Uninhibited Fire (Alpha Colony Book 4) Read online

  Alpha Colony 4: Uninhibited Fire

  Cyndi Friberg

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Uninhibited Fire © 2016 Cyndi Friberg

  Edited by Mary Moran

  Cover art by Dar Albert

  Electronic book publication, May 2016

  Second Edition

  First Edition published using the pseudonym Aubrey Ross, in 2009

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author, Cyndi Friberg.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Alpha Colony 4: Uninhibited Fire

  Cyndi Friberg

  After a lifetime of trading passion for ambition, Doctor Emily Hillard is determined to catch a killer. Instead of being awed by her technology, the morphs pair her with the most exasperating man she has ever encountered. He’s barbaric, domineering, and unapologetically savage. She should be frightened, or at least repelled by his lack of sophistication. Instead, she finds him refreshing, and pictures herself crushed beneath his strong body as he skillfully peels away her civility.

  Cruz, a panther-shifter with pyrokinetic abilities, spent eleven years as an assassin before being allowed a reprieve. He is finally enjoying some down time when a murderous rogue chooses his territory for a hideout. Now half of Alpha Colony is searching for the rogue, and Cruz’s handlers are desperate to get their hands on Emily’s prototype. Ordinarily Cruz would have ignored their threats and ultimatums, but he’s intrigued by the delectable doctor. So, he decides to show the hothouse flower what life in the wild is all about.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About the Author

  Other Titles by

  Prologue

  “I’m disappointed in you, Amara.” Izak’s tone was flat and dispassionate.

  Despite the carnal hunger gathering inside her, Amara rolled her eyes. No matter what she did, or how carefully she followed Izak’s instructions, he was always disappointed in her. “What did I do to earn your displeasure -- this time?”

  He lashed out fast and hard, the back of his hand connecting with her cheek. Her head snapped sharply to the side and lights burst in front of her eyes. She was bound, spread-eagle, inside a wooden frame, so she hadn’t been able to hamper the punishing blow.

  The frame had been a surprise, a project he’d used to fill the hours while she sneaked into dog territory to determine the success of his latest scheme. When she’d returned to their hideout with news of his failure, he’d calmly restrained her, and the berating had begun.

  “Don’t provoke me. You’ve just about outlived your usefulness.” His cruelty had long since eroded his physical appeal. She’d formed this alliance out of desperation, and the faint hope that he’d give her cubs. Now she obeyed out of fear and necessity. She simply knew too much. If she tried to leave him, she’d be his next victim, and they both knew it.

  “Just get it over with,” she muttered, tired of his games. “Your plans failed. These crimes are too convenient even for the dogs to believe. Our only hope is to lay low, really lay low until --”

  “Until what?” He grabbed the back of her hair and snarled into her face. “Until they find me? Turning them against each other was the only thing that kept them from joining forces against me! I might have a couple of days, maybe even a week, but they will find me.”

  “Then let’s sneak out. If a cat and a dog can do it, so can we.”

  “That cat and dog had help, lots of help. We’d be on our own.” He released her hair with a frustrated hiss and took a step back from the frame. “I’ll think of something. I always do.”

  That’s what worried her. Each of his plans was more bizarre, and more dangerous than the last, and she was the one who took the risk. He remained in their secluded hideout while she sneaked into enemy camps and seduced sentinels.

  He moved behind her and she worked to decipher the sounds he was making. He’d positioned the frame near the center of the room, allowing him to approach her from any angle, and making her feel even more on display.

  This was the aspect of their partnership she enjoyed. Izak was by far the best lover she’d ever had. He was creative and demanding. He brought out a wildness in her she hadn’t been aware of before. They didn’t make love, or even have sex most of the time. What they did was raw and animalistic.

  “I always think better with empty balls. Now tell me about the lions. Are they as big as people say?”

  She tensed, pulling against the braided cords binding her wrists. “Why do you do this? You’ll punish me if I don’t answer, but you’ll punish me harder if my answers anger you.”

  “So don’t anger me.” He pressed against her back, whispering the taunt into her ears.

  “They were men, like any other.”

  He chuckled then stepped back. “Don’t lie to me again, or I’ll leave you strung up for the rest of the night.”

  She stared across the cave, letting the darkness console her. She needed to regain what control she could. Izak had given her the tools she needed to survive in his world, and she’d taken those tools and learned how to use them so deftly that she not only survived, she thrived.

  Licking her lips, she chose her words carefully. “Duff was barely more than a boy.” Oh, Izak would like that. “He was lean, with the sort of frame that would become impressive, but was not yet bulky like so many of those soldiers are.”

  Izak’s breath warmed her back, and his hands came to rest against her hips as she aroused him with her words.

  “The other one was impatient and cruel.” It was an exaggeration. They had both been remarkably cooperative, but that wasn’t what Izak wanted to hear. “His name was River, and he forced me to my knees. Then his hands tangled in my hair.”

