Table of Contents
Copyright
Title
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Thank You
Also By
Author Bio
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents depicted in this work are of the author’s imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, or events is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2017 Madison Stevens
No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.
Cover designed by Najla Qamber Designs
Lucan (Luna Lodge #14)
by
Madison Stevens
Lucan is tired of his people losing to the Horatius Group. With Luna Lodge still recovering from a horrific bombing, the eager hybrid is looking for a little justice. He just can’t let a little thing like his heart stand in the way.
Even though Lucan saved the life of his destined mate, Jamie, he’s determined to keep his distance from her. He tells himself it’s for her own safety, but she has a few thoughts of her own about relationships.
Jamie’s been through hell before, and the latest incident is no different. She’s not willing to wait around for what she wants, but instead decides to go after Lucan, whether he says he wants her or not.
The enemy still lurks in the shadows, vicious and willing to target both the hybrids and those who might love them. Just when Lucan and Jamie think they might have a chance at happiness, a shocking revelation brings her into the middle of an opportunity for revenge against the Horatius Group.
Surrounded by an enemy who could be anyone, Lucan will have to decide if he wants to forsake his vengeance or protect his woman.
Chapter One
Lucan bit back a chuckle as he squatted outside the closed window of Colonel Hall’s office. His hybrid hearing would have let him understand what was being said without any problems, but the general chewing out the colonel inside could probably be heard by anyone walking by.
“How the hell do twelve hybrid men, their wives, twelve children, and two babies just slip out?” the general thundered. “For Christ’s sake, one of the women was nine months along with triplets! You think they are just going to deliver those kids in a manger somewhere?”
“They took the doctor and the nurse,” Colonel Hall said, her tone measured and calm.
A loud bang came from inside as something hit the desk.
“So now you don’t even have a damned medical crew. Wonderful. Could this be anymore of a clusterfuck?”
“Sir,” said a man’s voice. It belonged to Cato, now acting head of Luna Lodge.
Lucan shook his head.
There were benefits to being dead sometimes, or at least reported as such. It was annoying to not have a nice, soft bed or home-cooked meals, but this kind of situation was reason enough to be dead. It was better Cato get reamed and deal with the furious general than himself.
As it was, Lucan didn’t even want to take on the second-in-command position. Cato’s choice of him surprised him. If anything, he thought that Cato might worry about power struggles and pick a younger rather than older hybrid. It also wasn’t like Lucan was the most popular hybrid left in Luna Lodge.
He wasn’t really well loved by the hybrids. Though it wasn’t that he was hated, either.
Lucan just didn’t give a shit about currying favor with anyone. He’d not been a dick like some. More aloof than anything.
Community building didn’t strike him as a good goal, not while the enemy was still out there. He’d wanted to take the fight to the Horatius Group for all the shit they had put the hybrids through. The Group’s continual assaults on the Lodge only fed into his desire for vengeance.
The now-departed leader of the hybrids, Titus, had sensed that fire in Lucan. Same with Rollo. The two had made it their mission to do whatever was needed to take the Group down, even if it was off the books and against all the government’s rules restricting hybrids.
“And I suppose you know nothing about the missing men, Cato?” the general said.
“Sir, there was a massive explosion killing both soldiers and hybrids. We had other sh… things we were dealing with at the time.”
Lucan realized Cato was trying to talk some sense into the general, but the man had spent too much time being a bureaucrat, worrying more about the next chance at rank.
“How many dead?” the general asked after a moment, his voice quieter and more controlled.
“Three hybrids and five soldiers,” Colonel Hall said.
The words stung Lucan’s heart. The hybrids had so few men, and now they had even less. It was worse for Nikon.
The man had to watch his twin die like that after all they had been through. They’d survived the hell of the Horatius Group and betrayal by the US government, and even the vicious Glycons. Nikon and his brother were some of the few to actually have true family members while with the Group.
Not that it was any easier for them. In fact, the Group had no problem running test after test to see just how linked the two were. Neither talked about it, but no one had to try hard to imagine some of the horrors they had been subjected to.
Still, being brothers was something special, even among the hybrids, and had helped them endure.
It didn’t matter though. Just when the hybrids thought they could relax, they were bombed.
Even if the mysterious mind control that led to the suicide bombings was linked to the US government, everyone knew the Group had to be behind it. It was the only explanation that made sense.
“Sir, we may have bigger problems in all this,” Colonel Hall said. “The suicide bombers weren’t outsiders. They were local citizens.”
Silence filled the room as Colonel Hall apparently waited for that to set in.
