by Susan Hayes
Zura waved in greeting. “They’re just like their fathers. They never stay still very long. I’ve already told the guys that next time, they’re in charge of the manufacturing stage.
“Did they run screaming from the room?” Phaedra asked as she claimed a seat across from River. “Hi, River. Nice to see you. It’s been a while.”
River shrugged. “I’ve been around. You haven’t been. Your new assignment keeps you busy, and there haven’t been any updates or briefings on the plan for my brethren in days. Not since your aliens arrived.”
“They’re not my aliens. I agreed to be their liaison because I thought it would give me a chance to talk to the people who are supposed to be making decisions about you and your group, but so far, it’s not working that well. They barely acknowledge me, and all they want to do is talk with Tyran and Braxon about trade deals and tech. I hope that changes when the real talks start. If Werner Tice, the Vice-President of Axion ever gets here. The man owns his own star cruiser. How can you be late when you have a ship that can travel all of known space in a matter of days?”
“People like him have so much wealth and power they know they can be late, because nothing can be done without them.” Cyn waved over a server who took their drink and meal orders.
“People like him are my favorite targets. They always have secrets.”
“You like to live dangerously.” Zura had firsthand experience in how dangerous secrets could be. She and her brother had nearly been killed over one, and when Kit and Luke had given her a transfusion of their medi-bots in a desperate attempt to save her life, it led to the uncovering of secrets the corporations had been keeping for years. They’d lied about everything from the source of the DNA used to create the cyborgs to their attempts to block the female cyborgs’ fertility. Another of those secrets led to discovering the existence of cyborgs like River – prisoners who had never been freed despite all the promises the corporations had made.
Phaedra shrugged. “Taking risks is part of the deal. Uncovering the truth means making enemies. I came to terms with that a long time ago. It’s why I don’t usually stay in one place too long.”
“And yet, you’re still here,” Cyn said.
“Why do you stay?” River asked. “You did your part of the job already.”
“No, I haven’t. The IAF asked me to help them secure the station’s AI and help retrieve any data I could. That was what they wanted me to do. Having been there, I know that isn’t enough. You and your kin need somewhere to call home. Somewhere safe from anymore corporate insanity. I want to help you find it.”
“Why?” River asked. “Why do you care what happens to us? No one cared before.”
Zura gasped and Cyn rocked back in her seat. “It’s not that we didn’t care! We didn’t know. They kept lying to us, covering up what they’d done. It took years, and luck, and a lot of risks to find out you were still out there. Once we knew, we came after you. You have to believe that.”
River shook her head. “We were abandoned. Forgotten. I had batch brothers who never looked for me. They just accepted the story they were told about my accidental death and went on their way. I’ve met your brothers. They wouldn’t have accepted anything without seeing your body. That’s why I’m angry. You didn’t know, but some of the cyborgs had to have suspected. And the humans…” she turned her focus on Phaedra.
“What about the humans?” Phaedra asked. She could guess where this was going, but River had been holding on to her anger too long already. If this was the moment she finally opened up about it, then she wouldn’t stop her.
“It was the humans who let this happen to us. They didn’t care about us, because we weren’t their family and friends. We were just fighting machines, dying so that they didn’t have to.”
“All true.” Phaedra spotted their server coming with a tray full of drinks and thanked the universe for good timing. They were going to need booze.
No one said anything until the drinks were served. Then Phaedra looked at River and raised her glass. “My mother had a lot of expressions, but this was one of her favorites. “Regretting the past is like poking a pig. It feels like you’re doing something, but you’re not accomplishing anything worthwhile.”
River stared at her. “I –I don’t think I understand.”
“Me either. Why would anyone poke a pig?” Cyn asked.
“Forget the pig. It means that being angry about the past won’t change anything, but it can distract you from doing something to make the present better.”
River frowned. “Then why didn’t she say that?”
“There’s a long, complicated answer to that, but the short one is easier. My mom was quirky.”
“Well, that explains a few things about you, doesn’t it?” Cyn hid her smile behind her drink.
“So, you’re saying I need to stop being mad and do something? What? What can I do?” River asked.
“Find a way to make them listen to you. That’s what I’m trying to do right now, and I’ll keep trying until I make it happen.”
Cyn set down her drink. “And while you’re doing that, you don’t have to think about Braxon and Tyran, right? To borrow from your mom’s saying, isn’t that just poking one pig while ignoring two others?”
River groaned. “There are too many pigs in this conversation.”
All of them burst out laughing, and for the first time in two days, Phaedra finally felt better. Cyn was right. She needed this break.
Braxon took another sip from the large glass of liquor his host, Kit Armas, had just handed to him. “What did you say this was called?”
“Torskian Ale. Go easy, that stuff has a kick.” Kit paused. “Never mind. I forgot, you have nanotech, too. No hangovers for you.” He raised his own glass. “I’m glad Phae encouraged you to hang out with us tonight, though I admit, I’m surprised. I thought you’d be too deep in negotiations to get away.”
“They haven’t started yet.” Braxon said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.
