Page 50 of A Cyborg for the Alien Mercenary

“I guess you see me differently now, huh?” She met his gaze, her eyes searching his face. “Now you know that I’m a machine, made in a lab for war.”

Jesh sat perchedon the edge of the diagnostic bed, her muscles coiled tightly with tension as Covak walked toward her. Her eyes roamed over his hulking physique, her onboard analyzing each line and contour of muscle. She ignored its chatter, the female part of her hijacked by the view.

His long blond hair fell in loose waves around a face that seemed sculpted from granite—all hard angles and rugged beauty. Satin skin covered hard muscles, and she wondered what they would feel like under her hands.

As he drew closer, her pulse sped up, sending a rush of heat through her veins.

“Yes, I see you differently now,” he murmured, his deep voice resonating through her in a way that made every nerve ending in her body shiver.

His eyes smoldered intensely, like charcoal embers glowing in the aftermath of a campfire. Hope uncoiled in the center of her chest, right where her heart would have been if it hadn’t been replaced with an implant years ago.

“But not the way that you think.”

A flash of fear rolled through her, momentarily overriding her fascination. She braced herself. Did he see her as nothing more than a machine now? A weapon to be used and discarded?

She’d had intimate encounters before, fleeting moments of comfort sought between soldiers during the horrors of war. But this felt different. She liked him, genuinely liked him… probably more, if she was even capable of that. The thought of losing whatever this was between them before it had even begun sent a jolt of pain through her that felt all too real.

She stared up as Covak stood, towering over her. His massive frame should have scared her, but his touch was gentle as he reached for her face. He tucked a loose strand of hair back, his thumb grazing the new scar on her forehead.

She bit her lip, a shiver running down her spine. It amazed her how carefully he handled her, like she was still flesh and blood instead of metal and wires. She knew what she really was, but his tenderness made her feel like he saw her as a real woman.

“I think you’re perfect,” he admitted, his voice raw and honest.

Relief washed over her, her shoulders relaxing as she let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. All she could focus on was Covak’s scent, growing stronger as he leaned in closer.

“But I’m a machine,” she argued, watching his expression as she slid from the bed and approached him. He didn’t back away from her like she remembered human techs in the labs doing. “Built in a lab.”

Incorrect, her onboard system chimed in.You are classified as a Taurus-class cybernetic soldier, not a machine.

She ignored it and focused on him. He grinned and moved closer, making her step back until she bumped against the bed. The cold metal dug into the back of her hips as he loomed over her, his massive body radiating heat. Her sensors went haywire, cataloging every place they touched. She felt the raw power in his muscles, but he held back, treating her like she might break. Like she was the most delicate thing in his world.

“Built in a lab,” he murmured, his eyes trained on hers. They’d seemed to shift color, like the sky before a storm. “I’m Vorrtan, baby. You being made in a lab isn’t going to bother me one bit.”

She frowned. “Remember, I’m not from this universe? What does you being Vorrtan have to do with it?”

His grin turned rakish, blond hair falling into his eyes. The expression transformed his face, softening the hard lines and making him look younger, almost boyish. He looked just like the lead actor in one of the old-Earth Viking holo-movies Dael used to love watching.

“My species were originally genetic hybrids,” he explained softly. His voice rumbled through her, low and intimate. “Super-soldiers created a long time ago to fight in a war. Then we were cast aside when we weren’t needed anymore.”

She blinked, the parallels startling her. “You’re kidding me? Even here, in a different universe, people just can’t help themselves. Can they?”

He smiled. “I wish I was, but no, the Vorrtan were the same as the Zodiacs. We were created as disposable troops and gotten rid of when we weren’t necessary anymore—or so they thought. Generations later, we’re still alive and kicking.”

They were the same. He’d been made of flesh and blood where she had been made of flesh and metal, but they were the same.

“So, we’re both products of genetic engineering?” Her lips quirked as she moved closer. “I wonder what kind of upgrades you got.”

He shot her a wicked grin that sent heat simmering through her. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe I could give you a… personal demonstration.”

“I think you should, so I can assess your… capabilities. You’re built like a biological tank,” she said, admiration filling her voice.

“This?” He scoffed. “This is nothing.”

Before she could ask what he meant, he stepped back.

“Don’t freak out, okay?” he said, an edge in his tone she’d never heard before. Almost like he was wary.

She frowned, but before she could say anything, he started to shift. Her eyes widened as the gunshot sounds of bones cracking and muscles stretching with wet, meaty sounds filled the air.

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