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Zach grinned "So, why the caroup today"

"New deal?"

DarkRiver had recently completed its second major construction project for Psy Councilor Nikita Duncan The success of the venture had been so dramatic, they’d attracted considerable interest frorin was very feline in its satisfaction "I wanted to talk to you about soer"

Zach nodded "Is there a problem?"

"Shouldn’t be, but I want you to keep an extra-sharp eye out Psy don’t usually venture anywhere near our territory, but they’ve been changing the rules recently"

"You think theyto use the land to fauessed Psy weren’t, as a rule, comfortable in wide-open spaces They preferred the cities, with their towers of glass and steel But as Lucas’s mate, Sascha, showed, the psychic race was supremely adaptable

"I don’t think it’s happened yet, but there’s a possibility it ht - we’d be fools if we didn’t prepare for the unexpected"

"I’ll keep you updated" He put down his empty bottle beside the one Lucas had just finished "You didn’t really co Zach was a senior-enough soldier to figure out for hiht side of his face standing out in vivid relief "I was passing through to talk to Tammy about the Christmas celebrations, decided to drop in, touch base"

Since Tahbors, thatyesterday"

Lucas grinned "Sounds about right"

"Can I ask you a question?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow and waited

"How fragile are humans?" He’d had human lovers before, but he’d never wanted any wo, with the raw fury that colored his hunger for Annie It worried hiht hurt her in passion

"How much do I have to hold back?"

"They’re not as breakable as we tend to think," Lucas said, and Zach kneas speaking from experience

Physically, Psy were even weaker than humans, yet Lucas was very happily mated to Sascha "Just don’t use the same force on her that you’d use on me or one of the other males, and you’ll be fine"

"Who said there’s a ’her’?"

"There’s always a her"

"Her na her to the picnic toreen

"You’re introducing her to the pack?

When did you meet her?"

"Today"

"Well, hell" Lucas rocked back on his heels "She have any idea what that means?"

"She’s a little wary, but she likesof how her eyes had drunk hi looked at that way Especially when the wo was someone he’d like to eat up in s to court her first" But he already considered her his - because not only did Annie Kildaire arouse his most primal instincts, she was his mateand he was a possessive kind of cat

Stroke of Entice Feeling ju in the mirror one more tiinning with a plain white tee and a thin V-necked cashmere-blend sweater that felt divine on her skin On the botto with a pair of hiking boots, in case the drive turned into a walk Co her outfit was an insulated puffy jacket

"I look like an egg" Caroline had htened her face

Annie had agreed because it looked sunny But it wasn’t exactly flattering

Oh well, she thought, peeling it off and putting it on the little backpack that held her camera and water, it wasn’t as if this was a date

Sweet drea through her veins All she could think about hat it would be like to have that voice whisper in her ear while those strong hands touched her with bold confidence "Oh, man" She pressed a hand flat to her stomach

"Calm, Annie Calm" It was difficult to listen to her own advice when she’d spent the whole night drealimpsed on his biceps fascinated her - in her dreaers over the exotic lines of it, pressed her lips to that muscled fleshand then touched another, harder part of his body