by Anna Hackett
Theron felt a spurt of anger. Another being abused by the aliens. He’d grown up being bullied for being the adopted kid, and later he’d seen his foster siblings bullied, too. Until he was big enough to stop it. He hated anyone who took advantage of someone weaker than themselves.
They all watched the bird and Theron felt a prickle on the back of his neck. Someone, or something, was out there. “My gut’s telling me someone is watching us.”
Selena walked forward, heading toward the area underneath where the bird was flying. Squad Nine followed behind her, and that’s when Theron noticed something. He nudged Sienna and pointed, and when she saw what he was indicating, her mouth dropped open.
The grass beneath the alien woman’s feet was growing—right before their eyes. He knew Selena had some sort of affinity with nature, but as he stared at the grass, rippling and unfurling in front of him, he realized knowing and seeing it were two different things.
The bird circled over their heads.
“He doesn’t seem to be finding anything,” Sienna said.
“No,” Selena agreed.
Theron hoped it stayed that way. Hopefully, their uninvited visitor was gone.
Then Fluffy swooped in and landed back on Selena’s shoulder. She pulled something out of her pocket and held it up—some sort of bug—and the gyr quickly snapped it up. Selena murmured something to him, and the bird nuzzled her cheek.
“So, no raptors?” Roth asked.
“Unfortunately, he’s detecting a presence, but whoever they are, they are well hidden.”
All the soldiers froze. Damn. Theron gripped his carbine tighter and looked around. Yeah, he’d known.
Suddenly, his earpiece crackled to life. “Squad Nine.” Arden’s crisp voice. “Security cameras have picked up a raptor heading for the western Enclave entrance. Squad Nine respond.”
Goddammit. Theron swiveled, and felt the others tense around him.
“Cam, get Selena back inside,” Roth ordered.
The alien woman shook her head. There was fear in her green eyes, but she lifted her chin. “No, I might be able to help. And I don’t want to deprive you of a soldier.”
“I don’t have time to argue,” Roth said. “Stay back, and let us do our job.”
Selena nodded. Together, they all ran toward the western entrance, weapons up. They rounded a stand of trees and ahead, Theron saw the tall form of a lone raptor, standing with his back to them.
The squad ran in, circling the tall being. The alien was over six-and-a-half feet, with a humanoid body that was all hard-packed muscle and thick, gray-mottled, scaly skin. Prominent brow ridges and a heavy, elongated jaw with very sharp teeth dominated his frightening face.
Sensing them, he turned and stared at them. His eyes glowed deep red.
“Scans are showing no more raptors in the vicinity,” Arden said.
That couldn’t be right? Why send in just one alien? Theron scanned their surroundings. This had to be a trap.
Suddenly, another team of Enclave security personnel came out of another entrance, headed by Captain Kate Scott. The woman was head of the security team, and a seasoned soldier.
They all stood there for a long moment, weapons trained on the lone raptor. Around them, the sun shone down, and birds tweeted in a nearby tree.
The raptor didn’t move.
One of Captain Scott’s security team members held up a small scanner. “No explosives present.”
Or at least nothing they could detect. Theron angled his body closer to Sienna.
“On your knees,” Roth said.
The alien responded, dropping to his knees and holding his hands up.
“Why are you here?” Roth asked, carbine aimed at the raptor’s head.
“To warn you.” The alien’s English was perfect. “My name is Gaz’da.”
Theron frowned. That sounded familiar.
Suddenly, Roth lowered his carbine. “You were in the cells at Blue Mountain Base. With Captain Bladon. You helped us.”
The raptor nodded. “And I hope to help you again.” His burning red gaze moved over them, touching Theron’s for a second. “Before it’s too late.”
***
Sienna knew that this raptor was an ally, but that didn’t stop her from keeping a tight hold on her carbine.
She walked directly behind Gaz’da, as they led him inside and toward the holding cells.
Ahead, a door opened and a tall redhead stepped out into the hall. She was wearing a uniform, her hair pulled back in a braid. When she saw the alien, she gasped and moved forward.
