by Anna Hackett
“What’s wrong?” She scrambled off the bed, trying not to feel self-conscious about being naked. He’d seen her, all of her. He’d touched her, with his hands and his mouth.
“There’s something wrong at the tech lab.” His jaw was tight. “A problem with the alien samples. They want your help.”
Oh, no. Hurrying to her closet, she yanked some panties on. Next, she slid into some jeans and grabbed a long-sleeved T-shirt.
When she turned back, Tane had his T-shirt back on. She slipped on some shoes.
“Let’s go.” He took her hand and they walked quickly into the tunnels.
They were close to the lab when suddenly, the ground rocked. Selena was knocked off her feet and slammed into Tane. He grabbed her.
“What was that?” she breathed.
“Explosion.” His tone was grim.
She gasped.
They ran down the corridor. As they neared the lab, she heard screams and alarms blaring. Smoke filled the corridor.
She saw the fire crew arrive and start putting out the flames. Marcus appeared out of the smoke.
“Marcus,” Tane called.
The big man’s face looked like thunder, his scar pronounced.
“Something went wrong with the alien samples in the lab.” His gaze flicked to Selena then back. “Containment kicked in. Noah, Marin, Emerson, and Alyssa are trapped inside.”
Selena sucked in a breath. Alyssa was a survivor who’d been rescued by the berserkers. The woman had lost her two children, Mickey and Annie, when the Gizzida had detonated a test bomb. The woman was still grief-stricken, but it turned out she’d been a lab technician before the invasion. She’d been working like crazy to keep busy, and she was lit with a furious need to defeat the Gizzida.
Steeling herself, Selena pushed through the doorway.
“We’re keeping everyone out for now,” Marcus said. “Until we know what’s going on.”
Noah’s main lab was smoking, with small flare-ups burning all around. The sharp stench made her belly turn over.
They stepped through the rubble and reached the heavy glass door that had slammed down, blocking off the sample lab.
Gaz’da stood there, banging his claws against the glass.
They reached the raptor and his scaled face twisted. “I left for a few minutes. I can’t get in.”
“It’s bad,” Marcus warned.
Every muscle in Selena’s body stretched tight. She felt Tane step up behind her, pressed against her back. She looked through the glass.
Her body locked, and nausea rolled through her. “No. No!”
The sample lab was a disaster. Furniture was overturned, and the equipment smashed. Water dripped off the walls and she realized the containment sprays had been triggered.
Emerson was crouched behind an overturned table, her face lined with terror. Her lab coat was wet and streaked with stains, her blonde hair was tangled. She was cradling her belly. Other than that, she didn’t appear injured.
Noah and Marin were in the center of the lab. Noah’s back was arched, and his shouts echoed off the walls.
No. Selena saw the scales crawling up his neck and face.
Marin crouched on the floor, her curly hair a wild mess around her face. One of her cheeks was all scales, her eye glowing red. Tears poured out of her human eye.
The dark-haired Alyssa lay on the ground, writhing and screaming. The scales on her arms and legs were multiplying.
At that moment, Emerson rose shakily from behind the table, but Noah spun and hissed at her. The doctor crouched back down again.
“No,” Tane breathed.
Selena knew that if someone told Gabe or Ash, or Noah’s lover, Laura Bladon, what was going on, this would get even worse.
“Can we open this door?” Tane asked.
Marcus shook his head. “Containment protocol. Has to be opened from both sides at the same time.”
“Gaz’da,” Tane said. “Can we stop the transformation?”
“It is in its early stages…” The raptor shook his head sadly. “This isn’t my area of expertise. All I can tell you is that we don’t have a solution yet. We can’t reverse the change.”
“Fuck!” Marcus kicked the wall. “Fuck.”
Horror and sorrow slammed into Selena at the same time. No. No. No. Noah and Marin were loved. Alyssa had been through so much already, and had lost her children.
Emerson appeared unharmed, for the moment, but they had to get her out without the others tearing her apart.
