Duggin (Moon Hunters Book 9) Read online

  Moon Hunter’s Inc.

  Book 9

  Duggin

  By Catty Diva

  Edited by Addicted to Reviews Editing

  Cover by Jesh Art

  2017 Copyright by Catty Diva

  This book is a work of fiction. All contents, including names, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, businesses, locations or events are completely coincidental.

  None of this work may be used, reproduced, exchanged or transmitted by anyone but the person the book was purchased for. Any reproductions of this book in any part or any form must be done with the express written permission of the author or not at all.

  Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  This series is a spinoff from the 10 book series The Mating Games.

  The Mating Games series

  Book 1

  Razar

  Razar needs a mate, but on his planet, there are nine males to one female. Humans look like they are compatible, but if they find out the secrets of his kind they will refuse to send them mates.

  Lista needs money for her mother's operation or she will die. Her sister has volunteered her to be a bride for an alien. If she wins the mating game, she will be free to keep the money and return home.

  Can she outwit him or will he claim her heart before it's game over?

  Moon Hunters Inc.

  Book 1

  Justice

  When did the good guys get so bad? Justice comes on swift wings in the dark. His friend and boss, Cash, has sent him to Earth to exterminate a criminal convicted on Oison and protected by the corrupt Earth government. While carrying out the judgement, he finds her.

  Envy is a pet kept by her evil master. Luckily, he's old and incapable of breeding, so she is still innocent in many ways. Justice has come to make her master pay for his misdeeds. Can she convince him to free her so she can live life on her terms? Will the handsome assassin accept her innocence as a payment for her freedom or will he demand her heart as well?

  Book 2

  Cyn

  Deadly as Cyn, she’s sent on a mission after a bad guy. Alex is sexy as hell. Can he really be the monster her boss believes he is? It’s up to her to prove his innocence or take him out. If he’s really the anonymous mastermind behind the secrets at space station Alpha and the heinous lab hidden at Pluto, can she take out a man she’s grown to love? And how can she love a creature that loves to kill the innocent?

  Alex doesn’t know what to make of the beautiful but distant woman who was sent to negotiate a contract with him for Oison. One minute she’s hot as she shows interest in him as a man, the next minute she’s once again the cold negotiator. How can he find a way to get to the woman inside?

  With so much at stake and so much muddying their relationship, can they ever find their way to the heart of the matter?

  Book 3

  Terrik

  She had escaped somehow and he felt guilty for not stopping her. The female was the chief of security, guilty of heinous crimes and must be brought to justice for them. Terrik felt guilt for another reason, too. How could he feel drawn to a woman so evil? It was his inability to react that had allowed her to escape. He’d frozen because of the attraction he’d felt for that woman, Lorelai.

  Lorelai had almost gotten caught. She’d been like a deer in the headlights as that incredibly sexy man had stared at her. Luckily, reason had returned and she’d gotten out of there. There was a job to be done and she was the only one that could do it. All she had to do was explain to the commander over all the labs, how she had been the only one to escape and make him believe it. The sexy stranger had to be cast to the back of her mind as she prepared to perform her duty.

  On opposite sides, was there any way they could ever get together?

  Book 4

  Brutus

  Brutus dreams of a beautiful woman for weeks before he heads to Space Station Gamma. She calls to him and he wants to save her but he isn’t sure where she is. If he could find her, he would protect her from everything, including himself.

  Shari has known nothing but a life of hardship and abuse. She wonders if these new people who have come into her life will keep their promises or just give her the same old excuses and pain the others always have.

  Book 5

  Jazzy

  Jazzy is captured during a lab raid and taken far away to another lab. They intend to breed her to the local Romeo and while he’s hot as hell, he lacks personality.

  Jetson finds the new girl infuriating but strangely appealing. If she doesn’t give in, she might get them all killed. How can he seduce her when she seems determined to resist?

  Book 6

  Gabe

  Once he reaches Space Station Theta, Gabe is appalled by how the subjects are treated. He is also intrigued by one particular subject. His need to be with her and care for her almost overwhelms his discipline which requires him to stay on target for his mission.

  Donato is drawn to the handsome guard, but all guards are bad news. She tries to fight her attraction to him, but for some reason she feels he’s a protector. If she is wrong, it could be the death of her.

  Book 7

  Isis

  Isis was an undercover operative for Moon Hunter’s Inc. most of the time. She has gone into the most dangerous and scariest places there were. She has done things that made her skin crawl to get her job done. Cash wants to send her in undercover in the latest lab he’s found, but there’s a catch. He wants her to work with a government operative named Steve Gorman. She’s been involved with Steve before and that’s just not going to work.

  Steve believes he’s in love with the beautiful hunter. They had a one night stand after space station Theta was taken down and now she’s avoiding him. There’s something between them and he’d convinced Cash to team them up so he can explore their connection. Too bad Isis is pissed. She’ll have to learn to compromise because he plans to claim her.

