A siren sounded, rapidly approaching their vicinity.
Cayle partially moved off her, and she could breathe again. Enough for fury to take flight.
“Let me up.”
“Yes, mistress.” Cayle shifted aside and aided her to her feet.
“Did you see what happened?” she asked.
Lankesh shrugged, his lazy humor vanquished. “The shots came from that direction.” He indicated with his hand. “I do not believe they wished to harm anyone. It was a warning.”
Ursola pursed her lips. “Why do you say that?”
“Because the culprit was awaiting us. He or she fired yet didn’t hit anyone. I cannot say for sure, but I do not believe they were a poor shot. They aimed where they intended to strike. A warning,” he concluded.
“You should go inside the mansion, mistress.”
A fourth blaster shot rang out and fragments from the wall struck her face.
Six law enforcement officers arrived. One with extra braid on his uniform looked to her.
“Catch the culprit,” she ordered. “I want to display his head in the central city square.”
No one fired on her and lived to embellish the tale, and no one threatened her slave’s life either.
Chapter Six
Sweat poured down Jannike’s face as she trudged after Kelvin. Hot. So hot. Each breath seared her nostrils, her lungs, and the bright, bright solar-star caused her to squint. Beneath her tunic, her skin prickled with the heat or maybe it was the mate malady exacerbated by the high temperature. Either way her skin crawled with discomfort.
Her hand slid beneath her tunic, and she surreptitiously scratched her belly as she watched one of the two small birds Kelvin had rescued lift into flight.
Goddess, goddess, goddess this itching would drive her to insanity. It directed her mind to the two felines, and she was starting to realize the depths of suffering Ry had gone through for all those rotations.
Shame made her recall her impatience, the way she’d thought his actions were an excuse for sex.
At least her guilt forced her mind from the dryness of her mouth, the tightness of her lips and the heat on her face.
Royal whimpered and writhed beneath the head shelter she’d fashioned from her blanket covering. “We’ll stop soon, boy. Get some water and rest.”
One bird returned and screeched, landing on Lynx’s shoulder without hesitation. Up ahead, Lynx changed direction, enough for her to glimpse his arse. A fine one. The thought jumped into her head, and once there, it took root. She’d had her fair share of males, even experimented with a female once she’d become easy in her own skin.
Sex released battle stress. It relaxed a being, allowed them to recharge. Sex was something for fun, something she did when the urge occurred.
On her schedule.
Sex wasn’t necessary, and not sex with a particular male. Two specific males.
She scowled, realized she was still gaping at Lynx’s arse and ripped her gaze free.
She would fight this unfortunate attraction.
No way would she leave Ry and her friends. They’d come for her because they valued her presence, her input. They’d come because they were her friends. Ry had promised.
This situation—temporary. Mogens, the ship’s seer, would whisk up one of his potions and cure her of this weird malady.
And she’d never feel helpless and out of control again.
Just as she’d promised herself.
A rocky outcrop came into view. Not large. Not perfect, but the elevated position gave them a view of their surroundings. If they used the blankets to screen out the solar-star rays, the spot would suffice.
“Well spotted.” Shiloh marched past and slid his hand down Lynx’s cheek in an intimate gesture that had Jannike’s stomach clenching.
Like a punch at her jaw, jealousy blasted her, spreading through her mind in a blaze of misery.
She didn’t want either man, had no right to this level of irritation.
“Jannike?”
Kelvin sounded puzzled, and the sound vibrating past her lips—the growl—cut off abruptly. Royal whimpered and her hand went to his back to stroke and comfort.
Tiny bits of gravel crunched under her boots, the slight incline feeling as big as a mountain to her fatigued thigh muscles. A grunt escaped and the annoying, irritating prickle started its familiar dance across her stomach. Every urge inside her bade her go to Shiloh and Lynx. She forced her legs in Kelvin’s direction.
“Home until blacklight begins to fall.” She turned to scan the area behind them and couldn’t see a thing out of place.
