Kiss of Eon: Eon Warriors #4 Read online

  Allie dodged to the side. The blob hit the floor with a squelch, turned and leaped up again. She ducked and it hit the wall.

  Fuck. This thing wasn’t going to hurt her people. She snatched up a tool that one of the engineers had dropped. It was a sonic driver.

  Then she lunged forward and went after the lifeform. It leaped off the wall, hit the floor, and slithered over her boot. The leather where the creature had touched began to bubble and burn.

  When the creature leaped at her face again, Allie was ready. She swung the sonic driver and stabbed the creature. With a shout, she ran forward and pinned it to the wall.

  It writhed, jerking against the tool. Rust-colored blood sprayed, hitting Allie in the face and chest.

  Oh, gross. She grimaced, but held on until the thing shriveled. Then she dropped the tool.

  “McNamara, containment box.” Lifting her arm, she wiped her face on her sleeve.

  “On it, Captain.”

  “Somebody get Sharma to Sick Bay.”

  “Yes, Captain,” another engineer replied.

  The brown-skinned, dark-eyed Sharma was sobbing, but alive. All in all, he looked fine. His fellow engineer led him down the corridor.

  “Here.” Her chief engineer handed her a rag.

  Allie wiped the rest of the blood off her face, as McNamara ordered the rest of his team to set the containment box down and load up the remains of the alien.

  She was going to need a long, hot shower.

  Her comm badge chimed. “Captain.” The voice of Abara, her comms officer. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s an incoming call from the Desteron.”

  Allie screwed up her nose. Just freaking great.

  Her cabin was closer than the bridge. “Patch it through to my cabin.” She looked at her chief engineer. “Get my ship fixed, McNamara.”

  “You’ll owe me more whiskey.” He eyed her. “I might even share it with you.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.” She powered down the corridor and made it to her cabin. She didn’t have enough time to clean more of the gunk off her face. Oh, well.

  She sank into the chair behind her small desk. Her pile of colored origami paper was stacked neatly in one corner. She and Drew had taken up paper folding one summer vacation in their early teens. He’d lost interest, but Allie had continued on. It was the thing she did when she needed to relax and clear her mind. Folding the paper and making a pretty, cheerful design never failed to ease her stress.

  But she didn’t have time for it now. She pressed her fingers—still sticky with alien blood—to the screen.

  A rugged face appeared. Brack Thann-Felis, annoyer of Terran captains.

  Allie swallowed an internal groan.

  The man’s black eyes, threaded with strands of electric blue, narrowed, taking her in. “Captain Borden, you appear to be…smeared with blood.”

  “I dressed up for you, Second Commander.”

  The man’s face didn’t change. “The Divergent was running on time, but my warriors informed me that your speed has slowed, and you altered course.”

  Damn, this man made her blood boil for no good reason. “We decided to take the scenic route.”

  His head tilted. “I thought you might have a problem and require assistance.”

  “And you’d rush in to save the inferior Terrans with your brawny strength and big, bad warship.” Shit. You’re supposed to be diplomatic, Allie.

  Brack smiled, which of course, made his rugged face look even more handsome. “Your words, Captain. I am happy to offer you any and all assistance I can.”

  And then he’d toss her into a black hole when he got the first chance.

  “We’re fine. Nothing we can’t handle.” She wiped more blood off her cheek.

  He stared at her for a long moment. “Then I’ll see you soon, Captain Borden.”

  “I can’t wait, Second Commander.”

  The screen went black.

  Ahh. Allie sank back in her chair. She had weeks ahead of spending hours and hours with the man. Just her luck.

  Chapter Two

  “Second Commander, the Divergent is five ship minutes out.”

  “Thank you, Azan,” Brack Thann-Felis responded.

  Brack stood on the bridge of the Desteron, watching his warriors working. They all wore their sleeveless, black uniforms, muscular arms of well-conditioned warriors on display. He flexed his hands, and the helian encased around his wrist pulsed. It enhanced the sense of annoyance and excitement coursing through him.

