Chapter
One
Colonel
Alejandro
Vargas
watched
silently,
ready
and
willing
to
shoot
Lt.
Fulk
Rodriquez
if
he
dared
to
cross
the
line
with
the
two
civilian
doctors
that
were
assigned
until
further
notice
to
their
team.
Rodriquez
would
heal
the
wound--eventually.
It’s
what
their
kind
did.
Some
shifters
took
longer
than
others
but
in
the
end,
he’d
be
just
fine.
“So,
what’s
that
say?”
Fulk
asked,
tapping
the
wall
full
of
carvings
with
his
M-16.
It
was
the
last
thing
he
should
do
in a
place
as
old
as
the
temple
they’d
found
but
it
was
so
typical
of
Fulk
that
no
one
commented,
not
even
the
attractive
doctor
that
had
been
working
so
hard
to
decipher
the
writing.
She
seemed
to
be
in a
world
all
her
own,
the
same
as
her
counterpart
who
had
not
ventured
from
her
post
either.
Both
women
were
more
than
attractive,
though
one
had
managed
to
not
only
capture
his
attention
but
seemed
to
demand
it.
Dr.
Murray’s
golden
waves
of
hair
touched
her
mid-back
and
her
blue
eyes
continued
to
flicker
in
his
direction
from
time
to
time.
Her
body
was
so
close
to
perfect
that
he
had
a
hard
time
believing
no
part
of
it
was
altered.
At
five
feet
ten
inches
tall
she
came
to
his
chin
and
that
was
a
rare
find.
From
what
he
could
gather
by
staring
at
her,
her
army
issued
desert
fatigues
and
dark
tan
tee
shirt
did
little
to
hide
a
toned
and
well
curved
body.
His
cock
liked
what
it
saw,
so
the
rest
of
him
wasn’t
about
to
complain.
Alejandro
couldn’t
tell
if
Dr.
Murray
was
interested
in
him
or
nervous
of
him.
Each
time
he
caught
her
watching
him,
she
looked
away
quickly.
It
was
kind
of
cute
and
left
him
feeling
young
again.
He
was
dressed
in
fatigues
and
packing
enough
ammunition
and
weapons
to
take
out
a
small
army
so
it
was
understandable
if
it
was
the
latter
of
the
two.
He
knew
he
looked
intimidating.
Any
other
time,
he’d
have
been
pleased
to
think
he
was
making
someone
nervous
but
the
idea
of
scaring
her
sickened
him.
Dr.
Ondrea
Harris,
the
petite
friend
of
the
blonde
one
stood
slowly
and
ran
her
fingers
over
the
markings
on
the
wall.
“They’re
based
loosely
off
Egyptian
hieroglyphics
but
they
aren’t
like
anything
I’ve
ever
seen
before.
It’s
freaky.”
Freaky?
Great,
this
is
one
of
our
experts.
Fulk
nodded,
his
chin
length
brown
hair
fell
into
his
face.
“This
whole
place
is
freaky.
One
minute
we’re
standing
in a
desert
and
the
next
we’re
in a
tropical
rainforest.
I
keep
waiting
for
a
snowstorm
to
hit.
This
sure
the
hell
isn’t
like
our
Earth.”
She
smiled.
“I
agree.
From
the
base
to
here
we
spent
less
than
fifteen
minutes
driving
and
covered
that
much
of a
climate
and
terrain
change.
It’s
remarkable.
“I
just
can’t
understand
how
it
is
that
they
have
Egyptian
writing
here
as
well.
From
all
outward
appearances,
this
temple
looks
Mayan,
yet,
I’m
positive
these
aren’t
Mayan
markings.
The
strangest
part
of
it
all
is
that
I’m
sure
some
of
this
is
Latin
as
well.
I’ve
never
seen
anything
like
it.”
Ondrea
glanced
towards
her
friend
who
was
busy
with
her
nose
in a
pile
of
books.
“Dr.
Murray,
come
take
a
look
at
this.”
The
blonde
goddess
continued
to
fiddle
near
a
pedestal
with
her
electronic
equipment
and
books.
She
hummed
softly
and
moved
her
alluring
hips
to
music
only
she
heard.
It
was
both
erotic
and
endearing.
It
seemed
as
though
she
didn’t
have
a
care
in
the
world.
She’d
arrived
early
in
the
morning
and
never
once
appeared
shocked
by
the
idea
of
being
on a
different
planet
or
in
another
realm--whatever
the
scientist
of
the
week
was
calling
it.
It
was
as
though
she
did
it
daily.
Maybe
she
did.
Alejandro
had
requested
files
on
all
personnel
coming
aboard
the
project
and
was
given
all
but
hers.
So
far,
he
didn’t
even
know
her
first
name
and
hadn’t
heard
her
utter
much
more
than
a
thank
you.
Granted,
that
one
thank
you
had
left
his
entire
body
cramping
with
the
need
to
sink
his
dick
into
her.
He
was
sure
of
one
thing,
her
smile
made
him
weak
in
the
knees.
Already,
she’d
flashed
her
pearly
whites
at
him
twice,
each
time
leaving
his
stomach
flip-flopping
and
his
heart
racing.
Alejandro
felt
like
a
love-struck
junior
high
student.
It
was
oddly
liberating
and
terrifying
all
at
the
same
time.
There
was
also
something
familiar
about
her,
but
the
idea
of
forgetting
a
face
like
hers
was
absurd,
so
he
dismissed
it.
Ondrea
snorted.
“Hello?
Dr.
Murray?
Anyone
home
there
or
are
you
too
busy
locked
up
in
your
world
of
science
to
come
back
to
us?”
The
blonde
kept
swaying
her
hips
while
she
held
a
pen
in
her
mouth.
Alejandro
never
before
wanted
to
be a
ballpoint
pen.
He
did
now.
She
tapped
keys
on
her
laptop
and
glanced
at a
stack
of
papers
to
her
right.
“Hmm.”
Ondrea
smiled.
“Hello,
paging
Dr.
Murray.
Is
there
a
Dr.
Murray
in
the
freaky
realm?”
Fulk
chuckled.
Dr.
Murray
danced
in a
small
circle
before
returning
to
whatever
it
was
that
had
been
holding
her
attention
all
morning.
Ondrea
cast
him
a
sideways
glance.
“Erm,
I’d
apologize
for
her
but,
really,
she’ll
only
keep
doing
it.
Plus,
I’m
one
hundred
percent
sure
that
she
has
no
idea
she’s
even
doing
it.
She
just
sort
of
shuts
off
to
everything
around
her
when
she
gets
going
with
something
she’s
into.”
Biting
his
lower
lip,
Alejandro
did
his
best
not
to
laugh
at
Dr.
Murray
as
she
tucked
the
pen
behind
her
ear,
picked
up a
piece
of
paper
and
danced
while
reading
it.
The
worst
part
of
it
all
was
that
not
only
was
it
funny
to
see
a
scientist
not
having
a
care
in
the
world,
it
made
him
horny
as
hell
to
watch
this
one
in
particular.
Fulk
grabbed
a
piece
of
native
fruit
from
a
tree
near
him
and
went
to
crack
its
outer
shell.
“I’m
starved.
I’ve
got
to
admit
these
aren’t
so
bad.
Taste
a
little
like
a
pear
mixed
with
an
apple.
Weird,
but
good.”
Ondrea
glanced
at
him.
“Hand
me
one.”
He
gave
her
an
odd
look.
She
rolled
her
eyes.
“Please.”
Grinning,
Fulk
tossed
a
piece
of
what
they’d
taken
to
calling
monkey-nuts
because
it
was
their
job
to
go
out
of
their
way
to
be
men
and
think
of
names
for
things
to
offend
others.
