Untamed Hawaiian Heat (Rift Hunters) (8 page)

Kiana rested her head against the solid wall of Mateo’s chest. Somehow they’d moved until Mateo was resting his ass on the low desktop that lined the opposite wall, and Kiana was pinned against his front, her legs wrapped around Tiaki’s body, bringing all her secret places into full contact with him.

But it was the savage hunger blazing from them both that held Tiaki captive. Kiana’s skin was flushed a pale pink with her passion, her lips swollen, plump, and red from Mateo’s kisses. She raised her eyes slightly to look at him; they were a deep green, a shade darker than they’d been that morning, like sun-dappled leaves. He glimpsed the glitter of something shining in them just before she squeezed them shut in a bid, he was sure, to try to hide what she was feeling from him.

Mateo’s eyes were closed, and his breathing was harsh as though he was struggling to take in air vital for survival as he nuzzled Kiana’s neck and shoulder. He bucked his hips against Kiana’s ass, which pushed her pussy against Tiaki’s hard cock.

When Mateo’s eyelids finally fluttered open, Tiaki inhaled sharply. Mateo’s eyes had gone completely black, and sapphire swirls of energy glittered in their depths. He fought to catch his breath; he’d never seen a fledgling’s eyes achieve that kind of change before. Tiaki struggled to understand what was happening as Mateo reached around Kiana and pulled him closer while grinding his hips against her.

Kiana groaned, pulling Tiaki’s attention away from Mateo. Her eyes drifted open to reveal a similar reaction in them, only her eyes sparkled with silver.

Tiaki wanted to ask what the hell was going on but couldn’t find the words. Especially when Mateo grasped his head and pulled him into a kiss with both him and Kiana. The first brush of all three of their tongues sent the magic within them spiraling almost out of control; then their magic intertwined with one another. They released a groan collectively as they felt the satisfaction in the joining.

And then the spell was broken by the sound of an alarm.

“Kiana, Mateo, we have a report coming in of an OS cell actively searching about two miles from here.”

Mateo instantly pulled away at the sound of Ash’s voice coming through the intercom and shook his head. “What the hell?”

Tiaki knew the instant Mateo’s mind cleared, because he forced Kiana’s legs down from around his waist and shoved him back.

“Come on, Kiana. Let’s go,” Mateo said, his tone laced with barely leashed fury.

Kiana closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath as a tear slid down her cheek. She pressed a button on the com link on her wrist. “We’ll be right there, Ash. Have team Delta gear up. We leave in two.” She pushed her way out of Mateo’s grip and started for the door.

Tiaki grabbed her hand as she passed him. She turned back to look at him. Her eyes spoke volumes of the emotions warring inside her. Heedless of the ire and every bit as conscious of the lust roiling off Mateo, he leaned forward and kissed the tear away, licking her skin before he released her hand. He backed away, giving her the distance he sensed she needed.

“We have to go. The base is in danger of being discovered,” she said quietly as she left the room. Mateo trailed behind her by only a step. It looked like the stone wall Mateo had built around himself had been completely reconstructed even though it had been almost ashes mere seconds ago.

Tiaki fell into step beside them in the corridor. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not, Hunter. I will give your safekeeping to the first guard we come upon,” Mateo said flatly as they exited the building.

Tiaki grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. “Like hell I’ll stay behind. I have abilities that can help you. If what I read is true, you’re up against the same rogue group that’s been plaguing the Phoenix Galaxy for centuries now.” He pushed Mateo against the side of the building. “Trust me, you have no idea what they’re really capable of. I’m going with you. End of discussion.”

“What the hell do you mean, the same group that’s been plaguing your galaxy?”

Tiaki swung his head around to look at Kiana. Tension permeated the air around the three of them, almost crackling with energy, it was so intense.
Shit!
He hadn’t meant to say anything about the Syndicate until he’d gotten an energy reading or visual to confirm.

Chapter Six

Mateo called out instructions to his team through their com link, attempting to ignore the heat still smoldering inside him from what had transpired between him, Kiana, and the Hunter. He refused to call him by his name. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched the Hunter following along a few feet away, looking up at the trees every once in a while as though he’d never seen breadfruit, mango, and banana trees before. Much to his dismay, Lieutenant Commander Pearce, Ash, and Elias had all insisted Tiaki be allowed to join them on the search. Why, they wouldn’t say.

