He swung around at Destiny’s soft sound of distress. He found her in the Bakkarian’s clutches with the enemy’s phaser pistol pointed at her head. The Bakkarian moved quickly and more quietly than Jevlen thought possible.
Long cruel fingers tightened on Destiny’s arm. “I assure you, cyborg, my reflexes are as fast as yours. I’ve seen the reports on your development and I know exactly how you’re programmed to respond,” the Bakkarian rasped.
Jevlen was ready to rip the devil into pieces. How dare he threaten his mate! “You’ll never make it out of here alive. Your ship is damaged,” he responded as calmly as possible despite the rage boiling inside him.
“You won’t make it either,” the Bakkarian hissed. “I will use her as a hostage to get off the base. You will be dead.”
“No!” Jevlen took a step forward but the Bakkarian’s fingers tightened on the pistol. He unexpectedly shoved Destiny toward Jevlen.
“Shut him off!” the Bakkarian ordered. “Do it, or I will destroy you both.”
Jevlen knew the Bakkarian had nothing to lose and would kill them both if they got in his way. He met Destiny’s gaze and gave her a slight nod. “Go ahead, love. Just like you did before.” He wanted to tell her that the Marauders would protect her. They were lined up outside the depository, just waiting for the signal to enter. The admiral would never allow the Bakkarian to leave the base alive and would protect hostages at any cost.
Destiny reached for his head with both hands and he leaned down to allow her access.
“It’s touching how submissive you are, cyborg,” the Bakkarian hissed. Jevlen stiffened. He was so close to killing the beast but he couldn’t risk Destiny getting hurt in the process. The phaser still rested against the back of her skull.
“Don’t call him that,” she muttered stiffly, bringing a slight curl to Jevlen’s lips.
Destiny’s eyes turned the expected brilliant shade of silver as she interacted with his processor. “I love you,” she whispered.
Jevlen felt a surge of power unlike any he’d experienced before. Rather than shutting down his processors, she super-empowered them at great cost to herself. As Destiny sagged to the floor into unconsciousness, Jevlen’s body coursed with energy. He reached out with his one good hand and punched his fist through the center of the Bakkarian’s core. He arm shot through the alien’s body as if he was punching through soft insulator gel. As he pulled back the enemy phaser fired, but Jevlen didn’t note where the blast hit. The Bakkarian’s eyes widened into enormous black orbs as he realized what happened. He looked down at the fist-sized gaping hole in his belly before he dropped in a lifeless heap on the deck beside Destiny.
Jevlen’s attention immediately returned to his mate. He crouched to gather her against him but noticed the smoldering hole in the back of her tunic. His processor didn’t detect any of her vital signs, though he did multiple scans. Shock, horror, and rage coursed through him at once as he threw back his head. A violent roar thundered from his chest. “NO!”
His mate was dead.
***
Destiny slowly opened her eyes. She felt a little strange but she couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. As she shifted, she noticed Jevlen pacing back and forth across the room. He was going to wear a path in the floor. He must have picked up on her movement because he immediately strode to her bedside.
“How are you feeling, Dessi?” he asked as he carefully reached for her hand and pressed it to his lips. He looked worried and exhausted, but oh so wonderful. His pet name for her filled her with warmth. He still remembered her.
“I feel a bit odd. I see you have both arms again.” She remembered he’d stormed onto the enemy ship with only one hand to fight with. The handicap hadn’t slowed him in the least. She was very proud of her mate.
“I’m as good as new,” he answered as he flexed his fingers. “What do you mean by ‘odd’?”
“I’m not sure,” Destiny said with a small shrug. “The Bakkarian -?”
“He’s dead. And their stellar station with new weaponry has been destroyed.”
Destiny nodded in relief. “The Colonel is gone too. I’m glad. What about my court martial?”
“There was a hearing on your behalf a week ago. I testified before the board. You have been exonerated of all charges.”
