Someone needed to start teaching them all more formally, and she sure as hell didn’t want to be that someone.
Fortunately, Carter, Jenna’s uncle and the ex-liaison to the Luna Lodge hybrids had taken up the task. She’d been skeptical trusting a non-hybrid, but the man had proven his loyalty to both the Luna Lodge hybrids and Rem’s group. Besides, he actually seemed to be good at training, perhaps not that surprising given he was a retired U.S. Army major.
Nyx looked up to Jenna half way through the cake. The other woman had been quiet since she had started eating. She watched as Jenna looked around her living room and wondered what she thought.
She’d spent nearly five years living either in a lab or underground. The sun had been a rare thing and paintings even more so. As soon as she’d been given her furnishings allowance, she bought the brightest and most colorful paintings she could find.
Some were cityscapes, their bright colors reflecting the bustling area and then melding in with the sweet honey tones of the sky. Others depicted fields of flowers running into one another as if the painter had captured the scene on a run. She’d picked up several with animals but only one with people. A couple.
At the time she’d liked the way the sun silhouetted their bodies. It made her think of the eclipsing moon, blocked by the light but only shaded.
Today the painting bothered her. She almost wished she’d never bought it. It was far too romantic for her tastes, and any reminder of the idea just made her think of the man she’d been avoiding: Nero.
It was bad enough knowing she was drawn to a man like him. The attraction made her wonder what it really meant and if she might have a dark piece of herself that she’d tucked away. The calling had always been there, even before he changed, but she’d blown it off as fear or revulsion. Likely it was a little of both considering the man he had been.
No. The man he likely still was, new skin and all.
Rem had explained the change. An injection from a Horatius Group scientist had been able to convert Nero from beast to man. It still seemed so crazy, but then, most everything about them was crazy. As always with Rem, she was sure he was holding something back. Their leader never seemed to lay all his cards on the table, whether within the Group or outside.
Her heart throbbed, and she frowned. She had no time for that crap. Either way, Nero was trouble and could get them all killed. Her body wouldn’t trick her brain into forgetting that.
Nyx shook her head to try and clear out the thoughts.
“How is Lara settling in?” she asked and took a large bite out of the remaining cake.
“Well,” Jenna said, beaming, “she’s been so much help, particularly with doing a little digging on the area and the Azilians.”
Nyx had always assumed the Horatius Group would be the biggest enemy they would come across, but the Azilians had proven troublesome in a whole new way. The true motivations of the Atlantean-worshipping cult remained unclear.
The Group may have hidden itself from the world, but the hybrids understood their motivations. The Azilians remained a mystery, particularly after the last encounter with them, where a woman pulled out a glowing stone and melted several men. The very idea of it still boggled her mind.
In the end, Nyx had been lucky to escape. The Azilians had detected their presence during the ritual and chased them to the only exit. Nyx had been the last one out, and she knew they would never escape with the men closing in on them. She told her people to run and stayed to hold off the cultists.
She’d thought it was strange at the time that Rem would let her stay, especially as he was so particular about them staying together. Of course, now she realized he knew Nero would provide backup.
Why hadn’t she noticed him sooner? As she was forced further and further from her only chance at escape, she was certain she’d be the next one liquefied.
When a loud roar broke from the back of the men, and Nero came bursting through, she couldn’t hold back the relief that rolled off her.
Preoccupied by the sight of the other hybrid, Nyx was caught off-guard by one of the men. The heavy metal rod he carried cracked hard against her ribs. She grunted and slumped to the floor from the pain.
She looked up to defend herself, but it was too late. The guard’s knee jabbed sharply against her cheek and temple. Her head throbbed, and the world around her faded as she came crashing to the floor.
Her eyes found Nero’s from across the room, and she found something she never expected. Fear.
That was all she could remember. Nyx had passed out, much to her embarrassment, and Nero rescued her.
She shook herself a little, trying to remember the kind of man she was dealing with. Nyx wasn’t about to start trusting him. There was no way she could. He’d saved her, but that didn’t change who he was.
She stabbed her cake with her fork, bringing up another bite.
Jenna blinked at her forcefulness.
“It’s just really good,” Nyx said through gritted teeth.
The other woman nodded slowly.
Her eyes caught movement outside. Almost as if drawn, her eyes landed on Nero. He walked with Rem down the path to their meeting center. They stepped inside the building, and she frowned.
Nyx swallowed her cake. “What the hell is that about?”
She looked over to Jenna, who fidgeted nervously.
“Just a little meeting.”
Nyx narrowed her eyes at the other woman.
“What sort of meeting?”
Jenna shrank back.
“It’s about the Azilians.”
Nyx shot up off the couch and ignored the burn she felt from her ribs. She was too pissed to bother caring. She was the damned Chief Tactical Adviser. They couldn’t have a meeting about their enemies without her present. And why would Nero be there unless he wanted to make a place for himself at her expense?
Jenna stood as well and placed a hand on Nyx’s arm.
“You really should be resting,” she said quickly. “They can handle things for now.”