That
and
the
monkey-like
creatures
that
seemed
to
inhabit
this
particular
section
of
the
jungle
seemed
to
like
not
only
eating
them
but
throwing
them
at
the
soldiers.
Ondrea
caught
the
fruit
and
stared
at
Dr.
Murray.
A
slow
smile
slid
over
her
face.
It
was
mischievous
to
say
the
least.
“You
are
not
going
to
throw
that
at
her,”
Alejandro
said,
before
he
even
thought
about
it.
Ondrea
winked.
“Wow,
a
little
overprotective,
aren’t
you?”
Yes,
but
that
wasn’t
the
point.
Alejandro
shrugged.
“No.
I’d
just
rather
not
have
to
explain
why
I
let
one
civilian
doctor
knock
another
out.
That’s
all.”
“She’ll
live.
It’s
fruit.”
“With
a
spiked
outer
shell,”
he
said,
giving
her
a
hard
look.
Alejandro
could
almost
see
the
wheels
in
Ondrea’s
head
spinning.
Oh,
she
was
going
to
throw
it
at
Dr.
Murray
now
just
because
he’d
told
her
not
to.
He
watched
in
what
felt
like
slow
motion
as
Ondrea
hurled
the
fruit
at
Dr.
Murray
who
was
still
dancing
and
reading
from
a
piece
of
paper.
The
fruit
had
aligned
perfectly
with
her
head.
Drawing
his
bowie
knife
from
its
sheath,
he
sent
it
flying,
ax-like
at
the
fruit.
It
struck
it,
as
he
knew
it
would
and
changed
the
direction
of
the
fruit.
The
knife
wedged
into
a
purple
tree
trunk
to
the
right
of
Dr.
Murray,
spearing
the
fruit
in
the
process.
Ondrea
clapped.
“Nice.
But
it
wouldn’t
have
hurt
her.
Just
so
you
know.”
Dr.
Murray
glanced
at
the
tree
and
reached
out
tentatively.
Taking
hold
of
the
handle,
she
pulled
the
knife
free
from
the
tree.
She
turned
and
arched
a
brow,
appearing
to
be a
little
lost
as
to
what
was
going
on.
“Did
someone
call
me?”
Alejandro
bit
back
a
laugh
as
he
held
his
M-16
close
to
him,
needing
anything
to
keep
his
mind
off
sinking
his
cock
into
her.
The
very
idea
of
being
able
to
touch
her,
caress
her
while
he
slid
into
what
could
only
be a
tight
pussy
made
his
palms
begin
to
sweat
and
his
stomach
tighten.
She
would
be
the
death
of
him
if
he
had
to
stand
around
staring
at
her
shaking
her
ass
every
day.
Each
time
she
hummed,
Alejandro
pictured
that
lush
mouth
wrapped
around
his
shaft,
taking
him
deep
into
the
back
of
her
throat.
The
very
thought
of
it
left
him
on
the
verge
of
coming.
Reaching
down,
he
did
a
slight
adjusting
of
his
rock
hard
cock,
hoping
she
wouldn’t
notice.
She’s
probably
married.
Nothing
that
fine
can
possibly
be
available.
Besides,
my
family
would
have
a
fit.
Bringing
a
blonde-haired,
blue-eyed,
girl
home
with
him
for
a
weekend
would
lead
to
his
mother
casting
some
sort
of
spell
over
him
that
would
no
doubt
leave
him
impotent.
Since
she
did
possess
the
gift
of
magik,
it
was
a
very
real
threat.
All
she
claimed
to
want
out
of
life
was
for
her
children
to
settle
down,
have
lots
of
babies
and
stay
close
to
her.
Somehow
he
didn’t
think
she’d
be
okay
with
a
blue-eyed
grandbaby.
She
was
a
proud
Brazilian
woman,
but
Alejandro
guessed
she’d
be
willing
to
make
an
exception
as
to
what
South
American
country
his
future
mate
originated
from,
only
that
she
did
indeed
have
ties
to
one
and
was
nothing
like
Dr.
Murray.
Staring
at
Dr.
Murray,
he
doubted
very
much
that
she
had
ties
to
anything
remotely
close
to
him.
It
was
a
shame.
She
made
his
blood
pump
fast
and
his
entire
body
light
with
need
at
the
mere
whiff
of
her
scent.
Fresh
berries
and
cream
seemed
to
permeate
from
her
every
time
she
moved.
It
drove
him
mad
with
lust
so
much
so
that
he’d
found
himself
taking
the
outer
perimeter
watch
three
times
already
since
they’d
arrived--each
time
to
give
himself
a
much
needed
break
or
risk
pinning
her
to
the
ground
and
claiming
her.
Stop
thinking
about
her
as
mate
material.
She’s
human
and
you
aren’t
looking
to
be
tied
down
to
any
one
woman.
Now,
a
few
nights
of
pleasure
are
another
story.
That
is a
definite
possibility.
Alejandro
watched
as
she
put
on
the
army
DCU
hat
that
he’d
given
her
when
he
saw
her
nose
and
cheeks
burning
from
the
scorching
sun.
The
soft
smile
she’d
given
in
return
had
left
his
muscles
tightening
as
he
fought
the
urge
to
bend
and
capture
her
mouth.
It
would
have
been
so
easy
to
just
press
his
lips
to
hers
but
she
hadn’t
shown
an
interest
in
him
as
of
yet
and
stealing
a
kiss
wasn’t
what
he
did.
Though,
if
he
had
to
be
forced
to
endure
much
more
of
her
swaying
hips
and
smooth
looking
skin,
he
just
might.
Maybe,
he’d
get
lucky
and
she’d
be
willing
to
share
so
much
more
than
just
a
kiss
with
him.
She
made
her
way
towards
Ondrea
and
paused
before
him.
“I
think
this
is
yours,”
she
said,
handing
him
his
knife
with
the
fruit
still
attached
to
it.
“Thank
you.”
Did
she
know?
She
arched
a
brow
and
glanced
at
her
friend.
“Be
careful.
Foreign
objects
seem
to
fall
from
the
sky.”
Ondrea
whistled
and
glanced
upwards.
“No
clue
what
you’re
talking
about.”
“Right.
Thanks
again,
Colonel.”
Alejandro
raked
his
gaze
over
her,
noticing
how
red
her
arms
appeared
to
be.
She
claimed
to
have
put
sunscreen
on
prior
to
coming
and
he
believed
her.
Problem
was,
it
didn’t
seem
to
be
doing
her
a
damn
bit
of
good.
Major
Issac
Barrett
was
the
only
member
of
his
team
that
was
fair
skinned
but
even
he
tanned
before
burning.
Dr.
Murray
seemed
to
go
from
white
to
red
in
less
than
sixty
seconds.
It
had
to
hurt.
If
by
some
miracle
it
didn’t,
it
sure
the
hell
would
later.
“Why
don’t
you
head
out
of
the
sun
for
a
bit,
Doctor,
and
take
a
break?”
Fulk
stared
at
him
with
wide
eyes.
“Excuse
me,
sir,
but
did
you
just
suggest
someone
take
it
easy?
I
think
my
hearing
might
have
gone.
You’re
a
slave
driver.
We
never
get
breaks.”
Issac
appeared,
carrying
a
jug
of
water
with
him.
“Nothing
is
wrong
with
your
hearing,
asshole.
I
think
were-coyotes
have
an
excellent
range.
What
do
you
think,
sir?”
Alejandro
watched
Dr.
Murray
closely,
trying
to
see
how
she
would
react
to
the
talk
of
supernaturals.
She
either
didn’t
hear
Issac
or
didn’t
care.
Sure,
they’d
existed
among
humans
for
close
to a
hundred
years
but
not
all
humans
took
kindly
to
them.
