PrimalHunger by Dawn Montgomery

requires diplomacy and
discretion.”
    “Speaking of the Valorian, I see you two have enjoyed each
other.”
    “What makes you say that?” Kendra fidgeted with her holster,
tightening the strap just so.
    “He didn’t rip Mase’s head off when we poached on his
property.”
    Property. Kendra curled her lip in disgust of that word.
“I’m no man’s property.” Her stomach cramped into agonizing knots. She dragged
in a breath, and a spike of fear shot through her body. Sweat beaded on her
forehead. Dammit. What the hell? She immediately thought of poison, but
disregarded it immediately. She reached for Reeva but she was striding away
from the console.
    “Well, you’ll have to tell him that.” Reeva spoke over her
shoulder. “It’s almost time.”
    The cramps eased and Kendra nodded. She dragged in a breath
and swiped the back of her hand across her forehead. The medscan download had
already finished. She removed the memory crystal and dropped it in her thigh
pocket. Kendra stood and stretched out the kinks in her back. The armless
uniform gave her full range of motion, but it felt unusually itchy against her
skin.
    She walked over to where Azros sat, and couldn’t stop her
fingers from touching his face in a gentle caress. His eyes gleamed with
pleasure. Her cold fingers grew warm at the touch. The residual pain in her
legs and stomach became a distant memory. “It’s time to go.”
    * * * * *
    “Sounds like you two had a time of it.” Reeva paced Kendra
in the hike back to the skiff. The eerie glow of their torches lengthened
shadows, giving the already disturbing flats a foreboding appearance. Mase
ranged ahead, scouting for treacherous terrain, and Kendra couldn’t help but
hope that the moonless night provided further cover for the return to the
Palace. The lights made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t have Mase’s night
vision capabilities or Azros’ affinity with nature to rely on.
    “How close did the slimes get to you guys?” Kendra scanned
the edges of the light, searching for a very specific shadow. Sweat broke out
on her forehead, and the strong scents of the night rose in an overwhelming
tide. She paused, dropping to a knee. Reeva dropped as well, eyes on the
perimeter. The stench of rot overpowered the others, and Kendra gagged.
    “You okay, boss?” Reeva glanced around their circle of
light. Kendra dragged a breath through her mouth. She scraped the back of her
hand across her lips. Another breath followed. Then another. She gagged again,
and tears welled up in her eyes.
    “Kendra?” Shadows slipped from Azros’ body like the hands of
a lover. Kendra nearly choked on a laugh. She was definitely romanticizing the
man, which was ridiculous when he was the cause of her sensory overload. His
fault.
    “You.” She stood abruptly and clenched her fists in an
attempt to keep her stomach from rebelling. “This is your fault. You mentioned
a heightened sense of smell. You did not, however, mention that every single
scent on the flippin’ planet would attack me at once.”
    “A heightened sense of smell from what?” Kendra didn’t like
the way Reeva was looking at her.
    Humor wiped the concern from his face. He even grinned. She
was going to kill him. “I had forgotten all about that. It happened to me the
first time too. You get used to it after a while.”
    “The first time for what?” Reeva showed more than mild
curiosity.
    “The first mating.” Azros was openly smiling.
    “This isn’t a mating.” Kendra’s fists clenched, and for a
moment she was tempted to shoot him. “It’s just temporary.”
    The humor in his eyes died to be replaced by something
darker, more intense. It had the hair on the back of her neck rising. “Of
course. My mistake. I guess time will tell.” He flashed a smile that was more
fang than necessary, and slid back into the shadows.
    “It is damn creepy how he can do that.” Reeva grinned
appreciatively.
    “Yeah, you sound really creeped out. Men