Unclaimed (The Complex Book 0) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Unclaimed

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Blurb

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue

  The Complex Series

  About Candice Gilmer

  Other Books by Candice Gilmer

  Unclaimed

  The Complex Series

  By Candice Gilmer

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Unclaimed

  Copyright © 2017 by Candice Gilmer

  Cover by Shoutlines Designs

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Dedication:

  If it wasn’t for Scarlett Dawn giving me a chance, I wouldn’t be here.

  (And I promise, I really wasn’t trying to kill your husband…)

  Some choices can never be unclaimed.

  Luke Cadell, war veteran with a nefarious history during P-Extinction, admires the Complex as he walks into the facility. Too bad his reputation is going to get him killed here. If the terrorist plot he’s mixed up in doesn’t kill him first.

  Morrigan is starting her life over. Not that she has a choice. Odin banished her from Valhalla, and the eternal existence she adored. Now the Valkyrie must learn to live as a mostly-Human.

  Simple enough. Until she gets a premonition that will destroy every achievement gained in the Complex.

  The attraction between Morrigan and Luke is undeniable--their bond is deeper than either of them would have expected.

  Now, Luke must make a choice. Whose loyalty did he claim? He could help her. Or he could follow orders.

  Can she trust him? Should she?

  Contents

  Unclaimed

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Blurb

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue

  The Complex Series

  About Candice Gilmer

  Other Books by Candice Gilmer

  Chapter One

  Luke Cadell woke with a start.

  Fuck.

  That damn nightmare again. The one he’d been having since he’d awakened in the hospital all those years ago.

  The light, the girl.

  Fucking feathers…

  The smell of war and death all around him.

  They said it was a near death experience. Cadell disagreed. He’d already been much closer to death than those damn nightmares. And would likely be closer again.

  Why that one always haunted him, he didn’t know.

  The shuttle shook as it came in on approach to land on Lorn.

  The flashing atmo light of entry strobed in the window, making him turn away.

  He wasn’t a fan of strobes.

  He gripped his seat belt tighter, the joints of his right arm hissing with the gesture. At least, he thought they hissed. The doctors said the replacement arm was as silent as any natural arm would be, but he swore he heard it hiss every now and again.

  It was getting old.

  He was getting old.

  He tightened his glove, the one that covered most of the markings on his hand. They didn’t look like much--linear scarring that tended to glow. Noticeable if someone looked.

  And they always looked. So, he kept it covered.

  Though why he bothered, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like he was going to make it out of here alive, anyway.

  The landing was as smooth as could be expected on the barren rock. A bump, a jerk, and down. The planet wasn’t anything but a giant sun spot. Why the hell they’d decided to build the Complex here, Cadell would never know.

  Not that anyone would ever ask his opinion. If they did, well…

  They might not like the answers.

  The rear cargo ramp began to lower, and immediately the planet’s heat poured into the ship. A warm wave compared to the cold, dark of space.

  For a second, Cadell liked the warmth.

  But only for a second, before it started to feel like it was trying to bake him. Cook him alive, in the convenient metal box of a ship. His adrenaline began to pump, and he caught himself before he reached for a weapon.

  This wasn’t a war zone he was landing in.

  It was a peace zone.

  How come it didn’t feel any different?

  “You’re clear,” the pilot said as he came down toward the ramp. “Where’s all the crowds?”

  Cadell shrugged. “They’ll be here in a few days. I’m maintenance.” He stood and grabbed his gear.

  “Must be nice to get a private arrival.”

  He forced a smile. “Last minute change.” After he piled his one permitted bag on top of a cart of supplies, he started walking them down the ramp into the beating sun.

  “Good flying with you,” the pilot muttered as he exited the ship.

  Uh huh, Cadell thought. You were paid well.

  Off to begin his new life.

  As a damn farmer.

  What a fucking joke.

  ~*~*~

  Protocol insisted that Cadell get scanned before he entered the Complex. Protocol also insisted that all items being shipped in were scanned as well.

  So, Luke Cadell stood, at military rest, glaring at the security as the guards took their time scanning the supplies and his gear.

  He was about ready to punch their Meta-asses out.

