Heart of Eon: Eon Warriors #3

by Hackett, Anna

  The elite’s eyes flared brightly, then faded. He slumped, and Malax wrenched back his sword.

  Then the ship lurched to one side and he staggered. Behind him, he heard Wren curse. He commanded his sword to dissolve.

  Alarms were screaming, and he saw that the ship was out of control. And part of the console was destroyed.

  Wren appeared, clutching his arm. “Can you fly this?”

  “Yes.”

  She blew out a breath. “Thank God.”

  He yanked her close, pulling her up on her toes. By Eschar’s bow, he was glad she was alive. He gave her a fast kiss.

  When he released her, she looked dazed. Good. He sank into the pilot’s chair and started touching the controls on the non-ruined side of the console.

  First, he tried to contact the Rengard. Nothing. Cren, the comms system was completely inoperable. He couldn’t get any comm lines.

  Wren sat in the seat beside him. “You can just turn us around and get us back to the Rengard, right?”

  He touched the controls again. All Eon warriors were trained to fly various enemy craft. “No. The ship’s controls are damaged. I don’t have full flight control, and I can’t communicate with the Rengard.”

  “Oh, God… And that’s not good, is it?” She pointed at the viewscreen.

  Malax leaned forward. Fluid was spewing out of the ship and into space.

  Cren. He tapped the controls. “No, that’s not good. That’s fuel venting.”

  “Shittity, shit.”

  And it got worse. “And it appears we’re also losing oxygen.”

  Wren’s mouth dropped open. “You have any good news, warrior?”

  He touched the screen, running some scans. “I just scanned for habitable planets. There’s one not too far away.”

  Malax coaxed the controls, finally aiming the ship toward the orb that appeared on the screen. He pushed their beleaguered ship for everything it had.

  If they took too long, they’d run out of fuel, or oxygen, or both.

  “They snatched me,” Wren said. “They’d clearly snuck aboard and got to your helian core.”

  “You’re safe now.”

  She nodded. “You get us on the ground, and the Rengard will eventually find us.”

  “Yes. The ship’s systems are damaged, so our landing won’t be gentle.”

  Her face turned white. “Oh, God, we’re going to crash!”

  “Crash is a strong word. A rough landing.”

  She pulled the straps over her shoulders. “You say tomato, I say tah-mah-to.”

  He frowned at her. “What?”

  She waved a hand. “Earth saying. Please, carry on ensuring we don’t smash into a fiery ball of death and destruction.”

  Malax concentrated on piloting the swarm ship. The green planet rose up ahead of them, filling the viewscreen.

  “What planet is this?” she asked.

  “An old abandoned planet. It’s too far from any occupied sectors to be of interest.” He tapped the Kantos screen, attempting to translate the scrawl of their language.

  They hit the atmosphere, and things got rough. He heard Wren moan.

  With the ship rattling and shaking, both of them pressed back into their seats and he flew them lower. They broke out of the clouds, and he saw trees spread out beneath them. The screen flashed information: temperate climate, with forests, lakes, and inland sea.

  He saw a crescent of yellow sand, with waves crashing up against a wall of dark cliffs nearby.

  And on top of the cliff, he saw ruins.

  “Oh, wow,” Wren murmured.

  The ancient ruins spread in a vast ruined city.

  Another alarm screeched, hurting his ears. “We’re coming in fast. Are you strapped in?”

  “Yes. Please get us down safely. I’ll give up chocolate, sex, anything.”

  He glanced her way. “I’ll make sure you don’t have to give up any of that.” Then he studied their landing options. Water would be best. He aimed the ship, and they raced toward the sea.

  Wren whimpered. She gripped her armrest, staring out the viewscreen.

  “Close your eyes,” he said.

  “I can’t.” She dragged in a breath. “Let’s do this.”

  They hit the water with a giant splash. Wren screamed, and they were both tossed violently against their harnesses.

  They skidded across the water. Gritting his teeth, Malax kept his hands on the controls, trying to retain some control of the ship.

