Slayer: Shadowborn Rebellion, #1

By Cyndi Friberg

General Malik Xett doesn't have time for romance. His one and only concern is curtailing the power and influence of the ruthless Sarronti elite. Still, the human female working with him lingers in his mind and fuels his imagination.

Though Kara O'Leary has been attracted to Malik since they first met, she never dreamed he returned her feelings. One kiss ignites a hunger neither can deny, but the timing couldn't be worse. Hostilities rapidly escalate and new threats are revealed. How can Malik and Kara bring freedom to the "world below" when all they can think about is each other?

Note to Readers: This book contains detailed descriptions of sizzling passion only suitable for mature readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cyndi Friberg
• Release date: Mar 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393514015

Cyndi Friberg

Passionate Sci-Fi with a touch of danger and a whole lot of sass. Cyndi has written about rock stars, vampires, and cat shifters, but she’s currently focused on outer space. Her stories are fun, fast-paced, and seriously hot. Her books have made the USA Today Top 100, and frequently land on Amazon Best Seller lists. She is currently working on the Shadowborn Rebellion, a spin-off series set in the Outcasts universe.   She loves to hear from readers: [e-mail] https://facebook.com/fribergc https://twitter.com/Cyndi_Friberg

Book preview

Chapter One

Kara O’Leary scooted back from her desk and whispered, Ready playback, highlights only, advancement challenge of Malik Xett, sound twenty-five percent. She went to the door and pushed it almost closed. Leaving it ajar seemed less suspicious. This was her lunch break, so she wasn’t really doing anything wrong. It just felt wonderfully naughty. She returned to her desk chair and let all the stress and frustration of the morning fade away.

The holographic image of two Sarronti males appeared on her desktop. Both wore only formfitting shorts and flexible shoes. Their bodies gleamed with oil, and their faces had been painted accenting their sharp features and flashing eyes. Both males were impressive, intimidating, and fierce, but her gaze fixed on one competitor as if the other didn’t exist.

Activate playback, she whispered, and a tingle raced down her spine. Malik Xett had captivated her the first time he walked into the room. She was pretty sure he never gave her a second thought, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. When she heard that the Sarronti military advanced through combat, she searched the data stream for a recording of Malik’s recent fight to become general. It hadn’t been hard to find.

Malik swung a long sword while his opponent had chosen an ax. Malik’s bright purple hair was tied back, and the dark paint on his face made his teeth look particularly white. The muscles in his arms and chest bunched and flexed as he swung the sword with fluid ease. His eyes were always purple, but the heat of battle made them glow like amethyst fire. She knew they fought to the death, so she never watched the ending. Still, there was a strange sort of grace in the brutality.

Is this how he made love, fast and hard with an intensity that—

If you keep watching that, you’ll go blind.

Kara deactivated the playback with a sharp gesture and greeted the speaker with a guilty smile. Natalie Marino, her cabin mate and best friend, stood in the now open doorway, grinning from ear to ear.

It’s lunchtime, and the vid is on the data stream for anyone to watch, Kara defended.

Natalie raised both hands. There’s no judgment here. Malik is too intense for me, but I understand the appeal. Carry on. I’ll find someone else to help me set up.

I’ll help you. As always. Kara stood and secured her workstation with a verbal command. I’d just stared at the planning grid for so long my eyes were starting to cross. This stimulates a different part of my brain.

No doubt. Lord knows we’re both ready for some new forms of stimulation.

And if the Sarronti males aren’t willing to oblige, I’ll settle for lunch, Kara wiggled her eyebrows and Natalie laughed. This day has been brutal, and it’s only lunchtime. Kara put her datapad in her desk drawer and locked it with a thumb scan. The first few hours of Kara’s morning had been a manic string of complaints and complications, but the last two dragged by as she struggled to incorporate everyone’s priorities into the schedule for the next two weeks.

You need an assistant. Natalie narrowed her gaze as she studied Kara. There has to be someone with the skills needed to lighten your load. I still see all sorts of women lounging around in the commons all day.

Anyone who hasn’t found something productive to do by now isn’t interested in work. There are tasks enough for everyone. Kara was the senior project manager for the multi-site construction project that had been negotiated as part of the alliance between the Outcasts and the Sarronti, or actually the leaders of the Shadowborn Rebellion within the Sarronti people. The indigenous population of this planet was currently on the brink of civil war, and the Outcasts’ goals were more in line with the rebels.

