Primal Heat. Crystal Jordan

as soldiers repelled out of the aircraft and hit the ground.

      She turned to run, but Farid grabbed her, dragging them both to the ground. “Down!”

      Machine gun fire rapped a staccato beat as bullets slapped into the ground beside them. A root from the tree they’d fucked against slammed into her belly, knocking the wind out of her. She gagged for air but scrambled forward to take cover.

      “I thought you weren’t followed!” He hissed, his fangs fully extended.

      “Damn it!” Her heart pounded loud in her ears. She braced her back against the tree, held her weapon at the ready, and tried to steady her breathing so she could hear.

      He snarled several words in his language that she was pretty sure were spleen-venting curses. The ground rocked beneath them as something large blew up, shooting flames and debris high above the canopy of trees.

      “That would be my shuttle.” His voice was clipped, cold.

      She narrowed her eyes at him. “I didn’t see or hear you land.”

      “I was here long before you were.” If possible, his tone chilled even more, dipping into subarctic.

      A distant rumble sounded as something farther away exploded. Oh, Jesus. Realization hit her in a sick rush. “And that’s my car. Shit!”

      He snarled again, his eyes boiling green sparks, but said nothing else. He scanned the trees, and she could feel the heat of his power pulse out in a wave. What he was looking for, she didn’t know, but she took the opportunity to listen for approaching footsteps or movement. The machine gun fire had come at them from the north—the same direction as her car—his shuttle was south, but every second that passed meant they could be moving while Farid and she were pinned down. “Bren, where is your cell phone?”

      “E.T. phone home?” She fished it out of her pocket and handed it to him. She could hear the whine of the helo coming back, spotlight on and ready to reveal their location.

      “What?” He flipped open the slim phone and the screen lit.

      “Nothing.” She shook her head. “You’d have to be human to get it.”

      “I read their minds. They’re using this to track you.” He drew back his arm and launched her cell as far as he could.

      She flinched as her one form of communication with anyone off this mountain shattered against a boulder. “Shit.”

      Grabbing her arm, Farid began to drag her toward the flame-engulfed shell of his ship. She kept her weapon at the ready, not looking directly into the fire so that it couldn’t mess up her night vision. Getting that close to the fire would cast shadows and give even a moron a big clue about where they were. They wouldn’t even need the spotlight on them. She whispered, “What are you doing?”

      His fingers tightened around her wrist, though she’d made no attempt to escape, which just made her want to fight him. She gritted her teeth and refused to do something that would guarantee they got shot.

      “I sense no people beyond my shuttle. I’m getting us out of here before we’re killed. I hope you don’t mind.”

      “Spare me the sarcasm, Arjun.” She twisted her arm in his grip as they moved. “And let go of me. Now.”

      He did but cast her a cool glance as he moved behind her to watch her back. “My name is Farid.”

      “Whatever.” Like it mattered what she called him. They needed to get out of this situation or her defecting wouldn’t do shit to help anyone.

      Farid had seen the opportunity to have her and he’d taken it. He was nothing if not ruthless. Even though he would never bond with her, he wanted her, wanted to know what fucking a woman made just for him would be like. She’d come to him, so now she was his. And he would have her for as long as he liked, as long as his people were on Earth. If an infinitesimal part of him hoped the emperor’s One was never found and the Kith remained indefinitely, he silenced that inner voice quickly enough.

      Though none of that mattered if he let them get killed this night. He kicked himself for having lost control and given in to the need to take his One without ensuring their safety. Guilt flooded him. He knew better, knew what could happen when he allowed even a moment’s inattention.

      Clenching his jaw, he slid his slim razer pistol from the holster at the small of his back and kept his senses wide open, noting every movement, every conscious being that littered the forest around them. There were the native animals to the area, prey and predators, but aside from that there were two-legged predators. Humans. Seven of them, all large, and moving the way only experienced warriors did.

      Their aircraft continued to buzz low to the ground, a light cutting through the trees. The beast within him chafed at being hunted, wanted to return the favor, and shred them with his claws. But his One would be left alone, and he wasn’t willing to do so. He had no doubt that she could take care of herself—she moved with the same air of experience as the warriors tracking them—but he had her by his side and he intended to keep her there. For now.

      She paused, slipping behind a tree a moment before he would have warned her to take cover. He crouched beside her, one hand braced on the ground before him, his claws digging deep into the foreign soil. His heart pounded and he closed his eyes, allowed his other senses to come to the fore, and hid the sparks in his irises that made him easy prey. Using his razer would make the blue laser it emitted flash in the dark and alert others to their location. Better to handle the enemy silently. Bloodlust roared in his veins. The sound of a soldier’s footsteps intensified, making them drumbeats against the ground. His scent drew closer, and Farid’s muscles tensed, ready to spring and eliminate one of the threats.

      He jolted when Bren’s hand closed over his shoulder, not expecting his One to touch him. He froze, and the soldier passed them.

      Bren’s words were little more than breaths of air next to his ear. “Escape and evade. Do not engage.”

      A shudder passed through him as he struggled to control the conflicting urges ripping through him. His eyes opened and he glanced at her, sending words he knew he couldn’t speak steadily out loud to her mind instead. Tell me, has someone finally rebelled against your general and now they are hunting you by association, or have you finally come to your senses and now your general and his men are out to kill you?

      “How do you know they weren’t after you?” He dug his claws deeper into the forest floor when her lips brushed his ear. “Your shuttle was blown, too.”

      He closed his eyes again, knowing the green sparks would be boiling fast and bright for anyone to see. They could, I suppose, but why bomb your car if all they wanted was to keep me on the planet?

      “I-I want to depose Arthur.” Her fingers flexed convulsively on his shoulder, biting into his flesh through his tunic. “I don’t want anyone else to be hurt.”

      And you want Sueni help with that? His heart slammed against his ribs, and though his mind had already worked out that logical conclusion, everything he knew about this woman said she would never betray her beliefs. What had Arthur done to make her change her mind about him? The blood rushing so hot in his veins chilled at the possibilities, and he zeroed in his senses on his One to be certain that she was as unscathed as she’d appeared when he first approached her. He might not want to bond with her, but he would never allow anyone to harm her. For the moment, she was his, and he protected what was his.

      Removing her hand from him, she put enough distance between them so they were no longer touching. “You don’t want him in power any more than I do.”

      Less. Though he had his doubts about convincing Kyber to reverse his nonaggression policy on Earth. That was a fight for another time. Farid wasted no more time speaking, opened his eyes, and motioned her forward. They needed to get away from here if he wasn’t going to be allowed to dismantle the men who dared to hunt his One. If they became a direct threat, he wouldn’t hesitate. Any details he wanted about what Arthur had done would have to wait