Weapons Master: Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone #6

by Hackett, Anna

  He didn’t.

  “It’s a celebration, Maxon.” She rubbed her nose against his. “An acknowledgment that we survived, a celebration that the Thraxians and Edull are gone. It’s a thank you to the House of Galen, the House of Rone, the other houses, Rhain, and all our allies for being awesome. A celebration of our new home, our new family.”

  Maxon would do anything to make her happy. “I’ll go.”

  She nipped his bottom lip. “Thank you.”

  He slid his hand up her leg, then in between them. He stroked.

  She gasped, her hips tilting up. “Party, remember.”

  “We still have time. I’ll be quick.” He bit her neck.

  “You are never quick,” she moaned. “Thank God.”

  No, he enjoyed her far too much to rush things. Wringing orgasms from Bellamy was his newest obsession.

  He flicked her trousers open and slid his hand inside. Then his fingers were inside her.

  “Oh, okay,” she panted. “We’ll be quick.”

  * * *

  They were a little late to the party, but Maxon didn’t care.

  They walked through the tunnel to the main arena. Magnus had hired out the whole of the Kor Magna Arena for the celebration.

  Tonight, there were no fights or crowds.

  Bellamy looked amazing. He let his gaze run over her. Her tiny dress was electric blue, and short. Really short. For a small woman, she had a lot of leg on display.

  Turning, she smiled. Her lips were painted bright red.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said.

  Her face softened. “And you’re too damned handsome.” She touched the collar of his white shirt. “I’ll have to fight the women off you.” She grinned. “Lucky I’m tough.”

  “I’m all yours. Only yours.”

  They stopped to kiss, and he was tempted to push her against the wall and take more.

  “Come on.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him forward.

  They entered the arena.

  “Oh, wow,” Bellamy breathed.

  The stands were dark and empty, but the center of the arena was lit up. Tonight, the sand had been covered by boards, and lights were strung up above, glittering like stars.

  Entertainers wandered among the crowd—dancers spinning fire sticks, contortionists, and acrobats. Servers with loaded trays of food and drink weaved around.

  Everyone was there—talking, laughing, enjoying the celebration.

  His family.

  Maxon hugged Bellamy to his side. Her face was filled with wonder.

  “Welcome home, Bellamy.”

  She bit her lip. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Laughing, Bellamy headed over to get another drink. She grabbed the glass from the young, smiling server. The man’s smile widened and she winked at him.

  She turned, sipping the bubbly, yummy drink. She scanned the party and wondered if a person could die of happiness.

  She’d never felt this damn happy before. Every day, it got better and better. Before, she would never have trusted that she could keep feeling this good.

  But now that Maxon was hers, and she was free, she believed.

  It wasn’t just because of her gruff cyborg, or the fact that she was so in love with him, it was all of this.

  Her gaze fell on Magnus and Ever, smiling at each other. With them were Jax and Quinn—a gorgeous, well-matched pair. Galen had an arm around the waist of the attractive, intimidating Sam Santos. Overlord Rhain Sarkany was with them as well, sipping a drink, and looking far too delicious.

  Bellamy spotted Jayna sitting in Mace’s lap, talking with Sage. Acton stood behind Sage’s chair, his hand on her shoulder. Xias was off to one side, kissing Seren like they were the only people alive.

  Calla and Zaden were slow dancing on the shiny dance floor. Mia from the House of Galen was singing—her blue, tattooed mate, Vek, sitting close by, staring at her like she was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. How a male as tough and wild as him could look scary and adoring at the same time, Bellamy had no idea.

  Toren, Simone, and Grace were dancing together. Rillian and Dayna, polished and gorgeous, were dancing as well. Rillian had some smooth dance moves, and swung his mate into a dramatic dip. Dayna beamed up at him. Ryan and Zhim were dancing as well. Well, Ryan was doing most of the dancing. Zhim had his hands on her hips, watching her indulgently.

  At the edge of the party was a gladiator huddle—Raiden had his arms around Harper, Blaine had an arm hooked around Saff’s neck, Kace was there with Rory, who was bent over, laughing uproariously.

