Makarios Kronos of Rogue 5, The Colony, Fighting Pits

      Raging, lust-soaked warriors faced one another in the fighting pits below. Sitting next to me in the stands, Warlord Braun pulled one hundred credits from his pocket and tossed the money to a large Prillon male seated three rows below us.

      “Hey, Stone. One hundred on the Atlan, Tane.”

      The others called him Stone due to his complete lack of facial expressions. No emotion whatsoever. I could relate. The man was more machine than male, but I was not one to judge. I was a monster, even when compared to him.

      Stone nodded and entered the data onto the tablet in his hand. The betting had begun hours ago, the moment the Prillon warrior bellowing in the pits issued his initial challenge. Seven warriors had answered his call. The tournament was set to begin. Eight cyborgs would fight until one remained. Eight would become four. Four, two. And the final two would fight to the end for the ultimate prize.

      A battle, to the death if necessary, where the winner was granted the right to claim the female Gwendolyn of Earth as his own. She was a beauty. A woman warrior. Her body was toned and strong yet curved. My fingers would twitch with the need to reach out and touch her every time she walked near me. Her gaze was unrelenting, full of challenge, a challenge many warriors here were eager to answer. Like me and Stone, she barely showed emotion. No, that wasn’t true. She showed emotion: anger, rage, fury, disdain. A female like her should smile, her eyes should show happiness. I’d give my right nut to hear her laugh. Fuck, to hear her scream in pleasure. She’d most likely had none since her arrival here—sexual or otherwise—like so many of us. She’d been a soldier before she was taken by the Hive. Before she was integrated. Changed.

      Dark hair fell in waves down her back. It shimmered in the light and looked soft. I imagined wrapping my fist around it and holding her in place as I…

      Fuck.