Haunting Blackie

by Laurann Dohner

  Eve noticed the way her littermate trembled when they touched. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “You read minds? I’m impressed. When did you get that ability and do I get it too? ‘Cause it would be totally cool.”

  “You’re not going to lose me.”

  Danica shrugged. “I had wondered. You’re all I have. We’ve always been a team but now you have a mate. I know I just became number two on your list of importance.”

  One glance around the small cafeteria assured Eve they were still alone. Blackie had arranged for them to eat together while he attended a meeting. She wasn’t invited and knew it probably involved their new relationship. Her focus returned to her sister.

  “You know I love you.”

  “I know. I’m a bit jealous but worried about you at the same time, okay? Tell me about him.”

  “He’s wonderful and sweet. I can’t believe Handsome survived.” She paused. “Blackie. I need to keep correcting myself. Who gave him that name? Were they blind?”

  “He does have black hair.”

  “It’s not a suitable name for him. Mine was much better.”

  “Perhaps he will change it.” Danica released Eve’s hands, picked up her fork to stab at her food and took a bite of breakfast. “Of course, then you’d have to agree to being called Hellfire. That’s the name he knew you by though it was just a code word to protect your identity. Fair is fair.”

  “True. I’ll adjust. I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable or that everything about his life has changed just because I’m his mate.”

  “A cyborg mated to a canine unit.” Danica chuckled. “Who’d have thought? And you were all afraid he’d run.”

  It was a reminder of the betrayal she felt. “You had no right to tell him.”

  “I’m so sorry. You were wrapped around him as if he were a life buoy in a sea of acid. It just spilled out of my mouth before I could think about what I said. I’m really sorry. Chalk it up to being rattled around in that freighter and the shock of finding out they survived. My mind has been in a spin.” She paused. “There’s an upside. You’re always looking for those. You didn’t have to break it to him. It cut right through the bullshit fears.”

  “It did.”

  “Right.” Danica took another bite of her food. “Gene said they’ll take us back to Garden. It sounds beautiful.”

  “I haven’t really talked much to Blackie about it. What have you been told about their home world?”

  “They built a city on a lush planet similar to Earth. It is still pristine, unlike Earth. Lots of water and there are aquatic life forms that were the dominant species.”

  “What are they like? Are they intelligent?”

  “Yes, from what Gene said. They don’t get along with them though. Their few interactions weren’t friendly. The natives are aggressive. It’s why they built walls around the city.”

  A sick feeling pitted inside Eve’s stomach. “Have they enslaved them?”

  “No. Cyborgs respect their culture and try to interfere as little as possible. I was told that’s why they enclosed their city. They wanted to limit the exposure of the inhabitants to anything that would impede their natural evolution.”

  “Good.”

  “We know what it’s like to be under the control of others and so do cyborgs. Does it really surprise you that they’d leave the planet’s population alone?”

  “I was hopeful we’d have the same views on less evolved life forms.”

  “Cyborgs are really smart. Gene said they like to study them from a distance but it’s hard since they mostly live underwater.”

  “Do these aliens appear humanoid?” Alien cultures always fascinated Eve. They’d come across a few of them over the years but they were rare. Most avoided Earthlings, finding them to be too brutal. Of course, most species’ first interactions had taken place with pirates. It wasn’t a surprise they avoided humans. “I’d like to see them.”

  “Gene said they are humanoid looking but with gills and webbed digits to help them swim. How cool is that?”

  Eve grinned. “Gene is cute and you’re quoting him often.”

  “He’s hot and we’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’m staying in one of the cargo holds with him.”

  It didn’t surprise Eve. “How is the sex?”

  Danica blushed. “I wouldn’t know. I’m resisting.”

  “Why? All you talked about was wanting to go to Titan and find a man. Now you have one sharing the same space with you.”

  “He’s way too intense.” She licked her lips. “Not the type of guy to nail and walk away from. I can’t see him allowing that.”

  “When has that ever stopped you?”

  “Have you seen him? He’s huge and a cyborg. Plus we’re stranded. It’s not as if we’re going to undock our ship and fly off once I climb out of his bed. We no longer have a ship. It’s space junk now.”

  “You think he wants more than a one-night stand?”

  Danica shrugged. “I’m not sure, but maybe.”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “Yes. I’ve seen what happened to you. No guy could compare to your cyborg. What if Gene isn’t serious and I get that mate thing going on? They are dominant enough to trigger our instincts. I’d be hung up on him for life. No thanks. I won’t risk it no matter how horny I get or how hot he makes me.”

  “What if he wanted to be hung up on you for life too?”

  “It’s not happening. It’s too scary to even think about. It’s the what-if-he-isn’t part that messes with me. No offense but you were never the same after you walked into that room and saved your cyborg. I’m keeping my heart safe and no one will ever own me.” She glanced around before lowering her voice. “They didn’t know about canine units or how we played a big part in rescuing so many cyborgs. Do you know what that probably means? Their council can’t be trusted.”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about that myself.”

  “We need to find out if Freedom survived. I’d love to spend five minutes alone in a room with him. Can you remember what he looks like? You’re the only one he’d meet with in person.”

