aHunter4Ever (18 page)

Partlan eased out of the bed and stood for a few minutes watching Grace
sleep. She was exhausted after their ordeal and he had not let her rest much
last night. His eyes lingered on her neck and he fought back his anger at the
wound she had suffered. If only he had taken better care, or been quicker.

Grace wasn’t bothered by it though. She said it was minor compared to
some of her other injuries. She was a warrior and his heart swelled at the
realization that she was truly his mate.

A wonderful world of purpose had opened up for him. By Cygnus and
Warrior, he was grateful to have been given the gift of a pair bond. It was a
miracle and a privilege to know the joys of a mate. He had been truly blessed.

Now, he must be certain that no harm would come to her.

He could not bear it if she should be injured again. She was his responsibility
despite her training. He was a Hunter; the elite of all warriors. He would
protect her with his life. He took one last look before leaving. Outside the
door, there were some clothes laid on a chair. He picked them up and put them
inside their room. She would want to dress before coming to meet with the
others.

In the kitchen area, Fiona was busy making breakfast. Firbin was at her
side helping and Ardal was sitting at the table talking with Catal. Lorcan was
hunched over a laptop computer beside them, and Selena was pouring coffee. When
Partlan came in, Ardal, was the first to look up.

“Are you ready for work?”

“Yes.” Partlan pulled out a chair and sat. “I left Grace sleeping.”

“We need to discuss what happened in Australia.”

Partlan nodded. “The Albireons seemed to be in control. Not only do we
have to protect people from themselves, but from threats from other planets.”

“How long have they been here?”

“Eogan said that it had been over seventy years.” Partlan smiled up at
Selena when she handed him a cup of coffee. “The Albireons exchanged technology
for free access to humans for experimentation.”

“What can they possibly want with the humans?” Lorcan looked up from his
computer. “I can find no mention of this facility, except that it monitors satellites.
There is some chatter about it being a covert surveillance site that mines
electronic data.”

“Why in that location?” Partlan took a sip of coffee.

“Because it’s too far inland for anyone else to spy on it.” Grace’s voice
came from the kitchen door. “Nobody can station ships in the waters around
Australia and spy on them. It’s the perfect location for clandestine
activities.”

Partlan stood and pulled out the chair beside him. Bruises were evident
on her neck. Her step was firm, though. She had put the clothes on that Fiona
and Selena had given her and she looked stunning. The shirt was tight, but it
showed off her curves. Gone was the loose business suit and in its place a more
casual and relaxed look.

Grace sat. “The Albireons who held me captive insisted they wanted the
human genetic code. They needed us for survival even though they had already
infiltrated the planet.”

“That’s insane.” Lorcan’s voice was outraged. “When did this happen and
why?”

“It’s been going on for years.” Grace cleared her throat. “I’m afraid
individual humans have been helping them with the hope that they will have a
part of the profits when the Albireons take over.”

“Humans are helping them?” Fiona put a plate of muffins on the table. “Do
you know who?”

“Eogan said that some of the oldest organizations and families with money
had made a treaty with the Albireons.” Partlan handed Grace a coffee. “They are
not connected with any one government.”

“So they have gone above the law?” Selena shivered. “That is more
frightening than thinking that a government is responsible for the outrageous
things they are doing.”

“I agree.” Grace’s voice was crisp. “I would like to shut them down if
possible.”

“If it is a world organization then that might be impossible.” Ardal’s
voice was matter of fact. “We can work against them, but to defeat the
Albireons when they have infiltrated a society to such an extent is difficult.”

“I want to make certain they stop kidnapping humans and experimenting on
them.” Grace shuddered. “It was horrible to be held captive. There was no way
to stop them from doing whatever they wanted.”

Fiona came over to her and clasped her shoulder. “I know how bad that can
be. I was stalked, beaten, and almost killed by one of my medical instructors.
I had to leave my life behind and go into hiding and he still found me. If
Ardal hadn’t rescued me, he would have killed me.”

“You understand why I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.” Grace
looked up at Fiona. “I’m trained in defending myself. What about those who are
totally helpless?”

“We do not have enough men to defeat them, but we may be able to thwart
their attempts to move forward with their plans.” Ardal put his arm around
Fiona’s waist.

“I would like to help with that.” Grace clasped her hands on the table.
“I’ve spent my whole life defending the law. I can’t turn my back on that, but
I can use my training to help stop an international organization that is
working outside of the law.”

Darrogh came into the room at that point. “We will all fight for that. I
remember the last battle I fought against the Albireons. They will not give up
a planet easily.”

“You can also guarantee that if the Albireons have found Earth, then
others are here also.” Catal spoke in a quiet voice. “They will take an
interest in what happens.”

“Most are peaceful.” Partlan glanced at Grace. “I do not want to see a
war on this planet.”

“No one does.” Ardal cleared his throat. “I think we need to continue
helping out the people as we have done in the past. Those that need help can
count on us. At the same time, we have to be aware that there is another force
at work here.”

“Will you be able to assist with that?” Partlan turned to Grace. “The
work we do is valuable.”

Grace pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t be comfortable helping people who have
broken the law.”

“We bring justice.” Ardal explained. “Is that not what the spirit of the
law is about?”

Grace nodded. “You’re right. I can’t deny that sometimes the law doesn’t
work on behalf of the victims.”

