C2 2

Elite Hunter Quinn, Latiri 4, Hive Integration Base, Sector 437

Heavy manacles circled my wrists and neck, my dried blood the only sign of what the Integration units were trying to do to me.

Make me one of them.

Hive.

Control me. Control my strength and my hunting skills. Control my mind.

I would die before I gave in to the buzzing noise inside my skull. The sound grew louder with each round of injections. I lost more of my mind, even as I felt my body growing stronger.

I’d watched two lifelong friends, two Elite Hunters like myself, die writhing in their cells. But they had not turned into the enemy. They had fought to the end, and they’d denied the Hive what they wanted. More fighters. Elite warriors.

My brothers had not given the blue Hive bastard running the base what he wanted. I was the last of us. The last Elite Hunter in these underground cells. His last chance to succeed.

The others had fought him to the end. As would I.

“I see you are awake, Hunter.” The dark blue alien was a patchwork of silver and dark, vibrant blue. His eyes were nearly black. Completely opaque, there was nothing behind the orbs, no shine of emotion, no soul. Not the blue of a bright sky, something darker and far more sinister. I knew I faced the infamous Nexus, one of the mythical leaders—or creators—of the Hive systems. My information came directly from the I.C., the Coalition Fleet’s Intelligence Core. Fewer than a handful had ever been seen, and only by human females from a new Coalition planet called Earth.

“What do you want? I don’t go for men, and I don’t go blue, so don’t get too excited.” The Nexus narrowed his eyes at me but showed no other reaction. But he knew what I meant. I could sense his irritation in the air.

“I have no wish to breed with you.”

“Thank the gods for small favors.”

That irked him further. “You make attempts at humor, Hunter, but they will not save you. You will be mine in the end.”

I shook my head and stared into his eyes. The act made the noise inside my head increase to a roar, the pain like needles boring into my eyes, but I held that gaze and dared him to kill me. “No. I will be one more dead warrior, and you will be a failure.”

The Nexus snarled, raised his hand and struck me across the cheek.

The Nexus were not like their drones. They reacted. They referred to themselves in the first person, not the third. They were alive. They were individuals.

They could be manipulated. Frightened.

Taunted.

I smiled at the blue creature even as he lifted his hand to signal one of his drones to begin another round of injections. The needles pierced my neck and wrists, burrowing deep, pumping my body full of microscopic Hive tech, nanocytes so small the doctors in the Coalition had no hope of ever removing them from contaminated warriors like me. Were I to survive, my hunting days would probably be over. Depending on the extent of the integrations, I could be banished to The Colony, useless and forgotten.

There was no hope for me, but I kept the smile on my face as the Nexus walked away. When he was gone, I sank back to sit against the wall. They’d left my uniform on when they’d captured me but taken my weapons. The suit kept my body temperature regulated for comfort but could do nothing to protect my mind from the stark reality of this cave. This entire base. The transport station within view of my cell. I saw new captives arrive by the dozens: Prillon, Viken and human, Atlan and Xerimian—although few of the latter two—too dangerous to seize in large numbers. Fewer still were the Everian Hunters, like me. The fact that the Nexus was running an integration facility right here, on this planet, right under Commander Karter’s nose, was beyond scary. Insane, even. No one knew we were here. Right here where they weren’t looking for us because it was assumed it was Hive free.

The thought brought fury, and the adrenaline coursing through my body cranked up the volume in my head once more. I couldn’t afford emotion. I had to be calm if I was going to fight the Hive tech and keep my sanity, if I was going to win this war with the blue fucker who intended to break me.

Taking a deep breath, I slowed my heart rate and imagined my scarred friend Zee and his new mate back on Everis, living a peaceful, happy life. If Zee were lucky, he’d have two or three young ones running around each day, and his beautiful Earthen mate, Helen, would surrender to his touch each night.