  Racing toward the land, he tried to keep them aimed for the sand, and not the vicious, sharp rocks at the base of the cliffs. Suddenly, they hit the beach, sand spraying up in front of them. They jerked to a hard stop, their bodies flung forward in their harnesses one last time.

  Malax dropped back against his seat and released a harsh breath.

  They were down.

  Chapter Twelve

  Wren felt sick. She was pretty sure her stomach was tied up like a pretzel.

  She also felt dizzy. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked up at the viewscreen.

  Sand and trees filled her vision. They’d crash-landed, but they were alive.

  Malax looked at her and smiled. “Not bad.” He tore his belt off, then reached over and helped her with hers.

  Suddenly, the pretzel in her belly unraveled. She wrenched away from him and raced for the door. “Open it!”

  The door slid open and she raced outside. She took two steps, dropped to her knees on the sand, and started retching.

  A strong hand slid into her hair, holding it back from her face.

  Great. Wren vomited again. Mid-heave, she had the crazy thought that she bet Malax’s gorgeous fiancée had never vomited her guts up in front of him. If she had, she’d probably looked beautiful while she’d done it.

  Wren, on the other hand, felt like she’d been inside a clothes cleaner and then spat out, still wet and tangled.

  Once her stomach was empty, Malax pulled her back against his big body. She was too exhausted to move away.

  “The water is safe to drink,” he said.

  Thankful, she leaned over to where the gentle waves were lapping up onto the sand. She scooped up some water to her lips. Unlike on Earth, this ocean wasn’t salty. She rinsed out her mouth, then took a long drink of water.

  Finally, she sagged back against Malax and leaned into his strength. She took a moment to look around. It was a beautiful planet. The temperature wasn’t hot or cold, the beach looked pristine, and the nearby trees were a mix of green, red, and purple.

  And looming above them, at the top of the cliff, were those fascinating ruins.

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “We wait for the Rengard to find us.”

  “They will find us, right?”

  “Yes. I alerted Sabin when I went after you. They’ll run searches and find the trail of the Kantos ship. It might take some time, but neither Airen nor Sabin are known for giving up.”

  Suddenly, Wren’s stomach grumbled.

  “I owe you dinner,” Malax said.

  Dinner. Right. She shot him a faint, forced smile.

  He tipped her chin up. “I know you saw the message from Jandala.”

  Wren winced. God, she didn’t want to know the woman’s name. “Sorry. Sassy showed it to me.” God, she hated this. Her stomach felt sick again. “Your fiancée seems…nice.”

  “She’s not my fiancée.” He scowled. “She has expressed the wish to marry me numerous times, and numerous times, I stated my lack of interest in making that happen.”

  “Mmm.”

  “Wren.” He cupped her cheek. “I’m not engaged to her. I haven’t made a commitment to another woman, and I haven’t seen Jandala in months.” His fingers stroked her cheek. “I assure you that I’ve been blindsided by a clumsy, smart, beautiful Terran who hijacked my warship.”

  Everything inside her went still, then heat flashed through her. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  They stared at e
ach other, locked in the moment.

  “I have something for you.” Malax rubbed his thumb down her cheek.

  “Oh?”

  He pulled something off his belt and held it up.

  “Sassy!” Wren grabbed it, holding it tightly to her chest. “Thank you.”

  Another soft stroke of his thumb. “Time for dinner.”

  All she could do was nod.

  He helped her to her feet and they went back inside the Kantos ship. The smell hit her again and she breathed through her mouth. She watched as he stacked the bodies of the Kantos soldiers in a storage compartment at the back of the ship, dragging them by one leg. Ugh. She looked away, not wanting to see them, or the green blood pooling on the floor beneath them. She heard him slam the door closed.

  “Don’t want any wildlife sniffing around in here,” he said.

  Double ugh. “Um, is there any wildlife that’s going to try and eat us?”

  A smile tilted his lips. “Scans didn’t show anything dangerous on land, and my helian will warn us if anything gets too close.”

  Malax checked on the helian in the containment jar. It appeared to be safe inside its container, happily unaware of all the chaos around it. Next, he grabbed some gear and they headed back outside.

