“What?” Blackie wanted to shake Danica and make her just tell him. She was dragging out giving him the information he wanted then she stopped talking.
Danica dropped her hand. “She bonded to you. Like obsessively. You became her total alpha and someone she’d do anything for.”
Varion gasped. “Why him? He’s an asshole, not an alpha.”
Blackie wanted to punch the son of a bitch but that would mean releasing Eve, something he wasn’t willing to do.
Danica shrugged. “I don’t know. She could feel his pain when he hurt. It was stupid to rescue him because he’d be missed. We told her to sever the link so she wouldn’t touch his mind and that it was too dangerous to go after him. It didn’t matter to her. We felt a kinship to cyborgs and helped them because all of us were created to be used by Earth Government. We were smart about it though and protected ourselves in the process. Cameron screwed up when he designed us to be so loyal.”
Danica bit her lip and then sighed, staring at Blackie. “She was willing to die for you. She thinks of you as a mate. At least, that’s what I believe. She lost you and could never muster any interest in other men. You were it for her. The one.”
“A mate?” Blackie reeled from the implications.
“For life, I’m guessing.” Danica glared at him. “It’s the flaw in our design. Eve found it when she bonded to you. It scared the shit out of me and I’ve never allowed any man to get too close for that reason. You ruined her life. I hoped she’d get over it but she never did. All these years, decades, she snubbed all men. They weren’t you.” The other woman raked him with her gaze. “Now she’s interested. You hurt her and I’ll gut you, cyborg.”
The threat didn’t bother him. He was still trying to make sense of the term “mate”. Some animals did that for life when they chose one partner to breed with and stayed with each other until death. He stared at Eve as she locked gazes with him.
Emotions were easy to read in her eyes. Fear. Concern. Hope. Then her gaze dropped to his chest and her hold loosened. She seemed to crumple in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Chapter Four
Eve learned a new kind of pain. It was clear that her cyborg was stunned but beyond that, his emotions were hard to read. She was pretty sure he had to be horrified. Danica had just told him her secret, something she had hoped she could explain to him over time. Any chance she had of making him fall in love with her before she confessed to the bond she felt toward him had been blown to hell.
She feared he’d reject her. Cyborgs had been designed differently than canine units. Their feelings weren’t always boiling close to the surface. They kept them highly guarded, partly because they had chips implanted inside their brains that allowed them to suppress their emotions and partly because they were so tough. It went beyond their physical superiority.
She’d had her heart broken once when she’d watched those shuttles fly out of sight and had known he’d left without her. It had been tough to survive when all she’d wanted to do was die. Her sisters had forced her to go on until Cameron had deemed the canine unit project a failure and made the decision to execute the entire line. He wasn’t willing to allow Eve to die with them though, intent on punishing her for betraying him. Her suffering became his sick form of revenge after it came to light that they’d helped the cyborgs gain freedom.
She glanced at Danica, the only sister she’d been able to save. Humiliation still burned when she remembered dropping to her knees at Cameron’s side to clutch his thigh. She’d begged him not to kill her sisters, sworn to do anything to prevent their deaths. She’d even told him she’d die if she were left alone, the truth because they were all that kept her going. He’d looked at her with hatred and had said she could save only one. The bastard had smiled, thrilled that she’d given him a way to hurt her more.
The murders of her sisters had destroyed her but she’d always been the closest to Danica. They had trained together, shared a room, and bonded the tightest. She’d chosen one name out of hundreds. She’d never regretted it but the guilt of every other death rested squarely on her shoulders.
Now Danica had betrayed her by telling Handsome—no, Blackie was his name now—the truth. It burned a painful hole in her heart. She’d confessed everything to her sister over the years, including knowing how, if she’d been given the chance, she would have shown him how happy she could make him before telling him of the bond she formed. Danica had listened many times as Eve expressed her fear of his instant rejection.
The big hands gripping her hips slid around to her spine and she held back a whimper, guessing he would set her down, put distance between them. Cyborgs were solitary beings. The idea of a woman attached so intensely would naturally be distasteful. She didn’t cling to him despite wanting to.
He lifted her higher instead of shoving her away and her head snapped up to stare at his face. He wasn’t looking at her but instead glowered at another cyborg—the medic.
“We’ll be in my quarters.” He shot a marginally friendlier look at the cyborg with his arm around Danica. “Gene, find somewhere else to bunk. I’ll pack your belongings and put them outside the door.”
Her heartbeat stuttered when he stared into her eyes. She didn’t want to hope but it was hard not to do.
“Hold on to me, Eve. We’re going to our quarters. You can walk on your own or I can carry you. Your choice.”
The tingling sensation at the end of her spine was embarrassing. If she’d had a tail, it would have wagged.
“Where am I supposed to sleep?” Gene sounded outraged.
Blackie broke eye contact to glance at him. “We have space in the cargo hold. I’ll disassemble your upper bunk and leave it in the hallway. I won’t be needing two.”
