Her Cyborg Beast, page 3
“You won’t be coming back to Earth.”
“My choice,” I replied. “Don’t I have thirty days or something like that? If I don’t like him after thirty days, I’m free.” That was my real goal. I was a pain in the ass, too brash, too pushy, too much of a bitch to find a man. I was supremely confident this alien wouldn’t want me either. Thirty days. I’d get the cobwebs out of my vagina, drive my new alien mate away—as I did every other man—and I’d be home with a nice bit of cash in the bank from the Interstellar Brides Program. Enough to start over. Maybe even start my own financial consulting firm. I couldn’t trade on the floor, but there were ways around that. There was always a side door in my business. Always.
And next time, I’d be the one with the fucking bank account in the Cook Islands.
“You’ll be matched to a male the computer selects, and you’ll have thirty days to accept or reject the match. That is true.” Her eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head as if I were annoying her. “This is not a joke, my dear. These warriors are honorable males who have fought and suffered and watched their brothers die. An Interstellar Bride is their ultimate reward. You will be cherished. Adored. Seduced and pampered. It will not be so easy to walk away.”
I didn’t snort or roll my eyes, but it was difficult. Me? The ultimate reward. Poor bastards. “My subconscious might determine where I’m sent, but I’ll either like the guy or I won’t. This mating will be on my terms.”
Warden Egara actually laughed, and I felt my cheeks burn bright red. “You’re not very familiar with the males of the Fleet, are you?”
“No. I worked seventy hours a week, focused solely on getting the corner office. I didn’t have time to do my own laundry, let alone learn about the men on all of the Coalition planets.”
“Yes, that’s obvious,” she murmured, swiping her finger across her screen. “Males on the matching planets are very dominant. They like to be in charge.”
I thought of the dream. He’d definitely been in charge.
“Some are from very male dominated societies. Women aren’t secondary, they are powerful and adored. But their males are very serious about protecting them.”
“I don’t need to fight or charge into battle to make up for the fact that I don’t have a set of balls, Warden,” I countered. That was Wall Street me talking, the woman who’d had to learn to talk like the men, wear a suit of armor and be the bitch to be listened to. “But I do have a backbone. And a mind of my own.”
“Trust me, he—or they—will know right off about that.”
I knew she was speaking to my more aggressive nature, but I wasn’t going to change now. I’d learned not to be a doormat, and I wasn’t going back to that scared teenage girl who’d constantly worried about being judged. Been there. Done that. Over it.
My aunt had told me it normally happened to a woman around the age of forty. But since I’d been in banking, in the good-old-boys’ club, I’d gotten there early. “And you know this first hand, Warden? How can you sit there and tell me what it’s like? Have you ever been to one of these planets? Met these males?”
She cleared her throat, tipped up her chin. “Yes, I have. I was matched to a Prillon warrior. I was mated to him and my second for several years before they were both killed in the same Hive battle.”
All of my indignant anger fled. “Oh. I’m sorry.” I was. I could tell she loved her mates. “I was being bitchy, and I apologize. I admit, I’m nervous. It’s scary.”
“Yes, it is,” she confirmed. “But like you said, you’re taking control of your life. Your destiny. You’ve been matched, and I think you’ll be quite pleased. We haven’t had a mate reject their match yet.”
“No one? Not one woman has said no?”
“No. Not one.”
I sighed. “There’s always a first time.”
She cleared her throat, her brows raised. “You have thirty days to decide, but if you reject him, you won’t be coming home.”
“What?” This was not what I was expecting to hear.
“You’ll be matched to another male from the same planet. The first male is the best match, however, so keep that in mind.”
Oh, shit. That fast, this thing had gotten way too real. I’d miscalculated. “What’s the match, what planet?” I asked, suddenly nervous.
“You’ve been matched to The Colony, specifically to an Atlan.”
I repeated the planet name, knew nothing about it. A colony? For what?
