Storm of Eon (Eon Warriors Book 7) Read online

  “Thank you.”

  “Anything else? I’m sure you want to rest after your journey.”

  “Actually, I want to get to work.”

  The man blinked.

  “Can you tell me where to find Dr. Delgado’s lab?”

  The man winced. “Devil Delgado.”

  “Excuse me?” Sabin frowned.

  “That’s what people call her. Dr. Delgado can be…difficult.”

  “Is she good at her work?”

  “A genius with weapons systems. And no one works harder.”

  Sabin nodded. “That’s all I need to know.”

  “Well, be warned. She doesn’t work well with others, and she hates people in her lab.”

  “I can handle the doctor. Where’s her lab?”

  “Lowest-level. Lab B5.”

  “Thank you.” Sabin strode out, following the signs to the elevators and down to Finley’s lab.

  He was eager to get to work.

  And strangely, he was eager to cross paths with the prickly doctor again.

  Chapter Two

  Finley pushed herself away from her computer and slumped back in her chair. Usually, her lab was her calm space, where she could focus.

  Instead, she was distracted. She glanced at the computer screen. All the calculations and simulations were starting to blur.

  She had to fix this problem in the targeting system, but she couldn’t damn well find the culprit. It had to be right before they could start any ground testing of the lasers, let alone orbital testing.

  But her focus was scattered.

  By a big, hard-to-ignore, Eon warrior.

  She let out a low growl and closed her eyes. She tried a little meditation. She’d always had a hard time relaxing, even as a little girl. Her family was all normal. Normal parents. Normal siblings. Her sports-loving brothers were popular and outgoing. She was the odd one out. Her family loved her, but didn’t understand her. They’d always had a hard time keeping her stimulated. She’d skipped several years of school, but not too many. Her parents hadn’t wanted her to be a thirteen-year-old college student.

  Finley had tried to fit in at school, but she’d eventually given up. She wasn’t friendly and smiling like all the other girls. She’d just spent all her time studying harder.

  Then, as a young, twenty-four-year-old attending a conference in Africa, she and two of her colleagues had been abducted by a terrorist group.

  Nausea swirled and she opened her eyes. Why was she even thinking about this? Her nightmares had stopped long ago, and the panic attacks were rare. Sabin was to blame for that, as well.

  It was those eyes of his.

  “Well, it’s no wonder you need help if you sit in your lab staring at the wall.”

  Finley started, and her head whipped around.

  Sabin stood in the doorway, his massive shoulders almost brushing the sides of it.

  She scowled. “I was thinking.”

  He wandered in and made a noncommittal sound.

  “I asked you not to get in my way,” she said.

  “You remind me of a garva.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A bad-tempered, little creature covered in armor from my homeworld of Ath. It sprays poison when threatened.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Are we going to trade insults?”

  He smiled. “That wasn’t an insult. I like garvas. I had one as a pet when I was young.”

  “Warrior—”

  “Sabin.” He walked along one of the long benches in her lab, then paused. “You have a scale model of your weapons system.”

  “Yes.” She blew out a breath. “Sometimes I find it better to imagine things in real life, not just simulations on the computer screen. That shows the design for the StarStorm satellites. They each have a solar array for power, and are equipped with lasers. If a Kantos ship approaches, we can activate the StarStorm array, and it will create an impenetrable net around the Earth. One deadly to Kantos ships. The satellites are still being built, and we need to keep testing the lasers on the ground before we head into space. I…have a few problems with the targeting system. It needs to be more precise.”

  Sabin nodded. “I’d like to learn everything I can about the project.”

  Finley crossed her arms. “I don’t have time to—”

  “Make time. I can help, Finley. You want to protect your planet, right?”

  “Of course. I just can’t stop my work though.” She grabbed a tablet off the bench and slapped it against his chest. The man was rock hard. “All the data on the project is on that. Don’t lose it, because it’s classified.”

