by Luna Hunter
Right now, I have a single thought on my mind.
Making Anik Onyx pay for all that he’s done.
Our pods burst through their cargo bay doors like if it was made of glass. The humans don’t stand a chance. The way our bodies move is like music, perfectly choreographed. It’s poetry in motion.
Our reflexes are too good. Our instincts are too strong.
One by one, the humans fall. We don’t kill, no. We disable. We stun. We knock them out. They will pay for their crimes in a court of law.
At the end of a long-line of unconscious bodies stands the warden.
“This one is mine,” I breathe, and my fellow Zorans back off. I race towards him and grab him by the throat.
“What are you going to do?” Anik breathes. “Kill me? Is that it? I knew you were a beast!”
“Shut up,” I growl through my teeth. “Shut up!”
“She’s dead, isn’t she? That little whore,” he says.
Even when his life is tethering on the brink, Anik doesn’t know humility.
I want to kill him. I want to smash his head through the window, I want to crush his skull, I want to break his windpipe in half.
Only the thought of Nora stops me. She believed in me when no one else did. She trusted me.
Nora gave me a new lease on life.
I won’t repay that with death, with murder. No.
There will be justice. That is what she would have wanted.
“Come on, do it,” Anik edges me on. “End it!”
“No,” I say as I lower him to the floor and handcuffs his wrists behind his back. “You’re going to stand trial. You’re going to be judged by the whole world.”
“Do you know who I am?! I’m Anik Onyx, you stupid alien! My family owns this world! Kill me and get it over with!”
“We’ll see, human. We’ll see.”
Egon nods at me, and I push Anik down into a chair and walk over.
“What is it?”
“You might want to check this out,” he says as he pulls up a recording. It’s a holo-vid of the ship’s log. He plays back the conversation between the warden and my mate.
Watching him run his fingers across her cheek fills me with a fire so hot I’m pretty sure my blood has turned to lava, and although I want nothing more than to breathe fire and melt Onyx’s skull to a crisp, I resist.
For this… this is a confession.
A confession of his crimes — and of the Onyx cover-up.
The man is more twisted and cruel than I ever could have imagined, and watching Nora break free fills with me with pride. She’s incredibly strong and courageous, and I feel honored to call her my mate.
“I take the human was…”
I nod at Egon. “Yes, she was… she is my mate.” I send the ship’s log over to my suit’s com-device. “And this footage will mean that, no matter what happens, her life will have had meaning. This footage will change the universe. I’m going to broadcast it to every Federation com-device in the whole damn universe. Everyone will see what kind of monster you are, Anik,” I say, turning back to him.
“No,” he says, his eyes filled with fear for the first time. “Just kill me, you brute! Just end me!”
“Death would be too kind for you. No, justice will be served. You can be sure of that.”
With the help of my fellow Zorans, we broadcast the ship’s log to all open channels. It’ll reach every Federation com-device in time. We deactivate the engines on this ship so that the crew can’t make a run for it, and lock Anik Onyx into an escape pod.
I make sure he’s tied down extremely well before we launch it into space with its distress beacon activated. He won’t be taking his own life — no, he’ll be picked up by his fellow humans and he’ll be facing trial.
With any luck, they might even put him in Blackgate.
Now that would be poetic justice.
We head back to our Zoran vessel, filled with a sense of accomplishment — mixed with dread. For there, I will find Nora.
And I don’t know what kind of shape she’s in. If she died for me, I won’t ever be able to forgive myself.
My hands are trembling as I open the med-bay door.
Nora!
Her face is pale, her eyes shut tight — but her chest rises and falls with every breath she takes.
She’s alive!
Epilogue
Nora
I’m floating in… nothingness.
Cold. It’s oh so cold.
Then… blankets.
Hands.
Voices.
Warmth.
I’m dreaming. I’m dead. I’m alive. No, I’m definitely dead. I hear Zoran voices — many different kinds. That low grumble, that can only be Zorans, after all. And there’s the sound of laughter as well.
Children.
And women, too, but they sound human.
Makes no sense.
What type of afterlife is this?
I open my eyes.
“Good morning.”
I stare right into Torin’s amethyst peepers.
“Whuuu—” is all I muster.
The monitors that are hooked up to me go wild, a flurry of beeps and boops.
“Calm down,” he says, placing his hand on my chest. I look down at it. His hands are so big, the size of baseball-gloves. Perfect for lifting you up, he said. See? Told you I’m made for you.
He truly is.
Just seeing his turquoise skin calms me down.
He’s here. I’m here.
I have no idea where here is, but as long as we’re together, I know everything will be alright.
“Sleep, baby. You need the rest.”
I close my eyes and smile.
I wake up again. Hours, maybe days later, I don’t know. The room is dark, and Torin is sitting in the corner, asleep. Just looking at him makes me so happy I could cry — so I do.
I sniffle and this wakes my protector. Nothings gets past him.
“Hey you,” he says. He leans down and kisses my forehead, but I reach down and kiss him right on those perfectly shaped lips of his.
