Grace Goodwin - Hunted

“How many?” I asked.

“Seven.”

Fuck. That was a lot, if they were all Hive. “The Hive work in threes. Always. They’re fucking consistent. There wouldn’t be two groups for one prisoner. It’ll be three guards with four prisoners. Happens several times a day. I know.” Unfortunately, I knew all too well.

She nodded but didn’t look my way. I returned my attention to the pad as seven figures appeared.

It was easy to distinguish Hive from Coalition. Easy to aim. Fire. Kill. The three Hive guards, just as I’d expected, hadn’t imagined being ambushed within their own facility. Prisoners didn’t escape. Didn’t fight back.

But I did. So did… she. She took down two of them nearly as quickly as I did one. She was magnificent. Fuck, I didn’t even know her name.

The four Coalition fighters dropped to their knees and lowered their heads in protection. They could do nothing else they’d been trained to do. They had no weapons. They were restrained.

It was over in seconds. The guards dead. The prisoners looked up, took in where they were, what had happened.

“Where the fuck are we?” A Prillon asked, probably noticing it was a Coalition transport pad he’d arrived on.

“Latiri 4. I’ll explain more later. Get the Atlan onto the pad. We’re getting out of here,” she ordered.

She was already ignoring me, expecting me to do as I was told as her fingers flew over the controls. Damn the woman, I wanted her, and I wanted to bend her to my will, conquer her body and soul. This wasn’t the time or place to argue, however. And, she was right.

I took an electronic key from the nearest dead integrated Viken’s hip and motioned for the four prisoners to come to me. They did, without delay, and I released their bonds. The nearest, a fierce looking Prillon warrior the others seemed to defer to, motioned the other three toward the Atlan.

“You have your orders, get this Atlan onto the transport pad.”

The female behind the controls glanced up at the sound of his voice. “Good to see you, Prax. It’s been a long time.”

The Prillon captain, Prax, grinned at her. She grinned back, the expression a new one, and not directed at me. I blinked, trying not to stare. Gods, she was fucking gorgeous. And who was she that this Prillon knew who she was and followed her orders without question? The Prillon wore a captain’s markings on his uniform, and I didn’t doubt his assessment of the situation. The two obviously knew one another, but how?

And did she belong to him? Was she his mate? Had he made a claim on my female?

My female. The thought raced through my head even as I handed the unknown Prillon captain my spare blaster and helped tug the giant Atlan onto the transport pad.

We worked as a team to hoist him up to the platform. Even five strong fighters struggled with the beast. Once we had him where he’d be transported with us, I handed off my weapon to another of the fighters and moved to the female’s side. I took her spare as well, tossed it to a third warrior and lifted the small ion pistol from where she had placed it within reach on top of the control panel.

The warriors settled into a defensive position around the unconscious Atlan and I moved between my female and the open door. I could hear the Hive coming, knew the prisoners would fight to the death, more than happy to shoot any Hive who fucked with us now.

“Can you get us out of here?” I asked her. She had been at the controls for what felt like hours, working those small hands with quick, deft movements.

“Yes. But I’m locking down the entire base first.”

What did she just say?

I turned to face her. “How?”

She didn’t even look at me, speaking instead to the control panel. “Initiate Lockdown Protocol. Command Code…” She rattled off a few words in the home language of Prillon Prime and waited. Something beeped and her shoulders sagged in relief. “They didn’t get into the main system. My command codes still work.”

What just happened? No one could lock down an entire base. It wasn’t conceivable. “That’s impossible.”

“I have Level Two command codes, Hunter. No one will get in or out of this base without my permission. Not anymore.” She glanced at me as she moved away from the control panel, toward the Prillon captain. I retreated from the door, moving closer as much because I didn’t like her being so close to the warrior as because it was time to transport out of this hell.

Level Two command codes?

Level One was Prime Nial himself, leader of the entire Coalition Fleet, ruler of the Coalition of Planets. He controlled everything. If what she said was true, only the Prime himself could override her lockdown of this base.

Battleship commanders, like Commander Karter, only had Level Four codes. Mine were Level Five.

Fuck. Exactly who was she?

“Let’s go.” Captain Prax shifted on his feet. “I need to check on the rest of my men.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him they were probably already locked down in cells deeper inside the base, being integrated. Destroyed.

The female jumped onto the transport pad and the Prillon captain positioned himself between her and the corridor in a protective stance, not just that of a warrior protecting a helpless female. There was too much knowledge in his eyes. Respect.

Who was she? I.C.? I didn’t know any fighters with command codes. Unless she was just the victim of an accident and a transport tech had accidentally sent her to the wrong place.

Yeah, no. She was too intelligent, too quick and keen for something as ridiculous as that. And if something that random had brought her to me, that transport tech was most likely headed for a Coalition brig.

I felt the vibrations, heard the hum.

“Everyone ready?” she asked, glancing up at the six of us on the transport pad. It had been about a minute since the prisoners arrived, and they were being sent right back out of here. They were lucky.

So fucking lucky. The Atlan who was dead weight at their feet, too.

“Fuck, yes,” I said. The others shouted and growled their agreement. They’d been defeated, but their fight was back. We were getting the fuck out of here.

I heard the pounding of feet with my Hunter senses. “Incoming,” I said.

She nodded, either she believed me or could hear them, too. It wasn’t time to wonder which.

“Five seconds,” she said.

I moved with speed to stand beside her. I tipped up her chin so she’d look at me. Made her take one of those five seconds to focus on me.

“Who are you?” I asked. The hairs on my body stood on end from the impending transport.

Three seconds.

Two seconds. The team of Hive ran into the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw their weapons raised. The other warriors fired at them, but I ignored it all. I could only see her. See the female who’d saved my life. The lives of six warriors.

“I’m your mate.”

One second.

And we were gone. Transporting out of the Hive hell and to safety. With my…

Mate.

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