by Kate Rudolph
The three of them exchanged looks, but no one knew what it was about. They took enough time to change out of their sweaty uniforms into something more presentable and hustled up to the third floor where Sandon and General Alvarez were waiting along with Druath and Kayde and two other humans that Dryce didn’t recognize and one he did.
Peyton.
Denya.
The recognition didn’t tear through him so violently this time, but he felt a pull towards her and wanted to step closer, wanted to touch her and breathe in her scent, wanted to feel the heat of her body against his. She was so close to him, and yet she had no idea who she was.
No. As she took in him and his fellow companions, he remembered that she knew exactly who he was, and once she realized it she barely suppressed a scowl.
Dryce wanted to reach for his communicator and wave their messages in front of her as if to prove that he was more than she thought he was, but he feared that if he did that she would think that he’d been using her, had been holding their messages close in some sort of mockery, something he’d never do. So he took his seat beside his fellow warriors and did his best to ignore Peyton as if she meant nothing to him.
She was here for a reason, and only then did he wonder what she was doing on an SDA base. Did she work for the SDA? In all their communications, they’d shared only a few facts about themselves. He knew she had a sister and that her parents had passed away, but she hadn’t spoken of her work or much more of her past. He knew she loved dogs and had a soft spot for twentieth century vehicles, that she’d built her first robot when she was twelve years old and used it to terrorize her sister. She watched scary movies by herself on the darkest night to make them more terrifying but refused to watch anything romantic. She loved coffee but tried not to drink it too often, and her favorite vegetable was cauliflower. He knew more about her than he’d known about any lover, and more than he knew about most of his friends. And yet she still didn’t know his name.
Raze smacked him on the leg to bring his attention back to the room around them. Sandon was talking about a breakthrough that the human tech team had made, nodding at Peyton and the two humans beside her.
“The ships sitting at the edge of the solar system are enough to damage Earth, but as best we can tell, they can’t hope to destroy the planet. In a full scale attack, they might be able to hit half a dozen cities before our defenses could subdue them. However, given Yormas of Wreet’s long tenure as an ambassador on the planet and his vast connections, we’ve long thought that an attack from space was the secondary threat.” Sandon pulled up a series of slides on the holo player which gave a brief history of Yormas of Wreet and explained their current intelligence.
The news that the Oscavians and Wreetans in the sky were a secondary threat was a surprise to Dryce. No one had whispered about a land-based conflict. The humans were more or less unified when it came to threats from outer space, and though Yormas had lived on the planet for many years, if he’d brewed conflict between human factions, none of it was simmering to the surface at the moment.
“Further analysis of the data recovered from Fenryr 1 has given us chemical signatures that Yormas’s weapon left in the wake of the attack. We also see spikes of certain types of radiation just before it was deployed. Detya and Earth share similar environments, and in the past weeks we’ve seen similar radiation spikes. The SIA is convinced that Yormas has smuggled his weapon down to Earth. This has not been the opinion of the SDA or the Detyen Legion, but Dr. Cho has some information that seems to substantiate the SIA’s claims.”
He nodded to her and Peyton took a deep breath. She stared at a small tablet in front of her before finally looking up at the gathered group. She cleared her throat before speaking. “Hello. My name is Dr. Peyton Cho. My team works in the SDA science division studying and re-purposing recovered alien tech. Three days ago we were assigned to study and catalog a series of items from an Oscavian shuttle used by a hostile alien. My associate, Lilah,” she nodded to a woman with long red hair and a pinched expression, “was the one to make the discovery.”
Peyton tapped at her tablet and data streamed over the holo player. It was too disjointed for Dryce to read, but Lilah’s eyes scanned over it as if she was making sure that everything was there. “The data was contained in what we think was some kind of ignition switch. There are three sets of coordinates,” as she spoke three lines of numbers were highlighted, “and aerial surveillance has shown some anomalies, as if the signal was being obfuscated there. We believe that this ignition switch is one that could be used to set off something like what destroyed your planet.” She paused and her eyes seemed to be drawn to Dryce. Their gazes locked for a moment before Peyton tore herself away. “And if that is so, then the device will be at one of the locations listed. They are all relatively remote, but accessible by land vehicles and near enough to cities that any aliens might not draw undue attention. We think that we’ve managed to create a kill switch using the tech we’ve recovered, so once the sites are investigated, the team can disable any weapon they find.” She nodded towards Sandon and leaned back in her chair.
“We can’t let the populace know about the weapon,” said Sandon. “It would cause panic and could make us more vulnerable to attack. Dryce, as the lone unmated warrior on your team, will take point. He and his partner will infiltrate the locations and disable any device they can find. Raze, Toran, and Kayde will be your field support.” Raze seemed ready to protest that Dryce had found his mate, but this time it was Dryce’s punch against his thigh that kept him quiet.
General Alvarez cleared his throat.
Sandon took a deep breath and paused as if it pained him to say the next part. “Sierra Alvarez will temporarily be deputized as a member of the Detyen Legion and join you. Druath NaKam will run your op from headquarters.”