  Even though it was dinnertime for them, it appeared to be the middle of the day on the planet. She watched him head closer to the trees and break some branches off a tree. He snapped them into smaller pieces and expertly began making a small fire.

  Thank God he had skills, because if Wren had been the one who needed to make a fire, they would have been out of luck.

  Next, he laid out the blanket he’d taken from the Kantos ship. It was mud-brown and looked like it was made from some sort of hide. At least it looked clean. He pulled over a fallen log to act as a seat.

  “Is it safe to pick some fruit?” she asked.

  He nodded. “And there appear to be some crustaceans in the water. I’ll see what I can catch.”

  Wren wandered to the trees where she’d spotted some round, fat fruits. She thumbed her tablet screen. “Sassy?”

  “Wren! You and the war commander are okay? I detect that you’re on an alien planet.”

  “We’re fine.”

  “I am very pleased to hear that.” A pause. “I feel that showing you that message set all this in motion—”

  “It’s fine,” Wren said. “We sorted things out. We’re going to wait for the Rengard to find us.” Spotting some fruit, Wren plucked what she could reach from the lowest branches. “Can you run some scans, Sassy? Check out the wildlife and those ruins on the cliffs.”

  “Certainly.”

  “Other than that, do not scan my vitals.” Wren swiveled, her gaze falling on Malax. He splashed in the water, catching some crab-like animals with an ease she admired.

  “Very well, Wren. I’ll lay low.”

  Wren rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure Sassy had no idea how to lay low.

  Tucking her tablet away, Wren collected some more fruit. The bit of exertion made Wren feel warm, and she unzipped her shirt a bit. Soon, they were sitting around the fire, the crabs roasting, and both of them munching on the strange, round, green fruit she’d collected. They tasted weird, but sweet.

  “So, the Kantos really wanted a helian from the Rengard,” she said.

  Malax nodded. “They’ve been attempting to experiment with helians.” His brows were drawn together. “They want to replicate Eon technology.” Deep anger vibrated in his voice. “They don’t understand the symbiotic relationship we have with the helians. We offer the helians the chance to live, to challenge themselves and their abilities, and in return, we protect them and never force them to do what they do not want to do. The Kantos give no thought to the wellbeing of the helians as they try to make their weapons. If the Kantos succeed in getting their hands on our tech, they’d be unstoppable.”

  They were pretty darn unstoppable as it was. Wren wiped her sticky hands on her trousers. “We have to stop them getting any more helians. If they get Eon tech, they wouldn’t just destroy Earth, they’d come after the Eon planets next.” They’d try to decimate the galaxy. “Bloody Kantos.”

  “Agreed.” Malax held a succulent bit of crab out for her.

  She nibbled on it and the smoky flavor burst in her mouth. Yum. She took her time, enjoying the flavors. He kept passing her other little tidbits of fruit and crab.

  Desire was a low burn in her belly. He was sitting right beside her, so big, strong, and handsome. His leg kept brushing hers. He’d leaped onto the outside of a Kantos ship for her. He’d come for her and rescued her.

  Wren shifted on the log, rubbing her thighs together. When she glanced up, she froze. His hungry gaze was on her. The gold filaments in his eyes were glowing.

  The next time he held some fruit out for her, she leaned forward and took it from him with her teeth. She licked his finger and heard him make a small sound. She sucked his finger into her mouth.

  Malax groaned. “Wren.”

  “Malax.”

  He yanked her forward into his arms and his mouth crashed down on hers.

  Oh. God.

  She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back. Their previous kisses had been amazing, but this one… Hot. Rough. Intense. Pulse-pounding. Soul-shattering.

  Stop thinking, Wren. She opened her mouth and pulled him closer.

  * * *

  Malax’s blood heated.

  He sat back on the log and lifted his head. Wren was panting, her eyes clouded with desire. So pretty and cute.

  “Come here, shara,” he murmured, pulling her up to stand in front of him.

  “What’s shara mean?” she asked.

