Grace Goodwin - Rogue Cyborg

Until the traitor caused my capture by the Coalition Fleet. My chest rumbled with the usual rage and heads turned my way. A quick, slicing glance had them turning away, eyes back on the pit.

Fucking traitor. When I found him…

If being handed over to the fucking Coalition hadn’t been enough, they’d had shit for deflection shields and the entire fucking ship had been captured by the Hive while I rotted in the brig. But the Hive didn’t care who was on board, Coalition fighters or Rogue 5 smugglers like me. We were all biological assets to be tortured and turned, assimilated into their war. Made into mindless drones. With me and a few others, they’d almost succeeded. Hell, with many, they had. We’d been the lucky ones to escape. Lucky ones to spend the rest of our existence here on The Colony, changed. Partially integrated and living in exile. Trapped. Trapped living on the same Colony base with the only female I’d ever wanted, but couldn’t have.

Braun chuckled, his rumbling laughter pulling me from the darkness of my thoughts. His massive frame shook with amusement. “They are fools. They are fighting over a human female, but they know nothing of how to win her heart.”

“And you do?” I asked.

Braun, Tane and I were the only survivors from that Coalition ship. Three out of over two hundred. Alive, but contaminated. Our torture and escape bonded us as brothers, despite the fact that we came from different worlds. Everyone on The Colony assumed I was just an over-sized Atlan who maintained ruthless control, never going into beast mode. I wasn’t an Atlan. I did not lose control or transform into a beast. No, my loss of control was more intimate, but every bit as life threatening to any female unlucky enough to ride my cock.

Braun and Tane had not felt the need to enlighten the rest of the warriors here about my true origins. Only the governor and the doctors knew that I wasn’t Atlan at all, which suited me just fine. The less they knew, hells, the more they believed I could turn into a huge, raving killer at any moment, the better.

Braun was smiling now, his look almost wistful. “I have watched the governor and Ryston with their mate, Rachel. I have watched Hunt and Tyran with Kristin. The Everian Hunter with the human female, Lindsey. Caroline with Rezz. I watch all of them with their human mates, and I learn.” Braun waved his hand at the eight warriors facing off in the arena, speaking among themselves, deciding on an order for battle. Rules. Ridiculous since they were all ready to kill each other for a female who had shown no interest in any male on the planet. “Gwendolyn will refuse them all. Even our brother, Tane. His victory will be empty.”

“Tane will not win,” I added, referring to the fight, not gaining Gwen’s hand. “They will attempt to cripple him with their rules, refuse him the right to fight as a beast.”

If a female was the prize, however, the rules would be forgotten the moment the challenge began. Apparently, Braun thought similarly and said, “A beast does not follow the rule of others. He will win.”

I leaned back, assessing the warriors before us in the dirt arena. None of them were fucking good enough for Gwen. Not one, not even Tane. I hoped Braun was right, that she would refuse them all, regardless of the victor, and hopefully before one of them died. She didn’t need to be haunted by a death match as well as the implants left in her body by the Hive.

“So, my friend, if you truly watch the human females, what have you learned?” Curiosity made me ask. That was all.

He gave a small grunt and I wasn’t sure if it was frustration or crankiness. “Human females like to believe they are independent. A mate must protect his Earth female without her realizing he does so.”

“Why?” I asked, confused. “It is a mate’s duty and right to protect his mate.”

He held up his hand. “To claim a human female, a warrior must be very careful, plan well ahead. They are fierce and fearless mates. They will charge into battle against the Hive if they feel the need to protect their mate or children. They are too brave for their small, soft bodies. Too fierce for their own good,” he practically growled. “They are fragile in body, but strong in will. They will risk too much, yet love completely. They are truly a mystery. Wild. Passionate. They need very strong, patient males to tame them.”

Yes, that was the word. Tame. Gwen needed someone to tame her. Soothe her. Fuck her into oblivion so all her worries were gone. “And you want to tame Gwendolyn?” I was afraid of his answer but knew the truth. All males on The Colony wanted her. Lusted after her. Craved her.

Braun nodded, his gaze on the first fight beginning below. “Who would not?” Braun’s smile was all hungry male. “She is magnificent. I will fuck her until she screams my name so many times, all other words have been forgotten.”

It seemed our thoughts were aligned on many things. I doubted he was the only other male to imagine fucking her. Claiming her. Filling her tight pussy with his seed so she was marked. His and his alone. If I did it, she would most likely die. For anyone else on The Colony, she would have nothing but pleasure.

Fuck. I could not deny my friend his desires.

“She’s a cyborg,” I said. “A warrior. She will not be like the other human mates, the perfectly matched Interstellar Brides who came directly from Earth through the testing center instead of a Hive prison. She will be different.” I pointed out the obvious, not because I thought her anything less than perfect, but because I didn’t dare admit my interest aloud.

Braun lifted a brow in disgust and looked at me. “Do you insult the female?” The growl of his beast was in his voice, the bones of his face shifting under the skin as he fought off beast mode.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Good. Do not.” He instantly calmed. Braun didn’t say, she’s mine , but he warned me off all the same. The monster within me rose in answer, but I held onto control with an iron fist, giving nothing away. I had no rights over the female. Never would. Nothing could change that. Better a good male, like Braun, win her than another, lesser male. I would do my best not to hate him for touching her. Braun had been through hell and back. Tortured. Survived. He deserved happiness. If not on Atlan, then here, on The Colony. The planet for outcasts and the contaminated. The forgotten and fallen warriors from the Hive war.

Since Prime Nial, the ruler of Prillon Prime and commander of the Coalition Fleet, had lifted the ban on the contaminated returning to their home worlds, a few had chosen to leave The Colony and return to their old lives as best they could. The Prillons and Viken, the Trion and Everian, all could return home. But the humans here were not welcomed back on Earth with their Hive enhancements. That planet barely believed the Hive even existed. The governments wanted no proof of the merciless alien terror walking among their people. Never had I heard of leaders so afraid to speak the truth.

The Atlans could not return home either, their terrifying mating fever and beast mode too unpredictable. Normally, an Atlan was damn hard to kill. Filled with Cyborg tech, they were killing machines. The risk to their people on the home world would be too great should one go into mating fever and lose control of his beast.

And me? I knew my legion on Rogue 5 would take me in with open arms, but our leader, Kronos, would put me to use. He was nothing if not practical, and a Hive enhanced Forsian descendant would be the most terrifying weapon he would have. He would not hesitate to use it. Use me. And that was why I’d lived roaming space on my trading vessel instead of settling onto any specific planet. Until now.