  Eve nodded. “I’d never forget his face.”

  “I can’t get over it. He betrayed us. We pledged fidelity to cyborgs but they didn’t even tell the others about us. They left us to die, didn’t they? I keep thinking about it and I’m getting a sick feeling in my gut that they didn’t ever plan to take us with them.”

  “Blackie believes you might be right.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Danica clenched her teeth. “I’ll never trust another cyborg. We should steal a life pod if there’s one aboard.”

  “I’m mated.”

  Misery dominated her littermate’s face. “We could kidnap him. Take him with us, you know? He’d make a kickass bounty hunter.” Her expression brightened. “I bet he could repair a lot on our freighter too, if we can locate it. They are excellent with machinery and hell, he can just download the operating manuals into that super brain of his to figure it out if he doesn’t know already. Think of the credits we’d save on mechanics.”

  “I can’t do that to him. He seems to like his life, Danica.” Eve wanted to change the subject. It hurt too much. “We can’t blame all cyborgs for what happened to our littermates if they weren’t aware of our existence. Blackie said he wouldn’t have left us behind if he’d known. I believe him.”

  “You’re biased.”

  “He was really pissed, Danica. I mean, enraged to the max.”

  “Yeah. Gene kind of reacted the same way when we briefly spoke about it. I was getting upset so he let it drop.”

  “The responsibility rests squarely with Freedom. He’s the one I dealt with and he was in charge of mission 895589. It was his plan. He is the one who promised they’d take us with them in exchange for our help.”

  “I’m going to rip off his nuts if he survived.”

  “Stand in line.”

  “How about you remove th
e left one and I’ll take the right?”

  “Deal.”

  They regarded each other for long moments. Danica was the first to break the silence.

  “So we’re going to the cyborg planet. I hope they are more relaxed than they used to be. I worried about that when we signed up to leave Earth with them. Those guys were pretty solemn. Of course they looked really good compared to Cameron and everyone else at the termination center.”

  “Blackie told me most cyborgs have shut off the chips that kill their emotions. They won’t be as reserved as we remember. My mate is very warm spirited.” She smiled at the memory of the night they’d spent together. “Passionate.”

  “That would explain Gene’s odd behavior.” She smiled back. “He’s kind of a sweetheart when I let him talk.”

  “We’ll have a home again.”

  “We had one.”

  “A planet instead of a freighter. It’s got to be prettier than staring out into dark space.”

  “Yeah. I hope so.” She peered at her. “What if we hate it there? Can we kidnap your mate and steal a ship then? I’m still thinking about that bar on Titan. I wanted to go dancing.”

  “Maybe cyborgs have bars.”

  Danica laughed. “Right. Sure. Chips on or off, I can’t see them hanging out, getting drunk and stumbling out onto a dance floor in hopes of grinding against a girl well enough to get them laid.”

  Eve grew thoughtful. “Probably not. You have a point.”

  * * * * *

  Blackie glared at Fleet, their bodies inches apart. “You knew about canine units,” he accused.

  Gene’s hand gripped his upper arm but he refused to back away from the current commander of the shuttle. “Calm,” his friend urged.

  “I won’t.” Blackie jerked out of his hold and came into physical contact with Fleet due to the swift motion. He regretted it was only an accidental bump. His hands clenched into fists as he barely refrained from using them to batter the other male and purposely cause harm. “That’s why you cut communications when I stated what they were and refused to respond until we boarded the shuttle.”

  “I ordered you to take both women to cargo hold two. I was just informed that you took one of them to crew quarters.”

  “My quarters,” Blackie clarified.

  Fleet took a step back and lifted his chin, his mouth firming into a tense line. “State your reason for disobeying a direct command.”

  Blackie battled the urge to punch Fleet in the mouth. He had a lot to say but tried to get a handle on his anger first. He decided he wanted answers before bloodshed. It also didn’t pass his notice that the male had ignored his accusation and had brought up his disobedience instead.

  Fleet shot a suspicious look at Gene before assessing Blackie the same way. “You’re both not contracted into a family unit. Is this an attempt to create one with an unclaimed woman? Any request for a contract will be denied. You and Gene will immediately escort that woman to cargo hold two when you return to your shared quarters.”

  “They aren’t mine anymore,” Gene muttered. “I highly recommend that you reevaluate the situation and proceed with caution. Your current rank holds no authority at the moment.”

  “What does that mean?” Fleet demanded.

  “Answer my question,” Blackie snapped. “You knew about canine units on Earth, didn’t you?”

  Fleet fisted his hands. “Insubordination will not be tolerated. What is wrong with you? Do you need a medic to check you out? You’re acting irrational and out of character. Were you injured on the freighter? Exposed to high levels of radiation? Did your suit fail to shield you properly? Were your implants damaged?”

  Blackie fisted the male’s uniform and shoved, refusing to let go until he pinned him against the wall. “Nothing is wrong with my implants. Answer me!”

  “Release me.”

  “Stand down,” Gene ordered.

  Blackie glanced back and saw Gene pull his weapon and point it at two other males whose intent was to come to their commander’s aid. They froze, their expressions stunned.