  He scowled.

  “War Commander on the bridge,” a warrior called out.

  Brack turned his head as Davion strode in. The man was smiling. Davion smiled a lot more since he’d been mated.

  The war commander nodded at the warriors and stopped beside Brack. “Report?”

  “The Divergent is almost here.”

  “Good. These training exercises will be good for the Eon and for Earth.”

  Brack grunted, and Davion’s lips twitched.

  “No need to look so happy.” Brack scowled. “You get to leave on your trip with your mate. I’m the one left in charge of nurturing our ‘alliance’ with Earth.”

  Davion crossed his arms and raised a brow.

  “These training exercises are unnecessary,” Brack said. “Our tech is decades ahead of Earth.”

  “We both know we’ve underestimated the Terrans for a long time. The Divergent saved the Rengard and its crew from destruction.”

  That just made Brack’s scowl deepen. The Rengard was a sister warship to the Desteron. It had been damaged by a Kantos attack. Brack had no liking for the ravenous, vile insectoid species. They hungered for everything that wasn’t theirs, and swarmed to destroy. The Divergent—despite its inferior tech and weaponry—had been instrumental in saving the Rengard.

  Brack sniffed.

  “You will work courteously with Captain Borden,” Davion said.

  “I won’t push her out an airlock, don’t worry.”

  “Keep an open mind, Brack. The Terrans know they are disadvantaged when it comes to numbers and technology, so they think creatively and come up with ingenious ideas at times.”

  “You are mated to one, so I think you’re a little biased.”

  A warm look crossed Davion’s rugged face. “Perhaps.”

  The viewscreen flashed, and Brack spotted the Divergent moving in to dock. The small, heavily-armed ship was close. It was small by Eon size, with a bulkier design, but he had to admit, there was something about it that caught the eye.

  The doors to the Desteron’s bridge whispered open, and Eve, Davion’s mate, entered. The Terran female’s face was pale, and she wasn’t walking quite as smoothly as she usually did. Eve was a warrior at heart, and he knew she could handle herself in a fight. Davion was both Brack’s commanding officer and friend, and he knew this woman was the perfect match for him. She made him smile, and for that fact alone, Brack liked her.

  She had one palm pressed to her stomach. Davion moved straight to her, sliding an arm around her.

  “You’re feeling sick,” Davion murmured.

  “Happens when your mate gets you pregnant without asking.” Her tone was sharp, but her lips curled.

  A sense of togetherness emanated off them. They were in love, mated, with a child on the way. Helians controlled the fertility of Eon warriors, and they were only fertile with their mates. These days, mating was rare and most Eon babies were created in labs. All things that were not in Brack’s future.

  He wasn’t capable of it.

  As Davion stroked Eve’s belly, Brack thought of his father. He’d never seen such gestures between his parents. Stonil Thann-Felis was an excellent warrior, a terrible husband, and a mediocre father.

  “Second Commander?” a warrior called out. “The Divergent has docked with the Desteron.”

  Wonderful. “Acknowledged.”

  “And our shuttle is ready to leave,” Davion said.

  “Enjoy your trip.” Bra
ck looked at Eve. “I hope you enjoy meeting Davion’s family.”

  She shot him a weak smile. “Thanks.”

  “I need to prepare for Captain Borden’s arrival,” Brack said. “Safe travels.”

  “Play nice,” Eve said.

  He growled, lifted a hand, then strode off the bridge.

  Brack knew the corridors and conduits of the Desteron almost as well as he knew the halls of his childhood home. Nodding at several warriors he passed, he made his way to the docking bay. When the doors opened, Captain Allie Borden was waiting, flanked by two of her top officers.

  Cren. He’d forgotten how gold her hair was. All Eon had brown hair, with no blonde or black. She wore it in a braid that rested over one shoulder on the dark blue of her Space Corps uniform.

  Her head lifted, and her gaze locked with his like a targeting array. Her eyes were bright green.