Some
even
went
as
far
as
to
try
to
exterminate
his
kind.
Dr.
Murray,
as
far
as
Alejandro
knew,
was
not
registered
in
the
Non-Human
Database
(NHD).
It
was
the
government’s
way
of
keeping
track
and
monitoring
the
number
of
supernaturals
in a
given
area.
The
idea
of
an
uprising
left
many
humans
paranoid.
To
alleviate
this
worry,
President
Harding
implemented
the
creation
of
the
NHD
in
1920.
Since
then,
it
acted
like
a
homing
device
for
supernaturals
but
allowed
humans
and
supernaturals
to
live
side
by
side
without
incident.
Ondrea
tapped
her
friend’s
arm,
causing
her
to
cringe.
“Oh,
sorry.
I
didn’t
realize
...
holy
shit,
Dr.
Murray
...
err
...
Deryn,
you’re
burnt.”
Deryn?
Had
her
parents
wanted
a
boy?
Deryn
offered
a
soft
smile
and
bent
down
to
check
out
the
portion
of
the
wall
that
her
friend
was
so
interested
in.
“What’s
up,
Onnie?
And
why
do
you
keep
calling
me
Dr.
Murray?
I’ve
known
you
since
we
were
kids.
Didn’t
we
bathe
together?”
“Ahh,
that’s
a
sight
I’d
pay
money
to
see,”
Fulk
said,
with
a
daydream-like
look
on
his
face.
Alejandro
would
have
smacked
it
off
him
had
he
not
thought
the
very
same
thing
the
moment
he
heard
the
words
fall
from
Deryn’s
lips.
“Lieutenant,
enough,”
Alejandro
said,
doing
his
best
to
sound
as
if
he
was
scolding
Fulk.
He
really
wanted
to
high-five
him.
Deryn
glanced
back
at
him
and
smiled.
“That
was
almost
convincing.”
She
winked.
“Almost.”
Ondrea
waved
her
hand
in
front
of
Deryn’s
face.
“Hello?
Anyone
home?”
“What’s
up?”
“What’s
up?”
Ondrea
asked,
dropping
down
next
to
her.
“Are
you
blind?
Look
at
that
symbol
there.”
She
pointed
at a
mark
resembling
a
woman
seated
on
her
knees
with
some
sort
of
ball
shape
above
her
head.
“Does
it
look
familiar?”
“Yes.
Why?”
Ondrea
snarled,
the
cat
shifter
within
her
obviously
losing
patience
with
the
situation.
Alejandro
kept
a
close
eye
on
the
woman,
hoping
that
she
wouldn’t
turn
on
her
own
friend.
“Drop
your
pants.
Better
yet,
just
get
naked.”
“Excuse
me?”
Deryn’s
eyes
widened.
All
men
present
took
a
step
forward.
Alejandro
couldn’t
help
himself--he
had
to
question
what
was
going
on.
It
was
against
his
cock’s
wishes
to
stop
Deryn
from
getting
naked
but
it
was
the
right
thing
to
do.
“I’m
sorry
but
I’d
like
to
know
why
someone
is
being
ordered
to
disrobe
before
actually
making
them
do
it.”
“You
can’t
make
me
take
anything
off,
Colonel,”
Deryn
bit
out,
causing
him
to
take
a
tiny
step
back.
She
was
even
more
beautiful
when
she
was
upset.
Thoughts
of
going
out
of
his
way
to
tick
her
off
entered
his
mind.
It
was
wrong
and
he
knew
it,
but
still.
The
idea
of
seeing
her
blue
eyes
blaze
was
almost
too
tempting.
She
glanced
at
the
marking
on
the
wall
again,
this
time
running
her
finger
over
it
as
she
went.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
Ondrea
put
her
hand
on
her
hip
and
laughed.
“All
you
have
to
say
is
‘oh’
when
you
find
the
exact
marking
that
you
have
tattooed
on
your
lower
back
on
another
world?
Look
at
the
one
next
to
it.”
She
has
a
tattoo
on
her
lower
back?
Fulk
glanced
at
him
and
Alejandro
knew
the
man
shared
his
thoughts--inner
wild
child.
They
both
pursed
their
lips
and
glanced
upwards
to
avoid
commenting.
The
newest
revelation
did
little
in
the
way
of
diminishing
Alejandro’s
interest
in
Deryn.
“It’s
not
the
exact
one,
Onnie.”
“I
think
it
is.”
Sighing,
Deryn
did
the
unthinkable.
She
started
unbuttoning
her
pants.
Fulk
and
Issac
took
another
big
step
forward.
Alejandro
glared
at
them.
They
backed
up.
“Doctor?”
She
grinned.
“Relax.
I
won’t
flash
anything
I
shouldn’t.”
Damn,
a
man
can
dream.
In
an
instant,
Deryn
had
her
tee
shirt
off
and
her
pants
lowered
about
two
inches.
The
tiny,
cut
off
white
tank
top
she
had
on
just
barely
covered
her
breasts.
For
a
split
second,
Alejandro
was
positive
he’d
died
and
gone
to
heaven.
When
Fulk
opened
his
mouth,
he
realized
that
heaven
wouldn’t
involve
him.
“Nice
abs,
Doctor!”
Fulk
whistled.
“How
many
sit-ups
do
you
do a
day?
We’ve
got
some
chicks
who
are
serious
about
their
bodies
here
but
none
have
definition
like
that.”
Deryn
cast
a
very
unimpressed
look
at
Fulk.
“Do
you
think
you’re
funny?
I
don’t
need
you
making....”
Ondrea
touched
her
friend
lightly.
“Deryn,
hon,
he’s
not
making
fun
of
you.
In
fact,
he’s
going
to
turn
around
now
and
keep
his
mouth
shut.”
Fulk
took
another
bite
of
his
fruit.
“Touchy.
Geesh,
I
was
just
trying
to
tell
you
that
you
have
a
great
body.
What
the
hell
is
the
matter
with
you?
Can’t
you
take
a
compliment?”
Alejandro
entertained
knocking
Fulk’s
teeth
in
but
Deryn’s
verbal
assault
beat
him
to
the
punch.
She
hugged
her
tee
shirt
to
her,
blocking
his
view
of
her
body.
“Guess
not.
And
I
also
can’t
take
the
fact
that
Ondrea
is
allowing
you
to
eat
a
fruit
I
personally
tested
and
know
it
has
several
ingredients
in
it
that
have
been
linked
with
impotence.”
Fulk
spit
the
fruit
out
and
began
to
choke.
Ondrea’s
mouth
opened
wide.
“Deryn,
you
never
tested
any
fruit.”
“I
knew
that.
You
knew
that
but
Mr.
Sit-Up
didn’t.”
She
winked
at
Fulk
and
moved
her
tee
shirt
away
from
her
stomach.
“Crunches.
Not
sit-ups.
How
many
I do
depends
on
whether
or
not
I
can
sleep
that
night.”
Fulk
stopped
spitting
and
wiped
his
mouth
with
the
back
of
his
hand.
“The
fruit
won’t
make
my
dick
limp?”
Alejandro
and
Issac
both
shook
their
heads
at
Fulk’s
crassness.
Deryn
smiled
and
Alejandro’s
chest
tightened.
“No.
The
fruit
won’t
make
your
cock
shrivel
and
fall
off
but
that
plant
your
hand
is
on
will.”
Shocked
that
Deryn
said
cock,
Alejandro
raised
an
eyebrow.
Fulk
snorted.
“Ha,
ha,
I’m
not
falling
for
that
again.”
Ondrea
glanced
back
at
the
plant
and
gasped.
“Holy
shit,
Deryn,
is
that
a...?”
“A
mentula
minuscula?
Yes.”
