by Anna Hackett
“The Kantos will come after us.”
“Yes, but if we’re in a swarm ship, it’s equipped with weapons. We’ll have a better chance.”
She nodded. “Let’s—”
An earsplitting screech of alarms started blaring.
“What the hell?” she yelled over the cacophony.
Thane’s jaw was a hard line as he looked around.
That’s when Kaira realized something.
The feeding frenzy had stopped. The half-eaten carcass was floating, green blood spreading around it.
“Where did they go?” she asked.
Thane’s arms clamped around her and she looked up at him.
“Thane?”
“Hold on,” he growled.
There was a giant whoosh of sound.
A scream lodged in Kaira’s throat as they were sucked out into space.
No. Fuck.
She clung to Thane as they tumbled, end-over-end, and debris whooshed past them. She got a view of the Kantos ship, then nothing but the blackness of space.
Debris streamed past them.
Thane pulled Kaira close. He generated a pulse of propulsion from his helian to slow their spin.
Thank the warriors they were in armor, and his helian was providing air for them.
“God.” Her fingers flexed on his arms.
They finally stopped and he steadied her. They both looked up, watching the Kantos ship slowly moving away from them.
Leaving them hanging in space with no planets nearby.
“Jesus, what do we do now?” she said.
Thane’s mouth firmed. “We need to find a way to contact the Rengard, or another Eon ship.”
“Thane, how?” She turned her head. “There’s nothing out here.”
“I’m not sure yet.” He had no emergency beacon. They were only supplied to warriors on missions. He’d been on Earth for a celebration. He hadn’t expected to be abducted by the Kantos.
“Right now, let’s put some distance between us and the Kantos.” He generated more propulsion from his helian. The blast helped them fly away from the battlecruiser.
“Okay.”
“Keep your arms by your side,” he said.
She adjusted her stance to be more aerodynamic. “Sorry. I’ve only been in space a couple of times. During my space modules at the Air Force Training Academy. And once I visited my dad on his ship.”
“Your father is Space Corps?”
A pause. “Was. His ship was destroyed by the Kantos.”
There was a tremble in her voice.
“I’m sorry. You lost your husband and your father.”
“Yes. Thanks.” Her voice was husky.
Thane looked ahead. All he could see was the dense black of space. No stars or planets in view. Frustration rose. He kept his arm tight around Kaira. He had no way to protect her.
They were stuck. Helpless.
“Thane… Hey.” She tapped the side of his helmet.
He looked at her.
“We’re in this together,” she said. “Whatever happens.”
He nodded. “I know our mating was a shock, and not what you wanted, but I’m thankful.”
Her lips parted. “You don’t even know me.”
“Sabin spoke highly of you. And he rarely speaks highly of anyone. I don’t need to spend weeks with you to know you’re honorable, kind, and good at your job.”
Even through the helmet, he saw the light flush in her cheeks.
“The kind of mate any man would be honored to have.” He dragged in a breath. “I am sorry this mating was thrust on you.”
“You can’t have wanted this instant mating either,” she said.
“Mating has become rare for the Eon, so it’s revered.”
“Oh. Why has it become rare?”
“We aren’t sure. Lots of Eon doctors and scientists have studied the problem. Mating is required for us to be fertile, so conception rates decreased rapidly. We switched to focus on medical ways to allow couples to conceive.” He paused. “Now, with so many Eon-Terran matings, our scientists are trying to work out why. Perhaps because of an influx of new genetic material.”
“And instant matings? Like what happened to us?”
“I’ve never heard of it happening before.”
“Wow.” She looked away, then back. “How did it happen for your parents?”
Thane cleared his throat. “My parents aren’t mated. They are in a committed relationship, akin to your marriages on Earth.”
“I see.”
“In fact, there haven’t been any matings in my family for generations.”
“Why?”
His jaw worked. “No one knows. Some say my family is cursed.”
“That doesn’t sound like a very Eon-like thing to believe.”
He tightened his hold on her. “I never, ever expected to find my mate.”
Her eyes widened. “But you wanted it.”
More than anything. “Every warrior does.” He didn’t say anymore. He would never force Kaira into something she didn’t want. “We need to focus on finding a way to contact my warship.”
“I’m sorry, Thane. I have no idea how the hell we can do that.” She worried her bottom lip. “Can your helian generate a signal?”
“Not very far.”
“Damn.” She looked over his shoulder and tensed.
He swiveled.
The Kantos ship was turning back.
Cren. “They realized what happened to us.”
“Shit.”
He pushed for more speed from his helian, but he knew it was futile. They couldn’t outrun a ship and they had nowhere to go.
Kaira looked back. “The Kantos are gaining.”
Thane saw a shuttle slide out the side of the ship. It had a bug-like design, with a bulbous, brown hull.
“Incoming.” By Ston’s sword, there was nothing he could do to stop them being recaptured. He stopped the propulsion. They stopped and turned to face the incoming shuttle.
“Hey.” Her hand tightened on his. “It’s okay.”
