Cato: #13 (Luna Lodge)

by Madison Stevens

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Title

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Thank You

  Also By

  Author Bio

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents depicted in this work are of the author’s imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, or events is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 2017 Madison Stevens

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Cover designed by Najla Qamber Designs

  Cato (Luna Lodge #13)

  by

  Madison Stevens

  The cauldron of tension at Luna Lodge is threatening to boil over. With distrust mounting between the military and the hybrids, Cato is forced to walk a tightrope between the two factions, or risk the situation exploding into violent disaster.

  His balancing act is threatened by the presence of the distractingly attractive Staff Sergeant Wendy Morris. He can’t trust a woman who is with the very military oppressing his people.

  Wendy has worked hard to rise in the ranks of the ultimate male-dominated field. She's not crazy about her current assignment, but if her superiors think the hybrids are a threat, then she’s not going to question them. However, the more she gets to know the moody and handsome Cato, the more she starts to wonder just who the threat is.

  When unexpected trouble descends on the Lodge, the pair will need to team up to keep everyone around them safe and protect their own chance at true happiness.

  Chapter One

  Some soldiers loved the fact that no matter where you were stationed, you could always get certain foods: burgers, fries, that sort of thing. A taste of home.

  Wendy chuckled at the thought. She didn’t know whether she was impressed or annoyed that her food options weren’t more exotic. Somehow when she’d first arrived at Luna Lodge, she’d thought they would be.

  Then again, there was no reason they should be at that moment. Even though the hybrids’ land lay within US borders, dealing with the amber-eyed super-soldiers of Luna Lodge was a far stranger experience than those she’d had when stationed in the Middle East or Asia.

  She sighed. None of that changed her real food issue. The burger and fries on her plate didn’t do much to summon her appetite, but she knew there wasn’t going to be much chance to eat as the day went on. Not to mention the banana and granola bar from breakfast would only get her so far.

  Moving away from the serving line, she glanced around the dining hall. The great space, once designed to be where guests of Luna Lodge would eat, now found itself full of hulking hybrids and military personnel.

  Or, if she thought about it a different way, it was filled with super-soldiers and normal soldiers. It was an odd mix for such a grand place, but that was the world she now lived in.

  Across the room, Jamie and Leah waved for her to come sit down. She smiled a little. The two women had recently arrived to help with the education of the younger hybrids.

  The previous teacher had gone missing a few weeks ago, and Colonel Hall wasn’t taking any chances with the hybrids selecting their own teacher again. The commander was convinced the whole thing was part of some sort of scheme by the hybrids. Instead, she brought in two who had taught at their last installation.

  Wendy didn’t mind. It was kind of a nice treat for her, really. There weren’t that many women transferred into the unit assigned to Luna Lodge, and she was glad to have two she already knew.

  She slid in next to Jamie, who was practically bouncing in her seat. Her short brown hair had flipped out to frame her shoulders and made her look about ten years younger than she was.

  “You won’t believe it,” Jamie exclaimed.

  Wendy raised a brow to Leah. They both knew their friend was more easily excited than either of them would ever be.

  “What’s going on?” Wendy asked and took a bite out of her burger.

  Subpar. Not a good start.

  “We have dates,” Jamie said. She grinned from ear to ear.

  Wendy nearly choked on her bland burger.

  “Correction, you have a date,” Leah said. “I’m just there as a bonus.”

  Wendy stared between the two women. “Well, that didn’t take long.”

  “You know how they had one of the hybrids bringing the boys to class?” Jamie said.

  Wendy nodded. It had been a point of contention for a bit with Colonel Hall, but things had been going smoothly as far as Wendy knew. Besides, it wasn’t like they couldn’t allow the hybrids to be involved in some way with the education of their own people.

  “Well, the guy who picks them up is always so quiet,” Jamie continued on, picking at her meal as she did so. “I was just sure he didn’t even know I existed. Then suddenly he asks what we’re doing this Friday. Can you believe that?”

  Leah sighed loudly. “He only included me because it would have been weird.”

  Jamie turned and made a face. “He said there would be some other guys there. You’re just mad that you can’t hide away and read all weekend.”

  Wendy watched them in silence, chewing her food. She wasn’t much for drama, and so didn’t want to say something that might draw her into the argument.

  Leah set her fork down on her tray to properly stare down Jamie. “And what’s so wrong with staying home and reading?”

  Jamie snorted. “Nothing,” she said with a smile. “If all you want to do is read about hot and sticky sex instead of actually having hot and sticky sex.”

  Wendy sighed again. Her friend’s sexual appetite rivaled many of the men she was around. She wasn’t against a little fun, but Jamie always seemed to jump into things too quickly.