“Gaz’da.” She held a hand out.
The alien gently took her hand in his larger, clawed one. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Laura.”
Captain Laura Bladon had run the prison cells and interrogation team at Blue Mountain Base before they’d been forced to evacuate it when the aliens had attacked. Now, she did the same at Enclave. But, as far as Sienna knew, the cells were currently empty.
Laura led the alien inside and over to a table. She waved to one of her team members, and the young man brought the raptor a glass of water.
Sienna and the rest of her squad moved back against the wall, but didn’t leave. They all wanted to hear what the alien had to say.
A moment later, a tall, commanding man in uniform entered. General Adam Holmes had an aristocratic face and a touch of gray at his temples. He was a general to the core, and it was thanks to him that any of the Blue Mountain Base survivors were still alive.
A second man came in right behind him. She watched Nikolai Ivanov’s gaze swing straight to Mac. Mac shot her lover a tiny smile. Sienna had to admit, she was more than a little envious of her friend. Niko, a former-spy-turned-civilian-leader of the Enclave, was one long, dark, sexy, Russian drink of water. Add in the fact that he was an artist, and Mac often had streaks of paint in interesting places on her body, and it was enough to make Sienna sigh in envy. Her gaze slid to Theron and lingered.
Not now. She forced her gaze back to the alien.
“You’ve been watching us,” Laura said.
Gaz’da nodded. “I saw the attack here, and my brethren’s device. After their defeat, I followed them to gain more information.”
“You went back to them?” Laura asked quietly. “I told you to get away.”
Sienna swallowed. She’d assumed Gaz’da had escaped during the Blue Mountain Base attack. It appeared he’d had a little help. She knew he’d been like them once—an enemy of the Gizzida. He’d been captured by them, and forcibly turned into a raptor.
Gaz’da’s face contorted. “I couldn’t run. Besides, I have nowhere to go.” A bleak look crossed through his red eyes. “At least if I help you, I feel I am fighting back in some way.” The muscles in his face rippled. “They ruined my life, as well.”
With a shock, Sienna felt a prick of tears in her eyes. It was so horrible. This being was alone, with no way to get back to the homeworld he barely remembered. That any species thought they had the right to overtake another planet and forcibly change people into something else made her feel sick.
Whatever happened in their fight against the aliens, Sienna vowed she would die fighting. She would not be changed. She glanced at Theron beside her. And whatever happened, she was damn well going to grab life by the horns and experience everything she could.
“Do you know what this secret weapon is?” Holmes asked.
“No.” Gaz’da sipped his water, the glass looking like a toy in his huge claws. “But I know that the Gizzida are working on one. And they are doing something in one of the tall towers in your city. They are building a large oura there, to lure people out. One large enough to cover the entire city.”
Curses erupted around the room.
“What about glowing orange pods?” Roth asked. “We saw some in the town near here.”
Gaz’da shook his head. “I do not know.”
Holmes stepped forward. “Laura, can you put a call through to Noah? Tell him to get
down here. I need an update on the oura work.”
The woman nodded and moved to a nearby comp. Sienna saw Noah’s hawkish face flash up on the screen. He shot Laura a wide grin. “Hello, my dragon. Miss me already? I hated leaving you all warm and naked in our bed this morning.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Room full of people, Kim. Including the general and Niko.”
Noah looked unrepentant. “Pretty sure they know we’re banging each other’s brains out.”
“Stop it.” Laura’s cheeks were pink, but she looked like she was fighting a smile. “The general needs you down here for an update on the oura.”
Mention of the oura wiped the smile off Noah’s face. “On my way.”
Moments later, the head of the tech team strode into the cells. One look at him was enough to know why Laura was happy to share the man’s bed. Noah was tall, and walked like a man used to getting his way. His black hair brushed his shoulders, and framed a face that showed his South Korean heritage. Because of him and his team, they had lights, hot water, and functioning weapons.
There was a woman Sienna didn’t know standing beside him. She was small, with messy blonde curls that looked like she’d cut them herself. She had a pretty face, but her baggy clothes hid her body.
