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Stars, she hoped so.
It took most of the morning to share everything she suspected but had been keeping a secret. Some of it he already knew, thanks to his connection to Amun, but he didn’t know how much information Rin had hidden from the IAF.
She explained everything: the hawks’ abilities, their level of intelligence, and their deep aversion to anyone with what she thought of as a military mindset. Combined with what they’d witnessed today, she was certain they’d been intended as military assets, biological versions of drones like the ones they’d destroyed today.
“You’re saying that Amun bonded to me because I used to be a scout? We have compatible skill sets?” Axe didn’t look happy about that idea.
“I don’t think so. Hera bonded to me, after all. I’ve got next to nothing in common with you when it comes to skills and experience. Not to mention the hawks have had negative reactions to every soldier they’ve met.”
“True.” He reached out to stroke Amun’s back. “Do you think it’s possible their programming was as jacked up as ours? The cyborgs, I mean. This was a private project, right? So the asshole who did this probably didn’t have the time or resources for a full-scale experiment. If the first ones to hatch were a failure by their standards, they might have just left the others in cryo-storage until they had time to rework the whole project. Whoever did this never made another attempt.”
It was an intriguing theory and meshed with her own suspicions. “I think that’s the most likely explanation. The problem is that now the IAF knows about them. If they figure out what they’re capable of, there will be a lot of pressure to try to alter their behavioral programming to accept whatever companion the military wants them to have.”
Axe slashed at the air with one hand. “That isn’t going to happen. These are intelligent beings who deserve to live free and unmolested. I won’t allow anyone to do to them what was done to me and my brethren.”
“Agreed. But how do we protect them? We need a plan. I’ve got a few ideas I’ve been considering, but there are still gaps. They’ll need a permanent home where the IAF can’t reach them. Whoever takes that on will have to be willing to protect them. Not all the hawks are here, either. A male and female are still at the base where they were discovered.”
“They’re protecting a potential asset by holding some in reserve.”
“Exactly. And getting those two back won’t be easy.”
Axe waggled one hand from side to side, his lips parting in a sly grin. “That depends. They won’t give up a possible weapon without a fight, but if they think this project is a failure…”
“That might work,” she agreed.
“It will work. We just need to hammer out the details.” He looked at her intently, his next words spoken in deep, measured tones. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
She cocked her head to one side. “That’s a long-winded way of saying he who plans wins.”
“You summed it out nicely. The original quote is from an ancient human work called the Art of War.”
“Ah. I guess that’s something your creators included as part of your programmed skills and knowledge?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No. I just like to read.”
Reading wasn’t something she imagined him doing much of. Axe seemed more like the active sort, always busy in his workshop or out patrolling the lands around the colony. It reminded her that there was still so much about this man she didn’t know. For now, it was enough that she trusted him. There wasn’t enough time for anything else.
“I still think I should go with you.” Axe stood with his arms folded across his broad chest. Amun was perched on his shoulder, and both of them were glaring at her. They were close to the border where her escort waited but far enough away to talk privately.
“That would only complicate things. It’s better if we stick to the routine and act as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.” She made a show of holding up both hands and crossing her fingers. “If we get really lucky, no one was monitoring the drones.”
Axe shook his head. “Your optimism is adorable.”
To her surprise, he caught her by the hands and tugged her toward him as Amun chittered in annoyance and took flight. “If luck were with us today, those damned drones would have shown up after we finished our moment in the woods.”
He leaned down and kissed her before she could say anything. This time, his lips brushed hers tenderly, lingering just long enough to make her want more. Then he moved away, leaving her breathless and just a little dizzy.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“Because I wanted to know if your lips were as sweet as I remember.”
“Oh.” She had no idea what to say next. Her mind was a total blank. Though she was certain they’d been arguing about something.
“Shall we go meet your escort?” he asked so smoothly she almost agreed before her brain rebooted and remembered what they’d been discussing—all the reasons why he shouldn’t come with her.
“Nice try. You only managed to melt a few of my brain cells. I still remember why you need to stay here.”
He winked at her. “It was worth a shot. My friends swear that’s the only way they win any arguments with their human mates.”
