Page 24 of A Cyborg for the Alien Mercenary

Using the distraction of her ongoing battle with the humans, Covak ran forward and slid into cover beside her. He barely had time to duck as she whirled toward him, weapon at the ready, and almost shot his head off.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, flashing what he hoped was a disarming grin. “Need a hand?”

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t shoot him. With a grunt, she whirled back to rejoin the fight, her body a coiled spring of lethal grace. She fired, and his eyes widened in awe.

The energy beam lanced out, a brilliant streak of blue-white light. It struck the first operative square in the chest, dropping him instantly. Before his body hit the ground, Jane had already acquired her next target.

He shook himself off and joined the fight next to her. Firing, he took down a human trying to flank them.

But his attention kept returning to her. Her face was a mask of concentration, her eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. Each shot found its mark with unerring accuracy. An operative’s weapon hand, a knee, a shoulder—she picked her targets with ruthless efficiency.

The air filled with the scent of ozone and burned flesh. Operatives fell like dominoes, their cries of pain and surprise barely registering over the high-pitched whine of energy weapons. Fierce pride welled up in his chest. This female was a force of nature, and he was honored to fight at her side.

“No doubt about it,” Rann said over the comm. “I’ve been running her movements through the ship’s computer. She’s definitely a cyborg. No purely biological being shoots like that.”

As if she could hear Rann’s words over the comm in his ear, she turned to really look at Covak for the first time. Her expression was unreadable as she took in his face and the sharp fangs that were now fully visible as he grinned at her.

“You’re not human,” she said bluntly.

His grin widened. “Not anywhere close, sweetheart. And neither are you. Whatareyou?”

Before she could answer, the Reapers arrived, and the situation devolved into chaos.

His ears rang with the sound of weapons fire, and the air filled with the hot smell of energy weapons discharging from both sides as blue-green beams crisscrossed the street. He ducked as a shot whizzed past his head, close enough that he felt its heat. The humans, pinned between him and Jane and the rest of the Reapers, scrambled for cover, their shouts of alarm barely audible over the din.

The distinctive thrums of nonhuman weapons mixed with the high-pitched whine of Terran energy rifles. He watched as Anson took down three operatives in rapid succession, his aim deadly accurate even in the confusion.

Covak’s blood sang with battle lust, but he forced himself to focus. His mission objective hadn’t changed: secure Jane and get out. He edged closer to her, ready to grab her and run at a moment’s notice.

The combat shuttle roared overhead, kicking up a storm of dust and debris as it landed. The ramp lowered with a metallic groan. He spun toward her, his hand outstretched.

“Need a lift out of here?”

Her gaze flicked between his face and hand to the waiting shuttle. Then she reached out and slid her hand into his, sending a jolt up his arm. Her grip was firm. Strong.

“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” she warned, her voice low and tense.

He grinned, his fangs flashing. “Neither do you, sweetheart.”

He tugged her toward the shuttle, scanning for threats. The firefight raged around them, energy beams sizzling past, and he shoved her ahead of him, shielding her with his bulk as they sprinted for the ramp. A distinctivepfftcut through the noise all around them. He spun around, looking for the source, but before he could react, something got past him and slammed into her shoulder, making her stumble.

His eyes locked on to the small dart protruding from her back. Clear liquid oozed from the injection site.

“Damn it!” he growled, scooping her up as her knees gave out. He cradled her suddenly limp form against his chest. Her skin cooled rapidly under his touch.

He bounded up the ramp, Jane’s limp form nestled against his chest. “Rann, get us airborne! Now!”

The shuttle lurched as Rann complied, the rest of the team piling up the ramp just in time.

Covak stumbled, tightening his grip on Jane. She was pale, too pale, her eyes rolling back in her head. His jaw clenched as he held her against his chest and pushed his way through the rest of the team as he headed for the medbay.

Now that he’d found her, nothing would take her away ever again.

“Stay with me,Jane. Stay with me,” the big alien said, his voice a low, urgent rumble that vibrated through her body.

Jane? Why was he calling her Jane? She struggled to focus, her consciousness flickering in and out like a faulty light bulb.

Strong arms cradled her as if she weighed no more than a feather. Heat radiated from his skin, seeping through her clothes and into her bones. She relaxed into his embrace, his scent filling her nostrils. A blend of spice and something odd… alien sent a shiver down her spine. Even in her disoriented state, she felt the powerful muscles beneath her cheek, the steady rhythm of a heart that beat in time with her own. Confusion washed over her. She shouldn’t trust him, shouldn’t trust this soul-deep attraction to someone she didn’t know, alien or not. Part of her wanted topull away, to assert her independence, but instinct urged her to burrow closer, to lose herself in the comfort of his arms.

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