Circe's Recruits 2: Zack and Ace (3 page)

He shifted on the bed and groaned. Opening his eyes, his enhanced vision easily pierced the darkness, and he saw that he was in his bedroom. Safe, at home. Then reality returned in a rush. He recalled the trip to New York. Remembered killing one rogue and battling another. Ace held up his injured hand. The bandage worried him. That freak had done something to him. Though Ace had suffered some fierce wounds, they weren’t enough to knock him out. One touch from that monster’s strange tongue and he’d blacked out.

He tried to remember what had happened next. Oh, shit. That fucking freak had been humping him. All that talk about rape he’d heard as he lay there half conscious wasn’t just talk. If Zack hadn’t gotten there when he did, who knew what might have happened?

Feeling ill, Ace forced himself to sit up, fighting the ache in his midsection.

“You okay?” a gravelly voice asked. Zack’s familiar scent eased his tension.

“I’ve been better.” He paused. “Thanks. You have excellent timing.”

Zack’s knowing gaze told him he caught the reference to what happened in the woods.

“So I’ve been told.” He grinned.

Ace swung his legs over the side of the bed, needing to feel his strength return. He didn’t like exposing his vulnerabilities and hated being hurt.

“Whoa, not so fast.” Zack appeared by his side in the blink of an eye. He wore a pair of boxer briefs and nothing else, except a large bandage on the left side of his torso.

“What happened to you?” Had the rogue hurt him too?

“The woods were booby-trapped. Took a wooden stake through the side.” Zack shrugged. “It was a clean cut, but it bled a lot.” He scowled. “Worried the mother hens around here.”

Ace couldn’t help grinning. “Forced you to take it easy, eh?”

“Hale’s acting like a woman. I swear, he checked on me three times yesterday, and that was in between Derrick, Roane, and Caitlyn stopping in to monitor me.”

“But not Kelly?”

Zack slowly sat next to Ace on the bed. Though the large man wouldn’t say it, Ace could see he was hurting. And the notion bothered the hell out of him.

Without thinking about it, Ace laid his palm over Zack’s bandage. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” Zack muttered, clearly nonplussed. Ace never touched him, at least, not voluntarily. Though they’d always been friends, having a raging beast inside him lusting after Zack had tempered Ace’s comfort around the man. He didn’t like it when he and Zack fucked like animals, caught in the mating heat. He liked it even less that he’d begun to care for Zack, to desire him even when not changed. Not that he’d ever admit it.

“Sure.” Ace cleared his throat and withdrew his hand. “I know Kelly hasn’t exactly chosen one of us, but she’s clearly attracted. She has a big heart. I can’t believe she wouldn’t even stop by to see if you were okay. Or didn’t she know?”

“She knew. Ace, something’s different now. About Kelly.” 

Ace froze. “She’s okay, though, right?”

“She’s physically fine, I think. She’s the one who sat by your side when the others were bullying me. Doc ran some tests on you while Kelly held your hand.” Zack sounded matter-of-fact and not at all jealous.

Ace and Zack both had a thing for Kelly Malloy. In the three years they’d known her, they’d been drawn to her. Kelly worked for Doc, their boss. She tended to Doc’s bills, the house, and the logistics needed to care for five, and now, with the addition of Caitlyn, six Circs. She planned meals, kept the place straight, and ran herd on Doc when he’d forget to eat or return phone calls. Yet for all that, Kelly had nothing to do with their changed state.

Ace had been more than careful not to upset Kelly by showing her his other form, the beast that lived just below the surface of his skin. He had a hard enough time dealing with Zack and the conflicting feelings he had for his buddy. Even now, he wanted to move closer, to touch Zack again and reinforce their connection. Much as he’d like to blame it on his beast, he knew that wasn’t the case. God, am I turning gay? He shook his head. No, because I still want Kelly with my every breath. What the fuck is wrong with me?

“Ace, you okay?” Zack put a hand on his shoulder, and it burned.

Ace hunched over and put his head in his hands, in part to hide his sudden erection.

“Yeah. I’m just having a hard time adjusting to what happened.” Was he ever.

“It’s okay.” Zack blew out a breath, his scent falling over Ace’s darker skin. Zack had a paler coloring, one that set off the bright gray of his eyes. Short black hair framed a face sculpted with masculine strength. The others called Ace a pretty boy, but he figured if he was pretty, then Zack could only be classified as handsome. Hell, Zack had to beat women off with a stick. Most women. But not Kelly.