I’d hoped for a female of my own, a tender, submissive female who would need a strong hand to both comfort and pleasure her. I’d even gone in to the Interstellar Brides’ Program and taken the matching test, followed their protocols. That had been months ago. No mate had arrived to share my life, no female had been matched to me. Perhaps I was too broken. Too scarred within. Too full of rage. I knew I was no longer a fit male, and still, I’d clung to hope. But staring into the cold, black eyes of the predator Nexus for the last few days, I allowed the hope for a mate to die along with the rest of them. I didn’t need hope, not here. I needed strength. Defiance. Determination. Will.

The Nexus would not break me. He might kill me, but he would not break me.

Niobe, Interstellar Brides Testing Center, The Colony

Kira came over and hugged me, which made me stiffen in surprise. “Yes, you do,” she said. We might have worked together at the Academy, and secretly on missions for I.C., but that didn’t mean I wanted her to squeeze me. “It’s over. Like a shot when we were kids. The thought of it was worse than the actual jab. Wasn’t the testing good?”

She wasn’t giving up goading me, for the question was followed by a wink.

“You know my stance on having a mate. I’m thirty-six years old. I’ve made it this far without one, so it seems silly now.”

“Yet you got in that chair on your own. We didn’t force you,” Rachel finally said.

She was right. I hated her, too. I sighed. I’d been required to take leave from the Academy, but I had no family to visit. Even though I was half Everian and had lived on the planet for two years before joining the Coalition, I didn’t feel like I belonged there. I would never go to one of the outer planets for a vacation, and I wouldn’t have come to The Colony if Kira hadn’t invited me. She’d done so more than once and I’d given in—not because I didn’t like her but because I didn’t like not working—which had landed me in this stupid testing chair. I hadn’t been drunk; I could drink the largest Atlan under the table due to my mother’s Russian heritage and my predilection for vodka—which seemed to be in my DNA.

What wasn’t in my DNA was a desire for children. A family. Anything a Coalition mate would expect out of a bride. I might have a uterus, but it wasn’t open for any kind of business. Not a chance.

“I know,” I replied, running my hands down my uniform, smoothing wrinkles that didn’t exist. They hadn’t forced me to be tested, but I’d done so without any excitement. Who would I get? I was half-Human, half-Everian. I had never fit in on Earth growing up and I was the Earth-chick on Everis. I was, as usual, odd. I didn’t like to be out of sorts, out of control, and all I felt was ruffled, sweaty and mussed as if I’d just had sex. But I hadn’t. God, who was that couple I’d dreamed about? That had been a relationship. Intense. The connection had been incredible. But the way the female had submitted to her mate? Yeah, that didn’t work for me. I submitted to no one. I was a vice admiral in charge of the entire Coalition Academy. I didn’t need a male to boss me around.

I could certainly use his cock, though. That could definitely boss me around, especially the way the guy in the dream had given it to her. God, yes. But a cock without a male was just a dildo, and I had plenty of those.

“You’re not required to make babies,” Kira reminded, as if she’d been able to read my mind. Or she’d listened to my constant grumbling about why I shouldn’t be a bride ever since she and Rachel suggested it.

“You both did,” I countered, looking between the women. I didn’t have tons of friends because at the Academy, I had to remain separate from the students and most of the staff. I was in charge and I couldn’t just pal around.

These two women had taken me under their wing during my visit, even when I hadn’t been too thrilled about it. They knew I was prickly and often times annoying by my ability to solely see things in black and white—not literally but figuratively. But they were from Earth and it had been great to talk Earth things. Hair dryers. Real ice cream made with dairy from a cow, an animal that existed only on Earth. I hadn’t felt quite so… different.

Somehow, they’d cornered me about remaining single all this time. I was six Coalition deployments past the time to be tested and mated. I was an old maid and I’d been fine with that.

“We’re not you,” Kira replied. “We wanted to make babies.”

Duh.

“Dr. Surnen, tell the vice admiral how she’s not required to birth lots of alien babies for her mate,” Kira said.