Destiny stiffened. “A week ago? I’ve been unconscious for that long?”
Jevlen gave her a gentle smile. “Longer, actually. They had to create a few new organs for you. Your heart is reconstructed and you have a new lung.” He must have seen the questions in her gaze because he explained, “You had fallen unconscious, but the Bakkarian fired his phaser. The shot hit you in the back at close range and did extensive damage. Thankfully, this base is the Confederation’s primary site for enhancement research. The technicians quickly revived you and went to work on replacing your damaged organs. Your lung is made out of organic matter but your heart is partially mechanical like mine.”
Destiny’s eyes widened as she absorbed this news. “Do I have processors too?”
“Only the one regulating your heart.”
She reached up and pressed her fingertips against her breastbone as she held Jevlen’s gaze. For a moment she sensed nothing and frowned. But then her fingertips began to tingle faintly and she sensed the tiny processor functioning within her chest.
“Everything all right?” Jevlen asked after a moment of silence. Worry filled his eyes.
A smile stretched across Destiny’s lips. “Everything’s fine,” she assured him. “Now let me check you. I need to make sure they aligned everything properly and all your systems function as they should.” Jevlen obediently bowed his head so she could reach him but she tugged on his arms. “I need you closer. Much closer.”
Destiny waited as it took a second for his processors to accurately decipher what she meant. Then his green eyes darkened with need. But instead of heeding her wishes he straightened. “You’re not ready for such exertion. Your heart –“
“Is fine,” she insisted. “Climb in this bed and make love to me, Mate. Or I’ll have to chase you down and take you by force.”
Jevlen laughed and it reminded Destiny of the old days when they often laughed and teased each other. She hoped all the darkness was gone and they would have plenty of light and laughter in the future. She scooted over as he carefully eased onto the bed next to her. He was a large man and had to lay on his side so the bed would accommodate them both. “Is this all right?” he asked softly as he leaned in for a kiss.
“It’s getting better.” She reached for the control module by the bed that would alert the technicians if she required any help. She closed her eyes and quickly accessed the internal base system that controlled the security monitors and the door locks. She opened her eyes to find Jevlen grinning at her.
“I love it when your eyes turn silver. You’re so sexy when you hack into computers.”
Destiny shifted so she was straddling him. She could already feel his readiness beneath the material of her hospital gown. “Apparently I need to take control of this situation since you’re unwilling to make the first move.” She ran her hands up under his shirt and her palms buzzed as she interacted with the muscle and steel beneath her hands. It was incredibly erotic.
Jevlen’s hands were busy as well. He ran his palms lightly up her thighs to cup her buttocks. He shifted her so she was perfectly positioned, but his trousers still separated them. “I predict we have six point two minutes before security is alerted to the locked doors and blocked surveillance.” His fingers circled around to delve into her most private place. His hands were strong yet gentle as he explored her. He breathed deeply, inhaling her scent, and she was reminded again how Ronoshian he was. “This is mine,” he stated possessively, making her squirm with need. His green eyes were dark with passion and she knew his natural hormones were coursing strongly through his body. His biological instincts made him passionate, while his physical enhancements made him powerful – the perfect lover.
And she couldn’t wait another second to experience him.
“Hurry up and show me, Love,” Destiny answered as she reached for him. She planned to stretch those six minutes into forever.
EPILOGUE
“I wonder if the women are already mutating? Do you think they’ll have two heads like the Yargozians?”
“I bet they have gruesome sores all over their bodies. You won’t want to touch them.”
First Officer Kessler Chaz blinked in confusion at the conversation going on around him. He’d been lost in thought after spending the past three days with his previous commander, Jevlen Sonju and his mate, Destiny. He served as escort to the couple who were now assigned to Dalandrake, Destiny’s home world. The Dalandrakians had a successful genetic enhancement program that the Confederation wanted to protect. Apparently Colonel Bronsten had tried to get his hands on more people like Destiny but none had proven as skilled as she was with interacting with technology. All the people he’d taken off-world had since been returned to their families, and the Confederation wanted the facilities better protected against Bakkarian threat. The Confederation set up a small contingency to protect the area, with Commander Sonju as head of security. Apparently Destiny would finish out her commitment to the Confederation by working with the Dalandrakians in the enhancement program.
