Page 56 of Born Savage

“Ask yourself a question, Phoenix. Why do you bear a mark on your other thigh?”

“What?” I tipped my head to study him, a cold chill coursing through me.

“The red crescent moon. Star is marked as well. Ask yourself why. Your attraction is ordained and approved by the gods.”

Approved by the gods. I fisted my hand, uncertain how to react to the bombshell he’d just dropped.

CHAPTER 11

Rage

I’d left Peter tending to his plants, acknowledging he’d caught me in my amorous thoughts. He’d also caught me completely off guard, my mind churning over his words and his advice.

What if we were meant to be together? As I walked away, I snorted in amusement. He was an amazing man who was completely nuts. However, I’d need to speak with Star to ensure there were no additional conditions left to discuss.

The only reason I decided to head to the lower floor was because he was right in that the trip would be arduous. Enough that if we were constantly arguing, we’d lose time. What could be traveled in less than two days by vehicle would take weeks by foot.

The corridors were cloaked in shadows, the scent of metal and corrosion pungent. At least the underground facility was moderately protected, although not deep enough in the ground to completely prevent the effects of pyrocumulonimbus clouds. Even though nuclear winters had ceased to exist over ten years before, the atmosphere in every corner of the world had been forever changed and was highly unpredictable.

If we faced minimal issues, which wasn’t likely. Between the malformed beasts and the roving bands of violent survivalists, we would be lucky to make it one day without an encounter. At least with the heat sensors, we could avoid large groups, but the scavengers were often the most dangerous.

While Eden would be considered heaven by anyone’s standards, seeing the groups of people moving through the corridors, carrying on conversations that could have been held before the war brought a sense of how closely knit the people had become. A few acknowledged me with a nod, their eyes reflecting the news of our arrival had traveled throughout the compound. Others kept a wide berth, still uncertain we were any different than the monsters who’d killed two of their own.

When I reached the closed door, I hesitated. That wasn’t like me. Usually, I barreled into any situation because that’s what was needed. Yeah, it wasn’t like me at all. I knocked. Why not try to be cordial at least. When she didn’t answer right away, I found no reason not to let myself in, closing the door behind me. The room was sparse with a cot and a beat-up dresser, the light overhead flickering as if ready to expire.

She wasn’t in sight, the quarters cramped but filled from top to bottom with boxes filled with memorabilia. I honestly wasn’t certain what I was looking at. Books. Notebooks. Even what appeared to be sketch pads with markers. And weapons. Jesus Christ, the woman had a huge stash of weapons.

I moved to the center of the room and to one spot where the floor wasn’t covered with something. Using just a single finger, I checked inside a couple of boxes. She’d amassed various weaponry from military surplus and those that had likely been pulled off victims or found in her city runs.

Given the woman’s penchant for killing, my guess was she’d plucked at least half the firepower out of cold, dead hands. I had to give her credit. She had a tough exterior, but I’d already seen her softer side in dealing with Wren and the dog.

And even in dealing with our passion.

It took a few seconds to realize she had some method to the obvious madness, books stacked against every wall. They appeared to be in order of genre including medical documentation. Well, I certainly gained an understanding of what she did in her off time.

I found the situation and her adoration of books amusing. There was much more to the woman than what I’d seen. Complex didn’t begin to identify her.

What the hell? I’d missed her, likely on purpose. The connection from the gods. I wanted to laugh it off, but whatever the reason for the tether between us, it was growing stronger. Just as I turned to head out the door, it was flung open and a lovely figure wrapped in a towel walked in without noticing I was standing mostly behind the door. With her back to me, I was given a perfect view of her long legs and shapely calves.

She moved to the dresser, completely unaware I was in the room.

I should have known better. Her actions were methodical and practiced. She lunged forward and given the power in her thigh muscles, she managed to topple me to the bed, immediately straddling my waist and another, much larger blade was driven against my carotid artery.

Perhaps she hadn’t noticed her towel was barely hanging on, the thin bare material doing nothing more than highlighting her voluptuous body. She didn’t seem fazed in the least, determined to eliminate an enemy if necessary.

“Bastard,” she whispered, the way her chest rose and fell indicating excitement instead of irritation. Her long blonde hair was damp, falling across my face and shoulders as she leaned over, peering at me with eyes that were emblazoned with fury.

My cock only proceeded to ache even more than before.

“Already ascertained, Star. I would think you’d be used to my personality by now.”

A sweeping series of vibrations swirled around us as she shifted back and forth. Sensing exactly what she intended, an immediate rotation of my hips and I had her pinned to the bed. I ripped both arms over her head, her upper body muscles stronger than I’d believed. She laughed softly, refusing to allow me to grasp her wrists with one hand.

I tried slamming her arm against the bed to force her to release the knife, but without a solid surface, the effort was futile.

And only proved to amuse the hell out of her. She laughed, thoroughly enjoying making a fool of me. “A big bad Verndari bested by a woman.”

“You mean by a commander.” My tease didn’t go over very well.