Alpha Hunter

by Cyndi Friberg

  “Shit,” Blayne muttered.

  “And the Provo police want to question Angie. Her picture is nearly as popular as yours.”

  Angie gasped and scooted to the edge of her chair. “Why do they think I had anything to do with it?”

  Lor looked at her as he explained, “The front desk clerk reported that you watched the fight and both men disappeared right after you took off. She insists they were following you.”

  Angie shook her head. The men had followed her, but who had been in a position to jump to the right conclusion? “Must have been that jerk who gave me the horrible coffee. It was hate at first sight with that bitch.”

  “Morgan has her people working on it. She insists that she can make this go away, but she needs some time. Is Lord Drakkin still there?”

  “I am.” Drakkin shifted so Lor could see him.

  “May we impose on your hospitality a bit longer than we originally thought?”

  “Of course and it’s no imposition. They’re welcome to stay as long as they like.”

  “Thank you.” Lor looked at Blayne again. “I’ll contact you when I know more.” The image blinked out before Blayne could reply.

  “Who is Morgan?” Angie asked.

  “She’s in charge of the team of humans who assist with interdimensional conflicts. I’ve never worked with her before, but she came highly recommended.”

  “She was recruited away from the FBI,” Drakkin told her. “Our paths have crossed a time or two. Her title is Interplanetary Ambassador, but her organization doesn’t officially exist.”

  “A Men in Black sort of thing?”

  He paused as if he were searching a database for the answer. “Ah, the motion picture. Yes, very much like the Men in Black.”

  Blayne moved forward, insinuating himself in front of Angie. “Maybe we should give Angie an hour or two to process all of this before you—”

  “I’m fine.” She stood and moved beside Blayne. “My bodyguard is overprotective.”

  “I’ve noticed.” Drakkin flashed his charming smile. With a mate who was fabulously wealthy and drop-dead gorgeous, Aria had done very well for herself.

  As if summoned by Angie’s stray thought, Aria stood and drew Drakkin’s attention. “If they’re staying for the foreseeable future, I have arrangements to make.” Her lavender gaze shifted to Angie as she asked, “Would you prefer separate rooms?”

  “Yes,” Angie said.

  “No,” Blayne stressed.

  Both answers arrived at exactly the same time.

  Drakkin chuckled. “One of the ambassador suites should be sufficient. They have separate bedrooms with a common sitting area.”

  “Thank you,” Angie said. Blayne was here to protect her. It made sense for him to be nearby. Still, having him in the same bedroom would have been too…damn tempting. Heat rolled through her body, mocking her hesitation. Attraction had been smoldering between them ever since he zapped her away from the police station in Utah.

  Aria gathered her shopping bags and left the room.

  “The house is fully staffed and still she refuses to allow anyone to assist her.” Drakkin’s gaze lingered on the place where Aria had last been. “She spent too much time on Earth.”

  “Needless independence is a trait common to human females,” Blayne agreed.

  “Independence is never needless and Aria isn’t human.”

  “The only thing Earth’s females like better than flexing their independence is being contrary.”

  Drakkin laughed, so Angie glared at them both. “I’m not contrary; I’m obstinate.”

  “Could you please explain the difference?”

  “One was your word the other was mine.” Blayne smiled and his gaze shimmered like liquid silver. Something deep inside Angie compressed, clenching in on itself until her abdomen ached. Why did she react to him so powerfully? She’d had lovers who hadn’t left her tense and tingling. All Blayne had to do was smile and her senses electrified. “Can we get back to scrambling my brain now?”

  “This will be more like unscrambling your brain,” Drakkin said with the hint of a smile. “I’ll simply release your full potential.”

  “I thought you were going to do this in stages.”

  “Are you always so literal? I will unlock your farseeing gift while leaving the temporal aspects inactive. Once you’re comfortable with your visions, I’ll activate the temporal element as well.”

