Breathing Vapor (4 page)

Vapor was dangerous in every way a male could be. Mira shouldn’t choose him to accompany her on her next mission.

Unfortunately, he was the best.

She needed him.

Chapter Three

As the sun rose, so did Vapor’s anger, his fury directed at himself and at her. He gazed upward at the viewing area. Mira sat on a stone bench, watching the final stage training exercises. His opponent was learning his strengths and his weaknesses.

Last planet rotation, she had made him lose control. He’d smelled another cyborg’s scent on her skin and his processors had shut down. Instinct took over, the savage, primal need to mark and claim his female.

The taste of her lingered in his mouth.

He shouldn’t feel this way. She was his enemy. He could be assigned the task of killing her. And she was a formidable foe, powerful in a fully feminine way and unrestrained by ethics.

Lies dripped from her lips. She twisted every situation to give her the advantage. Even while in the depths of desire, she guarded her words, telling him nothing.

He had to keep his processors online while he was near her.

She said she sold the cyborg because he was about to be decommissioned
, he transmitted to Ace and Thrasher. She’d implied, with her soft voice and sad eyes, that she had wanted to save the cyborg, the baby, as she called K017282.

We know that’s why she sold him.
Ace followed his gaze.
Her father wouldn’t allow her to sell a viable cyborg.

You’re too cynical, Ass.
Thrasher joined their semi-private conversation, bumping his shoulder against Ace’s. 
She could have been saving one of our brethren.

My name is Ace.
The cyborg didn’t find his nickname amusing and no one other than Thrasher dared to use it.
And if saving the cyborg had been her intention, she would have said that, gaining our sympathy.

Sympathy from a machine?
Thrasher snorted.

She views us as beings, as males, not machines.
When she first called him Vapor, her voice husky with passion, he almost came in his body armor.

How she views us changes nothing.
Ace dismissed that revelation.
Humans inflict unspeakable cruelties on other humanoids every planet rotation.

That was true. Humans were evil and she
was
human. Vapor couldn’t ever forget that.

I smell you on her. If your logic is compromised--—

It’s not.
No other cyborg would be assigned to Mira. She was his.
If she’s the being we choose to kill, I’ll do what has to be done.

His first loyalty was to his fellow cyborgs. Vapor looked up at Mira. His scent on her soft pale skin didn’t change that.

Raw, Grin and Strive exited the ring, their near naked forms covered with blood. Some of the gore covering Strive and Grin was their own. The humanoids had injured them.

Vapor exchanged a glance with Ace and Thrasher, knowing without transmitting what the other cyborgs were processing. Strive and Grin were good warriors but that wasn’t enough. Only great warriors were deployed to the front lines.

Their friends would be decommissioned.

First, they’d be humiliated. It wasn’t coincidence that a fight featuring the three least skilled cyborgs in their batch preceded a fight featuring the three best. Hun wished Strive and Grin to see firsthand how unskilled they were.

Humans were cruel. Vapor glowered at Mira.

“K000156, K000157 and K000158, prepare for battle,” Hun yelled. The spineless humanoid male wore full battle armor, a long gun in his hands.

More primitive weapons had been chosen for the cyborgs’ training this planet rotation. Vapor, Ace and Thrasher clasped two swords each and entered the red dirt ring.

Vapor heard the hitch in Mira’s breath as he strode into the sunlight. He smelled her musk, her arousal meshing with his. His cock strained against the confines of his skimpy ass covering.

Ace would see his arousal, doubt his abilities and his loyalty even more. Vapor swung his swords, rotating his wrists faster and faster, the blades in his hands blurring.

The criminals he’d soon fight, the scum of the universe that the Humanoid Alliance had decided would die, shifted in their pens, their grasps on their weapons tightening.

Why are you scaring them?
Thrasher asked.

Vapor grunted through the transmission lines. His warning wasn’t for the criminals. It was for her.

He was dangerous, his actions relayed. She should stay away from him.

He slowly pivoted on his booted heels, slicing the air with his weapons. The exercise warmed his muscles and centered his thoughts.

She was one more target, nothing more.

He didn’t care for her. At all.

You’re in a mood.
His friend’s face remained blank, as the humans expected. Any emotional reaction was seen as a malfunction, was a reason for decommissioning, for death.
Save at least two humanoids for us.

You’ll maintain your kill rates.
Vapor wouldn’t put them in jeopardy. He wasn’t a heartless human. He glanced at Mira.

She stared at him. He flexed his muscles, making the tanned skin over his abdomen ripple. A wave of musk filled his nostrils, warm and tantalizingly feminine. He wanted to lick her, all over, as he’d licked her breasts, drawing her nipples into his mouth, the taste of her coating his tongue.

“Let the battle begin,” Hun boomed, refocusing Vapor’s thoughts.

The pen opened and six humanoids rushed out of the enclosure. They must have thought attacking quickly would give them an advantage.

But quick was relative and Vapor was a cyborg. He met them halfway across the field, decapitating the first huge male before they were aware he’d arrived.

He spun, gutted the six-armed Palavian to his right, continued the turn and sliced through the hairy blue Ungarian on his left. Blood sprayed over his bare chest, coated his forearms.

Got one
, Thrasher crowed as a human dropped to the ground before him.

Frag.
Ace ran toward the fifth warrior.

You’re too slow, friend
. Vapor reached their opponent first. With one strike of his sword, he cut the red-scaled humanoid down, splitting him in two from his skull to his ass.

Mira sucked in her breath. Vapor glanced over his shoulder. She gazed at him, her eyes wide, her hands pressed together.

It was almost as though she cared what happened in the ring, as though she cared about him.

