His female had lied to him. About her appearance. About her name. There was an 84.2536 percent probability she had lied to him about other things.
Disappointment and wanting and frustration built within Odium as he gazed up at the viewscreen. It hung on the wall in his assigned chamber on board the Dauntless. That warship’s crew had retrieved the escape pods.
The images displayed on the viewscreen’s surface had been sent to him by Torque. His friend accompanied Odium’s female whenever she left her freighter.
Odium envied him that experience. He remained too blasted far away from his skittish female. The distance between them strained his systems.
As did the footage.
His female lifted onto the toes of her boots as she tightened a fastener high on her ship’s wing. Sweat beaded on her scarred forehead, wet her short, brown, curly hair. Her generous breasts, rounded stomach, and wide hips stretched the fabric of her flight suit. Goggles covered her eyes. She never took that accessory off when she was with Torque or any of the other transmitting cyborgs.
“Fly away, fighter pilot. Fly away.” She murmured those rhythmic words at barely audible levels.
Her voice lit up his circuits. It corresponded to the husky tones of the female he’d been communicating with for planet rotations. The being in the footage was his genetic match.
He couldn’t process why she had lied about her appearance.
She was a warrior.
The skin of cyborg warriors rarely became permanently damaged. Their nanocybotics repaired their parts, returning their forms to their initial states.
But he expected a human or humanoid warrior to sport scars. The multitude of lighter-colored slashes on her brown skin testified to her strength, her ferocity, her ability to endure.
They were marks to be displayed with pride, not to be concealed.
The rest of her was as tantalizing as her face. Any being with a pulse would appreciate his female’s full curves and thick form. She was built for a cyborg, wouldn’t break easily.
Odium liked that. Excessively. His cock pressed against the confines of his body armor.
He didn’t like that she was driven to fabricate about her appearance.
Cyborgs couldn’t lie. That limitation was built into their programming.
Humans, however, had that ability, and his female had utilized it, describing herself as being tall and slender with soft, smooth, perfect skin.
That misrepresentation of her appearance damaged his soul. And it caused him to question the functionality of her processors.
Her fabrication served no purpose. He would uncover her deception when they met face-to-face. Why would she lie—
His body stiffened as the truth hit him.
His female didn’t plan to meet with him.
She would discard her honor, break her vow to him, and leave Mercury Minor before he returned to the planet.
Odium would chase her. Fearing her freighter would break down en route, he had input coding into her ship’s systems. That modification allowed him to track the vessel anywhere in the universe.
He could locate her.
If she didn’t find the programming alterations and delete them.
Fraggin’ hole. His fingers folded into tight fists. If she removed the code, he could lose her. Forever.
Odium, I’m delivering nourishment bars to our leader and to Power. Staunch sent that update through a private transmission line.
I’ll accompany you. Odium exited the chamber.
The deliveries every planet rotation served as reconnaissance. They saw, with their own visual systems, the state of Power’s repairs.
Odium utilized that intel to project how much longer his leader, Power’s genetic match, would require his presence on board the ship. That, in turn, determined the number of planet rotations he would be parted from his own female.
The longer the duration, the higher the risk she’d run from him. His lips flattened as he stalked along the hallway, passing warriors and closed doors.
He caught up to his friend in mere moments. “Do you require assistance with that?” He gestured at the container Staunch was carrying.
“Frag off.” The male grinned at him. “I could carry this and you and not break my stride.”
“I hefted both you and Torque off the battlefield after the two of you got your legs blown off.” Odium reminded him of their shared past.
The warriors had been trying to catch enemy missiles, had failed disastrously in that attempt. Odium carried them a safe distance from the active fighting, hastily located replacement limbs for the males, repaired them before the Humanoid Alliance viewed their condition. The humans then had no reason to decommission his friends, to kill them for spare parts.
“We almost caught that last missile.” Staunch’s eyes glowed. “It slipped right through my hands.”
And then it had exploded, blasting the legs off both those fools. “Don’t toss around missiles on the warship. The medics have to focus on Power.”
“You’ve been very protective of Power since he was damaged.” Staunch’s voice lilted with amusement. “You wanted to eject him from an airlock when he was fully functional.”
“He’s our leader’s genetic match.” Odium defended his stance. “Protecting him protects our leader.” He owed her everything.
“And what is that protection costing you, Odium?” His friend lowered his voice. “You remain here while your female explores Mercury Minor. You should be with her, should be safeguarding your little human. Rancor, Rancor’s female, and I will safeguard our leader and her warrior.”
“Torque is currently safeguarding my female.” It irked Odium to relay that task to another warrior but that had to be done. “While she’s situated on Mercury Minor, she’s in no danger.”
“While she’s situated on Mercury Minor?” Staunch lifted his eyebrows. “Is your female planning to leave the planet?”
Odium said nothing because he couldn’t project what his female was planning.
That irked him also.