Fulk
moved
his
hand
from
the
plant
and
eyed
Deryn
carefully.
“Umm,
I’ll
be
right
back.”
The
women
waited
until
Fulk
was
clear
of
the
area
to
start
giggling.
Ondrea
turned
Deryn
to
face
the
wall
allowing
Alejandro
a
view
of
the
tattoo
on
her
back.
It
was
beautiful,
black
ink
and
covered
the
small
of
her
back.
“Ohmygod,
Deryn,
mentula
minuscula?
I
can’t
believe
you
came
up
with
that
on
the
spot.
You’re
going
straight
to
hell
for
screwing
with
him.”
Deryn
glanced
over
her
shoulder
in
the
direction
Fulk
had
run
off
in.
“Bet
he’s
washing
his
hands
and
umm,
well,
you
know.”
“Deryn.”
“What?”
She
shrugged.
“You
can’t
tell
me
that
he
hasn’t
stood
around
making
snide
ass
comments
about
us
since
the
moment
we
arrived.”
She
had
a
point.
Fulk
was
notorious
for
that.
“Still,
to
toss
the
Latin
phrase
for
little
dick
out
as
the
name
of
the
plant
was
just
wrong.
You
need
to
tell
him
you
were
kidding.
If
he
repeats
that
to
other
people
he’ll
be
the
laughingstock
of
the
base.”
Little
dick?
Alejandro
tried
and
failed
to
hide
his
laughter.
Issac
seemed
to
have
issues,
too.
A
snort
followed
by a
cough
came
from
him.
“Little
dick.”
Ondrea
nudged
Deryn.
“See.
They’re
already
laughing
at
him.”
Fulk
came
back
through
the
tree
line,
wiping
his
obviously
wet
hands
on
his
pant
leg.
Deryn
thumped
her
head
against
the
temple
wall,
laughing
hysterically.
Issac
fell
into
a
fit
of
laughs,
too.
She
got
hold
of
herself
and
smiled
sweetly.
“Umm,
Lt.
Rodriquez?”
“Yeah?”
“I
misinformed
you.
The
plant
is
not
called
mentula
minuscule.”
Ondrea
nodded.
“That’s
better.”
“It’s
called
mentula
magnus.”
Alejandro
couldn’t
help
but
laugh
on
that
one.
She
gone
from
little
dick
to
big
dick.
Ondrea
lifted
the
piles
of
Dr.
Murray’s
hair
and
wrapped
it
in a
twist
of
sorts.
“Oh,
queen
of
mean,
could
you
hold
your
mane
please?”
Lifting
her
hands
to
her
head,
Deryn
winked
at
him
and
his
heart
thumped
madly
in
his
chest.
The
position
left
her
cut
off
tank
top
riding
up
to
just
under
her
breasts.
His
cock
throbbed
painfully.
Ondrea
ran
her
hand
over
another
tattoo
on
the
lower
portion
of
the
back
of
Deryn’s
neck.
It
was
too
hard
to
get
a
good
look
at
it
from
his
vantage
point
but
it
looked
to
be
about
two
inches
high
and
about
an
inch
wide.
It
too
was
done
in
black
ink.
“What
does
this
one
mean
because
this
is
repeated
on
the
other
wall--the
one
you’re
working
by?”
Ondrea
asked.
“It
means
I’m
the,”
Deryn
took
a
deep
breath,
“queen
of
mean.”
Ondrea
smacked
her
lightly.
“Deryn!
I’m
serious
here.”
“Mmmhmm,
so
serious
that
you
had
time
to
get
some
fruit
throwing
action
in.
Yep.
Serious.”
“All
right,
I’m
sorry
I
tried
to
peg
you
in
the
head
with
the
thing.
It’s
not
like
you’d
have
let
it
hit
you.”
Ondrea
glanced
back
at
him.
“Hell,
it’s
not
like
the
colonel
would
have
ever
let
it
near
you.
Now,
tell
me
what
this
means
and
why
does
that
look
like
a
big
cat?
What
breed
is
that?”
“You’re
the
cat
shifter.
You
tell
me.
I’m
just
the
lowly
non-shifter.”
“I’m
so
going
to
bite
you
in
like
two
seconds,”
Ondrea
said,
snarling
playfully.
Fulk
groaned.
“I
would
pay
to
see
that,
too.”
“Me,
too,”
Issac
said.
Me,
three.
Alejandro
kept
his
opinion
to
himself
and
watched
as
Deryn
began
to
shake
her
hips
slightly
again.
Ondrea
slapped
her
ass
and
a
collective
groan
went
throughout
the
men.
“Deryn,
hold
still.”
“I
am
holding
still.”
“No,
you’re
doing
the
ass
thing
again.”
Deryn
stilled.
“Oh,
sorry.
I
can’t
help
it.
Those
drums
and
that
thing
making
the
snake
charmer
like
music
is
hard
not
to
move
to.”
Alejandro
glanced
at
his
men
with
the
unspoken
question
on
his
face.
Did
they
hear
anything?
They
shook
they
heads.
Ondrea
looked
at
them
and
her
brow
furrowed.
“Umm,
Deryn,
what
music
and
how
long
have
you
been
hearing
it?”
Deryn
snorted.
“Cute,
Ondrea.
I
know
you
hear
it.
How
can
you
not?
It’s
been
steady
and
at a
good
volume
all
day,
from
the
moment
we
got
here.”
“Oh,
that.
I
was
sounding
it
out.
It
sounds
so
much
like...”
Ondrea
paused,
touching
Deryn’s
back.
“Umm?”
Ondrea
was
lying,
Alejandro
could
sense
it.
“Remember
the
belly
dancing
classes
we
took?”
Deryn
asked.
“Yes.”
Deryn
laughed.
“Doesn’t
it
remind
you
of
that?
Like
at
any
moment
a
snake
is
going
to
come
out
of a
basket
or
some
guy
with
a
god
complex
is
going
to
show
up
with
a
harem?”
“I
want
his
job,”
Fulk
said,
under
his
breath.
“Deryn,
are
you
feeling
okay?
I
mean,
you’re
not
coming
down
with
anything,
are
you?”
She
shook
her
head.
“I’m
fine.
Why?”
A
second
after
she
said,
she
looked
past
Alejandro
at
the
tree
line
and
touched
Ondrea’s
shoulder.
“Do
you
feel
that?”
“Spooky
chick
alert,”
Fulk
said,
laughing
slightly.
Ondrea
glared
at
him.
“Feel
what,
Deryn?”
Deryn
locked
gazes
with
him.
“Nothing.”
She
instantly
went
to
work
sliding
her
tee
shirt
back
on
and
tucking
it
into
her
pants.
Touching
Deryn’s
shoulder,
Ondrea
went
to
her
tiptoes
to
whisper
to
her.
Lucky
for
Alejandro
his
hearing
was
excellent.
“Deryn,
what
are
you
sensing?
Is
it a
threat?”
It
was
odd
to
hear
a
shifter
asking
a
human
that.
Deryn
swallowed
hard.
“Umm,
it’s
nothing.
You
don’t
hear
the
music,
do
you?”
“No,
honey,
I
don’t,
but
I
know
better
than
to
question
your
gut.
You’ve
saved
my
ass
more
times
than
I
can
count.
Tell
me
the
truth,
what
do
you
sense?”
“I
don’t
want
to
talk
about
this
here.
These
men
won’t
understand
me.”
“Deryn,
I
won’t
let
them
hurt
you.
You
know
that.
What
do
you
sense?”
Sighing,
she
glanced
high
into
the
treetops.
“That
we’re
being
watched--stalked
would
be a
better
word.
But
the
predator’s
toying
with
us,
seeing
how
close
it
can
get
before
being
detected.
Almost
like
a
test.