What really got to him, Kessler realized, was how happy the couple was. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. He’d felt that passionate only once in his life and she’d been ripped away from him. He didn’t like to think about that brief time when he’d illegally attached to someone he wasn’t allowed to love. Now he took an inhibitor to keep it from happening again. He didn’t do it out of obedience to his government. No, he took the inhibitor to protect himself. He knew he couldn’t tolerate such a deep heartache again.
To cap off everything, as soon as he finished delivering Jevlen and Destiny to Dalandrake, he got orders to go to Azzora, his home world. Apparently there had been a solar shift and all the small cities were in a state of emergency. Flares from the nearby sun were causing extreme reactions planet-side, and people were dying. The Marauders were being sent to facilitate a mass-evacuation.
“What are you two talking about?” Kessler asked the two junior crewmen seated across from him on the shuttle.
“The Azzorans. Do you think they’re hideous after all the solar radiation?”
Kessler certainly hoped not! He’d never forgive himself for running away. “I’m sure they’ve taken protective measures. They are a technologically advanced society.”
“Really?” Gage Lijah asked with a snort of disbelief. “Then why does such a desolate, pathetic little planet need our help? Who would live in such a remote place?”
Kessler had to stifle his retort. Apparently Gage’s home world was just as desolate and even more barbaric than Azzora but he didn’t want to get into an argument with the sergeant over something so foolish as whose home world was better.
“I would – I did live there until I was forced to leave,” Kessler answered stiffly. He was glad none of his fellow soldiers knew who he really was. But what would happen when he returned to Azzora? Would they try to force him to stay against his will?
THE END
***
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Sneak Peek
Book 6 in the Dark Marauder’s Mate Series
Unlawful Attachment
Coming soon!
Reenah Leie Insisi knelt outside her husband’s tomb as was expected. She quickly brushed aside the tear that tracked down her cheek. She did not mourn Hekto because she loved him deeply; he’d never been her mate in the truest sense of the word. He never laid a hand on her, instead leaving her as pure as the day she entered his life. He also never confided in her as husband to wife. His heart belonged to his first wife, the mother of his twin sons. No, she was a mere companion and servant to him these last twelve years. She brought him food, helped him change clothes, heated his sleeping pallet, and prepared his baths. She was little more than a valet. He would tell her stories of the past and relive his days as Senator of Azzora, serving in place of the absent Premier. She didn’t mind that she received few rewards from her marriage. In fact, she was grateful. Hekto may not have met any of her personal longings – with an eighty-five year difference in age, she didn’t find him desirable in the least! The one thing he afforded her was protection from the world and protection from his sons. She couldn’t remember anything in her life before she came to Senator Insisi as his bride. She’d hoped to regain her lost years but she never remembered anything. No one ever explained why she had amnesia, if it was an accident or some other trauma that caused her memory loss. They simply reminded her of how fortunate she was that Hekto chose to take someone like her as his mate. She was truly grateful to him, but now he was gone and no one would protect her from the twins.
She stiffened at the sound of approaching footsteps. She knew it wouldn’t take long for the twins to pounce on her like great hulking lepas preying upon a baby yuri. She could picture the massive birds with enormous wingspans and rows of sharp teeth. Sometimes they snatched up small children out of villages when they didn’t have enough yuri to feed upon. She felt helpless to fight off the twins. They were both handsome, suave, compelling, and evil. Both had tried to seduce her in an effort to undermine their father since the day she arrived. It had been a long ordeal of trying to keep safe. Hekto knew of their infatuation and set up a security system to protect her virtue. She was never to be alone, not even at night. She had a servant who dogged her steps constantly. Vessa had willingly taken the brunt of the twins’ lust on many occasions. Reenah was grateful Vessa would bed those vile brothers so she wouldn’t have to. Vessa said it was a pleasurable sacrifice but Reenah wasn’t so sure. She would never deny her vows even though her husband was unable to fulfill his husbandly duties. And now that he was gone, she still wouldn’t allow the twins any liberties with her body. They did not love her, therefore they would not touch her. She owed them nothing and she wouldn’t become their plaything like Vessa.