  The sexy, smiling, long-haired Lore had an elegant brunette tucked under his arm. Bellamy had met her earlier—Madeline had been the commander of Fortuna Station. They were talking with his sister, Lena, and her mate, Cassana.

  A huge, barbarian gladiator stood with a small, dark-haired woman. She was talking animatedly, and he had a faint smile on his rugged face. That was Nero and Winter.

  Bellamy had also met Ever’s tough sister, Neve, and her man, Corsair. Mina was trying to coax Tannon onto the dance floor, but the security chief was having none of it.

  There was only one couple missing, the pair that Bellamy hadn’t met yet. The gladiator Thorin, and his pregnant mate, Regan. From the whispers she’d heard, the heavily-pregnant Regan had been having some contractions, and everyone was hoping she’d have her baby soon. Apparently, the baby was taking after its daddy and was big, and Regan was small.

  All these women, and Blaine, had been snatched and stolen. They’d been through hell. But they’d made it.

  Bellamy smiled. They were making a new life and they loved it.

  She turned and saw Maxon talking with Zhim.

  God, he was gorgeous. Her chest tightened. His trousers clung to his muscular form, and that crisp, white shirt looked gorgeous against his golden-brown skin.

  Hers.

  They’d fight, laugh, love, and still be doing it when they were old and gray.

  Her gram would be so happy.

  Maxon glanced her way. His melted-gold gaze caught hers, and he smiled.

  Hmm, she was going to see if she could lure her beast onto the dance floor.

  * * *

  Magnus

  Magnus watched the party, listening to the sounds of happy people enjoying themselves.

  Jax stood beside him, sipping his drink.

  “Who would have thought that when you rescued me and we escaped the Orionix Military cyborg program, that we’d end up here,” Jax mused.

  Magnus didn’t look at his second in command and best friend. Old memories filtered through his head—Jax badly injured, scheduled to be killed by their ruthless military commanders. Magnus had fought to free them, and they’d become fugitives. He’d been emotionless then, and he’d had one goal—survival.

  He’d never, ever dreamed of this—the House of Rone, his people. His gaze fell on Ever. He’d never imagined the woman from Earth who’d brought him to life, given him love, and gifted him with a child.

  He was no longer surviving. He was living life, in all its amazing glory. As were all his cyborgs, his allies, and the survivors from Earth they’d helped rescue.

  Although, Magnus knew that really, it was the women who had saved all of them.

  “I wouldn’t change a thing,” Magnus murmured.

  “Me neither,” Jax agreed. “I’d suffer everything again, twice, if it brought me to Quinn.”

  “We made it, Jaxer.”

  Jax smiled. “We sure did.”

  Fireworks speared into the sky. Magnus glanced into the center of the arena and spotted Lore setting off the pyrotechnics. Using his unique abilities, the gladiator sent flames and sparkles whizzing into the night sky. A flying beast made of flames sailed overhead, making the partygoers gasp and cheer.

  The light and flames whirled and dipped. They formed a giant cat-like creature that padded forward and opened its mouth in a roar. Then
it burst into showers of light.

  Galen and Rhain appeared beside Magnus.

  “Excellent party,” the overlord murmured.

  Magnus nodded. “Thank you both for your assistance at Bari Batu.”

  Galen linked arms with Magnus in a warrior’s clasp. “Our houses are forever linked, Magnus. If you ever need the House of Galen, you know that we’ll be there.”

  “And the same for the House of Rone.”

  “I’m glad I could help,” Rhain said. “The Edull deserved their downfall.” The king’s gray gaze drifted over the party.

  Magnus’ did the same. He saw Bellamy dancing with young Grace. The pair were showcasing some wild moves and giggling.

  “Your women are very unique,” Rhain said. “Fierce and tough, but feminine.”

  “You can’t have them,” Magnus said with a smile. “They’ve all been claimed.”

  The overlord smiled. “I guess I’ll have to find my own. If the wars I wage ever slow down.” A hard gleam entered the man’s eyes. “Is it worth the risk? Loving someone is…a weakness your enemy can exploit.”