Noah saw Gaz’da and stopped. “Gaz’da.”
The alien inclined his head.
“Noah,” Holmes said from the table. “Gaz’da returned with intel for us. How close are you to nullifying the effects of the oura?”
Noah shook his head. “Not there yet. Damn thing isn’t like anything I’ve seen before. Marin, here, has been helping me.”
“We aren’t getting very far.” The woman had a surprisingly deep, whiskey-toned voice. “I have created a set of goggles, but it only stops the effects of the oura light for a couple of minutes, at best.” Her nose wrinkled. “The rest of the tech team are sick of being used as guinea pigs.”
“A few minutes are better than nothing,” Roth said.
Marin nodded, her curls bobbing. “I’ll get some sets of them issued to you.” She glanced at Gaz’da. “Any additional information we could get would help.”
“I will tell you everything I know,” Gaz’da said. “But it isn’t much.”
“He has told us that there is something going on in a tower in the city,” Niko added, his gaze meeting the general’s. “I suggest we divert all available drones into the city. Find whatever tower they’re working in.”
“Then we can plan a mission to go in,” Roth said. “Destroy their oura, and gather more intel on this secret weapon.”
Holmes nodded. “Agreed.” He looked at the alien. “Thank you, Gaz’da.” Then he looked at Roth and the squad. “Squad Nine, I need you on standby for this mission. As soon as we know what tower the aliens are in, and what the hell they are doing, I want you to go in.”
Sienna felt a surge of energy. Good. A plan of action. They could get in there and destroy this globe, and maybe finally find out what this weapon was, and how to stop it.
Chapter Four
Sienna was vaguely aware of Roth and Mac talking as the squad left the cells. They were already prepping so they’d be ready when the mission got a green light.
The group headed back to the upper levels of the Enclave, and the usual itchy feeling spread through Sienna. She wanted to be out there now. Waiting sucked.
They turned into another corridor, and the sound of hammers banging and some sort of saw buzzing caught her attention. She glanced over into a side tunnel and saw construction work going on.
Since they’d taken in more human survivors in the last week, accommodation in the Enclave was getting a bit tight. Niko had a team in charge of creating and outfitting more quarters.
One of the contractors looked up. He had shaggy blond hair, worn jeans that hugged a fine body, and a toolbelt around his waist. Yes, Mike screamed “hot builder”, and he and Sienna had indulged in some flirting here and there. He’d asked her out a few times, but just lately, she hadn’t really been interested.
She now knew that the reason that Mr. Hot Builder wasn’t doing it for her was because of the big man right behind her. That wasn’t Mike’s fault, though. She lifted a hand and waved at the man as they passed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Theron scowl. Sienna blew out a breath. How come she was attracted to Mr. Scowly, instead? But she knew for all his tough exterior, Theron had a good, protective heart inside him. So, how the hell did she get Mr. Scowly to touch her?
They reached the locker room, and as everyone got changed, Roth turned to face them, his hands on his hips. “Be ready. As soon as we have the intel we need, we’ll go in.”
“Darkswifts?” Mac asked.
Roth nodded.
Sienna set the last of her armor back in her locker and tugged her T-shirt back in place.
“You dating that guy?”
Sienna turned to see Theron glaring at her. She shrugged. “He’s asked me out.”
“What happened to the schoolteacher?”
She closed her locker door. “It didn’t work out. Like so many of the guys I’ve dated before, all he wanted to do was wrap me up in cotton wool.” The moron had suggested she quit her squad. Idiot. “They don’t seem to understand me.” Hell, maybe she didn’t understand herself. The common denominator to all her failed relationships was her.
“They want to change you,” Theron grumbled. “Make you match the pretty picture of you that they have in their heads.”
“Yes.” Damn, he’d hit the nail on the head.
“Saw a version of it growing up. Couples would be interested in adopting some of my foster siblings. But they wanted the cute kids, not too big or too small, or too noisy or too quiet. Everyone had this perfect image of the kid they wanted.”