  “Captain Borden.” He inclined his head. “Welcome aboard the Desteron.”

  She shot him a sharp smile. “You didn’t even choke saying that. Impressive.”

  Cren, she had a quick mind, and an even quicker mouth. “I’ve been practicing.”

  She pressed her tongue to her teeth and stepped closer. “I’ll do what I can to make these training exercises as painless for you as possible.”

  Heat shot through his veins. “I’m an Eon warrior, I can handle anything.”

  Her eyes flashed. “So, us little Terrans don’t bother you?”

  He pretended to dust off his shoulder. “Exactly.”

  “Asshat,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Captain, you already have a pet name for me. So sweet.”

  She growled. “My crew is going to annihilate yours in these exercises.”

  Brack made a tsking sound. By Ston’s sword, he was enjoying himself. “We’re supposed to work together. So you and your people can learn from us.”

  Allie bristled. “So we can learn from each other, you arrogant—”

  He lifted a hand. “That’s what I meant.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and her second-in-command took a step forward, eyeing both of them warily. The tall, fit man had dark skin and intelligent eyes. “Second Commander Thann-Felis, we met briefly the other week. I’m Sub-Captain Donovan Lennox.”

  “Smooth,” Allie muttered.

  “I remember.” Brack shook the man’s hand. “Welcome aboard.”

  “And you might remember my head of special forces, Lieutenant Jamie Park,” Allie said.

  The athletic woman with long, black hair, and face with up-tilted, dark eyes raised a brow. She let off a dangerous vibe of someone trained to assess the situation and fight when required. A warrior.

  Brack shook her hand.

  “We really need to get to work planning these exercises,” Donovan said. “And not killing each other.”

  Jamie snorted.

  Allie released a breath and nodded. “Let’s get to work, but don’t piss me off, Second Commander.” She shot Brack a smile that said she wanted to kill him in his sleep. “I’ve already washed the blood of one alien off me today.”

  Cren. Instead of her words being a deterrent, Brack felt a rush of desire hit him.

  That was the last thing he needed. An inconvenient attraction to a woman who drove him crazy.

  “I don’t want to get another uniform dirty,” she added.

  Then she brushed past him and headed out the door.

  Brack smiled. Let the games begin.

  * * *

  Allie coveted this ship.

  Her boots echoed on the smooth, metal floor of the Desteron. All of it was sleek, powerful, built for battle.

  The same way their warriors were built.

  She stared at Brack’s broad back as he led them down the corridor. The man sure knew how to light the fuse on her temper. He was big, arrogant—

  At that moment, he looked back over his shoulder and their gazes met. Those eyes—filaments of deep blue threaded through space black.

  He raised a dark brow, she rolled her eyes, and he flashed her a smile.

  As he looked ahead again, her gaze dropped to his ass. Dammit, the man filled out his uniform in a way that would make anyone’s mouth water.

  “If you ever get lost on board, just contact me,” Brack said. “I know the Desteron is considerably larger than your ship.”

  Jamie made a coughing sound that was a poorly disguised laugh. Yeah, the warrior was taking a jab.

  “It’s not the size that matters, Second Commander,” Allie said. “It’s if you know how to use it.”

  Donovan made a choking sound, and Jamie was clearly biting the inside of her cheek.

  Brack stopped beside a door and turned, his gaze narrowed on her. The door opened, and he waved them in.

  Inside, a huge light table filled most of the space. Oh, she really, really coveted Eon tech. Her people entered, and as she passed Brack, he leaned in.

  “An Eon warrior always knows how to use his equipment.”

  Allie shrugged. “The way you were talking…I thought you might be overcompensating. I prefer action to words.”

  A slow smile appeared on his face, and it hit her low in her belly.

  “Then I’ll just have to show you, Captain,” he drawled.

  Now, Allie felt tingles. Stupid, traitorous body. She lifted her chin, reminding herself that she had a job to do.

  “Then let’s get to work, Second Commander.” She strode to the table.