  “It’s worth everything,” Magnus replied.

  Galen and Jax both nodded.

  Galen cleared his throat. “Samantha’s pregnant.”

  Jax laughed. “Well done.”

  Magnus raised a brow, feeling a rush of happiness for his friend. “Congratulations, old friend. You’ll be an excellent father.”

  Galen sipped his drink quickly. He looked a little nervous, and Magnus had never seen his fellow imperator look like that.

  Magnus clasped Galen’s shoulder. “Fatherhood is another amazing thing. I can assure you that it’s worth the risk.” Magnus lifted his drink. “To your child, Galen.”

  They clinked glasses.

  Suddenly, Thorin appeared in one of the archways. He looked slightly disheveled, and he held a beaming Regan in his arms. Beside him stood a tall, slender, genderless Hermia healer from the House of Galen. In the healer’s arms was a small bundle.

  All noise stopped.

  Thorin gently set a flushed, tired-looking Regan in a chair, then took the bundle from the healer. A huge smile crossed his broad face.

  He tucked the bundle into his massive brawny arms. “I have a son!”

  Smiling wide, Thorin held up the tiny, precious baby in his arms.

  Raiden was already hurrying over to his best friend. The women mobbed Regan and Thorin. Everyone tried to get a look at the baby. They kissed Regan’s cheek and slapped Thorin’s back.

  “Regan was amazing.” He cupped his mate’s cheek. “She’s the most magnificent woman in the universe.”

  Regan blew her man a kiss.

  As the crowd gathered around the new parents, Magnus saw Bellamy leap onto Maxon’s back. He watched his weapons master smile.

  Magnus was glad to see Maxon open up. He’d been so closed off for so long. When Magnus had been emotionless, he hadn’t realized how bad it had been for Maxon. It was only once Ever had come into his life, that Magnus had started to worry about Maxon.

  Now, his weapons master looked just fine.

  Even though Bellamy whispered in Maxon’s ear, Magnus heard her with his enhanced hearing.

  “Want to go and get naughty in our workshop?”

  “Yes,” Maxon growled in response.

  “We’ll be old and wrinkled, and still having quickies on your workbench.”

  “I hope so,” Maxon said.

  As Bellamy bit his ear, Maxon lifted his head and met Magnus’ gaze.

  The two cyborgs smiled at each other. They both knew exactly how lucky they were to have their friends, family, their mates, and love.

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed Bellamy and Maxon’s story!

  Don’t worry, we haven’t seen the last of Carthago, the gladiators, or the cyborgs yet. We also haven’t seen the last of Overlord Rhain Zhalto Sarkany. Keep an eye out for the GALACTIC KINGS series coming in 2021!

  If you’re interested in learning more about the House of Galen gladiators and the strong, smart women from Earth they helped rescue or Magnus and Ever’s story, then check out Galactic Gladiators.

  For more action-packed romance, read on for a preview of the first chapter of Edge of Eon, the first book in my best-selling Eon Warriors series.

  Don’t miss out! For updates about new releases, free books, and other fun stuff, sign up for my VIP mailing list and get your free box set containing three action-packed romances.

  Visit here to get started: www.annahackett.com

  Preview: Edge of Eon

  She shifted on the chair, causing the chains binding her hands to clank together. Eve Traynor snorted. The wrist and ankle restraints were overkill. She was on a low-orbit prison circling Earth. Where the fuck did they think she was going to go?

  Eve shifted her shoulders to try to ease the tension from having her hands tied behind her back. For the millionth time, she studied her surroundings. The medium-sized room was empty, except for her chair. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was dull-gray metal. All of the Citadel Prison was drab and sparse. She’d learned every boring inch of it the last few months.

  One wide window provided the only break in the otherwise uniform space. Outside, she caught a tantalizing glimpse of the blue-green orb of Earth below.

  Her gut clenched and she drank in the sight of her home. Five months she’d been locked away in this prison. Five months since her life had imploded.