“Not only do you have a mate, but you’ll have to contend with his inner beast as well. I had two warriors. You have one. A very, very big one if he’s like all other Atlans. And his beast…I have to assume…will be very dominating and intense.”
I remembered the growling. Was the guy from my dream an Atlan?
I swallowed. “Big? As in…everywhere?”
I flushed, and the Warden smiled again. “I would assume so. I have a few questions to finish out the testing. State your name, please.”
“CJ Ellison.” When the Warden just eyed me, I clarified. “Caroline Jane Ellison.”
“Are you legally married at this time?”
“No.”
“Children? Biological or legal?”
“No.”
“Do you accept the match of the Interstellar Brides Program? Do you agree that you have been matched to an Atlan, have the thirty days to agree to the computer’s mate selection or be claimed by him? Do you understand that you will not be returning to Earth?”
“Yes,” I replied, for the first time with not much enthusiasm.
Warden Egara nodded, then stood. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
“You haven’t gone back. Is it because you know something I don’t?” I asked warily.
She came over to me, swiped her tablet until I heard a whirring in the wall behind me. I angled my head to see the wall had opened and a blue glow was coming from within.
“Yes,” she said.
I looked up at her.
“I know how true love feels. What it can be between mates. Hopefully, you will find what I lost.”
“But…”
The chair silently slid backward into the wall and lowered into a warm pool of water. Clearly, Warden Egara was done speaking on that topic.
“Now? I’m not ready!” I wasn’t. I needed more time. This wasn’t part of the plan. I was leaving. Right now?
Something sharp poked me just behind my ear. I yelped in pain and surprise but it was over in seconds. What. The. Hell?
“Don’t worry, that’s just the NPU.” She didn’t even look at me. “Your processing will begin in three…two…one.”
4
Rezzer
* * *
We reached the transport room and the doors slid wide, the Prillon transport officer looking up as if he was expecting us. He was. A set of Atlan mating cuffs was waiting for me as well. He handed the cuffs to me, and I had no choice but to accept them, pinning them to my waist even though I knew I would not have the opportunity to use them.
“Governor.” The transport officer nodded at Maxim first, then the doctor, Ryston and me. “Lady Rone.” Inclining his head, he bowed to Rachel whose hand rested gently on top of her round, baby bulge. All three of them, the governor, Rachel and Ryston wore matching copper colored collars, identifying them as a mated set. A twinge of envy shot through me at what those warriors shared. A female who loved them. A child. They were a family despite everything that had happened to them during the war. I had no doubt Kristin, Tyran’s and Hunt’s mate and a member of my security team, would be with us if she were able. But the human woman was on bed rest, the Prillon child she carried about to burst from her body.
Lady Rone smiled at the transport officer, and he stood taller, straighter, his shoulders back.
“We're expecting a transport from Earth,” she said.
“Yes, my lady.” He looked down at his controls. “A bride from the Interstellar Brides processing center in Miami, Florida, should be arriving any moment.”
“Miami?” Rachel asked, her eyes practically glowing. She took a step closer to me again, ignoring Maxim’s warning growl. She even shooed him away with her hand. “Oh, behave. Just because I’m wearing your collar doesn’t mean you can constantly act like a Neanderthal.”
He raised his brows. “What, exactly, is a Neanderthal, mate?”
Rachel laughed. “Knock it off, Maxim.” She took my arm, ignoring her mates completely. “Miami. That means she’s from the US. Like me.”
I knew she expected a response, but I didn’t have one to give her. It wasn’t like I knew what the US was. Where my bride came from, what she looked like, the very essence of her, was all irrelevant because she wasn’t going to be mine. The moment I saw her and my beast remained dormant, I was a dead man. We all knew it, but Rachel was the one who remained upbeat. She had a life growing within her; she was the optimistic sort.
She and the doctor hoped for a miracle. I knew that, but I did not hold such fanciful notions. If the rage that I carried, my hatred for the Hive and what they had done to me had not been enough to trigger the beast, the sight of a beautiful female, a stranger, would do nothing more.
