by Anna Hackett
By the time he pulled himself up behind her, Magnus and Jax were already heading off into the desert. Mace and Toren mounted their animals—one loaned to them by Corsair to replace the animal they’d lost. The cyborgs urged the tarnids into a fast gallop.
Their group raced toward Kor Magna. With every beat of the tarnid’s hooves, worry pounded through Sage. Were Quinn, Jayna, and Calla okay? What about Ever and Asha? God, there were so many kids at the House of Rone.
“Do not worry,” Acton said.
“That’s impossible. I can’t just switch it off.”
“We have many fighters in residence—gladiators and cyborgs. And our allies are close by.”
Like the House of Galen. Swallowing, Sage nodded, but she was still worried. “All these attacks, they keep delaying us from searching for Bari Batu.” Leaving Simone and Grace enslaved.
“We will not let the Edull beat us. We will find your crewmate and her child.”
Sage sighed. “Thank you, Acton.”
“It’s my job.”
“No, there’s a loyal, honorable guy inside you.”
He blinked, looking surprised. She smiled briefly. She liked surprising him.
Finally, the city appeared on the horizon. As they reached the outskirts, Magnus didn’t slow down. They thundered through the streets of the city, heading toward the arena. Pedestrians and vehicles scattered at the cyborg onrush.
Stone walls rose above them, the flags slapping in the breeze at the top. Several plumes of smoke were rising in the distance. The sight was like a fist to her belly.
“Oh, God.”
When they reached the arena, they leaped off the tarnids. Magnus was already charging into the tunnels. The cyborgs sprinted toward the House of Rone, and Sage struggled to keep up.
They rounded a corner and were greeted by the sound of fighting.
Humanoid robots were battling in the tunnel with several gladiators and cyborgs. Sage scanned the mêlée, attempting to take it all in.
Quinn swung her staff, slamming it into one bot. Zaden was beside her, using his powerful telekinetic abilities. He lifted several bots into the air and mangled them together, then he thrust them into the wall.
Other gladiators from the House of Rone were swinging swords and axes, each of them covered in sweat, grime, and blood.
A flash of red fabric caught her eye. Raiden Tiago, Champion of the Kor Magna Arena from the House of Galen, charged into several bots, his swords flashing. Imperator Galen was fighting beside him—hard and unrelenting—his black cloak flapping behind him.
“Sage,” Acton barked.
“I’ll stay back. Go.” She saw he was vibrating with the need to join the fight.
She pressed a hand to the stone wall and watched as Acton and the other cyborgs raced into the battle.
The stench of smoke was sharp in Acton’s nostrils. Ahead, he could see that a section of wall beside the House of Rone doors had been knocked down by some sort of explosion.
A robot came at him, its heavy, piston arms pumping. He kicked it, and then used his cybernetic powers to slam it into the ground. He stomped on it until its lights blinked out.
He swiveled, just as something fell from above him.
Slender bots were clinging to the stone ceiling. One crashed into him, and he wrestled it to the floor.
Acton grunted, straining against it. Drak, the thing was strong.
They rolled across the ground, slamming into some debris.
Toren stepped into view, his weapon aimed downward. With one blast of laser, the bot’s head exploded.
Acton sat up. He heard a roar, and watched Magnus tear a bot apart.
The imperator glowed with fury.
Nearby, Xias charged. His teeth were bared as he spun, ramming his sword into another bot, sparks flying. “Take that, you sand-sucking crudspawn.”
Several bots were backing up now, realizing that they were about to be overwhelmed. A few started to retreat.
“Xias,” Magnus said.
“We won’t let them get away.” The gladiator broke into a run, several gladiators falling in with him. They sprinted after the escaping bots.
“Quinn.” Jax embraced his woman, yanking her off her feet. She wrapped her long legs around Jax’s waist.
Mace shouldered forward. “Jayna?”