  “All right.” She took a deep breath, refusing to cower like a frightened child. But really who would blame her. Everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours had been surreal. She was amazed that she was still standing and capable of creating anything resembling rational thoughts.

  “Close your eyes.” Drakkin made a subtle motion and Blayne moved behind her.

  Was Drakkin afraid she’d pass out or freak out or—

  Relax. This will not hurt, but you will feel strange. Disoriented.

  As if hearing his voice inside her head wasn’t disorienting enough. Warmth flowed into her mind and cascaded through her body, siphoning off her strength. Every muscle she possessed seemed to melt. Arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against something solid and warm. Blayne. They must have known this would happen. No, Drakkin was making it happen.

  “Why are you drugging me?” She couldn’t think of a better word for the way she felt.

  I need you to remain calm and still. It will only hurt if you resist what I’m—

  The past surged into the present, driving rational thoughts from her mind. She twisted out of Blayne’s hold, stumbling blindly before his arms wrapped around her again. “You’re safe, Angie. No one will harm you here.”

  She wanted to believe him, needed to believe him, but her body didn’t seem to care. She jerked and arched, clawing at his forearms. “Let go of me!”

  Stop. Drakkin commanded.

  Her body froze, stiff and motionless. She tried to speak, but her vocal cords wouldn’t respond. Panic exploded inside her, pulsing through her mind in useless surges.

  “Open your eyes.” Drakkin’s voice sounded even more imperious out loud. She slowly obeyed and looked into the endless black of his red-ringed eyes. “Why are you frightened? Search your feelings. Am I the cause of this fear or are you reacting to something else?”

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you.” Defiance was her automatic response to vulnerability. Anyone who didn’t want to be a victim all their life learned how to fight.

  “Do you want your power activated or not?”

  If there had been challenge in his tone she would have continued her rebellion, but he sounded almost bored. He had nothing to gain by his actions. He was doing this for her. It was entirely her decision whether they continued or not. Explore her true potential or remain paralyzed by the past.

  She was still struggling for a snappy reply when Blayne spun her around and kissed her. He crushed her against his chest with one arm and held the back of her head with his other hand. His lips moved over and against hers, tongue gently probing.

  Shocked by his bizarre behavior, she stood motionless within his embrace. Then his scent wrapped around her and his tongue began a sensual dance that robbed her of breath. She tangled one hand in his hair and clutched his back with the other. He felt strong and tasted wonderful and she stopped caring why the kiss began.

  This was familiar and soothing. She understood passion, could lose herself in physical pleasure. And Blayne sure as hell knew how to kiss. She tilted her head and slid her tongue along his, following his slow retreat until she found herself exploring his mouth. Pushing to the balls of her feet, she pressed closer, absorbing his warmth and inhaling his breath.

  Pressure built deep inside her brain, expanding and pulsing as if to test the confines of her skull. She moaned into Blayne’s open mouth, her fingers tangling in his hair. His mouth moved with greater fervor and she finally comprehended his strategy. He was distracting her from—the pressure burst, detonating deep inside he
r mind and flooding her body with sizzling energy. She cried out and trembled, exhilarated yet so shaky she could hardly stand.

  “It’s done,” Drakkin said from behind her. “You can release her now.”

  Blayne broke the kiss and raised his head, but kept his arms around her. “Are you steady enough to stand?”

  “Whose idea was the kiss?” she whispered as heat crawled up her neck and blossomed across her cheeks.

  “You needed a distraction and I didn’t think you’d mind.” There was no apology in Drakkin’s tone.

  She turned in a tight circle. Blayne lowered his arms, his hands coming to rest on her hips. “You should have waited for my answer,” she insisted. “What if I’d been about to tell you both to go to hell?”

  “That’s a childish argument. This needed to be done, and waiting would have compounded your anxiety.”

  “You don’t know that,” she snapped. He hadn’t given her a choice. He’d forced his way into her mind and…he was right. She was being childish. Force was sometimes appropriate when it was used for the person’s own good.