Satisfied, she studied their immediate surroundings. The rocks piled haphazardly on top of one another, casting small slivers of precious shade. Her belly let out a plaintive rumble, which she ignored. Yet another layer to her wretchedness but something she could use for distraction.
“We’ll need to split up to take advantage of the pockets of shade,” Shiloh said.
Jannike gave a curt nod. “No prob. I’ll set up camp with Kelvin.”
“Good.” Shiloh strode the few steps to join Lynx. He didn’t stop until their bodies touched. The murmur of voices crossed the distance between them and envy slapped her around again. Wishing for something she’d never have. Gah! Shiloh didn’t like her—he tolerated her presence. She ripped her focus off them and forced her mind to the practicalities.
“Any ideas how to secure a blanket to give shade for both of us?” she asked Kelvin.
“Yes.”
Jannike frowned, waiting for him to expand, but his eyes merely twinkled with mysterious secrets. “Are you intending to tell me?”
“Show is better.”
Kelvin removed the blanket from his back—a larger version than her own. He trudged to an area away from Lynx and Shiloh, one concealed from anyone coming after them.
Jannike opened her mouth to protest because the spot he’d chosen wasn’t near the faint patch of cover provided by the rocks.
Kelvin clutched the silver blanket in one hand. A creaking sound began, one that came from him. His face contorted and faded into the coarse brownness of his skin. His loincloth disappeared into his body and his arms and legs expanded, the creaking growing louder. His feet—bare—dug into the sand, writhing and twisting to give him a solid grip on the shifting ground.
A creaky bark of amusement came from Kelvin. “I’m guessing you’ve never met a tremin before.”
Even his voice had changed to whispery—the voice of the forest.
While she gaped at his feet digging into the ground, his arms had lengthened, his hair had acquired spikes and become more leaf like. Now the blanket stretched out, spread by Kelvin’s branches and providing a welcome square of shade. One big enough for all of them.
“Rest, Jannike,” Kelvin whispered, his voice quieter in this form.
“What about you?”
“This is my resting form. I will have the best rest I’ve had for cycles. This, I promise.”
“Thank you, Kelvin.” Jannike dragged her body into the shade, the relief from the constant beat of the solar-star almost instant.
She pulled off her head covering and gently peeled Royal from her shoulder.
The two birds flew into Kelvin’s lower branches and settled in the shade. Their round eyes drooped shut.
“See if Royal will rest in my lower branches,” Kelvin whispered.
Jannike scooped up the calibore and placed him in the closest branch. Once she saw Royal was happy in this spot, she pulled a large berry from the supplies she’d toted and handed it to the calibore.
Kelvin’s eyes closed, and if she hadn’t seen them, she wouldn’t have known the location of his features. A whispery sigh issued from him. A sense of peace.
Satisfied the birds, Kelvin and Royal were happy, Jannike pulled out a pouch of water. Tempted to gulp the contents, she forced herself to sip and stopped at the count of five. With no idea of when or if they’d discover water in these dese
rt wastelands, conservation made sense.
Jannike set the supplies aside, and spread out her blanket. Now that they’d halted to rest, every muscle in her body ached in accord with the prickles of her skin. The weight of her tunic against her flesh irritated her hot, sweaty body.
Take it off. Without another thought, she peeled off the blue tunic and balled it into a pillow. Maybe she should check for their captors before she tried to sleep. Once the idea occurred, it nagged at her, and finally, she crawled to her feet and staggered around to the other side of the rock outcrop.
Shiloh and Lynx had set up here, and had discarded their tunics too. Lynx had shifted while Shiloh remained in humanoid form.
“Problem?” His gaze slid over her and the itchy sensation almost dropped her to her knees.
She clamped her teeth together and forced herself to scan the horizon. “I wondered if anyone was following us, and even though I know you can see from here, once the idea came to mind it wouldn’t let go. I had to look.”
He nodded and the back of her neck itched—a different irritation to normal—and she guessed he was studying her. She forced herself to sweep the sandy horizon for a second and third time before she moved.
