River opened the front door of her home and was greeted by a hint of smoke and something that smelled delicious.

“Please tell me dinner is almost ready. I’m famished!” she called out.

Edge stuck his head out of the kitchen, his expression stormy. “My first attempt failed. There has got to be something wrong with the oven in this place. It keeps burning everything!”

She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. They both knew there was nothing wrong with the appliance.

“Or did you try to speed up the cooking time by increasing the temperature again?” She asked as innocently as she could manage.

He skewered her with a glower that could have sent an army running in the other direction and growled before asking, “Are you making fun of me, minx?”

“Oh, no. If I mocked my commander, he’d punish me. I’d never do that.” Even as she spoke, she turned and bolted for the back door.

“Someone is getting a spanking!” He called after her, already in pursuit.

Veth, she hoped so. After a long, hard day of flight training, she wanted nothing more than to let go of all her responsibilities and submit to the male she loved so much.

He caught her before she made more than partway across the backyard. They went down together in a tangle of limbs. He growled threats. She laughed, and soon they both had exactly what they needed.

Later, they curled up together on the swing Edge had commissioned upon their return to Haven. Axe had turned what could have been a simple, sturdy structure into a work of art. Carvings flowed along every available surface. Faces, places, and memories forever captured in wood, they collectively told a story. Their story.

River nestled closer to Edge, careful not to put too much weight on her still-tender backside. From the deck, they watched the river flow by as the sky deepened to the colors of sunset. Their clothes were still scattered across the grass, but neither of them wanted to move and break the spell of pure contentment that had ensnared them both.

Edge bowed his head to nuzzle her hair. “How did training go?”

“You’d think that since I had already uploaded and reviewed all the training materials, I should know what I was doing.” River sighed and leaned into her lover’s strong arms. “But there’s still a lot I need to learn the slow, old-fashioned way.”

“There’s an old saying about experience being the best teacher,” Edge said. “But I understand. It feels like we have mountains of work still to do, and not enough time to do it.”

“Exactly.” River indulged in a luxurious, full-body stretch before continuing. “Even after Chance said Haven was relatively safe, I just can’t shake the feeling that something is coming for us. All of us.”

“Me too. But we’re doing everything we can. Hell, Haven is more ready now than we’ve ever been. You and the other cyborg pilots are training to fly fighter craft. The Rangers have ramped up recruitment, and every day I’m seeing new faces at the practice arena. The multi-discipline training classes are so popular we’re going to need more instructors soon.”

“You say instructor like it’s a job title and not an excuse for you to tell other beings what to do. Only now you’re yelling at cyborgs and Vardarians,” she teased.

“And humans,” he reminded her. “The Earth-born females are honestly a little terrifying. I always thought of them as small and fragile.”

River laughed. “Don’t let any of them hear you say that. They’ll take those newly learned combat skills and put you on your ass.”

“They could try,” he muttered. “But I’m not easy to beat.”

Her laughter grew louder. “Really? Because I managed to do it with a battery and an electrified plate.” She flared out her fingers and made a noise buzzing noise. “Bzzt.”

“You cheated,” he stated.

“You trespassed,” she shot back.

He reached down to pinch the soft curve of one butt cheek. “Behave.”

In response, she stuck out her tongue. “Make me.”

“With pleasure,” he growled.

As his mouth slammed down on hers, the smoke detector went off inside the house.

“Dinner’s burning,” she whispered.

“Let it burn.” Edge raised his head to stare down at her, his ice-blue eyes burning with desire. “You’re all that matters to me, minx. Now, and forever more. So long as I have you, I have everything I need.”

“You’ll always have me,” she said as she cupped his bearded cheek in one hand. “And I will always have you. My love, my protector…” she brushed her thumb across his lips. “My commander.”

***

Thank you for reading this bonus content for Her Cyborg Commander. Edge and River appreciate it!