Weixler: Cyborg Rogues, #3

By Alyse Anders

Weixler has a plan for everything. When people listen and do what he says, things always work out. Trapped on a shuttle with his mate, his uncontrollable urges to possess her, and a desperate man who needs their help, Weixler's plan falls apart faster than his inability to keep his hands to himself. Petra has spent her life rushing forward blindly, chasing the high that comes with embarking on a new adventure. Boarding the Kraken to unknown space was the next logical thing to do after running away from her broken marriage. Discovering she's the fated mate of a cyborg security expert seems like the biggest adventure of all. That is until he starts to lose control and must rely on her to do the one thing she's always feared – being reliable. As Weixler's sexual inhibitor wears off, leaving his control in tatters, he and Petra must resist one another long enough to save the woman and win their freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alyse Anders
• Release date: May 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781990064036

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

If it wasn’t for the fact that they were on a rescue mission, Weixler would have enjoyed the rooftop view. There was something comforting about the sight of symmetrical buildings, neatly stacked in rows. Weixler knew the chaos and decay just below his sightline would shatter the illusion, but from up high, the view was a balm.

With a single breath, he turned his attention to the spot on the roof beneath his feet.

Gadiel squatted, pressed a hand to the surface, and let out a sigh. The shield’s still active. I’m not able to get any readings from here.

The inhibitor isn’t helping. While Weixler had understood the necessity of receiving the emotional inhibitor to keep from going mad while in proximity of his mate, there was nothing more infuriating than not having access to all his abilities. Eion and Qwin will be inside by now.

Gadiel stood and moved back. Do your thing.

Yes.

Weixler’s thing had always been about The Plan. Ensuring the resources were there and ready for the others to take and put into action. It was his job to know everyone’s capabilities, to know what tools they’d need and to ensure everything was ready. It was why he made supply kits and hid them all over the sector, any place they might need them if a future mission went wrong.

Breaking into a Black Guard facility would be one of the easier things he’d done in a while.

Taking a moment to scan the roof, Weixler quickly identified a maintenance port hidden near the ventilation shaft. It wasn’t much, something easily overlooked by anyone setting up security for the building, but it was enough for him to take advantage of. All he needed now was something he could use to setup a feedback loop…

Hand me your blaster. Weixler didn’t bother to look at Gadiel, knowing his commander would simply do what he asked. It was one of the things he appreciated about Gadiel, the trust he had in each of them to do their jobs, to be their best without second guessing them.

He only registered the weight of the weapon for a moment before he mentally outlined everything that needed to happen, his matrix making the necessary calculations to ensure he didn’t blow the entire roof off. You’re going to want to back up.

I still can’t reach the others through the link, but I get the impression that they’re here and ready to move the moment we are.

It was equal parts strange and reassuring that they’d been a team long enough that they didn’t need to rely on direct communication any longer to function. Each member of the team had a role and they fit into that slot perfectly. The four of them were a well-oiled machine that once moving, required little supervision or manipulation.

He didn’t want to consider what might happen to them now that the humans were here.

The blaster wasn’t the perfect solution, but it allowed him to create the feedback loop and generate the power necessary to blow the energy shield. He pulled the energy source from the blaster’s stock, crossed three circuits, before replacing it and slotting the blaster’s muzzle into the maintenance port. He then stood and made his way over behind the bulkhead where Gadiel was waiting. Ten seconds.

How big a blast will this cause?

Big enough we won’t have time to linger. We’ll have to grab the women and move quickly.

Gadiel nodded, pulling out his secondary weapon.

The seconds ticked off in Weixler’s head as the whine from the blaster’s feedback grew in intensity, and he braced himself for what was to come.

Three…two…one…

The building shook as the explosion not only took the shield down but ripped a hole in the roof. Frak, that was way stronger than he’d anticipated – stronger than he’d calculated. Maybe his logic functions were under more strain now that he was closer to his mate. He could only hope the women below them were unhurt as he leapt into action, half a step behind Gadiel.

The next few moments were chaos.

Weixler fell down the hole immediately after Gadiel. There were three Black Guard in the room, and the three women were separated. One was in a bed hooked up to some sort of medical equipment, while the other two were close to where they’d entered from the roof. Weixler knew who his mate was the second he’d laid eyes on her back on Zarlan. They’d barely had a moment to see one another before the Black Guard had attacked. Now that he was close to her, Weixler understood why Hallam had insisted they use the inhibitor.

The possessive rage was nearly crippling.

He grabbed the black-haired woman around the waist and pulled her close as he fired at the guards. When he looked down at her, her brown eyes were wide and full of excitement. Not exactly the emotion he would have assumed someone in her predicament would have felt.

I’m Petra. She shouted at him between blaster shots.

Weixler didn’t bother to answer her, not when they had to focus on getting out in one piece. He caught sight of Qwin rushing into the room, making a line for the woman in the bed – no doubt his mate – before Weixler pulled Petra along and out of the building through the secondary hole Gadiel had made. Holding onto her hard, he leapt from the building to land in the alley below. Fire and smoke billowed from the building until the suppression units took care of the damage. Weixler set Petra down, but kept her hand firmly in his for fear of losing her again.