They reached their leader’s private chambers. He smacked his right palm against the control panel positioned near the doors.
Laughter originated from the chamber. It was both male and female mirth.
Odium struggled to quash his surprise.
Power, even when he was fully functional, had made Odium appear lighthearted in nature. Eirene Ours, their normally serious leader, had been soul-twistingly grim since her genetic match had been damaged.
The doors opened. Their leader, wrapped in a covering cloth, appeared. Her eyes sparkled.
She appeared…happy.
That could only mean… “Your warrior is repairing.”
“He’s repairing.” She took the container Staunch handed to her. “We’ll remain in our chambers until we reach the Cyborg Homeland. But I’ll be transmitting often with you and also with the warriors situated on Mercury Minor.”
They were traveling to the Cyborg Homeland, Power’s home planet. They wouldn’t be returning to Mercury Minor, the planet hosting his female.
Odium stared at his leader.
His leader frowned back at him. “Relay what is on your processors, warrior.”
“I owe you everything.” She had freed him, his friends, had saved his female’s lifespan, using her own warship to distract the Humanoid Alliance. “I will go where you tell me to go.”
“I would never question your loyalty.” She tilted her head. “Where do you want to go?”
He hesitated for a heartbeat.
“I asked you a question, warrior.” His leader’s tone stiffened his spine.
“My female is situated on Mercury Minor.” The words slipped from his lips.
“Your female. Fraggin’ hole.” His leader pinched the bridge of her nose. “Your female was the captain of the freighter. My concern for Power overwrote that information.” She met his gaze. “Go to her.”
Hope flared within Odium for one wild, wonderful heartbeat.
But then his sense of honor revived, dousing his optimism. “I should remain on the warship.” That was the right thing to do. “You and your warrior require protection.”
“We’re situated on a warship filled with warriors loyal to Power or me or both of us.” His leader’s tone turned dry. “We have six other ships positioned around us. We are protected.”
Odium gazed at her. Every part of him wanted to leave.
“I’ve contacted the captain of the Dauntless through the transmission lines.” His leader hadn’t waited for his agreement. “You’ve been authorized to take any shuttle craft in the landing bay. I expect you to leave within the shift.”
Odium would leave within mere moments. “Thank you. If you need me—”
“I have the situation handled.” His leader lifted her chin. “Go to your female.” She paused. “I’m happy for you, Odium. You deserve caring.” She looked at Staunch. “Ensure he leaves the warship.”
Having issued that command, she turned and disappeared back into the chamber.
The doors closed behind her.
“Resist leaving. Please.” Staunch bounced in place. “Give me a reason to toss you off the warship. I haven’t enjoyed a good battle in planet rotations.”
“I’m leaving immediately.” Odium moved at cyborg speed toward the docking bay.
Everything he owned was on his form—his body armor, boots, weapons. Cyborgs didn’t need much more than that.
“Do you require a copilot?” His friend followed him.
“Stay here and protect our leader and her warrior.” Odium entered the docking bay.
“We’ll protect our leader and her warrior.” Rancor stood by a shuttle craft. Kutta, his female, was stationed by his side. “Staunch couldn’t protect his own ass.”
“Frag you.” Staunch laughed.
Rancor grinned. “I like this vessel, Odium.” He patted one of the shuttle craft’s side panels. “It’s no warship, and you won’t break any speed records flying it. But the engines have been optimized.”
“The weapon systems and shield haven’t been modified.” Rancor’s female wrinkled her forehead ridges. “They are complete lejno.”
“He can’t down a ship with it.” Rancor nodded.
“He can’t down an asteroid with it.” Kutta curled her top lip.
“I’ll avoid ships and asteroids.” Odium circled the shuttle craft, performing his own inspection of it. The vessel was in perfect condition. “If our leader needs me—”
“She won’t need you.” Staunch rolled his eyes. “Focus on your female, you lucky bag of bolts.”
“Bite her hard on the neck.” Kutta, Rancor’s female, relayed that piece of advice. “Females like that.”
“Silan females like that, beautiful.” Rancor winked at her. “Odium’s female is human.”
She was mostly human. Odium didn’t share that correction.
Because he couldn’t process if it was another lie.
“She’s a warrior.” Kutta glared at her mate. “Warriors like biting.” She bared her sharp teeth.
“I like biting.” Rancor moved toward her with intent in his expression.
“Don’t leave me with all this breeding talk, Odium.” Staunch pleaded with him. “Take me with you.”
“You’re staying here and protecting our leader and her warrior.” Odium walked up the ramp. Staunch was almost as skilled as he was, and having the other male stationed on the warship with their leader would ease his conscience. “Transmit if you require assistance.”
“Frag you.” Staunch laughed.
Odium’s lips lifted slightly as he entered the shuttle craft. He closed the doors, headed to the bridge, sat in the captain’s seat.
He’d see his female within planet rotations. His fingers splayed over the control panel embedded in the vessel’s console.