Dru opened his mouth to protest, but Sandon spoke over him. “If you do this successfully, you will prevent a war and save billions of lives. We could not save our home, but we can make this our new one. Any questions?”
Determination blazed through Dryce. This was his chance to prove himself to Peyton and the Legion, and to save Earth from certain destruction. But he did wonder about one thing. “What partner?” If Raze, Toran, and Kayde were his support, who else was there?
He sensed Peyton stiffen and when Sandon’s eyes fell on her, he realized why. “Dr. Cho.”
“WHAT?” PEYTON DIDN’T realize that she’d spoken aloud until all heads swung her way. The pretty boy, Dryce NaFeen, gave her a strange look, but she didn’t see the rejection she would have expected from a trained soldier. Commander Sandon looked puzzled by her question, most likely because he’d explained much of the plan to her before bringing it to his people. She cleared her throat and did her best to ignore the burning of her cheeks. “Are you sure it’s best to send in the two of us alone?” she managed to ask. “I wouldn’t want to cause problems by not being military trained.” That sounded okay, she was almost certain. She couldn’t exactly tell the gathered group that Dryce made her feel funny and she didn’t want to spend extra time around him.
“You will have support from NaFeen’s team,” Sandon assured her. “You won’t be alone.”
And still Dryce was staring at her like he knew her. What was that about? Peyton did her best to keep her gaze on anyone but him. She’d heard stories and she didn’t want the guy to get any ideas, especially not when they were going to work together. She was sure that as soon as they were forced to speak to one another she’d be reminded why she was wary of him in the first place, but right now her best option was avoidance.
She paid attention as Sandon laid out the rest of the details and pulled up extensive maps that covered the areas they would infiltrate. She and Dryce would have use of a two-person aerial speeder to quickly get in and out of the compounds, while the Detyen team would be using ground vehicles and drones to cover them from a distance.
Peyton hadn’t wanted to be assigned this job, but as soon
as they found the maps and the trigger she’d been certain someone on her team would be assigned to the field. If they’d had more time, they might have been able to train one of the soldiers to disable the devices they expected to discover, but with the rush she was going to be using a huge mix of training and instinct to disable a device that might be capable of destroying the planet. Someone with only basic tech training didn’t stand a chance. Peyton very much doubted that there would be a simple kill switch on any of the devices, and if what she and her team had engineered from their discovery didn’t work, she’d need to do some quick and dirty engineering to save everyone’s lives.
Fiona was a better candidate for time in the field. She’d endured a tour as an SDA soldier before going to school and coming back to work in the tech department. But what she had in martial prowess, she was still learning in applied engineering. Peyton was the most trusted on their team when it came to the tech, and though she doubted she would make much of a soldier she knew she had the grit to do one mission.
But when Sandon, her team, and General Alvarez left, leaving her alone with all of the Detyens, she wondered if she’d bit off more than she could chew.
It didn’t matter. The fate of the world was on her shoulders and she would do what she had to do to make sure she didn’t fuck it up.
She looked at her new team, trying to put names to faces. The one who looked most like Dryce was his brother Raze, she remembered. He had a sour look on his face, but it wasn’t aimed at her. The golden one beside him was named Toran and he was the leader, according to Sandon. That meant the blue one was Kayde and the purple one who’d almost objected to the assignment earlier was Dru. Sierra Alvarez wasn’t there, but as a human woman, she’d stand out easily enough.
“I thought you were the one they drag out for the interviews.” She lobbed the observation at Dryce, only realizing how confrontational it was as the words came out. That was a wonderful way to start their mission. God, he was sure to hate her by the end of this meeting. And she was going to screw everything up.
But Dryce had a thoughtful look on his face that transformed into a deadly smile as he leaned in towards her. “I’ve always been more than a pretty boy.”
Raze groaned and tilted his head back. If it hadn’t been obvious by look alone that they were brothers, that long suffering groan would have given it away. She gave Raze a sympathetic look. “You’re the older one, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
“I’m sorry. Younger siblings, right?” Not that she would ever put Ella on the same level as Dryce. Ella could be annoying, but she had never seemed so... slimy before.
Though in person Dryce didn’t seem nearly as bad. And that was part of his evil sexy powers. Or it was the fact that he’d barely spoken since entering. He radiated an effortless sensuality that both attracted and repelled Peyton. She wanted to get closer and see if touching him could really be as satisfying as promised. But she’d never been one to share, and judging by the stories that had wormed their way through the SDA, Dryce didn’t do anything but share.
“I am sitting right here,” Dryce shot in, and there was none of the smooth seduction she’d expected, only an affronted little brother which somehow transcended the hundreds of light years the Detyens had crossed to make it to Earth.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe Dryce’s reputation was mostly false, and it certainly shouldn’t matter if he went through lovers faster than most. If he was a worthy soldier—and given the way his team was treating him, she didn’t doubt that—they could complete this mission.