It
seems
to
want
to
test
the
colonel
most
of
all.”
Something
was
stalking
him?
Alejandro
zeroed
his
gifts
on
scanning
his
surroundings
for
danger
but
found
none.
Ondrea
apparently
did
the
same
thing.
She
shook
her
head.
“I’m
not
picking
anything
up
and
I
don’t
think
we
can
start
spouting
off
about
something
hunting
these
guys
without
ending
up
sitting
in a
padded
cell.
Keep
your
guard
up,
and,
Deryn?”
“Yes?”
“You’re
leaving
some
vital
information
out.
I
can
see
it
in
your
face.
What
is
it?”
Deryn
ran
her
fingers
over
the
symbols
on
the
wall.
“Ondrea,
I
really
don’t
think
we
should
be
here
after
dark.”
“Honey,
they’ve
been
working
double
shifts
on
this
site
for
seven
months.
They
haven’t
sensed....
Oh
shit,
they
can’t
sense
it.
Can
they?”
The
shrug
that
followed
was
small,
as
if
she
wasn’t
sure
how
to
answer
that.
Ondrea
ran
her
hand
over
Deryn’s
lower
back.
“Tell
me
why
you’re
uneasy
about
the
dark.
You
aren’t
one
who
is
normally
scared
of
it.”
“The
symbol
you
brought
me
over
to
see
...
the
one
that
is
on
my
lower
back,
it
means
moon.
This
one
here,”
she
pointed
at
another,
“means
darkness.
That
one
means
warriors.
All
of
this
is a
big
fat
warning
about
them
being
more
powerful
after
dark.”
“Them
who?”
“I
don’t
know
that
yet,
but
I
intend
to
find
out.”
She
leaned
in
close
to
Ondrea.
“I’ll
come
back
after
everyone
leaves
and
look
around.”
Alejandro
had
to
bite
back
a
‘hell
no
you
won’t.’
Ondrea
shook
her
head.
“No
way.
For
one,
this
base
is
crawling
with
nothing
but
supernaturals.
They’ve
got
vampires,
Fae,
shifters.
A
smorgasbord
if
you
will.
The
last
thing
you
need
to
be
is
alone
in a
jungle.
I’m
not
saying
any
of
them
would
hurt
you
but
I’ve
felt
the
call
of
the
wild
before.
The
thrill
of
the
hunt.
The
knowledge
that
you’re
stalking
something
that
can’t
see
you.
It’s
been
seven
months
since
most
of
the
men
have
probably
gotten
to
hunt
enemies
to
satisfy
their
inborn
need
to
kill.”
Deryn
clutched
onto
the
wall.
“You
make
them
sound
like
animals.
They’re
not.
If
they
were
animals,
I
wouldn’t
be
so
nervous
about
being
here.
I’d
know
that
they
wouldn’t
want
me
dead
the
second
they....”
“Shh,
Deryn,
don’t
get
worked
up.
They’ll
sense
the
change
in
your
body
chemistry.
You
know
that.
Kane’s
explained
it
to
you
at
least
a
thousand
times
that
I’m
aware
of.”
The
mention
of
Captain
Kane
Soto’s
name
made
Alejandro’s
ears
perk.
He
couldn’t
comment
or
he’d
let
on
he
could
hear
them
whispering.
Ondrea
continued,
“Remember
the
time
those
snakes
got
loose
in
your
office?”
Deryn
shuddered.
“I
still
yell
at
Marvin
every
chance
I
get
for
forgetting
to
put
the
lid
back
on
them
when
he
was
done
feeding
them.
What
made
my
lab
more
attractive
than
his?
Why
did
they
migrate
to
me?”
She
shuddered
again.
“I
don’t
think
I’ve
ever
screamed
louder
in
my
life.
I
screeched
like
a
little
girl.
Kane’s
face
when
he
came
busting
through
the
door
was
priceless
in a
‘scary
guy
whose
eyes
are
flickering
yellow’
kind
of
way.”
“Yeah,
Deryn,
that’s
my
point.
You
need
to
remember
that
at
certain
times,
you’re
more,
well,
you
know,
and
during
that
time
you
send
out
signals
we
pick
up
on.
Why
do
we
keep
having
to
go
through
this?”
Deryn
smiled.
“Because
the
second
I
make
the
‘I’m
lost’
face
you
and
Kane
launch
into
lecture
mode.
Ugg,
like
I
don’t
understand
pheromones
and
the
fact
you
are
sensitive
to
spikes
in
heart
rates,
breathing,
any
sort
of
adrenaline
gland
secretion.
You
can
pick
up
on
variances
in
the
amount
of....”
Ondrea
put
her
hand
up,
stopping
Deryn.
“Kane’s
been
‘trying’
to
get
you
to
understand
it
for
years.
Something
tells
me
you
should
be
teaching
him.
Why
do
you
let
him
think
he’s
teaching
you
...
oh.”
She
pointed
and
laughed.
“Very
smart,
Deryn.
Make
him
feel
needed,
manly,
in
control.”
“He’s
so
cute
when
he’s
getting
spiders
out
of
corners
that
I
can’t
help
myself.
You
have
to
admit
that
watching
him
climbing
up,
in
his
barely
there
underwear,
on
my
bed
to
get
them
out
of
high
points
is
worth
it.”
Underwear?
Her
bed?
Clearly,
she
knew
Kane
personally.
Alejandro
made
a
mental
note
to
talk
with
his
longtime
friend
about
it
and
hoped
it
wasn’t
true.
Kane
had
a
way
with
women
and
the
thought
of
the
sexy
young
doctor
wrapping
her
long
legs
around
one
of
his
team
members
while
she
cried
out
in
ecstasy
didn’t
sit
well
with
him
at
all.
Ondrea
sighed.
“Oh
gods,
I
can
just
imagine
what
he
must
look
like
doing
that.
Tell
me
about
his
tattoo.
I
bet
it
ripples
when
he
moves,
doesn’t
it?”
Laughing,
Deryn
nodded.
“It
is
nice.”
“Nice?
Just
nice?
I
know
for
a
fact
that
he
walks
around
you
naked
without
a
second
thought
and
all
you
have
to
say
is,
it’s
nice?
Do
not
spoil
a
girl’s
fantasy.
Tell
me
it’s
better
than
nice.”
Alejandro
wanted
to
shoot
something,
preferably
his
longtime
friend,
Kane.
Deryn’s
lip
twitched.
“The
dragon
tattoo
on
his
back,”
she
arched
a
brow,
“goes
all
the
way
down
and
wraps
around
his
leg.
That’s
why
he
wears
pants
all
year
round.”
“Is
that
why
he’s
so
picky
about
who
does
and
who
doesn’t
get
to
see
him
naked?”
Snickering,
Deryn
nodded.
“He
has
issues
with
how
close
it
comes
to
his,
uhh,
family
jewels.”
Ondrea
gasped.
Alejandro
wanted
to
lob
a
grenade
at
his
friend.
Too
bad
he
wasn’t
back
from
Earth
yet.
It
wasn’t
like
Alejandro
had
any
reason
to
be
jealous.
Deryn
didn’t
belong
to
him.
“How
close
does
the
tattoo
come
to
his
jewels?”
Deryn
winked.
“Let’s
just
say
that
his
is
closer
to
certain
areas
than
the
one
I
have.”
She
glanced
down
towards
her
crotch
and
Alejandro
felt
a
light
sheen
of
sweat
break
out
on
his
brow.
The
woman
clearly
had
an
array
of
tattoos,
each
one
in a
provocative
position.
He
never
thought
himself
a
man
to
be
overly
turned
on
by a
woman
covered
in
them
but
seeing
Deryn
and
seeing
how
tactful
and
fitting
hers
seemed
to
be,
he
was
fast
changing
his
mind.