When they finally faced each other, he would uncover her truths and convince her to stay by his side.
Later in the planet rotation, Odium contacted his female.
“We shouldn’t talk like this.” Her voice coiled around his cock.
His shoulders lowered. She remained on Mercury Minor, hadn’t broken her vow to him.
Yet.
“We’re talking like this.” He displayed an image of her on his main viewscreen.
Her eyes were concealed by the goggles she always wore. She’d told him they were purple, but that could have been another one of her lies. Very few humans sported eyes of that color.
“How is your leader’s male?” Her concern sounded genuine.
Odium wanted to believe in her caring, in her. “He’s functional, so functional they no longer require my presence.” He didn’t withhold that truth from her. “I’m returning to Mercury Minor.”
His female said nothing.
The silence was telling. She wasn’t eager to meet with him.
His lips flattened. “You vowed to remain on the planet until I returned.” He reminded her of her promise to him.
“And I’ve kept that vow.” She bit off each word. “I’m still on Mercury Minor, spending every damn planet rotation smoothing the dents in my freighter’s exterior panels instead of saving other beings from certain death.”
“Have you been contacted about another rescue mission?” That was a test. He was monitoring her communications and processed the answer to that question.
“I would have to finish this never-ending fuckin’ assignment first.” His female didn’t lie to him. “This is why I have to stick to my rules—pick ‘em up and drop ‘em off at the nearest friendly planet. Doing anything else fucks things up.”
Silence stretched.
He was one of the rules she’d broken. His female wanted to run from him. Only her sense of honor pinned her in place.
Odium sensed that, and he cursed the distance between them. “I will be there soon.” Once he saw her, touched her, claimed her, their bond would strengthen.
“Soon, huh?” His female huffed. “Your buddy, Torque, claims you’re a skilled pilot.” Her tone relayed she didn’t believe that. “He says you might be as skilled as I am, which is impossible, as I’m the best freighter pilot in the universe.”
“It is possible.” It was certain. “I’m a cyborg.” He would be more skilled at flying than a mostly human. His machine meshed perfectly with a ship’s systems.
“Warships are so advanced, they almost fly themselves,” she scoffed. “Freighters require a more knowing touch and some experience. Gotta put in those shifts of flying in to master it.”
He couldn’t resist responding to the challenge in her words. “I’m flying a shuttle craft.”
His current vessel wasn’t designed for long distances and open space. Flying it between sectors required a proficiency few pilots had.
“He’s flying a shuttle craft.” Her voice lowered to barely audible levels. “Good. They’re slow as fuck. I have some time to prepare.”
“The engine on this shuttle craft has been modified.” Its top speed had been increased.
“Damn it.” She cursed under her breath. “You heard me.”
“I heard you.” Odium verified that fact. “Abandon whatever you’re planning.” Her reluctance to see him bothered the frag out of him. “It won’t be successful.”
“You don’t know Mohini.” His female’s voice warmed with caring. “She’s very beautiful.”
He searched the footage Torque had sent him, found an image of Mohini, placed it on the main viewscreen beside the image of his female.
The Praecipuan was tall and slender. She had long straight hair. Her eyes were purple.
Odium frowned. Those characteristics were similar to how his female had depicted herself.
“Any being would desire her.” She spoke as though she had no doubts about the humanoid’s appeal. “She doesn’t walk. She floats. And her hair flows behind her. It’s magical and enthralling and—”
“She’s not for you,” he growled.
“For me?” His female squeaked.
“You’re mine.” He wouldn’t tolerate any rivals for her affection. She was his female, his genetic match. “She can’t protect you as I can.”
“I can protect myself.” His female’s voice rang with indignation. “It took time to gain those skills but I have them, and…what am I saying? This isn’t about me. It is about Mohini and—”
“Mohini won’t touch you.” That possibility turned Odium’s visual system red. “And she can’t defend you. She’s a flimsy humanoid, and I could break her with one hand.” He shook with fury. “I’ll fight to the death to claim you.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” his female whispered. “Not if you knew.”
“I know, and I would do that.” He utilized her words. “You won’t touch any other beings, and you will wait on Mercury Minor for me.”
“Stars. You’re delusional. And stubborn. And you have no idea who I truly am.” His female admitted to her deception. “But this is every fantasy I’ve ever had, and I want it to last a little while longer so I won’t fight it. Though that will hurt me in the end. I don’t care. I’m accustomed to pain, and I might not have this opportunity again.”
He couldn’t follow her logic, yet processed one truth. “I’m coming for you, my female. Prepare to be claimed.”
She might be a liar and have questionable honor, but she belonged to him.
He would make his mostly human his in all ways, pleasuring her as she had relayed she wanted to be pleasured. His fingers twitched. Her ass would be branded with his handprints. Her nipples would be pinched and sucked. He would fill her tight little pussy with his big cock.
She would delete her interest in Mohini from her databases.
And she would never attempt to run from him again.