doorway open. “Morris?”

“Yes, Miss Freya?”

“I have a situation on my hands.”

“Hijackers?” He sounded panicky.

“No … I wish. At least I’d know how to deal with them.”

“Would you?” She ignored the deep voice behind her, intent on her conversation with Morris.

“Would you like me to send you some help? Mr. Callahan was afraid that Master Gold wouldn’t have himself inoculated. He says that Master Gold doesn’t believe in filling his body with toxins.”

“An inoculation isn’t poison.”

“Tell that to Master Gold. I’m sorry that you had to find out the hard way. Are they participating in any sexual activity yet?”

“That depends on what you consider sexual activity. Right now, Master Gold has his hand around a native’s breast, and he’s whipping out Mr. Dick to say hello. His wife Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 9

is getting quite horny with the man she’s chosen, and the companion … oh, yeah, she’s getting some action. I just hope they won’t mind remembering what they’re doing right now, when they come out of their drugged state.”

“Oh, I shouldn’t worry about it, they look as if they’re having one hell of a bloody good time.”

Her heart stalled. That voice again. “Miss Freya, do you have a friend there with you? As far as I know, no other tour guides in the network are there today … they’re all on other worlds.”

She swallowed. The man speaking behind her had a faint accent, which even the translator couldn’t mask. It was a cross between a Scottish accent and an Irish accent.

Sighing, she ignored the man. He was probably just someone that took great enjoyment out of teasing the hell out of humans. Most of the humans that weren’t from Earth resented her kind, since they had conquered other planets in such an unrelenting way.

When Earth had become over populated, they had been forced to find other planets for their bulging population.

“Miss Freya?” She wrenched herself out of her reverie and shook the cobwebs that were growing inside of her head out. She was experiencing the headiest sensations.

She felt as if she were floating. Desire started to burn inside of her. Her thoughts strayed back to her fiancée, who had been dead for ten years. She could really jump for joy right now if he was around. She felt so ... well, to put it bluntly she was aroused.

“Morris, I know I’m up to date on my inoculations, but please, confirm what I know for me.”

“You inoculations were updated two months ago, Miss Freya. Don’t you remember Dr. Addison coming to the building?”

“Yes, I do, I’m sorry for sounding so befuddled, Morris. I really think she could get together an extraction team … even though my shots are up to date, I’m feeling quite

....”

“In the mood for some loving? Maybe you have the sickness.”

“I can’t have that, unless ....”

Her thoughts reverted back to the man at behind her. “Morris, hurry up with that team!” Resting her hand on her pistol, she said a silent prayer and slowly turned.

“Well, it took you long enough, Terran. I thought you’d never turn around and lock those lovely green-gold eyes on me.”

“Green eyes and red hair,” Her voice dropped to a mere whisper. She was transfixed. The sensations inside of her were growing increasingly stronger. She could barely keep herself from launching her body at the gorgeous man in front of her. He had to be about six foot seven inches tall, and his long black hair and twinkling lavender colored eyes made her weak in the knees.

“Oh, aye, you have the sickness, pretty bad, I’d wager.” The chuckle he let loose made her knees turn to jelly.

“No.” She tried to look for something to lean on but only found air.

Chuckling, he caressed her with his eyes. “You shall make a good breeder.”

“
Breeder?
” She recoiled at the vulgar term. She had her hand on her pistol so why couldn’t she just take it out of its holster and fire it at him? She hated the man, and yet, that negative passion seemed poised to turn into a burning inferno of sexual passion.

Passion she wouldn’t be able to deny or control.

Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 10

“I can see from the look in your eyes that you are trying to wage a battle inside of yourself. You won’t be able to fight it. You might have a strong will … you might be a very determined woman … but you can’t fight what I’m giving off.”

“You’re doing this to me?” She loosened a few buttons on her blouse. Even though the blouse had short sleeves on it, she still felt as if she were burning up.

Willowbane was in its fall season, so the temperatures never got above thirty-five degrees Celsius, and yet she was burning up with fever. She almost felt weakened by the strong emotions rolling through her.

“You are very red in the face. I do not intend to make you truly ill. You must stop fighting it. I have selected you after a good deal of searching for the perfect woman for me. I found your profile in the database from an old Earth military ship.”

“No.” She shook her head. Tears pooled in her eyes. “All of the ships from my side were destroyed.”

“Not all of them. This one my people found drifting in space close to our space borders. As you know, our Empire has still been able to hold off the Earth Invaders. Well, now, we are in need of our enemies. We need you so that our society will continue to survive and thrive. You must know that most of our women are infertile, and have been banished from our lands. I’m sure you’ve heard the sad and sorry tale of the women that betrayed their men.”

“Banished? But I thought they left of their own free will.”

“No. Most of our women turned against us. They made deals with you humans …

and my Emperor was not happy with the duplicity. After your people administered the sterility drug at the conference where most of our women were in attendance, my Emperor drove the humans off of our worlds and he in turn banished our women to the far reaches of our galaxy. They are not allowed to enter the Gaian Solar System ever again.”

“So, in essence you’re searching for new breeding material. Why would you want a human from Earth when we we’re the ones that brought the grief to your doorstep in the first place?”

“I want you because you fought on the other side. Our quarrel is not with the humans that were on the side of Mallory.”

“You know the name of our general.”

“We all mourned the loss of your general when he fell in battle.”

“The last battle.” She shook her head. A shiver breezed over her as the anniversary date of the end of the war hit home, fully registering. He’d specifically chosen this day on purpose. “I’m not coming with you. Even if I was on the losing side, I am still a citizen of Earth. My allegiance is to Earth, no matter what may come my way.”

“They have imprisoned your uncle because he financially supported General Mallory. Do you honestly think they will let him go even if you do pay the fines the government has lodged against him? Face it, Freya, the Government of Earth is corrupt.

You will never have the planet you loved as a child back. I am sorry.”

“You know too damn much about me. I don’t like the way that you think. How did you find out so much about me?”

“You’d be surprised what one can find once they have access to your military profile.”

“I don’t like this … I don’t like your methods, and I don’t like you. I never knew Doorway to the Stars by Marly Mathews 11

that the Gaians released a sexual pheromone that would entrance humans.”

“It was a well kept secret. It was to our advantage to not have it known throughout the galaxies. Knowledge like that could have been used against us. Subjects of our realms are strictly forbidden to speak of it to Outlanders.”