“What?” The cyborg called Jaeger exclaimed. “You’ve been here two days. What the fraxx have they been doing if not negotiations? Phae’s been working non-stop, and you two have hardly been seen since arriving.”
“We’re in something called preliminary meetings. Countless ones with the corporations, the military, even representatives of the other races. Phaedra attends all meetings with us, and when she is not, she is working on the program that translates for us.” Tyran drummed his fingers against his glass. “She keeps finding ways to be busy.”
Jaeger arched a brow. “I take it you wish she wasn’t always busy?”
Tyran tensed. “She is our mahaya, and she will barely speak to us.”
“What’s a mahaya?” Toro asked. He was another cyborg. He and Jaeger were mated to Cynder, the sister of Luke and Kit. Phaedra had introduced them all this morning, and Braxon had felt an instant camaraderie with the enhanced warriors.
“Our mate,” Braxon explained. “We caught her scent the moment we left the ship.”
“No way. Phae’s your mate? So that’s why you pulled her out of the crowd? Does Zale know? He’s been grumpy ever since that happened, it would cheer him up if he knew why,” Toro said.
“I don’t know who Phaedra has told, if anyone. She is not happy about it. Not at all.”
Jaeger chuckled. “Welcome to the club. When we first met Cyn, she had zero desire to go out with us. It took a lot of work to get her to change her mind.”
“And then you fraxxed up again and had to go chasing after her,” Luke pointed out.
“Like you did any better? How long did it take for you two to make a move on Zura?”
“Too long,” Kit admitted.
“But you have your mates now.” Tyran sat up, his drink cradled in his hands. “How did you do it? How did you make them care for you?”
“Charm.”
“Flowers.”
“Chocolate.”
“A little begging.” Ea
ch of them offered a different answer.
Tyr swore and set down his glass harder than he had intended. Those little losses of control were happening more often – to both of them. As the need to claim Phaedra grew more intense, their emotions would become more volatile, and their control would continue to fray.
“Easy, my friend.” He reached instinctively for Tyr, setting his hand over the prince’s forearm to calm him. It wasn’t something he’d done before, but it seemed to work.
Tyr nodded to him, then uttered a frustrated growl. “Nothing about this is easy.”
All four men were looking at them in confusion, and Braxon decided explanations were in order. “With our species, mating is not a matter of courtship. It’s based on pheromones. When we meet our mates, we claim them and learn about each other afterward.”
“That sounds a lot simpler than our way,” Toro muttered.
“Yes. When only our species is involved. Phaedra is human. We think she’s feeling the effects of the mating fever, but she’s fighting it.” Tyr said, his tone edged with frustration.
“You’re going to need flowers and chocolate. Maybe booze. Definitely jewelry. Cyn likes jewelry. We’ll help. Won’t we, guys?” Toro looked around at the others, who nodded. “Phaedra’s done a lot for us. She deserves a little happiness in her life.”
“What’s this about a mating fever?” Jaeger asked.
“The sharhal. It affects all Vardarians as we mature. It’s a need that drives us to find our mates, and once we do, it intensifies until the claiming is complete.” Braxon explained.
“And you’re both feeling the effects of that right now?” Kit asked.
“Yes. And it’s damned distracting.”
The four cyborgs looked at each other and grinned. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” Luke asked.
“Cage match,” Toro said, and the rest started to chuckle.
“First, we give them a crash course in human dating rituals, and then cage match.”
“I don’t understand.” Tyr interjected.
“Cyborgs were built for war. To do that, they dialed up the hormones keyed to aggression. Those also happen to be linked to our sex drive. Before we were married, we spent a lot of time sparring and fighting in the ring to take the edge off. Do you think that would work for you?” Jaeger asked.
“Sparring is fighting for practice, yes? What is a cage match?” Tyr asked.
“This club hosts fights. Sanctioned events between fighters like Toro here, and our sister, Cynder. If you two wanted to try and dull the effects of this sharhal thing, we could open the ring up for an exhibition match. The customers would love it, and you’d be safe inside the cage we use to protect the fighters from the crowds.”
“Who would we fight?” Braxon asked. He hadn’t done much combat practice since they’d left on this mad mission. There was nowhere onboard big enough to allow it, nor anywhere that they could take to the air and stretch their wings. It was an oversight they both had agreed would be rectified once they were back home. The idea of sparring to blow off steam, as the humans called, it, was very appealing.
“It would give Archer fewer ulcers if you fought each other. At least the first time.” Kit said.
“Think of the crowd we could get in here if they agreed to a match we could promote first,” Toro added with enthusiasm.
Braxon looked at Tyran and switched to their native tongue. “I like the idea. This will help us focus. And I haven’t had a chance to prove I am the better warrior for weeks now. It’s time you were reminded.”
Tyr scoffed. “It’s been too long if you remember yourself as being the better warrior.”
Braxon switched back to Galactic Standard. “We will fight each other. Does this cage have enough room to allow us to extend our wings or fly a little?”
“We can make that happen. Expand the perimeter a bit, lower the floor so that it’s a pit-style fight. Will that work?” Luke replied.
“It will.” Tyran grinned and drained his glass.
