Embrace the Romance

by S. E. Smith

“Narelle?”

  She jumped to her feet but relaxed instantly. “Sorry. Thanks, Hunter.”

  Her nerves pissed him off, but he shrugged off her gratitude and crossed his arms. “You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

  “It’s best I show you.” She moved to the side, revealing the shadowy form of an animal resting on the bench seat.

  The animal lifted his head, a fine shiver running through its painfully thin body. Pointed ears with black tips twitched. Black fur formed a mask around the eye and muzzle area. Hunter’s gaze grew greedy in its scan as he looked the animal over. Brown hair, darker in spots, long tail but a body which hinted at its former muscled strength.

  Uncontrollable emotions hit Hunter all at once. Memories he didn’t want to revisit ran through his mind, their dark intensity killing his desire. Light hearted play vanished and his prior years in the service returned in a flash. Pain lined by grief and anger at the injustice of his past slapped him in the face.

  Straightening, he glared from the animal to Narelle. “What game are you playing at Narelle, and where’d you get that?”

  Narelle didn’t like the look Hunter aimed her way. Instantly put on the defense, she reached back and planted a hand on the dog’s head. “Not a game. I found him…or her on the streets before coming here.”

  “Him. And you need to contact the military government to come and pick him up. Right away.”

  The way Hunter’s gaze never strayed from the animal unnerved Narelle. Every muscle in his body locked and coiled in preparation to attack. She shifted her stance in an effort to protect the bedraggled mutt from this side of the man she’d never seen before.

  Opting for a simpler question, she asked, “How do you know it’s a he?”

  His brow arched, and he shot her a disapproving look. “Because only males were bred and created as war mongrels.”

  War mongrels? She vaguely recalled the term. “The dog is from a military program?”

  How had it ended up on this out of the way satellite station? Only criminals, runaways and those looking to stay under the radar ever came here. Government personnel rarely ventured this far off their designated track to police anything.

  “Yes.”

  Narelle had the unnerving feeling she’d stepped over some invisible line without trying. The dog or war mongrel as he referred whimpered and slid closer to her hip. Warm brown eyes peered up at her and Narelle softened.

  She tried again. “You were in the military, right? He’s hungry, Hunter. At least we can feed him before contacting the authorities to find out where he belongs.”

  “Damn it, Narelle!” He exploded and took two steps away as he drove his hands through his midnight hair. His broad back stretched beneath the shirt. A harsh exhale followed. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

  She surged to her feet equally roused. “Explain it then. It’s a dog, Hunter. A lost and hungry animal. I can’t believe you’d refuse a simple request to feed it.”

  He spun around and pointed a finger at her. “It’s not a dog! It’s a war mongrel, trained to search, attack and kill enemy forces with his partner.”

  She trembled in the face of the fury he made no attempts to hide. “Partner? How do you know all of this by looking at him? Maybe he’s someone’s pet.”

  His doubtful look cast in her direction left her flushing. “Someone’s harmless pet wouldn’t have a jack output located in his left ear.”

  The dog pushed up to its haunches and cocked his large triangular head to the side. Intelligence gleamed in the round eyes and despite his weakened state, Narelle could believe Hunter’s assertions.

  “Is there a way to contact his partner?”

  Hunter glanced at her sharply. Fear and another stab of pain darted through his eyes. “You have no idea what you’re asking me, Narelle.”

  Those strong hints of emotion hit Narelle hard and struck a like chord within. Unable to resist, she moved toward him, her hand landing on his bare forearm. “I’m sorry, Hunter. Maybe I should go. I just thought you’d—”

  “Fuck!” Another strong blast of emotion before he used her hand to jerk her forward. Off balance in her heeled boots, Narelle fell in his direction. Firm, warm arms wrapped around her waist and clenched her tightly against the hard length of his body. “How do you do this to me?”

  The better question was how he managed to take her off guard. Struggling, she pushed at his chest. “Hunter!”

