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Qhasheik’s extra limb twitched before it encircled his waist. He gave one backward glance at Zamush before answering. “Well, first off, you’re going to have to...”
She snuck a peek at Zamush.
He stood there with a sensuous smile and a brief nod.
She couldn’t get the picture of his swollen lips glistening from their kiss out of her mind.
Out of her mind. Yep. Didn’t that just describe her perfectly?
~Zamush~
Zamush watched Jelena walk away with Qhasheik. His smile faltered. The way that woman went from hot to cold would make any man dizzy. He crossed his arms.
Experiencing their first kiss in the real world was everything he’d hoped it’d be. Her eager response was intoxicating. He’d never enjoyed an encounter with a woman more. Frowning, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Trying to win the delectable Jelena was confusing as hell. It seemed the more he tried to get close, the more she ran away. Damn, he needed to take her blood. Then he’d have access to her recent memories and get a better handle on how she felt about him.
A slash of red out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Scurrying across the wall was Jelena’s pet that resembled a lizard. What was its name? Slither? No wait, it was Shther.
The animal turned to him, its independent four pink eyes blinking.
Hmm, was the creature sent to spy on him? Now why would she do that if she wasn’t interested in him? Gazing deep into the animal’s eyes, he trapped it in an enthrallment. The eyes stopped blinking and remained open. He mentally gave a message for the alien lizard to take back to Jelena.
“I see you, Jelena. If you want to know what I’m doing, all you have to do is ask. You don’t have to send a spy after me.” His whisper turned into a growl. “Come, spend some time with me. Then all your doubts will disappear.” He broke the mind connection.
The pet’s eyes blinked.
“Return to your mistress and follow me no more.”
The lizard flicked its forked tongue as if it was deciding what to do. After a brief nod, the creature scurried off. The six double-jointed legs gave it added speed as it disappeared through a vent in the ceiling.
A sharp pain from his gut shot up through his throat and demanded attention. Then his stomach growled. But it wasn’t food he needed. He hadn’t taken any blood since that initial time with Abiditan and Katsuki. With a wistful glance at the exit where Jelena left with Qhasheik, he admitted that wasn’t the way to go. Since no one seemed to need him, now would be the perfect time to take care of his needs before bloodlust overcame him. He doubted losing control would endear him to anyone. Least of all Jelena.
Accessing the Transkip in the hanger, he exited to the small transportation room in Esharra. Stepping into the corridor, he stilled as he mentally searched for donors. There, in the next room, was a young Akurn woman going about her housekeeping duties. Another quick scan told him there wasn’t anyone around that could interrupt him. His mouth watered. Since she was an Akurn, her rich blood would sustain him for quite some time. After that, he’d head for the kitchen to find something to eat.
~Jelena~
Leaving Qhasheik with a promise she’d do what he asked, Jelena headed to her room to grab BoD. She swallowed hard. Thank the Goddess her foster father interrupted them when he did. She couldn’t believe she let things go that far. It’s not like she could blame bloodlust for her reaction to Zamush. She might be a little parched, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
Crap. Her response to Zamush had to be a fluke. Her steps faltered. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and struggled to impose Sychar’s image over Zamush’s. It didn’t work. Uppermost in her mind was the expression on his face when they’d parted from their kiss. Dilated eyes, the dual colors lost in a thin line around his expanded pupils. His nostrils flaring as his pale skin flushed. She clenched her shaking hands.
Stop it, Jelena! Great. Look at her, going around scolding herself. She didn’t even need Katsuki to do it. Okay, time to focus on something else. She replayed the brief exchange with Qhasheik.
“I need you to use your psychic mojo,” he instructed. “Mingle with as many Akurns as you can. Wander around and pretend you’re lost.” He glanced behind him.
She looked over his shoulder, making sure no one overheard.
“Find out if any of them are spies for sub-Prince Murduk.”
Jeez. Paranoid much? “You got a reason to think that? What if I get caught?”
”You’re kidding, right?” Qhasheik snorted. “You know I don’t trust anyone.” He patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about anyone catching you. The Akurns are so stupid about women. They act like females don’t have two brain cells to rub together.” He stepped back with a lopsided grin. “And we both know females are way more dangerous than any simple male.”
She chuckled along with him.
He was speaking more about Katsuki than anything she’d done. “All you gotta do is bat your eyes and tell them you’re lost. They’re so ignorant, they’d never consider anything else.”
A simple enough request. Especially since Jelena’d love to look around the vast estate. Having grown up hearing how bad it was to live on Akurn, she wanted to see part of it for herself. This damn estate was so big, it’d take her the rest of the day to cover half of it. She agreed to do it and promised to let Qhasheik know if she found anything.
After entering her room, she grabbed BoD from where he was perched on the bed. Come on, get up. We’ve got work to do. She mentally gave him the rundown as she strapped his harness across her shoulders to rest down her back.