A buzzing energy filled the air as the transport pad came to life. Maxim pulled Rachel backward, her back to his chest, his arms coming around her possessively as Ryston took a step in front of her, blocking her view of the transport pad.
“Get out of the way,” she hissed at Ryston’s back.
He crossed his arms but did not move. “Not until we know that a bride is the only thing arriving on this transport.”
The doctor raised his brow, but Rachel only sighed. “You guys are ridiculous. You do know that, right?”
The governor, Maxim, lowered his head and nuzzled the side of her neck. “It is our job to be ridiculous where your safety is concerned. And that of our baby.”
I ignored the byplay, surprised to find that I was actually curious about the woman taking shape on the transport pad. This was really happening. I’d really been matched to a female who was perfect for me. And she was here.
Once the transport began, she materialized quickly, lying on the hard surface. While most transports occurred while one was conscious, the distance from planet to planet, from Earth to The Colony was too great to remain awake.
She arrived wearing an Atlan gown, a dark burnished gold. It shimmered in the bright light. Her hair was long and straight. Sheer black silk so dark it appeared blue when the light reflected off the strands. Her skin was slightly darker in hue than Rachel’s or Kristin’s, but looked soft. Fragile.
My hand curled into a fist at my side as I fought the impulse to touch her. Her curves were generous, her breasts large. I could tell that she was tall, much taller than the other Earth women who had arrived here. I found that pleased me. For though the Prillon warriors were large, I was half a head taller.
I waited impatiently for her to open her eyes, for her to wake. I knew the Prillon brides usually arrived naked, as was the custom on their home world, Prillon Prime. On Atlan, however, our brides arrived in gowns that hugged their bodies like silk. The material was feminine, soft and inviting, clinging to her curves, so that the Warlord who claimed her, could properly admire them.
Rachel shoved at Ryston’s arm, forcing him to the side, not because she was strong enough to move him, but because he allowed it. “Oh, Rezzer, she’s beautiful,” Rachel said.
The human was right. My mate’s face was delicate, with arched black brows and a pouting pink mouth that looked ripe for exploration.
The doctor knelt near her, lifted a wand and did a quick scan. He looked to me, seemingly satisfied as to her health, nodded, then cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should leave Rezzer to his mate.”
“Oh, but I want to meet her,” Rachel insisted. “She’s from home.”
Maxim lifted her in his arms, swinging her and her pregnant belly up into his hold as he strode toward the door, Ryston on his heels. “This is your home now, mate. I can see we need to remind you.”
“No, really.” Rachel laughed and threw her arms around his neck. “I know this is home. But she’s from Earth.”
Ryston followed them out the door, his eyes heating with a look so filled with desire and expectation that I turned away. I could not stare. I could not stand to look at him. Not when I knew the desire driving him would never be mine.
The doctor looked at me. “Would you like me to stay, perhaps document your reaction?”
I shook my head. I did not need anyone else to witness my humiliation. When my bride awakened, I would tell her that I was broken. Alone. I looked at the doctor. “I will explain to her how things are, and then I will bring her to you, Doctor. She must be matched to a worthy Atlan and—”
He interrupted, shaking his head. “No. She has thirty days to decide. Not you. It is not your decision. That’s Coalition protocol. Nothing I can do about it unless you want to take it up with the Prime.”
Prime Nial, leader of the entire Coalition of Planets. He’d visited The Colony and was, himself, contaminated. Mated through the Brides Program to a human. He would think me foolish or weak.
Perhaps both. I turned away from the doctor. He chose not to argue further and motioned for the transport officer to follow him out of the room so that I was alone. Staring at her. My perfect match. A woman who should have been mine.
Even though she was right in front of me, close enough I could see her breathing, the little indentation at her elbow, even a perfect little birthmark on her collarbone, the Hive had stolen not just my home, but my future. My mate. Her.
