aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire) (18 page)

“We
were in love.” Her words were hesitant. “We were always together. You protected
me and saved my life more than once.”

“I
sensed when you were in danger.” Catal picked up her hand and kissed it. “I was
a fool not to believe in the bonding, but I didn’t understand.”

“So
there is more to our connection than what you told me?”

Catal
gaze became intense. “A Hunter is bred to be the best warrior possible. He is
bred to obey and protect.”

“You
are fierce fighters. Even Juan was surprised at how good your unit was.”

“Remember,
I told you that we were genetically modified and had implants to strengthen
us?” When Selena nodded, Catal continued. “Those same implants prevented us
from pair bonding. It was forbidden for a Hunter to have a mate.”

“You
weren’t allowed to mate ever?” Selena tilted her head. “You certainly seemed
quite capable when we were together.”

“You
had never been with another man. If you had, you might have known how
inexperienced I was.”
Catal’s
tone was wry. “You were
the only woman I had ever been drawn to. From the moment I saw you standing
beside your brother, I knew you were different.”

“How
so?”

“I
wanted to be with you.”
Catal’s
eyes softened. “It
was more than an attraction. It was a soul searing need. It was as important to
me as breathing. Every second of the day, I craved and yearned to be with you.
I had lived on your planet for over twenty years and never once had that
happened to me. As far as I knew, it hadn’t occurred to any of my fellow
brothers either.”

“Never?”
Selena’s voice was uncertain.

Catal
shook his head. “I thought being surrounded by humans made us immune to you. We
are not from this planet, and even though we look similar, we are different.
Lorcan
was our leader, and he held all humans in contempt.
We did what we had to survive, but there were no thoughts of interaction with
you.”

“So
there was no attraction for you to women.”

“None.
It was thought impossible and beneath a Hunter to even look at a woman.” Catal
looked down at their joined hands. “All that changed the moment I met you. I
risked everything I held sacred being with you. If my fellow Hunters had found
out, I thought I would have been cut off from them.”

Selena
swallowed. She hadn’t realized that Catal had jeopardized so much by being with
her. When her brother had told her that Catal was responsible for the massacre
of their men, she had felt humiliated and a fool. She’d believed everything
they’d shared had been a lie. She thought he had used her Running away had been
a childish reaction, but it had kept her sane. She couldn’t bear to dwell on
what had happened. Later, when
Tarrin
had been born,
she’d been forced to fend for both of them. It had forced her to mature.

“You
broke the rules by being with me.”

“I
threw away the rules. I disobeyed orders to be with you. There was nothing that
could stop me. You are my pair bond. I didn’t understand then, but I do now.
That is why it is forbidden for us to mate.”

“Men
can have wives and still do their jobs.” Selena’s chest tightened with
sympathy. “They don’t have to choose one over the other.”

“A
Hunter does.” Catal closed his eyes briefly. “Our genetic modifications mean
that our loyalty and allegiance is narrow. Once bonded, we put our mate above
all else, even our orders. When you ran away, I stayed in Columbia searching
for you for months after the rest of the unit left. I blocked all communication
with my fellow brothers and ignored my leader’s directives.”

Selena’s
breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t realized to what lengths Catal had gone
to find her. “Your family should come first. They must have understood that.”

“Not
for a warrior. We are bred to fight and die, nothing more. I never told my
fellow Hunters why I had left. When I returned, they assumed I’d been injured.
There is no other acceptable justification for my disobedience.”

“That’s
horrible. There is more to life than war and death.”

“Perhaps,
but that is a Hunter’s purpose.”
Catal’s
voice was
harsh. “We do the work that others don’t have the stomach for. It’s a brutal
world, and even though I’ve lived most of my life on Earth, nothing has changed
that fact.”

“So
there is no room for love.”

Catal
shook his head. “No.”

“Then
what happened between us?”

“My
implants probably malfunctioned, or were turned off when I was captured by the
military. Other Hunters who have crashed here recently, have found mates. Their
implants were disconnected months before they came to Earth.” Catal shrugged.
“That is the only reason I have, because none of the other warriors that were
stranded on Earth at the same time as me, have ever found a mate.

“Perhaps
they did, but refused to talk about it.”

“I
would know.” Catal squeezed her hand. “We communicate in ways that humans do
not. That is what I’ve been trying to explain.”

“Mind
connect?” Selena raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying that you know what each
other is thinking all the time?”

“Not
all the time, but we can connect telepathically. This is something we never
told our handlers or teachers. It is only known among Hunters.”

“It’s
a secret.”

“Yes.”
Catal’s
voice was firm. “Well guarded. It gives us an
advantage in battle. We can converse at great distances with each other.”

“Why
are you telling me then?”

“That
same communication is possible between mates.”

Shock
ripped through Selena. “We never had that.”

“I
never trusted fully.”
Catal’s
voice was apologetic.
“If I had understood the bonding it would have been different. Perhaps then you
might have known that I would never have betrayed you. To deceive you would
have been like killing myself.”

“I
know we were close, but I never heard your voice in my head.”

“No,
but often I could make you happy when you were sad.” Catal gave her a crooked
smile. “It is something I have tried to do throughout this kidnapping ordeal.
I’ve sent you my love and strength.”

Selena
bit her lip. His efforts hadn’t been in vain. She had sensed his support
frequently. Sometimes it had been so strong that she had thought he was
actually holding her in his arms. That part of the bonding had been real.

“Will
we be able to speak to each other telepathically one day?”

