Tempted Cyborg by Nellie C. Lind

with that thing. I don't even recall where they live any longer. They are safe.”
    Jade didn't reply. She stood as if frozen and glared at Hunter. Anger radiated from her. Finally, she snorted, put away her device, and turned around. With a few short steps, she was out of the room.

CHAPTER 8
     
    Avril heard the door close behind Jade, but she didn't lock it. Avril didn't doubt that Soul remained standing in the hallway, ready to storm the room if she screamed for help, but she knew she wouldn't. She was safe with Hunter. That, she was sure of. She knew that now.
    She felt herself blush when she thought about what was to come. After all, he had chosen her and that meant that he was willing to bind himself to her. Her breathing increased as Hunter came closer to her. He raised his hand and with a feather-light touch, he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.
    “How weird,” he said with barely a whisper. “I can finally touch you and I am not afraid to do it. I'm no longer afraid of belonging to you.”
    Avril swallowed hard. “Are you sure about this?”
    “I have never been surer about anything in my whole life. I saw the pain it caused you when you realized that you had lost me. I know that your love for me is real, and I understand that you are not doing this out of guilt. You really do want me.”
    His words made her throat clench. “Nightmare said that the bond is not real.”
    “He believes that, but believe me too, once it's in place, it will feel very real.”
    She only nodded. She knew how the cyborgs were constructed. Their entire existence was based on the bond. Without it, they couldn't live, didn't matter how real or fake Nightmare thought it was.
    Hunter took another step closer, invading her personal space. “Once I kiss you, there will be no turning back. You will be stuck with me until the day you die. And when that day comes, we will die together. I will not survive another broken bond, and I am glad I won't. The pain is too much to handle.” He took a deep breath. “Each bonding is different, but I am so starved for a bond that the bonding process will initiate with one simple kiss.”
    Avril couldn't stop herself from giggling. It made Hunter smile. For the first time since her childhood, he seemed happy, and she was happy with him.
    He placed his hands on her arms, licking his lips as if he was preparing himself. “Are you ready?”
    Avril nodded as she tried to control her erratic breathing. “I am ready.”
    Slowly, he leaned toward her lips, stopping just a tiny inch away from them, giving her one last look, and then, he kissed her. Chills were sent through her entire body as she felt his soft and warm lips being pressed against hers. Goosebumps awakened on her skin as Hunter's arms wrapped around her, pressing her closer to his strong and muscular body. She opened up to his kiss as he deepened it. A moan escaped her throat and she reached out her tongue to meet his, but Hunter suddenly froze, not reacting to anything she was doing.
    Surprised, Avril took a step back and looked at him. He was looking her in the eyes, but his gaze was far away. It was as if he was there, but at the same time, he wasn't. Was this part of the bonding process? She couldn't tell for sure since she had never seen one. All she knew was what MedAct had told her, and that was that his eyes had to flash three times before the bonding would be in place. The first flash initiated the bond, the second accepted her, and the third sealed it.
    “Hunter?” She waved her hand in front of his eyes. There was no reaction.
    Then, without a warning, a short but intense flash came from his eyes, almost blinding her. She jerked with surprise and stared at him. His eyes had flashed! It had worked. She almost couldn't believe it. Joy filled her, making her laugh. She didn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks.
    Hunter blinked several times and straightened his back as he came back to her. He wrinkled his forehead