  One of his big hands circled her wrist. She suddenly realized they were standing awfully close. He was so big. She wasn’t used to feeling small and looking up at a man.

  “Your heart rate increased,” he said.

  She frowned. “What?” He could tell?

  “I have enhanced senses.”

  Her gaze dropped to his thick wrist, and the black band surrounding it. “Because of your helian.”

  She had to admit, she was fascinated by the alien symbiont. She couldn’t imagine being joined to a creature that gave you increased strength and enhanced senses, and allowed you to generate armor and weapons with a thought.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  She yanked on her hand, and he released her.

  He looked back at her model of the weapons system, and Finley turned back to her computer. Her simulations were still running.

  Damn. She needed to get busy with something, so he’d leave. She grabbed a screwdriver. She’d been meaning to adjust the test laser casing.

  She moved to the bulky unit and started adjusting the screws.

  “I can help with the targeting systems,” he said. “That’s a specialty of mine. Maybe we can find a way to blend Eon technology with your Terran tech.”

  His deep voice, right behind her, made her jerk. Her finger slipped, and she gashed it on the metal.

  “Ow.” The screwdriver clattered to the bench and she stuck her finger in her mouth, the iron taste of blood on her tongue.

  Sabin spun her. “Let me see.”

  “It’s just a scratch.”

  “I can smell the blood, Finley.” He grabbed her hand.

  They indulged in a brief game of tug-of-war. His hands were big, strong, and warm. Finley felt a strange tingle in her belly.

  Oh God, no.

  He pulled her hand close.

  “You have an ugly little cut on your finger.” He stroked her skin, and every single one of her senses flared to life.

  No, no, no. She couldn’t be attracted to this man. That would be a massive problem.

  “I have a first aid kit somewhere,” she said. “I’ll take care of it later.” Her pulse skittered. She needed to get away from him.

  “I have a better idea.” He pulled something off his belt. He lifted a small vial that contained red fluid.

  “What’s that?”

  “Havv. A healing fluid infused with bio-organisms similar to my helian.”

  He gently squeezed a drop on her cut and then smoothed it over her skin. Finley felt the stroke of his fingers, the pulse of heat deep in her belly and shockingly, between her legs.

  She licked her lips. She was unequipped to deal with this. She’d had sex a few times in her life, and it hadn’t been great. She certainly never felt the need to go back for more. And she’d never felt this hot, vicious attraction to anyone before.

  Pull yourself together, Finley.

  Sabin’s head shot up, his gaze on her face. He’d gone still, like a predator sensing prey.

  She tried not to blush. The man noticed too many details.

  She tugged her hand out of his and realized that the cut was all healed.

  “Wow, that’s incredible.” There wasn’t a mark left on her skin. “What level of injury can it heal?”

  He was still staring at her.

  “Sabin?”

  He shook his head and blink
ed.

  “The havv,” she said again. “What kind of injuries can it heal?”

  He cleared his throat. “Significant. See, perhaps I can help you.”

  “Maybe. Now go and do your reading.” She made a shooing motion. “Get up to speed on the project.”

  “I’ll see you later, Finley Delgado.”

  As soon as he left, she sagged against the bench. Why did those words seem like a threat? And why wasn’t she more annoyed by it?

  Frowning, Sabin reentered his quarters.

  Finley had responded to him. He’d sensed her pulse spike, detected the flush in her cheeks, and smelled the faint bite of her arousal. The scientist put up a good façade of surliness and disinterest, but Sabin sensed there was more to her.

  And his own body had responded, as well.

  Even now, desire was a hard pulse in his gut, amplified by his helian. He’d stood there, touching her hand, his senses filled with her unique scent that seemed designed just for him, and he’d wanted more.

  He wanted to get to know her better. Something told him that Dr. Delgado didn’t show her real self very much.

  Devil Delgado. He frowned at the moniker. How many people treated her with disrespect and didn’t understand her?

