The Alien Huntress Series

by Gena Showalter

  “Too bad.” The red inched a few steps closer. “I want to hurt you. Will hurt you.”

  “We have a job to do.”

  “Yeah, but I doubt we’re on the same team.”

  Jaxon! She didn’t call his name, didn’t want to distract him. But she needed his interference. He would not forgive her if she killed his friend. Mia was too quick to stun, however, so that left no other option but physical confrontation.

  Mishka couldn’t risk switching back to normal vision to fight, gauging where her punches landed so she didn’t cause too much damage. If one of the Schön left the room, she had to know it.

  “You froze Devyn. He was trying to help us!”

  “Accident. I can only see color, not features,” she said, even though she knew it exposed a weakness. “He was warned.”

  “Was Elise?” The words were edged with hate.

  “Do you seriously want to do this here? In the middle of a battle?”

  “They’re the enemy, you’re the enemy. No better time.”

  She leveled the gun. “I’m sorry I killed Elise. I live with regret every day, every night.”

  “Even if you spoke true, that wouldn’t be enough.” Another inch.

  “Have you never done anything you regret? Never done something bad for what you thought was a good reason? Have you ever been forced to do something you didn’t want to do?”

  “You killed her,” she said, obviously unwilling to consider Mishka’s words. “And you’ll kill Jaxon if you’re allowed to live.”

  “Never.”

  Another inch. “Dallas saw it! I read the list.”

  “He saw wrong! You are wrong. Now stay where you are or I will be forced to hurt you even though we need you.”

  “Try.” Mia’s relish was like a living thing in the hallway.

  Mishka didn’t have time to respond. One moment Mia was at the opposite side of her, the next she was in her face, knocking the pyre-gun out of her hand and slashing a blade at her throat.

  On instinct, she arched backward. The blade still managed to nick her, stinging. Immediately she turned, kicked out, but Mia was already out of range, red outline moving to the left…quickly. Mishka struck, fist flying forward.

  Crunch.

  A hiss of breath exploded from her. She’d hit the goddamn wall. With her human hand! Because she couldn’t see the little details of Mia’s body, she was afraid to hit her with metal. At this speed, one wrong move might kill the agent.

  Mishka whipped her head from side to side, seeing only a vast expanse of darkness. Where the hell was she? Mishka turned, took stock. Again, only darkness. The wall, behind her, she knew. Stay focused. The elevators were a few feet over. No light there. Ceiling—

  Her ankles were kicked out from under her, and she tumbled to her ass. Breaking through a momentary suspension of shock, she punched forward in case Mia thought to close in and go for her face. Only air greeted her, whooshing mockingly.

  Feminine laughter. “How does it feel, being helpless?” Blur to the right. No time. A fist slammed into her temple. Blur to the left. Another fist to the temple.

  Her brain rattled inside her skull, and stars winked over her eyes. “Never helpless,” she growled. Seeing the blur race behind, Mishka popped to her hands, legs kicking backward. Contact.

  Mia propelled into the wall and gasped. “You’re not going to kill me, and you’re not going to kill him!”

  “I love him.”

  “You love yourself.” Mia was panting. Tiring? The blur moved again, faster this time.

  A sharp sting sliced through the back of Mishka’s leg as she stood. She didn’t have to see to know she’d been cut. Then the blur twisted, some of the heat remaining behind and forming a vortex of twinkling stars.

  “If you loved him, you’d walk away from him.”

  Walk away? She knew herself well enough to know she didn’t have the strength to do so. As long as she was alive, she would do everything in her power to be with him. Circumstances be damned. He was a drug, her drug, an invisible tether seeming to stretch from him to her, always pulling at her. No, there could be no walking away.

  “I can’t.”

  “Selfish. His friends will never accept you, which means he’ll end up giving them up to make you happy. Maybe he’ll grow to resent you, maybe he won’t, but either way the loss will kill him. Even if you don’t.”

  “Maybe he needs better friends,” she said, even though panic rose inside her. Hot, dark, consuming. She had trouble drawing in a breath. If his friends wouldn’t accept her, Jaxon would give them up. He loved her that much, she knew he did. And without his friends, his job would be the next thing to go. She didn’t want him giving up all that he loved.

