AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Now that he’s warmed to his subject, he steps closer and leans over her. He must know how intimidating his large presence is. If I weren’t afraid he’d send me to the southern barracks so I would never see Jenna again, I’d make him take a step back. Instead, I growl and toss my head, ensuring I don’t flash my fangs. That would push him too far.
“You are here to desensitize these males to female scent and let them learn how to interact. If you can teach them some life skills along the way, that’s all the better. That’s why you’re here. Not to play kissy-face with the splicers.”
I don’t usually mind when the humans call us splicers, but that word in his mouth sparks an electric current of anger underneath my fur.
“Lofty goals, Colonel.” Jenna tips her head, lancing him with her glare.
Did I think he intimidated my female? She’s standing taller than I’ve ever seen her and instead of backing away from him, she steps forward.
“Too bad you didn’t consider the big picture.”
When he doesn’t ask her what she means, she forges ahead.
“What if this project became more than what you envisioned? What if, instead of teaching these males how to bake and work retail and tolerate the scent of women without sporting wood, somethingmore importanthappened? What if people developedfeelingsfor each other?”
When I glance at the doorway, it’s full of people easing forward to watch and eavesdrop.
“You military types like to forget we’re not just machines made of flesh and fur, but we’re emotional beings. Somewhere along the way, Noble and I developed an affection for each other. You can’t order that away.”
The street full of people had been noisy, but it’s silent as every splicer and human, military or civilian, listens in.
“You can order us apart. You can send me home, or lock him in the southern barracks, but why? Why would you want to stop something that should have been your goal in the first place?”
The Colonel tips his head as if he’s a robot given information he doesn’t understand.
“Shouldn’t you havethoughtof this? Shouldn’t you haveaspiredto this? Isn’t this the grandest part of this experiment? To see if these different species can get along in the most important, intimate way?”
The male scowls, but hasn’t interrupted. Jenna forges ahead.
“You should not only remove your prohibition against fraternization between the species, Colonel. You should welcome it. You can brag about it to your superiors. I hear they’re arriving tonight for the big Bollywood dance number tomorrow. Show us off! This is the best success you could have hoped for.”
With that, she turns to me, throws her arms around my neck, and pulls me closer for a kiss. This meeting of lip on lip isn’t to express her affection. She made that clear with her impassioned speech. This kiss is more important than that. It’s to punctuate her statement. It’s a challenge for the Colonel to either interrupt us or give us his blessing.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jenna
I’m so full of emotion I’m shaking. To cope, I weave my fingers through Noble’s silken hair and clutch him tighter. I should turn around, finish this fight I started, but I’m not sure how to convince a career military man to change his mind about something that’s so important to me.
As I give Noble one last kiss in preparation to return to the argument, the sound of voices intrudes into the shop.
“You can’t legislate love,” one of the women says.
“Where’s the harm in this?” The voice is deep and growly. I assume it’s a splicer.
“Sir. If you prohibit it, they’ll find a way. Lovealwaysfinds a way.”
Perhaps it’s because one of his own men championed our cause, but as the voices rise in a symphony of protest, Colonel Slater says nothing.
When I turn to hear his response, he pierces me with his steely gray gaze and nods. “You win. Military Strategy 101: when you discover a battle can’t be won, it’s time to stop throwing resources at it. There will be rules, though. They will be officially disseminated within 48 hours.”
Two minutes later, the shop is empty and I’ve locked the door. Though everyone is celebrating in the street, having won the first of what might be many battles, I’m not interested in what’s going on outside. I’m too focused on the male standing at my side.
“Impressive. You’re a force to be reckoned with.” Noble is looking at me, his amber eyes shining with pride and affection.
His praise warms me to my very soul as it swirls inside my chest. He’s watched me since the moment we met. He knows how hard that was for me. I’m not a rule-breaker or a wave-maker. But I stood up for what I believed in.
He lifts me and sets me on the counter next to the cash register. We’re almost eye-to-eye this way.