  In the end, Jamie spent more time being hurt by her assumptions than anything else. There was a part of Wendy that wondered if her friend was going through a bit of self sabotage maybe so she never had to actually deal with a real relationship. Wendy knew more than a few women like that.

  “Well, you all have fun,” she said.

  She was slightly surprised at first that a hybrid had shown interest in her friend, but then when she thought about it, it made sense.

  Luna Lodge was the ultimate sausage party. The hybrids might be genetically engineered, but they were still men, and most of them had to be wanting women.

  Leah let out a sharp laugh. “You want to talk about never getting any? You’re looking at the wrong person. Surrounded by fit men in uniform, and she’s still single.”

  Wendy looked down at her tray. She’d tried her best, but they still had drawn her in. Maybe if she pretended they weren’t looking at her they would stop. She glanced up from the food and found them both watching her.

  “Whatever,” she said. “You don’t get it because you’re a civilian.”

  Leah frowned. “What’s that have to do with it?”

  “I have to work with the other soldiers in my unit. I don’t want to fuck things up with a relationship.”

  Jamie glanc
ed around. “Sure, sure. What about one of the hybrids?” She fanned herself for a moment. “A lot of these guys…”

  It wasn’t that Wendy hadn’t noticed. Hell, she’d have to be blind not to see the God-like physiques of the hybrid men, but it just seemed like a bad idea. Who knew what was going to happen with them?

  Plus she didn’t want to have to make a choice between her duty and her boyfriend. After all, the main reason the Army was there was to keep an eye on the hybrids. She didn’t feel great about that, as it seems like they were more victims than aggressors, but that call was way above the pay grade of a staff sergeant.

  “I’m good,” Wendy said with a smile.

  Jamie rolled her eyes. “That’s not what your vibrator says.”

  A loud choking noise came from behind her. She turned and found a corporal standing there. His face was beet red, and he was looking anywhere but at her face.

  She glanced down. He wasn’t holding a tray. So, this wasn’t a chance encounter.

  Damn it. She turned to glare at Jamie. That was the last thing she needed getting around. She liked her teacher friends, but they just didn’t understand what it meant for her to be a staff sergeant in the US Army.

  “Get to the point, Corporal,” Wendy barked.

  “Um, Colonel Hall would like to see you when you’ve finished,” he said.

  Wendy nodded and watched the man quickly run off. She was sure she’d have her friend’s words come back to bite her in the ass later.

  She tried so hard to avoid drama, but it still managed to drag her in. Fun, fun.

  “Ugh, what does she want now?” Jamie groaned. “Can’t she let you eat one meal in peace?”

  Wendy shook her head. She’d heard their complaints so many times now, they didn’t really upset her.

  She could even understand how they saw things. Unless you served, a lot of things about the military probably seemed oppressive, even when they were necessary for good order and discipline.

  “She’s really not so bad,” Wendy said, and took a couple bites.

  “Define not so bad,” Leah said. “Because I think we have different definitions.”

  Wendy took a drink of her soda. “She just likes things by the book, and order is important. She’s a colonel in the Army. She has to be strict.”

  Jamie grunted. “She’s a battle-ax, and her rules are only making things worse.”

  “You’re just mad that your date has to end at ten.”

  Jamie huffed and shoved a bite of pasta in her mouth. Wendy could see their point, especially with grown women having to deal with a lengthy curfew.

  Colonel Hall could sometimes be a bit… much, but Wendy knew how much she’d sacrificed to get to where she was. A woman in her position had to be hard, or everyone else would walk all over her.

  She also knew the colonel cared. Over the last few years, she’s seen the softer side of the woman and knew the impact her job had on her. She didn’t just want to be the rules person, but the protector of people. It was just how she was able to best do that.

  Wendy popped the last of the burger into her mouth and stood up.

  “We still meeting at your place for beer?” Leah asked. “Unless Colonel Hall prohibits that, too.”

  “We’re still meeting,” Wendy said. She had a feeling she was going to need a big drink later.

  Chapter Two

  Cato made his way to Titus’s office. He wondered how much longer the leader of Luna Lodge would even have a space there. It seemed like everyday the military was taking over more and more. Luna Lodge was looking less like their chance at a home and more like just another military installation.

  When he was feeling more cynical, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was becoming something worse: an armed prison camp.

  The only up side of the whole situation was that the men stationed there seemed to be okay. Sure, they had a job to do, but most of them were friendly enough. None of them seemed to hate hybrids, or at least they didn’t openly show hostility.

  That didn’t prove anything, though. The hybrids had been through this before. When Major Carter was stationed at the Lodge, he’d been a major supporter of the hybrids. That didn’t prevent some of his men from helping the Horatius Group attack the hybrids.