Gaz’da stared through the glass at Alyssa. “She doesn’t deserve this. My kind have taken everything from her.”
“Gaz’da, you are not the Gizzida. They took everything from you, too.”
“She found me difficult to work with at first, but we’ve become friends.” His red eyes met Selena’s. “This is her worst nightmare, to change into the ones who stole her children from her.”
Something swelled inside Selena. She looked at Tane. At the man she wanted more than anything. She wanted more than stolen moments together.
She couldn’t go home to her planet, but she had created a life here. And she knew that there was lots more to explore with him.
“Emerson isn’t infected,” she said. “It’s not airborne.”
Gaz’da nodded. “It appears that direct exposure to the liquid caused the transformation. The water sprays have washed it away now.”
“Get the door open,” Selena said.
Tane stiffened. “Selena—”
“We have to get Emerson out. We have to at least try and help the others.”
His dark gaze scanned her face and then he nodded. “Let’s do this. We’ll have to bust the door down.”
Tane and Marcus grabbed some equipment from Noah’s lab. Using long screwdrivers, they tried to pry the door open. Both men strained and heaved.
The door didn’t budge.
“Allow me.” Gaz’da joined them, throwing his incredible strength into the effort.
“When we get in, Marcus, you need to subdue Noah,” Selena said. “Tane, grab Marin, and Gaz’da, you get Alyssa.”
The men nodded at her.
“I’ll get Emerson free.” Selena swallowed, nervous.
“Then what?” Tane asked.
“I don’t know. But we have to try.”
But as the three of them kept grunting and shoving, it soon became apparent that they couldn’t pry the door open.
“Fuck.” Marcus slammed his fist against it.
“We’ll smash it,” Tane said.
“It’s reinforced glass.”
Selena pushed past them and pressed a palm to the slick surface. She focused and sent a shot of energy into it. A spider web of cracks appeared.
“Neat,” Marcus said.
Tane, Gaz’da, and Marcus picked up one of the benches. Gripping it, they ran forward, using it like a battering ram.
Boom.
The glass held, but the door shuddered.
Noah and Marin’s heads whipped around.
The men retreated and advanced again. Boom.
Selena saw the way the pair inside watched and moved. Like predators.
Anger swelled. “You can’t have them,” she whispered.
Boom.
The glass door shattered.
Tane gritted his teeth, glass spraying across the floor and showering his boots.
Selena ran forward, but he grabbed her and yanked her back.
Her face was panicked, and he saw that she wasn’t thinking clearly.
With a guttural snarl, Noah launched out of the door first.
Marcus caught the man and slammed him facedown into a bench. Noah struggled, enraged. Marcus grunted, straining to keep Noah down.
“Stay back,” Tane warned Selena.
Her horrified gaze stayed on Noah, tears welling.
A blonde figure raced out of the lab next, moving fast.
Tane grabbed Marin, lifting her off her feet. She snarled, trying to bite him.
She was much stronger than normal, but he wrapped his arms around her trapping her arms by her sides. She twisted and made a horrible guttural noise.
Tane’s gut was like a rock. Ash would be gutted by this.
“Marin,” Selena said.
The woman’s eyes glowed red. “We’ll kill you all.”
The scales on the woman’s arms were expanding.
Tane heard a scuffle and saw Gaz’da just inside the sample lab, holding a partially morphed Alyssa in his arms. The woman jerked and hissed at him. “Traitor.”
Selena darted past them.
“If you see any Gizzida fluid, don’t touch it,” Tane yelled.
“Emerson,” Selena called.
The doctor rose, shock on her face. “Selena… Oh, God…”
“Are you hurt?”
“Get her out,” Tane ordered, holding Marin tighter as she twisted.
He watched Selena take Emerson’s hand, leading the shell-shocked doctor out.
“Did you get any of the fluid on you?” Selena asked.
Emerson shook her head, a sob tearing out of her throat. “Noah pushed me down, he shielded me.”
“Deep breaths,” Selena said. “You need to calm down.” She pressed a palm to the doctor’s back.
