Page 47 of Carnal: The Beast Who Loved Me

“She’s right about that, Free. And of course you’re the right person. No one has a truer sense about next steps than you. Maybe this is just the next step in a natural progression.”

“And hey, I’m not omniscient. Maybe the humans are not up to anything. At all.”

Free slanted his eyes toward her in disbelief. “But you think they are.”

“In my world, if you put people in a position of living under threat for twenty-five years, with the only protection being non-humans who lived apart and kept to themselves, I can guarantee you that someone would be coming up with a plan to alleviate that threat and restore humans to the top of the power chain. And they’d be careful to keep that plan secret until it was too late.”

“Remember how things were before?” Serene asked her mate. It was a question that didn’t need to be either qualified or answered. “The books we have don’t tell us how to build the technology that made us and enslaved us. I knew that, but thought it’s just as well to live in a world where such things are not possible. So I didn’t question it.” Serene glanced at Rosie. “Until now.”

Free took in a big breath and, when he was done, his expression said he was decided and resolved.

“We’re going hunting in Farsuitwail.” He pinned Rosie with a look she hadn’t seen before. “And you’re coming with me, since you know what to look for.”

Rosie’s lips parted, but for once, she didn’t know what to say. She was just a kid. Not an ambassador. Or a spy. But shewasthe one who’d opened the Pandora’s box and, according to her father’s sense of morality, which was always floating around in the mix that made up her own personality, she was obligated to see through to the end what she’d started. So she said, “Okay.”

At two o’clock the next afternoon, Dandy threw a damp towel over her shoulder and, with one hand resting on a cocked hip said, “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

Rosie raised an eyebrow. “Going for a ride on a motorcycle. Not getting married. Or anything else you might be thinking.” Dandy barked out a laugh then shook her head. “Thanks for the cover.”

Dandy chuffed and waved a dismissal.

“Dandelion. You got something against Carnal?”

Dandy hesitated, which was a signal in itself because Dandy wasn’t a hesitator. “Got nothing against Carnal. Just not sure he’s right for you.”

“But you like him okay.”

“I like him okay. I mean, he’s Carnal.”

Rosie smiled. “And there you have it.”

“You know what I mean.”

“See that’s the thing. Idon’tknow what you mean.”

“I’m not saying anything against my Promise’s brother. He’s just…” she waved her hands in the air, “Carnal.”

“Well, that explains it then.” Rosie put her apron away. “Thanks for worrying, Dandelion. I’m a big girl.”

As she was walking through the door, Dandy said, “Who’s worrying? Just don’t you forget that he’s abiggerboy.”

Rosie walked back to the Extant’s house to put on the clothes that were outside her door when she opened it that morning. Boots, dark brown soft bike leathers, and a fur-lined jacket. The pants were a little snug. She locked the door and conjured a mirror for a full length check out. It was uncanny how somebody had guessed her size down to the millimeter. Yeah, she thought as she turned to get the back view over her shoulder, she looked good in leather. She wasn’t fully finished admiring how the pants flattered the curve of her derriere when there was a knock on the door.

She got rid of the mirror then opened the door wearing the boots, pants, and a red long-sleeved Henley that made her coloring pop. She was dangling the fur-lined jacket from two fingers.

“You really think I’ll need this?”

Carnal looked her over slowly from the top down and back with a huge grin and sparkling eyes.

“Gets cool when the wind’s whipping past. So, yeah. You’re gonna need it, even though I’ll be blocking most of the breeze.” He leaned down into her space. “You look spectacular.”

Rosie knew she was blushing a little.

His bike was waiting just outside the front door. Rosie looked around.

“It’s just us.”

“Did you think I usually invite an audience along on adate?”

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