Chapter 8
Kaden hustled through the passageway. The soft lighting embedded in the stone walls created streaks of white in his peripheral vision, while his main scanners painted the area ahead of him in red dots and lines, the sensors seeking out potential problems within the mine.
Irritation surged through his circuits.
He’d wanted to kill the enemies threatening his little mate, but by the time he located them, Gunnar had already dispatched them.
While he could forgive his teammate’s enthusiasm, given the fact both Gunnar and his twin Wilder lived for destruction, it meant Kaden’s frustration level remained at an all-time high.
To make matters worse, the human-sized cryo-coffin they uncovered in the Zyphorrans’ vessel increased Kaden’s fury.
Why did the bastards target Calie? What was one human female to that belligerent race of vermin?
Gunnar thumped his back. You giving me the silent treatment all the way to the team?
Kaden picked up speed, his sensors locked on the team, near his mate. They were my kills, Gunnar.
I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.
We require more intel. That Kaden would’ve enjoyed extracting from them. Why they want my—
No. Not ready to admit the truth to his friends.
Your mate? Gunnar finished for him.
Fuck. Should’ve known he couldn’t hide it. All of them, too damn perceptive.
She’s a tiny thing, Gunnar continued as they ran. Looks fragile. One touch might break her.
Shut it. Kaden rounded on the male, forcing him to halt, then invaded the shit out of Gunnar’s personal space. “No one touches her. Ever.”
Gunnar raised his hands. “Hey, man, I hear you.”
One blink later, Gunnar had Kaden flat on his back, one knee in Kaden’s gut, a booted foot by his head, and a blade at his throat. “But hear me well, soldier. Your emotions are making you sloppy.”
Kaden growled and tapped Gunnar’s thigh with the gun he held, trained on the man’s dick. “Not that sloppy.”
“Fair enough.” Gunnar grinned and backed off.
Kaden rose, holstering his weapon while Gunnar sheathed his knife.
A scream ripped the air.
Kaden’s chest seized. Calie!
He shot forward, hailed his team, and hit their location seconds later, taking quick stock.
Dead Q’Larev on the ground, missing a portion of his skull.
Their pilot Dash, near the body with another corpse—no head—draped over one shoulder.
Trace sat at a console, tapping away while Captain Rex hovered behind him.
But it was Wilder’s position that streaked rage through both his cybernetic and emotional grids. The fucker held Calie off the ground, her back to his chest. She hadn’t noticed Kaden yet as she screeched and flailed in his friend’s grasp. The gun he’d loaned her rested on the ground a few feet away.
She didn’t stand a chance of freeing herself.
Release her! Kaden roared through their communication channel.
Wilder’s arms opened wide, and Calie dropped to the ground. She landed on her feet then whirled, pummeling his friend’s armored chest with her tiny fists. A string of impressive curses left her. She seemed unharmed—thank fuck, because if Wilder or anyone else had caused her any injuries, he couldn’t be expected not to retaliate.
He stalked over, as his fierce female added some well-placed kicks to Wilder’s shins. She might hurt herself if she kept up her futile attempts at violence.
Arms raised, Wilder gazed at Kaden over her head. A little help here? She’s quite a handful.
She’s mine, Kaden growled, to which everyone responded, We know.
Kaden halted behind his mate. “Calie.”
She didn’t seem to hear him. He tried again.
“Calie.” He clamped a hand on her shoulder.
She pivoted. Recognition flooded her face.
“Kaden.” She launched herself into his chest, wrapped her arms around him, then held on tight. One breath later, she jerked back, armed with one of his guns.
On their open communication channel, Wilder, Dasher, Rex, and Trace groaned in unison.
Not again, Wilder grumbled and sped over to stand by Trace and Rex. I’m not disarming her this time.
No one touches her, Kaden snapped.
With her back to Kaden, Calie clutched the gun with both hands and aimed at his friends. “Nobody move, or I’m filling you all full of holes.”
Please disarm her, Rex said. I’d prefer no further injuries to any of us. He replayed the moments before Kaden’s arrival, when his feisty mate shot at them.
“Calie, they’re cyborgs. They’re my team. Give me the weapon.” Pride warmed his chest. She’d shot them all. Minor flesh wounds, but still, she could defend herself, rather than freezing in the face of potential danger.
Speaking of danger... Who killed the Q’Larev? Nothing on the replay about it.
She did, Trace replied. Before we arrived.
