by Anna Hackett
Then he pulled her out of the chair, lifting her into his arms, making sure her lab coat covered her lower body.
“Sabin, my trousers—”
“I’ve got them.” He carried her out of the lab. “Now I’m taking you to bed.”
She slid her arm across his shoulders. “To sleep?”
He grinned. “Eventually.”
In their quarters, he took his time stripping her. He wanted to savor, not to rush. They’d done fast, now was the time to indulge. To touch, taste, and stroke every part of her. When they were tangled on the bed, he moved inside her—slow and deep—their gazes locked together.
They came together, her crying out his name as he groaned out hers.
They fell asleep, naked, and wrapped in each other.
It felt like only minutes later that his communicator chimed.
Sitting up, Sabin turned on the bedside lamp. He saw that they’d been asleep for several hours. He grabbed his communicator. It was a call from Malax.
“Sorry to wake you, Sabin,” his war commander said.
Finley sat up just out of view, and pushed her hair out of her face. She stayed quiet.
“It’s fine, Malax.”
“You’re all healed?”
“Yes. And there’s been no sign of the Kantos.”
“I wish I could say the same.” Malax’s face was set. “What’s the status of the StarStorm?”
“We’re close. The orbital testing went well. The Space Corps astronauts are making some adjustments.”
“We’re out of time,” Malax said.
Finley stifled a gasp.
“What’s happened?” Sabin demanded.
“The Kantos fleet is headed for Earth.”
Sabin bit back a curse. “How long do we have?
“I’m en route with the Rengard. The other closest Eon warship to Earth is the Valantis and they are coming, too. We won’t beat the Kantos. You have twenty-four Earth hours before they arrive.”
Now Sabin cursed. Finley bit her lip.
“One Kantos battlecruiser has gone missing,” Malax added. “We don’t know where it is.”
The news just got worse and worse.
“We’ll do what we can to prepare,” Sabin said.
“Get the StarStorm ready, Sabin, or Terrans will die.”
The screen went blank and Sabin tossed the device onto the bedside table.
Finley crawled across the bed, and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tight.
Their time had run out.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Finley paced the lab, waiting for the astronauts to call in.
“What’s taking so long?” she snapped.
Everyone was packed into her lab and ignored her. They were all tense.
“Woomera Complex, this is Storm Team One.”
Finally.
Dr. Gregson touched the screen. “We’re here, Team One. This is Dr. Amelia Gregson.”
“Sorry for the delay.” The man sighed. “My team worked all night, but they were unable to complete all the required work.”
“What?” Finley stepped forward.
Sabin wrapped an arm around her and held her in place.
“We just don’t have the technical expertise. This project is new tech that we aren’t trained on. I’m sorry.”
“We’ve received news that the Kantos are on their way,” Sabin said.
“We know.” The astronaut’s tone was grim. “We need your weapons scientist up here.”
Finley sucked in a breath. “Me? In space?”
Sabin frowned. “You’re certain Dr. Delgado is required?”
“I’m afraid so. My team did the best they could. We all know this project was fast tracked, for good reason, but that leaves Dr. Delgado as the sole expert. We can’t complete the final piece of work alone. We need her.”
“I’ve never been to space. I have no training.” Panic was a slick, hot slide in her veins.
Sabin gripped her arm. “I’ll be with you. Every step of the way.”
Dr. Gregson frowned. “Finley, we’re out of time and options.”
“God.” She set her shoulders back. “All right.”
She saw a flare of pride in Sabin’s eyes.
“We’ll send a shuttle to collect you,” the astronaut said.
The call ended.
“Well, I guess I’m heading into space.” Her stomach did a jittery turn.
Sabin cupped her face. “I’ll be with you. Every second.”
Before Finley knew it, a Space Corps shuttle touched down on the landing pad in front of the main Woomera building. Her hair was braided, and she carried a small, soft tool kit in her hand, that contained all her gear.
“Good luck.” Gemma hugged her. “You’ve got this.”
Ian saluted.
The side of the shuttle opened and a man appeared, clad in a Space Corps uniform. “Dr. Delgado, Security Commander Solann-Ath. I’m Sub-Captain Malicki.” He waved them aboard. “Dr. Delgado, we have a spacesuit for you.” He took her toolkit.
Inside, the first thing she saw in the tight space of the shuttle was a black-and-white spacesuit hanging from a hook.
“Lieutenant Watts is our pilot today,” the sub-captain said.
A woman waved back at them from the cockpit, sitting in front of a huge panel of controls.
“Get changed,” Sabin said.
Finley moved to the most private area at the back of the shuttle. She took off her clothes, then pulled and heaved to get the formfitting suit on. Her curves were not designed for space.
The suit zipped up to her neck and felt like a second skin. She ran her hands down her body a little self-consciously. It didn’t leave much to the imagination.
When she moved back to the main part of the shuttle, Sabin’s gaze lit up. He took her in and smiled.
She touched her side. “It’s tight.”