Her arms wrapped firmly around him as she buried his face against his neck. He hugged her tighter and walked away. She inhaled his scent and excitement made her aware of how every step he took rubbed their bodies together. He’s not rejecting me!
“You hurt her and you’re dead, cyborg.”
She snarled at Danica’s threat. It came out muffled against Blackie’s skin. He didn’t wince, seeming to know he wasn’t the one who stirred her anger.
“Ignore them,” he rasped close to her ear. “We’re almost there.”
He let go with one arm to open the door to his quarters. It made a slight sound and he paused inside until it closed. She wanted to look at him but fear kept her still in his arms. He might have wanted privacy to reject her without witnesses. She had once saved his life and he could feel a sense of honor and wish to spare her that humiliation.
Big, strong hands slid to cup the curve of each ass cheek. He grasped her firmly enough to dig into her flesh. It didn’t hurt but he had her full attention. Her body responded instantly to having his fingers so close to her sex.
“Eve?”
It was time to face him. Don’t reject me. Please. She didn’t say it but she wanted to. It took courage to lift her head and peer into his handsome features, which completely masked all emotion. His gaze seemed a little distant.
“Is that true?”
“What?” She knew though. He wanted her to admit to feeling a strong bond to him.
Muscles tightened along his jawline in irritation. “Do you think of me as your…” He paused and cleared his throat before finishing. “Mate?”
“The human side of me knows that’s not reasonable.” That was a safe answer.
“What about the canine side?”
“It’s a flaw in my design.”
Anger sparked in his eyes. “Is that how you see it? Do you resent being so drawn to me because genetic coding made it possible?”
“No.” She wouldn’t lie. “It scared me at first. I knew what was happening when I met you, could guess, but you’re a cyborg. Emotional bonds aren’t part of your makeup.”
“I just want the truth. Do you see me as your mate?”
“Yes,” she rushed on. “But I
won’t stalk you or anything. I get it that you probably are put off by it. I’ve survived all these decades without you. I will handle it well.” What a liar. “It’s okay if you don’t want me. You probably already have someone in your life.” Ouch. God, that’s going to hurt if he tells me he hooked up with another cyborg.
“I am not contracted to a family unit. My career is paramount and few understood that. No one has interested me enough to join in a long-term contract with them.”
It sounded so cold. “You have family units that are based on contracts?”
“Yes.”
They were night-and-day different. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry. Whenever she’d daydreamed about the kind of life they would have shared, it had involved lots of touching and laughter. She’d imagined him more friendly and loving in nature. It was tough to face reality. It hurt.
Blackie studied her gaze. “What do you require?”
“Require?”
“What details are involved with being a mate?”
She decided to look on the bright side. He wasn’t seriously involved with anyone. That was one huge hurdle down and he wanted to know what she wanted from him in a relationship. His curiosity indicated that he held interest in her needs.
What would make me happy? She debated the answer while those intense eyes of his regarded her. “I just want…” You to love me. “Someone who cares about me and who I matter to. I need lots of physical contact.” Hugs and you putting your hands on me all the time. The prospect of him claiming her body heightened her senses and reminded her that she was wrapped around him.
“I could give you that.”
His husky voice did things to her. Her nipples hardened and her belly muscles tightened. She was pretty sure her shorts were getting wet from her long-dormant libido coming to life. She desperately wanted him.
“I’m going to put you down and get cleaned up.”
He still had blood smeared on his face but she didn’t care. He could be caked in mud and she’d still want to rub all over him. He gently lowered her until she sat on the edge of a bunk. The upper one annoyed her since it blocked her total view of him when he straightened. A quick study of his torso reminded her of the damage she’d caused to his side when she saw the small bandage. The memory of attacking him made her wince. The one on his upper chest was her fault as well.
He seemed to read her mind when one arm slid under the top bunk and he hoisted it away from the wall and popping noises filled the room as he disconnected it. He left his quarters but returned minus the bed. She watched him open drawers, pack men’s clothing and belongings into bags then take them into the hallway too. He sealed the door after he had removed all of his roommate’s belongings.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
He spun away and stepped inside the cleansing unit. She gripped her thighs and looked down, remembering that she’d torn off her coveralls, back on the freighter. Her skin was really pale from years of space travel. Visits to sunny planets were few and far between. It was a stark contrast to the darker hue of his beautiful gray skin.
Did he find her appealing? She studied her breasts. They weren’t overly large but she had some. Cameron had been a bit of a pervert and had wanted something good to look at when he’d created the canine units. She’d known some of her line had allowed him to touch their bodies. She never had. Gratitude for their existence had only gone so far and she had gotten to know him too well. He’d been an asshole with dreams of a harem at his beck and call.
Apparently the cleansing unit wasn’t fully operational. It seemed Blackie was only going to remove the blood but it gave her time to worry about her lack of sexual skills. He was a C-46 and she wondered what her cyborg’s sexual knowledge entailed. A lot of years had passed since she’d seen him. He probably had gained plenty of experience in that time.