Nyx sneered at Jenna. “And lose my place? I don’t think so. If beast man wants to take my spot, he’s going to have to fight me for it.”
Chapter Three
Nero sat at the edge of the table, ready to run if the men around him started to turn. He’d escaped the Group and had his regrets, but that didn’t mean he’d let himself be taken down or imprisoned by other hybrids. With the way several of them were looking at him, he thought it wouldn’t be long before they tried.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” one of the younger-looking hybrids asked.
He’d met Marcus the first night, when he’d brought Nyx in. The hybrid was a hot head and had no problem voicing his issues. If Remus didn’t get the younger man in check, someday he’d have serious problems. Nero could only hope that he wasn’t anywhere nearby when that happened.
“He has knowledge of the Azilian compound’s layout that we don’t have,” Remus said from the front of the table, his face and voice not giving any hint of concern.
Marcus growled loudly. “He shouldn’t be here.”
Remus raised a brow and gave a tight smile. His green eyes glowed slightly.
“Well, he is.”
Marcus stared at Remus for a bit before averting his gaze. “At least that human isn’t here.”
Remus narrowed his eyes, the green flaring with light for a moment. “Carter’s attending to training. He gives a shit about our people and has valuable tactical and leadership experience. You will show him respect. Don’t make me tell you this again. Unless you think you can take me. Am I clear?”
The other man remained silent but offered Remus a quick nod.
A dark hybrid cleared his throat, catching Nero’s attention: Magnus. He knew the man from their time at the cave compound when they had both served Romulus and then prior to that with Vanessa, the hybrid gone wrong that spent her days trying to force bonding with other hybrid men. The Horatius Group seemed to care little wh
at their people did as long as it got results.
He’d always suspected they’d set up the opportunity for both Vanessa and Romulus to meet an early end. Still, he didn’t think they planned on losing the whole mountain facility. Before the hybrids had stuck to rescue or defense missions. Remus was the first to actually bring the war to the Group.
Nero looked at his leader, a man who had achieved what no one else had done. He’d found a weakness in the dragon’s scales.
“Can we get on with this?” Magnus said, his voice deep and full of warning. There was no question whose side he would end up on if a fight broke out.
Marcus leaned back in his chair, glaring at anyone who dared to look his way.
When the door to the meeting room burst open, he nearly leapt from his chair, ready to take on the fight.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Nero stared in awe at the very angry Nyx. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail, the strip of white running just off center. Her cheeks were flushed and eyes flashing like blue lightning.
Remus sighed loudly and barely glanced her direction.
“You should be at home resting,” he said.
Her lips pressed firmly together as she glared at her leader. Her frame was much smaller than the man’s, but her anger burned more.
Normally she seemed so put together, but today she was wearing a tank and tight-fitting pants. A part of him wondered when she turned if he’d be able to see the outline of her ass. The thought excited him. He could feel his own pants tightening in the front.
She tossed her hands in the air, lifting her shirt slightly, so the soft creamy skin of her stomach peeked out.
“Why?” she ground out. “So you can give away my job while I’m gone?”
He was surprised to see her small hand wave in his direction.
Remus gave a bark of laughter that only seemed to enrage her further.
“Now listen you son of a—”
“Fine,” Remus said between chuckles. “Take a seat, or we’ll never make it through this damn day.”
Nyx gritted her teeth and sucked in a breath. She looked around the room. When her eyes landed on the only open seat, she grimaced, and something in him sank at the thought. Of course she wouldn’t want to sit next to him.
But then, he had been nothing but the enemy. Maybe he still was.
Nyx stomped to the other side of the room. No way in hell was she going to ask for a different spot. Those bastards would likely take it as a sign of weakness and pounce on that as well.
She slid in between their chairs and shivered when Nero’s hand brushed along her thigh.
Not really wanting to but unable to stop herself, Nyx stared at Nero.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, yanking his hand away.
A deep blush spread across his face, and she gave him a small frown.
Unsettled by his reaction, Nyx slipped into her seat and turned to face Magnus and Rem. It was better to keep focused on them.
Rem sat forward in his chair and stared with interest in her direction. She wondered for a moment if maybe he had downplayed how they were fine without her. After all, she had played an equal role in setting them free.
“You got in there a different way?”
It took her a moment to realize the question wasn’t directed at her. She turned slowly to stare at the hybrid behind her. Just as it had before, something sparked in her as she looked at Nero, his face both familiar and new at the same time.
Rem continued, unaware of her dilemma. “You were watching the Azilians for some time.”
Nero gave a small nod. His gaze flicked to her briefly. Heat spread over her face.
“They were an unknown,” Nero said simply. “I wanted to see what made them work.”
His gaze landed again on her. Her heart raced. Quickly, she turned back to Rem, ignoring the eyes burning a hole in her back.
“Always the planner,” Rem said quietly and nodded to Magnus. The other man pushed some papers down the table past several other hybrids.
Nyx looked down at the map and then back to Magnus, who only nodded for her to pass them to Nero.
