Five minutes later, we walked to the entrance of the cave system to find not just Warlord Rezzer, but Braun, Tane, the Everian Hunter, Kiel, the silver eyed human, Denzel, and another massive Warlord I’d never seen before. He was as big as Mak, and he wasn’t even in beast mode.
I looked him up and down, to which he smiled.
“I am Warlord Bryck, governor of Base 2.”
My eyebrows shot up at that information. “Base 2? Then why are you here?”
“I am here because Krael murdered a good man, Captain Brooks, from Earth. He polluted our entire planet with Quell, a chemical that steals our minds. I am here for vengeance for all the warriors lost to his treachery.”
Okay. Hard core. “You’re in the wrong place. Krael is miles from here, in another cave. I can give you the coordinates, if you want. You might be able to transport there in time for the battle.”
“Who goes to the fight?”
I looked at Mak, not sure what I should or shouldn’t say. If Maxim wasn’t acting as the governor right now, would he want anyone to know he was in that cave? Another governor? I wasn’t sure how the politics worked. Mak was male, a warrior, and he’d been here longer than I had. I lot longer.
“Maxim and Ryston seek vengeance for the traitor’s assassination attempt, as well as his long ago attack on their mate,” Mak said. “The other Prillon warriors accompany them to eliminate Krael.”
The huge Atlan governor looked from Mak back to me. “This is your operation?”
“Yes.”
“Then I request permission to remain here with my Atlan brothers. I have faith that the Prillon warriors will see Krael dead.”
I had no doubt about that myself. “Okay. Let’s do this.” I turned to the six warriors, plus Mak. I’d never had this much backup before. Holy shit. They were all huge, and Rezzer was half in beast mode already, his face elongated, eager to kill Nexus 4. But a full frontal assault wouldn’t work. Not this time. “I’m going in. Give me exactly two minutes, and then come in with everything you’ve got.”
“No.” Mak spoke before the others had the chance.
I turned to face Mak. “I have to get close, hurt him before you get there or he’ll kill every single one of you. He’s strong, Mak. Stronger than me. We can’t overpower him.”
“How many Hive does he have with him?” The Everian Hunter, Kiel, asked, the calculating gleam behind his eyes betraying not a hint of nerves or fear. I’d heard he could run so fast, move so quickly, that he was impossible to track with the naked eye.
I’d like to see that.
“The last information I had said twelve. But that could be more or less, as they’ve had two hours to adapt.”
“He knows you’re coming?” Bryck asked.
“Yes. He does. And since I killed nine of his Soldiers up on the moon’s surface, he’s not too happy with me either.”
“What?” Braun looked at Mak, as if the death toll was his fault.
Mak arched a brow and looked down at me as if to say, See? I’m not the only one. You deserved that spanking, reckless female.
“Forget about that.” I waved my hand in the air as if killing nine Hive was inconsequential. “The Nexus unit is blue. Dark blue. Like this.” In front of all of them, I changed so my face, neck and hands which showed my only visible skin turned blue to match my armor, knowing it would tip off Nexus 4 that I was close. But I needed them to see and to understand. “Look at me,” I ordered Braun.
He did. He stared into my eyes and I used the telepathic power the Hive had given me to hold him in my mind, trap him there, just for a few seconds, to make him want to stay. When I let him go, he lurched backward with a curse.
“Shit,” he muttered, shaking his head, as if that would help erase what had just happened.
“Look into his eyes, and he’ll own you. You’ll kill your own mates for him without hesitation and believe it is right. Now at least you know more about your opponent. This is no simple Hive drone. So after the two minutes, follow me in and kill anything that moves, but leave the Nexus to me and Mak. And whatever happens, do not look into its eyes.”
The males were all staring at me, at my blue face, black hair, shark eyes. I knew exactly what I looked like. A nightmare. No, a monster from their worst nightmares.
Braun stepped forward and stared at me for long seconds before dropping to take a knee, bowing before me as the Hive had done. “You are the bravest warrior I have ever known, Gwendolyn of Earth. You are an honorable female. I pledge my life to your protection.”
“No, I don’t—“ I didn’t get to finish the sentence. All of them, even Mak, had taken a knee.
He looked up at me. “Command us, mate. We are yours.”