“You look great.” He leaned in close and nipped her ear. To the pair in the cockpit, it would look like he was just murmuring to her.
She shivered.
“Take your seats,” the sub-captain called back. “We’re ready for takeoff.”
She and Sabin sat, and clipped their harnesses on.
She could do this. The fate of the world was resting on her shoulders. Sabin reached out and took her hands. He had his scale armor on now. She glanced down. His hand was so much bigger than hers.
“It’s going to be fine,” he said.
She nodded. She wasn’t alone. She knew Sabin would keep her safe, and help her.
The shuttle lifted off. Out the side window, she saw orange dirt and a glimpse of the Woomera buildings, then they speared into the blue sky.
The shuttle sped up and she was pushed back into her seat. She tried to stay calm. Sabin was relaxed. He’d probably done this a thousand times before.
Before she knew it, the blackness of space appeared through the cockpit windshield.
“Oh wow.” The shuttle moved into orbit. She looked back down at the Earth. It looked exactly like every photo she’d ever seen, but it was even more incredible.
“We’re heading straight for the satellite array,” Sub-Captain Malicki called back. “After you’ve completed your work, we’ll rendezvous with the Hurst Space Station.”
As she looked out the window, a huge, orbiting station came into view.
“Is that the Hurst?” she asked.
“Ah, no. That’s the Citadel low-orbit prison.”
That was where Eve Traynor had been wrongfully imprisoned, before this entire situation with the Kantos had exploded. Space Corps had come up with a crazy plan to get the Eon involved, and had forced Eve to abduct an Eon war commander.
Of course, she was now mated to that war commander, and expecting the first Eon-Terran baby. So, Finley guessed it had all worked out.
She glanced at Sabin. She wondered what the mating process was like.
“Approaching satellite six,” the pilot said.
/> Finley leaned forward. She saw the laser satellite ahead. It had a stocky, cylindrical body, with solar panels swinging out on the sides.
“We’ll come up alongside, then you’ll need to use the air lock to travel across to the satellite and its control panels,” Malicki told them.
Finley’s eyes widened. “Wait. I have to go outside?”
“It’s only a few meters,” the sub-captain said.
“I’ve never spacewalked.” Her breathing sped up. “This is my first time in space!”
Sabin squeezed her hand. “Look at me.”
She met his purple-black eyes. They were so steady and calm.
“You can do this,” he said. “You’re brave, smart. I’ve seen you fight Kantos assassins, work until you fall asleep at your desk, solve complex problems. This will be easy.”
“And you’ll be with me?”
“Right beside you.” He leaned closer. “I think you might enjoy it.”
She pulled in a shaky breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Sabin listened to the airlock door control cycle and beep. Finley stood beside him and he sensed her nerves. She was tapping one foot against the shuttle’s floor.
He held her hand and his gaze dropped. Her spacesuit hugged the sweet curves of her ass. He swallowed a groan. He needed all his focus. This was an important mission. That, and keeping Finley feeling safe and relaxed.
He stroked a hand down her back. “Ready?”
“No.”
“You’ll do fine. Try to enjoy yourself.”
She made a strangled sound as the airlock doors opened.
Sabin wrapped an arm around her as they pushed off. They floated out of the shuttle.
“Oh, God. Oh. God.” She held on tight.
“Breathe.”
“I’m breathing.”
He looked at her through her helmet. “Finley, open your eyes.” She had them squeezed shut.
She opened them. “Oh.”
He maneuvered them in the direction of the satellite. “Look at the planet you’re protecting.”
She looked down at the blue orb of Earth. Sabin had to admit that was a hell of a view. The planet was beautiful.
“Wow.” Her fingers clenched on his.
He pulled her, using his helian to help maneuver them. She laughed, delight in the sound.
He let her go and spun onto his back.
She was smiling through her helmet and she reached for him. Their bodies bumped together.
He held her to him. “This gives me ideas. And you in that suit…” He made an appreciative noise.
She smiled. “Stop it.”
“Come on.” He took her hand again and moved toward the satellite.
They reached the main body of the satellite, their hands pressed to the metal.
“I need to access the main control panel,” she said.
They shifted around the main body.
“There,” she said.
Sabin pulled open her little pack of tools. They reached the panel, and he used a tool to open the door.
The inside was filled with an array of blinking lights.
Finley pulled out her tablet, which was now resting in a heavy-duty case, and plugged it in. She got to work.
“I need to reprogram the system.” And just like that, she lost herself in her work.
Watching her, he smiled. He was pretty certain she’d forgotten he was there, and that they were currently floating in space above her planet.
He loved that about her. The way she threw herself into her work and got absorbed.
She muttered to herself and his chest locked. He was falling hard for this smart, unique Terran.
As she worked, he scanned around. He wondered how his security team on the Rengard was doing. He glanced at the solar panels on the satellite, and frowned. They were draped with strange, glimmering strands.
“Almost there.” Finley smiled through her helmet, distracting him for a moment.
Sabin glanced back at the solar panels. He moved closer and touched one of the strands with his gloved hand. It stuck to his fingers.