  “It’s what one of the first Eon warriors, Alqin, called his mate Eschar.”

  He pulled her between his spread legs, his hands on her hips. He let his hands drift over her, exploring. He pushed the hem of her shirt up and ran his hands over the smooth skin of her belly.

  She rested her hands on his shoulders, her fingers kneading. He reached behind his neck and yanked his own shirt off.

  Her eyes fell to his chest, going wide. She let out a small moan. “You’re perfect. Big. Ripped.”

  He met her gaze. “Ripped?”

  “Muscular and in great shape. I’m not ripped.”

  “I know. I like it.”

  He lifted her hands and pressed them to his chest. Her fingers flexed on his skin, and she started to explore.

  “Your skin is so hot.” She took her time, molding his muscles, skimming her fingers over his shoulders. Each small move set fires off along his nerve endings. Then her hands moved downward, her nails scraping over his nipples.

  He felt each touch in his cock and he groaned.

  Then he reached up, tugging her shirt off. She went still and her breasts bobbed free.

  “Cren, you’re gorgeous.” He cupped her breasts and took his time, watching the nipples turn into hard, little pebbles. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to one.

  “Oh, yes,” she moaned.

  Malax laved it with his tongue, then sucked it into his mouth. She let out a husky cry, her hands sliding into his hair. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her upright. He sucked deeply, enjoying the taste and feel of her.

  Taking the time to enjoy her responses, he kept on pleasuring her. She whimpered, squirming against him.

  “Malax, that feels so good.”

  He lifted his mouth, blowing on her damp skin. Then he let his hands drop down to her trousers, quickly unfastening them. He pushed them down, watching as he uncovered the pale skin of her legs. His gut clenched tight with desire. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  Need was pounding inside him. He let his hands drift up her legs, stroking the inside of her thighs. She trembled.

  “Pretty.” He let one hand delve between her legs and stroked her.

  He’d touched her like this before, but he hadn’t been able to look at her, or fully taste her.

  Ma
lax slid a finger inside her, and she made a choked, husky sound. He looked up her sweet body, his gaze locking on her face. He could read everything she was feeling on her features. Wren never hid what she was feeling. Her cries echoed around the beach.

  “I want my mouth on you, Wren.”

  “Oh…well, don’t let me stop you.”

  He surged upward, taking her with him. He lifted her, then set her down on the blanket he’d laid out for them. He dropped down and rolled onto his back. He pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling his chest.

  She looked startled. “What are you—?”

  “I want you straddling my face.”

  Her eyes went huge. “Oh. Oh.”

  He gripped her hips and lifted her. She barely weighed anything. He pulled her until her thighs covered his ears, and those pretty pink folds were right in front of his eyes.

  Malax breathed her in. His senses filled with Wren, with her sweet arousal. He wanted to pleasure her, wanted to hear her call out his name. His cock throbbed painfully.

  He gripped her hips.

  “Malax, maybe—”

  He licked her.

  She cried out, body jerking. He held her in place, using his tongue, lips, and teeth to pleasure her. She tasted like honey, and soon, she was moving, riding his mouth.

  “Don’t stop,” she begged.

  Cren, the sounds she was making were driving him crazy. Blood pounded through his body, and his stiff cock was pressed hard against the front of his trousers.

  But this was about Wren’s pleasure.

  He sank his hands into the curves of her ass, urging her on. He’d never get enough of her taste. He was starving for her.

  “Malax…oh God, I’m—”

  She ground down on him and screamed, coming hard.

  As she shuddered, he clamped his hands on her. He felt every shimmer of pleasure running through her. When she collapsed, still shuddering, he reared up and caught her.

  Spinning, Malax laid her down, and then yanked his trousers open. He stood, shoving them down. His swollen cock sprung free.

  Her eyes went straight to his cock. “Oh, wow. You’re big.”

  “Yes, shara. But you can take me.”

  He was desperate now, and he quickly spread her legs, covering her body with his. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. She urged him closer. Of course, his Wren wouldn’t be nervous or afraid.