The doctor, who moved to sit in a wheeled chair, glanced my way. “The vice admiral doesn’t need this repeated,” he said. “I won’t insult her intelligence.”

Smart Prillon.

I smiled and nodded at the male.

“Fine,” Kira grumbled. “Then I will. You’re smart, but you’ve got your head up your ass about this. The testing matches you to your perfect mate. That means if you don’t want a baby, then the testing knows that. It won’t match you to a guy who wants twelve kids. It’s your perfect match.”

I glanced at the doctor, who nodded.

“Well, it’s not like a match happens right away,” I said, heading for the door to the testing room that was part of the medical unit. “I’ll go back to the Academy and I can wait. I’ve heard from some of the warriors here that they’ve been waiting for years.”

The doctor cleared his throat and we all looked his way. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Vice Admiral, but you’ve been matched.”

My mouth fell open. My heart dropped into my stomach. “What?”

Kristen and Rachel both giggled and clapped their hands like cheerleaders at a pep rally. Why did I like them?

“You’ve been matched.”

“I heard you the first time,” I grumbled at the doctor. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’ve been matched to Everis and to an Elite Hunter.”

“Of course, you’re matched to Everis,” Kristen said. “Makes sense since you’re half Everian and you’ve got a mark.”

I flipped my hand over and stared at the mark on my palm. Growing up on Earth, I’d thought it was just a birthmark. But when I’d gone to Everis, I’d known it was so much more. To others. To me, it didn’t mean anything. I wasn’t holding out hope for a marked mate, obviously, since I’d just been tested. And matched. “I didn’t even know I was half-Everian until those Hunters found me on Earth when I was fourteen. To me, having my mark awaken would be like magic, and I don’t believe in that. No, I’m not a romantic holding out for that kind of stuff. I’m… realistic.”

Rachel cocked her head to the side and gave me a soft look. “Realistic? I’ll say. I’ve seen you in the Pit.”

I’d gone with them to watch the fighting matches, but had volunteered to participate. It wasn’t often they had Hunters fight. And a female.

“Please, I can only imagine what people in high school said. Varsity track, right?”

I hadn’t been lying when I said I hadn’t known I wasn’t all human. I’d just thought I was odd. So did everyone else where I’d grown up in Minnesota, especially after my mother died and I’d ended up in foster care. The orphan who did normally impossible things. When I was little, I could hear conversations I wasn’t supposed to, and that had gotten me in lots of trouble. I thought back to that not-so-fun time of my life when I was older, after I’d learned to hear but keep quiet, when I’d been ridiculously fast, crazy ruthless and never knew why.

All of a sudden, I felt everything I had back then. Alienation, insecurity, anger. I’d been the rebel, like the goth chick who wore tons of black eyeliner just to piss people off. I hadn’t worn any eyeliner, but I’d known how she felt. I’d been the star athlete at a huge school, because I’d broken all state track and field and cross-country records, making me a hero at school. I could have won nationals, easily, but I held myself back because I’d been barely winded. My heart rate had hardly gone up, even after a five-mile run. I hadn’t wanted the glory. I didn’t want track scholarships to college, where I would have to try to figure out just how much I could show of my abilities without drawing too much attention. I didn’t care about Ivy League schools or the Olympics. I missed my mom. I don’t remember much of her, her smile, her scent, her voice, but I missed the feel of her. God, her hugs. I was alone in the world, and the only one who accepted me was dead.

I didn’t want attention. I wanted answers. I’d wanted to know why I was a freak.

I knew now . I had Everian blood in me. I had no idea how my mother had gotten it on with an Everian in Minnesota, but she had. Had my sperm donor gone back to Everis after a quick fuck on Earth? Had he been killed? I’d never know. Hell, if those Everians hadn’t been on Earth to hunt and read about my championship running win, I’d probably still be on Earth. It wasn’t as if they’d given me a choice to remain once they saw my mark, saw me run like the wind. I’d been forced to return with them to Everis, to be Everian. Which, while in my DNA, wasn’t easy. Talk about culture shock.