“Nothing. I guess I’ll try to sleep now. How is Lynx?”
Shiloh stroked his hand over Lynx’s head, and the resulting purr had her biting her lip. The nip of pain should deter her from thoughts of joining them. Didn’t work.
“Lynx is fine. He’s sore, but now that he has the luxury of staying in feline form, he should heal.”
She nodded, forced her legs to move away.
“What are you wearing?”
Jannike glanced at her breasts, clad in a red bra—all lace and satin. Comfortable and practical yet girlie too. Camryn’s words echoed through her mind, bringing a blast of homesickness. At least that was what Camryn had described the feeling as—the desire for the comfort of home and family.
“It is an Earth garment,” she said. “My friend, Ry, took his mate back to her home planet for a visit. We spent a twelfth of a rotation on Earth.” The memories of their holiday released some of the strain, brought a curve to her lips. “We had a good time. They have this food called chocolate. Kaya—another friend—she purchased much chocolate to take as a memento. She hides it all over our ship and curses when she finds one of us has discovered her cache.”
Shiloh had cocked his head, interest turning up the corners of his mouth. The sight was so foreign she gaped for a sec before regaining control.
“I’ll leave you to rest,” she said.
“Lynx and I intend to take turns at keeping watch.”
Jannike nodded. “Call me to take a turn. We all need rest.”
“I will.”
She turned away, forced her traitorous legs to leave the two felines.
“Jannike?”
She turned, swallowed at the double temptation sprawled out in front of her. “Yes?”
“Sexy Earth garment.”
The unexpected words had her gawking until she managed to pull herself together. This time her legs moved on command. Running away. Retreating. At last—her brain had slid into the right program.
Heart beating faster than it should, she dropped onto the blanket beneath Kelvin’s impressive tree frame. She balled her tunic into a pillow and attempted to sleep. While exhaustion weighed down her body, her mind gamboled and frolicked with the vigor of a youngster. Lynx and Shiloh. Both felines and —to her mind—mates. So, she didn’t understand why the mating bug had struck her too. The insidious longing to cozy up to the two felines—singly or both. It didn’t seem to matter to the craving, gnawing at her bones. This wasn’t her.
She didn’t need a man.
She didn’t require a mate.
She might use a man.
She might enjoy a man.
But she never, never, never experienced the urge to keep one.
Frustration nudged aside the yearning for an instant, the intensity of invisible bugs writhing beneath her skin forcing a groan up her throat.
“Jannike?” The query in Kelvin’s whisper had her eyes flicking open.
She pushed to a sitting position and swiped one hand over her hot cheeks. “Bad dream.”
“I can listen.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“If you’re in good health, then why are you shaking like my hair when the winds rise?”
Damn. “Manx Two doesn’t hold good memories for me.” Not a lie, but not the truth either. She knew it, suspected Kelvin guessed this too, since he didn’t strike her as brainless.
Jannike put a stop to the conversation by yawning. “Tired. I think I’ll try to go to sleep again.”
“You weren’t asleep before,” Kelvin pointed out.
Yeah, he didn’t miss a thing. “I’m gonna try to rest.” She turned her back in dismissal and firmly closed her eyes.
She fought the constant crawl of desire, the urge to go to the two felines and beg them to touch her, to surround her with their hard bodies. The needy place between her thighs began to throb in counterpoint with the itch of her skin. Agony to remain still. Torture with each movement. She bit her bottom lip until the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, fighting her body, fighting the insidious urges. Just fighting.
Finally, she must have fallen asleep. A hand on her shoulder jerked her from slumber, and she bolted upright, lashing out with her fist and smacking Shiloh in the jaw.
“Phrull it, woman,” he gritted out, glaring at her and rubbing the spot.
“Sorry.” Her gaze darted, jumped, skipped and settled everywhere, anywhere except on Shiloh with his intense green eyes, his sweat-sheened pectoral muscles and his tight black trews that outlined strong, muscular thighs.