  Hard lips pressed to her parted mouth. Shocked and tempted, Narelle stilled. Hunter ran his hands up to the middle of her back, keeping her steady as his tongue plundered the depths of her mouth. Passion and restrained desire from their past flirtations burst through. Narelle moaned from the heat of the lips devouring hers.

  Blunt fingers kneaded her spine, and like liquid, Narelle melted into his hold. Every touch, every stroke fanned the flames. A broken moan slipped past her iron control. Mentally cursing, she wanted to hold back. Anything to keep Hunter from realizing how much she craved what he offered each and every time she showed at The Zone.

  It wasn’t a short kiss. Nor a long one either. The length carried enough time for him to completely disarm and disorient Narelle. With obvious reluctance, she eased away. It only worked because Hunter allowed it. Her lids fluttered open to witness the wetness of his bottom lip, which he licked as if savoring her taste.

  She touched a finger to her own tender mouth. Breasts full and heavy, she stared, trying to figure out how this changed things because Narelle knew it had. Something very important shifted between them with the kiss.

  Hunter released her, moving back slightly. “Get rid of the animal, Narelle.”

  “I can’t.” What didn’t he understand? She waved an arm behind her. “Look at him. He’s obviously starved and hasn’t eaten in a while. His coat is matted in places and I’m not sure how long he’s been loose on the streets.”

  The dog didn’t make a sound, head tilted to the side as if he knew they discussed his fate. No whine or begging eyes as she assumed most dogs did. Acceptance stared back and for some reason the look hit Narelle hard.

  She faced Hunter again. “Please.”

  His sigh drew her gaze to his full lips. Lips she’d kissed a moment ago. Pain flashed across his face before his expression blanked. “You’re asking for a lot.”

  “You were a soldier at one point. Maybe you could contact someone to find out how he ended up here.” Narelle remembered mention of Hunter’s past in the military. Rumors claimed he’d been a Jutak warrior, but he never confirmed or denied. He did acknowledge being in the Vargos war though.

  “I don’t have to contact anyone to get that information. I can use his output jack if he’ll let me and get at least information about his partner.”

  Relief rolled over her, and Narelle grinned. “Good.”

  She ran a hand over the dog’s head. Or maybe she should refer to it by its proper name of war mongrel. A bony shoulder pushed harder at her side.

  “If it works,” Hunter warned, lips pursed and glare in full force. “He might not let me.”

  And part of Hunter hoped the war mongrel wouldn’t. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to connect back with a past best left behind him. But Narelle’s grey eyes softened to a cloudy blue, pulling at something in his chest he couldn’t resist.

  “At least we can try.”

  He wanted to ignore her plea. It was best for all of them to ignore it. Yet Hunter knew he wouldn’t. Right now with her gaze shining with hope, Hunter found Narelle hard to resist. It was always that way when she was around. The woman could ask for anything from him with that look in her eyes and Hunter would work to get it for her.

  “Alright.”

  Three

  “Alright.”

  Narelle hoped she hid her relief when Hunter gave in.

  “Get him out of the booth. I’ll need space to work.”

  She shifted about the table and the war mongrel moved, leaping to the floor before she c
ould call him. “He’s pretty smart.”

  Hunter snorted, going down to one knee beside the animal. “They usually were. Only the best for the government.”

  Unable to take her eyes off of Hunter, Narelle rested her butt on the edge of the table. From this angle, she stood above him. Waves of black hair taunted and she wanted to grip the strands, test if they were as soft as they looked. Black synth fabric spread over broad shoulders. The sleeves rolled to his elbows revealed a fine dusting of black hair on his forearms.

  Throat tight as desire began a slow curl in her belly, she asked, “How does the jack thing work?”

  Hunter tipped his head up and grinned. Narelle’s insides clenched. His face might be scarred and weather beaten from a life built on hardship, but his grin was worth every credit she had in her offshore account and then some. The uptick at the corner of his mouth, the fuller bottom lip and his even teeth melted a portion of the wall she tried to keep up around him.

