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  His Woodland Maiden

  Space Lords: A Qurilixen World Novel

  Michelle M. Pillow®

  Click Here to Join Michelle’s Mailing List

  His Woodland Maiden © copyright 2019 by Michelle M. Pillow

  First Electronic Printing September 24, 2019, The Raven Books LLC

  ISBN-13: 9781625011619

  Published by The Raven Books LLC

  * * *

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence.

  Michelle M. Pillow® is a registered trademark of The Raven Books LLC

  Contents

  About His Woodland Maiden

  Space Lords Series

  Welcome to Qurilixen

  Author Updates

  Note from the Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Keep Reading!

  The Series

  Join the Exclusive Club!

  About Michelle M. Pillow

  Free Reading Guides

  Please Leave a Review

  About His Woodland Maiden

  Space Lords 5

  Space Pirate Rick Hayes flies the high skies searching for mischief. It looks like she finally found him.

  From NY Times & USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Michelle M. Pillow, a space adventure romance!

  Space pirate and all-around bad boy, Rick Hayes isn’t looking to change his ways. He’s one helluva pilot, has a crew he thinks of as family, and women seem to want his company. What more could a guy want? Life is too short to settle down, and he knows firsthand the less you care about, the less it hurts when you lose it. Too bad his logic doesn’t always get through to his heart. When fate tempts him with a beautiful woman that appears to see through all of his defenses...

  Well, actually, the frustrating star beam took him prisoner, hit him over the head, and stole his memories. Regardless of those few minor hiccups on the road to romance, Rick has to decide if love is worth the risk.

  A Qurilixen World Novel

  Space Pirates, Science Fiction Romance

  MichellePillow.com

  Space Lords Series

  His Frost Maiden

  His Fire Maiden

  His Metal Maiden

  His Earth Maiden

  His Woodland Maiden

  Can’t find the books?

  Updated Reading List and Links:

  MichellePillow.com

  Welcome to Qurilixen

  Qurilixen World Novels

  Dragon Lords Series

  Barbarian Prince

  Perfect Prince

  Dark Prince

  Warrior Prince

  His Highness The Duke

  The Stubborn Lord

  The Reluctant Lord

  The Impatient Lord

  The Dragon’s Queen

  Lords of the Var® Series

  The Savage King

  The Playful Prince

  The Bound Prince

  The Rogue Prince

  The Pirate Prince

  Qurilixen Lords

  Dragon Prince

  More Coming Soon!

  Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Series

  Determined Prince

  Rebellious Prince

  Stranded with the Cajun

  Hunted by the Dragon

  Mischievous Prince

  Headstrong Prince

  Space Lords Series

  His Frost Maiden

  His Fire Maiden

  His Metal Maiden

  His Earth Maiden

  His Woodland Maiden

  Dynasty Lords Series

  Seduction of the Phoenix

  Temptation of the Butterfly

  Having trouble finding the books?

  Updated Buy Links Here

  * * *

  To learn more about the Qurilixen World series of books and to stay up to date on the latest book list visit www.MichellePillow.com

  Author Updates

  Join the Reader Club Mailing List to stay informed about new books, sales, contests and preorders!

  http://michellepillow.com/author-updates/

  Note from the Author

  Dear Readers,

  Rick finally met his match!

  I know we’ve all been waiting to see what kind of woman would take this bad boy pilot down. Don’t worry, she’ll keep him on his naughty little toes. I’m so excited-nervous-excited that release day is finally here!

  I’m also a little sad. This is the last planned book in the Space Lords series installment. I love this crew. But, not to worry, I’m sure they’ll make appearances in other Qurilixen World novels.

  I hope you all know what the Qurilixen World is by now, but if not it is a collection of several series within the Qurilixen story world. If you’re new to my work—you are in for an exciting reading treat!

  This may be the last planned Space Lords series book, but that doesn’t mean the space adventures are over. I have several ideas in the works for more series installments. *squee* By the end of this book, you might be able to guess one of the ideas.

  Thank you, readers, for loyally flying the high skies with this mischievous crew. I’m sorry Rick is now taken, but he might have a doppelganger or two flying out there looking for love. So watch out if you’re outside at night and see a spaceship. It just might be a bad boy pirate looking for some intergalactic love.

  Happy Reading!

  Michelle M. Pillow

  1

  Lin Yao Mines, Planet of Lintian

  Rick Hayes couldn’t remember most of the journey to the purple jade mines, but he remembered her. He didn’t have a name for her. She hadn’t given him one before hitting him over the head and taking him prisoner.