  Metas, non-Humans, were every kind of dream and nightmare imaginable. All bipedal, some big because they were giants. Others could morph into Human form and you’d never know who was talking to you. Well, until they decided to scramble your brain or suggest you assassinate your commander-in-chief.

  Living together was never a
n option. The P-Extinction war had proved that.

  At least, until now.

  Now, there was the Complex. A melting pot of war waiting to happen. All that was needed was one Meta fucking with one Human’s mind.

  Then, boom.

  War.

  All over again, Humans verses Metas and their magical shit.

  In response to Meta mind-control powers, Humans were geared up with chips that basically created a forcefield around the brain so that the Metas couldn’t change their thoughts.

  The fact that Humans had to have tech to protect themselves said a lot about the balance of power between Humans and Metas.

  At least, in his mind, it did.

  Cadell was not a fan of Metas.

  “Do you mind? It’s getting hot.”

  One of the guys glared at him. “What’s the matter, Human? Can’t take the heat?”

  Don’t engage, he told himself. He closed his eyes.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  “Problem, Human?” the guard said again.

  He opened to meet the Meta’s glare. “The equipment is sensitive to heat. It is designed for the snow dome. I would appreciate it if you finished so I can get it inside and installed.”

  He thought he spoke smoothly and clearly. Even semi-politely.

  But it seemed, even here, that Metas were not fans of his, either.

  Why the two Meta guards were suddenly in his face, he wasn’t sure. Well, besides they probably wanted a fight as much as he did.

  And Luke Cadell never turned down a fight.

  Punch.

  Punch.

  Kick.

  One Meta down.

  The other Meta tried to hit him with a wand of some kind.

  Cadell blocked it with his cybernetic arm, the reverb making the Meta shake, and Cadell turned to drop the guy--

  Bzzzz.

  Everything went fuzzy for a second as the onboard cybernetics clicked into gear, dispersing the energy from the stun wand.

  Normal Humans would have dropped.

  Cadell wasn’t normal. Being part robot had its advantages.

  He spun toward a third guard he’d not seen, ready to drop the guard when he paused.

  It was a woman.

  “So, it is you,” she said, glaring at him. “At ease, soldier!” Her words snapped at a memory-slash-muscle reflex in him, and Cadell jerked into military-rest.

  She shook her head and pursed her lips together.

  He knew that expression.

  And he knew that commander.

  She obviously remembered him too.

  “What are you doing here, Cadell?” she snapped.

  The other two guards jumped up and started babbling their reports, spinning a rather not pleasant report about Cadell causing trouble.

  Dumol snapped her gaze to them. “Was I speaking to you?”

  “No ma’am.”

  “Get this gear inside. Now.”

  The two guards moved, hauling the gear out of the sunshine.

  “You,” Dumol said.

  “Ma’am.”

  Her voice lowered as she gave him the once-over. “You should not be here, Cadell.”

  He didn’t speak.

  A bit of a smile crept over her somber features. “But it’s good to see you.” She scanned his wrist--his left one, where the flesh was still real. His cybernetic parts wouldn’t hold the chip on his right arm like all the other Humans.

  She glanced at the data that appeared on her pad. “Farming, eh?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You should have changed your name. If anyone finds out you’re here, you’re a dead man.”

  Luke nodded. “I know.”

  There was something in her eye, an understanding he didn’t see in most Humans. Only the ones who’d been at war.

  Dumol was one such Human. And as such, she likely understood his motivation. Agree with it? Not likely. But she understood. “You do, don’t you?”

  He knew exactly what would happen if a complex full of Metas found out a known Human war vet, with a reputation of killing Metas--excessively--was working in this supposed peaceful social experiment.

  He nodded to his former commander. She knew too. He wasn’t sure if what he saw in her eyes was worry or resignation. She wasn’t a friend. But she did know if he was determined to do something, then nothing would stop him.

  Ever.

  She raised her chin, her voice a little louder. “Hope I don’t see you again for two-point-five years.”

  He nodded. He knew better. He’d see her.

  Probably more than he wanted.

  Chapter Two

  Morrigan bundled her hair close to her neck and fastened it with a clip. She brushed the golden strands around her face, if only to hide her better in the crowd on the transport. The ship was about to enter Lorn’s atmosphere. If she could have melted into the wall, she would have. Just having to sit next to someone was too much for her.