Ondrea
rolled
her
body
in a
quick
motion
that
said
just
how
horny
the
thought
of
Kane’s
tattoos
made
her
and
then
pointed
to
the
wall.
“Okay,
that
means
what
again?”
“Moon,”
Deryn
said,
shaking
her
head
slightly.
“We
need
Kane
here
to
say
for
sure
what
the
rest
of
it
means.
My
skills
when
it
comes
to
ancient
dialects
are
rusty
at
best.
Besides
this
is
more
like
the
language
used
by
the
Avatars.
So,
Kane
would
be
the
expert
here,
not
me.
I’m
just
his
shadow.
His,”
she
put
her
hands
up
and
laughed,
“underappreciated
assistant.”
“Kane?”
Alejandro
asked,
needing
to
hear
it
from
her
mouth
just
how
close
they
were.
Deryn
smiled.
“Yes,
Captain
Kane
Soto.
You
know,
adorable
smile,
dark
eyes,
dragon
tattoo,
nice
ass.
I
could
keep
going
but
I’m
guessing
you’d
rather
not
hear
the
rest.”
She
had
no
idea
just
how
much
he
didn’t
want
to
hear
her
go
on
and
on
about
Kane.
“The
Avatars?
What
do
you
mean?”
Issac
asked,
taking
a
sudden
interest
in
the
findings.
Deryn
smiled.
“You
know,
the
first
embodiments
of
power.
The
original
gods,
for
lack
of a
better
description.”
She
skimmed
the
tips
of
her
fingers
over
the
markings
and
seemed
to
go
off
in a
dream-like
state
for
a
moment.
“I
think
the
temple
was
created
to
honor
them.
It
might
even
be a
burial
ground.”
She
drew
in a
sharp
breath.
“That
would
explain
the
ceremonial
music
I
...
err,
yeah.”
Ondrea
winked.
“Stick
to
your
field,
Doctor,
and
leave
this
sort
of
stuff
up
to
Kane
and
I.”
Deryn
didn’t
seem
taken
aback
back
by
Ondrea’s
comment.
In
fact,
she
looked
as
though
she
found
it
rather
amusing.
That
piqued
Alejandro’s
interest.
“So,
what
exactly
is
your
specialty,
Doctor?”
“I’m
a
Jill-of-all-trades,
Colonel.
Though,
I’m
currently
working
on
ruling
out
radioactive
concerns
in
this
realm,
carbon
dating
various
artifacts
your
teams
have
found.
I
think
I’m
going
to
have
to
do
potassium
or
uranium
isotope
testing
because
I
can
only
go
so
far
back
on
the
carbon.
Everything
I’ve
seen
from
the
previous
findings
tells
me
that
this
stuff
is
older
than
that.
Oh,
and
I’m
trying
to
remember
if I
left
my
coffeepot
on
back
at
my
place.
I
wish
it
was
easy
to
check--pick
up a
phone
and
call.
Somehow
I
don’t
think
it
works
that
way
though.”
Alejandro
chuckled.
“No.
It
doesn’t
quite
work
that
way.”
Ondrea
huffed
and
wiped
the
light
sheen
of
sweat
from
her
brow.
“Deryn
is a
good
luck
charm.
It’s
genetic.
She’s
versed
in
almost
all
aspects
of
what
this
program
deals
with
but
physics
tends
to
be
where
she
excels
the
most.
Just
don’t
ask
her
to
cook
something
for
you.
She
seems
to
do
nothing
but
screw
that
up.”
“Hey,
I’ll
have
you
know
that
I’m
doing
much
better,”
Deryn
said,
laughing
softly.
The
sound
was
so
divine
that
it
left
Alejandro
feeling
giddy.
Fuck,
giddy?
I
might
be
in
over
my
head
here.
“Please
don’t
start
going
all
safe
and
gourmet
on
me,
Deryn.”
Ondrea
winked.
“I
love
it
when
you
catch
your
kitchen
on
fire
and
all
those
hunky
men
come
rushing
in
to
make
it
right
again.”
Deryn
rolled
her
eyes
and
shook
her
head.
“The
fire
department
has
only
had
to
come
twice.”
“Yes
and
both
times
were
wonderful,
don’t
you
think?
If
you
left
your
coffeepot
on
they
might
show
up a
third
time.
Hey,
what
was
that
one
firefighter’s
name?
The
one
you
dated
for
awhile?
You
know,
tall,
sexy,
had
the
long
hair?”
“I
don’t
remember.”
She
bit
her
lower
lip
and
as
her
nose
crinkled.
Alejandro
watched
silently
as
the
women
talked
and
worked.
The
last
thing
he
wanted
to
hear
about
was
Deryn’s
ex-boyfriends.
Ondrea
laughed.
“What
do
you
remember
about
him?”
Grinning
from
ear
to
ear,
Deryn
winked,
sending
a
stab
of
jealousy
through
Alejandro.
He
cleared
his
throat.
“Ladies,
how
is
the
translation
coming?”
“It’s
coming
just
about
as
slow
and
infrequently
as
Deryn
has
been
lately.”
Ondrea
bumped
her
hip
into
her
friend
and
giggled.
“Find
anyone
to
cuddle
with
yet?”
Please
say
no.
“No,
and
if I
do,
you
have
my
permission
to
behead
him.
I
hate
the
ones
who
want
to
hang
on
me.
I
don’t
need
another
appendage.
They
never
go
with
my
shoes.”
Ondrea
burst
into
laughter.
“Was
that
a
knock
on
my
shoe
fetish?
Huh?
For
a
girl
who
hates
men
to
hang
on
her,
you
sure
don’t
push
Kane
away
whenever
he
wants
to
hold
you.”
Alejandro
tightened
his
grip
on
his
M-16.
Wonderful,
it’s
official.
She’s
dating
one
of
my
closest
friends
and
all
I
can
think
about
is
fucking
her.
“This
means
to
rest,”
Deryn
said,
changing
the
subject
and
touching
another
portion
of
the
wall.
“It
could
be
taken
as
sleeping
or
death.
I’m
not
sure.
Kane
will
know.”
“Kane
will
know,”
Ondrea
mocked.
“Have
you
handed
your
individual
thought
processes
over
to
him
along
with
everything
else?”
“As
a
matter
of
fact,
I
did.
I
walked
to
my
Kane
shrine,
dropped
to
my
knees
and
prayed
that
he
would
forever
be
there
to
tie
my
shoes,
tell
me
when
I
need
to
sleep,
eat,
go
sit
down,
stay
out
of
trouble,
stop
talking
about
gamma
waves,
stop
doing
this,
stop
doing
that,
put
more
clothes
on
and
don’t
wear
makeup.
The
list
goes
on.”
She
groaned.
“I
keep
waiting
for
him
to
present
me
with
adoption
papers
and
tell
me
to
call
him
daddy.”
“Oh,
that’s
just
sick,”
Ondrea
said,
laughing.
“But
you
do
have
a
point.
He
does
tend
to
be a
little
overprotective
when
it
comes
to
you.”
“He
says
it’s
because
he
loves
me
but
sometimes
I
wonder
if
he’s
not
really
just
trying
to
drive
me
insane.”
She
traced
the
edges
of
another
symbol.
Love?
Ondrea’s
brow
furrowed.
“Deryn,
you
give
Kane
more
than
enough
reason
to
worry
about
you.
I
worry,
too.”
“Then
you’re
both
crazy.”
Shrugging,
Deryn
pointed
at
another
spot
on
the
wall.
“This
means
watcher.
Combine
it
with
this
area
and
you’ve
got
watchers
of
the
moon
or
watchers
by
the
moon.
The
other
portion
is
warriors
of
darkness.
I
think.