  The smell of dank earth filled each breath. At least they’d put him on a portable chair and not the rocky ground. It wasn’t luxury, but it was something. His eyes had long adjusted to the dim lights strung across the mine’s ceiling. It cast the jagged edges of the stone walls into contrast. His hands worked against his ties. He knew very little about this planet and had no way of knowing what manner of creatures called Lintian home. So, when he escaped it should prove interesting.

  Her, otherwise known as the dark-haired enchantress, had smiled at him while they were docked on Leinad’s star port where they’d stopped for fuel. He knew the look of feminine invitation and assumed she wanted him to follow her as she left the bar. It was only after he pursued her into some kind of criminal meet-n-greet that he realized his assumption might have been wrong. Being a space pirate himself, Rick usually fit right into such questionable situations. This had not been one of those times.

  Rick and his crew had been on their way to Qurilixen, the homeworld of their ship’s captain. Prince (aka Captain) Jarek’s family ruled half of the planet, so they were always treated like royalty when they visited—soft beds, endless food, drinking, and gaming. Unmated females were rare, so it did lack one thing. Still, a soft bed would be better than bein
g trussed up like a human sacrifice.

  “The bosses aren’t going to like this,” he heard one of the men whisper from an adjoining tunnel. The rest of the kidnappers hadn’t given their names either. “This pirate doesn’t factor into our plans. We should have killed him before leaving the star port.”

  Rick had been able to figure out he was being held by intergalactic drug traders. For the most part, his abductors had made it very clear they wanted to kill him. It was only the woman who’d kept him alive.

  Rick tried to suppress his grin. Not surprising since he did have a way with the ladies.

  Currently they were near some place called the Lin Yao Mines located in Singhai near the Shan Gung Din palace. The information meant little to him except where there was a civilization there would be a ship he could steal to escape the planet. Rick could fly pretty much anything.

  His crew would come for him… if they knew where to look. Since he’d been unconscious when the enchantress’ ship left the star port, he wasn’t sure if his friends knew who’d taken him. That meant he was on his own until proven otherwise.

  A series of loud thuds sounded from the tunnel. He craned his neck and tried to jerk his feet free from the binds. The drug dealing enchantress appeared in the yellowed light. Blue lines encased her dark eyes. Only, her gaze wasn’t sparkling with mischief like he’d grown accustomed to seeing. She came to him in a panic.

  “Change of plans,” she whispered, digging in the pouch at her thigh only to pull out a syringe.

  “Oh, hold on babycakes, there’s no reason to do anything rash.” Rick leaned away from her hand, not knowing what kind of threat was in the syringe. “We’ve come so far. No reason to resort to killing me now.”

  “I had planned on wiping your mind and leaving you on some remote fueling dock with a couple of hundred credits so your space pirate buddies could find you, but it looks like I’ll have to do this our normal way.”

  “What do you mean our normal way? We have a normal way?” He pushed his feet against the floor, trying to move the chair and unable to get it to do more than rock back and forth.

  “I know you won’t remember this, but you need to stop following me, Rick. I hope this thought embeds deeply in your mind. If you see me, walk the other way. I can’t keep saving you. This has to be the last time.” She licked her lips.

  “What are you talking—?”

  The words were cut off as she pressed her mouth to his. She kissed him deeply, grasping the back of his head with one hand. It wasn’t a sweet, testing kiss, but one from a woman who’d done this to him before. Surely, he’d remember such a thing. Her touch felt familiar. His body responded instantly, and he groaned, fighting against his ties.

  A sharp jab pierced his thigh, but he hardly cared. When she pulled back, breathing as hard as he, Rick tried to follow her mouth to continue.

  She put her hand to his lips to stop him and said, “You won’t remember this, but I am sorry. Good luck.”

  Rick blinked hard. She threw the syringe down a dark crevice and turned toward the tunnel where her men were.

  “Release him,” a loud voice ordered. Rick detected a flash of red trimmed in gold as a man entered the cave. More was said, but the words became muffled as his vision darkened. He felt his body slumping forward but was too weak to stop it.

  “Wake up.” A hard slap pulled Rick from the darkness.

  He flung his arms, trying to remember where he was and how he’d gotten there. He sat on a hard floor, pressed against an uneven wall. A sharp, jagged rock poked his back. Golden firelight burned from a torch, revealing the corners of the dark cave walls.

  His cheek stung as he glanced around the cave only to focus on a woman tied to a chair. The memories were foggy, but he knew that face—his kidnapper from Leinad’s star port.

  What was going on?

  “Who are you?” Rick turned his attention to the man who’d presumably rescued him. He wore loose red pants and a black silk tunic shirt. It hardly looked like what one would wear spelunking.

  Using the rock wall for support, he pulled himself to his feet. Rick’s thigh ached, and he felt weak.