Her dark lashes fluttered on her cheeks, and her eyes opened slowly. Blinking like an innocent babe taking in her new world. She recovered quickly, and I admired the keen intelligence I saw coming through her warm brown eyes when her gaze focused on me. I bowed slightly. “Welcome to The Colony, my lady.”
She pushed herself up and swung her legs around so she sat with her arms wrapped around her knees and looked up at me. “I'm CJ. Caroline Jane, actually, but my friends call me CJ.”
“I am not your friend.” I held her gaze not to intimidate, but because I found I could not look away. She was just so lovely and…mine. “I am Warlord Rezzer, Caroline. I am here to escort you to medical.”
Her finely arched brows drew closer together. She frowned. The sight oddly enchanting. “What do you mean, escort me to medical? I thought my mate would be waiting for me here. That's what Warden Egara promised me. Have I been transported to the wrong place?”
I held out my hand, worried that she would see right through me, see exactly how broken I was and refuse to even touch me. She studied my open palm just for a second and then placed her warm hand in mine so I could help her to her feet. It was so small, tiny even, in my palm. “There has been an unusual circumstance,” I told her as she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. I assisted her off the platform.
“So you’re not my mate?”
I shook my head, ground my teeth together before I replied. “No. We were matched, but I am not able to claim you.”
That stopped her cold, and she pulled back on my hand, forcing me to look at her. Into her dark, almost black eyes. If I wasn’t careful, I’d sink right in.
“What do you mean? How is that possible? Warden Egara said we were matched.”
A bit of the numbness faded but not enough, and I accepted the inevitable—even being near my mate would not be enough to break me free of this new prison. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it because I needed just one taste before I let her go. “I was captured in the caves beneath the planet’s surface a few weeks ago. They—the Hive—did something to me.”
She frowned and her eyes filled with worry. All I felt was broken. Ashamed to have to explain my weakness in such detail.
“What? What could be so terrible that you don’t want a mate?”
The admission was like acid in my throat, but I forced the words past it. “I can no longer become my beast. I can no longer claim my mate, and so I must allow you to choose another. I must ensure your happiness. You will be mated to a full Atlan. Strong enough to protect you.”
Her grip on my hand tightened. “No.”
“What?”
“I said no. N.O. As in, no. I do not agree to this.” Her soft voice was laced with steel, surprising me.
“I am unfit, Caroline.”
“It’s CJ,” she countered.
My eyes widened at her tone, realizing she wasn’t as meek as I’d assumed.
“And Warden Egara said you were my perfect match. The best match in the entire Interstellar Fleet. She said you’re mine. If you’re mine, you can’t just hand me around like a Tupperware dish filled with week-old casserole.” She was angry now, her eyes narrowed. The sparks flying from them made her even more beautiful.
I snapped my mouth shut, not remembering when it had fallen open. “What is a Tupperware dish?”
She pulled her hand free and crossed her arms, the swells of her breasts rising with the action. “It’s a worthless piece of plastic I use to run science experiments in my fridge. Listen, I’m not a used car. I’m not property. You don’t get to just give me to someone else.”
I tilted my head, confused by her anger. “Of course, you are not property. You are beautiful. A worthy female. A perfect match for an Atlan Warlord. Which means you are strong, intelligent and courageous. I am unworthy, my lady. I would be selfish beyond reason to keep you.”
Some of the anger faded from her dark eyes, and she stepped in front of me, tilting her head back. She lifted her hands to my face, and I allowed her to touch me. To tilt my head down. To pull me to her until our foreheads nearly touched. “What is wrong with you? Exactly?” she asked. “What is so terrible that you would not accept a matched mate?”
“I cannot summon my beast.”
“So?”
“Without him, I cannot protect you. I cannot fight. I cannot claim you as I would want.”
She looked me over, clear skepticism in her eyes. “You look huge to me, like what? Seven feet? Of course you can protect me. Besides, you don’t look like you have anything wrong with you.”
