Mark of Eon: Eon Warriors #5

by Hackett, Anna

  From the sidelines, Lara clapped. “Nice.”

  Beside Lara, her mate shook his head. Caze moved onto the mat. “Again.”

  “You want me to kick all your warriors’ asses?” Jamie asked.

  “This time you fight me,” Caze said.

  Ooh. Jamie moved into a fighting stance. “Bring it, warrior.”

  They circled each other, watching each other intently. All the warriors looked alike—brown hair they wore long, muscled bodies, black eyes crisscrossed with filaments of different colors. Caze’s eyes were threaded with silver.

  Aydin’s were green.

  Shit, don’t think of him.

  Caze attacked.

  He almost caught her, moving faster than the other warriors she’d fought so far. As she blocked his hit, the strength of it shuddered through her. They traded blows and kicks, moving across the mats. She realized that he was used to fighting with Lara, and had adapted his fighting style to Terrans.

  Jamie spun away, then rushed back in fast. She landed a front kick to Caze’s very hard gut.

  “Come on, babe,” Lara called out.

  Caze lunged and swung a brawny arm.

  Jamie ducked and saw her opening. She pressed one foot to Caze’s big thigh and pushed up. She spun and landed a kick to his face.

  His head snapped back, and Jamie landed on the mats with a grin. “More?”

  Caze rubbed his jaw. “You Terran women.” His lips quirked and he glanced at Lara, love in his eyes. “Always full of surprises.”

  “Keeps you warriors on your toes.”

  “Okay,” Caze called out. “Everyone pair up.”

  As the warriors moved onto the mat, Jamie saw her two space marines join them. David and Idris were two of her best—dependable and always enthusiastic.

  “Nice work, Lieutenant.” David grinned.

  She lifted her chin. “Do me proud out there, boys.”

  They started to spar and she headed to get a drink. She snatched up her towel and dried her sweaty face, then glugged back some water.

  It was Day Three aboard the warship, and she had to admit, she was enjoying herself. She was already learning a lot, and the Eon had some amazing tech. Their ships were gorgeous and their weapons pure poetry.

  “Jamie.”

  She glanced over at Caze. “Yo.”

  “You still need to go to Medical for your preliminary checks.”

  Shit. She’d been putting it off. “Sure thing.”

  Caze waited, glancing at the door.

  “I’ll go after training,” she said.

  “Go now,” Caze said.

  Crap. She flicked him a small salute and headed out of the gym. She moved through the corridors, admiring the metal walls and the neatness of the ship. She tried not to think about who she’d be seeing in just a few minutes.

  When she walked into Medical, memories hit her. The last time she’d been in there, she’d been hurt, in pain, and afraid. She’d been certain she was going to die.

  She pressed her tongue to her teeth. As a kid, she’d had no one to hold her when she was sick. Her parents had always been too high to worry if she was sick. Foster care hadn’t been much better, although some homes had been much better than others. Once, when she was eight, she’d broken her arm at school. Her foster parents had finally arrived at the hospital, but well after she’d been treated. She’d been so scared and alone, and they’d been impatient at the disruption to their day.

  But when she’d been horribly injured in the Kantos attack, when she’d been vulnerable, Aydin Kann-Ath had held her hand.

  Her freaking hand.

  She was a trained space marine with a reputation for being as hard as steel. She didn’t hold hands and she didn’t show weakness—ever.

  Like she’d summoned him, he strode out of the far doorway. Spotting her, he stopped, his gaze running over her.

  Of course he looked gorgeous, damn him. All the Eon warriors were—big, strong, and in complete command of their bodies. All things that appealed to Jamie.

  “Medical Commander.” She was going to be cordial if it killed her.

  “You’re finally here for your check.”

  “Yes.”

  He gestured to one of the bunks and Jamie sat. She watched him pull some sensor pads off a tray and press them to her collarbones.

  “No lingering effects from your injuries?” he asked.

  “Good as new.”