The Outcasts, a group of retired mercenaries, were responsible for bringing Kara and all the other human females to this planet. The war-weary males had been looking for a secluded place to colonize, an uninhabited world that they could tame and shape to their liking. Unfortunately, the planet they chose wasn’t uninhabited. The Sarronti were a secretive elf-like species. They lived underground because of their extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet light. They also utilized shielding that made their villages undetectable to scanners, so the Outcasts’ misconception was understandable.

Pausing to stretch out the stiffness in her back, Kara skirted the desk and joined Natalie in the narrow corridor. "How about you let me be your assistant for the next hour or so? Often taking a step back and looking at convoluted situations from a different angle allowed Kara to find a way through. I just need to turn my brain off for a while."

Is that really what you think of me? Natalie laughed good-naturedly. You could do my job with your brain turned off?

I couldn’t do your job on my best day, firing on all synapses. I can barely boil water. After a week of trudging back and forth between the job site and the Wheel, the Outcasts’ primary complex, Kara asked Overlord Kage Razel if she could commandeer one of the small storerooms in the barracks for an office. The barracks were adjacent to the construction site, so the location was much more convenient. The overlord agreed, with one condition. Kara must return to the Wheel each night before the barracks filled up with unmated males. You, my friend, are a miracle worker.

Smiling at the praise, Natalie took the lead as they passed through one of the large sleeping areas. Multilevel bunks had been arranged in neat rows offering a place for exhausted workers to catch a few hours of rest, but nothing resembling privacy. Overcrowding here, and in many sections of the Wheel, were causing tempers to flare and fists to fly. This was one of many issues the alliance was hoping to solve with the outposts.

Kara inhaled deeply as they stepped out into the midday sun. The air was crisp and clear, with just a hint of some exotic flower. The rustic barracks were surrounded by majestic trees, but the turquoise leaves and teal-tinted sky were constant reminders that this was not Earth. Kara could hear the swiftly moving river though it wasn’t visible from where the makeshift cafeteria had been set up in the clearing between the barracks and the construction site.

Natalie moved behind her hover cart and activated the compact conveyance. Her family owned a restaurant back on Earth, so she’d volunteered to cook a hearty midday meal for the workers. Most of the ingredients available to her were synthesized by nutrition generators or nutri-gens. Somehow, she still managed to produce some of the most enjoyable meals Kara had eaten since their arrival on Sarronti Prime.

So, what’s on the menu today? Kara asked as they started across the clearing. As usual, it smells amazing.

Mom won today’s tug-of-war, Natalie replied. I made chicken enchiladas, or as close to them as I could come with alien ingredients. Natalie’s mother was Mexican and her father was Italian. Both loved to cook, so Natalie was equally skilled in either cuisine.

A tragedy had drawn the women together, though they’d been indirectly involved. Shortly after their arrival, one of the Outcast shuttles exploded, killing eleven males. Natalie and Kara each had a potential mate among the victims. The women were saddened by the accident, yet neither knew the males well. Natalie had been introduced to her potential mate, but that’s as far as their courtship progressed. Kara knew nothing more than her male’s name. Even so, the shock and lost possibilities gave the women common ground. They’d grown steadily closer ever since.

Kara had been on Sarronti Prime for just over five months now. She, like all the other women on the planet, had volunteered for a program back on Earth that matched Rodyte males with genetically compatible females. The alien race had been openly interacting with Earth for almost two years. Secretly, they had been on Earth much longer. Still, the mate-locator program was surprisingly popular. Kara had been debating which of her potential mates to contact first when she was kidnaped by the Outcasts. They had kidnaped three thousand females in a matter of weeks and brought them to this distant wilderness.

The Outcasts were the same species as the aliens back on Earth, and they wanted the same thing, a quiet life free from war and oppression. Still, that didn’t excuse the highhanded way they’d gone about locating potential mates. Some of the Outcasts had managed to win over their reluctant mates, but many of the females refused to be courted. They hadn’t agreed to leave Earth, so they had no intention of playing nice. After months of dealing with resentful, rebellious females and significant pressure from several powerful allies, Overlord Kage Razel reluctantly agreed to return any female to Earth if she was still determined to go.

Kara had reserved a spot on one of the transports, but Natalie convinced her to stay. They were committed to the idea of a free colony, a place where they could live life on their own terms. Even so, Kara was still wrestling with her decision. She was estranged from her family and had never had a lot of friends, so Earth didn’t have much to recommend it. Sarronti Prime, on the other hand, was exciting and new, yet she hadn’t connected with any of her potential mates, so what sort of future would she have here?

