Maximus: #1 (Luna Lodge: Alpha Squad)

by Madison Stevens

  “I don’t think I met him yet.”

  “You saw him at the warehouse, but I haven’t introduced you to him. Anyway, it’s not like it’s a secret base.” Maximus thought for a moment. “It’s just a location where we live that’s not known to the general public as a place where hybrids live and train.”

  “Isn’t that like the definition of a secret base?” Selena rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. Where is it?”

  “Port Winter Island, off the coast of Maine,” Maximus said. “It doesn’t look like a base. It looks like cabins gathered around a large house. We’ve tried to seed the idea of an eccentric millionaire moving there with some of his family and friends. That way we can excuse the helipad. If people poke around and found out about the armory and training facilities underground, that might be harder to explain away.”

  Selena shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t. Millionaire preppers are trendy right now. You could put an entire little town under there and just claim you’re worried about the state of the world.”

  “Huh. I didn’t think about it, but that makes sense.”

  He looked away. It was too much to ask. She could have been killed, and it was the hybrids’ fault. If they could properly smell Vestals, they would have known how important she was. Now he was asking her to live with them on some secret island base and leave her old life behind.

  Selena reached up and put her hands on his cheeks, turning his head toward her. “Most people on this planet, those billions and billions, don’t have special bonding like hybrids, in any form. They don’t worry about relying on their nose to find their special someone.” She leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips. “I don’t know the difference between bonding and love, but I do know that I’m in love, and you already said you’re in love, so I don’t see why we should waste a lot of time worrying about how you might be different than other hybrids.”

  “You don’t think it matters?”

  Maximus hated the doubt in his voice. He wanted Selena to stay at his side forever and knew he’d be forever empty and filled with longing if she left, but he also didn’t want to force her into anything. He, and all the hybrids, knew all too well what it was like for someone else to take control of another’s destiny.

  “I don’t know how much I believe about all this Vestal soulmate stuff, but I know I love you.” Selena wrapped her arms around his neck. “And I think that’s enough.” She laughed. “Besides…”

  Maximus furrowed his brow in confusion. “Besides what?”

  “I’m unemployed now. It’s as good as time as any to start over in life. Maine sounds as good a place as any. It’s gorgeous there from what I’ve seen.”

  “But you won’t be able to do the work you did before.” Maximus shook his head lightly, feeling terrible about it. “Because we need to keep a low profile.”

  “Then I’ll find something else to occupy my time.” Selena winked. “You guys don’t blend in well, and I think you can use a nice, cute normal-sized redhead to go into town and draw less suspicion to your crazy millionaire prepper place.” She kissed him again, a bright smile on her face. “Door closes. Window opens. This time there’s a hot hybrid outside the window. I want to stay with you. Sure, I’ll have to buy some new heavy coats for Maine, but I’ll survive.”

  Not caring about his pain, Maximus crushed his mouth against her in a searing kiss and pulled her tight against his body. He’d given up hope before, but here she was, his other half, the woman he loved.

  * * *

  Selena hummed quietly under her breath as she walked down the hallway of the hotel, a full ice bucket in her hands. She knew Maximus needed to get back to his men soon, but he said he could spare a couple of hours to be with her and her alone. Though she would have loved to have him rock her world, she could tell he was still not fully recovered from the battle. It didn’t matter. They’d have plenty of cold Maine nights as an excuse to get hot and bothered in the future.

  She giggled at the thought, turning the corner before hitting her hotel room. Her eyes widened and the only sight more unwelcome than Doctor Quinen. If it wasn’t for the ice bucket, she would have facepalmed.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Chris stood there in tight jeans that only continued to reveal what an ass fraud he was. He offered her an easy grin and leaned against the closed door of her room, the smug look in his eyes suggesting she should be grateful for him deigning to share his presence with her.

  “What are you doing here, Chris?” Selena asked. “Haven’t you heard? I was fired. Go find your own damned pretzels. It’s not my problem anymore.”

  “Oh, yes, I heard about that.” Chris pushed away from the door, looking her up and down. “I thought about giving you another chance to reconsider my generous offer, but I changed my mind before I even came here.”

  Selena rolled her eyes. “Then, again, what the hell are you doing here besides annoying me?”

  “I wanted to see you at your lowest. It’s always fun to see people like that when they’ve wronged you.” Chris snickered. “I wanted to look you in the eye while you realize I’m going to go to continue to make millions of dollars, have the best damned artisanal pretzels out there, and bang lines of waiting women who would beg for the opportunity. And then you’re going to go crawling into whatever stupid trailer you live in and eat your beans crying out about how you could have had Chris Silvers.”

  “Is this going anywhere? If not, I’ve got something to do.” Selena held up her bucket. “And I don’t want my ice to melt in the time it takes your ego to approach something humans might consider normal.”

  Chris stomped over to her, his eyes ablaze. “You stupid bitch. You don’t get it, do you? You’re nothing, and I’m everything. I could punch you right here, and sue you for hurting me, and I’d take even your stupid can of beans away from yo—”

  The door to the room flew open, and Maximus stormed out, growling. Selena grimaced, grateful he was wearing his sunglasses. Chris spun to face him then craned his neck upward toward the scowling hybrid who towered over him.