  As he pressed one pad down firmly, his fingers brushed her skin. Goosebumps broke out on her arms and she frowned, looking past him to the wall.

  He studied a screen as it filled with information. “You’re incredibly fit.”

  “I need every advantage in a fight against the Kantos.”

  The Kantos species had both their fierce soldiers and dangerous alien bugs of all shapes and sizes. In most cases, they were always stronger and deadlier than a human.

  Aydin kept studying the screen, a faint groove of concentration on his face. She’d noticed that before, how he gave his work a hundred and ten percent. Then he reached out and touched her neck.

  She felt a quiver in her belly and resisted the urge to knock his hand away.

  He frowned. “Your pulse has spiked.”

  Which had nothing to do with the warrior standing in front of her. She cleared her throat. “Just keen to get back to training.”

  He moved closer and she smelled him. A citrusy scent that was fresh and so appealing.

  Jamie had never really thought about a guy’s smell before. Sex was a rare event, since she was so often in space and on duty. Besides, she disliked anyone getting too close to her and being in her space. Sex was always quick, and she never stayed the night.

  So, as long as a guy didn’t smell bad, she didn’t really care what he smelled like.

  But Aydin smelled good. She shifted on the bed.

  Aydin turned, looking into her eyes. He was so close, and she let her gaze drift over his rugged face. The warriors all looked alike, but the more time she spent on the Desteron, the more nuances she noted.

  Aydin had green filaments running through the deep black of his eyes. They glowed the bright hue of freshly mown grass.

  He straightened. “Are you all right?”

  She frowned. “Yes.”

  “You aren’t snapping or yelling at me.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  He smiled.

  It was a nice smile. It made her belly flip-flop. Shit. Shit. Shit. She did not need an inconvenient attraction to this warrior. She wasn’t sure she liked him, and she really didn’t like her unruly reactions to him.

  “Am I good to go?”

  He nodded.

  Jamie jumped off the bed and, as she moved, their bodies brushed. Electricity skated over her skin and she hissed.

  Their eyes met.

  Then he lifted a hand and pulled a sensor pad off her skin. This time, Jamie couldn’t stop her shiver. His fingers stilled, then they brushed down her collarbone and he slowly pulled the other one off.

  She saw the green strands in his eyes brighten.

  Shit. “Bye.” Jamie swiveled and strode out.

  * * *

  Aydin stood in a quiet corner of the gym and watched Jamie fight.

  She was tough, relentless, powerful. He watched her take on warriors who towered over her without hesitation.

  He watched her pull back from her current sparring partner. Her face gleamed with sweat, and she was smiling. She loved to fight.

  Watching her was like a punch to his gut.

  Cren. Aydin set his hands on his hips. He’d been in denial for a while, but he had to admit to himself that he was attracted to this stubborn Terran.

  He watched her rush in again, kicking and punching. He stared at the flex of her muscles. She was so sleek and strong and streamlined.

  His comm badge chimed.

  “Medical Commander,” a warrior said. “The war commander requests your presence on the bridge.”

  �
��On my way.”

  Swiveling, Aydin headed out of the gym. Maybe he just needed some space from Jamie Park, and whatever the cren he was feeling would fade.

  There were approximately a hundred reasons not to get involved with her. He had no room for a woman in his life, especially one as difficult as Jamie. He was set on restoring his family’s honor and being the best Eon doctor in the fleet. They also had an alliance and had to work together.

  When he strode onto the bridge, Davion stood in the center of the space, his hands resting at the small of his back. The atmosphere was tense.

  A second later, the doors opened behind Aydin, and a still-sweaty Caze and Jamie entered.

  Aydin’s gaze met hers, and he could almost feel the click of connection before she looked away.

  His gut tightened. By Ston’s sword, he wasn’t sure this was something he could just ignore.

  “What’s happening?” Jamie asked.

  “We have an urgent call from the Rengard,” Davion said.

