by Hacket, Anna
“So, they sent a thief and a hijacker as insurance, as well,” the king said unhappily.
“Ah…sorry.”
“Status on the jewels and the Rengard?” Davion asked.
“High Command lost contact with the warship in the Syrann Quadrant. There’s been no contact since.”
Eve groaned and Davion stroked her back. How the hell could someone steal a warship filled with Eon Warriors? He looked down at Eve and fought a smile. Eve could probably do it, if she set her mind to it. He released a breath. War Commander Malax Dann-Jad was a friend, and a very good warrior. The man would be enraged.
“We do have a lead on the jewel thief,” the king continued. “I want someone sent after this Terran. To recover the gem of Ston, and to stop them from stealing the other two sacred gems.” The king’s gaze moved past Davion and settled on Caze. “I was hoping to borrow your security commander, Davion. I believe he has the requisite skills to carry out this mission.”
Davion nodded. Caze had spent several years as a stealth operative. And there was no warrior more dedicated when assigned a task.
Caze snapped to attention. “I’ll do as ordered, your majesty.”
Davion inclined his head. “There is no better warrior for the job.”
“We have a partial image of the thief,” the king said. “It was taken from the temple security system.”
A picture flashed onto the screen and Davion blinked. It was a female.
Eve gasped. “Oh, no.”
He turned. “What?”
She grimaced. “I…uh, I know who the thief is.”
Davion stared at her. “Go on.”
“That’s my sister. Lara.”
Davion studied the image. It wasn’t clear, but he could see the woman did look similar to Eve. He was used to Eon looking alike, and he’d forgotten that looks varied more widely on Earth. But not for the Traynor sisters. Lara Traynor could be Eve’s twin, except she looked a little more muscular.
Davion looked at his boots and he heard Gayel make a strangled sound.
“Oh, shit,” Eve breathed. “The Rengard—”
Davion looked at her. “What about it?”
“No. She wouldn’t have…” Eve pressed a palm to her forehead. “My younger sister, Wren. She’s a genius with computer systems. If anyone could hijack a warship, it’s her.” Eve gripped his arm. “But she’s not military, Dav. She’s not trained.”
“It’s okay, Eve. We’ll sort this out.”
Suddenly, anger flooded Eve’s face and her hands curled into fists. “Fucking Space Corps. They must have blackmailed my sisters into doing this. The bastards.”
“I’ll find the thief.” Caze’s dark tone held an edge.
Eve spun. “You won’t hurt her.”
Caze’s set face didn’t change. “I’ll do what the mission requires.”
Eve took a menacing step forward. “You hurt my sister, warrior, and I’ll hurt you.”
Davion wrapped an arm around Eve, yanking her back against his chest. “No bloodshed on my bridge, please.” He glanced at his warrior. “Please bring my mate’s sister to us. Alive and unharmed.”
Eve tugged away from Davion, her hot gaze still on Caze. “You know what, Lara will probably hurt you.”
Caze made a scoffing sound.
“She’s a trained special forces space marine.” Eve’s smile was a little scary. “And she can be mean when she needs to. Watch your back, warrior.”
Davion decided it was time to defuse the situation. “Caze, take a shuttle and go. Recover the jewel, and bring Lara Traynor to the Desteron.”
Caze nodded, gave one last unhappy look at Eve, then strode off the bridge.
The king cleared his throat. “Eve Thann-Eon—”
Eve started. “I beg your pardon? What did you call me?”
“You’re mated to Davion. That means you take his clan designation.”
She blinked. Davion bit his lip. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to her about this.
“I’m appointing you the Terran ambassador to the Eon Empire,” the king said.
Eve’s eyes bugged out of her head. “You’re what? You can’t do that. I’m a Space Corps Sub-Captain. No, I’m not even that. I’m a criminal—”
“My decree stands. You will be assigned to the Desteron. If we are to beat the Kantos, we need to work together. We need to make this alliance work.”
Eve’s mouth snapped shut and she nodded.
“I want my warship and sacred gems returned, Ambassador.”
“Right,” Eve said.
“Davion, congratulations on your mating. When the time is right, I look forward to welcoming you and your mate to my palace on Eon.”
“Thank you, your majesty.”
The screen went black. Davion swiveled. “Brack, let’s begin the search for the Rengard. Set course for the Syrann Quadrant.”
“On it.”
Davion turned to Eve. “Ambassador.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t call me that.”
“When we’re in range, I’ll set up a secure line to Earth. It’s time to save your planet, and your sisters.”
“And kick some Kantos ass.”
Davion laughed. By the Alqin’s axe, he loved his bloodthirsty mate.
Chapter Twenty
Lara
Lara Traynor squeezed out of the narrow tunnel and came out on top of the wall. She crouched there, balanced high above the temple forecourt.
The temple was sturdy. It had a masculine feel, with lots of straight lines, blocky towers, and large, regular columns. She liked it a lot. The Eon were good at more than just creating badass warriors and technology.
And here she was, sneaking into another Eon temple. Not exactly how she’d seen her career going, but Lara liked getting her missions done—no matter what.