  Love and hate can be closely related. Will Isis learn what she really feels for Steve isn’t dislike after all?

  Book 8

  Duke

  Duke is one of Moon Hunter’s originals and he loves his job and helping people. He always thought he’d grow old alone, but that was before he met her. Now all he wants to do is protect her, because she’s been through enough.

  Clancy knows she’s nothing. She’s been told that all her life, but something is going on and even though space station Zero is far away, something followed her here and threatens her safety and that of those who protect her. Duke is one of those and she can’t bear to see him hurt. What in the world will she do?

  Prologue

  Duggin prefers to work on his own assignments alone, but Duke is more than just a coworker, he is a close friend as well. They’ve been through it, it being just about anything you can think of. They’ve watched each other’s backs through thick and thin, coming close to dying a time or two. Duke as well as the other one percenters were not people he wanted to let down.

  That’s why he was getting ready to land on the Oison to assist his buddy. There might be one more little reason that made him want to come here. He’d met Sharon at Space station Zero, only briefly of course. He’d been impressed with her, enough that he’d thought about her later which was a rare occurrence. Her quiet beauty, her thoughtfulness, and the strength he saw in her eyes had all captured his interest.

  Perhaps it was the hand of fate that had ensured he was sent here. It seemed many of the hunters were settling down. Duggin didn’t seek that, but neither would he run from it if it felt right. Right now, seeing Sharon again felt right. The landing zone nex
t to the refugee quarters was growing larger on the view screen. A mix of excitement and concern filled him as he prepared to land. Somehow, he knew his life would never be the same.

  Chapter 1

  Captured Again

  Duggin’s ship was coming in. It was a small one meant for two people for long voyages, but it could haul up to four on short excursions. Everyone was watching on the view screen in the cafeteria. The women around her were whipped into a mating frenzy, that was the only way to describe it. Some wore make up that had never worn it before with mixed results.

  A few looked lovely, but a couple looked clownish. Sharon didn’t know how to tell them so she said nothing. No one else pointed it out, either. Duggin would be stunned when faced with this group of ladies that was for sure.

  Sharon sat at a table with a dozen of the other refugees, most of them ladies. Ralph was one of the few men. He was staring at her again, it really unnerved her. The look was full of ill will, which made no sense, but that’s what she felt coming off him in waves. Her attention moved away from him dismissing what she couldn’t understand or do anything about. The shuttle was landing.

  The atmosphere here was almost like a carnival, probably because there were few new visitors. Most visitors were female with few men around at all. If that was going to change anytime soon, they’d had no news of it. They were all starved for attention and affection. Some of the women just wanted a mate so they would be taken care of, others just wanted to see what consensual sex would be like. It was hard to blame them for that. Life at the space station had lacked any comfort or entertainment.

  Here there was popcorn, a snack from Earth. Drinks sat on the table for anyone that wanted them. Even though they all had academics to see to, they still had free time with the leave to fill it in with a wide variety of activities. It seemed today, Duggin watching was the activity.

  Sharon could only guess how far some of the women were willing to go to get his attention. With so many single females chasing one man, feelings were about to get hurt. She looked at the viewer again, Duggin had stepped out of the ship grasping Duke’s forearm. It was a grasp that was returned. Maybe one of those manly greetings? He nodded at Clancy as they all turned to walk into the building. It wouldn’t be long before he was in here among them. Excited chatter rushed around the room.

  Everyone went silent as Duke led them into the room. Duggin looked around, was she wrong in thinking he’d looked for her? Some of the other women made their way in his direction. His face stayed unemotional with a slight smile as introductions were made. He showed no favor to anyone in particular, but he did shoot Duke a sharp glance.

  It appeared Duke hadn’t warned his friend before leading him into this ambush. Tavia approached him but didn’t stay long and Lista talked to him for a moment. Duggin slowly made his way toward her. “Hello, Sharon.”

  “Hello, Duggin,” she said politely.

  He chose not to say anything but seemed to enjoy just sitting next to her. She didn’t say anything either, but she was shy. It was no surprise considering how she was raised.

  Duggin continued to sit beside her as the other women tried to catch his eye, but he ignored their antics. Sharon would never do something so obvious, especially when the male showed no interest at all. She blamed it on the fact that they had been so isolated, making it so that none of them understood the social norms or the way things worked between males and females.

  Chapter 2

  Oison

  He’d greeted his friend, Duke, and acknowledged the new mate. Clancy was pretty and serious. At least he hadn’t been enthralled by a fancy piece of fluff, or some woman looking for a male to give her security. Duggin wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Leroy, one of the older hunters had found what he thought was his mate, but she’d just wanted him as a provider.