  Seriously, what had happened?

  “I am Prince Zhang Haun of the Muntong Empire, heir to the Zhang throne,” the man answered, though he spoke in the Old Star language his accent matched that of a few of the drug queenpin’s men.

  They were on Lintian. He was starting to remember.

  Sort of.

  The prince’s companions—guards maybe—were standing out of the way in a tunnel. It was impossible to tell how many there were.

  “What exactly is happening?” Rick moved on wobbly legs to look down at his former captor all tied up. She glared at him, although a gag kept her from speaking.

  “I was hoping you could tell me,” the prince said. “What is she doing here?”

  Rick opened his mouth to answer but couldn’t. He frowned. The answer was right on the edge of his thoughts, but he couldn’t form it.

  The woman began an angry tirade of words muffled by the gag in her mouth.

  “Oh, babycakes, don’t be angry,” Rick said, stroking the woman’s hair. He leaned closer to whisper, “Look who’s tied up now. Be a good girl, and maybe I’ll save you from this predicament.”

  The animated tirade only continued as she tried to say something to him, thrusting her sexy body against the ties.

  The prince merely watched.

  Rick wasn’t sure who to trust. Considering the situation, he thought it best to play on the side of the prince. Plus, it was too much to resist taunting the enchantress as she had him.

  “I believe you told me to behave when I was in your situation.” Rick patted her on the head, which only irritated her more. “Though I do understand that behaving is such a broad term, open to interpretation. When I said I’d behave, I didn’t say how.”

  She slammed her feet against the stone ground. Her chair lifted by small degrees. Her expressive eyes said more than her mouth ever could.

  “Ah, sweet cheeks,” Rick touched his chest, “you’re breaking my heart.”

  She stopped moving, though her glare remained.

  “I’m not sure what I am witnessing,” the prince admitted, his words low. “Why were she and the others keeping you here?”

  “Can I assume I have you to thank for rescuing me?” Rick asked.

  The man nodded. “Though I’m not sure it was much of a rescue. They did not put up a fight.”

  “Is that so?” Rick turned toward the queenpin. There was plenty he’d wanted to say to her, only he couldn’t recall what at the moment. Maybe he’d hit his head? His thoughts were fuzzy. The smart thing would be to worry about his own escape, but he couldn’t bring himself to abandon her. He had no idea what would happen to her if he left her with the prince. To Haun, he said, “This prisoner is mine. I’ll make sure she gets off this planet and never bothers you again.”

  How he wasn’t sure.

  The prince began to protest, but Rick talked over him.

  “Frankly, honey pie, I’m disappointed in you,” Rick said to her. “All this time and you were so easy to catch off guard. What? Nothing to say now? No smartass command? No snide remarks? It’s not fun being tied to a chair, is it?”

  She yelled and pitched her body forward as if to headbutt him. His boot slid as he caught her and kept her from falling.

  “We are not going to get answers this way.” The prince lifted his hand to stop any protest that might come. “As soon as my men return with a mode of transport, we will take her to the prisons and you will come with us until we can figure out what is happening—”

  A roar interrupted his words, echoing from the tunnel opposite of where the prince’s men waited.

  Rick and the prince turned in surprise.

  “Holy space balls!” Rick exclaimed seeing Jarek halfway shifted into the form of an upright man-cat. Within seconds the captain could become a full tiger. Claws, fur, and fangs created a scary-ass fi
gure. His arm was pulled back, ready to strike. Rick rubbed his eyes in surprise. “Captain? Is that really you?”

  Jarek’s gaze darted over the room.

  “Rick?” Jarek lowered his arm, stopping his aggressive attack plans. It wasn’t clear if it was confusion or relief that the man felt. “You’re… free? How? I don’t understand.”

  Rick had never been so happy to see someone in his life. He rushed to Jarek and threw his arms around him. “Blessed stars, Jarek, it’s good to see you. How did you ever find me?”

  “You should’ve known I would.” Jarek pushed him away. “How did you get free? What is going on here? I come expecting a rescue, and I see you tormenting some woman…” His words tapered off as his eyes moved toward the prince.

  “Oh, yeah, sorry, Cap. This is Prince Zhang Haun of the, uh, Moon Empire,” Rick said.

  “Muntong,” Haun corrected.

  “Right, right, Muntong.” Rick grinned, patting Prince Haun on the back. He had no clue what he’d forgotten but was happy this ordeal appeared to be almost over. The prince stiffened at the familiar contact, but Rick ignored the reaction. “Anyway, ole Haun here saved my sorry ass. He said we were waiting for someone, but I never thought he meant you. I thought it was my lucky day.”