Kane
would
need
to
sort
that
out.
There
is a
big
difference.
Neither
is
exactly
what
you
want
to
be
unsealing
but
I
could
talk
until
I’m
blue
in
the
face.
The
government
wants
to
know
it
all.
But
too
much
knowledge
can
prove
fatal.”
“Deryn,
I
know
that
you
of
all
people
have
some
expertise
when
it
comes
to
this
stuff
but
I
don’t
see
how
it’s
possible
for
the
Avatars
to
be
here,
too.
This
is
another
realm,”
Ondrea
said,
tracing
the
edges
of
another
marking.
“What
makes
you
think
it’s
Avatarian?”
“What
made
you
point
out
my
tattoos?”
She
stilled
and
glanced
at
the
treetops
again.
Reaching
up,
she
touched
her
right
ear
gingerly
as
if
she
were
in
pain.
The
thought
of
that
set
Alejandro
on
edge.
“Ladies,
I
don’t
mean
to
interrupt,
but
I
think
Dr.
Murray
should
get
out
of
the
sun
for
a
bit,”
Alejandro
said,
still
caressing
his
weapon
but
wishing
it
was
the
good
doctor
that
his
fingers
were
running
over.
He
knew
it
was
wrong
to
want
his
friend’s
woman
but
he
couldn’t
help
himself.
Both
women
ignored
him.
“Onnie,
I’m
telling
you,
it’s
a
temple
for
the
Avatars.”
She
shook
her
head
a
bit,
still
appearing
to
be
in
slight
pain.
Deryn
pointed
at a
stone,
set
deep
within
the
wall.
“Look,
this
is a
stamp.
It’s
a
symbol
of
royalty.”
“Yeah,
right.”
Ondrea
shook
her
head.
“Even
you
can’t
possibly
know
everything.”
“I
can’t
make
mac
and
cheese,
so I
do
not
know
all
that
there
is
to
know,”
Deryn
said,
grinning.
“Does
that
help
my
credibility?”
“Want
me
to
come
over
and
show
you?
I
have
some
very
creative
techniques
that
I
doubt
you’d
ever
forget,”
Fulk
said,
obviously
making
a
move
on
the
good
doctor.
“I
can
only
promise
you
one
night
but
with
those
abs
and
that
wit,
I’ll
think
about
an
entire
weekend.”
Alejandro
couldn’t
stop
the
low
growl
that
slipped
from
him.
The
moment
it
came
out,
Fulk
stopped
and
backed
up
slightly.
Ondrea
glanced
at
Alejandro
and
gave
him
a
look
that
said
she
knew
exactly
what
the
growl
meant--she’s
mine.
Unsure
if
Ondrea
would
call
him
out
on
it
in
front
of
her
friend,
Alejandro
prepared
to
be
humiliated.
Reaching
out,
Ondrea
ran
her
fingers
over
Deryn’s
arm.
“Sweetie,
I
think
the
colonel
is
right.
You
need
to
get
in
the
shade
for
a
bit.”
Alejandro
exhaled
deeply,
happy
that
the
need
to
see
him
blush
and
run
the
other
way
hadn’t
hit
Dr.
Harris.
He
made
a
mental
note
to
thank
her
later.
The
shifter
in
her
gave
her
firsthand
knowledge
of
how
things
worked
for
their
kind.
According
to
her
records,
she
was
a
were-panther.
Alejandro
was
a
were-jaguar,
who
had
managed
to
get
a
bit
of
magik
from
his
mother.
Ondrea
was
keenly
aware
of
the
alpha
warning
he’d
uttered
announcing
to
all
that
he’d
staked
claim
on
Deryn.
It
was
unintentional
and
had
come
out
of
nowhere.
After
he
had
a
chance
to
explain
that
to
Ondrea,
he
hoped
it
would
clear
everything
up.
Thankfully,
he
hadn’t
shouted
mine,
shoved
his
cock
in
the
good
doctor
and
bit
her
or
his
claim
would
have
been
binding.
The
urge
to
do
just
that
grew
by
the
minute.
If
he
didn’t
get
away
from
the
temptress
soon
he’d
end
up
with
a
wife
his
family
would
hate.
Not
to
mention
one
who
apparently
belonged
to
his
friend.
Not
him.
“Deryn,
shade,
now.”
Ondrea
looked
like
she
meant
business.
“Huh?”
Deryn
asked,
sounding
a
bit
dazed
as
she
stared
at
the
tree
line
again.
“Onnie,
I
think
this
wall
is a
warning
to
leave
or
risk
resurrecting
what
lies
within.”
“Here.”
Ondrea
held
her
canteen
out
and
ignored
Deryn’s
warning.
“Drink.”
Deryn
touched
her
stomach
gingerly
and
curled
her
nose.
“Ugg,
no
thanks.”
“You
have
to.”
Backing
up,
Deryn
shook
her
head.
“I
just
drank
a
ton.
I’m
sloshing.
Really.
I
couldn’t
get
even
a
little
sip
down.
Sorry.”
That
was
a
lie.
She
hadn’t
touched
her
canteen
once
in
the
last
several
hours.
Alejandro
had
kept
a
close
eye
on
her
all
morning.
She
needed
to
eat
and
find
shade.
She
was
also
scared
of
something
she
thought
was
lurking
around
them.
He
hated
seeing
her
like
that
and
would
do
all
he
could
to
fix
it.
“Let’s
break
for
lunch.”
Fulk
let
out
a
low
whistle.
“Mmm,
Colonel,
that
is
the
best
thing
I’ve
heard
all
day.
Well,
that
and
how
that
fruit
won’t
make
my
guy
dry
up
and
fall
off.”
He
eyed
the
plant
Deryn
had
named
and
then
renamed
cautiously.
It
took
all
Alejandro
had
not
to
laugh.
Issac
on
the
other
hand
began
snickering
and
most
likely
wouldn’t
stop
anytime
soon.
His
men
began
to
file
out,
heading
to
the
jeeps
to
get
their
lunches
but
the
two
doctors
stayed
in
place.
There
wasn’t
a
chance
in
hell
he’d
leave
them
alone
so
Alejandro
decided
to
give
them
a
moment
before
hurrying
them
along.
Ondrea
touched
Deryn’s
forearm
and
shook
her
head.
“You
didn’t
take
your
medicine
did
you?
Could
the
sun
be
causing
you
to
hallucinate?
Not
that
I
don’t
believe
you
but
come
on,
Deryn.”
Deryn
took
an
abnormal
interest
in
the
wall
before
her,
ignoring
her
friend
and
coworker.
Alejandro
moved
in
closer
and
stared
down
at
Ondrea.
At
six
feet
five
he
towered
over
her
tiny
frame.
“Do
I
need
to
get
her
back
to
base?”
The
wide-eyed,
innocent
look
that
Deryn
cast
him
made
him
feel
bad
for
having
asked
in
the
first
place.
Still,
he
didn’t
want
to
see
anything
happen
to
her.
The
fierce
need
to
protect
her
was
off-putting.
It
only
added
to
the
sense
that
he
knew
her
from
somewhere
but
couldn’t
place
her.
“Dr.
Murray,
if
you
need
medical
attention
I
can
have
you
back
at
the
base
within
fifteen
minutes.”
“Thank
you,
Colonel,
but
I’m
fine.
Really.”
“Deryn.”
Ondrea
shook
her
head.
“You
didn’t
take
it,
did
you?
Dammit,
this
isn’t
something
you
can
keep
forgetting
to
take.
It’s
not
like
you
haven’t
had
to
have
it
every
day
for
the
last
fifteen
years.
I
swear,
you’d
forget
your
head
if
it
wasn’t
attached.”
She
snorted.