His admiration for Calie expanded but fast on its heels came worry and guilt. Was she injured? How had the slaver hidden his presence from Kaden’s scanners?
I should never have left her alone.
Calie plopped the gun in his outstretched hand. “They could’ve told me they were your friends.”
“You didn’t give us a chance before you opened fire, beautiful,” Trace said with a smirk.
“The name’s Calie.” She crouched to pick up her gun.
“I’ll take that one as well.” Kaden retrieved it first. Given the glare she sent Trace, she seemed tempted to shoot again. Then he noted the tremor in her hands. Her extreme pallor. The way she swayed as if buffeted by a breeze.
He collected her in his arms.
“I can walk,” she huffed, yet she curled against him with a contented sigh.
“I like carrying you,” he assured her, to let her have her pride.
“Okay.” Her voice was soft. “I’m sorry I was a jerk to you earlier.”
My sweet mate. “Apology accepted.”
Kaden hurried off, back the way he’d come, headed to their ship, shooting off requests to his team to retrieve Calie’s AI, as he’d previously asked, and adding the recovery of the pack she seemed quite attached to.
He wasn’t surprised when she dozed off. To say she’d had quite an eventful day would be an understatement.
In his quarters, he settled her on his lounge pad. Large enough to accommodate his bulk, the thick mattress seemed to engulf her slender form. She’d located a shirt while he’d hunted the Zyphorrans. The loose fit made her seem even tinier. Vulnerable.
He collected a medical scanner from the wall storage adjacent to the bed, skimming it over her body. Dehydrated again but otherwise unharmed. He grunted in relief, stored the device, and pulled out a smart cloth from the bin next to it, to clean the grime from her hands.
Her skin was pale under the dust and dirt. Blue veins pulsed over prominent bones, the minimal padding further indication of limited access to food. He cleared grit from under her fingernails, noting the callouses on her fingertips, from manual labor. His nanobots hadn’t recognized them as an injury. He would fix the oversight later.
A quiet moan left her when he stroked the soft, smart fabric over each palm.
Her dark lashes fluttered then lifted. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He released her hand.
“What were you doing?”
“Cleaning you.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “Why?”
Because you’re mine. He wanted to say. And I take care of what’s mine . “You were dirty.”
A grin brightened her face. “Well, thanks.” Her gaze bounced over the room. “How long have I been out?”
“Not long.” He stalked to the nutrition cupboard and retrieved a water container, hustling back at cyborg speed.
“Wow, you’re fast.” She sat up and accepted the bottle. “Like a superhero.” Her attention shot to her feet. “ Ohmigod , is this your bed? I’m getting it dirty.”
She swung her legs to the side, off the pad. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I put you there.” And I want you there. Always. “It’s self-cleaning.”
“Oh, right. So many things are, in this wacky, high-tech world.” She started to take a swig then stopped, the bottle hovering close to her lower lip. It was plush and full, and he wanted to nibble on it, plump it even more with a kiss.
“Um, you have a bathroom? I really need to swish and spit.”
“Swish and spit?” he echoed.
“Yeah, I uh, threw up after I...” She took a deep breath. “Killed the mine master.”
Taking a life affected her. He should have been there to end the bastard’s life for her. “Come. I have a cleansing chamber.”
She rose but ignored his outstretched palm, much to his great disappointment, instead wrapping her arms around her middle. “I’d like that, thanks.”
He led her across the room, and the chamber door slid open at their approach. “Disrobe, place your belongings on the bench against the wall, and stand in the center. The smart shower will do the rest.”
She gazed up at the silver disk, half as large as the room, embedded in the ceiling. “Don’t suppose water will rain down on me from that thing?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so. Well, better than nothing at all.” Her fingers fumbled for the silver snaps on her shirt, and she shuffled into the room as she began to tug the fabric open.
He pivoted and strode off, the door closing between them. While he waited for her, he checked on the team. All aboard, with Athena and Calie’s pack in their possession.
Everyone wanted to know Calie’s status, impressed that she’d murdered a Q’Larev and also attacked four cyborgs she stood no chance of defeating. Her bravery was something all cyborgs would admire and respect.
Athena wants to know when you plan to reunite her with Calie, Trace said.
Be wary of the AI. She’s quite adept at cracking firewalls, Kaden advised.
Trace snorted. As if I’d let her near my systems. Who do you think I am? She’s on a bracelet I fabricated. Your female can wear her.
How thoughtful. Thank you.
