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Suddenly my light blue grayish man-wolf rescuer tears off the blindfold and hunches down like an animal, one hand on the ground between his bent knees, a feral look on his face as his lips pull back, baring all of his teeth, his eyes murderous.
I don’t understand why they are about to fight as my eyes shift between the two of them, but my heart thumps hard from excitement.
3
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Tekil
This dark-haired female with large green eyes smelled familiar from the start, a mix of body odor and a faint hint of vanilla. She wears a light brown covering that exposes her arms and drapes the top of her thighs. Tekil needs to get away from her, but some unseen string will not allow him to leave. Some of her words are strange and hard to understand. The translator leaves gaps, sometimes even lagging behind.
For weeks, her smell has taunted him, driving him almost to insanity. A protective instinct to find and escape with her almost drove him mad, yet there was never an opportunity until today.
His body responds to her touch with strange feelings and uncharted urges; he doesn’t fully understand even though he wants to act on every single one.
And then there is duty, Tekil reminds himself. I need to concentrate on rescuing my…team, as the Acradidia call them. But her speech is distracting and her scent so confusing…
Just before she wraps a cloth torn from her own covering around his eyes, slightly easing the pain, he can see the pulse in her neck as her heartbeat quickens. At times, he can smell her fear, and then it’s like a switch flips and she smells dominant.
Powerful.
Tekil doesn’t know what to make of it.
Andred draws close now, his smell alerting Tekil that he and the female are not alone. He accidentally shoves her a little too hard, not understanding his own strength. Tekel tears the cloth from his eyes, and quickly glances over his shoulder to make sure she is unharmed before facing Andred.
Baring teeth, they stare each other down, both poised to attack. Even on Kintuke, Andred was always a bit unstable, always defying the rules. He was never happy with his station in life as a mere laborer from a lessor Quad, which left him bitter towards anyone he deemed more important. So—almost everyone.
Kill him! Vi’del screams inside Tekil’s mind.
I agree. Kill him now, Zeno advises as Tekil hesitates.
Vi’del and Zeno—also known as the ‘team’—are being held in another part of the cave. Once mere work acquaintances, now the three Kintue males are brothers linked by a common enemy.
The experiments have changed Andred; Tekil feels it, sees it shining in his eyes. Hopefully, the Acradidia did not inflict too much damage; it would be better for all if Andred can still be reasoned with. With that in mind, Tekil stands his ground, refusing to lower his gaze.
I cannot kill him, he tells the others. I may need his help to free you.
They do not reply, which is a relief. Tekil doesn’t need any more distractions; the presence of the female is bad enough.
After a long, tense moment, Tekil finally growls: “Change!”
Indecision crosses Andred’s face before he concedes and morphs into his natural form, standing an inch or so shorter than Tekil, and completely naked.
Not that he cares, Tekil thinks with distaste, as Andred crosses his arms and smirks.
Andred’s eyes glide to the female, and an involuntary warning growl rumbles from Tekil’s throat.
She is off limits.
“Tekil.” Andred’s gaze shifts back toward him. “I am glad to see you are…” his eyes quickly glance over Tekil, “…mostly unharmed.”
He is well aware that this is Andred’s way of calling him a failed experiment, trapped somewhere between half-man and half-beast. His teeth never recede; the tuffs of fur and uncanny strength are always present, more than the other Kintue-shifters.
“Pity they did not change your arrogant attitude when they altered your DNA,” Tekil bites back.
Just kill him! Zeno roars.
Not one for patience, especially now, he would have killed Andred instantly.
