by Luna Hunter
His other hand slides down the front of my uniform, roughly groping at me.
“Or does this upset you, hm, Octavius?” the man says, his voice filled with venom. “I see it in your eyes. You care for this canis, don’t you? Think you found your fatum? True, her hips were born to bear children, but you shouldn’t care for these canis. That’s the difference between House Bruttius and House Octavius. You are soft. Weak. Easy to hurt, to manipulate. That’s why your House dies with you. That’s why mine will prosper.”
All I can see is Nero’s eyes, and there’s a world of hurt in them. It fills me with fear to see such a powerful man look so vulnerable.
Whoever is behind me, whoever is choking me out, whoever is running their hand down my uniform… they must be real bad news.
Nero
“Let her go,” I say again, my voice filled with rage.
I’m staring at the face of Magnus Bruttius. I’ve known Magnus my whole life — we’re both princes of Elban Houses, so we moved in the same circles. Already as a young boy he was ambitious, driven, a tad bit arrogant.
Yet I barely recognize the monster now standing in front of me. His eyes are so dark they’re nearly black, and there’s a constant, maniacal grin plastered on his face.
When I first met that little boy, I never could have imagined that same child would one day kill my father.
And now he’s pressing the blade of his sword against Victoria’s neck, using her life as a bargaining chip.
I won’t let her die for me. Too many people have died for me already. The list is too long.
She’s pure.
Innocent.
Her life isn’t filled with war, with battle, with conquest like us Elbans. She could have a family, a man, children. By arriving here, I have made her life worse.
I make everyone’s life worse, somehow.
The room is silent. The only thing I hear is Victoria’s rapid heartbeat, a rhythmic thump thump thump, and the sound of blood dripping down my sword.
Drip.
“Let her go.”
“Drop your sword,” Magnus says. “Your life for hers. Or will you run again? I didn’t expect you to open a portal to another galaxy, I’ll give you that, but it’s no use. I’ll hunt you down. No matter who you sacrifice… or will you leave her to die, just like poor old Gaius?”
“His blood is on your hands,” I say. “Don’t you put that on me.”
“It’s you I want, Nero,” he says. “It’s always been you.”
“Why?” I ask. “Why?! Why, for fuck’s sake, why?!”
Magnus seems genuinely surprised for a moment, his eyebrows raised. For a second he seems almost Elban, instead of this monster that he’s become. There is a brief glimpse of the young boy I once knew, that I for a brief time could call a friend.
The next moment the boy is gone again and the monster resurfaces.
Magnum throws his head back and laughs.
“You don’t know? That old coot never told you? Oh, he’s more foolish than I thought possible. I can’t believe I’m the one to tell you, after all this time…”
“Spill it,” I say, gritting through my teeth.
“We’re brothers, Nero,” Magnus says.
“What?”
That can’t be true.
“Half-brothers, actually.”
“You’re lying.”
“Why would I lie now? You are one of Emperor Decimus’s spawns… like me.”
“No,” I say. “No. Gaius is my father. Gaius Octavius.”
“He may have raised you as his son, but he’s not your father.”
“No, you’re lying!”
Magnus sneers. “Whatever you want to tell yourself, Nero. I don’t care. Now drop that sword of yours.”
I shake my head. This still doesn’t make any sense.
“Even if what you say is true… why all this? What are you trying to accomplish?”
“Do you expect me to explain everything to you?” he snarls. “You can ask your ‘father’ in the afterlife. Drop that fucking sword or I’ll make this canis squeal.”
My sword slips from my grasp and clatters on the floor.
Victoria
No, you idiot. Don’t drop that sword. Run it through this guy’s neck, like you did all the others.
Use that speed of yours. That stunning agility. Make those muscles work. I bet you could do it before Magnus even lifts a finger. You’re that quick.
If I could find my voice I’d tell Nero exactly that, but a forearm is wrapped around my neck so tightly I can barely breathe, let alone talk.
I hear snippets of their conversation. I gather that this man, this brute, this monster has killed Nero’s father. And if he doesn’t surrender, I am next.
And there’s some strange emperor involved.
How did I end up a pawn in an intergalactic war? My own father barely acknowledges my existence, yet these two supermen are fighting over me.
Nero’s sword falls to the ground, tumbling in slow-motion.
Clang.
You idiot. Don’t die for me. I’m just a nobody. I don’t want to live with the guilt of seeing a man die for me.
“Good choice,” Magnus Bruttius snarls.
He lowers me down to the floor, and I can finally breathe. As air returns to my lungs, so does anger fill me to my very core.
Who the hell does this guy think he is?
He comes into my ship and threatens me? Calling me worthless? I’ll make him squeal!
I elbow him right between his legs.
As hard as I can. Because he’s so much taller than me, I can land the perfect blow.
Magnus doubles over in pain, gasping for air, dropping his own sword out of sheer surprise. Nero rushes forwards, jumps right over me, and tackles his half-brother.
His fists are a flurry as he lands punch after punch, raining blows down on Magnus. I pull Magnus’s sword out of his grasp, standing with my back against the wall, my hands covering my mouth.