“She’s fine.” Quinn tossed her sweat-soaked braid back over her shoulder. “Locked in Medical with Ever, Asha, and the rest of the house workers and children.”
Acton scanned the ruins of the bots, cursing the Edull. Smoke hung in the corridor, the stench sharp in his senses. Then he spotted something and crouched. Frowning, he lifted a piece of the bot in his hand and rose. “Magnus?”
The imperator scowled.
“It has organic parts,” Acton said.
They all stared at the sinew and flesh that made up part of the bot’s internal workings.
Magnus’ face turned even more grim. “That’s why they’ve stepped up taking more slaves, and increased their experimentation in their labs.”
“They’re creating bots with organic parts,” Jax breathed. “We saw one large bot in Gaarl’s lair with organic parts. I thought it was just his own experimentation.”
Acton had been a man once, fully flesh and bone. Now, he had enhancements, but this…it was an abomination. This piecemeal creation, with organic parts stolen from unwilling slaves, was beyond evil.
He heard quiet footsteps and looked up to see Sage walking toward him. He released a breath. She looked fine, relief in her eyes.
Something moved in the smoke behind her.
He tensed. “Sage!”
She froze. A bot reared up behind her. It had been lying on the ground, but clearly hadn’t been destroyed.
Sage spun, but the bot was on her in a flash. It lifted her off her feet and threw her over its shoulder. She hammered her fists against its metal back.
Acton and the others were already moving, but the bot spun and sprinted down the tunnel. It moved blindingly fast.
Acton’s boots slapped on the stone floor as he chased the bot. He wouldn’t let the drakking thing take Sage.
He watched her body bouncing around on the bot’s shoulder as they barreled through the tunnels.
They turned a corner, and he heard screaming. The bot slammed through a group of people, knocking them to the ground.
Acton leaped over the downed people. He got close to the bot, his gaze meeting Sage’s wide eyes. He dived, tackling the bot around the knees.
They all fell with a crash.
Sage broke free with a cry and rolled away across the stone floor.
Acton landed on the bot, trying to keep it pinned. Suddenly, its head swiveled around, and its mouth opened. A strange, red fluid sprayed out, landing on Acton’s arms.
The fluid burned, eating into the metal.
He punched the bot, then reached for his powers.
Nothing.
He tried again. Still nothing.
Whatever the bot had sprayed on him had deactivated or damaged his cybernetics.
Rising, he kicked the bot.
It shoved up and swung an arm at him. Acton realized his own arms were useless. He couldn’t move them.
The bot kicked at him and Acton stumbled back. It charged again and Acton fell. He rolled backward, and sensing weakness, the bot rushed at him.
“Leave him alone.” Sage ran at the bot. She darted between Acton and the bot.
“Sage, no!”
She rammed her knife into a patch of skin in the center of the bot’s chest.
The construct stopped and shuddered.
Acton pushed himself to his feet and rushed forward. He kicked the bot and it crashed to the ground, slamming into the wall. Acton kicked again, and again.
He heard running footsteps, and knew that the rest of the House of Rone had arrived.
“We’ve got it.” Jax went down on one knee, checking that the bot was disabled. Then he gripped the bot’s neck,
charged his arm, and electrocuted it.
The bot fell to pieces.
Sage turned. “Acton.”
His vision was blurring, and pain was tearing through his body. He collapsed, sitting down hard on the ground. The pain was agonizing.
“Acton!” She knelt in front of him, stroking his cheeks. “God, your arms.”
He glanced down. The fluid was eating through his metallic skin, exposing the wiring beneath.
“It hurts.”
She cupped his cheek, her face fierce. “We’ll get you to Avarn. Hold on, baby.”
Baby? His last coherent thought was to wonder why she was calling him baby.
Chapter Ten
As Acton slumped against Sage, they almost toppled over. Jeez, he weighed a ton.
She locked her muscles and held him sitting upright. He was hurt, and her chest throbbed with worry for him.