She turned and slid them over. His fingers brushed hers as he went for the paper. Time stopped for that one moment and centered on the warm hum that spread throughout them. The next moment it was gone.
This time it was she who sought his eyes, but he was staring intently at the paper.
Maybe it had just been her who felt the odd draw. She cursed herself silently.
“This is close,” he said quietly and looked around the table.
His eyes landed on the pencil in the center. She watched as his arm reached out in front of her. The hard muscles there strained his deep blue shirt, which rode up slightly. She nearly gasped when she spied the tip of his bright blue tattoo.
“You have one,” she whispered.
Without thinking she reached out and touched the spot. It started to glow instantly. The brilliant blue vibrated in the air.
Nero looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes a deep blue.
Across the table Marcus scoffed loudly. Nero tensed under her fingers at the sound.
She pulled back her hand slowly and watched as Nero pulled the pencil to the paper.
He meticulously sketched out the parts of the map they lacked. He drew several circles on the page with question marks.
“This was all I was able to see,” he said and looked to Rem.
She continued to stare at the paper.
“What are the question marks for?” she asked.
Nyx watched as his large fingers traced different paths. All of them led to doors.
“All of these doors were locked and the most heavily guarded,” he said and looked around the room. “Whatever they are keeping in these areas, they feel is worth guarding.”
“Hey,” Marcus cut in loudly. “I have an idea. Why don’t we just leave them the fuck alone?”
Nyx narrowed her eyes at the mouthy younger hybrid. She opened her mouth to tell him to shut it but was stopped by Nero.
“Won’t work,” he said simply.
He sneered at Nero.
“Yeah, and why’s that?”
“Because they already know we’re here,” Rem said quietly.
All eyes turned to him as he stood.
“We need to know who or what we’re dealing with,” he said and placed his hands on the table. “I’m not going to leave us out in the open to an unknown enemy.”
“But we don’t know that—” Marcus said.
Rem shook his head. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “We have to assume and with the power of that stone, we have to take them seriously, or people will die. My people. And I will not allow that.”
There it was. The power of the leader.
“We’re going to go in teams of two,” Rem said. “Grid by grid, we’ll go over the land. I want no surprises on our own turf. We’ll also set up round the clock surveillance of the place.”
“Cameras?” Magnus chimed in.
Rem nodded. “And physical. I want to know we have men on the ground if shit goes south.”
He did a quick sweep of the room. A small group, Nyx reflected. Just Rem, Magnus, Nero, Lucas, Marcus, Sergius and herself. Rem and Magnus she had no issues with. She wished they could go on the mission without Marcus, but the bastard was decent in the field.
Lucas and Sergius were competent with the added benefit of not being annoying. The first hybrid was a brown-haired tanned and friendly sort and the other a quieter and thoughtful type. In both cases, they weren’t mouthy bastards.
Her gaze rested on Sergius for a moment. With his shaved head and solid build, he definitely could be intimidating, but he spent more time watching people in silence than trying to play dominance games. She could respect that.
“We head out first thing at dusk,” Rem said. “We’ll need the cloak of night to pull this off. Magnus, Lucas and Marcus will make sure all the cameras are i
n place,” he said and nodded to the men. “Sergius and I will cover visual inspection on the east and north quadrants. Nyx and Nero will cover south and west.”
Marcus snorted. “I bet she wants him to go south.”
Rage bubbled up in her. She launched herself across the table. Marcus’s smug face suggested he wasn’t even comprehending what was happening until she’d flipped his chair to the floor and had her knee on his chest. She pushed down hard and watched his face redden.
Nyx eased up and leaned forward.
“The next time you talk shit I’m going to head south, and I don’t think you’ll like what I do to you,” she said and smiled sweetly at him.
“Nyx,” Remus said, his tone sharp.
She slid off the arrogant hybrid and stood easily.
Marcus struggled to break free of the office chair. Once he managed to stand, he glared hard at her before storming out of the office.
She sighed loudly and tried to hold in the throbbing from her side.
When her eyes caught Nero from across the table, she knew he had seen her wince as she stood.
Heat crept across her face. She spun so as to not face anyone.
“I’ve got to get ready,” she said and raced to the door. She needed to go. Anywhere but there was fine by her.
Chapter Four
Nero burst through the door after her. He had to know if she was okay.
He’d seen it, the look of fear in her eyes when she realized he knew she was in pain.
Nyx was a strong woman who shouldn’t have had to hide her pain. It didn’t make her weak. If anything, it showed how strong she really was. She could fight through the pain and still take down a man. Not just a man, a hybrid.
Anger burned through him at Marcus for saying something like that to a woman like Nyx. The younger hybrid had no respect for anything, and it was going to wind up biting him in the ass one day. He could only hope that it wasn’t at the cost of another hybrid.
He bit back a growl. A good part of him wanted to march up to Marcus and show him what disrespect earned. After a second, he realized it’d only hurt Nyx. Besides, the bastard had been taken down in front of everyone by her. She proved her point.
Nero: #2 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Page 2