“Masters, it is good to see you,” Vessa greeted warmly from her position of servitude behind Reenah.
“I see the good little wife is paying homage to her deceased mate,” one of the twins sneered as he approached the tomb. Reenah recognized his voice without looking up. It was Nelo. His brother, Movi was undoubtedly close at hand. They rarely separated – even in their taunting of her, they wished to “service her needs” together. She was appalled by them.
“Come, Reenah, it’s time for you to become my mate now,” Movi stated. He clamped a hand around her arm and jerked her to her feet. His actions were supremely disrespectful to the mourning tradition. “As oldest son, I am to receive all my father’s possessions.”
“That’s not true!” Nelo argued. But he didn’t look too upset since he had his hands all over Vessa. She pressed into him with pleasure and Reenah knew her servant would happily take the brunt of Nelo’s lust again. It was difficult to hide her look of revulsion.
Reenah tried to appear brave. It was growing harder and harder to defend herself, especially now that Hekto was gone. “I am free to choose my mate now that Senator Insisi has passed, and I choose no one. Please, leave me alone, Movi.” She tried to jerk her arm from his grasp but he tightened his grip painfully.
“I will have you,” he whispered harshly in her ear as Nelo did something to make Vessa laugh. Yet Nelo’s gaze was fixed on Reenah as he toyed with the servant.
“This is my home now and I order you to get out!” Reenah cried as she pushed against Movi until he released her. “The Senator left me this house and you have no right to be here.”
She’d hoped her threats would work but both Movi and Nelo laughed at her outrage. “This house, dear stepmother, does not belong to you. We’ve already overturned father’s will and remembrances. We wi
ll allow you to stay in your current rooms under one condition.”
Reenah trembled with fear and outrage. How dare they take the one thing Hekto left her? He assured her she would be safe and provided for within these walls all her days. But already his sons had stolen that from her. “What is your demand?” she asked though she already knew the answer.
“You become bed mate to either one of us, or perhaps both. Otherwise, you will be servant to all,” Movi sneered. Even Vessa looked interested in this decree. She would love to have her mistress become servant.
Reenah lifted her chin and glared at the brothers. If she could leave, she would. But she didn’t even know who her family was. She had no memories before coming to the senator. She could not provide for herself. “Fine. I choose to be servant,” she stated bravely.
She knew Movi and Nelo were prepared to argue but suddenly there was a powerful blast that shook the house and rained down fire. Reenah looked up to see the high ceiling smoldering. “What is that?” she cried.
Vessa dropped to her knees and pressed her face to the ground. “The heavens are angry with us. They send fire from the sun to punish us for our sins.”
Nelo huffed with impatience and dragged the servant to her feet with as little gentleness as Movi showed for Reenah. “Stop being a fool, Vessa. The solar shift has occurred as the scientists warned and soon our world will burn. No one can escape the fires that are coming.”
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Other Books by Angela Bennet:
Don’t miss the previous volumes in the
Dark Marauder’s Mate series!
In book one, Unwilling Partners, Darajhe doesn’t want a man but she requires a warrior’s aide when her sister needs help. Darajhe is a healer; Ro was created to protect her. What she didn’t expect is the irresistible heat drawing them together. Can they both accept the fate that is forced upon them or will one walk away before it’s too late?
Captured by the Cyborg: The Dark Marauder's Mate (The Dark Marauder's Mate Scifi Series Book 5) Page 10