“I want to keep you safe.”
“I’m good at looking after myself.”
He felt his lips curve. He had no doubt about that.
“We’re in this together.” Her fingers squeezed his.
“Together,” he repeated.
The shuttle drew closer. Several Kantos soldiers flew out of the side, their legs tucked behind them.
“We don’t have to go easily, do we?” she asked silkily.
He grinned. “No.”
Her smile was sharp. “Good.”
They both formed swords.
The Kantos flew closer and Thane attacked.
He’d trained in space fighting. He saw Kaira found it difficult, but she attacked with gusto, swinging her sword wildly.
Thane hacked up one soldier. He saw more fly out of the Kantos shuttle.
Cren. Soon, they’d be overrun.
One Kantos hit Kaira and she flew backward. Thane caught her.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by soldiers, their sharp arms pointed at them.
Cren. He ground his teeth together.
He retracted his sword.
Kaira sighed and did the same.
A soldier moved in and hit Thane in the back of the neck, the blow hard.
Darkness descended. The last thing he heard was Kaira shouting his name.
Chapter Four
They sat in a tiny cell aboard the Kantos shuttle. Kaira shifted on the hard cold floor, Thane’s head resting in her lap.
Their helmets were retracted now, and she stroked his hair. The Kantos had covered his helian in goop again. Their armor was gone and she could hardly believe she was still wearing the wide-legged pants and fitted white shirt she’d worn to the party. It felt like a lifetime ago.
Thane still hadn’t regained consciousness after the vicious blow to his head.
“Come on, Thane.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
/> They’d been traveling for a while. She’d expected to dock with the battlecruiser, but they hadn’t. She stroked his cheekbone. She had no idea what the Kantos had in store for them.
Right now, she felt horribly alone. She tried again to rouse her warrior. “Wake up, Thane.”
He stirred.
“Thane?”
Thane’s extraordinary eyes opened. He blinked, then reached up and cupped her cheek. “Kaira.”
“We’re fine. On the Kantos shuttle.”
She helped him sit up. He frowned, gingerly probing the back of his neck with his fingertips. “We haven’t docked with the battlecruiser yet?”
She shook her head. “You’ve been out for about one Earth hour. Thane, I don’t think we’re docking.”
Worry crossed his face.
Where the hell were the Kantos taking them?
“Is your head okay?” she asked.
“Fine. Just some minor swelling. Your ribs?”
“They’re throbbing, but nothing’s broken.”
“Once I can free my helian, I can share some healing ability with you.”
Nice. The whole mating thing might freak her out, but she wasn’t going to complain about the benefits in this situation. “So, what do we do now?”
He took her hand and twined their fingers. “There’s not much we can do but wait, and be ready.”
Kaira blew out a breath, ruffling her hair. “I hate waiting.”
He smiled. It looked damn good on him. “I’m pretty good at waiting. As a doctor, patience is a valuable skill.”
She wasn’t sure why she did it. She just felt warmth in her belly, and the need to be connected to him. She cupped his face, leaned forward, and pressed her mouth to his.
He made a deep, raw sound, his arm snaking around her.
Her lips parted, and his tongue slid against hers.
Oh, boy. She kissed him deeper and moaned into his mouth.
He dragged her into his lap and she straddled him. He tasted like heaven.
She slid her hands into his thick, gray-streaked hair. It felt like silk. More. In Thane’s arms, she was just a woman who needed a man.
He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her deeply. A hot, possessive caress.
Then suddenly, he lifted his head and broke the kiss.
Kaira sucked in air, fighting to get her brain firing.
“We’re descending,” he said.
Oh, shit. She’d been so lost in him that she hadn’t even noticed.
Where the hell were they?
“Be ready for anything,” he said.
She nodded. Time to get her unruly hormones under control.
The shuttle landed, and Thane pulled her up to stand.
It wasn’t long before the door to their cell opened. Two soldiers stood in the doorway.
One prodded her and Thane out the door.
With one Kantos in front of them, and one behind, they were shuffled through a short corridor and toward the back of the shuttle. A large door was open.
They were shoved outside.
Kaira blinked at the bright light. Two huge suns—one yellow and one red—dominated the sky.
Thane stayed close to her.
Ahead of them lay a deep valley. The ground was rocky—a dark, black rock with a silver shine to it. In the distance, dramatic, spiky slabs of rock cut into the sky.
They stood on a flat area where the Kantos shuttle had landed. There was no vegetation, but in the distance, she saw pockets of thick, jungle-like greenery.
What was this planet?
An elite stood with a group of other soldiers, and turned to face them.
Welcome to Crolla.
The name didn’t mean anything to her. Thane’s face didn’t change, so it seemed he didn’t know of it either.
This is a Kantos proving planet. You’re deep in Kantos space.
Her belly tightened.
The elite’s eyes glowed. This is where we train our young soldiers.
Okay, that didn’t sound great.
If our juveniles survive Crolla, they are assigned to battlecruisers.
Survive. Kaira glanced at the terrain. What horrors were hiding out there?