She swiveled, and pressed her special climbing gloves and boots to the slick rock. She started making her way down the stone wall.
She already had one of the sacred Eon gems in her possession. The gorgeous, seafoam-colored stone, the Ston gem, was hidden on her stealth ship. The amazing jewel actually had a live, alien symbiont inside it. Incredible.
Now she was after her second target—the Alqin gem.
As she climbed down the wall, her thoughts turned to her sister.
Was Eve still alive? Heat shot through Lara, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Fucking Space Corps. They’d fucked her family over so many times, and now they’d sent Eve on a suicide mission. It made Lara want to punch someone in the face. Preferably an admiral or two.
And here she was, blackmailed into this insane mission.
Her boots touched stone, and she turned away from the wall. She crouched down and held her breath, studying the shadowed courtyard and listening for any sound.
Just the tinkle of a water fountain and the faint glow from lights inside. After she had gem number two, she just needed the third and final one, then she was going to find out what the hell had happened to Eve.
She rose, heading toward the statue in the very center of the courtyard. The gem rested on the crown of the god.
“Bad choice, Terran.”
The deep voice made her spin. It was cold and dark, and sent shivers up her spine.
She flipped one arm out, her blade dropping from her forearm holder and into her hand. She scanned the darkness but couldn’t see him.
Then he stepped out of the shadows.
Holy cow. He was huge. An Eon warrior wearing full, black-scale armor.
He had a raw, masculine face with a hard edge. It looked like it had been carved from granite. And cold eyes.
Their gazes locked, and tension wound between them. His eyes were black as night, with thin threads of silver through them.
At the same time, they launched at each other.
Lara slashed out with her knife. He blocked her blow, and she veered away. Then, he swung a punch at her, and she ducked. She kicked, aiming for his legs, but he jumped, leaping
over her leg.
They both spun away, circling each other. She watched as a long, blue sword formed on his arm. Oh, man. She’d heard about the symbiont-formed weapons. Damn thing was gorgeous. She wanted one.
He charged and Lara rushed to meet him.
They traded hits and kicks. She put all her effort into avoiding that glowing sword. The warrior was big, strong, and well-trained, but Lara had been born to fight, and her job had honed her abilities.
She leaped up and kicked. Her boot connected with his strong jaw, and his head snapped back.
Lara smirked. “Like that?”
The warrior growled and swung out with his sword. She dodged, the blade slamming into a pillar.
She lifted her head and laughed. “What was that? A love tap?”
Now, she felt a throb of annoyance and anger off Mr. Cool. They launched into another deadly dance. They passed the pond, and Lara leaped over the water and its lily pads. The warrior followed her.
It didn’t take her long to see he wasn’t using his full strength against her. That pissed her off.
“You’re holding back,” she snapped.
“Eve asked me not to hurt you.”
Lara stilled. “Eve?” A flood of emotion tightened Lara’s throat. “She’s alive?”
“Yes.” One cool word.
If that was true, then she was a prisoner of the Eon. Could she trust this deadly warrior?
Lara stroked her blade, working through all the scenarios. This changed nothing. She still needed to complete her mission.
Lara quickly snatched a StrikeBolt off her belt. She tossed it through the air.
It made a small whistling sound and the warrior dodged. But he was a shade too slow, and the small device caught his side. Small prongs flared, digging into him.
Blue electricity raced over his body. She saw his jaw lock and he dropped to his knees.
Lara sauntered over and snatched up the gem of Alqin.
“It’s been a good time, warrior.”
“I’ll… Come for you.” He pushed the words out through gritted teeth.
Lara had felt the effects of the StrikeBolt in training. She’d passed out within seconds. She’d never seen anyone stay conscious this long.
“You’ll…feel my breath… Back of your neck. I’ll hunt you to the end of the galaxy.”
Lara felt a cold shiver. “You can try.”
With the electricity holding him still, she raced across the courtyard and back to the wall. She braced a hand against the stone and glanced back.
His black-and-silver eyes were locked on her.
She tossed him a salute and started climbing.
Now, she needed to get off this planet and head to the temple on a small moon of Ath. Two gems down, one to go.
She needed to finish her mission, and save Earth and her sisters.
And on top of that, she also now needed to avoid one very angry Eon warrior.
Lara smiled grimly. Should be child’s play.
* * *
Eve strode down the corridor of the Desteron. Out the window, stars streamed past. It had only been a few days, but God, she loved this ship.
A warrior approached from the opposite direction, wearing Desteron black. He wasn’t as big as Davion, but there were still plenty of muscles on display. The warrior stopped and stood to the side, snapping to attention, his head bowed.
“Ambassador.”
Eve tried hard not to wrinkle her nose. She was still adjusting to the title. Hell, she was still adjusting to everything, and so were the Eon. The warship’s warriors were still a little cautious and wary of her.
But every night ended with her wrapped in Davion’s arms in their bed. That made it all worthwhile.
“Ambassador.”
Brack also entered the hall, nodding at the young warrior.
“I told you to call me Eve,” she told Davion’s second.
“I know.” He shot her a grin. “But I like seeing you wrinkle your nose.”