  Drakkin went on as if she hadn’t objected. “Your first vision will likely happen as soon as you fall asleep. Blayne should teach you as much as he can before that happens.” He looked at Blayne as he went on. “Energy transfer is a must. Her body will not be able to metabolize food fast enough to keep her strong.”

  Annoyed by his arrogance, Angie glared at him. “Am I a prisoner?”

  “Of course not,” Blayne responded even though she’d been looking at Drakkin.

  She turned her hostile gaze on Blayne. “Then take me home.”

  “It’s too dangerous and you know it.”

  ”Don’t coddle her,” Drakkin told Blayne. “She’ll use your pity to manipulate you and she is much stronger than she appears.” Without further explanation, he turned and left the library.

  Chapter Four

  Sevrin walked into the infirmary and waited for Dr. Porffer to look up from her vidscreen. Everyone else on the ship snapped to attention whenever Sevrin entered a room. Porffer couldn’t be bothered to react at all. “Is the transmutation formula ready? The alterations are nearly finished.”

  “Alterations?” The doctor finally looked at Sevrin, but her sharp features remained impassive, unreadable.

  “One of the engineers claims he can augment the brig’s containment field, preventing teleportation. I have my doubts, but didn’t see the harm in letting him try.”

  “Who do you wish to contain?”

  The answer was so obvious the question annoyed Sevrin. “Anyone I choose. Your patient will be my first guest.” She motioned toward the unconscious Shadow Assassin strapped to a treatment table along the back wall of the infirmary. “If you keep sedating him, he won’t be any good to anyone.”

  “I thought our goal was to circumvent the Shadow Assassins not contain them.”

  “My goal is to control their abilities and transfer them at will. I intend to explore any and all possible means of achieving that goal.” She moved closer, allowing her annoyance to ignite the blue rings in her eyes. “Those who assist me in this endeavor will be greatly rewarded. Those who fail will know the full force of my wrath.”

  Porffer appeared unmoved by Sevrin’s hostility. She smoothed a stray lock of hair back from her face as she boldly met Sevrin’s gaze. “There’s no need to threaten me. I have no intention of failing you.”

  “Good.” When the doctor offered no further information, Sevrin prompted, “Have you made any progress?”

  “Rather than squander the tiny sample I was able to harvest from my subject, I’ve meticulously replicated the compound. The molecular structure is identical, but I have no way of knowing if the replicated compound will trigger transmutation without female test subjects.”

  “You’re ready for female testing?” Sevrin should be thrilled by the news. If Porffer pulled this off, not only would they be several steps closer to their goal, the progress would have been achieved without the cooperation of the Shadow Assassins. But logistics on the ship were so crowded it was nearly impossible to keep secrets. If any of the Shadow Assassins realized they were about to be made obsolete, a violent rebellion would no doubt ensue. “We must be extremely careful.”

  “I’m always careful.” Porffer slipped her hands into her lab coat as she went on. “I understand your statement, however. The next phase cannot take place on the ship. There are simply too many curious eyes.”

  Sevrin acknowledged the statement with a stiff nod. “Alternate locations are rather limited at the moment.”

  “Is the motel still available? I was only there a couple of times, but I remember a four-unit area that was tucked away in the back. It was hidden from view by the rest of the complex.”

  The area surrounding the motel was seedy and largely derelict, which made it a favorite for drug dealers and transients. “You’ll need protection if you set up shop there.”

  “They can’t be Shadow Assassins. Especially anyone for Team South. Nazerel is much too inquisitive.”

  Sevrin couldn’t argue with that. Nazerel was a continual annoyance, always sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. “I’ll work something out with Marat. He can supplement his ranks with Shadow Assassins so that some of his men can guard you.”

  Porffer accepted the answer with a nod. “Even the Rodyte guards talk. If I refuse to explain, it will make them more determined to learn the truth. We need a cover story.”

  “So tell them you’re working on a way to minimize the female’s chances of rejection. That’s close enough to the truth. Anyone but Nazerel will believe it.”

