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Suddenly, she was running down a long hallway, searching everywhere for a hiding place. But every door she tried wouldn’t open and all the time she could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer.
Abbey knew he was gaining on her—soon he would catch her and there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing at all. Major was gone and she was alone—all alone with a killer on her heels.
She was going to die if she couldn’t find someplace to hide but there was nowhere…nowhere to go…nowhere to hide and he kept getting closer and closer…
44
SOLON
Astrangled scream woke Solon from a thin, uneasy sleep. He bolted upright, unsure at first where he was and why he was sleeping on the floor.
Then he remembered—he was in Abbey’s room and the reason he was on the floor instead of in bed with her was the fact that he had Renounced his Claim on the curvy little Elite. Which meant, of course, that he no longer had the right to hold her or touch her or do any of the things a warrior was allowed to do with his bride-to-be during their Claiming Period.
But that wasn’t important right now—what was uppermost on his mind was Abbey—she seemed to be in some kind of trouble.
“Abbey?” he asked, sitting up and looking at her.
She lay curled on her side, facing him, and he could see that her lovely face was twisted into an expression of fear. Her eyes were tightly closed and the corners of her mouth were tight.
“Please!” she moaned, gripping the covers in her small fists. “Please, don’t! Don’t hurt me!”
Solon couldn’t stand to see her so upset. Clearly she was having a nightmare.
“Abbey?” He got up and sat on the side of her bed. Then he shook her gently by the shoulder. The minute he touched her, he could feel her terror. It made his heart fist in his chest. “Abbey, wake up. It’s just a bad dream—wake up!” he murmured.
With a little gasp, her eyes flew open and Solon saw that they were filled with fear.
“Solon?” she asked, reaching for him. “Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me.” He wanted badly to call her “lelka” but restrained himself. She wasn’t his now—he had no right to call her by her second name—what the humans called a “nickname.” Just as he had no right to gather her into his arms, no matter how he ached to comfort her.
“Solon, please!” She sobbed his name and her seeking hands found his arm. “Please just hold me for a minute—he nearly got me! I could feel…feel his hands around my throat!”
Solon couldn’t help it—her fear and anguish tore at his heart. Despite knowing that he shouldn’t do it, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight as she shivered against him.
“It’s all right—you’re all right,” he murmured soothingly, stroking her back and shoulders. “You just had a bad dream, that’s all.”
“It was awful!” Abbey pressed her face against his chest, rubbing her hot cheeks against his uniform shirt. But she didn’t seem to like it because she reached up and began to unbutton the shirt.
“Wait—what are you doing?” Solon frowned.
“I need to feel your fur against me!” Abbey looked up at him, her lovely eyes luminous in the moonlight filtering through her blinds. “Please, Solon—it’s the only way I’ll feel safe.”
“Well…” Solon sighed. “I guess it can’t hurt. Hang on—I’ll remove my shirt.”
He disentangled himself for a moment and took the shirt all the way off, leaving only his trousers and boots. Since he couldn’t very well hold Abbey on the floor, he took off his boots as well. Then he climbed fully into the bed with her, even though he knew it was against the rules a warrior was expected to abide by after Renouncing his Claim on a female.
Abbey came to him at once and pressed herself against his side. She rubbed her face against the fur of his chest and took in a deep, trembling breath.
“Better?” Solon asked, putting a protective arm around her shoulders.
“So much better,” she assured him. “I just wish I could get even closer. You make me feel so safe but I feel like I can’t get close enough!”
“What do you want to do?” Solon asked, amused. “Lie on top of me?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I want,” Abbey said at once. “But first, take these off.” She tugged at his tight black uniform trousers.
Solon frowned.