  “Proceed, Blackie,” Gene urged. “I’ve got you covered.”

  Blackie whipped his head around and lifted the commander until his feet left the floor. “Did you know about the canine units?”

  Fleet’s gaze slid from his to dart around the room. He lowered his voice when he spoke. “I won’t discuss it here.”

  In front of witnesses, Blackie surmised. “Answer me.”

  “Your assault will not prompt me to share classified information.”

  It infuriated Blackie when he noted the signs that the cyborg had implemented a shutdown of his emotions by engaging the chips implanted inside his brain. Fleet’s pupils shrank to pinhole-size dots and his muscles relaxed despite the tense situation. Even his voice changed slightly into a more robotic pattern. He guessed he had also activated the one that muted pain receptors. No verbal or physical stimulus would provide Blackie’s desired response.

  “The woman stays in my quarters. She is under my protection. Am I clear?” He dropped the male and stepped back. “Gene will guard the second woman. Any attempt to take or harm them will be met with deadly force.”

  “You are being illogical. Report to the medic.”

  Blackie wanted to hit him so much it took every ounce of control to resist. It would only damage his hand. He debated whether it was worth it, deemed it wasn’t. He wanted the other male to feel it when they fought.

  “I refuse to take orders from you. Have you contacted Garden?”

  “Yes. We are in transit there now.”

  “Good.” Blackie spun and stormed out of the room. Gene followed.

  “Have you lost your mind?”

  He kept walking. “I’m going to get the women. I expect trouble.”

  “You think they’ll attempt to do something to stop the women from reaching Garden?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  Blackie came to an abrupt halt and glanced back. Gene stopped too as they studied each other. “Can I count on you to protect the second woman or are you conflicted? I need your absolute candor.”

  “My job is to follow orders from the council and higher-ranking officials. I am offended by what we’ve learned though. There was no honor in leaving allies to die, especially women. I won’t allow anything to happen to Danica. I’m as conflicted as it gets but not on that subject. I’ll safeguard her.”

  Blackie trusted him. “Are you prepared to face off against other cyborgs if they are ordered to remove her from the Bridden before it reaches Garden?”

  The male flexed his fingers. “You think Fleet will attempt to transfer them to another ship?”

  “Or worse. The council members involved won’t want the proof of their deception testifying against them to our population.”

  Gene paled. “Agreed. I’m running possible scenarios now.”

  “As am I. Fleet wants them secured inside cargo hold two. It will be difficult to defend without modifications.”

  “I’ll take care of it now. One of us should be with them at all times.”

  “I’ve had the medic guarding them since we went into that meeting.”

  “You trust Varion?”

  “He hates me but he’s protective of women to what I once considered a flawed extent. It wouldn’t be the first time he refuses to take orders from the council when the safety of one is in peril.”

  “I’ll perform every security measure to secure the cargo hold and protect the women.”

  “I know you will. Be careful.”

  “You too.”

  They parted. Blackie increased his pace. He didn’t like Eve being anywhere without him. He didn’t want to alarm her so he masked his features and tried to suppress his anger. He turned a corner and confronted Varion at the end of the corridor.

  The male pointed to the door. “They are inside. No one attempted to enter.”

  “Thank you.”

 
“I didn’t guard them for you.”

  “I still appreciate it.”

  “I’ll still kill you if hurt one of those women.”

  “I would allow you to.”

  The medic frowned.

  “I’m going inside. Could you make sure Danica returns to the cargo hold without interference from anyone?”

  “Of course,” the male agreed. “Contact me if you need more assistance. I can’t tolerate the harming of women.”

  The door opened and Blackie stepped inside. The sight of him wearing the tight black uniform took Eve’s breath away. He looked so good that she wanted to strip him out of it and make love. His gaze sought hers.

  “The meeting ended.”

  “How did it go? Do they want to toss us out an airlock?”

  “Danica!” Eve shot her a warning glare. “My mate isn’t our enemy. Cyborgs aren’t either.”

  “You even made the distinction.” Danica pushed away from the table as her attention centered on Blackie. “I guess you want to take her back to your quarters while I return to the cargo hold. I’ll trust you because you’re her mate but I’ll keep my guard up around the others. Should I sleep with a weapon? Am I in danger?”

  “No.” Blackie’s voice deepened. “You’re safe with us.”

  Danica didn’t look convinced. “Just protect her if shit hits the fan, cyborg. I don’t really expect you to watch out for my ass but she’s your mate. I just hope that means you’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

  “You aren’t in any danger on the Bridden.” He paused. “Gene is trustworthy and won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

  “What about this planet of cyborgs? We were left behind to die once. Is Freedom still alive?”

  Eve stood too, watching her mate. She wanted to know the answer as well.

  “Yes. He’s one of the council members.”

  “Council members,” Danica repeated. “What kind of governing system do cyborgs have?”

  “A dozen of them run our society.”

  “And Freedom is one of them?” Danica snorted, shooting a meaningful look at Eve. “We’re screwed. I say we go with my plan.” She fled the room before Eve could recover, stepping out to meet Varion in the corridor.