  She automatically thought of her sisters. She sucked in a deep breath. She hated everything they’d had to go through because of what had happened. Hell, she thought of her mom as well, even though their last contact had been the day after Eve had been imprisoned. Her mom had left Eve a drunken, scathing message.

  The door to the room opened, and Eve lifted her chin and braced.

  When she saw the dark-blue Space Corps uniform, she stiffened. When she saw the row of stars on the lapel, she gritted her teeth.

  Admiral Linda Barber stepped into the room, accompanied by a female prison guard. The admiral’s hair was its usual sleek bob of highlighted, ash-blonde hair. Her brown eyes were steady.

  Eve looked at the guard. “Take me back to my cell.”

  The admiral lifted a hand. “Please leave us.”

  The guard hesitated. “That’s against protocol, ma’am—”

  “It’ll be fine.” The admiral’s stern voice said she was giving an order, not making a request.

  The guard hesitated again, then ducked through the door. It clicked closed behind her.

  Eve sniffed. “Say what you have to say and leave.”

  Admiral Barber sighed, taking a few steps closer. “I know you’re angry. You have a right to be—”

  “You think?” Eve sucked back the rush of molten anger. “I got tossed under the fucking starship to save a mama’s boy. A mama’s boy who had no right to be in command of one of Space Corps’ vessels.”

  Shit. Eve wanted to pummel something. Preferably the face of Robert J. Hathaway—golden son of Rear-Admiral Elisabeth Hathaway. A man who, because of family connections, was given captaincy of the Orion, even though he lacked the intelligence and experience needed to lead it.

  Meanwhile, Eve—a Space Corps veteran—had worked her ass off during her career in the Corps, and had been promised her own ship, only to be denied her chance. Instead, she’d been assigned as Hathaway’s second-in-command. To be a glorified babysitter, and to actually run the ship, just without the title and the pay raise.

  She’d swallowed it. Swallowed Hathaway’s incompetence and blowhard bullshit. Until he’d fucked up. Big-time.

  “The Haumea Incident was regrettable,” Barber said.

  Eve snorted. “Mostly for the people who died. And definitely for me, since I’m the one shackled to a chair in the Citadel. Meanwhile, I assume Bobby Hathaway is still a dedicated Space Corps employee.”

  “He’s no longer a captain of a ship. And he never will be again.”

 
“Right. Mommy got him a cushy desk job back at Space Corps Headquarters.”

  The silence was deafening and it made Eve want to kick something.

  “I’m sorry, Eve. We all know what happened wasn’t right.”

  Eve jerked on her chains and they clanked against the chair. “And you let it happen. All of Space Corps leadership did, to appease Mommy Hathaway. I dedicated my life to the Corps, and you all screwed me over for an admiral’s incompetent son. I got sentenced to prison for his mistakes.” Stomach turning in vicious circles, Eve looked at the floor, sucking in air. She stared at the soft booties on her feet. Damned inmate footwear. She wasn’t even allowed proper fucking shoes.

  Admiral Barber moved to her side. “I’m here to offer you a chance at freedom.”

  Gaze narrowing, Eve looked up. Barber looked…nervous. Eve had never seen the self-assured woman nervous before.

  “There’s a mission. If you complete it, you’ll be released from prison.”

  Interesting. “And reinstated? With a full pardon?”

  Barber’s lips pursed and her face looked pinched. “We can negotiate.”

  So, no. “Screw your offer.” Eve would prefer to rot in her cell, rather than help the Space Corps.

  The admiral moved in front of her, her low-heeled pumps echoing on the floor. “Eve, the fate of the world depends on this mission.”

  Barber’s serious tone sent a shiver skating down Eve’s spine. She met the woman’s brown eyes.

  “The Kantos are gathering their forces just beyond the boundary at Station Omega V.”

  Fuck. The Kantos. The insectoid alien race had been nipping at Earth for years. Their humanoid-insectoid soldiers were the brains of the operation, but they encompassed all manner of ugly, insect-like beasts as well.

  With the invention of zero-point drives several decades ago, Earth’s abilities for space exploration had exploded. Then, thirty years ago, they’d made first contact with an alien species—the Eon.