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And the hands-on work was where her joy lay. What she did was important. If you didn’t have a solid foundation to work from, things quickly fell apart. But she missed this. New terrain to explore, clues left behind by animals to decipher, and her hot alien protecting her.

No, Hunter wasn’t hers. She’d decided on that. It was better for everyone if they kept it professional.

“The signal’s right up ahead,” Hunter said. “This way.”

Cleo strode along beside him, taking in the dark, moist earth beneath her feet and the cool breeze on her skin.

“It feels good to be out, doesn’t it?” Hunter grinned at her.

“You’ll hear no complaints from me. Come on, let’s see what’s making our scanner ping.”

They pushed on for another five minutes and only slowed when the signal grew even stronger.

“It doesn’t seem to be moving,” Hunter said. “It must be alive to be so clear. Perhaps it’s injured and in hiding.”

“I found some tracks.” Cleo knelt to examine the small paw indentations in the soil. “It could be a mammal. This is a distinctive print. There are three toes that point forward and two that go out to the sides. If we were on Earth, I’d say we were tracking a fat hedgehog.”

“Dangerous?”

She chuckled. “No. But I doubt those little hogs have ever traveled this far. I think they’re still confined to the UK.”

“Small but possibly deadly?”

“No, not deadly. Kind of cute, actually. They have spines they use to protect themselves.”

“They shoot those spines at you?”

“No, they curl into a ball.”

“And then do what?”

“Stay still.”

“Do they emit a toxin?”

“Nope.”

Hunter grunted. “They don’t sound fearsome.”

“They aren’t.”

“Still, anything with spines could be a danger. Be on your guard,” Hunter said.

“Isn’t that your job? You need to keep your human safe.” Cleo bit her tongue. She wasn’t his human.

Hunter’s purple eyes gleamed. “I’m happy to watch your ass any time of day or night.”

That comment wiped the smile off Cleo’s face. Hunter was always so flirty. She tried to ignore it, but the chemistry between them was undeniable. But deny it she must, unless she wanted to mess up everything she’d worked so hard for.

“I hear something moving up ahead,” Hunter said. “Stay behind me.”

Cleo didn’t object to orders from him in situations like this, even though she was in charge. Some of the female crew had protested that the Apexians were too dominant, always taking charge, and treating humans like fragile dolls, but she’d sided with the alien warriors. Their protectiveness and ability to heal kept her crew alive. And humans were easy to break, so she had no problems with Hunter using his skills to keep her safe and out of danger.

Hunter glanced over his shoulder and pressed a finger to his lips.

Cleo nodded and moved as quietly as possible as they headed to a pile of rocks. Hunter had his weapon out, but it was by his side, suggesting he didn’t sense any immediate threat.

He stopped when they reached the front of the rock face. He glanced around the side and pulled his head back quickly. He looked at her and nodded.