“A few fanatics are nothing new when it comes to the hybrids,” the general said. “Yes, they’ve escalated tactics, but that doesn’t change the fundamental underlying situation.”
Lucan could hear Cato as the other hybrid moved around restlessly.
“You don’t understand,” Cato said. “These weren’t fanatics. These were normal people who were being forced against their will to attack. Hell, fanatics we might have a chance of dealing with. There can only be so many, but we have an entire town that can be used as a weapon.”
The general scoffed, and Lucan could tell the conversation wasn’t going to go as they hoped.
“What are you trying to say?” the general said. “Someone was forcing them to go in and kill themselves? By what, holding a gun on them?” He snorted. “I’ve served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan at the height of the suck. I’ve seen unwitting bombers in my time, and those people were way different than what you and the colonel have described.”
Silence filled the room once again, and Lucan wondered if they were even going to go all in at this point and explain the truth. It didn’t seem like it mattered much.
“These people were subjected to mind control,”
Cato said. “There’s a signal that can be used to influence the people of the town. We don’t know the exact technology, but we do know a little about the signal.”
Lucan winced a little. It sounded ridiculous. The general hadn’t seen what they had, and even then, it was a hard pill to swallow.
“And you have proof of this?” the general said, obvious irritation in his voice.
“There’s an abandoned mill outside of town that was set up with speakers,” Colonel Hall said. “With strange output. One of the townspeople tried to inject Sergeant Morris with something as well. We think it’s some sort of compound that makes people susceptible to the signal.”
Judging by her tone, it was clear the colonel knew they’d lost this round.
“And you have what they were trying to inject her with?” the general said.
Silence.
“No.”
Lucan could hear the scrape of the chair as the general stood.
“So all you really have is a lot of fanciful ideas, missing hybrids, and eight people dead.”
“Sir.”
Lucan could hear the steady click of the man’s shoes as he made his way to the door.
“Find the hybrids,” the general said firmly. “I’ve got to clean up this mess before the media has a field day with it.”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel Hall replied.
Lucan waited until the door had closed, and the men the general brought had moved back to their cars before making his way inside the office building.
Sergeant Wendy Morris, Cato’s mate, stood in uniform right outside the room.
Once he’d stepped into the room, Lucan knew it was as bad as it seemed. Sergeant Morris followed him in.
“We need proof,” Colonel Hall said.
Lucan stared at the older woman. He’d expected her to fold under the direct attention from her superior, but the weathered woman held her own.
“Proof against the Group has always been hard to come by,” he replied.
“Those bastards are too damn slippery,” Cato said, and growled.
She nodded. If anyone understood, it was the military.
“Search the mill,” the colonel said. “There has to be something we’ve missed. We need to find the source before they attack again.”
Cato frowned. “Will they so soon?”
Sergeant Morris shrugged. “It’s what I would do. Strike while numbers are low, and people are still scrambling to fill the gaps.”
Lucan frowned, but the plan made sense. They knew whoever was doing this didn’t care about murdering people. They killed off the townspeople like they were nothing.
It wasn’t like the Group had ever given any indication they cared about collateral damage.
“What are you going to do about your orders?” Lucan asked.
All eyes turned to the colonel. She held all of their fates in her hands.
“I have no idea where your people are, and as far as I’m concerned, neither do any of you,” she said, staring each of them down. “We have bigger fish to fry. The general isn’t on our side because we’ve given him nothing concrete to go on. If we want to get anywhere in this fight, we’re going to need that evidence and him on our side.” She frowned slightly. “At least he’s giving us a chance.”
Lucan nodded. If they’d learned anything over the past few years, it was that everything in the government involved red tape and to get around that, they would need something compelling.
The existence of the super-human hybrids themselves made a lot of things sound plausible, but that didn’t mean they could get by without proof.
“Any word from Rollo?” Cato asked.
Lucan shook his head. It had been about a month now with no word.
Titus had sent him out to dig up what he could on any political leader who might be connected with anti-Luna Lodge efforts, but with all the craziness that had been going on, he could have just as easily been picked up by the Group.
Cato clapped Lucan on the back. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Lucan nodded and shook himself of the worries over his friend. “If he’s as good as Titus seems to think he is, then he’s working hard to collect what he can.”
Colonel Hall had adapted well to all the secrets they had been hiding. In fact, she seemed more comfortable with those than she was with any of her military’s own secrets. Although he supposed no one wanted to look at their own people and see the enemy.
“We need to keep you scarce around here,” Cato said.
Lucan nodded. “I’ll go back to playing dead,” he said with a grin.
