Instead, he turned to look in her direction, a bloody finger held close to his lips. She raised her hand in silentacknowledgment. She didn’t know whether he could see her. She hoped he couldn’t because if he could, he’d see the revulsion on her face.
The male she’d made love to last night, the one she’d snuggled up to as she slept, was soaked in blood. His golden fur was matted with it. Streaks of red gore covered his face, his throat, and his arms. He looked like a dangerous predator. A monster with violence in his soul.
He’d killed someone for her. Judging by the amount of blood, maybe more than one person.
Loris’s words played on a loop in the back of her mind. “When I choose violence, it’s because I’m protecting someone or something I value—a client, an ideal, or a friend.”
She finally understood. When she looked at Havoc again, she didn’t see the monster. She saw him. The one who had given her more pleasure than she’d imagined possible. The one who was out there, risking his own life to protect hers.
He slipped away again, disappearing into the undergrowth like a golden shadow. Her protector. Her mate.
“Come back to me,” she mouthed the words, not daring to make any sound. There had to be more soldiers out there, which meant she had to do what he said and stay hidden to wait for him to tell her it was safe.
The morning air was warm and damp, and soon thebreeze carried the coppery tang of blood and other, more unsavory scents into her small sanctuary.
After this was over, she’d suggest they both find a quiet stretch of the river. She’d wash the blood out of his fur, and then she’d scrub herself until she felt clean again. Was there a cleanser of some kind in the first-aid kit? There should be. She’d use that.
She distracted herself with such thoughts as she waited. It was better than worrying about things she couldn’t do anything about.
She got so lost in thought that the stench of death faded from her awareness…but so did everything else.
She didn’t hear the new soldier approach until he was almost on top of her.
A huge alien with thick, rubbery skin and ill-fitting armor lumbered into view. This one came from a different direction than the last, and he wasn’t using the same kind of scanner. The one he used was strapped to his wrist. It flashed faster and faster as he approached the dead body.
She watched from her hiding place, every muscle tensed and ready to flee… only there was nowhere she could run.
He moved slowly, his booted feet thumping down into the dirt as he made his way toward the body of his comrade. Blue-black flesh bulged out of the gaps between the various pieces of protective gear. He didn’t wear a helmet, which let her see a sidelong view of his face. His bulbous features and protruding eyes madehim look like a child had sculpted his face out of too-hard clay.
A sickening smell reached her nose, and she almost gagged. The scent was like raw sewage mixed with rocket fuel. It burned her throat and made her eyes water.
The alien prodded the corpse with one massive boot. When there was no movement, he kicked it hard enough to lift it into the air. “Stupid human. I’ll take your share of the bounty.”
He made a gurgling noise Maddison thought might be laughter. He didn’t bother to look at the body again. Instead, he turned and walked in her direction. She cowered and hoped the shadows hid her from view.
Thankfully, he didn’t notice the hole beneath the roots at all. He stopped less than a meter away, unaware of how close he was to one of his targets. She didn’t draw a breath until he turned, putting the tree she sheltered beneath at his back.
“I know you’re out there, beast. You might have beaten the humans, but they were weak. I amnot. I will kill you and leave your body to rot. I will take your head, though. The verexi will pay generously for proof that your meaningless life has ended.”
She checked her translator to find out the language he spoke. It was logarian. She should have guessed. They were a violent, angry species that lived for conquest. They were known for their foul tempers and even fouler stink.
Without thinking too much, she lifted the stun wand and pressed her finger down on the activation button. It powered up with a low hum, and she continued to hold the button down until it was at full power. She’d only get one chance at this, and if the alien mercenary regained consciousness before Havoc came back, it wouldn’t go well for her.
She summoned her courage and tried to move, only to discover her body had betrayed her. Fear had locked her muscles, leaving her paralyzed and helpless.
No.She would not let this happen again. Her past traumas were exactly that—part of her past. She didn’t want to be that person anymore.
I can do this.
Her fingers moved slowly, tightening her grip on the stun wand. Adrenaline made her heart pound and heightened her senses. She saw the gap in the logarian’s armor at the back of one leg so clearly. Coarse black hairs poked out of the dark green skin, each follicle covered in viscous fluid. Was that the source of the smell?
She pushed the errant thought away. No distractions. No excuses. Now was the time for action.
She lunged forward, slamming the wand into the gap with all the strength she had. A loud pop was followed by a crackling she heard as well as felt through the wand she still held in a death grip. The gut-churning scent of burned flesh wafted over her, making her stomach heave, but she didn’t break contact. She didn’t dare.
It felt like an age passed before the big mercenary went down. His legs folded, and he fell in a graceless, twitching heap.
She exhaled in relief and scuttled backward, putting as much space as she could between her and the unconscious alien. It wasn’t far enough to escape the stench he emitted, though. With his massive body blocking her one exit, she could only endure the miasma of death, charred skin, and whatever other hideous aromas the logarian exuded.