She had no idea if he’d been newly created before she’d rescued him or if he’d committed some infraction and been transferred there for termination. He hadn’t been aware of many of his natural abilities and functions but the abuse he’d suffered had left him dazed, which could account for his sluggish reactions that night. The sudden silence drew her attention to Blackie as he stepped out of the unit wearing just pants. His dark gaze locked with hers before he slowly sank to his knees in front of where she sat. He inched closer.
“I never thought I’d see you again. I believed you were human.”
“I should have told you what I was but there wasn’t much time on that roof before the alarms went off.”
“I tried to access the lift. I wanted to go after you.”
“You couldn’t have and they had fail-safe programs in place to prevent your escape. Your linking abilities wouldn’t have broken the codes. I was Eve so I had access to the entire facility. It was my job to keep track of all in my line.” She swallowed. “I mean, I was the first and assigned to care for all of the canine units. It gave me greater access than any of the others. I was able to hack into more of the systems but not all. Roof access was deemed low priority since we couldn’t survive a fall from that height. We were never trained to fly shuttles or given access to that information.”
He gripped the edges of the bunk next to her thighs and leaned in close. “You never met up with me.”
“I tried. I was ten minutes early to the designated pick-up spot but the shuttles were already leaving orbit.” She hated that tears flooded her eyes, hoping he didn’t detest seeing her weakness. He’d probably view emotions as a negative aspect of her personality. “I planned to meet you earlier but received last-minute orders. We were asked to draw the guards away from the detention centers. The cyborgs needed that advantage.”
“You were at the detention centers? You’d left the place you helped me escape from?”
“The termination center was located about a half mile from the holding cells. We staged a rebellion of our own by locking down the building to keep them occupied. They were trying to break in while we slipped out through emergency escape tunnels. Not all of us made it.” She remembered the deaths of some of her unit who had remained to draw fire and hold the advancing guards at bay while they fled underground. “Two hundred twenty-seven of us made it to the pick-up locations.”
“How many were there before that?”
“Three hundred. Fifty-six of them died, while seventeen were severely injured getting us there. They sacrificed themselves for the rest of the unit.”
Rage darkened his features. “You were early but we had already gone?”
“Yes.” The memory of coming out of the tunnels and the shock of finding the shuttles gone flashed through her mind. She’d watched them fade into the sky as they left Earth. “No shuttles remained.”
“They abandoned you. I didn’t know.”
Tears seeped down her cheeks. “Maybe it was some kind of mix-up.”
“They left you to die,” he raged.
Over the years she’d considered the possibility of betrayal but she’d never wanted to believe it. “My links to the building computers were cut after we staged the rebellion. Something could have happened to move the takeoff timetable up or they might have been under heavy enough fire and had to lift off before we reached them.”
“It went according to plan.” Blackie fisted the mattress. “I have access to our records and it’s legendary how smoothly our escape from Earth went.” He took a few slow, deep breaths. “No mention was made anywhere of canine units. We were told some sympathetic humans helped us, one in particular who was a computer hacker. The council lied to us.”
He appeared deeply angry by the realization. She just felt the heart-wrenching sadness of betrayal.
“I wouldn’t have left you behind if I’d known. I would have personally commandeered a shuttle and waited.”
She believed him. “One shuttle wouldn’t have been able to accommodate all of my littermates.”
“I would have made a few trips then or talked more cyborgs into piloting other sh
uttles that would have carried all of them into space.” He released the bed to gently smooth his palms over the top of her thighs. The sincerity in his gaze made her believe him. “I wouldn’t have left without you.”
“Maybe they had to leave us behind due to lack of room on the space vessels they planned to steal once they left orbit.” She was very aware of the heat of his touch. “It was impossible to plan exactly how many ships or even which ones would be in orbit when we made a break for it.”
“We had plenty of room.”
“Then why?”
“I don’t know but I plan to find out.” He inched closer until their faces nearly touched. “They will pay. I promise you that. You’re owed a debt.”
A sinking suspicion arose and it twisted her gut. “Is that why you are considering agreeing to be my mate? You feel you are indebted to me?”
His mouth curved downward in displeasure. “No. I want you and I always have. You’re the most attractive woman I’ve ever met.”
Her heart rate speeded up, his every word affecting her in ways no other man had made her feel.
“I could never forget you.” He suddenly raised a hand and his finger hooked a lock of her hair. “I liked your short hair but I prefer it this way.” He glanced at her lap before returning his gaze to hers. “Is there anything I should know? You appear totally human.”
“Physically, anatomically, I am for the most part.”
“Good.” He backed off. “Get undressed. I’ve waited a long time to have you.”
She forgot how to breathe for a few heartbeats. He wanted her naked. Just like that. No foreplay, no words of love, just a raspy demand to strip bare.
She panicked a little. “I’ve never done this before.”
His voice came out rushed, impatient. “I’m basically the same as a human too.”
Heat flared in her cheeks. It was obvious he believed she meant having sex with a cyborg. “I’ve never had sex at all.”
Haunting Blackie Page 7