You are such a stupid man,she yelled mentally. Then she softened with,Does it hurt bad?
He turned and grinned at her, his beast bright in his eyes. “Myers is gone. One down. Two to go.” He gave Yates a look that had the man tightening his grip on her.
“Sheer.” Yates nodded at Alex. “Dr. Lang saw what he needed to. Let’s go.”
It was then Kennedy noticed the low droning coming from behind Yates’s ear. A transmitter of some kind.
Sheer walked to Alex and slung him over his shoulder. Alex resisted, bleeding all over the man, and groaned.
Sheer chuckled. “Easy, Palmer. And no playing grab ass with me. We’ll get to that later, okay?”
When Alex continued to thrash to get free, Sheer burned the back of his thigh. The smell of burning flesh grossed Kennedy out, and Alex passed out.
“He lost a lot of blood. But he’s a fighter.” Sheer smiled. “I like him. Come on, Yates. Let’s go.” Whistling, he left the building with several mercenaries following.
She’d promised herself not to fight, and with Alex gone, she went willingly enough, allowing him to carry her, cradled to his broad chest. Along the way, she pried into Yates’s thoughts and got an earful.
I can’t wait to take you. You and me, we’re going to make beautiful babies. And I won’t share you. Not with Palmer. Maybe with Sheer, but that’s just for protection for us. I know I can get it up with you. But only you. Somehow I have to find a way to get rid of the others. Then it’ll just be me and you forever.
The images that went along with his obsessive thoughts scared her, because Yates liked biting and clawing and hurting his bed partners. Myers had been tough enough to withstand much of Yates’s perversions, but Yates preferred women. He’d made do with Myers, and he gave Sheer whatever the bastard wanted as protection from Caldane.
But Yates was tired of sloppy seconds when it came to the females. He wanted his own—Kennedy. And he hated Charlie, more because he could no longer manage to get an erection with her.
Charlie’s a stupid slut. I hate her, that’s why I can’t get it up for her. Sheer’s Circ, but he’s an aberration. It’s you I want. You felt me before, didn’t you? I’m big for you, and only you.
She grimaced, not needing the reminder.
“Yeah, you’re with me now, aren’t you?” He glanced down at her, delighted.
She bit her lip, unsure how he’d known she’d invaded his mind. She remained quiet, unmoving in his arms.
He tucked her head back against his chest. “Shh. Not much longer and we’ll be together. No more peeking, though.” Something sharp pierced her neck.
Then she slept.
******
Kennedy woke in an unfamiliar room. Her beast took inventory, recognizing the scent of Charlie nearby. Other Circs had been in the room. Yates, as well as Dr. Lang and Duane Smith. A few medical smells, drugs, and kin—another beast, a female.
“Oh good. You’re awake.” The dry tone didn’t sound like her cousin, but she knew that voice.
“Charlie?” She slowly sat up, took a moment to get her dizziness under control, and spotted her cousin sitting on a small couch, staring at her.
The room was nothing like the cells they’d been forced to stay in before. This room looked comfortable. It had a thick brown rug covering the floor. A canopied king-size bed, closet space, bookshelves filled with books and puzzles, and pale rose colored walls decorated an inviting space. A large flat screen television, adjoining bathroom, from what Kennedy could see, and a view outside from a large window showcasing a green pasture and sunny blue sky gave credence to the notion this was not a cell.
What the hell?
“Charlie?”Am I dreaming?She sent her cousin
Who didn’t answer.
“Charlie?” she asked aloud. A closer glance showed her cousin in an arm cast from wrist to elbow. She had scratches and bruises over her face, neck, and even on her bare feet.
The jeans and sweater she wore covered her, but they bagged on her, making Charlie look downright tiny. Her uneven breathing told Kennedy Charlie was far from okay.
The glare in her cousin’s gray-green eyes didn’t make her look any healthier. Just inured and angry. “I told you not to tell him. You didn’t listen.”
“What? No, I—”