And once it was done and no longer so strictly classified, she could message DF and tell him exactly what kind of person Dryce turned out to be. She hadn’t managed to message her new friend since she and her team had been entrusted with the Oscavian rubble, but she promised herself that she’d make time before she had to leave. Even if she couldn’t tell him why, she wanted to message him at least once more before the end of the world.
Chapter Five
Raze didn’t have much of a temper. Years as a soulless warrior had blunted his emotions, and though they’d grown anew since he claimed his denya, he had more control than he’d ever had before his sacrifice. But he spent the rest of the meeting with Dr. Cho caught between anger and amusement. His brother was walking a fine line, trying to tease the human who was his denya without letting her know about their connection.
It was all bound to blow up in his face, but Raze had to let Dryce sort that mess out himself. He had his own problems.
Sierra joined them a little after Sandon left and his heart lifted as it always did to see her. But from the cautious expression she sent him, she confirmed what he’d suspected the moment Sandon announced she’d temporarily be joining their team. She’d lied to him. Repeatedly.
For hours there was nothing he could do about it and he retreated back into the cold mask he’d worn for three years as a soulless warrior. The decision was made, Sandon and General Alvarez convinced of Sierra’s usefulness, and there was no hope of him dissuading them from using her. Raze wanted to clutch at her and demand to know what she was thinking, but with everyone in the room he could do nothing but seethe.
Night was crawling in by the time they broke with plans to meet again in the morning and begin an accelerated training regimen for Dr. Cho. They only had three days before the mission would begin, so they were more concerned about defining Cho’s limits rather than teaching her anything new. This whole plan was running on momentum and prayers, and Raze only hoped it didn’t fall apart before they found out if Yormas of Wreet had managed to smuggle his weapons onto the planet.
Sierra tried to slip out and away from him, but Raze caught up with her quickly and casually draped his arm around her shoulders. She melted into his side, walking seamlessly with him as they’d done since their mating several months before. And with every step his anger was blunted as another emotion opened up a yawning chasm in his chest.
“If you’re going to yell, at least wait until we’re in the car,” Sierra muttered. She was fully aware of what she’d done, he could tell, and unrepentant.
“I’m not going to yell,” Raze promised. “But that doesn’t mean I have nothing to say.”
She wrapped her arm around his back and they walked in step to the parking garage where her vehicle was waiting. It was deadly quiet as they drove home, though the packed streets filled with commuters racing home at the end of their days were a needed reminder of just why they were both working so hard and risking so much.
“You told me that you were happy working on coordination between the SIA and SDA when we talked about this.” Raze had wanted to wait until they got home, but with traffic this dense that could be more than an hour, and he didn’t want his anger and his hurt to build again.
“I didn’t do this to hurt you.” Sierra quickly glanced his way before darting her eyes back to the road. “Dad approached me. I would have told you if this was my idea.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me when it wasn’t? I thought we discussed things together. I know you’ve been looking for something since the SIA fired you, but things have changed and you’re risking more than just yourself when you go into battle.” He didn’t yell, as promised, but only just. His heart pounded madly in his chest and he wanted to pace, to move. Maybe starting this conversation in the car hadn’t been the brightest idea.
“He came to me last night,” Sierra gritted out. “I have not seen you since he asked. I would have mentioned it before Sandon sprang it on you, but this wasn’t your decision to make. I’m a trained operative, you’ve seen me in the field. Don’t discount my skills just because I’m suddenly your mate.” Her fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her skin had gone bone white.
“I would never discount your skills, I’m only alive and whole because of you. But running into danger now—”
“I’m not running into it, Raze, it’s running towards us!” She took the nearest exit and pulled int
o an empty parking lot, throwing the car into park and turning towards him. “The world is going to end if we don’t do something to stop it, and I can’t let this hold me back from doing everything I can to help!” She placed her hand on her still flat stomach and looked at him, her eyes unfathomably deep and full of longing. “Our timing is kind of crap. I want there to be a world for our child to be born into, we can’t just sit back and stay out of danger. And don’t you dare chastise me for agreeing to be support for this mission when you didn’t do a thing to hold back.”
He reached out and placed his hand over hers, the hope of their new family blossoming in his heart. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.” He leaned in and nuzzled against her cheek, pulling her scent in deep and letting it envelope him. This was his mate; she carried their child, the hope of a new Detyen race, and she was about to join him in what could easily descend into a deadly mission.
Sierra’s hand came up and she ran her fingers through his hair. “Do you think I’m any different? I never realized what it was like to need someone before, but I can’t go back now, not now that I’ve found you. You’re everything to me, Raze, my beating heart.”
“I can’t stay back.” He didn’t think about all of the things that could happen when he put on his armor; if he spent his days fearing the worst, he’d have no time left to cherish his mate or plan for their future. “I’m a warrior.”
“And so am I,” Sierra insisted. “My own father came to me to ask that I join up. Do you think he wants me in danger?”
His fingers curled over her stomach. “He doesn’t know.”
She kissed his cheek. “None of them do yet, it’s far too early to tell anyone.” She kissed him again, her lips trailing down his chin and neck until she found one of his clan markings and traced it with the tip of her tongue, making Raze shiver and his cock throb to life.