I need you to stay close. He didn’t bother to look her way, instead focusing on their surroundings.

He turned to speak to Gadiel as a torrent of blaster fire exploded around them. Petra screamed as she yanked him toward the nearest cover. It was only once they were tucked in the doorway of the building, did Weixler realize Gadiel and his mate had run across the street to the other side. The shock that he hadn’t been aware, that he’d moved in the opposite way to follow Petra without a second thought, rather than instinctively fall into step with his commander, shocked him to his core.

Weixler was calculating the speed in which he’d need to run to join Gadiel when one of the Black Guard soldiers lobbed a grenade their way, causing an explosion in the middle of the road that blocked off any chance of an immediate reunion.

Gadiel caught his attention and gave him three signals telling him to continue on his own. Weixler could only nod, knowing they’d have to find a way to meet back with the others.

Petra’s fingers dug into his arm. What’s happening?

Gadiel is going to take his mate –

Dania.

"He’s going to take Dania and find another way around back to the shuttle. He clamped down on his frustration, something he hadn’t needed to do since before his death and rebirth. We need to move. We’re not safe here."

Well then, let’s get going!

Weixler couldn’t help but look into Petra’s brown eyes, surprised at how wide they were, how excited she seemed to be. He didn’t have time to figure out exactly the kind of woman his new mate was, but at least she didn’t appear to be someone scared of diving into action when necessary.

Taking her hand once more, he fired back at the Black Guard who were slowly advancing on their position, letting Gadiel and Dania make their escape before pulling on Petra to follow.

Can I have one of those to fire? Her question was nearly swallowed by the chaos around them.

No.

Why not?

He let out a growl that he was certain she couldn’t hear. Because I don’t have time to show you how to use one. Now run!

Petra’s response was cut off as they were forced to bolt from their hiding spot. He kept her in front of him, not wanting to risk her getting hit with blaster fire, as they raced toward the corner and ducked into an alley. They quickly came face to face with another patrol, though this one seemed focused on someone else on the far side, no doubt either Eion or Qwin making their escape. Weixler checked to make sure Petra was safe before laying down suppressing fire for whomever that was.

What are you doing? Petra’s surprise was only matched by her confusion.

Buying someone some time. He pointed across the small square. Head for that alley.

Without fully knowing the layout of the city, Weixler could only hope they were heading in the right direction to meet up with whoever was ahead of them. For her part, Petra moved as quickly as she could, and followed his lead with little complaint. He couldn’t imagine the confusion and fear she’d have had to deal with in the short time she’d been out of stasis since arriving on Zarlan. Weixler doubted he’d deal with the situation any better than she had; frak, he probably would have been angry wanting to know every detail of what was happening and not having the answers.

Petra simply dove into the situation and followed by his side while he tried to drag them to safety. He had to admit, he liked that about her.

The Black Guard must have realized that there were multiple groups now, and had divided up to chase all of them. Weixler scanned the alley and any close buildings attempting to find a place where they could hide. He caught sight of Qwin’s matrix signature just inside his range and changed direction to follow.

If they were able to meet up, they’d have double the chance of getting back to the shuttle in one piece.

Qwin and his mate are this way. He could only hope Petra was able to hear him as they quickly changed direction.

Olya! Petra glanced back at him, even as she continued to run full speed. Where?

To the right.

She turned the corner without hesitation, not losing even a bit of her speed. While she might not be very tall in stature, Petra took advantage of every inch of her stride and kept up a surprising pace. If this was how she ran after having been in stasis for over fifty years, he could only imagine how fast she’d be once she’d had time to acclimate.

It took effort to not divert his full attention to watch her move.

Another volley of blaster fire yanked him back into the moment, though this time it came from slightly further away. Either something had happened to pull some of their followers away, or else they were trying to lead them into an ambush. Either way, Weixler wasn’t about to let them dictate his fate. He still couldn’t reach Qwin through their cybernetic link but was able to track his movements. They’d stopped somewhere, probably having found a location to duck and hide inside. Weixler didn’t want to risk bringing their followers to the location, but he also knew they were safer together.

He needed to put additional distance between them and their followers before making their way over to Qwin. I’m sorry.

Petra looked back at him, her pace slowing. For what?

Without another word, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, before increasing his stride. He’d half expected her to scream, get angry, to beat at his back for what he’d done. What she did instead was grab hold of his waist and laugh.

His mate was a strange one.

Making a calculated decision, Weixler increased his speed and raced toward Qwin’s location. Turning down the alleyway, it was clear to see the reason he’d chose the door he had; set back alley, partially covered by the building’s architecture. As he rapidly approached, he could feel Qwin’s presence growing in his mind, their connection strengthening.

The moment the door opened and Qwin stepped out alone, Weixler knew there was a problem. He stopped in front of Qwin and carefully put Petra down. His mate’s mood shifted nearly instantly when she looked inside the building. Is Olya okay?

"No. She’s very weak and I need to