  The large viewscreen flashed and War Commander Malax Dann-Jadd appeared. He was flanked by his second-in-command, Airen Kann-Felis, and on his other side stood Sub-Captain Donovan Lennox.

  “Malax,” Davion said.

  The other war commander nodded his head. “Davion.”

  “Donovan,” Davion said, “I hope you’ve settled in aboard the Rengard.”

  The tall, dark-skinned Terran nodded. “It’ll do.” The man flicked his fingers toward Jamie, who returned the gesture with a faint smile.

  Davion’s face turned serious. “Why the urgent call?”

  “We have some intel on the Kantos.”

  Aydin stiffened. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good news. It never was when it came to the Kantos.

  “One of our spies had a brush with the Kantos.” A muscle in Malax’s strong jaw jumped. “He barely got out alive. He says he saw helians in the hands of the Kantos.”

  Gasps filled the bridge.

  “It’s been confirmed?” Aydin asked.

  Airen nodded, her narrow face grim. “There was a break-in at the helian facility on Barrath Prime.”

  Aydin sucked in a breath. The moon of Barrath Prime was home to some of the Eon Empire’s most renowned biology labs. He had several colleagues who worked there.

  Jamie scowled. “How many helians are we talking?”

  “Twelve,” Airen responded.

  “Cren,” Caze muttered.

  “We don’t have any more intel yet,” Malax said. “We lost contact with our spy. The reason we’re calling is that he was close to your location.”

  Davion nodded. “We’ll be on standby and scan for any of his signals. Whatever assistance he requires, we can offer it.”

  Malax nodded. “Thank you, Davion. We’ll keep you updated.”

  The screen blinked off.

  “Fucking Kantos,” Jamie muttered.

  “If we find the location of the stolen helians, we need to go in to retrieve them,” Davion said.

  Aydin looked at the floor, anger moving through him. “This is another sign that the Kantos are experimenting with helians. Trying to find a way to take out the Eon.”

  “Shit,” Jamie said.

  “We won’t let that happen,” Aydin said.

  “No, we won’t.” Davion’s tone was dark. The war commander’s blue-black gaze moved to Caze and Jamie. “Keep up your training, but be prepared. We need to be ready to go in at a moment’s notice.”

  The security commander crossed his arms and nodded. “I suggest we send out some probes. We might detect the helians.”

  “Do it,” Davion said.

  “We have some space training scheduled next, right?” Jamie said.

  Caze nodded. “Right.”

  Her smile was sharp. “My favorite.”

  As Caze talked with Davion, Aydin moved closer to Jamie. He detected the scent of healthy sweat.

  “How are you adjusting to Eon food?” he asked.

  “Your food is delicious. I’ll need to be careful while I’m here, or I’ll gain too much weight to fit into my spacesuit.”

  Aydin scanned her body. “I doubt that’s an issue for you.”

  “I have a serious addiction to those sampa things.”

  Sampa were small, protein-rich energy balls.

  “They are flavorful, yes.”

  “Not just those things. All the Eon food is way better than Space Corps crap.”

  “Park,” Caze called out from the doorway.

  “I need to go.” She hesitated. “I think we just had a rather pleasant conversation, Medical Commander.”

  “Looks that way.”

  “Miracles do happen.” She swiveled and strode over to join Caze.

  Aydin’s gaze drifted down to her ass, hugged by her dark-blue uniform. He felt a throb low in his body.

  Yes, Jamie Park was going to be a problem in more ways than one.

  Chapter Three

  Jamie spun her combat sword in her hand, getting a better grip on the hilt. She loved being in space. She loved the sense of weightlessness, the ease of movement.

  It was why she’d become a space marine. That sense of freedom.

  She watched the warriors surrounding her, all of them wearing that awesome black-scale armor. Their helian armor and weapons rocked. She was jealous as hell. Not that her high-tech suit—the best in Space Corps—was anything to sneeze at. It was sleek, made of a state-of-the-art, black-and-white fabric that fit her like a glove. A streamlined helmet covered her head and the in-built propulsion system was attuned to her body, making movement quick and agile.