Instead of reassuring Ace that Kelly was still available, the notion that she didn’t want Zack disturbed him.

“Why didn’t Kelly come see you?”

“Like I said, I think something’s wrong with her. Yesterday, at the lab…”

“What?”

“Ace, what do you remember about the fight you had with the rogues?” Ace shifted, his dick pressing against his thigh. Shit, Zack, you want me to think with you this close to me? He subtly moved away, but Zack noticed.

Frowning, Zack stood and began to pace. “The rogues?”

“When I found them, I realized it was a trap. I shot off enough rounds to take down the first asshole. But the other one hit me hard. He had more power than I could deal with. Like he was as strong as three of us put together.” Zack nodded. “That damned Circe booster Elliot Pearl designed.”

“When is Doc going to let us take Elliot out?” Ace asked. “We all know Pearson Labs is as strong as ever because of that dickhead. We eliminate Pearl, we crush the labs and the new monster Circs with it.”

“I’m not sure. I agree with you, but Doc’s reluctance makes me think he knows more than he’s telling us.” Zack shrugged. “Get back to yesterday. What else do you remember?” Ace flushed. “I know that asshole was getting ready to fuck me, okay? He threatened me with it before he bit my hand. I was hurting but awake, until he sucked on those punctures he made with that weirdo tongue. He injected me with something. A kind of venom, maybe? I mean, the guy was black, and he had a forked tongue. That’s way beyond being a Circ.”

“I know. I threw him off you as soon as I entered the clearing. You had all your clothes on, so I doubt he had the time to do anything, ah, weird to you.”

“Thanks. Now, can we please stop talking about it?”

“Gladly.” Zack sighed and continued to pace, making Ace dizzy. “To get back to Kelly.

She sat with you while Doc examined me. If that wasn’t bad enough, I also had to endure Caitlyn’s probing hands. And let me tell you, she’s hot as hell when changed, but she’s nobody’s wet dream of a doctor.” Zack winced. “She fucking poked me when I was down.

Evil woman.”

Ace chuckled. “Baby.”

“Whatever. When I went back to check on you again, I scented something the others didn’t.” Zack gave him a strange look.

“What? Spit it out already.”

“Well, when I neared you, I smelled Kelly. Like you were covered in her scent. And I smelled cum,” Zack said bluntly. “Did you jack off or something? I thought you were unconscious, but now I’m wondering.”

“No shit.” His dream surfaced. “I had the best dream. Kelly was touching me, stroking me. I came hard. But you were there too.” Ace glared at him. “You sure you weren’t in there while she was doing that to me?”

“We don’t know that she was doing anything to you. When I entered, Caitlyn was there talking to her. You were laid out flat and passed out. Maybe it was a dream.”

“Or maybe I came in my sleep. Who the hell knows?”

“There was something else. Kelly smelled wild. Like a Circ. She looked completely normal, and no one else seemed to notice. But when I gazed into her eyes, I swear I could feel a Circ looking back at me.”

“Wishful thinking?”

“I don’t know. She bolted, literally ran out the door. I haven’t seen her since.”

“What time is it?”

“Around four.” Zack stretched and groaned, rubbing his side. “Damn. Don’t tell Hale this, but I think I will take it easy. Problem is, I’ve got a kink in my back. I can’t get to it, and it’s bugging the crap out of me.”

“Come here.” Ace owed Zack more than he could ever repay. Zack had saved him from rape at that rogue’s hands.

Zack approached, a question in his eyes. Their silvery shine sparkled in the darkness, like neon lights flaring with heat.

“Lie down.” Ace moved over so Zack could access the bed.

“You okay?” Zack didn’t move. “You never want me anywhere near you.” Though Zack spoke quietly, with little inflection, Ace knew his distance bothered the man. He also knew that Zack had never spoken of it aloud. If Ace gave him the slightest hint, Zack would be all over him. It had taken Ace a while to figure it out, but Zack wasn’t straight, nor was he gay. The man was bisexual with a capital B. He’d had his fair share of women. The entire squad knew that. But they had no idea Zack liked to fuck men as well.

Not as a beast, but as a man.

Ace had caught him once back when they were in the service together. He’d thought Zack and the guy were pals until they’d kissed. Sincerely freaked, he’d never been quite as close to Zack since. And Zack knew it.

“Do you want that kink eased or not?” Ace snapped.

Zack studied him for a minute before slowly lying down. He propped his head on his forearms while his feet dangled over the sides.

