Primal Instincts by Susan Sizemore Page A

note on her PDA. She wasn’t exactly a werefox but a
kitsune.
Tobias wasn’t quite sure of the differences. Vampires were vampires, werefolk were complicated.
    He pinched the bridge of his nose as he mentally ticked through the assignments and orders for the day. “Okay, that’s everything,” he told the remaining Crew. “Dismissed.”

Chapter Eighteen
    Within moments he was alone with Flare Reynard. His impulse was to take her back to the bedroom.
    “Let’s go,” he told her.
    Her faint smile told him she knew what he was thinking and what he meant. “To the clinic.”
    He nodded. But the cell phone in his jacket vibrated before he could take a step. “Excuse me.” He took out the phone to check the text message.
    Flare was standing at his side as he gave a snort of laughter. “What?” she asked.
    “From Saffie.” He let Flare read the message on the small screen:
    Remember the cheek swab thing?
    “Meaning?”
    “My mortal teenage daughter.”
    “That was who you were talking to last night? I thought it sounded like you were talking to a kid. I tried not to eavesdrop but heard some of what yousaid.”
    “That’s okay.” He typed an answering text, which wasn’t easy on the tiny keyboard with his big hands, while he explained. “Her science class got involved with a DNA study.”
    Remember. ??
    Mistake?
    ??
    What if results suck?
    U don’t suck.
    U do.
    UR adopted.
    “I thought it would be a good idea for her to learn something about her ancestry. When this came up she told me she thought the work mortals are doing to trace migration patterns is fascinating.” He sighed. “I never thought consenting to a biology project would cause a panic attack.”
    “She doesn’t know anything about her family?”
    He was annoyed by the notes of alarm and sympathy in Flare’s question. Of course a Clan female would only understand about Clan connections.
    “You don’t need bloodlines to make a family,” he told her.
    “I know that. But you must think genetics counts for something, or you wouldn’t have encouraged your daughter to—”
    “Point taken,” Tobias growled.
    “I’ll take that as an apology.” She walked away.
    He went back to soothing Saffie’s worries, but guilt nagged at him the whole time he typed text messages to his daughter.
    He was beginning to suspect that he suddenly had more women in his life than was healthy for a simple soldier Prime.
    Francesca looked out the patio door with her arms crossed tightly across her stomach and tried unsuccessfully not to think about how easy it was to become attached to mortals.
    If she and Patrick had had a daughter, she would have been mortal. Nothing wrong with being mortal; Francesca would have loved her just as much. Taken pride in her. Raised her to be the best person she could be. Vampires lived longer, were faster and stronger, healed more quickly, but they weren’t any smarter than mortals. They didn’t have any more spirit or talent or anything that really made their minds different from a human’s.
    Damn it, Patrick, why’d you have to go and die on me? We would have made beautiful babies.
    “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
    Francesca hated that she hadn’t noticed Strahan come up behind her and that she felt like that was where he was supposed to be. She watched his faintreflection in the glass as he filled the space behind her. For a moment she couldn’t recall why he might think he’d upset her.
    “I like most mortals I’ve met,” she finally said. “Small ones are especially cute. They take a lot less training to domesticate than vampire children.”
    His laughter was ironic. It coaxed a faint smile from her.
    “Of course, I’ve never raised one,” she added. She thought she successfully hid the stab of pain these words brought her. Never mind the connection she and Strahan were developing, there were some things she needed desperately to keep to herself. “Where is she? I get the impression it’s