  She would have been happier in the storage bay. She turned her attention to the small window over her right shoulder. The sun blared down on the otherwise empty rock of a planet, and as the ship descended, the Complex came into view.

  A glistening ball of light and Metal and domes, with transport ships loading and unloading passengers, the Complex looked more like something that should have been on one of the core worlds instead of this dead one.

  Both out there, and in here, she could feel the energy. All the passengers were desperate to get inside, to lay claim to their holdings.

  Their winnings.

  Though not particularly a lottery--a grand social experiment to prove after a decade long war that Metas and Humans really can live together in harmony.

  It was only two and a half years.

  Nothing in the life of an immortal.

  Well, she’d think that if she was still immortal, anyway. The short span would not have mattered to her before, like many of the other Metas on board. Two years seemed only like a blink for many of the Metas that surrounded her on the ship. If not immortal, many had lifespans that would seem eternal to a Human’s typical hundred years. On this particular transport, there were a few Humans, but not many, compared to the number of Metas.

  Morrigan could easily tell the difference between Metas who looked Human and real Humans.

  The Humans were more nervous.

  The Metas, in contrast, were ready for a fight.

  Part of the reason she stayed in the corner, away from everyone, as best as possible in the cramped transport.

  She might look Human because most of her powers had been stripped, but she was no Human being. Some things, even Odin couldn’t strip completely from her. Like her acute sense of smell--the one that could smell death, among some of her other rarer talents.

  “I can almost smell those credits,” a particularly stinky Human said from the seat next to her. He’d been up and down most of the journey. She hadn’t been sure where he was assigned to sit, only that he kept annoying her.

  Morrigan didn’t respond. Instead, she scooted a bit away. She’d almost made it through the trip without having to speak to him.

  Ugh.

  Evidently, what luck she might have had was already running out. Perhaps coming to the Complex wasn’t her best idea.

  He clapped his hands together and rubbed them greedily. “I can’t wait to go see what kind of luxuries are here.” His eyes sparkled with desire, and his gaze wandered over Morrigan.

  She resisted the urge to punch him. If this was what she was to expect from Human men, then she was going to have a long two and a half years.

  No part of her desired to meet anyone. She just wanted to get in, do her job, and get out. As far away from observation as possible. She would be best staying in the shadows, away from everyone else.

  “What do you say we celebrate after we get settled? I’ll buy you a drink.” He nudged her with his elbow.

  As soon as he touched her
, she got a jolt. A special gift that even Odin couldn’t take from her. Or a curse, depending on the situation.

  She narrowed her gaze at the man as the images came to her faster than an info transfer. “If you think that coming here will save you from your past, you are a fool.”

  He blinked at her. “What are you talking about?”

  “You cannot run from your debts.”

  “You don’t know anything about my debts,” he snapped, his voice louder than it needed to be.

  Numbers flashed in her mind’s eye. A lot of them. “23,456. 9,363. 149,321. 45,643.” With every number she spoke, his face became paler. The numbers kept coming, like this man was swimming in them.

  They were everywhere, following him like a shadow.

  “What? How?”

  She repeated a few more numbers.

  He leaned in. “Are you working for the Gordlings?”

  “You will be found,” she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

  He stumbled backwards, moving away from her, his eyes wide, and fear filling his expression.

  “You--you can’t know that--” He kept stammering as he moved away, his gaze darting from passenger to passenger, looking for whoever he feared.

  Morrigan began to relax as the information stopped overpowering her.

  The lady--a Meta--in the seat behind her leaned over. “What the hell was that?”

  “A curse,” Morrigan answered. Her heart stopped hammering, and her breath finally felt normal. She had started to channel his fear, an awful side effect of her power, and that Human had been terrified. Whatever debts he owed, they were huge, and those he owed them to were not about to let him fade away for two and a half years.

  Her gaze darted around the ship, and she wondered who on board this transport was interested in that stinky Human.

  “Are you all right?” the woman behind her asked.

  Morrigan glanced at her, blinking a few times as her perception shifted back to normal. “I will be.” As the errant emotions faded, she felt drained. Like she could sleep for a day. She wanted to, that was certain, but she could not.

  She reoriented in the moment because they would be disembarking, and she needed to be prepared.