“Thank
the
gods
I
made
you
an
appointment
for
birth
control
shots
before
you
came
to a
realm
full
of
sexy
men.”
“Excuse
me?”
Alejandro
asked,
unable
to
hold
his
tongue.
Ondrea
smiled.
“Hey,
I
knew
I
was
dragging
Deryn
to a
place
where
the
men
outnumber
the
women
twenty
to
one.
I
thought
it
best
she
be
prepared.
And
stop
giving
me
that
look,
as
if
sex
isn’t
the
first
thing
that
popped
up
in
topic
when
the
news
spread
that
two
females
were
coming.”
Alejandro
watched
Deryn
carefully,
hoping
she
would
shed
some
insight
into
her
friend’s
statement.
Did
she
make
sleeping
with
men
a
hobby?
She
stood,
staring
at
the
wall
full
of
symbols.
“I
think
this
says
two
earths.”
Tracing
the
edges
of
another
marking,
Deryn
seemed
engrossed
in
her
work.
She
also
appeared
to
be
hearing
the
music
again.
That
or
she
was
just
plain
old
crazy.
Either
would
explain
her
swaying
ever
so
slightly
and
glancing
to
the
treetops
again.
Ondrea
covered
her
eyes
and
shook
her
head.
“You
forgot
to
get
the
shots,
didn’t
you?”
“No,”
Deryn
said,
turning
to
face
the
wall.
“Good.”
“I
didn’t
forget.
I
canceled
the
appointment
just
like
I
cancel
every
other
one
you
make
for
me.”
Every
ounce
of
Alejandro
wanted
to
ask
her
why
but
it
wasn’t
his
place.
Ondrea
apparently
shared
his
curiosity
and
she
wasn’t
afraid
to
ask.
“Deryn,
what
in
the
hell
do
you
mean
you
canceled
the
appointments?
I’ve
been
making
them
for
you
for
like
ten
years.”
“Twelve
years
and
three
months,”
Deryn
said,
moving
her
finger
over
two
matching
circles.
“I’ve
canceled
them
all.”
“Then
how
in
the
hell
do
you
not
have
an
endless
line
of
kids?”
Endless
line?
Deryn
chuckled.
“Gee,
since
you
put
it
that
way,
I
almost
feel
compelled
to
explain
my
actions
to
you.”
She
glanced
over
her
shoulder
and
gave
Ondrea
a
hard
look.
Sarcasm
dripped
for
her
every
word.
“Almost.”
“Deryn,
you
cannot
afford
to
have
a
baby
right
now.”
Laughing,
Deryn
shrugged.
“I
wasn’t
aware
that
I
was
having
financial
troubles.”
“That’s
not
what
I
meant
and
you
know
it.”
Ondrea
grabbed
her
arm.
“Does
Kane
know
about
this?”
“He’s
the
one
who
told
me
to
cancel
them,
so
I’d
imagine
so.”
Wonderful,
I
have
a
hard-on
for
a
woman
who
is
not
only
with
my
friend,
they’re
trying
to
have
children.
“Dammit,
Deryn.”
Ondrea
tugged
on
Deryn’s
arm.
“This
is
not
a
matter
that
is
up
for
debate.
Your
body
cannot
handle
the
stress
of a
pregnancy
and
Kane
knows
that.
It’s
enough
for
you
to
get
through
the
day.
Do
you
think
I
really
want
to
see
you
fighting
for
your
life
because
Kane
decided
you
shouldn’t
bother
with
them?
Do
you?”
Ondrea
snapped
so
loud
that
Deryn
actually
jolted.
“Why
in
the
hell
would
he
tell
you
to
cancel
the
appointments?”
Stress
of
pregnancy?
Fight
for
life?
“Do
you
really
think
this
conversation
is
appropriate
in
front
of
him?”
Deryn
glanced
back
at
Alejandro
and
he
did
his
best
to
appear
neutral.
He
was
anything
but.
“I
can
wait
back
at
the
jeeps,”
he
said,
not
wanting
to
leave
them
alone
but
sensing
their
need
for
privacy.
The
slow
blink
that
Deryn
did
left
Alejandro’s
cock
digging
painfully
at
his
pants.
“No,
Colonel,
you’re
fine.
If
you’d
like
to
jump
in
and
start
discussing
various
forms
of
birth
control
and
what
you
do
and
do
not
practice,
you’ll
fit
right
in.”
“I’ll
pass.
Thanks
though.”
Ondrea
sighed.
“I’m
sorry,
Deryn.
I
just
worry
about
you.
I
walk
around
convinced
you
forgot
your
medicine
all
the
time.
You’re
the
smartest
person
I
know
and
you’re
also
the
most
forgetful.
How
is
that?”
“Too
many
thoughts.”
Deryn
grinned.
“Well,
that
and
the
voices
in
my
head
keep
interrupting
all
day.”
She
cast
a
sideways
glance
at
him.
Ondrea
sighed.
“Deryn,
please.”
“I
did
take
it
today,
Onnie.
It’s
just
that
this
realm
has
two
suns,
both
of
which
are
a
considerable
amount
closer
to
it
than
our
sun
is
to
Earth.
I
have
to
tweak
the
serum
a
bit
to
compensate
for
the
difference.
I
thought
I
managed
to
get
it
right
prior
to
arrival.
I
was
wrong.
I
ran
every
test
I
could
back
home
but
without
having
the
exact
conditions
to
replicate,
I
couldn’t
be
exact.”
She
touched
her
friend’s
face
lightly
and
smiled.
“Now
that
I do
know
the
exact
conditions
here,
I
can
recreate
them
at
home.
I’ll
fix
it
the
second
we
get
to
Earth.
I’m
scheduled
to
check
back
in
within
three
days.
I’ll
go
to
the
lab
there
and
fix
it
then.
They
have
the
supplies
I
require.
The
general
saw
to
that.
I
promise.
Until
then
I’ll
just
have
to
remember
to
wear
long
sleeves
and
try
to
avoid
the
midday
sun.
That’s
all.
The
colonel
was
nice
enough
to
let
me
borrow
his
hat
for
the
day
and
that’s
helped
tremendously.”
“Serum?”
he
asked,
very
curious
as
to
what
was
going
on.
Ondrea
gave
Deryn
a
questioning
look
that
wasn’t
lost
on
Alejandro.
“How
much
information
about
you
was
given
to
the
team?”
Deryn
glanced
at
him
and
bit
her
lower
lip.
“I’m
not
entirely
sure.”
“I
just
learned
your
first
name
if
that
tells
you
anything.”
He
left
out
the
bit
about
how
he
wanted
to
sink
his
dick
into
her
and
fuck
her
until
he
could
fuck
no
more.
Somehow,
it
just
didn’t
seem
to
be
the
right
time.
Deryn
directed
her
blue
gaze
at
him
and
looked
puzzled.
“You
offered
me
your
hat
without
even
knowing
anything
about
me?
Without
knowing
I
have
a
sensitivity
to
the
sun?”
He
nodded,
unsure
why
she’d
asked.
A
huge
smile
broke
over
her
face
and
before
he
knew
it,
she
was
on
him,
slipping
her
arms
around
his
waist
and
hugging
him
tight.
Shocked,
Alejandro
just
stood
there,
in
full
gear,
letting
her
do
it.
Hug
her
back.
Before
he
could
respond
to
his
inner
voice,
Deryn
pulled
back,
her
eyes
glistened
as
if
she
were
in
the
verge
of
tears.
“Thank
you.”
“Anytime,”
he
said,
silently
scolding
himself
for
missing
the
opportunity
to
hold
her
in
his
arms.
“Let’s
go
eat.”
Ondrea
snickered.
“Please
tell
me I
saw
what
I
think
I
saw.”
She
tapped
Deryn.
“You
cuddling.”