Mace crouched down beside them and slid a muscled arm around him. “I’ve got him.”
“Thanks, Mace.” She patted Acton’s side. “You’re going to be fine.”
As the big cyborg lifted Acton, Sage scrambled to her feet. Ahead, Magnus barked out orders.
“Jax, take a team and check every part of the House of Rone. Make sure no bots are left.”
“On it.” Jax jogged inside, his cloak flaring behind him.
“Toren, clear the destroyed bots and organize repairs to the wall.”
The blond cyborg nodded.
Sage followed Mace through the doors. “He’s hurt really badly.” Her voice cracked.
Mace jerked his head. “Avarn will fix him up.”
When they made it to Medical, Mace thumped on the door. “Avarn, this is Mace. Everything’s safe. Open up.”
The doors opened and people poured out. House workers raced into the corridor. Everything became a blur for Sage. The healers burst into action, but all she could see were the lines of pain around Acton’s mouth.
“Over here.” Avarn pointed to a bunk, his face creased with concern.
Mace laid Acton down.
Then suddenly, Jayna was there, leaping into Mace’s arms.
“Sage?” Ever appeared, Asha on her hip. “Are you all right?”
She glanced up and nodded. “Magnus is coordinating the cleanup. He’ll want to see you.” She turned back to Acton and saw his eyes had opened. She stroked his cheek. “Hey, how are you doing?”
He blinked slowly. “Tired.”
“I know. I’m here. Rest.”
His eyes closed.
She made herself watch as Avarn started repairing Acton’s arms. He took several slender tools, digging into the holes eaten in Acton’s arms. He made several unhappy noises as he worked.
“Need to repair some wiring,” Avarn muttered.
The healer lifted a scanner running it over Acton’s body.
“You’re good with him,” Avarn said.
“He’s…helped me a lot. I like being with him.”
“Apart from the other cyborgs, no one’s ever taken the time to look beneath his strength and his cyborg parts. And that includes Acton. He believes he’s incapable of being just a man.”
“I won’t let him keep hiding.” She smiled, brushing Acton’s hair off his forehead. “I’m stubborn like that.”
Avarn lifted a tool, working on a part of Acton’s arm. “You Earth women have stubborn persistence by the cargo hold.”
“Yep. When you’re smaller, you have to fight harder and smarter.”
Next, the healer pressed small metal patches over the holes dotting Acton’s arms. The small patches appeared to melt, covering the holes like they’d never been there.
“He’s lucky.” The older man patted her on the shoulder. Then he touched a pressure injector to Acton’s neck. “You can go, cyborg. But take it easy for a day until you recharge.”
Acton’s eyes opened and he sat up, looking groggy and exhausted. “Thank you, Avarn.”
As he swung his legs off the side of the bed, Sage moved closer.
“Lean on me.”
His brows drew together. “I’ll crush you.”
“I’m tougher than that.”
They hobbled through the hubbub of Medical and out the door. She helped him down the corridor, hating that he seemed so weak and was moving so slowly. This wasn’t the Acton she knew. Finally, she got him into his quarters.
The room was shadowed and impossibly neat and tidy. No messy clothes or knickknacks.
“Thank you, Sage—”
“I’m not leaving.”
His brows drew together.
“I’m going to take care of you.” She urged him onto the bed, and he dropped down heavily. “You protect everyone, Acton, but now it’s my turn.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me.”
His words made her suck in her breath, pain a tight ball in her chest.
He watched her carefully, his brow creasing. “I hurt you?”
Suck it up, Sage. He’s still learning to deal with emotion. “Yes, but you didn’t mean to. I know you don’t need me to take care of you, but I’m still going to do it.”
She reached up and unbuckled his harness, sliding it off. Then she moved into the bathroom. She found a bowl and filled it with water. Then found a cloth.
When she returned, he’d removed his boots and was leaning back against the pillows. She sat on the edge of the bed and started washing his face. His gaze flicked up to hers.
