His nostrils flare as his pupils slowly expand to eat up his silvery-gold irises, until there is nothing but the band of midnight visible.
“Igid, what’s wrong?” his voice has gone deep and husky.
Shit. Now he’s reacting to my heat.
“TheShade,” I gasp. “Now.”
The sound of pounding footsteps echo through the cavern, and I breathe out a string of curses under my breath. That would be the stupid guard coming after me, wanting to claim a female in heat.
Before I have a chance to react, Brox scoops me up in his arms and starts to run.
“What are you doing?” I twist, swatting at his chest and kicking my legs. “I don’t need to be carried like a babe. Put me down!”
Brox gives me an apologetic look, and, without slowing, he drops my feet to the ground. Side by side, we bolt through rooms, down stairs, and sprint across the cavern. When another wave starts to build low in my stomach, I wrap my arms around my middle and grit my teeth against it. Sweat prickles across my brow and between my shoulders. Try as I might, I can’t help the whimper that escapes my tight throat.
Brox looks over at me, his face creased with worry, but I shake my head.Vittu, running is making his scent stronger, and I greedily inhale it, using it as a balm to soothe some of the pain radiating through my core.
It’s been so long since I’ve endured a heat cycle that I almost forgot how truly awful they are. Back then, I had drugs at the ready to send me to oblivion and keep me there until the worst was over.
I have nothing this time.
That’s not true. You have the exact thing needed to ease a heat.
My eyes jump to where Brox is keeping a steady pace at my side. With every pump of his arms, his muscles bunch and flex under the deep bronze of his skin.
A sheen of sweat has broken out across his forehead and down his neck. Has he always been this handsome?
No! This is the heat talking. Except, it’s not just his looks that are calling out to me. It’s also the way his jaw is clenched, and he’s completely focused on getting us back to the safety of theShade.On protecting me.
Dragging my eyes from him, I chance a glance over my shoulder, and the muscles in my back tense. There is a ripple in the darkness. Something in the shadows is movingfast,and it’s coming toward us.
“Hurry,” I whisper as another wave of pain radiates through me. “He’s getting closer.”
If he catches me—if Brox and I can’t fight him off…
A low growl rumbles through Brox’s chest, and he picks up his pace, forcing me to push myself to keep up.
The guard is still gaining.
Clenching my teeth, I reach over and wrap my fingers around his wrist and tug. Brox’s head snaps down at where I’m holding on to him, then up at me. Confusion creases his brow.
“Igid,” he grunts. “What are you—?”
“Pick me up.” When he frowns at me, I demand, “Now!Pick me up.”
Without pausing, he pulls me against him and sweeps me up into his arms. When he tries to drape my legs over his arm, I swing my body, slinging my arms around his neck and wrapping my legs around his waist so I’m straddling him, pelvis to pelvis, chest to chest. His hands clamp down on my ass, and he groans when he presses my core tight against the bar of his cock.
“As much as I like this, it’s really not the time…” he grumbles into my ear. When he squeezes my ass, I snap my tail at him.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I growl back, sliding my hand between us to his hip where I curl my fingers around the butt of his blaster.I’m not about to let that male get to me.
Brox’s pupils are fully blown when he looks at me, and he’s hard as stone between my legs.
“Watch where you’re going, I’ve got this.”
I sling my arm around his neck with his blaster gripped in my hand and press my lips to his ear. “No matter what you hear, don’t slow down.”
His breath explodes as a grunt, and his fingers dig into my ass cheeks, making my cunt weep with want for him. The guard suddenly explodes from the shadows, and I aim the blaster at where he is pushing himself to reach us.