It was decided that instead of executing you, we would give our juveniles a chance to hone their skills hunting an Eon warrior and a Terran.
Kaira pressed her lips together. Great. They got to be prey for baby Kantos.
I do not believe you will survive, Terran and Eon. If the juveniles don’t kill you, the wildlife will. I will grant you a few small things. The elite nodded.
A solider shoved a small water bottle at Kaira.
It will only prolong your suffering.
Then several soldiers surrounded them, eyes glowing. One moved forward and quickly slapped the antidote on Thane’s helian band.
I wouldn’t want to make your death too quick.
With that, the elite flowed back toward the shuttle.
Asshole. Kaira glared.
A soldier prodded them. She jerked, ready to attack, but Thane grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
Somewhere in the distance, a creature roared.
She tensed.
“Let’s go,” Thane said.
She followed him and they broke into a run.
Now it was a race for survival.
“So, this is just one big planet filled with things that want to kill you,” Kaira said.
Thane turned his head. “I’m guessing that’s an accurate summary.”
They were jogging down a rocky slope. He’d shortened his stride a little, but despite her small size, Kaira was easily keeping pace with him.
“It reminds me of our Hunter planets,” he said.
“I’ve read about those. Synthetic planets where you Eon warriors go to kill a bunch of genetically engineered creatures.”
“Where we go to test our skills.”
She snorted. “Sure. Doesn’t matter what planet males are from, the desire to fight lives on.”
His lips twitched. “Hunter planets also change biomes. The landscape changes every few hours.”
Kaira groaned. “I hope to hell this planet doesn’t do the same.”
“As far as I know, the Kantos don’t have that technology.”
They both scanned the inhospitable terrain.
“No, but they can breed nasty things,” Kaira said.
He could see more pockets of vegetation dotted across the rocky landscape. Each pocket looked different—some with more jungle trees and tangled vines. Others thickets of blackened trees with bare limbs.
“We need a plan,” she said.
He admired Kaira’s straightforward approach and intelligence. He scanned the ground again.
“See that larger, rocky outcrop in the distance?” He pointed to a tall, tower-like, rock structure. The horizon was hazy in the distance, but he could just make out mountains beyond the outcrop.
She shook her head. “My eyesight isn’t as good as yours.”
“If we can make it there, we’ll have a better view, and we’ll be able to see more from that outcrop.”
Her mouth firmed. “Let’s do it.”
They kept jogging.
The distant howl of a predator filled the air.
“I’d kill for a hot shower and a bowl of my grandmother’s beef vindaloo. And her garlic naan.”
“These are types of food?”
“Yes. From the country where she was born. India. Vindaloo is a spicy curry.” A faint smile crossed Kaira’s lips. “Might be too much for your Eon palate.”
“My helian means I can ingest a larger range of food than you.”
Her grin widened. “I don’t know, warrior. My grandmother’s vindaloo is eye-watering.”
“You’re close to your family?”
She nodded. “I see my mom regularly. She lives in Adelaide in Australia. Not too far from Woomera. I see her often, especially since my father died.” There was grief in her voice.
“Sibl
ings?”
“I have a younger sister. She’s a sound engineer. You?”
“An only child. I’m close to both my parents.”
“We are going to get off this rock and see our families again, Thane.”
He nodded. He’d do everything he could to keep her safe and get her home.
“I’m really glad you’re with me.” She grabbed his hand.
“Me too,” he murmured.
They got closer to a patch of dense, jungle-like vegetation. They paused and she pulled out their meager supply of water. He took it and sniffed to check it was drinkable, then handed it to her.
“It’s safe.”
She took a small sip from the bottle. “Until we find another water source, we can’t waste it.” She studied the wall of green. Tangled vines in green, black, and yellow dangled everywhere. The dense trees made it hard to see very far.
“Do we go through or around?” she asked.
The rock tower they were aiming for was on the other side.
“Through is faster.” Thane frowned. “But we have no idea what’s inside.”
Suddenly, a flock of bird-like creatures took flight from the trees, squawking loudly.
In the center of the jungle, trees started shaking violently. A loud growl echoed.
“Around,” Thane said.
Kaira nodded. “Definitely around.”
They skirted the vegetation, falling into a jog again.
They hadn’t gone far when his helian pulsed. He scanned behind them.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I’m not sure yet—”
“Thane. It’s better if I know. You don’t need to protect me.”
No, she was strong and well able to protect herself. He felt a sense of pride. She was an incredible mate. Whatever happened, he was proud that she was his. If only for a short time.
“We’re being hunted,” he told her.
“What?” She looked back. “I don’t see anything.”
“I don’t either, but my helian senses it.”
She swallowed.
“Let’s keep moving. We don’t want to alert whatever it is that we know it’s there.”
They kept going. Then Thane sensed vibrations under his feet and spun.
Out of the hazy fog, a pack of large shapes thundered toward them.
Thane formed his sword.
“What the hell?” Kaira muttered, forming her own sword.
