of the hospital's

he stepped onto the landing pad. She shivered, her shoulder

ely slowed his long strides. Without a word, he shifted his massiv

on the tarmac. Its armored plating absorbed the ha

rced door open. He stood back, gesturing for her to enter

rboard. Her knees, still trembling from the

tep. She pitched forward, the gr

ils dilated in

ng firmly around her waist. He hauled her back aga

iological instincts completely

ted, furry rope, it coiled tightly around Allegra's left ankle. The black-ti

oked down

l reflex. A cat using its tail for balance. She

wever, stopp

turned to stone. The blood rushed to his fac

ankle was a deeply intimate, possessive act. It was a blatant

claimed a civilian he had

e. She reached down and lightly

said softly, her tone cas

sent a violent shockwave of elect

air. He yanked his tail back as if she had burn

voice was raw, stripped of all its military

by his extreme panic. "It'

disgusted. She wasn't screaming for

shame, he yanked his holographic terminal from his

" he stated, his voice tight. "Th

, encrypted data-

d. He was paying her more money becau

ket. She wasn't going to argue with an alien bi

he let out a shaky breath. She took the compensation.

ring rigidly toward th

sitting as far away from her as the leather bench would allow.

the tarmac with a smooth

owering, neon-lit skyscrapers of the capital city. She tried to

ght, his eyes locked on the

vision was entirely

repressed anxiety, refused to stay still. It swept back an

dge of Allegra's thigh. It was a feather-light

edibly soft. It looked like the highest

clenched. He tried to force the appendage to

ch more violently, the movements b

from smiling. The terrifying, cold-blooded general was currently losing a battle

her seats. The silence in the cabin was deafening, thick with a