  Adrenaline levels too high.

  Consider this later. A red light shot from the door down the hall. Mishka stiffened. Alien? “Someone’s coming,” she said.

  “Sure. I believe you.”

  That light closed in, arms stretched forward for attack. Mishka pushed to her feet, but Mia kicked them out a second time. As she fell, the runner reached the agent. There was a grunt, a shuffle. The pair tangled together and fell, a blur of color.

  Mishka crawled along the hallway, patting for her gun. All the while she kept her gaze glued to the door. Once, the combating pair tripped over her, but Mia managed to hold her own.

  “Mishka?”

  “Jaxon!” Relief poured through her. She saw his red light, crouched, still, not as bright. Concern blended with her relief. “Are you—” Another light crept behind him. “Look out!”

  Even as she shouted, he was slammed into the ground.

  CHAPTER 27

  Jaxon had hoped for the attack, had prepared for it. When the Schön slammed into him, knocking him to his stomach, he simply shifted the gun in his grip so that the barrel faced backward and fired.

  The weight on his shoulders didn’t ease, but the struggling and grasping at his clothes stopped. Satisfied, Jaxon pulled up his knees, dislodging the other-worlder and sending its frozen, now visible body to the floor.

  Devyn was locked in place a few feet in front of him, and Kyrin was frozen a few feet back, both otherworlders having been pegged by stun during the battle. Mishka was on her hands and knees, blood dripping from her face and arms. Her eyes were glazed over, the irises completely black. Like a starless, midnight sky. Her skin was pale, several blue veins visible.

  The sight of her like that nearly stopped his heart.

  “Jaxon?” she said.

  “I’m fine, sweetheart. Don’t move, okay?” He lifted his arm, aimed the pyre-gun.

  Mia was clearly battling one of the invisible bastards. Her body was contorting as she twisted and rolled to keep a firm grip on the alien who was trying to fight his way into the elevator.

  “Mia, fall back,” he commanded, and she obeyed instantly.

  He squeezed the trigger. A blue beam erupted. The Schön suddenly materialized, rooted in place. He was on his stomach, legs obviously pushing forward, hands reaching for the elevator doors. His beautiful face was contorted with fury.

  Briefly closing his eyes, Jaxon sagged against the floor. Done. It was done. He’d been thrown all over that apartment, slapped at, punched, kicked, and bitten, but he was alive.

  “It’s over,” he said. “All nine are stunned.”

  “Sure?” Mishka asked.

  “Sure.”

  The black faded from her eyes, returning the hazel he so adored. She blinked rapidly before focusing on him, looking him over, searching for injuries. When she found none, she slowly grinned. He returned the grin with one of his own. Desperate to hold his woman, he rose and marched forward. He’d doctor her up, gather her in his arms, and never let go.

  “Not another step.”

  Jaxon halted, stomach tightening, grin falling away. “Mia. What are you doing?”

  “What you obviously can’t.” A scowling Mia stood in front of the elevators, pyre-gun aimed at Miskha’s head.


  “Don’t move,” he told Mishka. He held up his free hand, palms out. In his other, he still clutched his gun. His insides clenched, twisted with sickness. He was shaking. “Put the gun down, Mia. The Schön are taken care of. For now, we’ve won. It’s time to clean up and go.”

  “She has to die.”

  As his fingers tightened on his weapon, his gaze flicked to Mishka. She’d remained in place as he’d told her to. A ray of emotions played across her lovely face: concern, hope, dread, agony, confusion.

  There was a knife a few inches from her knee. He gave it a pointed glance in a silent bid for her to pick it up. Whether she understood his command or not, she did not obey.

  “Mia, please,” he said. “Don’t do this.”

  “I have to. You can’t see past her pretty face to the monster inside.” Her arm was steady, her expression cold.

  Every drop of moisture in his mouth dried up. He licked his lips, dropped to his knees. “Put the gun down. I’m begging you. Put it down.”

  “Maybe this is for the best. Don’t beg for me,” Mishka told him brokenly.

  “Get up,” Mia screamed. Now her arm trembled. “Don’t you dare beg! Not for her. Get up!”

  “Don’t do this,” he continued. “Please don’t do it. God, no. I love her.”