  “Begin,” Caze ordered.

  A warrior rushed at Jamie.

  She felt a spurt of excitement and smiled. She swung her sword and turned her body into the movement.

  Their swords clashed, and she spun past the warrior, turned and braced. She rushed in again before he was ready, and raked her sword across his leg.

  He turned fast and she came at him. He only just managed to block her blow. But while he was busy with her large combat sword, she yanked her knife off her belt, and pressed it to his gut.

  Jamie raised a brow and watched as the warrior scowled.

  “You can’t underestimate these Terrans, Lorne,” Caze warned.

  The warrior grunted.

  “Who’s next?” Jamie held her arms out.

  They continued sparring, and Jamie showed the warriors a few moves. They were all fascinated by her speed and balance.

  “It’s just training,” she said. “Over and over, until it becomes second nature. I have to be one with my suit and propulsion system, and move almost without thinking. I make my space marines train in space combat daily.”

  “She’s fanatical about it,” Idris called out.

  “Totally busts our asses,” David added.

  Caze nodded. “We’ll incorporate some of these moves into our training routines.”

  “How about two on one?” she suggested.

  Caze hesitated, then motioned two of his warriors forward—one male, one female. The pair moved into position and then attacked.

  Now this was a challenge. Jamie dodged and kicked, moving with her suit’s propulsion. She swung her sword, ducking a swing from the male warrior. A hand grabbed Jamie’s braid and yanked her back.

  Oh no, you don’t. With a feral smile, Jamie jerked her elbow back and connected with the female warrior’s face. The woman released her and Jamie spun, her kick sending the warrior flying back.

  They regrouped and rushed her again. Jamie had to really focus on the fight and her blood was pumping hard. Her next swing connected with the male warrior’s sword, but before she could attack again, she felt the tip of a blade at her side.

  She looked at the female warrior and smiled. They’d boxed her in. She lifted her hands, conceding defeat, then slid her sword over her shoulder. “You got me.”

  “Barely.” The female warrior lowered her sword. “I want to learn some of your moves.”

&nb
sp; Jamie nodded. “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Jamie, take a break,” Caze called out.

  As she took a breather, she hung there in space, watching several warriors fight. The black hull of the Desteron loomed over them, not too far away.

  The warriors were all power and force. She took mental notes of a few moves she could adjust for her size and strength. She wished Lara was here too, but the other marine was leading some training sessions in the ship’s gym.

  But as Jamie watched the warriors, her mind wandered, and she found herself thinking not of training, not of the Kantos, but of a certain medical commander.

  Because she wasn’t paying attention, she wasn’t watching the fight closest to her.

  One warrior hit the other hard, and the second warrior wasn’t ready. Suddenly, his body was flying through space, tumbling over and over.

  “Cren!” Caze shot forward to catch the man and Jamie braced.

  Caze just missed the warrior, and the big, broad-shouldered man—still caught in a crazy spin—slammed into Jamie.

  Fuck.

  They both spun, completely out of control. She activated the propulsion on her suit, trying to combat the momentum, but it wasn’t enough.

  The warrior tried to grab her and accidentally hit her suit controls.

  The propulsion sped them up. Shit. They were racing toward the hull of the Desteron. She saw the matte-black metal with a faint scale pattern.

  Thump.

  Jamie slammed into the hull, pinned between the metal and the large body of the warrior. The impact forced the air out of her lungs, and pain ripped up her arm.

  “I’m sorry.” The warrior was out of breath. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m alive. You?”

  He gave a slow nod. “My apologies.”

  “These things happen in training.”

  Caze flew up to them. “Are you both okay?” His rugged face was creased with concern through his helmet.

  Jamie cleared her throat. “We’re okay, except I’m pretty sure my arm is broken.”

  Caze’s gaze dropped to where she cradled her left arm to her chest. He cursed. “Medical. Now.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Do I have to?”

  “That’s an order, Lieutenant.”