  Jealousy flared. Despite not giving in to his flirting, she wondered how many women took him up on the offer to spend time in the bed of the apartment he lived in above the bar. Hunter was too potent for his own good and every female who crossed the door of The Zone agreed with her. The attraction wasn’t in his looks. No, it was in the aura he emanated with seeming easy.

  “Jack output.” He held up his right wrist to reveal smooth, tanned skin she wanted to lick. “You are aware I had to undergo surgical enhancements when I transferred?”

  “You were in the Vargos war. All of the frontline soldiers received adjustments.” Adjustments was the nicest term Narelle could think of for what a lot of those men and women went through. An average humanoid wouldn’t have survived in the war going against the aliens intent on taking over this sector, so the government added cyber enhancements. Legs, arms and other body parts deemed in need of strengthening.

  “I was a Jutak warrior first.”

  Elite soldiers based on the planet Enotia. They worked for their government and fought injustice wherever needed.

  “What does that have to do with this?” Narelle was honestly curious. This was the most personal information he’d shared. Granted, most of the blame lay at her feet since she ran when Hunter pushed.

  His stare hardened. “Not all Jutaks are Enotian. Some of us joined because of being half-breeds or not being accepted on our own worlds. My reason was a little different.”

  Not knowing what to say, Narelle remained quiet. Hunter looked away as he continued to speak. “Have you ever heard of Lomus?”

  “Yes. The planet was the first to be destroyed by the Vargos. Scientist believe it will never be habitable again and all of the Lomanis died in their fight to stop the Vargos. They failed.”

  “Not all of them died.” His low muttered whisper left her stunned.

  “Hunter?” Narelle shoved her hips off the table and approached, but the dark look in his eyes when he glanced up stopped her.

  “Very few of us lived. We escaped to other planets and hid who we were. No one wanted to hear about the Vargos back then.”

  No, they hadn’t. The Lomanis had appealed for help within months of the Vargos attacking their home world, but it was viewed as a difference between two races and not requiring official involvement from the government. Only the Vargos hadn’t been satisfied with annihilating their adopted planet and the native Lomanis who gave them sanctuary.

  They waited years, building their tech and their armies then launched an all out war against every planet in the vicinity. Once the government got involved, the battles escalated and it took ten years to defeat them and end the war.

  “How old were you when you left Lomus, Hunter?”

  “Young. My mother and father wasted no time in getting us to a shuttle and leaving when they saw what was inevitable. I became a Jutak warrior as soon as I was old enough, because I knew they wouldn’t question my origins or reveal the secret to anyone.”

  The Jutaks lived by their own brand of justice working within the lines of the law. Barely.

  Hunter returned his attention to the dog and his wrist. “I only told you, so you don’t panic when you watch what I’m about to do.”

  Narelle had no time to digest the warning before Hunter rubbed at his wrist with his thumb and his skin parted to reveal a small square compartment which snapped open. Her eyes widened at the intricate array of wires and blipping lights inside. She’d never actually seen the evidence of the modifications on those soldiers.

  Hunter’s actions drew the attention of the war mongrel who perked up and pawed at Hunter’s thigh.

  “Haltzo. Sitzen.” The sharp commands flew from Hunter’s mouth.

  Narelle didn’t understand the foreign words, but the war mongrel sat at attention, haunches quivering. His gaze never left Hunter’s face.

  “Lomanis apparently have a natural affinity for machine and tech. I discovered this after the fact.” Hunter kept his voice low but didn’t turn in her direction. Narelle focused knowing this was important.

  “Ofen.”

  The dog’s left ear folded back to reveal a panel which Hunter opened further. Narelle pressed a hand to her stomach. A section along the side of the animal’s head slid away filled with electronics and a small probe extended.

  “Um…Hunter. What are you doing?” Though she had a vague idea.

  For the first time since agreeing, she sensed a hesitation in his actions. “I’m going to see if I can get an idea of his partner although I’m fairly sure the soldier is dead.”