  “You could punch her?” Maximus asked. “You think you could get away with that, you piece of garbage?”

  “D-d-d y-you know who I am?” Chris sputtered. “I’m Chris Silvers. You touch me I’ll sue your ass off.”

  Maximus squared his shoulders, the scowl changing into a lop-sided smirk. “Would it be worth it?”

  “Worth it?” Chris backed away, trembling. “I’ll take everything you have.”

  “See, I don’t like someone threatening to hit my girlfriend.” Maximus cracked his knuckles. “And I’m thinking you might sue me, but would it be worth all the broken bones? All that time in the hospital? In physical therapy? You’ll never be the man you were.”

  Selena stepped in front of Maximus and put a hand on his chest. “It’s fine. I don’t need your help with this ass fraud.” She gave Chris a tight smile. “You see, I don’t need lazy frauds like you. I have a real man to satisfy me because if your ass fraud is anything to go by…” Her gaze drifted to his crouch, and she winced. “I’m so sorry. It must be hard to walk around with something that small.”

  Red-faced, Chris stormed away. “You’ll never work as a production assistant again.”

  “Fine by me. That won’t change the fact you’re a fraud. You might want to look into implants.” Selena waved merrily. “I hope you choke on a pretzel. Non-organic!”

  Maximus growled as Chris disappeared around a corner. “You sure he doesn’t need a couple of broken bones?”

  “No, sometimes the best revenge is letting a pathetic person live out their hollow, pathetic life.” Selena smiled at Maximus. “I’ve got you now. I don’t care about Chris Silvers or his dumb pretzels.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Maximus sat across from Titus in the latter’s office on Isla Luna. He didn’t want to be away from Selena so soon after Hawaii, but the debriefing was important, especially considering the new threat. Everyone nee
ded to be on the same page.

  “Ouroboros, huh?” Titus let out a quiet growl. “I’ll pass the name along to my contacts in the government. This seals it. Alpha Squad needs to stay here on Isla Luna.”

  Maximus shook his head. “I think it’s best if the twelve of us who were modified continue with my original plan. I’ve already talked to the others among my original group who can still smell Vestals. We all agree it’s best for them to stay here, but as for the rest of us, we’re going to Port Winter Island.”

  “But this is a major new threat. You’ll be isolated there.”

  “Yes, but from everything Quinen said, it’s more a threat to Vestals than hybrids. That means they aren’t necessarily sniffing around for hybrids.” Maximus nodded toward a picture on Titus’s desk of his mate Kate. “And the best way to keep your Vestals safe is to stay far away from us.”

  “We’re in this together.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we need to all take the same risks.” Maximus leaned back in his chair. “You’ve fought long and hard already, and a lot of Vestals have made their way to you both at Luna Lodge and now here. We’ll continue to help you out with those kinds of missions, but whatever Quinen did to us seems linked to more what’s going on with Ouroboros, and that has more of a link to me as leader than you.”

  Titus frowned. “At least let Rachel continue to examine you until you have own actual doctor.”

  “We will, but our trips need to be a lot less common than they have been to lower the risk to Isla Luna, but…”

  Maximus gritted his teeth. He didn’t like having to say the next part, but there was no reason to hold back the truth. Titus was a leader, and he understood having to protect his own.

  “What is it?” Titus asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “We don’t know anything about Ouroboros,” Maximus said. “Other than they worked with Quinen, and some of their members might have similar powers. We can’t be sure your new friends in the government aren’t compromised by them.”

  Titus growled, his hand gripping the edge of his desk tightly. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying it’s safer for both of us if we keep our mutual distance and only interact on a limited basis. I trust you and your people with my life, but we both know how far some of these groups will go to strike at hybrids and Vestals. I think Rem has the right idea. If we’re spread out in different areas, it lowers the chance of trouble, and since your people are safe here, I think you should concentrate on building a safe life here and leave taking down Ouroboros to us.”

  “What if you need help?” Titus asked.

  Maximus shrugged. “Then we’ll ask for it, especially with cleanup, but just because Quinen has strange powers doesn’t mean these people are all powerful. They’ve had to keep their heads down by his own admission, which means they’re probably a smaller organization than the Horatius Group or the Phoenix Corps. Quinen was still relying on the last bits of Phoenix Corps funding, which means that Ouroboros might not be as tight-knit or centralized as either the Group or the Corps.”

  Titus folded his arms. “Are you sure about not staying here? You already told me you can’t call your new power on command, and we can’t sure if and when the other eleven will manifest powers.”

  “No, we can’t, but I believe they will when they find their Vestals, and I’m going to keep training and trying to figure out if I can draw this power out without Selena being threatened.” Maximus lifted a fist. “We fought all those guards, and Quinen was the only one to have strange powers. That means it’s rare.”

  “Maybe.” Titus scratched his cheek. “I know Rem’s keeping a lot secret from us, but I know his people have also displayed strange powers after bonding. But you don’t have the same kind of eyes and tattoos, so I don’t think you’re the same.”

