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Once she’d finished her bar, I removed her stealth cape and gestured her into the tent.
She climbed in without protest, Lila following.
I settled the fabric over the tent, then sat with my back to the entrance, my own stealth cloak pulled close around me. The faint whirr of shuttle engines had buzzed through the air overhead a few times as we’d hiked, and the senator’s people would keep searching since darkness wouldn’t hamper their scanners.
“There’s room in here for all of us,” Zo-Fee’s soft voice said from close behind me.
Frek! The temptation of it!
“Go to sleep.” My tone came out harsh, and I tried to soften my words with an explanation. “I must watch for predators. The Tula are this planet’s sentient species, but they’re not the only dangers.”
“Oh.” A pause. “Okay. Goodnight.”
My tail vibrated as the soft sound of rustling cloth teased me with thoughts of my soul’s breath lying down, her arms opening to welcome me as I—
A chuff sounded close by, and a sensation of danger tingled across my forehead, jerking me back to the here and now. We were being watched.
The need to protect my mate made my lips pull back from my fangs. My good hand tightened around my blaster.
There would be no sleep for me this night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sofie
Guilt over Raxnor standing guard should have kept me awake, but fatigue dragged at my limbs as I lay down on my side. Lila curled her back into my stomach and purred, and that was all it took—I passed out.
A roar jerked me awake, my heart leaping against my ribs.
“Bad lizard!”Lila yelled in my head. She leaped to her feet with a yowl.
My hand scrabbled across the floor until I found one of the stun guns. I grabbed it and crawled to the tent’s opening.
Instead of his wide back, Raxnor’s legs blocked my view. Then he kicked out.
The carnivorous flowers lit the area between the trees. An area filled with—
“Mierda! Is that an alligator?” I yelped in surprise.
A lizard—though really the thing was too freaking big to be called something as simple as “lizard”—filled the small clearing. Four squat legs held up its long, thick body. But the really impressive thing was the mouth. It opened an outrageously long snout to show off a massive row of fangs.
I thought the Tula had impressive teeth, but damned if this thing didn’t have them beat!
Lila streaked past me.
I lunged for her, but missed.
“Stay in the tent!” Raxnor yelled.
“Okay!” I couldn’t get past him and didn’t want him worrying about me.
Not while he hadthatto fight.
The animal lunged, its huge jaws snapping with a clack. If Raxnor hadn’t leaped at the right time, his calf would have been mauled.
He shot the beast, but the red light splashed across the heavy scales of its back, doing nothing. Then he spun and kicked out, a vicious upward snap that made the beast’s jaws clack together. It took a few steps back and shook its head as if rattled. Then its eyes fixed on Raxnor, and it charged forward again.
It was amazing that he could hold it off even once, let alone through charge after charge. But he kept fighting, putting his body between me and the alien alligator.
