Page 158 of Tamed By Her Touch

Kaelus ignored the mocking words. Think—he had to think while he still could. How could he get out of here?

The doors were sealed and Sendar controlled them. He had a blaster that could blow a hole in the side of a building. Clair was already on her way, and unless someone warned her, she would walk directly into the building.

His com unit! Maybe he could call her—warn her before it was too late.

Kaelus grabbed for it and found it dead.

Sendar smiled again.

“Oh, didn’t you know? Communications are blocked within the Archive.”

Kaelus wanted to fucking kill him! Just rip the weapon from his hand and crush his throat.

But then he felt another pulse of lust. The virus—it was already pushing at the edges of his reason. He could not allow himself to waste time. He had to get away to where Clair couldn’t find him…to where he couldn’t hurt her.

But where could he find a place like that in the Blood Archives?

Think, he urged himself, trying to control the hunger that was taking huge, ravenous bites out of his reason. Think!

He thought again about rushing Sendar and trying to disarm him. He could probably reach him before the male fired. Probably.

But if he was wrong, if Sendar shot him badly enough to incapacitate him, then Clair would arrive and find him helpless to warn or protect her.

Worse, if Sendar merely wounded him and the virus continued spreading through his system, Kaelus might become even more dangerous.

He searched desperately for another option—there had to be one. There was always another option. A scientist didn’t stop because the first hypothesis failed.

Think, he urged himself. Fucking THINK!

Heat rolled through his body again and his heart pounded harder. The faint trace of Clair’s scent clinging to his clothing suddenly seemed unbearable.

He pictured her beneath him…soft and open and trusting. Then he imagined covering her petite, curvy body with his own huge, brutish one…he pictured slamming into her, filling her over and over as she cried out beneath him…

NO!

Kaelus snarled and slammed both fists against his own thighs as though physical pain could drive the image away.

“No,” he said aloud. “No, I won’t do it!”

Sendar laughed, his copper eyes ugly with glee.

“Oh yes,” he said. “You’re going to do it and I’m going to record it.” He pointed with his free hand to something with a light that was hovering over their heads, buzzing softly. “See that? It’s a recorder-bee and it’s filming right now. Once I get the footage I want, I’ll send it to the Kindred Mother Ship and frame you for the deaths at the Glenvarren colony. You’ll be condemned to death while I continue my research.”

Kaelus shut out his voice with an effort.

Goddess, please, he thought, sending the prayer desperately towards the heavens. Please, I love Clair—I’d rather die than hurt her!

And then, impossibly, a voice answered—not in his ears, but in his mind.

It was warm and powerful and unmistakably feminine.

“Run warrior!” it ordered.

Kaelus sucked in a breath.

“Goddess?” he asked in a low, trembling voice.

The voice came again, filling his mind with a strength that was not his own.