  Hybrids had died because of traitorous human soldiers. No matter how nice they might act, he needed to keep that in mind. The only people who could really be trusted were other hybrids and their mates.

  He bit back a growl. It seemed like those in the government were good at turning their backs on what happened and then sweeping it under the rug. The hybrids certainly hadn’t.

  They took the humiliation and violence in stride because their leader ordered them to. They trusted him. If it weren’t for Titus, things could have gotten rough, and the world could have been given a true reason to fear hybrids.

  As it was, most hybrids, regardless of their feelings were keeping things to themselves. Cato hoped everything would be okay, but he also suspected that eventually the military or government would push them too far. The hybrids needed to get out from under their thumb before that happened and more people on both sides died.

  Cato nodded to Ava at the front desk and proceeded to knock on the door. It seemed silly as they knew in advance that he was there, but for some reason, it messed with human minds if they didn’t at least follow some social norms.

  Not waiting for a response, he stepped inside. He wasn’t surprised to see Sol and Titus waiting for him. They each nodded a greeting.

  “Thanks for stopping in,” Titus said.

  Cato shrugged. Since the military insisted on guarding the fence and walls, there wasn’t much for him to do these days.

  He couldn’t complain too much, as they were, by all measures, doing a good job, including keeping out protestors from town, but it felt wrong to be sitting on his hands when everything around them was falling apart.

  Not like there was much of a choice at the moment. The hybrids were waiting for the next step, even if most of them had no idea of what that might be.

  Many of the men guessed that their leaders were up to something. No one pressed for information. They all knew that sometimes the best strategy was not knowing, and no one wanted to let something slip to the military that might harm the hybrids.

  Cato understood that. He’d felt and thought the same way. It wasn’t until a week ago that he had been brought in on just what that next step would be.

  An underground bunker. Just thinking about it still blew his mind and pissed him off a little.

  They were just going to take to living in tunnels under the ground like rats? The whole idea was off-putting to him.

  They’d struggled, sweated, and bled to build Luna Lodge into something. They’d fought against the hatred and prejudice, fought to prove they deserved a place in the world.

  Not only that, hybrids had died for Luna Lodge.

  The bunker plan would be running away from everything they’d built and sacrificed for. It would be telling the world they had ceased to exist. Even though he’d follow his leader, it didn’t change the fact that this plan felt like giving up. Maybe even a little cowardly.

  Running away wouldn’t solve anything. Their enemies would still be out there, waiting for them when they came back above ground.

  The Horatius Group wasn’t about to let the hybrids continue to make a mockery of their former masters. There was no way the hybrids could wait them out.

  It didn’t matter what he thought. He didn’t get a say in all this. He wasn’t leader, and even if he were, he didn’t really have a better solution.

  For all their sacrifice, they did have to consider the future. They had children to worry about and more on the way.

  Then there was the other problem with sealing themselves off: Vestals, the only possible mates for hybrids.

  Although the men had been steadily finding Vestals and bonding with them, the vast majority of men still lacked a mate. If they’d fled and hid, the
men without Vestals would stand little chance of finding one.

  No more Vestals meant no future for their people, and most of the men being doomed to live out the rest of their lives without their other halves.

  It was a double-edged sword. If the hybrids sought shelter, most would never meet their Vestals, but if they stayed as they were, they would have little means to protect their Vestals.

  Not that he had Vestals on the brain. Or at least, that’s what he told himself. Cato wasn’t so sure that he needed a Vestal, but wasn’t so sure he didn’t.

  It was hard not to wish for bonding after seeing his brothers so happy in love. And the longer he waited for the right time, the more certain he was that there might never be one.

  He was a hybrid. Until the Horatius Group was destroyed, he had no way of guaranteeing that it would be safe to be around him.

  He shook himself a little. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. His lack of love life had little to do with why he was there.

  Cato took the seat across from Titus. Sol walked over and leaned against the desk.

  “What did you need?” Cato asked.

  “Kyros and his bonded have sent word through Lucan,” Titus said quietly. “Things are progressing well with the building. Another few weeks, and they will be finished with the construction.”

  Cato nodded.

  “But in the meantime, we’ve got to continue to exist here without surprises,” Titus said. “Many of us are being watched closely. I need you to be our eyes and ears.”

  Cato glanced between Sol and Titus. They all knew about the guards watching many of the higher-up hybrids. Ever since the teacher, Kyros’s Vestal, had left with him, things had only gotten more tense.

  Colonel Hall was obsessed with the idea the hybrids were hiding something. Given that they were, they had to make sure they didn’t give her any reason to lock them down further.

  “Lucan is still watching the townspeople after their attempt at turning Jasmine into a mindless drone like they are,” Sol said. “Things have been mostly quiet since then.”