Page 58 of Salvation for the Alien Mercenary
Kraatt rose to his full height, towering over her. All four of his arms moved together, straightening his clothing.
"Fascinating," the broker murmured, his gaze fixed on Davis over her shoulder. "Most fascinating."
"The door," she prompted, tightening her grip on Davis's wrist.
The broker hesitated, his eyes reflecting Davis like multifaceted mirrors. Information, she realized… available to the highest bidder. Davis had just become a commodity.
"Now," she insisted, pulling on his wrist.
With reluctance, Kraatt pressed his hand to the control panel beside him. The door slid open, releasing them back into the corridor. She all but shoved Davis through it. The moment they were out of the broker's sight, he sagged against the corridor wall, breath coming in harsh pants.
"What's going on?" she asked, keeping her voice low as she stepped close.
He shook his head, jaw clenched tight. "I don't know. Like before, but... different." His eyes met hers, the gold now completely overwhelming the blue. "Something's triggering it." He broke off with a groan, clutching at his chest.
She grabbed his other hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Breathe," she instructed. "Focus on me."
His fingers tightened around hers almost painfully, but she didn't pull away. His gaze locked onto her face, using her as an anchor.
"That's it," she encouraged, stepping closer until her body pressed against his. "Just breathe with me."
He nodded, closing his eyes and pulling her closer. She went easily, fitting against his larger, harder body as though she'd been made to be there. Made to be his.
"I'm good," he murmured. "It's easing off."
She looked up, and he bent his head to capture her lips. When she gasped, the kiss deepened with an intensity that stole her breath. By the time they broke apart, his eyes had darkened again, but this time with desire rather than anything else.
"R’aaxiin," he said firmly. "It's about six hours away. We find Laaer, we get answers."
She nodded, falling into step beside him as they headed back toward the main concourse. "And if he's working with local security?"
His expression hardened, something predatory flashing in his gaze. "Then they better stay the fuck out of our way."
* * *
Davis rolled his shoulders,trying to shake the constant crawling tension beneath his skin. It had been three days since the last flare-up of whatever was changing him, three days of his body feeling like it belonged to someone, somethingelse. The sterile hallway of the Latharian apartment complex stretched before them, all smooth, clean lines and efficient design that only amplified the wrongness he felt inside his own flesh. The scents in the building hit him in waves… antiseptic cleaner, recycled air, the lingering chemical tang of someone's evening meal two doors down.
"Eyecam check," he muttered, blinking to adjust the contact lens in his right eye. A faint blue glow pulsed at the edge of his vision, telling him it was active. "You receiving, Mira?"
Her voice came through the comm unit, crisp despite the distance. "Clear as crystal. I can see the whole corridor."
The memory of her skin under his touch surfaced, sending a spike of heat through his blood.
Covak shot him a look, amber eyes gleaming with amusement. "Your pupils just dilated," the Vorrtan murmured, voice pitched too low for the comm to pick up. "One word from her, and your body reacts. Fascinating."
Davis ignored him, focusing on controlling his breathing. Every breath in brought a flood of information… Latharian sweat and body odors, distinct and inhuman, the metallic taste of the environmental systems, someone cooking meat three floors up.
"Still think you should have found a way to bring her along," Covak murmured. "Not like there's any real danger here."
"Yeah, right." He gritted his teeth. "This place is Latharian. They don't have women, remember? She'd be recognized as human instantly. That's why I told her to stay on the ship. Where she's safe."
"Sure," Covak drawled. "And that's why you've been checking her location every twenty minutes since we landed… to make sure she's safe. On the heavily armed mercenary ship. Filled with heavily armed mercenaries. Right?"
"Can you focus on the damn mission?" he snapped.
"What's Covak saying?" Mira's voice filled his ear. "I can't hear him."
His grip tightened on his sidearm. "Nothing important," he replied, glaring at Covak, who merely grinned, flashing pointed fangs.