  He set the tablet down on the table. Not that he would act on this attraction. Control was the cornerstone of Sabin’s life. It was important to a warrior, but he had an even more personal reason to keep a tight grip on his control.

  Against his will, his thoughts turned to Finley. Her scent, her looks, her intelligence—she was far too appealing. And he wasn’t here to tame a cranky scientist, or indulge in personal relationships.

  He had a job to do.

  Kantos to repel.

  Lives to save.

  He sat at the table and pulled out his communicator. It was the Eon version of the tablet.

  A spike from his helian snaked out and interfaced into the device, and with a flicker of a thought, he made the call.

  A moment later, his war commander’s face appeared. Malax Dann-Jad was sitting in his office aboard the Rengard, lights on low behind him.

  “It’s late,” Sabin said. “Sorry, Malax.”

  “It’s fine, Sabin. Wren’s sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake her. You made it safely to Earth?”

  “Yes. I’m at Space Corps Headquarters.”

  Malax shifted. He was bare chested, and had clearly risen from his bed to take the call. “You met Dr. Delgado?”

  “Yes.”

  The war commander cocked his head. “Is she as difficult as Wren’s told me?”

  “Yes, but it won’t stop us working together. She might be difficult, but she’s straightforward. And clearly intelligent.”

  Malax nodded. “We need that weapons system up and running. The Kantos are getting bolder.”

  “Or more desperate.”

  “They want Earth, Sabin. They want to annihilate it and its people. We won’t let that happen.”

  Malax was a warrior to the core, driven to protect the innocent. And Sabin knew that he loved his Terran mate. He wouldn’t let his mate’s planet be destroyed.

  “How are Airen and Donovan?” Sabin asked.

  The war commander’s lips twitched. “The Terran certainly keeps Airen on her toes. And they work well together. She’s happy. More relaxed.”

  “Good.” The second commander deserved some happiness with her new mate.

  Malax’s face turned serious. “Sabin, Kantos ships were spotted near Landa Prime.”

  Sabin frowned. That wasn’t far from Earth’s solar system. “How many?”

  “Two battle cruisers.”

  Not many, but Sabin’s thoughts ticked over.

  “Sabin, they could be amassing a small invasion fleet.”

  That thought gave him a chill. The Kantos had to be stopped. He thought of the crying family he’d seen earlier. “I’ll put everything I have into getting Dr. Delgado’s weapon system operational.”

  “I know you will. Good luck, and keep me informed.”

  Sabin nodded.

  The screen went black, and Sabin made another call.

  A warrior’s face appeared. He was leaner than Sabin, his brown hair threaded with gray. Some of it had been earned by age and experience, but Medical Commander Thane Kann-Eon had gone gray earlier than normal for an Eon warrior.

  “Sabin.” His friend smiled. “How’s Earth?”

  “Warm. Fragrant. The air’s fresher than what the recyclers give us on the Rengard.”

  “I know your senses are extra acute; are you handling it okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  Thane was one of the few people who knew that Sabin suffered from a condition of extrasensory perception. How he and his helian had bonded meant that Sabin was able to pick up even more with his senses than most warriors. He heard more, smelled more acutely, had better vision. He even felt more.

  “How’s your scientist?” Thane asked.

  Gorgeous and smells irresistible. “Pricklier than a garva, but I’m told that she’s highly competent.”

  Thane laughed. “I thought maybe you’d end up with a friendly Terran, perhaps even your mate.”

  Sabin forced a laugh. “I won’t ever have a mate.”

  Every warrior wondered what having a mate would be like. Sabin had wondered. Especially since he’d watched Malax and Wren, and now Airen and Donovan mate.

  To have your helian accept another person…

  No, it would be a risk that Sabin wouldn’t ever take.

  Having a mate to indulge all his senses in… With his extrasensory abilities, he was always tempted to immerse himself in so many pleasurable things. On the rare times he shared sex with a woman, he kept the interactions brief and controlled. He couldn’t risk losing his control. Losing himself.