“That is where we come in.” Ardal tightened his grip on Fiona. “My wife
was terrorized by a man who wouldn’t quit until he killed her. He had already
murdered many women and the law did not stop him. We did.”

Grace’s eyes widened. “A lot of horrible people fall between the cracks.
What about those who are able to change their lives?”

“Niail’s mate and children were targeted by a drug lord who controlled
the local law enforcement and FBI.” Partlan’s voice was low. “Even when he was
surrounded and given a chance to surrender, the man chose to try and shoot one
of us. This is not the type of person who can be rehabilitated.”

Catal cleared his throat. “People who want and abuse power will never
change.”

“Those are the people that have broken our Sacred Code.” Ardal’s eyes burned
with purpose. “They have no honor and are cowards. Our law does not give them a
second chance.”

“You kill them.” Grace’s voice was a low whisper. “I find it hard to take
a life.”

“We all do.” Partlan reached over and clasped Grace’s hands. “As Hunters,
we could not live with ourselves if we let others suffer. That is a greater
sin.”

Fiona cleared her throat. “I trained to be a doctor. I’m sworn to protect
life. I help where I can, but I’ve learned that I don’t always make the right
decisions.”

“You were not raised to command.” Ardal’s voice was tender. “On Cygnus,
the women make the decisions. We are trained to obey their orders.”

Grace nodded. “Only those who have broken your code are killed.”

“Yes.” Partlan squeezed her hands. “Otherwise, we would be without honor
ourselves and unworthy to be Hunters.”

Grace frowned. “If that is what you truly do, then I would be willing to
help also. I’m trained to fight and I also understand law enforcement
procedures.”

The tension eased in Partlan’s chest. He had not been certain that Grace
would be able to find a role by his side. She was used to working to protect
the law. Joining with him meant that she would be faced with decisions that
went against everything she held sacred. She had agreed to be his mate, but if
she could not live with their work as Hunters, then she would not stay. She
needed to be useful, and he understood that on the level that only a pair bond
could. She would not help if she thought their work was wrong.

Grace was a warrior.

She understood honor.

“We appreciate your support.” Ardal sighed and released Fiona. “Now, we
need to consider what to do about Eogan. He is a Hunter and must be our
concern.”

“He should be rescued.” Darrogh’s voice was harsh. “It is not right that
he be held captive.”

“I will try and contact him.” Ardal’s eyes followed Fiona as she went
back to the stove. “He will not ignore our connection.”

“He is not always able to connect.” Partlan leaned back in his chair. “He
will only be able to mind connect when he is away from the facility. I could
not reach you when I was there.”

“True.” Ardal looked over at Lorcan. “Lorcan is mobilizing some of the
Hunters in Europe to move into Australia and investigate.”

“Surveillance will be tricky.” Darrogh crossed his arms over his chest.
“We do not want them aware of our existence on this planet.”

“They already know we’re here.” Catal’s voice shook. “They are barbaric
and I have no problem shutting them down.”

“What they did to you, and others that they captured, will be avenged.” Ardal’s
tone was severe. “The Albireons have no honor and have broken many of our
codes.”

“Eogan must be rescued first.” Darrogh’s jaw clenched. “We need to
protect our own before we destroy the Albireons.”

Ardal put his hand on the table. “It is decided. I will contact Eogan and
when he is ready, we will rescue him. Until that time, we will continue our
work on this planet.”

Fiona and Firbin brought plates of food to the table and then sat. Selena
was already seated beside Catal. Partlan looked over at Grace and noticed her
bow her head for a brief time before she started to eat. She was a woman of
many facets. He was privileged to have found such a wonderful and beautiful
mate.

He would spend the rest of his life showing her that men of honor could
be trusted and relied upon. Never would she have a reason to doubt his
commitment or their bond. He would prove to her that destiny had brought them
together forever.

THE END

Thank you for reading aHunter4Ever. I hope you enjoyed Partlan and
Grace’s journey.

If you liked aHunter4Ever, please consider leaving a review.

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Science Fiction

aHunter4Hire
series

aHunter4Rescue

aHunter4Saken

aHunter4Life

aHunter4Ever

Historical

The
Seduction of Sarah

The
Seduction of Madalyn

Novellas

Pleasuring
Emily

Christmas
Kisses

The Pine Gap facility was built in 1967 and is a joint venture between
the United States and Australia. It is in the center of the Australian
continent. Its position makes it impossible for foreign ships to anchor in
international waters and do surveillance on the compound. It is cloaked in
secrecy and that leads to much speculation about its purpose. Officially it is
a ground satellite station with several large radomes that cover antennae
array.

Pine Gap has become Australia’s Area 51. Little is known about the actual
operations of the facility and this leads to much speculation and rumor. This
includes underground tunnels that go to the ocean, below surface cities, and
possible connection with extraterrestrials. Strange lights are frequently seen
around the base and are thought to be UFO’s or advanced technology that is
being tested.

Cynthia Clement began writing stories in her teens, but it wasn’t until
her forties that she became serious about writing. She lives in Canada with her
husband of thirty years, her teenaged son, and two dogs. She has an eclectic
range of interests including paranormal phenomena, ghost hunting, quilting,
reading, gardening, and great conversation. Her first book, The Seduction of
Sarah, was a finalist in the HOLT Medallion Best First Book Category. Her
novels, whether historical, paranormal, or science fiction, all focus on love,
honor, and intrigue.