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She stared, taking in his alien features. Sharp angles defined his face, both familiar and utterly foreign. Piercing eyes met hers, filled with intense curiosity and intelligence that seemed to bore into her very being.
Her gaze flicked to his mouth, where sharp fangs peeked out from beneath surprisingly soft-looking lips. Massive hands hung at his sides, tipped with wickedly sharp claws that caught the dim garage light.
But the enormous gun slung casually over his shoulder drew her attention most. The weapon dwarfed anything she’d ever seen, its sleek design hinting at devastating power.
His lips curled into a smile that was both predatory and charming at the same time.
“Hello, beautiful.”
7
She was more beautiful than he could have imagined.
Covak’s world narrowed to a single point of focus as he stood, stunned as he drank in the sight of Jane astride the sleek motorcycle. Sunlight caught the sheen of sweat on her skin, highlighting the determined set of her jaw and the fierce intelligence blazing in her eyes. She was breathtaking, utterly frexxing breathtaking.
A gust of wind carried her scent to him, the same intoxicating aroma that had driven him to distraction at the safe house. It was a heady mix of adrenaline, fear, and something uniquelyher. The primal part of his soul, the beast that lived just beneath the surface of his civilized veneer, roared in triumph.
Mine, a possessive voice growled in the back of his mind, and all his muscles tensed, ready to spring into action and claim what his instincts insisted belonged to him.
But as quickly as the urge rose, he tamped it down. The wary edge in her scent and the unmistakable tang of blood in the air gave him pause. She had just escaped her captors and was likely injured. More than that, she had probably never seen a being like him before. She didn’t know if he was friend or foe.
Forcing his body to relax, he raised his hands in what he hoped was a universal gesture of peace.
“It’s okay,” he said, keeping his voice low and soothing. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help.”
He expected gratitude, perhaps even relief. What he got instead was the roar of the motorcycle’s engine as she gunned it, the machine leaping forward like a startled animal. She flew past him, almost knocking him from his feet.
A snarl of frustration tore from his throat, and he spun on his heel, already in pursuit. His powerful legs ate up the distance, but the bike was faster. He tapped his comm. “Got her, but she’s on the move. Heading east on a motorcycle.”
Anson’s amused voice filled his ear. “Don’t tell me you let a tiny human female get away from you, big guy?”
Covak’s lips curled back from his teeth. “Yeah, yeah… laugh it up.”
He rounded the corner and slid to a stop. She hadn’t gotten far. At the end of the road, human forces had her pinned down behind a parked car. Energy beams sizzled past, their high-pitched whine piercing his sensitive ears.
Where they struck, metal glowed red-hot, and glass exploded into crystalline shards. The parked car Jane used for cover was rapidly disintegrating under the onslaught, its frame warping and bubbling from the intense heat.
But it wasn’t her predicament that caught his attention. It was her… Her shoulders were relaxed, not hunched in fear. Her movements were smooth and deliberate as she checked her stolen weapon. Even from this distance, he could see the annoyed furrow of her brow as if the hail of energy bolts was nothing more than a mild irritation.
His lips twitched, admiration filling him. This wasn’t a frightened escapee. This was a predator, momentarily inconvenienced by lesser prey. The way she held herself, coiledand ready to strike, sent a thrill of excitement through him. He’d never seen a human move like that before.
His muscles coiled as he watched two human operatives break from cover. They advanced on Jane, their movements cocky and assured. Fools. Couldn’t they see the trap they were walking into?
“Hey, guys,” he said as he flicked on his glasses display. “You’ve got to see this.”
His claws extended with a softsnick, the familiar rush of battle-readiness flooding his system. He took a step forward, fully intending to intervene, but Jane exploded into motion before he could close the distance.
Even his vision, genetically enhanced for battle, struggled to track her movements. One moment, she was crouched behind the car; the next, she was a whirlwind of violence. Her fist connected with the first operative’s solar plexus, doubling him over. She pivoted in a fluid motion, her leg sweeping the second man’s feet from under him.
The crack of bone meeting pavement reached Covak’s ears, followed by twin thuds as bodies hit the ground. Then she stood over them, a weapon in each hand, her chest barely heaving from the exertion.
The comm channel erupted with impressed whistles.
“Well, I guess I know who I’m hiring to replace all of you layabouts.” Ryke chuckled.
“And that istheperfect woman,” Davis said. “Covak, grab her number for me, would you?”
A snarl exploded from his throat, low and dangerous. “Back off. She’s mine.”
