But Kiera knew now—really knew—that things could go bad out here in a heartbeat. And if Buck hadn’t come when he did…
She closed her eyes and hugged him tighter, refusing to finish the thought. She supposed she ought to call Commander Rarev and tell him that Higgs was becoming a problem…but she hated to bother the busy Monstrum Commander with her day—to—day struggles. He might think she couldn’t run things on her own, and she didn’t want that.
Also, she couldn’t find her think—me anywhere. The thin gold wire that sat like a halo on the user’s head and transmitted thoughts telepathically had been missing for days. So even if she wanted to call for help, she couldn’t.
It was a damn good thing she had Buck, she thought again. It reminded her of that old ad campaign back on Earth–the one about “Who rescued who?” She absolutely believed her rescue wolf had rescued her just now–possibly even saved her life.
From now on, she needed to keep Buck close whenever she was outside, she decided. She hoped that Higgs would keep his distance now, but you never could tell with men. Sometimes they got stubborn and determined to make an ass of their selves.
“I’m glad you’re with me,” she told Buck again.
Then she buried her face in his warm gray ruff again and held on.
16
BRUX
Brux was deeply troubled.
At first, after he had driven the green male away from Kiera and taken her safely back inside the home-dome, he had been too focused on her distress to think of much else. She had been shaking, and sweating and her heart had been pounding so hard he could hear it. All he had wanted at that moment was to get her somewhere safe and let her hold onto him for as long as she needed.
But even later, when she had finally calmed down and they had gone back to their usual routine, the troubled feeling remained.
It stayed with him all through the rest of the day and gnawed at him while Kiera checked on the animals and made notes on her wrist—screen and tried very hard to act as though nothing bad had happened. It followed him as faithfully as he followed her from enclosure to enclosure. By that evening, when they were back inside the home-dome and Kiera was sitting quietly at the little table with a cup of something hot cradled between both hands, Buck understood exactly what was bothering him.
He had failed.
Not completely—he knew that. He had protected her. He had come when she needed him and made the green male release her. He had bitten him and driven him away. Kiera was safe.
That ought to have been enough.
But it didn’t feel like enough.
Because what Buck had wanted—what he had needed to do—was to take his humanoid form and stand before that ugly, stinking bastard as a male. Not a beast…not a pet…not a dumb, speechless animal who could only growl and snap.
He needed to confront the threat to his woman as a male–as a Monstrum warrior, defending his mate.
He had wanted to put himself between Higgs and Kiera and tell him in clear words that she was under his protection. That she was his mate and the other male had better not come near her again if he valued his miserable life.
Instead, all Brux had been able to do was growl and bite.
It had worked, of course, but still, the frustration burned inside him like acid.
As Kiera sat quietly at the table, staring into her cup as though she could find answers there, Brux lay nearby with his head on his paws and watched her. He watched the little frown between her brows…watched the way her shoulders were tighter than usual, as though some part of her was still braced for danger…watched her sigh softly and rub one hand over the arm Higgs had grabbed. It was discolored now–the creamy brown skin darkened by a bruise.
At the sight, Rage flared hot and immediate through him–he wanted to fucking kill the male!
No—not kill him–that was too simple. Brux wanted to tear him apart. He wanted to rip the fucking bastard to shreds and let the scavengers pick his bones.
A low growl rumbled in his chest before he could stop it, and Kiera looked up at once. She seemed to know what was bothering him.
“Hey,” she said softly, setting the cup aside and coming to kneel beside him. “It’s okay, Buck. He’s gone. You scared him off.”
She put both arms around his neck and hugged him, pressing her warm body to his. At once some of the fury drained out of Brux, leaving only the old, familiar ache behind.
Gods, her touch felt good–so good and so right. If only he could shift, he could hold her in his arms. Instead of just letting her hug him, he could hug her back.
And that was part of the torment. Every time she touched him, he felt the change begin. He felt a stirring deep inside himself…a flicker of possibility that seemed to promise that his bipedal form was right there—right beneath the surface of his skin—just waiting to come out.