  “She’s going to kill you. If I let her live, she’ll kill you. I can’t let that happen. You’re my friend, the brother of my heart.”

  “She won’t hurt me. As you can see, she didn’t work with the Schön. She helped us.”

  “This time. This time she helped. What about next time?”

  Stubborn as she was, Mia wouldn’t listen to him. The realization hit him, and he aimed, arm lashing up. For him, there was no other choice. But Eden and Lucius were on him seconds later, pinning him down before he could get off a single shot.

  “Don’t make me hurt you,” Lucius said. “They said this might happen, but buddy, you don’t aim at agents.”

  Bucking, shouting curses, Jaxon managed to maintain a firm grip on the gun. “Don’t hurt her, Mia. She’s mine. I love her.”

  Never had Jaxon experienced such panic. His own friends were conspiring against him. They refused to trust him, saw only what they wanted to see. “She’s not going to hurt me. Let her go. We’ll talk. I’ll explain. Please!”

  “I saw it,” Dallas said from the corner. “I saw her shoot you. Her hair was brown then, but this is it. Has to be.”

  “Wrong!” His muscles strained as he fought. Eden and Lucius proved stronger, though, as he’d already lost a lot of blood. He’d been in such a hurry to defeat the Schön and get to Mishka, he hadn’t stayed in place and simply fired his gun. He’d barreled his way through the room, been thrown into glass and walls. Several of his ribs were broken, he knew that, and two of his fingers. “She’s innocent.”

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Dallas clutch his bleeding side. “Hold him down, damn it,” the agent gritted out.

  “I’ll kill every one of you if you don’t let him go,” Mishka’s cold voice proclaimed.

  “Why don’t you help,” Lucius growled to Dallas, ignoring both Jaxon and Mishka.

  “Mia,” Dallas barked, “do it!”

  “No!” Jaxon screamed. “No!”

  “Let. Him. Go,” Mishka said. Now there was so much fury in her voice, it was like a separate entity in the hallway. “You’re hurting him.”

  He didn’t care about himself. Only her. He was nothing without her. Had nothing, wanted nothing.

  An eternity stretched.

  “I can’t do it,” Mia finally growled, disgusted with herself. “I can’t.”

  “This is what I saw.” Dallas limped forward. “This is when she aims. We have to kill her now.”

  Horror filling him, Jaxon watched as his friend lifted a pyre-gun. He wanted this to be a dream, a nightmare he’d awaken from at any moment. But he knew it wasn’t. Knew time would be his enemy or his greatest friend.

  He worked a leg free and brought it forward, then kicked Lucius in the head. The agent grunted as he sailed backward. Infuriated, Eden raised a fist. Jaxon rolled away, already lifting his gun to the biggest threat: Dallas.

  “No!” Mia shouted, switching her aim to Jaxon.

  Finally Mishka dove for the knife.

  The next few seconds seemed to pass in agonizing slowness. Mishka tossed the knife at Mia, and it sank into the hand clutching the weapon. Mia gasped and dropped the gun, but not before squeezing off a single shot. Amber fire blazed past Jaxon’s head, singeing the hairs on his right side.

  Never ceasing her fluid movements, Mishka grabbed the fallen gun and fired at Dallas.

  Dallas and Jaxon fired, too, one right after the other. Dallas at Mishka. Jaxon at Dallas. As Jaxon dove forward and twisted, taking the beam meant for Mishka, the blue beam he’d squeezed off slammed into Dallas and froze him in place, leaving him motionless but conscious of everything happening around him.

  When the amber beam slammed into his shoulder, he grunted. Mishka screamed in concern.

  Just like that, it was over. Finally.

  Though both of his shoulders were blistered and burning, Jaxon turned to the two agents left standing. He didn’t drop the gun. “Touch the girl and I’ll kill you.”

  “We’re going to gather the Schön,” Eden said calmly. “All right?”

  He backed up, keeping the gun high. The agents slowly stood, keeping their empty hands in sight. He was panting, losing focus. Dizzy. Still he kept moving. A blue stun beam erupted behind him, its light illuminating everything for a split second.

  “Mishka?”