  Worry set in and she jerked upright from her slumped pose. Despite wanting to help the stray, concern rose. She didn’t want to do anything at the expense of Hunter. “Maybe you shouldn’t do this.”

  The war mongrel’s upper lip peeled back on a snarl, sharp teeth flashing as it lunged.

  “Haltzo!” Another snapped order from Hunter to the war mongrel. “Sit down, Narelle and no sudden moves.”

  Exhaling sharply, she resumed her half-sit, half-lean on the table behind her. Her heart thumped on pace with her increased breathing. “Be careful, Hunter.”

  “Always, baby.”

  She rolled her eyes at the cocky tone, crossed her legs at the ankle and waited. Hunter connected the probe to a port in his wrist and flinched. Observing in silence as requested, Narelle gripped the edge of the table behind her.

  When Hunter tipped his head to the side, the whites of his eyes darkened until the entire orbs turned black. Narelle sucked in a gasp. She didn’t know much about Lomanis. Was this normal? The war mongrel whined and a red flush stained Hunter’s cheeks. Should she interfere?

  But no, he’d been explicit in his instructions, and she didn’t want to do anything to interrupt what was happening.

  Information downloaded at a rapid pace into the section of Hunter’s brain designed for this process. He gritted his teeth against the accompanying twinges of pain from linking with a war mongrel he wasn’t supposed to connect with. The familiar rush brought its own brand of hurt.

  Images and memories occurred in flashes but enough for Hunter to piece together the details. The surface file ended abruptly. Releasing an unsteady breath, Hunter detached, closed the flap on his wrist and locked the war mongrel’s jack output. Once everything was secure, he braced one hand on the floor and closed his eyes. The burn assured his eyes had changed during the process. What did Narelle think? Would she be freaked? Appalled at how other he really was?

  No time to think of her reaction. He’d been correct in his initial assumption. “The soldier or his handler died on a mission. Not sure how Bogan survived and why it didn’t return to the nearest base or command site as it’s trained to do.”

  “Bogan,” Narelle murmured and the dog’s ears flickered, looking toward her for the first time since gaining Hunter’s attention.

  “Also known as K9-15.” Hunter rose to his feet, battling an overwhelming wave of grief that came with the brief moment of connection. A connection he hadn’t felt in years. For good reason.
A man only survived the sort of pain he’d gone through one time in his life if he was lucky. More than that and a person was left devastated to the point of no return.

  For Hunter, it had almost come to that. “The war mongrel needs to eat. I’ll see what I can pull together in the kitchen. Again, no guarantee it will accept the food.”

  Truth be told he wasn’t sure how K9-15 survived. The lack of a handler and government assistance should have consigned the war mongrel to death. Of course, it looked like the animal was close enough to that state already.

  “It’s a he not an it.” Narelle’s interjection pulled Hunter’s gaze back to her.

  This was the soft side he’d sensed beneath her tough exterior. She needed to understand. “War mongrels were created to be weapons. Disposable. You had to treat it as such. Attachments were strictly forbidden.”

  For all the good it did. One thing the government failed to take into consideration was the bond which grew between man and animal. Intense training, cyber-connections and depending on one another in life and death situations tended to create a level of trust and intimacy which could never be avoided. Bonds formed on less.

  Narelle’s eyes softened as she stared at Bogan, who stood next to his thigh. “Too late for the warning. I think this guy is attached.”

  Hunter hoped she was wrong. Very wrong. He’d already been down that road and had the scars to prove it.

  Four

  “We need to return him.”

  Narelle didn’t want to address Hunter’s comment and changed the subject. “Did you find out what you needed?”

  Hunter tossed her a knowing smirk. “K9-15 was the last in his batch created as a war mongrel. Excelled at his training. Almost didn’t make the WIRED program though. War mongrels who didn’t pass the program were put down as failures.”

  “Why?” Narelle couldn’t imagine putting down this beautiful animal.

  “They couldn’t find a handler to sync with him.”

  Narelle’s brows lowered. “That doesn’t make sense. That’s the purpose of the project.”