He pushed that thought aside and concentrated on the second wave of prisoners, killing them with a speed that surprised even him. Ace managed to steal three deaths from him. Thrasher took an additional one.

Two males refused to fight, cowering by the pen. Urine dampened the ground around them, the stench of their fear irritating Vapor’s refined senses.

Resigned to playing executioner, a role he detested, he lifted his swords.

“Don’t,” Mira whispered.

He must have misheard her. She was the Designer’s daughter. She knew the males were convicts, beings guilty of horrible crimes, unworthy of living.

Vapor turned and looked up at her. Her beautiful face was as cold and as expressionless as it normally was. Her lips were motionless.

Had she pleaded for him to stop?

It no longer mattered. He hadn’t the heart to kill the defenseless humanoids.

There was no challenge in it, no honor.

Finish them
, he told Ace and Thrasher, his gaze not moving from Mira’s. The prisoners had to die. Not killing them would result in death for his friends, for himself, and wouldn’t spare the humanoids. Other cyborgs would complete the task they’d been assigned.

She’d know that, which made her request even more unlikely. He lifted his chin higher, silently asking for clarification.

She didn’t give any, gazing back at him blankly.

The humanoids’ cries faded. His friends stood beside him, their breaths ragged, their bodies and blades stained crimson.

“Cyborgs.” Hun patted his gun. “Return to--”

“Wait.” Mira’s voice rang through the space.

The trainer frowned. “I’m responsible for the exercises. Unless you have authorization from your father, interference isn’t permitted.”

“You’re in no position to talk about what is and isn’t permitted, soldier.” She descended the viewing area and entered the fighting ring, her daintily clad feet traipsing upon the blood-soiled ground.

A white bolt of fabric was wrapped around her generous form, barely containing her curves. Vapor’s scent clung to her skin.

“I know about
all
of your activities.” She spoke like a commander, her voice strong.

Hun’s scarred face paled. He was a harsh male well known for his cruelty. Whatever information she had on him must have been especially heinous. “If your father hears of this—”

“He’d express his approval.” Mira sniffed haughtily. “My actions are always for the benefit of the Humanoid Alliance.” This outright lie was delivered with condescension.

She was magnificent, a foe to be wary of. Vapor gazed straight ahead, tracking her out of the corner of his eyes.

“Have they been damaged?” She curled her top lip.

“That’s unlikely but you can examine them.” Hun tossed each of them a cleaning cloth. “Cyborgs, undress and clean yourselves.”

She’d look them over as though they were beasts at a market, humiliating them. Vapor hesitated, unwilling to put on a show for her. That earned him a hard hit with the long gun across his back. Pain radiated from the point of impact.

The tightening of Mira’s face was so slight, he wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t been watching her. “Did I not make myself clear?” Her voice held a bone-deep chill. “I want them undamaged. If you ruin my plans with your heavy-handed approach to training, I’ll see that you’re assigned to the front lines. We’re both aware of what happened the last time you were sent there
.
”

Hun stiffened. “I was captured by the enemy.”

Mira met his gaze. “You ran during the first bombing, hid for two solar cycles on a distant agri lot, drinking yourself into a stupor, only to be
freed
three planet rotations before your tour ended.”

The trainer’s shock was almost comical. “How did you know—”

“I know everything. I believe I mentioned that already.” She splayed her fingers and examined her nails. The tips were painted white like her garment. “Could you not talk? This conversation is growing tedious.”

Hun’s lips flattened. He looked as though he wanted to kill her. “K000156, undress. That’s a direct order.”

Ignoring a direct order would get him decommissioned. Vapor released his swords, unfastened his ass covering and dropped it to the ground.

His cock jutted from his hairless base. He was fully aroused and didn’t give a frag if Mira saw his state. She wanted to examine him. She’d have to deal with his erection.

He wiped the cleaning cloth over his face, shoulders, chest. The fabric sucked up the blood, rearranging the molecules into air. Vapor snapped it to hasten the process and cleaned as much of himself as he could reach.

We see how unaffected you are by the human female.
Thrasher chuckled.
That’s one impressive erection.

Only his friend would comment on another male’s cock. Vapor scrubbed his skin harder.

She has too much power over you,
Ace chided.
Your logic is compromised.

It’s not compromised.
He tossed the cleaning cloth into the dirt, irritated that his loyalty was being questioned yet again.
She has power over my cock, nothing more.

He’d prove himself. Vapor drew himself upward to his full height, pushed his hips forward and met Mira’s gaze, daring her to comment on his aroused state.

Her eyes glittered and he realized his mistake. She was in control of the situation and his fraggin’ female never backed down from a challenge.

“Ahhh…” She stepped closer to him, maintaining his gaze. “This one likes to fight.” Mira curled her soft fingers around Vapor’s shaft. He jerked, unable to remain still. “I can tell.”

“Fighting turns it on.” Hun’s smile held no humor. “It’s our best warrior.”

“It’s strong.” She looked into Vapor’s eyes as she stroked his cock once, twice, three times. “But I’ll make it beg.”

She’d never make him beg. He’d decommission himself before doing that.

“I’ve tried to break it.” Hun shook his head. “It took everything I had and didn’t make a sound.”

“Did it?” Mira’s fingers tightened against his shaft and Vapor clenched his jaw, preparing to endure the agony she’d inflict upon him.

Her grip eased. There was no pain. She caressed him, touching him as though he was cherished, valued. The most delectable bliss radiated from her hands.

Vapor gazed at her, conflicted, needy, angry. He could take torture, but not this.

“It has balls.” She cupped them, giving him only pleasure. Having no countermeasures to combat her strategy, he was helpless to resist her. “Big ones.”