  “Where was the young one? Did he watch? Was he reluctant or exuberant?”

  “He was reluctant, at first.” Izak thrust his hand between her thighs, stabbing into her passage with a possessive aggression that made Amara groan. “Duff watched while I sucked River, but the sight was too much for him. He took me from behind, apologizing for his misbehavior the entire time he was inside me.”

  Izak moved his hand faster and faster, then suddenly pulled out and rammed into her with his cock. Amara grinned, thrilled by his urgency. He took her fast and hard, each stroke straining the bonds holding her wrists and ankles.

  His groin slapped against her butt and he came so fast, she was left throbbing while he spurted. She listened to his ragged breathing, frustrated and annoyed.

  “Have I ever left you wanting?” He reached around her hip and touched her clit, stimulating her with light, teasing circles. Her body happily continued its interrupted climb toward completion. She remained perfectly still and focused on the sensations building inside her. The orgasm burst suddenly, gripping her with rippling spasms of pleasure.

  He rocked her forward as he pulled out, leaving her alone within the frame. “That was almost as good as the dog I killed. Damn, that bitch could s
cream.”

  His casual tone cramped Amara’s stomach. She might not have been there, but she was as guilty of the dog’s death as Izak. She was his willing accomplice, providing him with whatever he needed to accomplish the task. Task? It wasn’t a task. It had been a heinous murder.

  And it hadn’t been the first.

  Regret crashed over her in punishing waves. There was no justification for what she’d done, no way to excuse her part in the horror. She was a murderer. A violent shudder shook her body, and she turned her face away. How had it gone this far? Why had she allowed him to… No, she couldn’t blame it on Izak. She’d known the cruelty driving him, and still she’d instigated their alliance.

  “Why so glum?” He moved in front of her and cupped her breast. She tried to twist away from his touch. “It’s a little too late to play hard to get.”

  “Stop it.” She struggled hard enough to rock the frame. “Untie me. Now!”

  His gaze narrowed on her face. “Maybe I’m not finished. Maybe that just took the edge off my hunger.”

  He returned to his position behind her, and she tried to still her struggles. Fighting him now was not only pointless, it would heighten his enjoyment. Gods, she hated these games!

  “Now let me tell you a story. This might not be how it happened, but it’s how I’m going to picture it from now on.”

  A menacing snarl echoed off the stone walls. Whipping her head toward the cave’s entrance, Amara barely had time to scream. A large panther separated itself from the darkness and bounded across the cavern. It leaped across the fire pit in a graceful arc, and let out a ferocious roar.

  Izak shrieked and lunged back, taking him out of her line of sight. The panther’s soft fur brushed her shoulder and back as it drove Izak to the floor. There was a moment of frantic struggle, growls and screams, then an absolute, surreal silence.

  Amara jerked against the cords binding her wrists and ankles. Had the panther killed Izak, or was he just incapacitated?

  What the hell was going on?

  Like a shot of adrenaline, the metallic scent of blood burned panic’s haze from her mind. She had to think, had to determine the panther’s motives if she hoped to get out of this alive.

  She heard the distant drone of engines and panic surged anew. Engines meant handlers, and handlers meant… “You work for DOMA?” Trepidation pressed in around her, cold and smothering. “You can’t let them take me. Please! Kill me quickly. I won’t go back to the labs.”

  He moved into her peripheral vision, and she held her breath. Panthers were known for their sensuality, and this man reinforced the stereotype. She craned her neck, needing to see him more clearly. Sleek blue-black hair flowed away from his face, just brushing his broad shoulders. Sculpted with angular lines and masculine beauty, his features offered no hint of his lethal nature -- until she looked into his eyes. Endlessly black and cutting, his gaze stripped away her excuses and peered into her soul.

  “Do you know why they want you alive?” His dark, silky voice perfectly matched his appearance.

  She shook her head. “Who knows why they want any of us. I’m barren. Maybe they want to fix me.”

  “Would that be so bad?” One of his dark brows arched, but his gaze remained cold and unfeeling.

  “Did they fix you?”

  Cruz wasn’t sure what he saw in the tigress’ gaze that made him change his mind. Perhaps he just hoped someone would do the same for him, if the situation were ever reversed. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to turn her over to his handlers. No one deserved what the handlers did to morphs, what the handlers had done to him.

  “I’ll catch hell for this. They specifically told me you were to be unharmed.” Light flashed across the mouth of the cave. He didn’t have much time. Disregarding less direct strategies, he moved behind the restrained tigress. “I know your mate deserved what he got, but do you deserve to die?”

  Her response came without hesitation. “I’m as guilty as he was. Please, hurry.” Cruz took a deep breath and snapped her neck. She slumped in the makeshift frame, head lolling to one side.

  Without a backward glance, he strode to the mouth of the cave and watched the transport land on an adjacent bluff. There were no roads to speak of in this area, which was one of the reasons he’d chosen it for his “retirement.”