No problem. I added a tracker, too. You know, in case you lose your woman again.
Kaden scowled. I didn’t lose her at all.
Kidding, Trace guffawed.
Stop kidding.
Trace laughed harder over the line. Kaden was one second away from storming the bridge to pummel—
“Kaden!”
Calie’s cry sent him careening for the cleansing chamber.
Heart hammering, he burst inside. A quick scan of the room revealed nothing amiss. His little mate hovered a few paces away in the center, perfectly clean, and naked from head to toe. Shoulders hunched, her braids curtained her face as she massaged her temples with her fingertips.
“Calie?”
She lifted her head and stared up at him with watery blue eyes. “I’m tired.”
“You can rest on the lounger. What’s mine is yours.”
“No. I’m just... I can’t... It’s...” Her gaze searched the ceiling, for what, he didn’t have a clue. “I need...”
“Tell me what you desire, and it is yours. This I vow.” He hoped to fuck it was him, but if it wasn’t, he’d make sure she got whatever—or whomever—she wished.
She sucked in a shaky breath that about cracked his heart in two. “I want it to stop, Kaden. I’m so damn tired of being afraid. Sick of stress and worry, starvation and pain, and god damn it, I don’t want to think anymore. I just want to feel. Something different. Something good.”
A tear tracked down her cheek. “Make me feel good, Kaden. Please.”
In a flash, he closed the distance between them and cradled her face in his hands. Kissed the tears trailing over her soft cheeks. “Whatever you need,” he murmured and burrowed one hand among her braids to support her head. He trailed the knuckles of his free hand along her jaw, wishing he could wipe away the vulnerability in her eyes. Make her feel safe. Loved...
Her lips parted on a sigh, her watery blue eyes watching him.
He brushed his mouth against hers. Once. Twice...
She gripped his shoulders and squeezed. “Kaden.”
He slid his palm to rest against her lower back, securing her against him as lust hardened every muscle in his body.
“Kaden,” she breathed his name again, as he nipped and licked her lush lips. “More.”
Her every wish, my command.
He dove into her sweet mouth, and their tongues tangled in a sensuous twirl that hardened his cock. Fresh from the cleansing cycle, she tasted like misty spring air and sunshine. He could kiss her forever.
“Strip,” she murmured against his lips, her fingers fluttering over his armor-covered chest.
He disrobed in cyborg hyperspeed.
“Wow.” Calie’s heated stare seared him like a physical caress as it roamed over his pecs, down his torso, to his cock, stiff and straining in her direction. Precum escaped the swollen head, and she licked her lips.
If she kept up her sensual analysis, his control would snap and things would proceed too quickly, when he wanted to take his time, to make it fantastic for her.
He gathered her close, and they both moaned at the skin-on-skin contact.
“Calie.” He uttered her name with the reverence she deserved.
The floor trembled.
“I have you,” he assured her as the ship lifted off the cursed planet, the source of too much trauma for his precious female.
She surprised him by kissing his chest, right over his pounding heart, then alternated between nuzzling his pecs with the tip of her nose and trailing kisses over his flesh until he thought he’d go mad from the pleasure of it all. His cock pressed against her belly, and he ached to thrust into her, but not yet.
He nibbled a path along her neck, stroked his tongue over her collarbone, loving her little gasps when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. He stored away the knowledge for future use as he moved to her breasts, kneading and massaging them, then kissing each one in turn.
“Kaden!” Calie tugged on his hair as he palmed her lower back with one hand and cupped one breast with the other while circling the nipple with his tongue until it formed a perfect little peak.
“Calie.” He blew on her flesh, on the taut nub then closed his lips over it and sucked.
“Ah!” Calie’s knees gave out, and he held her aloft while he switched to her other breast, mouthing over the mounded flesh then licking and nipping the tip, before taking it into his mouth and rubbing it with his tongue.
She yelped in pleasure, her body, her fingernails scratching along his scalp. “Feels so good.”
He agreed, one hundred percent. Nothing in his long, long life had prepared him for the ecstasy that was touching his mate. He sank to his knees before her. Skimmed his palms up the outside of her legs, her skin like silk. He could pet her like that for an eternity, would never tire of touching her, of pleasuring her.
He gripped her slender thigh with one hand and stroked the knuckles of his other over the brown curls covering her mound, the same rich color as her hair.
“What are you doing?” She slid her fingers into his hair, eyes alight with curiosity.
“Honoring you, my mate.”