The physical outlet had helped. Maybe she should hit him again. Smack. Punch. Jab. Grapple…okaaay.
She fought a tremor and failed, the shudder pulling every nerve ending to attention. Saluting. Ready for action…
Jannike struggled to her feet and put some distance between them, just so she could breathe Shiloh-free air. “Is there a problem?”
“The tracker lizards are heading in this direction. Can’t see them clearly yet, but Lynx and I can hear their calls. They’re on a scent trail.”
“Crap.” Jannike reached down to grab her tunic and pulled it over her head. She gathered her blanket and resettled the remaining supplies she’d set aside earlier.
“I think we should stay here,” Shiloh said.
Jannike frowned at him, batted away the lurch of need in her gut. “Stay here? I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of repeating my capture experience. I’m not waiting for the tracker lizards to lead those bastards to us.”
Lynx slipped around the corner, slinking in his feline form. He shifted to humanoid with quick efficiency, his trews and boots appearing on legs that had been covered with fur while his chest remained bare. “The tracker lizards aren’t following our scent. They’re following something else.”
“So we sit tight,” Shiloh repeated. “If they were going to find our trail, they would have found it by now.”
“I agree. The breeze keeps shifting the sand. There is no vegetation out here to help the scent stick. The tracker lizards are following another. Not us. If we move, we run the risk of giving them a trail to trip over,” Lynx said.
Made sense. Jannike jerked her chin in recognition of good advice. “Who or what are they chasing?”
“Not sure yet. Shiloh and I need to move around here. We don’t want them to spot us. We’ll grab our supplies.”
Shiloh glided away with Lynx prowling after him.
Great. Just great. Two male chests to ogle and fantasize over, to touch… Another one of those full-body shivers rolled from her head to her toes, leaving her weak-kneed and reeling. Hellfire. She had to keep her mind off Lynx and Shiloh.
“You are attracted to Shiloh,” Kelvin said.
“No.” She glanced over her shoulder and h
oped the felines hadn’t overheard.
“Lynx.”
“No. All I’m interested in is getting out of this mess alive.”
“Thy is kidding thyself.”
“No!”
“The men are returning.”
Jannike quivered and scanned the horizon from where they stood. She froze. “Is that…hellfire, it is. One of the dragon things is heading our way.”
“A floris dragon? Where?” Shiloh demanded.
“To the right.” Lynx indicated with his right hand.
“The hunting party will see it.” Jannike pointed out the obvious. “The creature’s red wings are like a bloody flag.”
“The floris aren’t fussy about what they eat,” Lynx said. “But tracker lizards are difficult to kill. You have to go for their soft bellies.”
“How is a dragon’s sense of smell?” Jannike asked and edged under the sun shelter. “Their sight?”
“About the same level as a feline.” Shiloh crinkled his brow in obvious concern.
“The creature knows we’re here,” Kelvin said, his whisper flat.
Jannike pushed aside her trepidation. “The question is, did they have more than one specimen on board the ship. Since it’s flying toward us and the trackers, maybe it’s searching for its mate.”
“Soon know.” Shiloh’s tone indicated he was thinking the worst already. “If the dragon dive-bombs us, we’ll know for sure.”
“Cheerful Charlie,” Jannike said.
“Huh?” Lynx stared at her with his sexy green eyes.
Her stomach did a dragon-style dive-bomb before she pulled a suitable expression together and managed a casual shrug. “Earth expression. Camryn taught us a lot, so we blended better during our visit.”
The dragon kept coming. Jannike tracked its progress across the pale sky. Shiloh and Lynx exchanged a glance, one that spoke volumes to Jannike. They were ready to fight for their freedom.
“I’m an experienced warrior,” she bit out, pissed at exclusion to their little club. “I’m not going to fall apart. What’s the plan?”
“Lynx is going to shift and keep an eye on the advancing tracker lizards. There’s no point making a run for it until we ascertain if we’re prey. If it’s us, I suggest we split up and run faster than a ruby-dotted whippet,” Shiloh said.
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