  He hiked to the base of the hill and waited for his primary handler to climb on a hover-cycle and meet him at the bottom of the narrow gorge. For a covert mission, the tactical team sure as hell wasn’t trying very hard to be stealthy. The small vehicle was quiet, but its headlight could be seen by every morph in the valley.

  All of the handlers were identified by alphanumeric codes, so Cruz had devised his own system for identifying those he interacted with on a regular basis. He called his primary handler Jack. The others earned less complimentary names like Jackoff and Jackass, which was why DOMA tried to send him Jack as often as possible. Things just seemed to run smoother when Jack led the operation.

  The hover-cycle slid to a stop beside Cruz, and he reached over and deactivated the ridiculous headlight. He morphed his eyes enough to penetrate the darkness, enjoying Jack’s momentary disadvantage.

  “Where’s the female?” Jack never wasted time with pleasantries. Cruz might not trust him, but he appreciated his candor.

  “The male snapped her neck as soon as I entered the cave. There was nothing I could do to stop him.” Cruz seldom lied to Jack, which was why the human would believe him now. There had been countless situations when it would have been easier to manipulate events, but Cruz had reported accurately. A shiver darted down his spine. If the truth of this situation ever came to light, he would pay dearly for his moment of twisted compassion.

  “Is the male dead?”

  “Of course,” he replied, allowing his impatience to show. He shouldn’t be this distracted by such a simple case.

  “Don’t sound affronted.” Jack swung his leg over the seat and slid to the ground. The darkness was insufficient to hide his agitation. He took off his gloves and slapped them against his palm. Even wearing his helmet and boots, he only reached Cruz’s shoulder. “You were contracted for one hit and one capture. Your contract remains incomplete.”

  Heat erupted in his palms, making the skin tingle and glow. He clenched his fists and drew back the energy, refusing to lose control. “I’m not responsible for what happened in the cave. I will not be penalized for --”

  “One hit and one capture. That was the deal. If the woman is dead, you still owe us the capture.”

  Cruz slowly ran his hands through his hair, letting the cool strands soothe his stinging palms. It would be so easy to just fry the useless bastard! Jack’s men would open fire an instant later and this nightmare would finally be over. Death by handler. Lots of morphs checked out that way. Lots of weak, cowardly morphs. Cruz dismissed the impulse with a hiss and raised his face to the sky.

  He breathed in the cool mountain air and absorbed the tranquility of the pine-scented night. “If I refuse?” He knew the answer. Why did he bother asking the question when the answer was always the same?

  “You’ll be recalled to active duty. I’ll reactivate the chip in your head so General Hidaka can locate his favorite toy. We both know how much he’ll enjoy having you under his thumb again.”

  Hatred swept through Cruz, focusing his emotions and chilling his blood. Under the general’s cruel tutelage he had been painstakingly molded into a ruthless living weapon. For eleven years he’d obeyed without question or hesitation, until his soul withered and died.

  “Of course, Director Balentine will be disappointed to learn you’ve gone back into rotation. She had to pull some serious strings to have you discharged the first time around. She might not be able to pull it off again.” Jack shrugged and placed his hand on the seat of the hover-cycle, the pose anything but casual.

  This was blackmail plain and simple. Cruz hated to give in to anything so mundane. Karah Balentine, DOMA’s current director,
had a taste for male morphs, and panthers were her favorite. Her infatuation with Cruz had lasted longer than most, and she had used her considerable power to keep her pet out of harm’s way in case her itch needed scratching again.

  The actual dynamics were a bit more convoluted, but Jack already knew more than he needed to know.

  Cruz just glared at him, so Jack continued, “Ultimately our military contracts pay the bills. Even Director Balentine can’t argue with the almighty bottom line.”

  There had to be a reason for this trip down memory lane. If Karah wanted to see him again, she would have summoned him. Gods knew she hadn’t been subtle when summoning him in the past. This was business. What he did for Karah might be infinitely more fun than what he did for General Hidaka, but he wasn’t foolish enough to think he meant any more to her than he did to the general.

  “Who do you need me to capture, and what does it have to do with Director Balentine?” His tone grew cold even as his conditioning kicked in.

  “Not who. What. Director Balentine has reason to believe Milo will send one of his agents here to help search for the rogue tigers. The agent will be equipped with a prototype Director Balentine is anxious to examine.”

  “Which means I’m not to report what just happened in the cave?” Karah and Milo had been archrivals for longer than Cruz could remember. He wasn’t sure about the cause of the rivalry; he only knew it was heated.

  “Very good.” Jack’s sarcastic tone made Cruz’s claws prick his sensitive palms. “You need to present yourself to Maddox at the feline village and volunteer to help lead a search team.”

  “Why would the leader of Barbary pride trust me to lead a search team? I could be the rogue for all he knows.”

  Jack waved away is concern. “Maddox knows the identity of the rogue. He’s just trying to locate Izak so he can prove his suspicions. You’ll tell him you want everyone out of your territory, so you’re willing to help him with the search.”