  Star maps of local systems were on display at the light table. A second later, another warrior entered the room. He was a little bigger than Brack, with a tough, impassive face. She knew Caze Vann-Jad was the Desteron’s security commander. A woman was by his side.

  “Lara.” Jamie moved to embrace the other space marine. They slapped each other’s backs.

  “Good to see you again,” Lara said.

  Lara Traynor, Eve’s sister, had been sent on a foolish mission by the Space Corps to steal sacred gems from the Eon. Caze had been sent to track her down. There had been a chase, followed by a confrontation with the Kantos, and then somehow, this Earth woman had also fallen in love with her warrior.

  “It’s a pleasure to have you and your ship back, Captain Borden.” Caze’s voice was low and deep.

  “Thank you, Security Commander,” Allie said.

  “Caze,” he amended.

  “Caze. And I’m Allie.”

  “I’m looking forward to these exercises. The maneuverability of your ship is impressive, as are the tactics you use to attack the Kantos ships. We can learn a lot from you.”

  Pride filled her. It was her and her crew who’d developed the tactics he was talking about. “Thank you, Caze.” She shot a pointed look at Brack.

  He returned her gaze, then tapped the table. Lights flickered, and she watched information appear.

  “Let’s get planning,” Brack said.

  Over the next few hours, they found a rhythm and planned out the training exercises. There was some bickering, some excellent ideas, some rolled eyes. To be fair, the Eon had written Earth off a long time ago, and they had a lot of built-in prejudice, but they were trying.

  Brack crossed his arms. “Mixed teams might not work—”

  Allie felt a burst of annoyance. She opened her mouth to blast him.

  He held up a hand. “I was going to say that I think it’s a good idea. Everyone can learn a lot if we have to work with each other directly.”

  Her teeth snapped together. Damn him for surprising her. “If you go all reasonable on me, Second Commander, I’m going to think you’re coming down with something.”

  “Eon warriors don’t get sick.”

  Of course they didn’t. Her gaze dropped to the thick band around his wrist. She’d heard the helian gave the warriors all kinds of healing abilities.

  “I need a drink,” Jamie said. “Preferably caffeine-packed coffee.”

  “I have some,” Lara said. “The real stuff, not the synthesized stuff these warriors think p
asses for coffee.”

  As the others headed to the synthesizer built into the wall, Brack moved closer to Allie. The heat of him washed over her, along with the scent of him. Something dark with a citrusy edge.

  Man, it was a real shame he was so annoying.

  “Your people can learn a lot from this,” he said. “And help protect your planet from the Kantos.”

  She swiveled. “And your people can learn that big and brawny doesn’t always mean better.”

  A faint smile curved his lips. “Oh, you Terrans are teaching us that already. The Traynor sisters have already turned the lives of the three toughest Eon warriors I know upside down.”

  Allie tilted her head, detecting something in his voice. “You don’t approve of their matings?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not Eve or her sisters that worry me, or even Terrans. I just don’t see the point of mating in general. In fact, true matings among the Eon are rare these days, most people marry for other reasons. I’m not even sure marriage is a good idea.”

  Allie looked at the table. So, Brack was just another man who wanted to dodge commitment. Typical.

  “Mating…it messes with a warrior’s head,” he continued. “Destroys their focus.”

  “You think Davion is less of a war commander now?”

  “Of course not.”

  “So, it’s that you don’t believe in love, then?”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw.

  “I just know that some people aren’t built for it,” he said, after a beat.

  There was something buried in his voice and it made her straighten. “Did someone break your heart, Second Commander?”

  His blue-black gaze met hers, and her belly tightened. She couldn’t read what she was seeing in them, but she saw a flash of quickly hidden pain.

  “I don’t have a heart to break, Captain.”

  They stared at each other, and Allie had a strange sense of time stretching.

  There was a story there, and strangely, it was one she suddenly really, really wanted to know.

  Boom.

  The Desteron shook beneath their feet and tossed Allie sideways into Brack’s hard body. He caught her with an arm around her waist.

  The others in the room cursed.