“Where am I?” I ask.
“You’re safe,” he says. “Perfectly safe.”
“But—”
“There’s too much to explain.”
“Try me,” I say. “Try me.”
He sits down on the edge of my bed. He’s wearing a strange, jet-black armor that hugs every muscle in his perfect body. I hold his hand tightly — I’m not letting go. I promised I wouldn’t let go, and I didn’t.
My Zoran mate brings me up to speed. We were picked up by his old crew in the nick of time, before the rocket could smash its way into the sun, and before I died of exposure — but only just in time.
“What of Anik? He—”
“I know,” Torin says. “Those words he said to you? I broadcast them back to the entire Federation. The whole world knows what a psychopath he is. An investigation is being started right now.”
“Good,” I say, all the tension flowing away. “Good. He shouldn’t be able to hurt anyone anymore.”
“He’s not,” Torin smiles.
He explains that there are a grand total of six other Zorans on board — and their human mates — and their kids!!
“It’s quite cozy in there, I can tell you,” he laughs.
“So those voices I heard…”
“Those were real alright. They saved you — us. They saved us.”
“Whoa. How can I ever thank them?”
“Join our fight,” Torin says as he squeezes my hand. “I have spoken to the others, Egon, Kane. They told me what really happened way back when…”
I sit up straight. “And?” I ask, my voice skipping an octave.
He frowns. There is pain written in every inch of his expression. “It was Onyx. It’s always been them…”
“How?”
“You know where that family has gotten all their money and power from, right? They mine planets for their energy, drilling
right down to the core. It destroys the very planet itself. Our squad, Egon, Kane, Marcas and myself, we discovered they were mining planets with intelligent life on them — and killing them all in the process. We confronted the Onyx leadership, and they… they poisoned us, made us… feral.”
He avoids my gaze.
“I did commit all those crimes.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask. “If they poisoned you, it’s their fault! You are innocent!”
“You’re right, I suppose,” he says, “but it doesn’t feel that way. I’ll always carry this guilt in my heart… anyway, what is most important now is that we expose the Onyx family for the criminals that they are. That’s the only way we can avenge ourselves.”
I nod enthusiastically and squeeze his hand.
“Of course I want to help!”
“It means we won’t be returning to Earth for the time being,” Torin says. “The Federation considers us fugitives. You won’t be able to see your father. If you’d rather return to Earth, I’ll… I’ll understand.”
I fall silent for a moment. Dad…
“That… that hurts, but this, this is why I’m alive. For justice. That is my goal,” I say. “I hope he’ll understand, for my place is with you, fighting this fight.”
Torin’s smile grows wide. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
My mate stands up and heads towards the door. He locks it and takes his jet-black armor off. My heart-rate picks up when I see his glorious muscles, his perfect body coming into view. Torin slips into my bed, pulling me on top of him. I want to kiss him, I want nothing more than to make love to him, feel him inside of me, but my body is still weak and exhausted.
“Sleep,” he says, as he presses my head against his chest. “You need the rest. I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.”
I close my eyes and smile. The sound of his heartbeat soothes me, and within seconds I feel myself drifting to sleep. The best sleep I’ve ever had…
Torin
I cannot begin to describe how happy I am. My baby is back in my arms. I feel blessed.
Accepting the truth of Pazar was hard — I was, at the very least, partly at fault. However, I must remember Nora’s words. It wasn’t my choice. I wasn’t in control.
The blame lies with Onyx. I shouldn’t be too hard on myself.
Easier said than done.
Luckily, I have her. She reminds me to love myself, as well. She helps me forgive myself.
Without her, I’d be a wreck. And now? Now I’m as happy as a man can be.
I kiss the top of her head and enjoy watching her sleep.
The message we’ve sent to the Federation has dealt the first blow to the Onyx dynasty. Already there are demonstrations on Earth in various cities, according to the news. People want this cover-up to be fully investigated. And this is only one of many, many Onyx secrets.
It’s time for a final attack. We have to strike big, hit them so hard they can never recover. Every night all the Zorans gather in the main room to discuss and strategize, to plan our next move. Several ideas have been floated. Should we hack their HQ? Kidnap the CEO himself?
I’m looking forward to joining those discussions, but right now, Nora’s health is all that matters to me. Once she’s back, I think we find should focus on Marcas, first of all.
If he joins our pack then we’ll be at full strength. He can’t have disappeared into thin air. He’s out there somewhere, and we’ll find him.
I can’t wait for Nora to meet him — and all my other Zoran and human friends.
Egon, Kane, Kazim, Turnon, Dost and Daruk. Together we look like a fighting force strong enough to take down anyone in the galaxy.
And I’m sure she’ll get along great with the humans: Miah, Piper, Sarah, Ava, Aria and Lilith. Everyone of them brings a unique talent to our team.
My heart fills with joy at the thought of seeing her holding one of the kids; Jacob, Eli or Grace. Will we have kids of our own one day? I can only hope.
I’ve never met such a friendly group of people. For the first time I feel accepted, understood, and completely welcome.