“There’s no way I’m going to Everis now to live happily ever after with my mate,” I told them, and glanced at the doctor to make sure he knew I was serious. “My duty is to the Academy. I have no plans to retire.”

“You don’t have to, but you do have to go to him,” he said. “You two can work out the details after…”

I arched a brow and crossed my arms over my chest. “ I have to go to him ? I’m headed back to the Academy tomorrow. He can transport and meet me there.”

“It’s tradition. I’m sorry. The bride who is tested is always transported to the male. You would dishonor him if you refused.”

I frowned. “I’m not going to get into the reasons why that tradition should be changed.”

“Do you wish to reject your match? Dishonor him?”

Damn it all to hell. That was the last thing I wanted to do to an honorable warrior. “No. I do not.”

“Excellent.” The doctor held up his hands as if to block my verbal assault. “You will transport to him. What the two of you decide, where you will live, is completely up to you.”

“You can wear the pants in the family,” Kira told me with a wink. “Just go to him.”

I rolled my eyes. Growled even. The truth was I’d loved that testing dream. Every moment. I didn’t want to wear pants at all. I wanted to be hot, wet and naked with his tongue—or his cock buried—deep.

“You’re blushing, Vice Admiral.” Kira was grinning at me like a besotted fool, which she was. Not that I could blame her. Warlord Anghar was an impressive warrior. And the truth was, no one could have forced me into the testing chair. I allowed Kira and Rachel to cajole me, to push me. The truth was I was tired of being alone.

“Fine.” Tossing up my hands, I repeated, “Fine!”

All three of them exhaled and visibly relaxed, which only made me angrier with myself for showing weakness or doubt in the first place. “I’ll transport.”

The doctor stood and the next thing I knew, Kira and Rachel were pushing me out the door and toward the transport center, most likely before I changed my mind. I was on the transport pad and the doctor was working with the transport tech to arrange coordinates within minutes. I looked down at myself, ensuring my Coalition Fleet Vice-Admiral’s uniform was in order and that I had my weapon strapped to my thigh. If I was leaving The Colony, I was taking everything with me.

Doctor Surnen cleared his throat and I looked at him, met his gaze. “It’s tradition for females to arrive in more feminine clothing…”

I gave him an evil eye. “Don’t push your luck, Doctor. I want my potential mate to know exactly what he’s dealing with.”

The doctor actually grinned, which was a rare expression from a Prillon, especially on The Colony. “As you wish, my lady.”

“I’m not a lady.”

More grinning, but he kept his mouth shut. Definitely a smart Prillon.

“Give him hell, Niobe! Then make him beg for it.” Kira laughed, her hands on her hips. The doctor turned to scowl at what he must have considered poor advice, but I ignored him and smiled back at her.

“I intend to.” Beg. Push. Seduce. Chase me through a forest.

My pussy clenched again as the memories resurfaced. God, I couldn’t wait.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t!” Rachel said from her position at the bottom of the steps to the raised platform.

“I’ll give you three days, then I’m comm-ing you for details. All the details.” Kira waggled her eyebrows and I glared.

“Deal.” Hopefully, I would have some details to share. I turned my attention back to the doctor. “Where am I going, exactly? Everis?”

He glanced up quickly, then returned his gaze to the transport controls. “No, Vice Admiral. Elite Hunter Quinn is currently stationed with Battlegroup Karter in Sector 437. According to Coalition records, he is running Hive ReCon patrols from a subterranean base on Latiri 4.”

The Karter? Sector 437? The doctor was sending me into the middle of a war zone. I knew it. Apparently, Kira did as well.

“Oh my God. That’s the front line.” Her gaze jumped from Doctor Surnen to me. “Maybe you should wait. He’s not even on the battleship, Niobe. He’s on the ground.”

Elite Hunter Quinn.