Not wanting the Hunter to be near Kiana alone, he’d informed them the only way Tiaki would be going was on his team.

What he didn’t understand was why the Hunter kept stopping and closing his eyes. It was though he was trying to hear something. Mateo couldn’t imagine him being able to hear much, since the old transceiver Niki had helped Tiaki insert into one of his ears blocked out all sound besides the transmissions from the team itself. Mateo didn’t know what it was the Hunter thought he heard—or was trying to hear. He was just weird.

Jealousy flared in his chest at the memory of Kiana leaning across Tiaki’s body to help him put the headset in. Before he’d realized what he was doing, he’d stood up and taken a step toward her with every intention of telling her to back off. Monte had interrupted him with something for him to look over, and by the time he’d taken care of it, Tiaki had been suited up, and they were ready to get underway. Mateo shook his head to clear the memory and all the feelings associated with it.

Monte’s voice sounded in his ear through the com link. “Lieutenant, you better have a look at this. Over.”

Mateo glanced over to find Tiaki looking at him. His eyes widened in surprise. The Hunter’s eyes had gone full black but for the golden ribbons of energy spiraling through them, just like they’d done during the interrogation and later when… He pushed that thought away even as he watched Tiaki’s eyes return to their normal shade of blue. Something about the energy Mateo witnessed in the Hunter’s eyes called to the restlessness inside his veins. Just like it had earlier when he’d kissed Kiana and the Hunter.

Tiaki broke eye contact and headed in the direction Monte had gone with the scouts. Mateo watched him go.
“Monte’s right. We need to get over that rise. Now. We might be able to stop them from arming the mines, but we have to hurry.”

An explosion lit up the ridge of the small rise.

“Shit, Mateo, get your ass up here,” Monte shouted. “Niki, behind you… Ah, fuck…”

Mateo broke into a run, stumbling up the incline, ignoring the fact that Tiaki had just communicated with him telepathically. He topped the ridge and stopped dead in his tracks beside Tiaki. He stared in disbelief.

Tiaki took off and charged into the fight. He started to follow but nearly doubled over in agony when he heard a screeching howl inside his head. He put his hands over his ears.
What the fuck?

“Mateo, it’s Earth’s magic. Those soldiers are ripping it from the core and using it to plant mines.”

He heard Tiaki’s voice in his head again, only this time, it was insistent.

“That’s what is causing Earth’s magic to react so violently.”

Even though he heard Tiaki’s voice, he still couldn’t move. His head felt like it was about to explode. Then he felt a soothing presence slip into his mind, and the restlessness inside him reached for it. He took a deep breath as the two energies combined and quickly wove a shield around the part of his brain being affected by the intense sound waves. When he was finally able to breathe, he glanced up to find Tiaki watching him from halfway down the incline. His eyes glowed with an eerie golden light in the darkness that had descended.

“That shield should help to block most of it. Now let’s go and help your friends. I was right when I said it was the same rogue group, the Obsidian Syndicate.”
Mateo started to reply when an image of an opening much like the one the Hunter had fallen out of suddenly flashed in his mind. Only this one had tattered edges, and Tiaki was there with streams of energy flowing from his fingers as he attempted to close it.

Mateo shoved away the thoughts Tiaki was pushing into his mind about someone named Aizik and how the massive machines their enemy was using had been brought here. He’d question the Hunter about them later. Right now, he needed to help his team.

He raised his rifle and fired it at a soldier several yards away, trying not to notice how he could feel Tiaki focusing his magic. How he formed an energy bolt in the palm of his hand and then flung it at the nearest OS soldier.

The soldier stumbled, regained his balance, and spun on Tiaki. The man—if there really was a man underneath all those cybernetic enhancements—charged him, an enraged roar issuing from his throat.

Mateo didn’t blink twice when he realized the asshole was fixing to hurt his mate before he aimed his rifle and fired several rounds.
My mate?

A vague awareness hummed to life within Mateo’s blood as he felt Tiaki send a wave of gratitude along whatever linked them together, before he went crashing down the hill at breakneck speed to join in the fray.