Suddenly, Magnus finds his strength and pushes Nero off. He leaps to his feet, his entire face a bloody mess.
Nero backs off, grabbing his own sword from the floor.
Magnus looks around, from me to Nero, his bloodshot eyes filled with hatred.
“Give up,” Nero says. “You are unarmed.”
Magnus spits on the floor.
“This is not the last you’ll see of me,” he threatens. “I’ll do the others first, but you can be damn sure I’ll be back for you.”
Magnus then turns his blood-red eyes to me.
“And you’ll going to regret that, canis.”
The bloodied man jumps through one of the holes in the wall, and a moment later the entire ship rumbles. He’s taken off.
The moment Magnus Bruttius ship kicks off the vacuum is broken, leaving a giant hole in the wall which now leads to outer space.
Oh fuck.
An incredible sound starts instantly, like we’re in the eye of a hurricane. Nero and I are both holding onto the wall as best as we can as we’re lifted into the air.
The bodies that litter the floor are sucked out the hole, into the dark sky, while our feet dangle in the air, dangerously close to joining their fate.
My grasp slips.
No! Nero says. I can’t hear him, but I can see his mouth move, the concerned look in his eyes. He swings for me and grabs my hand, our fingers entwined, yet I’m slipping…
Dang-dang-dang!
The ship’s automated defenses finally kick in. A sheet of metal rolls down the wall with the speed and sound of a freight train, sealing the hole.
I crumple on the floor in Nero’s arms, utterly exhausted and there’s nothing left for me to do than to cry. I barely died back there — twice. I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into, but I have the sneaking suspicion that this is merely the beginning…
Chapter Four
Nero
“You fool,” I whisper into the nape of Victoria’s neck. “You could have died back
there.”
“But I didn’t,” she says.
I slowly unzip the back of her uniform and slide my hand in, feeling her warm, naked skin under my fingers. My hands are moving on their own accord. They have a mind of their own. I just need to feel her naked skin right now.
I’m enjoying the sensation, the adrenaline of the battle still coursing through my veins. It’s slowly ebbing away, replaced by a new, unfamiliar sensation.
Victoria risked her life for me. She risked everything. I’ve never met a female with such strength, and with such courage.
I barely know a thing about her, about her kind, her past, her history, but it doesn’t feel that way at all. My body yearns for her, my skin begging for her touch.
After all the death and destruction, there is nothing I want more right now than to create life.
“Nero,” she whispers, the words a soft sigh as I cradle the back of her neck in my hands. Our foreheads are pressed against each other, her thick, kissable lips only an inch away. “We can’t…”
“Yes, we can,” I answer. “We will.”
Thud-thud-thud.
Footsteps echo down the hall, dozens of them. Voices growl commands. Seconds later, countless soldiers pour into the room like a dam has just broke — no rest for the wicked, I suppose. I jump up to my feet, raising my sword up high.
However, these soldiers aren’t Elban.
They are too small for that. And their armor is unfamiliar to me, as are the weapons they’re wielding. No swords, but handheld cannons.
“Lower your weapon!” one man screams at me. “Lower your weapon now!”
“Wait!” Victoria says, jumping to her feet in front of me. She spreads her arms wide, shielding my body with her own.
“He’s not the enemy!” she says.
The soldier gestures at the blood-coated walls.
“What about all this?! What about the bodies that just flew out this damn ship?!”
“That’s from the others, they were attacking him — and me! Nero saved my life!”
“Where’s he from?” the soldier barks, his weapon still pointed right at me. “Is he Korean? Russian? Don’t tell me he’s Iranian.”
The soldier’s eyes scan up my frame, the disbelief in his eyes growing with every second he looks at me.
“Doesn’t look like no fucking Iranian to me,” another soldier remarks. “Have you ever seen a fucker that tall before?”
Victoria shakes her head. “I don’t think it’s that simple.”
“What do you mean?” the soldier asks. “He’s from somewhere. Next thing you’re going to tell me he’s some Italian super soldier or something. No one’s supposed to have this kind of technology except for us — your man better start talking, and fast!”
“Like I said,” Victoria sighs, “I don’t think it’s that simple. Now, if everyone would just lower their weapons we can talk this all out…”
“Him first.”
Victoria turns back to me, her eyes pleading with me.
“Nero, please.”
“Are they are on your side?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah. You can trust them.”
I lower my sword, sliding it back into its sheath. Immediately, the soldiers rush at me, their guns still raised. I could take them on, turn this into another bloodbath — but Victoria’s eyes stop me.
I can see she’s seen enough violence for one day.
Hell, for one lifetime.
That’s a problem if I want to make her my fatum.
Violence follows me wherever I go.
Victoria
“What are you doing?!” I scream. “Don’t hurt him!”
The heavily armed soldiers circle Nero, their guns pointed at him, and one of them kicks his heel from behind, forcing him down to one knee.
They promised. They promised they would lower their weapons, but instead, they’re taking advantage of the trust Nero has placed in me and swarming the poor guy.
These soldiers have no idea who they’re messing with.
Nero Octavius is not just tall. He’s not just strong. He can move like the wind, with the ferocity and strength of a bear, and the agility of a leopard.
Nero Octavius is not human.