“No, idiot. Lay on the bed long ways. Haven’t you ever had a massage before?”

“Not by you,” Zack snapped back. “Look, we both know you don’t want to touch me.

You’re just feeling weird because I saved your ass.” Zack shook his head and started to rise.

“It’s no biggie, Ace. You’d have done the same for me. You don’t owe me anything.” Ace’s nerves stretched thin. What Zack said was true, to an extent. He did owe Zack.

Not only for this past rescue, but for so much more. Zack always had his back. He’d never once come on to Ace or made him feel less than a true friend. Though Ace always took out his aggression on Zack, he did it because he knew Zack would take it. When changed and the mating heat hit, they inevitably fucked. Their nature as beasts looked for compatibility.

Only a Circ would do. Despite finding Caitlyn a few months ago, Ace’s beast still looked to Zack for completion, which made him wonder what his relationship with Zack really boiled down to. Instinctively, he thought of Zack as his.

Zack stood, and Ace pulled him back to the bed. Zack landed with an oomph.

“Sorry.” Ace tried to be gentle as he pushed Zack to lie straight, the way he’d suggested.

“What the fuck?” Zack’s voice was muffled by the pillow Ace shoved under his face.

“Just relax and enjoy. I’m not coming on to you, for Christ’s sake. I’m just trying to be nice. Accept it,” he barked, his glare fading when he felt Zack chuckle.

“Ass.” Zack sighed and settled into the bed.

Ace studied the muscles of Zack’s back and shoulders. Shit, the guy was cut, like looking at a mirror image of himself. He saw the knot bothering Zack, the bunched muscle opposite his injury. “You overcompensated.”

“No shit. What was I supposed to do? Leave you there?” Zack had hurt himself by hoisting Ace over his shoulder, which made Ace even more determined to ease his pain.

He lightly probed the area, trying to release the knot of muscles. Zack groaned.

“Pussy. I haven’t even touched you yet.”

“Feels like it. And stop calling me a pussy. I wasn’t the one who was bitten in the hand and had to be carried out of the forest,” Zack teased.

“Funny.” Ace remembered he had a bottle of lotion in their adjoining bathroom. “Be right back. Don’t move.” He and Zack shared the second floor and the bathroom between them. Hale and Derrick shared the floor above, while Roane commanded the downstairs, which connected to the rest of the house. Doc had spared no expense when outfitting his house to accommodate the team.

Situated on thirty-plus acres of land, the compound belonged to Doc. They had a big-ass house and a barn where they did most of their physical training, or PT, as they called it in the Marines. The latest exercise equipment, free weights, and a full-size pool provided them an outlet for their workouts. Another oversize building housed several cars and trucks, as well as the munitions they often needed to work missions.

All in all, Doc had thought of nearly everything to provide for the team. Ace supposed he felt his own guilt about what had happened to Circe’s Recruits, since he’d been a part of the initial research team that had created them.

Ace picked up the bottle and returned to Zack, thinking about how far the squad had come. Eight years ago, he’d volunteered to be a part of Project Dawn -- a secret program designed to create the world’s first supersoldiers. Along with seventy-seven other Marines, sailors, soldiers, and airmen, he’d received a shot -- a virus, Doc had explained -- with a serum piggybacked on top of it. After several doses of the stuff, he and the others had changed. Enhanced senses, strength, intuition, and the ability to turn into a Hulk-like creature, complete with super strength and agility.

“Not too hard,” Zack mumbled.

“You get what you get.” Ace poured the lotion onto his hands and started out by lightly rubbing Zack’s back.

The first time he’d changed, Ace remembered, he’d fallen in love with his new abilities. He’d formed a tighter friendship with Zack, another volunteer. A dozen of them had become close friends -- Hale, Derrick, and Roane included. For five years they’d performed for the government. Top secret missions that made the world a better place and put the criminals where they belonged: ten feet underground.

And then something changed. Men who’d once been his friends turned into monsters.

Murderers and psychopaths who had the strength and cunning to destroy with ease. Two-thirds of the original Circe’s Recruits turned bad. It took the remaining third to find them and put them down. Apparently, nothing and nobody else could stop them. There was no way to reverse the Circe serum. Ace and the rest of the sane volunteers had worked tirelessly to clean up Elliot Pearl’s mess -- the scientist in charge of Project Dawn -- until only five of them remained. Zack, Roane, Derrick, Hale, and himself.