“Then that’s the plan. We’ll have another round or two, give you a few tips on dating, and then you two can hit the cage for a demonstration match. No weapons. No betting.”
“And the winner?” Tyran asked.
Toro chuckled. “I like these guys. They know the importance of bragging rights.”
“How are things decided on your world” Jaeger asked.
“First one to bleed loses,” Braxon replied.
“You’re allowed to make your prince bleed? Why can’t we have rules like that here? There are a few leaders I’d love to go a few rounds with.” Toro drove his fist into his other hand. “Make ‘em bleed, but you know, just a little.”
“What kind of leader would I be if I feared having my blood spilled?” Tyran asked, his silver skin gleaming brightly.
Braxon put his hand on Tyr’s shoulder and the prince leaned into his touch. “Calm. It was an honest question.” He looked over at Toro. “When we are agitated, our scales tighten against each other. It’s a form of armor, but it also changes our coloration.”
“So, shiny bad. Got it.” Toro rose from his chair and crossed the room to offer Tyran his hand. “I meant no disrespect.”
“I know. And now you see why we need to claim Phaedra. This will only get worse as time goes on.” Tyr took Toro’s hand and shook it in the way of humans.
“I’m going to get started arranging things ringside. When you guys are done with the crash course in dating, get these two ready and we’ll hit the lights and make an announcement. If we do this right, we can surprise everyone, including Zura and Cyn. They’re going to love this.” Toro poured himself another drink and left shortly thereafter.
Luke rose and started refilling everyone’s drinks. “You know, I’m starting to think we should just write a dating manual and hand it to anyone who wants to be with the women in our lives.”
“Bad idea. If we did that, the women in our lives would find it, laugh, and then beat us with it.”
Chapter Six
Phaedra was enjoying her impromptu girls’ night.
They had just ordered another round of drinks and desserts when the lights dimmed. “What the fraxx?” Cyn was on her feet in a split-second, looking for the reason for the change.
“Good Evening, Nova Clubbers! We’ve got a special treat for you tonight. An unscheduled cage match!” The lights around the cage came on all at once, making it the focus of attention.
“Is that Jaeger talking?” Phaedra asked as the club exploded with cheers and many of the customers headed to the fight area.
“It is, and he’s got some explaining to do. We’re not supposed to have a match tonight.”
“Our two fighters tonight are local celebrities, new to the Drift, and ready to put on a great show. For the first time anywhere, I give you, Prince Tyran Varosa and Braxon Torr of Vardaria!”
“Son of a bitch!” Phaedra jumped to her feet and ran to the edge of the VIP area, which overlooked the fight cage. She ignored her hatred of heights and leaned over the railing to get a better look. River, Zura, and Cynder appeared at her sides, and the four of them watched as the training area doors opened and the two Vardarians entered the club.
Phaedra’s first thought was that she was going to kill them for doing this, because when Archer heard about it, he was going to blame her. Her second thought was that they looked incredible, and it was hard to recall why she was fighting her attraction to them.
Both of them were shirtless, their metallic skin gleaming in the light as they made their way down the short runway to the ring. The cage doors were open, but instead of using them, both males extended their wings and flew to the top of the cage, circling once before descending to the floor of the ring.
“Archer is going to have my ass for this. I’m supposed to be making sure they stay out of trouble.”
“You’re not their keeper, Phae. They might be your mates, but you’re not responsible for their actions. If Archer wants to blame someone
, he can blame the guys. They were supposed to be having a boys’ night in, not this.” Cyn waved her hands toward the cheering crowd.
“Mates?” River stared down at the two Vardarians. “They are your mates? When did this happen?”
Zura’s silver eyes widened. “No way. Why didn’t I know about this?”
“Because I didn’t want to talk about it.” Phaedra glanced at River. “It happened right after we met. It’s a pheromone thing. I’m not ready to agree to anything, though. It’s kind of a work in progress.”
“Or it would be, if you stopped hiding from them.” Cyn narrowed her eyes and stared at Phaedra. “You feeling okay? Your temperature just jumped, and your heart is racing.”
“You and your fraxxing cyborg senses. I’m fine. This is what happens whenever I get close to them. Now do you see why I’ve been staying away?”
Cyn arched one dark brow. “You never mentioned the fact that their pheromones are affecting you, too.”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
She gripped the railing and stared down at the two males in the ring. They were standing face-to-face, arms raised, wings partially unfurled. The tension between them was so highly charged she was surprised the air wasn’t full of sparks. They were going to fight, and she was too far away to do anything about it. As angry as she was that they were risking injury, part of her couldn’t wait to watch them in action.
They extended their arms to one another, crossing wrists, and then both of them turned to look straight at her, their expressions primal and hungry.
“You think you can handle that?” River asked, her voice edged with fear.
“I know what it looks like, but they’re not like that, River. They’re actually kind of sweet.” At that moment, the fight started and her sweet males transformed into fearsome warriors hell-bent on killing each other.
“I don’t think that word means what you think it does,” Cyn drawled as she watched Braxon throw a spinning kick that sent Tyr staggering backward. Tyr recovered by spreading his wings and then launching himself into the air, avoiding Braxon’s follow-up attack.