Her throat tightened. Poor Theron, seeing what had happened to his family. No wonder he spent so much time in his quarters, or the gym, pounding on a punching bag.
“No one seems to realize that I can be a woman and a soldier at the same time. I like to cook, and gorge on ice cream, and I also like bringing an enemy alien down.” She took a step closer until they were only an inch apart. “And I can be a sexy woman who likes it hot and sweaty in bed.”
She saw Theron’s nostrils flare.
Bait thrown, Big T. She patted his shoulder and walked out of the locker room, grinning. Her mood much improved, she headed down the corridor with a bounce in her step and naughty thoughts in her head.
So, she wasn’t expecting it when someone reached out and grabbed her arm from behind, tugging her into a side tunnel. Hands spun her, and she came face-to-face with Mr. Hot Builder.
Annoyance spiked. “Mike.”
“I’ve been waiting for you.” Mike reached up and ran a finger down her arm. “We’ve been dancing around each other for days. I’m tired of it, doll.”
Doll? Sienna gave an inner sigh. She pushed his hand away, and tried to think through how she could get out of this without causing a scene. The Enclave was a small place.
“Look, I’m sorry, Mike. I wanted to be sure that I wanted to date you, and, honestly, I just don’t think we’d fit.”
Instead of backing away, Mike clamped his hand around her wrist. “I think we’d fit just fine.”
Sienna gritted her teeth. If he didn’t back off, she was going to break his damn wrist. She yanked on her arm. “Let me go,” she said calmly.
“Come on, Sienna. A pretty thing like you needs a man.” He backed her up against the wall. “Someone to spoil you and keep you warm at night.”
Yeah, she wanted a man, but not an asshole. She opened her mouth to blast him—
A big form appeared beside them, and suddenly Mike was dragged away from her. He gave a sharp cry.
“What the fu—?”
When Theron spun the man around, Mike’s words cut off. Sienna looked at Theron’s face. His barely-leashed rage was evident in the granite-hard line of his jaw.
He slammed Mike into the oppos
ite wall.
“You don’t touch her.” Theron’s voice was a deep growl. “If she says to let her go, you let her go.”
His dark tone made Sienna shiver. Theron didn’t lose it often, but when he did… She hurried forward. Time to defuse this situation.
“Hey?” She grabbed Theron’s muscled arm. “Let him go, Big T. He’s not worth it.”
Theron didn’t budge.
She sighed. “Please.” Under her fingers, his muscles tensed, but then he released the man.
Mike stumbled back. “Bitch. You could’ve just said no. You didn’t need to sic your guard dog on me.”
Sienna’s own anger spiked. She grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm. He went down to his knees with a yelp. “Pretty sure I said no quite a few times, asshole.” So much for not making a scene. She rounded on her friend. “Theron, what the hell was that?”
He scowled. “That asshole grabbed you—”
Mike made a pained sound. “Hey—”
She bent his arm more, ignoring his choking noise. “And you didn’t think I could handle it?”
Theron’s scowl deepened. “He—”
“I’m not delicate.” She cut him off. “I’m not some damsel for you to rescue, or kid for you to protect.”
“I know that.”
“I don’t think you do.” She poked him in the chest. “I’m not sure you really see me at all.” As she said the words, a sharp stab of disappointment filled her.
Something flared in Theron’s hazel eyes. “Don’t turn this around. He’s bigger than you. Stronger.”
“And I’m a trained soldier.”
“With no armor on. It’s different.”
She felt anger ignite. “You think the only reason I’m good at my job is because of my armor?”
“Will…you let me go?” Mike choked out.
Sienna blinked. She’d forgotten about the jerk. She released him and he shot to his feet. Rubbing his wrist, he shot them both a dark look and scurried off.
She looked back at Theron. “You didn’t think I could handle that?”
All of a sudden, Theron moved—fast. She knew he could do that when he wanted to. He grabbed her and yanked her hard against him. Her breasts were pressed against his rock-hard chest, and all the air raced out of her lungs.