Mateo spared Tiaki one last glance as he ran to Monte’s aid, where he was fighting off three cyborgs who were pinning Niki down. He turned and threw a grenade into the midst of one group of enemies at the far side of the forest, setting a couple of trees on fire.

A shock wave rolled overhead as the trees exploded.

Mateo stumbled backward, barely able to regain his balance on the uneven terrain. When he found purchase, he reached down to pick up his rifle from where it had fallen out of his hands and gasped in surprise when the core magic Tiaki had mentioned flooded his consciousness. Images of the weapons the Syndicate had just planted all over the entrance to the valley flashed inside his mind. He closed his eyes, trying not to sink down to his knees the way his body wanted to.

“Shit. Breathe, Mateo, and reach for the energy in the place we shielded earlier. Reinforce the barrier I helped you create.”

Mateo chose not to question how Tiaki was communicating with him and did as he said. When he finally got the shielding back into place, he opened his eyes and started to send the intel about the mines to the rest of his team. Before he could, though, he froze when a cyborg caught Tiaki in the face with his armored fist. Mateo roared and fought his way through the melee separating them.

* * * *

Tiaki fell back. His whole body shook with the force of the blow he’d taken to the side of his head. Gathering his magic, he focused it until his right arm was engulfed in electrical currents, then swung it straight at the cyborg’s stomach.

The cyborg stumbled back, then changed direction and came at him again. “They warned us it wouldn’t be long before the Ternion sent one of you assholes.” The cyborg threw another punch, which Tiaki deflected with a magic shield. Then it added, “Figures it would be you.”

Tiaki sidestepped a blast from a laser gun affixed to the cyborg’s arm and spun around behind him. “What the hell do you know about the Ternion?” He fired an energy bolt at his opponent’s back.

The cyborg jumped out of the way just before it hit. The energy bolt collided with the tree behind him instead, exploding, then engulfing the trunk in flames.

Tiaki focused his thoughts and imagined the fire being extinguished.

The cyborg laughed, the sound ringing eerily off the surrounding hills. “You don’t recognize me, do you, Hunter?”

Tiaki fired off several bolts in quick succession, trying to catch the cyborg off balance. “Why would I know who you are? I make it a point to dismiss vermin from my mind. I have better things to think about.” He threw up an energy shield to block the rounds from the laser pistol the other man aimed at him, aware his magic was reaching out to connect with Mateo, who was getting closer.

“I guess you wouldn’t recognize me. You never could accept the fact our mother loved me more. Could you,
tuakana
?”

Tiaki froze, stunned for the briefest moment. There was only one person who’d ever called him elder brother. “Thanos?”

The cyborg bowed, though it was obvious it was meant as an insult. “In the flesh.”

Tiaki threw another bolt and blocked the return volley of laser fire. “So you sold out, then?”

Thanos met his eyes. A strange light glittered in them, making them shift from blue to red and back again. “I don’t see it as having sold out so much as accepting a raise in pay and benefits. I mean, look at me.” He held up his hands, now engulfed in an eerie greenish-yellow light. “Now I’m able to command that which was denied me, just like you. Plus, I get to travel the universe.”

Tiaki focused his magic, determined to create an energy bolt strong enough to blast through Thanos’s armor. “And how much will it cost you in the end when Aizik decides he doesn’t need you anymore?”

Thanos laughed.

The sound sent a chill down Tiaki’s spine.

“You really think Aizik is the one in charge?” He doubled over for a moment as laughter shook him. When he finally caught his breath, he rose up again. “Oh, they’ll be very pleased to know everything’s going according to plan despite your presence here. The Ternion has no idea what’s going on, and by the time they do, it will be too late.”

Mateo shouted, causing Tiaki to glance over at him.

Tiaki felt his magic reaching out, sending waves of energy to connect with Mateo’s.

“Hmm…now that’s interesting,” Thanos murmured as he shot Mateo with his laser pistol infused with the tainted energy he’d pulled from the earth. He opened a rift beside him, stepped inside it, and disappeared.

“No!” It was all the warning he was able to give Mateo of the impending danger.

But it was too late.