Page 38 of The Rebel and the Rogue

A loud pounding sounded from Astra’s door, the culprit shoving it open wide without waiting for a response from anyone within. “Astra, there has been a break-in.”

“Where? What was taken?” She didn’t turn away from the vision before her, apparently hypnotized by a piece of Cerberus’s empire burning to the ground. I knew the biofilters would take care of the smoke under the dome, keep the rest of Rogue 5 from breathing too much of the toxic fumes, but I still didn’t understand how Ivy could be responsible… even though my instincts screamed at me that it was so.

The messenger took a deep breath. “Weapons and explosives, Astra. Two ion blasters, top grade, the new ones. Ten ion grenades and a few other things.”

Air trapped in my lungs, I stepped closer to the window, stared at the flames through the glass, knew they were reflected in my own eyes. A small army could use that much firepower. Or one Earth female with a death wish. “Ivy.”

At last Astra turned to me, to Barek, to Nev, who had finally stopped pacing to join us at the window, forming a circle of giants around our leader.

Astra looked up at me. “What are you waiting for? Go get your mate, bring her back safe. I want her.?

?

That made me pause. What was Astra saying? “We have not mated,” I said, ensuring she did not misunderstand.

She shrugged. “She’s yours.”

I paused, considered. She’d been mine since I first saw her on Zenith. “You would offer her a place among the legion?”

Astra nodded. “I would. She’s a beautiful, powerful weapon, Zenos. And she’s a protector. While she’s focused on revenge, she’s gone off alone, ensuring no one from Astra is with her, to keep all of us safe. She has strength and power beyond anything we can imagine. We can’t fight beside her because we’re not skilled enough. No one is. If blood is going to flow, it will only be hers.”

I didn’t like what she was saying one fucking bit.

“She’s also good with the children. Even Nero liked her. She’s yours. She’s ours, Zenos. We need her. I want her to stay.”

“So do I,” I admitted. I did. So fucking bad my insides felt like they were being ripped out as I watched a black plume of smoke grow in the distance.

I looked to Barek to gauge his reaction, but his gaze was carefully blank.

“Barek? Nev?”

Nev pumped his fist in the air. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Ivy, Cerberus Legion

The room filled with smoke, the air so thick with it that I had to rely on the uniform’s helmet visor system to navigate around the basement. Of the few bodies I’d seen moving around down here, they all lay motionless now… all but one. Him. My enemy.

“Cerberus, where are you?” I shouted.

A melting piece of air duct fell from the ceiling with a large crash, crushing what looked like a steel workstation beneath its weight. It wasn’t safe down here, but I didn’t care. I was too close to avenging my true family to stop now.

“Cerberus? I know you’re here. I followed you, you know. I’ve been watching you all day.” It wasn’t exactly true, but he didn’t need to know that. Once I’d learned he’d entered this building, I’d watched his heat signature. I’d met him face-to-face, knew his size, his speed, the way he moved.

The others strewn about were dead already. But Cerberus? Somehow he’d survived the blasts and the smoke.

I intended to change that.

“So, Ivy, you’ve been watching me?” Cerberus stepped into view, barely. Smoke swirled between us, but I could see the outline of his form and I was sure he could see mine.

“Yes.”

“I’ve been expecting you. Tell me, what did you think when I slit that pretty-boy Forsian hybrid’s throat and left him for dead? You were particularly fond of him, I believe. Pity.”

I staggered, the hit to my gut like a blowtorch, so much worse than anything I had been prepared for. More painful even than watching my foolish, pill-popping friends crash and die behind enemy lines. “What the hell are you talking about?”

His laughter was mocking. Cruel. “I’m everywhere, Earth human. You think you’re the only one with extra abilities? I am Cerberus.” He shouted the last, pounded his chest with his fist. “One down, three to go. Then Astra’s territory is mine.”

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