Like a spiderweb.
He felt a skitter of unease.
“There.” Finley pulled back with a nod. “Let me just test the laser components.”
“Okay.” Sabin turned his head, searching for any other signs of the Kantos.
Maybe he was just jumpy. This could be something left over from construction of the satellite. It was highly unlikely the aliens could’ve been here without the Terrans noticing. Although Terran technology was still far behind Eon technology.
“All right, starting the test…now.”
He watched the lights on the panel flicker and dance.
“All readings are within parameters.” She touched her tablet screen. “Wait!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got a high-temperature reading in zone three.” She frowned, tapping quickly.
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure, but something isn’t right.” She grabbed her tool. “I need to dig a little deeper.” She opened a secondary panel inside the first one. She hummed a little. “Everything looks fine. Let me open a few more internal panels.”
Sabin looked at the solar array again and frowned. The back of his neck was prickling and his helian pulsed twice.
Suddenly, Finley gasped.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’m…not sure.”
He moved in close. Behind one of the internal panels, a gelatinous mass oozed out. It was brown in color.
“That’s not part of the satellite.” It wasn’t a question.
“No,” she said.
He touched the substance and his helian recoiled. “I think it might be Kantos.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That’s not possible.”
“They know about the StarStorm. They targeted you. It’s not surprising to think that they might try to sabotage the satellites.”
An alarm screamed through their helmets.
“There’s a temperature rise in the satellite.” She swiped and tapped the screen. “I need to get it under control, or it’s going to blow.”
“Dr. Delgado! Security Commander.” Malicki’s urgent voice. “We’re detecting a temperature spike.”
“We see it,” Finley barked.
Sabin watched as the gel inside the satellite started to glow orange.
“Finley, we need to go.”
“No. I have to fix this. We can’t lose the laser.”
The orange goo was now turning red. The alarm screeching in their earpieces increased, as did Malicki’s frenzied warnings.
“Finley, we need to go now!”
“Sabin, I—”
The satellite exploded.
He heard Finley scream, but he was thrown back by the force of the blast, tumbling over and over in space. “Finley!”
Chapter Fifteen
Finley was spinning over and over. She thought she was screaming, but maybe it was just in her head. She was too terrified to make a sound.
She couldn’t control her spin. She couldn’t stop. Everything was a blur.
She tried to touch the controls on the arm of her suit, but she’d only had a quick lesson and couldn’t remember what buttons to press.
All of a sudden, she jerked to a violent halt. She smacked against Sabin’s chest.
“Finley, I’ve got you. Are you okay?”
She was breathing too fast, the sound echoing inside her helmet. “Sabin?”
“You’re all right, now.” His strong arms closed around her.
As she started to calm down, she spotted the shuttle close by, near the damaged satellite.
“The fucking Kantos,” she snapped.
Her fear morphed into anger. They’d destroyed the satellite.
“Your helmet is cracked.” Sabin ran a finger down the thin line across the helmet.
It was a hairline crack but her stomach clutched. “Space will b
e fun, Finley. You’ll enjoy it.”
Despite the circumstances, Sabin flashed her a quick grin. Then he checked her suit controls.
“It’s holding. Let’s get back to the shuttle.”
That sounded like a damn good idea.
He took her arm, and there was a puff of air from his armor. They started toward the shuttle.
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light.
Finley bumped into Sabin, and heard him curse. Ahead, a wall of brown filled her vision.
She blinked. What the hell?
She took a second to realize it was the hull of a ship. Her pulse spiked.
A giant ship. A long, bulbous body, with several protuberances that looked like legs. The ship was shaped like a bug.
Oh, shit.
The legs on the ship started to glow, and it suddenly fired. The shuttle exploded.
“No!” Malicki and his pilot.
Sabin pulled her close. There was no way for them to get away.
But Sabin tried.
He maneuvered them away from the Kantos ship, using the propulsion his helian generated. They picked up speed, flying into the dark of space.
Finley’s heart was beating so hard it hurt. She noticed the crack in her helmet had widened. Oh, God. Everything had gone to hell. She didn’t tell Sabin, not wanting to distract him.
She glanced back and saw the huge bug-shaped ship bearing down on them.
“What is it?” she asked.
“A Kantos battlecruiser. One had gone missing.”
“I guess we found it.”
A large hatch on the bottom of the vessel opened. It moved closer, looming over them.
Then it swallowed them.
Finley clung to Sabin, trying to fight back her terror.
The hatch shut, and there was a whoosh of sound. Gravity clicked in, and they dropped to the floor, no longer weightless. She was trying not to hyperventilate.
Sabin helped her up. Wherever they were, it was dark and silent.
“The atmosphere is fine.” He helped her take off the damaged helmet. His own retracted.
“Sabin—”
In the darkness, his fingers brushed her cheekbone. “We’re together. I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep you safe.”
Her throat was tight, but she nodded.
Lights clicked on, bright beams, spearing into her eyes.