There’s no other explanation. I can barely wrap my mind around it, but there’s no other explanation. We’ve always known space is helluva big, and that there was a chance that we might not be alone in the universe, but…
I never expected to be the one to make first contact.
And I definitely never imagined an alien to be so sexy.
There’s no other way to describe Nero. From his impeccable jawline and his nonchalantly tousled hair to his broad, muscled shoulders, the sword-wielding warrior just oozes sex-appeal.
Of course, he’s not my type.
Of course not.
I don’t date soldiers. I got a glimpse of the army-life from my father, and I’d rather die than date anyone like him. I don’t have time for someone in my life who prefers war, violence or drinking with his buddies to spending time with his family.
If I ever find someone, I want someone who loves me more than his job. If I ever find someone…
Easy for me to say. I work for NASA. All I do is work.
Still, it’s good those soldiers showed up when they did. If they were a minute later, I might have done something I’d now regret.
Like kiss that beautiful, alien man.
Let his lips touch mine, let his tongue slip into my mouth, let his hand wander further down my back.
I’m glad I avoided that mistake.
At least, that’s what I’m telling myself…
It’s not my fault. It was the exhilaration, the adrenaline, the fear that clouded my mind. Yeah, that had to be it.
The soldiers force Nero’s hands behind his back and slip handcuffs around his wrists. For a second, I fear he’s going to lash out, strike at them, turn this bloody room into even more of a mess — but our eyes meet, and there’s a spark, a connection, as if he’s talking to me from across the room.
You don’t want me to kill these men? I won’t.
They drag him away, although it takes six guys just to lift him off the floor. We share one last lingering look, and then Nero turns the corners, and he’s out of my life.
Good.
I have a puppy to come home to. He probably misses me like hell. I can already hear his barking, smell that lovely puppy-scent. The last thing I need right now is an alien warrior in my life.
Nero
My footsteps echo down the long, winding hall. Everything is made out of metal — the ceiling, the walls, everything. These creatures, whatever they are, have no respect for the old ways. No appreciation of the past.
I can already see they have a lot to learn.
They lead me away because I allow it. With one flick of my wrist I could shatter the handcuffs, with one kick of my leg I could bash their helmets in, but I restrain myself.
First, I need to gather intelligence. Where am I? What are these beings?
We pass by a window, and I stop. The soldier behinds me runs straight into me and tumbles over backwards.
Outside, I see a blue-green orb racing up to meet us. A station hangs still in the sky, orbiting the planet.
This must be their homeworld.
“That’s where you’re going, pal,” one of the soldiers sneers. “We call it Alcatraz, because no one can bust out of there!”
We’ll see, little man.
We’ll see.
Victoria
“My god, what happened down there?” Geoff asks, his eyes open wide when he sees my ripped suit with splashes of blood on it.
“Don’t worry,” I tell my co-pilot as I sink into my chair. Earth is rising up to greet us, and I can’t wait to touch the flat ground once more. After this adventure, I think I’m taking a long break from piloting. “It’s not mine.”
“That’s not as comforting as you think it sounds.”
I chuckle. I’
m glad to find that after all this, my sense of humor still seems to be intact.
“What was that thing?! Command won’t tell me shit, they say it’s top-secret, national security, need-to-know-basis bullshit.”
“That thing was a man,” I say. “He was inside that pod.”
“A man? Get out of here.”
“And he wasn’t just any man.”
“What do you mean?”
How do you begin to describe a demigod? How can you explain something that can’t be explained? I don’t know what adjective to pick. Strong. Courageous. Heroic. Deadly. Intimidating.
Panty-melter.
“It’s hard to explain,” is my answer.
“What the fuck, Victoria?” Geoff curses. “First we nearly collide with that pod, next thing these weird-ass, needle-noses ships appear of thin air, and the damn things clamp down on us like flies on honey, and then a huge hole is blasted in our side and I see freaking bodies flying through the air, and all you can say is it’s hard to explain?”
“What do you want me to say, Geoff? That we were just attacked by aliens? Because we were just attacked by aliens. Happy now?”
“Bullshit.”
“Trust me, these guys… they ain’t human.”
“Aliens don’t exist.”
“You didn’t see them.”
“What, did they have blue skin? Horns or something?”
“No, nothing like that, they were human, but… not. Bigger. Better.”
“Better?”
“Yeah, Geoff, better. Or you think that’s impossible? Do you think you’re the pinnacle of human evolution?”
“Not to toot my own horn, but yes. As a matter of fact I do think that.”
“Then you’re the only one,” I chortle.
He mimics being shot in the heart. “You wound me, Snow.”
“You deserved it.”
“Maybe. So, aliens, huh? Is that what you’re going with?”
“I saw what I saw, Geoff.”
He shakes his head. I understand, I’m not asking him to believe me. I don’t think anyone will. Not that it matters, anyway. This is for the military to figure out. He’s their problem now.
I have to put him out of my mind.
Only that’s so damn hard…
The military ship takes off, leaving our side, taking Nero with them. Based on their trajectory they’re heading to Alcatraz, as the space station’s been dubbed, a military prison facility that’s impossible to escape from.