Tane frowned. She was doing something. He sensed something, and a second later, Emerson’s body relaxed a little.
“One sample started swelling, growing.” Emerson pressed a hand to her mouth. “We couldn’t contain it. It overflowed, and then something exploded.” Emerson tried to hold back another sob.
“Tane.” Hemi appeared in the doorway with a carbine in his hand. As he took in the destruction, his mouth tightened.
Marin snarled and Tane tightened his grip.
“Fuck,” Hemi breathed.
Ash came through the door and froze. “Marin!”
“Lock him down,” Tane ordered.
Hemi turned. Ash shoved into him, making a desperate sound, trying to reach his woman. Levi and the other berserkers appeared. There was a scuffle.
A second later, the group shoved Ash out into the corridor.
“Marin!” Ash roared.
Cruz appeared, his dark eyes pained.
“Find Laura,” Tane said. “Keep her away.”
“There’s no way to help them.” Tears spilled down Emerson’s cheeks. “I’ve tried everything before to help people who’ve been infected with Gizzida DNA. I can’t help them. Alyssa had a patch of scales from the test bomb when she first came here. It was small enough that I could cut it out, but this—” Emerson shook her head.
“Gaz’da,” Marcus said. “Any ideas?”
The raptor was on the floor now, holding a violent Alyssa in his lap. “No, Marcus. I’m sorry.”
“No.” Selena shook her head. “The Gizzida don’t get them.”
Marin howled, twisting against Tane. Noah snarled.
Dammit, Tane didn’t know what to do next.
Then Selena stepped between the pair.
“Selena—” His gut cramped with fear, and he saw her skin start to glow.
She touched one hand to Marin’s scaled arm, then her other to Noah’s bicep. Her eyes closed for a second, then they snapped open and energy filled the air.
“Fuck me,” Marcus muttered.
Tane kept his gaze on Selena. Her skin turned silver, glowing with an inner light. Her eyes were a vibrant green.
Marin twisted and screamed, and then Tane sucked in a breath. He saw the scales on Marin’s arms receding.
Incredible.
“Oh, my God,” Emerson breathed.
Selena gritted her teeth and made a pained sound.
Marin’s eyes flashed bright blue, then the scales were gone, leaving behind smooth skin. She slumped in Tane’s arms.
Noah went still, panting. His raptor scales were gone as well.
“Noah?” Marcus asked.
The tech team leader nodded, looking exhausted. “I’m…all right.”
Then Selena staggered and dropped to her knees.
“Selena.” Tane thrust Marin toward Emerson.
Selena pressed a slim palm to Alyssa’s leg. But Tane saw that Selena was trembling, she was pushing too hard.
“Enough.” He dropped down beside her.
“Not yet. A bit more.”
Alyssa stopped struggling and slumped against Gaz’da, her skin back to normal, her body shivering.
Selena collapsed onto the floor.
“Dammit.” Tane scooped her into his arms.
“I’m…all right.”
But as he looked into her face, he saw her eyes were unfocused.
“Dizzy.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. “You are so handsome. I love looking at you. I love kissing you.”
Damn, she looked like she was drunk.
“I like when you touch me. And orgasms. I think I like orgasms.”
Fuck. He heard Marcus bark out a dry laugh, cutting the tension.
Bodies rushed through the door. A wild-eyed Ash charged across the ruined lab and snatched Marin into his arms.
“Ash.” The blonde clung to him, sobbing.
Laura Bladon blazed in next, her gaze zeroing in on the exhausted Noah.
“Hey, my Dragon,” he gritted out.
She strode straight to him and threw her arms around him.
Gabe Jackson thundered through right behind Laura.
Emerson straightened. “I’m ok—”
The soldier snatched her off her feet, tucked her close, then swiveled, and left.
Ash dropped to the ground, rocking Marin in his arms. Alyssa clung to Gaz’da, and Noah’s cheek was pressed to Laura’s red hair.
Selena began to cry.
“Butterfly.” Tane shifted, and Selena climbed into his lap, and buried her face in his chest.