Then the Outcasts started interacting with the Sarronti rebels. Kara found the elves intriguing and wanted to help with their fight to break free from the oppressive elite. And there was one elf warrior in particular that interested her greatly.

So, has your favorite general asked to court you yet? Natalie glanced at Kara and grinned. Does he know you watch the recording of his fight at least twice a day? She unfolded a long white tablecloth then handed one end to Kara.

Kara playfully glared at her friend as they shook out the cloth and draped it over the table. Despite Kara’s pretend annoyance, just the mention of Malik made her pulse leap. They both served on the planning committee, so she’d seen him a lot the past three weeks. Kara found her gaze drifting to the handsome general with embarrassing regularity. General Xett has been nothing but professional with me and you know it.

Like all the Sarronti, his appearance was more exotic than most of the Outcasts. The Outcasts were massive, tall and muscular but they looked more or less human. The Sarronti, on the other hand, were only slightly taller than humans, but their features were more angular. Their vivid coloring and pointed ears made them appear otherworldly. And Malik was no exception.

If Malik is going to play hard to get, why don’t you ask him out on a date, or whatever Sarronti couples do when they’re interested in each other? Natalie made it sound so simple, so easy.

I’m not Sarronti, and I don’t think Sarronti males are interested in humans.

Bullshit, Natalie said as she pretended to cough into her hand. Are you ever going to explain why you’re so damn gun-shy?

If I were ‘gun-shy,’ Kara emphasized the phrase with finger quotes, I would still be on Earth unhappily married to my job.

Natalie searched her gaze for a moment before she asked, Then why won’t you let Malik know you’re interested in him? I think you two would be great together.

I want a mate, not a flashfire affair. He just took over the entire Sarronti military, and he’s a founding member of the Shadowborn Rebellion. I don’t think he has time for a serious relationship right now.

Natalie didn’t look convinced, but she let the subject drop and refocused on the task at hand. They worked for a few minutes in silence, then Natalie said, That doesn’t look good. She nodded toward the small crowd gathering on the other side of the clearing.

Kara followed the direction of Natalie’s gesture and shook her head. These spontaneous dustups were becoming a daily occurrence. Six males faced off near the wooden framework of the Riverside Outpost. Three were Outcasts, the other three Sarronti. Who do you think will throw the first punch? Kara wasn’t surprised by the ongoing aggression. Most of these males were trained for combat, not construction.

My money’s on the Outcasts, Natalie told her. Kicking ass is what mercenaries do.

The Outcasts aren’t mercenaries anymore, Kara reminded as she helped Natalie unload the hover cart. They’re officially retired.

Someone needs to explain that to Tyllis. Natalie motioned toward the hotheaded Outcast, who was frequently in the middle of violent altercations.

Kara cringed. Tyllis was one of three Outcasts genetically compatible with her and his argumentative, and too often violent, personality was the primary reason she refused to consider a relationship with him. He’d asked to court her three times. Each of her refusals made him more determined and aggressive. Kara preferred to solve her own problems, but if Tyllis didn’t back off, she’d have no choice but to ask Overlord Razel to intervene.

I wonder what set him off this time, Natalie asked as she handed Kara the last of the supplies.

Kara glanced at the males then continued setting up the buffet. It never takes much with Tyllis.

Unloading plates and flatware, Natalie handed them to Kara and motioned toward the end of the table. How are the other outposts coming along? It sure seems like this one is taking forever. Riverside Outpost was one of six proposed by the alliance. Each fortified compound was being constructed near a Sarronti village and would eventually be inhabited by a mixture of Sarronti, Outcasts, and human females. Because of the females who returned to Earth, one-third of the Outcasts needed to bond with Sarronti females. And Kara wasn’t the only human female still on Sarronti Prime who hadn’t accepted any of her genetic matches. Forming an alliance with the Sarronti rebels had given everyone new options.

The progress is slower than we’d hoped, but this is the first outpost, so the learning curve is steep. The others should move more quickly. Tents and temporary barracks would have to do until the permanent structures were operational. Most of the Sarronti refugees weren’t used to creature comforts, and being on the surface for the first time in their lives—thanks to the highly effective sunscreen mass-produced by the Outcasts—was excitement enough to keep them content. Still, everyone on the planning committee could feel the tension mounting.

"You rekist fauktor!"

Kara’s com-bots failed to provide the English equivalent, but Tyllis’ hateful expression required no translation. The elf’s only response was a scornful sneer. Tyllis shoved the elf backward. The elf swung, but the shove pushed him off-balance, so his fist connected with Tyllis’ shoulder rather than his face. The other two Outcasts grabbed Tyllis as he lunged for the elf. Tyllis snarled and twisted, breaking free from his coworkers’ grasp, a good indication that they hadn’t been trying that hard to restrain him.

