“Yeah.” I stretch my back and try to settle my Shifter into a more comfortable place where he won’t fight me for a taste of her. “It’s getting harder to resist. Tessi’s in heat today. I can smell it on her.”
Spike grunts. “That’s a different kind of hell.”
Carnas leads the way outside, his rifle loaded and ready, a menacing look in his eyes. “I have your back, my friend.”
My chest warms at the memory of feeling Tessi’s smooth skin gliding down over my shaft in the middle of the night. I get hard just thinking about her and swing my rifle in front of my crotch just to be sure I don’t draw unwanted attention.
A light tap on my back makes me turn around.
Tessi stands in a set of armor, a rifle steady between her hands, and her belt loaded with the same gear as mine. “Ready to test your control?”
“My control?”
“It’s a hormonal maze. All these colorful bullets and bombs are filled with hormone enhancers.” She racks her rifle and switches off the safety like she’s done it a thousand times.
The shuddering stir inside my bones makes me twist and pop my neck to cover my Shifter’s movement with other sensations. “Where did you learn to shoot?”
“Lots of people try to steal from us in the forest. Taught myself. Lots of practice.”
She notices Carnas and Spike watching us and the absence of females at their sides. “You joining the pack?”
“Yes, ma’am. If that’s okay.” Carnas winks at me.
She smirks and glances askance at me. ‘I’m not the alpha. Zorin is. What he says goes.”
“What’s the play, boss?” Spike asks.
I turn to Tessi. “What’s Carielle going after?”
“The golden egg at the center, naturally. But I want the ruby egg. Not the second gold egg hidden in the mountain puzzle. I want the ruby egg in the deep labyrinth below the maze.”
“What’s that one for?” Carnas asks.
Tessi looks me over. “A three day stay on Starlight CruiserPhoenix.Or, as I just found out from Ohni, there’s an alternative cash prize for trips if we can’t take the trip for security reasons.” Her eyes soften. “So I’m trading my other prize in for the credits to buy Rhysan anything he needs—formula, chew toys or stuffies, whatever he likes. An armored training vest, maybe, to help keep him safe.”
I reach for her cheek, wishing I could show her how much it means to me that she’s already thinking about him even though we aren’t yet family. But one touch of her skin feels almost too hot.
The muscle in my chest charges. My Shifter notices. I had hoped he’d stay down after last night’s release, but he’s even more fidgety today.
“Racers ready?” Ohni shouts from atop her hovering platform as cameradrones surround the crowd at the edge of the maze.
“Ruby egg,” Spike confirms, adjusting his grip on his rifle. “Ready when you are.”
Carnas and Spike form up around Tessi with me.
“You guys want the egg?” Tessi asks.
Carnas grins. “Naw. I’m just here to have some fun and wreck some shit now. I’ll meet a female eventually. Today, I’m helping you.”
The starting gun goes off, and we charge into the maze with hundreds of other racers, many of which are paired, a few of which aren’t, like Carnas and Spike. Just before we dart into the hedges, I catch a glimmer of gold light. Onidus is watching from the perimeter, beside Davarok and Kren.
I grab my earcom from my pocket and put it in. “Who all is out here?”
A grenade goes off overhead as Tessi follows Carnas into the maze. The purple dust tastes like candy and spreads scorching lust through my body.
“Due to thehormonalnature of this event and the fact that Tessi’s now in heat, we areallhere,” Marne replies.
“Well, Tessi wants the ruby egg which is underground in a labyrinth, I guess.”