“I hate the Gizzida.” Her voice was muffled against his T-shirt.
“Me too.” He slid his palm into her hair, holding tight.
“You’re excluded, Gaz’da,” Selena said with a sniffle.
“Thank you, Selena,” the alien murmured.
“Don’t let go,” she whispered to Tane.
He tightened his arms on her. He’d always known if he ever touched her, got a taste of her, he wouldn’t be able to sever the hold she had over him. “I won’t.”
Chapter Eleven
Selena woke up in her bed. She stared up at the ceiling. Her body ached, and her eyes were gritty from crying and a bad night’s sleep.
She’d slept in fits and starts. Tane had tucked her in and waited until she drifted off before he’d left. But the nightmares had started right away—she’d kept seeing her friends trapped behind the glass, turning into Gizzida.
Fluffy stirred. Her bird had nestled into the covers beside her and tried to comfort her during the night. She stroked his feathers. “Hey, Fluffy.”
She scrubbed a hand down her face. She wanted Tane. She wanted his arms wrapped around her, and she wanted more of what they’d shared right here on this bed.
Sitting up, she sighed. She knew he’d had to help with the cleanup, and he would have checked in on Ash and Marin.
On autopilot, Selena showered, dressed, and forced down some food, even though she wasn’t hungry.
There was a knock at the door and her pulse picked up. Maybe it was Tane?
She yanked it open and saw Finn.
The pilot reached out and touched her hair. “How are you doing, sweetness?”
“Finn.” Her voice broke.
He tugged her to his chest, hugging her hard.
“It was so horrible,” she said.
“You saved them. You’re a hero.”
Selena didn’t feel heroic. “I was so scared.”
Finn ran a hand down her back. “That’s the thing about heroes, they feel fear, too, but they still risk themselves to help others.” He paused. “General Holmes has called a debrief. I’m your escort.”
She nodded, called out a goodbye to Fluffy, and closed her
door. They walked to the Command Center.
When the glass doors slid open, she saw that the room was packed. The vibe of the crowd was dark with outrage. People were very, very angry.
She spotted the berserkers and then, as though he sensed her, Tane turned. His dreadlocks were pulled back and tied at the base of his neck. His gaze swept over her and snagged on Finn’s arm around her shoulders. A dark glare formed.
Tane strode over to them. “Don’t you have your own woman, Erickson?”
Finn grinned. “Yes, but this one is so pretty.”
Tane tugged her away from the pilot with a scowl. As soon as their bodies touched, something inside Selena sighed with happiness.
He took her hand and pulled her over to the berserkers.
Ash came straight up to her. His eyes looked a little hollow and haunted, but he cupped her cheeks and pressed his forehead to hers.
“It’s okay, Ash,” she murmured.
There was so much emotion roiling in his eyes. He nodded.
“How’s Marin?”
“She had a rough night. The doc ended up sedating her so she could get some rest.”
“She’s strong, and she has you.”
The berserker nodded. “And Selena, you have all of us. Whatever you need.”
She felt warmth slide through her, and a prick of tears in her eyes. Then Tane slid an arm around her and pulled her close to his side.
“Okay, everyone.” Holmes stepped forward at the front. There were circles under his eyes, and his face was lined with fatigue. “You’ve all heard about the accident in the sample lab.”
Rumbles echoed through the crowd.
“Work is resuming on the Gizzida material, but with increased safety protocols.”
“We shouldn’t mess with that shit,” someone yelled.
“We don’t have that luxury.” Holmes’ voice grew sharp. “That shit will soon be spread by the Gizzida bombs. We must do everything we can to stop it.” Holmes glanced at Selena. “Selena, thank you for what you did.” The general clasped his hands behind his back. “Now, I’m increasing the number of squads on patrol. The aliens are increasing their attacks on our base, and we can’t let our research be interrupted, or our focus to be disrupted. We don’t know for sure when the bombs will be detonated, but time is running out.”
Tane tipped Selena’s face up. “I need to head out with my squad.”