It’s a big adjustment for me, after spending all this time in solitary, but everyone is very understanding and gives me the space I need.
I kiss Nora again. I can’t resist. She’s looks too damn cute not to. Sleep well, my human.
You’ve earned it.
Afterword
The end!
I hope you liked it. The final Barbarian Brides book is coming soon. Sign up for my newsletter and I’ll drop you a line when it’s released!
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On the next couple of pages you can read a preview of The Zoran’s Bride, the Alien General’s Baby and Nero.
xo,
Luna
Preview of The Zoran’s Bride
My new bodyguard? A possessive, dangerous alien warrior who wants to claim me as his prize. Oh boy.
Decades have passed since the Tyk’ix destroyed the Zoran homeworld. The fierce, sexy alien warriors have found refuge on Earth, but adjusting to this new reality has not been easy for either species.
Sarah Granger wants nothing to do with the aliens — her father died protecting the Zoran, and she’s yet to forgive them. When the Human Federation plans a mission into deep space to find a new home for the alien warriors, she volunteers, and to her own surprise, the curvy scientist gets the job! She couldn’t be happier. Until, moments before launch, the Federation assigns her a bodyguard. And not just anyone: The most dangerous, arrogant Zoran warrior imaginable, who won’t leave her alone for even a second.
Kazim has never seen his homeworld. The alien warrior grew up an orphan on the streets of Boston with nothing to his name except his fists and his indomitable will. The blue-skinned Zoran is the undefeated boxing champion of the Boston underworld — until the local kingpin asks him to take a dive. Instead, Kazim knocks his human opponent out so hard it kills him, and now the entire mob is out for his blood.
The wanted alien warrior needs to lay low for a while, and using his connections, manages to hitch a ride on a human ship heading into deep space. All he has to do is protect Sarah Granger from harm. An easy job for a warrior as tall and strong as him… Until he sees her and he realizes in an instant that he’s found his fated mate.
Resisting his urge to claim her is the hardest battle the alien warrior has ever fought.
1. Kazim
“And in the left corner, representing Zoran-kind everywhere, it’s the blue giant, the unstoppable one: Kazim the Destroyer!”
The crowd — all human — jeers, cursing my name. Their faces are contorted with rage. Good. Go ahead. Hate me. It only makes me stronger.
“And in the right corner, representing mankind, it’s the one, the only, Michael Cormack AKA the Machine!”
The puny human in front of me is bouncing on his feet, his fists raised, shielding his face from me. He jabs the air, his punches as quick as lightning. It doesn’t matter. It won’t save him. Even the strongest, quickest human is no match for me.
“Fight!”
The bell rings and the crowd roars. There’s thousands of them, all of whom have been paid good money to watch a human beat up a Zoran.
Unfortunately for them, I don’t play by those rules.
My opponent rushes forwards and tries to get the first punch in. I lean back and dodge it easily. And the next one. And the next one. I walk around the ring, evading his every blow. His muscles bulge as he throws all his strength into ever jab, but all he hits is air. His face is contorted with anger, rage, and a hint of fear.
I smirk at him.
You got inside the ring with me, boy. What happens next is on you.
I punch him in the stomach the moment he lets his guard down, and the human doubles over in pain, his scream filling the entire arena
.
The crowd falls silent for a moment before exploding in a fit of rage. This is not what they came here to see, and they make this crystal clear to me.
“Go back to where you came from, you blue freak!”
“Fuck you Kazim!”
“Zorans go home!”
I look into the crowd and spread my arms wide, letting all their hate flow into me. In the front row I see the promotor, Callum McGregor, giving me the evil eye. He’s the kingpin here in Neo-Boston, one of the most dangerous men around.
Except for me.
He traces his finger past his neck, and the message is clear.
Go down in the second round or you’re dead.
I never planned on living forever.
The bell rings and the first round comes to an end. I’ve barely broken a sweat, and there’s not a scratch on me. I grab a bucket of water on my side of the ring and throw it over my face, letting the cool drops slide down my broad, naked, deep-blue chest.
I wink at a human female sitting in the front row, and she instantly turns as red as beet — and her boyfriend looks like he wants to come up and fight me.
He’s welcome to try if he has a death wish.
“Round two! Fight!”
Cormack rushes me from behind, his punch grazing my chin. Unsportsmanlike. I retaliate instantly, my fist connecting with his nose. I can feel the bones shattering under the pressure of my punch. His face explodes with blood, the red stuff gushing down his chin.
My opponent looks surprised, shocked and filled with hatred.
“You’re supposed to go down,” he spits, with blood on his lips.
I push my shoulders back. “Make me, human.”
“Alien bastard,” he says. “You should have died on Exon Prime with the rest of your kind.”
That’s the drop that makes the bucket run over. I can’t let that slide. My vision turns red and I feel blind rage taking over — and I welcome it. First I punch the human in the stomach, making him hunch over, and then I hit him with an uppercut, throwing all the strength I have into that punch.
Cormack flies through the air.