  “All right. If anyone asks, that’s the answer I’ll give.”

  Female trials. Sevrin paused, momentarily swept away by the possibilities. They’d never been this close before. After years of disappointment and failure, anticipation was making her giddy. “If this works, the female will be empowered with abilities similar to the male, correct?”

  “Theoretically.”

  She ignored the pessimistic word. Not even the stoic doctor was going to stifle her good mood. “Then we need samples from other males. I want to be able to pick and choose which abilities we transfer.”

  Porffer’s thin lips curved in a dry facsimile of a smile. “Let’s wait until we’ve actually succeeded once before we contemplate verity.”

  “Do you doubt your abilities?” Sevrin arched her brows, accenting the challenge in her tone.

  “I’m cautiously optimistic, but the final result has yet to be determined.”

  She nodded again and then digressed. “I’ll tell Marat you’ll be moving. He can arrange the physical transfer of whatever you need.” Distracted yet pleased, Sevrin left the infirmary and found Marat. It wasn’t hard. Marat was never far from her side. “Dr. Porffer is moving to the motel. The infirmary is simply too restrictive for what she needs to accomplish.”

  “She’ll need protection.” His forehead wrinkled as he considered his options. “It will stretch my forces rather thin, but—”

  “I’m going to temporarily assign a team of Shadow Assassins to your staff. Probably Team West. They might as well earn their keep. Have you heard from Zach? How are his men taking the Team South invasion?”

  “He’s waiting in your quarters. Wouldn’t speak with anyone but you.”

  “Good.” She couldn’t quite hide her smile. Allenton’s capture had created an opening and the other three alphas knew it. She’d been hoping one of them would make his interest known. Having to summon one of them to her bed would have been humiliating. “Get started on the move. I’ll speak with you later.”

  “Yes, mistress.”

  Sevrin forced herself not to rush as she walked to her cabin. It wouldn’t do for Zach to realize how exciting she found the prospect of becoming his lover. All four of the alphas had an inherent savagery that thrilled and fascinated her. Nazerel was by far the most appealing, but he’d made his disinterest in her rudely apparent from
the start. She had more pride than to chase after a man who didn’t want her. Besides, there was no reason to risk further scorn when the other alphas were nearly as gifted as Nazerel.

  Zach stood in the middle of her cabin, hands clasped behind his back. He looked as though he’d been admitted to the room and now he couldn’t decide what to do with himself. His dark gaze narrowed on her face as the door slid closed behind her. He was tall and broad-shouldered, leanly muscled, built for speed and agility rather than brute force.

  “Have you been waiting long?” She tried to sound casual, but tension wrapped around her chest and heat gathered between her thighs.

  He moved with blurring speed and laser focus, grasping her wrists and shoving her back against the nearest wall. “Outside this room I will be your obedient servant, yours to command. But here I am your master. You will obey without question and hold nothing back. Do you understand?”

  She stared up into his flashing dark eyes, breathless and aching. “What do I gain by—”

  In a flash, he shifted both wrists to one hand and grasped her chin with the other. His fingers were firm against her skin yet stopped just short of hurtful. “This isn’t a negotiation. Allenton might have been willing to compromise. I am not. I expect your unconditional obedience. I will accept nothing less. If you’re not willing to trust me with control over your body, then I have no reason to be here.”

  All or nothing? Complete surrender or do without? It wasn’t fair, wasn’t safe, yet nothing appealed to her more. She’d always longed for a man strong enough to command her, someone unimpressed by her wealth and position, someone focused on shared pleasure and nothing else.

  “How do I know you won’t hurt me?” She slowly licked her lips, hoping to coax a kiss from him, needing the reassurance.

  “You don’t. All you can do is obey and find out what I have in mind.”

  Harming her would be foolish. Without her assistance the Shadow Assassins would be stranded on an alien world without resources or connections. Still, she felt obligated to try again. “I’m not aroused by pain. If I scream, Marat will come running.”