Instead of going for the elf again, Tyllis pivoted toward the females. His dark gaze locked on Kara, and he stomped across the clearing, heading directly toward her.

Get security, Kara urged. I’ll see if I can talk him down.

Keep the table between you, Natalie urged as she darted into the surrounding trees.

Kara wasn’t worried about Tyllis harming her physically. He loved to stomp and sneer, but he’d never laid a hand on her. Besides, his companions wouldn’t just stand there and watch him hit a female. There were harsh penalties for such abuse. It would take Natalie at least fifteen minutes to reach the Wheel and another ten for the guards to arrive. Could Kara really distract Tyllis that long, or hope to defuse his temper? The other Outcasts’ probably contacted security already, so all Kara had to do was keep Tyllis talking until they got here.

Like all the Outcasts, Tyllis was tall and muscular. It was hard to make a living as a mercenary if you weren’t physically fit. His dark brown hair was shaggy, and a short beard now shadowed the lower half of his face. The basic concept of the Outcast colony was to have as few rules as possible, but the ones that did exist were ruthlessly enforced.

How long are you going to keep this up? Tyllis asked as he reached the half-assembled buffet. He placed his hands on the tabletop and leaned toward her, lowering his voice. "I’ve grown weary of your teasing, mate."

Teasing? Kara felt her jaw drop and snapped it closed. She had done nothing to encourage his interest. In fact, just the opposite was true. I’ve been very clear about my feelings. She kept her expression calm, voice even. Humiliating him in front of others would make him more belligerent. I don’t want to be courted by anyone right now. I need to focus on my work until things are less volatile. Damn it. That made it sound like she might consider his claim at a later time, and that was not true.

His dark eyes narrowed, and his phitons, the blue rings separating the pupils from the irises gleamed, indicating his heightened emotions. And your precious ‘work’ just happens to be where I am, forcing me to see you and smell you every hour of every day.

She tensed. The charge was exaggerated, but there was also an element of truth. Their proximity was an unfortunate coincidence. They both had skills needed for the massive construction project. This outpost is well underway, she said quietly. We’re breaking ground in Lake Walker Village tomorrow. I planned to go to the purification ceremony. I’ll move my office there as well.

If you don’t want a mate, why are you still on Sarronti Prime? He started to round the table, hands fisted at his sides. "All the unwilling females returned to Earth." Tyllis paused near the end of the table, like a thunderstorm building intensity

His barb found its mark making her feel guilty and uncomfortable. She was interested in finding a mate and starting a family, just not with Tyllis. Where the hell was security? If she ran for the Wheel, Tyllis would chase her. Unless his friends stopped him, he’d catch her long before she reached safety. He wouldn’t hurt her in front of the others, but she honestly didn’t know what he’d do without an audience.

She dismissed the possibility of retreat and took a deep breath, regaining control of her emotions. She needed to talk him down, be firm without provoking him. I chose not to accept your claim. That means my personal life is no longer your business. I want—

You want General Xett, Tyllis sneered. Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way you stare at him? You’d bend over that table and drop your pants if he wanted inside you.

Anger burned through her compassion, and she took a step toward him. You are not, nor will you ever be, my mate. Now stop harassing me!

Like I said, you’re a tease, He lunged for her as he snarled the last phrase.

Kara twisted away from his grasping hand and collided with Malik Xett. The general wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer against him. Apologize to the lady.

Fuck you, Tyllis sneered.

I won’t ask again. Authority snapped through Malik’s deep voice, and his fresh, woodsy scent curled around her, soothing and calming her. He commanded the Sarronti military, not the Outcasts, but clearly expected to be obeyed.

"I don’t work for you, elf, Tyllis snarled. Now get your filthy hands off my mate! That’s what this alliance is all about. You want our females!"

Malik smoothly guided her behind him, standing between her and her unwanted suitor. "Ms. O’Leary is not your anything. She has repeatedly rejected your claim. Stop humiliating yourself."

All she could see was Malik’s broad back and muscular arms, but she was well acquainted with his appearance. He stood half a head taller than the other Sarronti males, and his features were unusually rugged. Many of the elves were elegant, so refined that they verged on pretty. Malik’s shoulder-length hair blended every shade of purple from nearly black to the same pastel as his shimmering eyes. She often found the Outcasts too impulsive and the Sarronti too aloof. Malik possessed an