Nice name. Quinn. My mind wandered momentarily. He was an Elite. He’d be strong. Fast. Maybe as fast as that warrior chasing me in my dreams…

“Niobe, no. You can’t be serious. You should wait.”

I was so preoccupied with imagining Quinn that it took me a moment to process what Kira said. “Wait. He’s on the ground? I thought you said he was with Battleship Karter.”

Doctor Surnen cleared his throat, looked at something on his tablet, then looked at me. “Normally, I would not be allowed to tell you this, nor would I be able to transport you to his location. But I see you have very high level I.C. clearance.”

“I do.” I knew just about everything going on in this war. Not all of it, but most. My work with the Intelligence Core was extensive and had been for years.

He sighed. “Elite Hunter Quinn is currently operating with a Hunter unit doing reconnaissance on the Hive. His unit is stationed in an underground facility behind enemy lines.”

“What?” My mate was currently in Hive territory?

“The battle for Latiri 4 and Latiri 7 are pivotal in this war. Those two planets and their moons are perfectly positioned to operate as forward attack bases for several sectors of space. The Hive are not willing to give it up, and neither are we.”

I knew that. I even knew we’d followed the Hive’s lead and started building bases under the ground for the sole purpose of allowing them to overrun the territory. Once they were ensconced above the ground, unaware of our below-ground reconnaissance teams, we gathered significant amounts of intel on their movements, plans, and technological developments. I’d read about the new subterranean programs in an I.C. briefing several months ago. But reading about it and transporting to an underground fortress beneath Hive controlled territory were two very different things.

Kira and the doctor both looked at me. Did I want to wait?

No. Not really. But I wasn’t stupid either.

“Is the base secure?”

The doctor checked his tablet again. “I’m sure you could check with better sources than me, but according to current data, yes.”

I digested that one for a moment. “And how long is Quinn assigned to the base?”

His sigh was long and deep, and I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer. “Indefinitely. Hunter units aren’t like other Coalition assets. They cooperate with the Coalition Fleet, as long as it suits their agenda. He could leave tomorrow. He could be there for years. There are no firm orders. It is up to the Elite Hunter in charge of his unit, and their allegiances on Everis.”

Yes, I could go back to the Academy and wait. Or, I could get on the transport pad and go on a wild adventure.

A tingle of excitement flooded my system. I hadn’t been in combat in years, but the thought didn’t frighten me. What made me want to shudder with dread was the idea of going back to my sparse office at the Academy and staring out that fucking window for one more day. Yes, what I did was important. I trained fighters. I made them smart. I saved lives. Occasionally, the I.C. would call me out for assignment. But these days, it was more diplomacy and spy games than open warfare. I was a desk-jockey, and it sucked the soul right out of me.

My primary job was to train new warriors, to make sure they could handle what they would find out there against the Hive. But I was bored. Lonely. A few days of excitement and hot sex sounded amazing.

“I spent over a decade in ReCon before I was promoted to serve at the Academy. I’m not afraid of getting dirty, Kira.”

Kira was I.C., Intelligence Core. She and her mate, the Atlan warlord, still served. She knew me well enough to know I meant what I said. “I know.” She didn’t mention the I.C. aloud, as that was against protocol, but the look she gave me said she knew exactly what I was talking about. “It’s not the dirt I’m worried about.”

Rachel was laughing out loud when the vibrations of the transport pad traveled up from the soles of my feet. A second later, the hair on my arms stood on end.

“Your transport will occur in three… two… one.”

Then my two friends were gone and I was once again on a transport pad.

Not on The Colony. On Latiri 4.

Instead of being welcomed by an Elite Hunter mate, I faced a Hive trio who looked as shocked as I felt. What the fuck was going on here?

All three raised their weapons in unison, three former Viken warriors covered in Hive technology. There was no light in their eyes. No soul. They were well and truly gone. Integrated.

Oh shit. Doctor Surnen needed to update his intel.

This was no Coalition controlled base.

This was Hive hell…