Sage’s belly flooded with warmth at the emotion in her cyborg’s eyes.
She washed his chest, cleaning away the blood and grime. She ran the cloth along the joint between skin and metal.
“You have a beautiful body, Acton. All this golden skin, lean muscles, smooth metal.”
She rinsed the cloth and then stroked lower, washing his hard stomach. He sucked in a breath.
“You need to get these trousers off.” She flicked open the button on his leathers.
He stiffened.
“It’s fine, Acton. I’m not going to hurt you.”
After a beat, he lifted his hips, and she slid his trousers down his body. They were tight on him, and she huffed a little until she finally managed to pull them over his feet.
That left him wearing a pair of snug, black boxers. With a hard swallow, she dipped the cloth in the water again, then ran the damp fabric up his strong thighs.
As she moved upward, she noticed the hard bulge in his boxers. She licked her lips. Oh.
“I need to shower,” he said abruptly, moving to sit up.
“Will you be—?”
“I’ll be fine.” He pushed to his feet, and moved unsteadily toward the bathroom. He closed the door.
Sage bit her lip. She knew he’d reached the limit of his strength and endurance. Worried, she hovered near the doorway, in case he needed help.
But after a short shower, he was back, brown hair damp and with only a drying cloth wrapped around his waist. He didn’t meet her gaze.
As he moved back onto the bed, Sage went into the bathroom and discarded the bowl and cloth. She took a few moments to wash her face and freshen up a little.
When she returned to the bedroom, he was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She reached out and touched his face. He had ridiculously long eyelashes.
She slid one hand over his shoulder and those eyelashes fluttered.
“Do you like that?” she asked.
“I like you touching me.” He pulled her down onto the bed beside him. “Too much.”
“I like touching you, so there’s no problem in that.”
“I…worry about my control.”
She smiled. “I don’t want your control. Can I…touch you some more, Acton?”
There was a beat of silence, then he nodded. “Please.”
Even in the dim room, Acton saw that Sage’s face was flushed. She reached out and stroked his chest.
So much sensation. All of it good. He was tired, his systems running on empty, his barriers low. Not that it matte
red, the sensations Sage generated broke through his dampeners anyway, like they weren’t even there.
Her fingers drifted lower, taking the time to explore. She traced her nails over his abdomen.
“So strong,” she murmured.
She played with the muscle at his hip, seemingly entranced. He sucked in a breath, a cascade of heat rushing over him.
“That’s good?” she asked.
He nodded. “More.”
Her hands were on his thighs now, kneading the muscles. Then she gripped the drying cloth and pulled it away.
His cock rose up, hard and engorged.
“Acton—” Her voice vibrated with desire.
“Touch me, Sage. Please.”
Her fingers dug into his thighs. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling it to his throbbing cock.
Her fingers tightened around him and she stroked. He jerked. His groan echoed in the room.
“You’re all man, Acton.”
Right then, he felt it. He was pure sensation, with unfamiliar emotions storming through him.
“Sage.” As she stroked him, his hips pumped upward. “I’ve never…never shared this with anyone before.”
Her breath hitched. “I kind of like that.” She leaned closer and her warm breath puffed across his chest. “I like that I’m the only one who’s touched you here.”
He slid a hand into her pretty hair.
“What do you want, Acton?” she murmured.
He didn’t know. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t think and he felt too much. And it was all centered on the woman watching him with hot, sensual intensity.
“You like me touching you?” she asked.
He nodded, his throat dry.
Her fingers worked his cock, and then she lowered her head.
He didn’t realize what she was planning to do until she sucked the head of his cock into her mouth.
“Drak.” His hand twisted in her hair. “Sage, what are you—?”
“I want to taste you.” She was panting, need in her eyes.
“Why?”
She smiled. “Because I want to pleasure you. Because doing this to you pleasures me.”
He saw the way her body was shifting restlessly on the bed. He scented her musky arousal. “You’re aroused?”