Brack was turning out to be the brother she’d always wished she’d had, and now knew she was grateful she’d missed out on. So damn annoying.
“The war commander sent me to tell you that we’ve made contact with Earth.”
Finally. “Thanks, Brack.”
He swiveled and strode off. She inclined her head at the young warrior, who was still standing at attention.
He nodded in return, then hesitated.
“Was there something you needed?” she asked.
“The war commander has praised your fighting abilities. A group of us wondered if you would be interested in running some training sessions for us.”
Warmth hit her. “A chance to kick some warrior ass?”
The young warrior blinked. “Sorry?”
Right. Be more serious, Eve. She met the man’s gaze. “Of course. I’d love to.”
The warrior gave her a faint smile. “Thank you, Ambassador.”
As he headed off down the corridor, Eve wrinkled her nose. She turned and made for the lift to take her to Davion’s office.
When she reached his domain and the door opened, she took a second to drink him in. God, he looked so gorgeous and proper sitting behind that big desk. She’d been itching for days to get her oh-so-sexy war commander to break that desk in with her. He’d recently showered, and his uniform was neatly pressed and his hair brushed into a neat style.
He looked up and smiled.
Eve circled the black desk and dropped into his lap. She reached up and messed up his hair.
“Hello, War Commander.”
“Ambassador.”
“Stop calling me that.” She kissed him, biting his bottom lip.
“It is your new title. You need to get used to it.” He deepened the kiss and she moaned into his mouth.
When he pulled back, she saw heat in his eyes.
She stroked the shiny surface of the desk. “I’ve had a few fantasies about you, me, and this desk.”
His desire pulsed through the air. “I hope to make those a reality for you, however, I have an Admiral Barber holding on the comm line.”
Eve squeaked and scrambled off his lap. “Why didn’t you tell me that when I first got here?”
“Because you sat in my lap, and I got distracted by my enticing mate.”
She shook her head and straightened her shirt. He stood with her, his smile widening. Then they both turned to face the screen on the wall.
It flickered and Admiral Barber’s face appeared.
When she saw Eve, relief crossed the woman’s face. “Eve. I am so very happy to see you.”
“See me alive, you mean.”
The admiral smiled, shooting a cautious look at Davion before she looked at Eve again. “Yes.” Then she looked at Davion. “War Commander Thann-Eon.”
“Admiral Barber.”
Ooh, he was using his scary, badass tone.
“I hope the fact that you’re calling and you’re alive means your mission was a…success,” the admiral said.
Eve snorted. “Not really.”
Davion stepped closer. “I do not appreciate being abducted off my own warship, Admiral.”
Barber barely controlled a wince. “I am very sorry. Circumstances forced us to make difficult decisions.”
“Luckily for you, Eve has convinced me of this.”
Hope flared in the admiral’s eyes. “The Kantos must be stopped.”
“Agreed. My king has agreed to help Earth.”
“Thank the stars.” The admiral released a shaky breath.
“But there can be no more secret missions against the Eon.”
Eve watched Barber’s face go from pleased to uncomfortable.
Eve crossed her arms. “Where are my sisters, Admiral?”
Barber released a breath. “Sending your sisters on those missions was not my decision. But they were offered a chance to free you, and they readily agreed.”
Eve cursed. Of course, they did. “They were bribed and blackmailed, y
ou mean.” Damn you, Lara and Wren. She loved her sisters, but they drove her crazy.
“Recall them,” Davion said.
“The Eon are not happy,” Eve added. “Not with their sacred jewels and warship missing.”
The admiral cleared her throat. “They’re out of contact.”
Eve pressed her lips together. “Dammit.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Barber looked at Davion. “When can you return Eve to Earth?”
“Never.”
The admiral looked alarmed. “War Commander, she is not to blame for any of this—”
Eve held up a hand. “The king has named me the Terran ambassador to the Eon Empire.”
“Oh. That’s excellent news.” The admiral sounded giddy. “But I still don’t understand why you can’t return home.”
Davion stepped closer, pressing his front to Eve’s back. He wrapped an arm around her. “Because I will not let her go.”
Barber frowned, looking confused.
Eve tipped her head back to look at her warrior. “Nothing could convince me to come back to Earth right now.”
“And nothing will ever convince me to give her up.” Davion lowered his mouth, kissing her.
Eve smiled against his delicious mouth, feeling the wash of his feelings. Such a fierce love.
“You… I…” The admiral sounded shocked.
Eve rubbed her nose against Davion’s before she turned back to the screen. She tried to find a diplomatic way to tell the admiral that she’d fallen in love with the alien war commander she’d abducted.
“Eve and I are mated,” Davion stated baldly.
Or they could just take the direct approach.
Barber made a choked sound. “You’re what?”
“Mated,” Eve said. “Hitched. I’m, um, Eve Thann-Eon, now.”
“Ambassador Eve Thann-Eon,” Davion said.
“I don’t know what to say.” Barber shook her head. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Eve said. “Now, we’ll be focused on plans to take down the Kantos. And I want you to find my sisters, Admiral.”
The other woman nodded.
“Then we will destroy the Kantos,” Davion added.