  “I’m okay.” She was at his side in the next instant, arms wrapping around him. Tremors moved through her. “Took care of Mia. Now let’s take care of you.”

  Finally he dropped his arm, relieved, happy and sad. The weapon clattered to the ground. He looked at his woman, saw tears streaking down her cheeks. “Don’t cry,” he said softly.

  “Told you. I don’t cry. I leak.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She buried her face in the hollow of his neck. “I was so scared. Mia almost convinced me to give you up so you wouldn’t lose your friends, but they shot at you, so now I’m forcing you to give them up! Either that or I’ll kill them.”

  “Don’t ever leave me, and I’ll be a satisfied man.”

  “Never.”

  He chuckled, squeezed her with the last of his strength. “Sweetheart?”

  “Yes?” She looked up at him, tenderness softening her dirty features.

  “Catch me.” His entire world blackened.

  Dallas was immobilized by stun. Stupid alien blood. Months ago, stun would not have worked on him. Now he’d have to learn to avoid it. What disturbed him most, however, was that he was responsible for shooting his friend. All along, it was me. Me. Should have known. Should have guessed.

  Horror slithered through him, nearly choking him. Le’Ace hadn’t been the one he’d seen in his vision, hurting Jaxon. Dallas had been. He’d been the mysterious stranger standing in the corner. Maybe because he’d become a stranger to himself. He wanted to curse, to rail.

  He’d been the one to fire the killing shot. All because he hadn’t trusted his friend.

  That was what the vision had hoped to show him, he now realized, ashamed of himself. If he’d trusted Jaxon, Jaxon wouldn’t have been shot. Mia might not have tried to kill the girl, and all would have been well. Was it too late?

  He watched as Le’Ace gently laid Jaxon on the floor and began ripping at his clothes, studying his body for injuries. There was love and concern on her face, as well as absolute determination.

  She wasn’t Jaxon’s killer; she was his savior.

  I almost destroyed that. Still might, if Jaxon failed to recover. What kind of friend am I? Dallas had managed to change pieces of the vision. How?

  Kyrin had once predicted that Dallas’s life would be changed forever if he tried to save Jaxon. Dallas had thought Ja
xon worth the chance. Still did. And yet, deep inside, Dallas knew this wasn’t the end for him. Knew this wasn’t what Kyrin had meant. Something more was going to happen. What, he could only wait and see. Maybe next time he’d get it right. The thought offered no comfort.

  CHAPTER 28

  Backup had arrived long ago and carted Jaxon to emergency surgery to repair the damage the pyre-guns had inflicted. As Mishka waited, she stitched her own wounds like she’d had to do a thousand times before. Paced. No one tried to talk to her, though the lobby filled with people. Jack, his boss. A few other agents.

  She probably looked capable of murder.

  Finally, through the windows in the double doors, she saw Jaxon’s bed being wheeled to a room. She was pushing past the doctors and nurses, at his side and finally calming mere seconds later.

  “Hey,” Jaxon said when he saw her. His lips lifted in a slow smile. His eyes were glazed from drugs and his voice scratchy, his shoulders wrapped in gauze, but she’d never been happier to see him.

  “Hey, yourself.” Her voice shook so badly the words were almost imperceptible.

  People buzzed around them, checking his monitors and pretending she wasn’t there. “How you feeling?” she asked. Thankfully, her voice was smoother this time.

  “Mortified. I passed out in front of my girlfriend.”

  “Fiancée,” she corrected.

  A pause. His eyes lit with inner fire. “Really?”

  “Really. You’re not getting rid of me. Ever.”

  “And the chip?”

  “Like you said, we’ll find the best surgeons and have it removed. I love you too much to die on the table.”

  His eyelids closed, that smile lingering on his lips. “Get up here.”

  She didn’t ask for permission from the doctors, simply crawled up beside him and rested her head on his stomach, away from his injuries. One of his arms banded around her, his IV tubes rubbing cold against her skin.

  “Schön?” he asked tiredly.

  “Dead. Except for Nolan. He’s in isolation. Eden came in an hour ago and told me they have the book that was in his apartment, as well as his ring. It was a decoder. The book chronicles everything he told us about that queen. There are pictures, drawings, so we’ll know her when she arrives, at least.”