“If
we trust, yes.” Catal pulled her close. “For eight years, I’ve been nothing but
a shell of a man. Having known one’s mate and then to lose her, is worse than
anything else. It is hell. Death would be preferable. The only reason I
continued is that I hoped one day I would find you. That you would lower your
defenses and let me in again.”

“Is
that all it takes?” Selena’s voice was doubtful. “After so many years, all I
have to do is open myself up to you?”

“Yes.”
Catal looked down at her. “You have the power, not me. If you want to
strengthen the bond, then it will be so.”

Selena
reached up and brushed her hand over his forehead. He shivered at her touch, a
soft moan escaped his lips. She tilted her head and let her fingers drift down
the side of his face. His skin was rough from a couple of days of stubble,
sending tingles of sensation throughout her body.

This
was the man she had always loved.

The
only man for her.

She
leaned up and touched his lips with hers. Instant fire exploded. Catal clung
for a second and then his mouth moved over hers. Sensations and desires that
she had long thought dead came to life. She leaned into him and let her body
lead the way.

His
tongue glided over hers, sending flutters of heat throughout her. She twisted in
his arms until she found the position where she fit perfectly. Her body
remembered. This was heaven, and for several seconds, she let the world fade
away while she luxuriated in the protection of Catal.

All
too soon the kiss ended. She stared up into his eyes and almost cried at the
love she saw there. He was her other half. He completed her. He had always been
her mate, and she’d been a fool to deny it.

“We
can’t change that.” His voice was a husky whisper. “We have today and the rest
of our lives.”

“How
did you know what I was thinking?”

“Our
bond is growing strong.” Catal gave her a light kiss. “You have lowered your
guard and let me in again.”

“Is
this how it was before?” Selena’s lips clung to his. “Did you always know what
I was thinking?”

“No.”
Catal sighed. “I didn’t trust. I thought that pair bonding was only a legend.
Can you forgive me for doubting and not being totally honest with you?”

Selena
nodded and moved away. “Yes. My sin is greater than yours. I denied you
Tarrin
.”

“You
were protecting him.” Catal grimaced. “I failed you. It was my duty to keep you
safe and I didn’t. It was my fault.”

“That’s
because I shut you out of our lives.” Selena fought back her tears. “You didn’t
know where to find me.”

“That
was your right to deny me.”
Catal’s
voice was gentle.
“I accepted your decision. I wanted to find you so that I could tell you the
truth about myself. You deserved to know that I would always be there for you,
no matter what.”

“Not
telling you about
Tarrin
was inexcusable.” Selena’s
tears started to fall. “It was the cruelest thing I could have done.”

Catal
shook his head. “You are not to blame. On my planet, women make all of the
decisions. Men do not expect to be considered. Are children are not raised the
same on Cygnus. Remember, I told you that Hunters are created in birthing
chambers?

Selena
nodded. “It sounds barbaric.”

“This
is the same for all children on Cygnus. Women do not give birth to children.”

 “Do
mothers take care of their babies?”

“Children
do not have parents. They grow up in learning institutions until they are
deemed ready.”
Catal’s
voice held regret. “That is
one of the things I most admire about humans. They create family units and
nurture their offspring. On Cygnus, you become what your genes have been
programed for.”

Selena
shivered at how cold and sterile the surroundings must be. Laughter and play
would be impossible in an environment where the goal was teaching and preparing
children for their responsibilities as adults. They’d be expected to learn
quickly and then leave to fulfill their duties.

It
was hard enough to image
Catal’s
childhood. He’d been
raised to fight and die. At least he had his brother Hunters to bond with. A
whole society where people were genetically created for one purpose, was
calculating and unemotional. She was thankful Catal had escaped. Together, they
would give
Tarrin
choices in his life.

“You
have a family now.” Selena reached up and kissed him. “You have me, and
Tarrin
, your son.”

“Is
he truly mine?”
Catal’s
voice held awe. “He is a
Hunter?”

“Yes.”
Selena smiled. “Every day he grows more and more like you. The things he says,
and his actions, remind me of you. He’s the younger one, but he protects Gates.
You heard the Gordon brothers.
Tarrin
was only
kidnapped because he refused to let Gates be taken alone.”

“That
may be the way we can save the boys.”

“I
don’t understand.”

Catal
stood and straightened his shoulders. “
Tarrin
is a
Hunter. That means we may be able to reach him through mind connection. If he
has been keeping track of his location, then we should find the boys.”

Selena’s
heart fluttered. Was it possible? Could Catal connect with
Tarrin
?

“It
is possible.” Catal stood and pulled the bedcovers back. “You need to sleep.
You are exhausted.”

“Are
you reading my mind again?” Selena wiped the tears off her cheek with her
finger and crawled under the sheets. “When will I be able to read yours?”

“
You
can do it now. I will always let you hear my thoughts
.” Catal went to the
door.

Selena’s
body jerked.
Catal’s
words were in her head. He
hadn’t spoken aloud. He was right. They were connected in a way that only the
two of them would ever know. A warm glow of happiness infused her. Did he know
how much she loved him?

“Yes.”
Catal smiled and then opened the door. “Partlan, I have information that might
help the search.”

He
was a father.

His
heart was pounding in his chest and a warm heat radiated through his body. The
world shone brighter. He had the answer to saving the boys. He didn’t know how
Partlan and the others would handle the news he had to give them, but it could
only be positive. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he would
father a child. With the genetic modifications and the implants he’d been
given, it should have been impossible. Hunters only had one purpose and that
was fighting.