  He ruthlessly kept his needs and desires in check. He wouldn’t follow the same path as his uncle.

  Sabin’s gut clenched. His father’s brother had descended into ruin, then worse.

  There would be no mate for Sabin. Ever.

  “Sabin?”

  He blinked back at Thane’s concerned face.

  “You’re thinking of your uncle. You aren’t him.”

  Thane was both a medical commander and friend, and knew Sabin’s family history.

  “We both have the same overdeveloped senses. One slip, and I could be him.”

  “You’re a warrior. You’re too disciplined to ever fall like he did.”

  His uncle Varlan hadn’t been a warrior, but he’d once been a respected engineer. Until he’d lost himself in sotora.

  Sotora was a potent, fragrant scent drug. His uncle had spent so much time high on sotora that he’d hurt people, taken a mate and then neglected her, shamed his family, and eventually died from an overdose.

  Sabin would not bring shame to his family.

  “You’re allowed pleasure, Sabin,” Thane said. “Denying yourself is just as bad as overindulging.”

  Sabin thought for a second of indulging in Finley Delgado. What sounds would she make when he pleasured her? How soft was her skin—on her belly, behind her knee, at her inner thighs?

  Sabin’s cock throbbed, lengthening. He stifled a groan.

  “I guess it’s a good thing that your doctor is difficult,” Thane said. “No temptation there.”

  “Yes. Right.” Never mind the fact that she was tall, well-built, with hair like gold.

  Thane smiled. “Well, I wish you good luck.”

  “Thanks, Thane. I need this weapons system operational before the Kantos return. They will come back.”

  “No doubt about it. Good luck, Sabin.”

  He suspected he’d need it.

  Chapter Three

  Rubbing her eyes, Finley fought back a yawn.

  It was really late. Outside was dark, and she only had a few lights on in the lab. The glow from her computer screen washed her in blue.

  Everything on the screen was a blur. She leaned back and her chair s
queaked. She reached for her weakness—marshmallows. She always kept some in her lab. She popped the soft sweetness in her mouth. Then another.

  In her head, she kept seeing that distraught family, thinking of the boy who died. The marshmallows turned to dust.

  It all reminded her of her week in captivity.

  Her heart squeezed and she reached for the elastic on her wrist. The sting was a welcome pain.

  The conference had been stimulating. She’d been friendlier then, more open. Brent had been a young math genius who’d graduated college early and joined Space Corps’ Science Unit. Melody had been a year younger than Finley, with a specialty in lasers. They’d all been friends.

  Then the terrorists had attacked.

  They’d kept the three of them locked in a hole in the ground, only pulling them out to demand they create weapons for the group.

  Finley had been defiant. Mostly because she’d been terrified. She’d kept telling the others that rescue would come. It finally had. Too late for Brent and Melody.

  She gripped the edge of her desk and did her breathing exercises. Brent and Melody were her motivation for everything. Studying hard, working hard, staying focused on her task. She had to live and work for both of them. She had to ensure their deaths weren’t in vain.

  God. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d probably worked enough for tonight. She’d wanted to avoid the welcome dinner for the Eon warriors.

  She snorted. Okay, truth be told, she’d wanted to avoid Sabin.

  Heat washed over her and she reached up to flick open a couple of buttons of her shirt. She kicked off her shoes. With barely any effort she could picture him—big, muscular, that rugged face.

  Jeez. She was clearly in lust. She dropped her head to the desk. The last thing she needed was an inconvenient attraction to an alien warrior.

  Not that it mattered. She was well aware that she wasn’t the kind of pretty, delicate, slender woman that men were attracted to. For some reason—like that jerk-off, football player ex—Finley was attracted to athletic men. Damn hormones.

  She heard a sound and turned. She frowned. There was no one there.

  Yep, she was getting tired.

  She turned back to her computer and lifted a hand to massage the tense muscles at the back of her neck. She wondered where Sabin was. Probably sleeping. Then her unruly brain imagined him in bed. Naked.