  It had broken his heart when he figured it out. She had found a better provider willing to take her so she was gone in a quick minute. Leroy had become broken hearted. He’d quit his job and started doing odd jobs while he drank enough to harden the toughest liver. He’d died not long ago. Duggin had attended the service, only hunters had been there. It had been a sad affair, a man brought down in his prime for no good reason.

  Later, he’d found out Cash had arranged it all plus paid for it. There’s been no other family or friends to deal with Leroy’s burial. It had been a space burial, popular at the time. He’d been reduced to ashes then those had been evacuated into space through a chute to settle where they would. Not a bad send off for a hunter.

  Duggin only wanted a female if she was the right female. What he could provide shouldn’t be her main consideration. Maybe he was a sap, but he wanted love with a good amount of romance. His fellow hunters would laugh if they knew. It was a side of himself he hid so no one would see it.

  The building looming ahead of them was full of refugees that had recently been rescued from several lab facilities among the space stations they’d raided. Most of them were females, quiet beaten down women who had been treated at the least poorly, at the worst viciously.

  He’d only seen some of these females briefly after they’d been rescued. It was his plan to be gentle with them so as not to scare them. Crying, hysterical females were not something he could easily deal with. His expectations were that when they entered the room all the females were waiting in, chaos would reign as they tried to back away from him scared to death of the big bad hunter.

  They entered the first door then walked down a hall to big double doors. This was it, the part he wasn’t good with, dealing with the delicate fearful ladies. Duke was in front opening the doors which Clancy quickly slipped through. Now it was his turn, he took a fortifying breath before he stepped inside. His mouth dropped open as he stared at the scene before him slack jawed. These were nothing like the women he vaguely remembered from their rescue.

  What met his eyes was more like a wild party. These females, at least some of them, were not dressed as he expected. This looked more like the pictures he’d seen of a Roman orgy except nothing vital was showing, yet. A woman approached wearing so much make up it looked spray painted on. Nearly panicked at the astonishing sight, he searched the crowd desperately for a sign of Sharon. Surely she hadn’t gone to the wild side.

  “This is Tavia. Tavia, this is Duggin.” Clancy introduced. They acknowledged the introduction, but Tavia kept blinking her eyes at him.

  “Are you okay?” He asked. “If you have something in your eye, a standard med kit has an eye wash in it.”

  Tavia shook her head stomping away. “What was wrong with her?” He whispered to Clancy.

  “She was attempting to bat her eyes at you. Your reaction disappointed her,” Clancy explained.

  “Why are they dressed like this? It’s like a party atmosphere.” Duggin asked.

  “They don’t get many new faces here, especially men. The ladies are excited about your visit,” Duke informed.

  “You could have warned me.”

  “Where would the fun be in that? If only I had a picture of your reaction when we entered.” Duke chuckled.

  “Pay back is one mean bitch,” Duggin advised. Duke didn’t look too concerned.

  “You’ll just have to take one for these ladies. They’ve been through a lot. Giving them a little entertainment and kindness won’t kill you,” Duke admonished.

  “These may be women that have been through a lot, but right now they remind me of circling sharks,” Duggin admitted.

  “What are sharks?’ Clancy asked curiously.

  “They are water predators on Earth,” Duke explained.

  Clancy giggled. “You have to admit he’s not far off.”

  “These are your friends,” Duke lectured.

  “They are and I love them dearly, but their circling is reminiscent of predators,” Clancy offered.

  Duke threw up his hands in defeat. “They are simply stretching their newfound freedom. The ladies want to explore their new home as well as anyone who comes
into it,” Duke observed.

  “They also want to explore their newly found sexuality. Who can blame them?” Clancy added.

  “I believe they need some guidance. Especially with the clothing and the makeup,” Duggin suggested with a shiver.

  “Lista, over here,” Clancy screamed jumping up and down. “I believe you’ve been saved.”

  It was Razar’s mate. The female always looked well put together, but her style was understated and at times, functional. She’d been a soldier, or so Duggin had heard. When she was working, like now, it wasn’t unusual to see her in well-worn jeans with a T-shirt paired with well-loved sneakers. It looked good on her, emphasizing her tiny waist and her feminine curves.

  He’d seen her at state events, her look was completely different. She looked every inch a princess then. Not that he was an expert on female fashion, but a male had an opinion too. Duggin liked the sexy clothes females wore to events like that. Some of the clothing on display right now belonged in a seedy bar. The men they would catch with that look wasn’t one that would treat them right. After all they’d been through, they deserved better for their second chance.

  Lista looked around with wide eyes. A few times it looked like she struggled not to smile or comment. “I need to get a cosmetologist in here in the worst way. A seamstress too, if I can find one.”

  Duggin agreed. He began to make his way to Sharon. None of the other women drew his eyes at all. It wasn’t just because of their attempts to attract his attention that needed to be refined. The real reason was his interest had already been caught. Now what he wanted to do was see if something might grow between them.