1
Elite Hunter Stark, Earth Landing Site, Cleveland, Ohio
Not now.
Not again.
A wave of dizziness forced me to plant my palm against the wall of my ship for balance. For the last few hours, as I’d scouted this planet for the criminals I hunted, something had been assaulting my senses. Something I’d never felt before. Intense. Confusing. Without source or reason. I would have suspected a pathogen on the planet if the illness hadn’t begun while I had been in orbit.
I had no explanation or theory behind what might be wrong with me. I’d used my ReGen wand to run a full health assessment as soon as I’d landed. According to the annoyingly bright, little blue-green lights, I was in perfect health—
“Fu—” Pain exploded inside my skull with the force of a dagger’s strike. Heat raced over my skin in a wave. My palm burned. My stomach heaved. My cock grew hard and achy, desperate to find release. Desperate to find…her?
What. The. Fuck?
The ReGen wand had to be malfunctioning. I’d go to medical as soon as I completed this mission.
“Get it together, Stark.” I used a severe tone when I issued the command to myself. I couldn’t afford weakness. Some of the most vile, evil criminals ever born had escaped the Everian prison ship—with the help of their fellow Siren Legion operatives from Rogue 5. My fellow Hunters had been tasked with finding the accomplices. I’d been sent here to hunt the Siren scum who had set up shop on this primitive, backward planet.
The people of Earth were, according to my research, the newest members of the Interstellar Coalition of Planets. Earth was well known for its lack of...a lot of things. The humans here still fought wars over resources and territory. They allowed their own people to starve and were trapped in a monetary system designed to ensure the wealthy remained so while the majority of their people struggled daily to obtain basic necessities. The Coalition protected the people of Earth, but did not trust them. Not yet. Perhaps in a couple hundred years.
In fact, I hadn’t understood why Earth had been allowed into the Coalition until I saw a bride from Earth at the Touchstone. My friend, Zee, had claimed a human female for his mate. More, she was his marked mate, a perfect match, their souls capable of a connection both rare and revered by all people from Everis. I harbored no belief that such a female existed for me. That was for the best as I had no time for a mate. There was always evil to hunt.
I rubbed my brow as the pain lessened and adjusted my painfully engorged cock in my armor. Was this a psychic attack? There was no other explanation. I had trained for years to perfect my mental defenses. Had the criminals from Rogue 5 managed to modify the tech in a Prillons’ mating collars to create a new telepathic weapon?
I walked down the ramp and activated the security system. The ship’s cloaking tech responded to a flick of my wrist. The ship silently floated up to hover above the building’s fourth story roof. Once it was in place, the sleek black vessel disappeared before my eyes.
The onboard sensors would adjust the altitude to keep the ship out of reach, should any humans stumble their way onto the roof. I wouldn’t be long. I’d tracked my prey to this city. I was an Elite Hunter. One of the best.
Finding the three Siren operatives and bringing them to justice would be simple. I would be on my way back to Everis in a matter of hours.
Hot, muggy air settled on me like a damp blanket. Another flood of heat swamped my system and my cock throbbed, my vision blurred. With renewed ferocity, something or someone battered the walls I’d built around my mind with a psychic hammer.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my surroundings into tight focus and sent my instincts out, looking for a direction, a hint of movement, for the enemy presence here.
There.Siren scum. I had what I needed.
A target.
* * *
Rebecca,Miami, Florida, Earth
This was stupid.Insane. Was I really this eager to get myself killed the day before I was supposed to start my new life?
I didn’t turn around and hurry home at the thought, so, yes. Guess I was. Because I had to help those kids and it was now or never. In twenty-four hours this town wouldn’t be my home anymore. I was leaving tomorrow. Moving truck would arrive first thing in the morning. Then I had some paperwork to drop off at the youth center. I’d already spent the last six months training my replacements. I’d been accepted to the college program that was first on my list. Class started in less than two weeks. Everything was arranged. I was going to get my degree so I could make more of a difference. Recruit sponsors. Expand the center. Offer therapy and some basic health care to kids for whom the youth center was their second home.
I’d been stuck in this rut long enough.
Stopping to carefully peek into the next dark alley, I sighed as the darkness hovered on the edges of the space, barely held at bay by dirty, yellowed street lights and the reflection of the full moon in water puddles that dotted the cracked stretch of pavement. The raging headache I’d had for the last few hours hadn’t improved my mood. Nothing would. Nothing but stopping the jerks who had hurt Andreas. He was only fifteen. Too young for this bullshit.
His home life had finally begun to improve. He had a new foster family who adored him. He was doing better in school. I’d actually seen himsmilethe last couple weeks.
And now this?
Squatting next to my Bull Mastiff, Lilah, I laid my arm over her back and listened for voices coming from the alley. Footsteps. Anything that would indicate a person was near.
Nothing. The dark stretch of shadows between buildings smelled like dirty car oil, burned tires and urine—that last courtesy of the bar patrons inside the brick building next to me.