Cato placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “We find that evidence, and it will all be over, finally. We’ll have what we need.”
Lucan stepped back with a nod.
They were so close to the life they had all dreamed about. They just needed this one piece to fill in the gap.
Chapter Two
Jamie stared at herself in the mirror as she braided her shoulder-length light brown hair into two pigtails. It made her look sixteen, but it was what brought in the tips. Well, that and a tight t-shirt that dipped just low enough to show off her ample cleavage and short enough to expose the little rhinestone on her bellybutton.
Fuck, she hated waiting tables at bars.
All through college she’d been subjected to the thankless job. She’d dealt with assholes who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves and their bitchy women who somehow didn’t get that she was just trying to earn a buck, not a screw.
She’d hoped those days would be behind her after she graduated from school. After a couple temporary positions as a civilian teaching on bases, a great gig came up. Good pay, great eye candy, even friends she loved. Like a dream come true.
Then everything happened, and she was right back where she started.
She rolled her eyes. Her long lashes hit her eyelids. This shit was getting old, and it had only been two weeks.
Jamie sighed as she placed the blush brush back on the makeup rack.
It was amazing how two weeks could seem both short and long. Two weeks had passed since she and her friends had left the place they had called home for just a month: Luna Lodge. Two weeks since everything had changed.
After the explosion at the Lodge, her friend Leah just couldn’t stay there. Not after everything that happened. It was just too much. She wanted to teach kids, not dodge suicide bombers in a war zone.
Jamie understood. They had seen the horrors evil people were willing to wreak on innocents.
When her friend had said she wanted to leave, Jamie followed. Even if it wasn’t practical, it was the only thing she could do. She had to be there for Leah, had to help her get past all the pain that she was going through.
The two moved out of Luna Lodge and two towns over. The relocation helped them avoid all the crazy things going on with the town near the Lodge, but they were still close enough that they could talk with their only friend remaining at the Lodge: Wendy.
Unfortunately, Jamie and Leah weren’t in a very populous part of the state. The town they were in wasn’t much bigger than the town near the Lodge, and good-paying jobs weren’t exactly overflowing in the area.
They briefly talked about moving farther away, but couldn’t bring themselves to leave Wendy, even if she did have a hunky new hybrid boyfriend.
Their friend had been busy with military business though, and there wasn’t much time for chatting. It seemed like things would never be the same for the three of them again.
Jamie could hear the door across from her apartment opening. Her chance had arrived. She raced over to her own door to fling it wide open.
Leah stood, semi-stunned, staring at her, the door to her own apartment open just a crack.
They had moved, and Jamie still hadn’t seen Leah’s place. When they hung out, it was at Jamie’s apartment or in town.
Not knowing what Leah’s place looked like was killing Jamie. She half wondered if her friend just slept on a mattress on the floor li
ke some sort of crazy person.
“Are you going to do that every day I go to work?” Leah said.
“Yes.”
Jamie grinned at the snark she could hear just under the surface from Leah. It sounded almost like the friend she used to know.
Leah rolled her eyes. It was the same roll she always used, but something was missing from her friend. The twinkle was gone from Leah, stolen by grief.
“Hey, this could have all been solved if you’d just roomed with me,” Jamie said.
Leah wrinkled her nose. “Don’t think I need to hear you getting it on with some guy.”
Jamie huffed. “I’d keep it down for you.”
For the first time in ages, Leah gave a small laugh and shook her head as she walked down the hall. “Be careful walking home.”
Jamie smiled. “You too.” She closed the door behind her. She walked back to her bathroom and the mirror.
Leah had farther to travel, but most of it was on the bus. She’d been able to get a job as a library page. Something she’d always done through college. Jamie almost envied her friend but knew that she was making way more money, and right now she needed cash more than anything else.
Jamie’s hand hovered over all the different lip tints. Tonight she needed something that stood out. The other two women working were some serious competition, and if she wanted to keep up her tips, she needed a little kick.
Sizzlin’ Red.
Jamie put a little of the lipstick on her lips and stared in the mirror again.
Damn, she looked fuckable.
Jamie snorted. Too bad it was wasted on work.
The fact was Leah didn’t really have much to worry about. The men who came into the pub just didn’t measure up, especially after leaving men like the ones at the Lodge.
Her mind drifted to a pair of strong arms, black hair, and glowing yellow eyes.
“Lucan,” she mumbled.
She’d only just caught his name after he’d saved her from the burning building. The massive hybrid who could be her knight.
Lucan: #14 (Luna Lodge) Page 1