  Maximus nodded. “Quinen said it was a result of his modifications, and the man might have been a sociopathic monster, but I don’t think he was lying. He was proud of what he’d done, even when it killed him.”

  Titus shook his head. “Just when we thought it was over.”

  “It is over for you.” Maximus stood and rubbed underneath his nose. “Let Alpha Squad handle this. Once Ouroboros is finished, and we know it’s safe, we might consider joining you.”

  “I don’t understand something. You know now this isn’t a disease. Why send the others here?”

  “Something doesn’t have to be a disease to be dangerous, and we still don’t know a lot about this. For all we know, this ends up with us turning into super-Glycons with strange, deadly powers. Quinen said the potential was in everyone, but he didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who cared that much about side-effects. I think we need to end the Ouroboros threat and firmly establish what’s going on with us before we mix too much with other hybrids.” Maximus considered for a moment before adding, “And it’s hard enough to keep hybrid unity with all the differences. I think for the moment it’d be too strange, and us being here might cause trouble.”

  “I doubt that, but if you’re certain, I’ll respect your decision.”

  Maximus nodded. “I’m, certain, and all my men are. Like I said before. You’ve earned some peace. Let us handle the rest. Don’t worry. We’ll finish off Ouroboros and help usher in the true age of hybrid peace.”

  * * *

  Maximus hefted a box full of books to Selena’s bed and grabbed a roll of tape to seal it. “You triple packed this because I’m a hybrid, didn’t you? I don’t think a human could lift this.”

  Selena winked from across the bedroom. “When your man is a superhuman stud, it really helps when moving. Why not take advantage of it?”

  “You sure about this? Living on Port Winter Island is going to be way different than living in Los Angeles.”

  They’d had the discussion a few times in as many days. Each time he raised a different objection, wanting her to be sure about the choice she was making.

  “I’ll hit the mainland often enough.” Selena shrugged.

  Maximus laughed. “The largest city in Maine is only around 70,000 people.”

  “You know what I’ve accepted?” Selena asked.

  “What?”

  “That I could use a little more nature and leisure in my life and less concern about high-powered careers.” Selena sauntered over to Maximus and put her arms around his neck. “It does help that my man is a handsome statue come to life.”

  Maximus kissed her on the forehead. “And what about your friends and family? You might be able to tell them the truth eventually, but it won’t be for a while.”

  Selena cocked her head. He’d not actually asked about her friends and family before. Maximus watched and waited.

  “So what?” she said. “I told them I’m backpacking around the world to find myself after losing my job. I did mention I met someone special.” She rested her head against his chest and let out a contented sigh. “Someone who I think is my soulmate. That seemed to satisfy them. I know it satisfies me.”

  Maximus wrapped his arms around his woman, pulling her tight against him. All those years he’d only had darkness and conflict to look forward to, but now he had Selena, a powerful light pushing away all the shadows.

  She’d chosen him. She understood the risks, but she’d still chosen him.

  Soulmate. Vestal. Lover.

  “I love you,” he murmured.

  “I love you, too.”

  Note From The Author: Madison

  Hello to all you wonderful readers! I wanted to just say a few things along with Willow about this project. As some of you may remember, this has been in the works for quite some time. We had hammered out a number of things last year, but then my family had a number of setbacks that made it nearly impossible for me to concentrate on anything beside home. I'm beyond grateful to Willow for being willing to put our joint projects on hold.

  I'm just going to say right now that I absolutely love the fresh feeling this story has. It's so different from the other two Luna ser
ies but still has the same feel as far as tough women and alpha men. When Willow suggested we take away the ability to scent the Vestals, I wasn't sure how we could make that happen and keep the best parts of the hybrid relationships, but now that we finished the book, I think it was a brilliant idea! It makes the men question things more and offers just a smidgen of heartache as they grapple with the idea.

  The other thing I think was a fantastic addition was the sort of superpower-like ability. We had already touched on various capabilities in the Hunters of Atlas series. I really feel like this is taking that idea and shifting it slightly. The discovery of these powers and their potential is going to be so much fun to write.

  Another key thing we wanted to bring into this series that the others weren't able to offer is a more high-end military feel. After all, these guys weren't just trained to be supersoldiers but to work more as a special operations team might. It makes the fight scenes so much fun.

  On the whole it has been really great to take a backseat on this series and see just where Willow takes things. Although I think we all know I’m a backseat driver. I'm sure Willow will agree with this.

  LOL. In the end I wanted to make sure things were fresh but still stayed true to the world we all love. This is my baby after all, and I'm just so beyond happy with the results of this book and the future books we have planned together, both in the Luna world and with future entries in Devil’s Den.

  As always, thank you all so much for reading and being willing to accept me branching out into all the new ideas that pop into my crazy head. The more I'm able to be me, the more I'm able to be the best author I can be. I'm beyond excited to be back behind the computer. Things aren't really back to normal, and I'm not sure they will be for some time, but at least I've been able to find my personal new normal.

  Please remember to keep an eye out for the sequel Cassius, and if you’re interested in new release emails, please join my mailing list at at http://eepurl.com/OX9r5