"A scratch, see?" His voice came out deep.
He was right. It wasn't much more than a scratch, but it still looked painful. She pressed two fingers to his bare flat stomach. Inhaling, she concentrated on healing. Her hands grew warm, and slowly she moved her touch across the wound.
She heard him groan, or was it a growl? She met his eyes. "Am I hurting you?" Then she recognized the heat in his eyes.
"No," he said, the hypnotic hum vibrating from him signaling that his body sought a potential mate.
Feeling brave, she brushed her hand up and over his abdomen. The soft, warm ripples of muscle and skin felt wonderful against her palm. She wanted more. More of him. More touching. She wanted to be touched.
As if reading her mind, his hands were on her waist, pulling her against him. His lips found hers and the kiss was smoldering. Deep and demanding from the moment his mouth met hers. She wasn't sure how they ended up on the ground, but suddenly they were there. The soft grass tickled her neck, but she mostly felt Lucas. Felt his hand brushing under her shirt. His sweet, soft touch on her breasts. Felt his weight half on her, his leg positioned between hers.
Everywhere a part of him touched her, she burned and ached for more. His hum filled her ears like music and she was lost. Lost in the moment, in the desire. Lost with yearning.
She wasn't afraid. She wanted this, wanted Lucas. She slipped her hand inside the back of his shirt.
She heard him make another sound, a mixture of both pain and marvel. And then his weight and all the wonder were gone. Opening her eyes, she saw Lucas standing over her, his eyes ablaze and looking almost wild. His hands were locked behind his neck and he breathed in and out as if he needed more oxygen.
"We can't ... I'm not prepared ... I don't have..."Doing her own share of trying to breathe, it took her a second to understand what he was attempting to say. He didn't have condoms. Even if he did, this shouldn't happen as an accident.
"We need ... Not like this," he said.
"I know." She sat up and the cumbersome feeling crowded her chest and she felt her cheeks heat up.
Standing up, she swallowed the tightness down her throat. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." She looked away, not sure how to put it.
He closed the distance between them and gently turned her face to his. "You didn't do anything wrong.
We didn't do anything wrong. We just need to plan it."
She nodded. Her phone chimed with an incoming call. She hadn't reached for it when Lucas's started to ring.
She inhaled and pretty much knew what this meant. The FRU were here. Early. She pulled her phone out and saw the call was from Burnett and knew she was correct.
"It's Burnett," she said. "I'm sure it's Holiday calling you, too." She reached for the swords. "Don't answer it. We just need to get to the office."
He studied her. And she felt guilt swirl in her chest. She should have told him. Now it felt as if she'd kept it from him.
"Why shouldn't I answer it?" He opened the bags and pulled out the cloths to wrap the swords in.
"I was going to tell you, but..." I knew you would fight me on it.
"What's going on, Kylie?" he asked as he put the swords in the bag and then picked it up.
"It's my window," she said.
"What's your window?"
"The reason Burnett and Holiday are calling. It's the FRU, they're here for me."
"Why the hell are they here for you?" he asked.
She swallowed and started walking. He grabbed her by the elbow, questions in his eyes.
"I agreed to be tested."
He shook his head, his eyes went from blue to burnt orange instantly. "No!"
"I have to, Lucas. It's my quest. Just like your quest is to change things with your kind. I have to do this."
"No, you don't!" He moved in front of her and stopped her from taking another step. "Are you forgetting that I saw part of the vision of what they did to your grandmother?"
"That was over forty years ago. Things are different." That's what she'd been telling herself, that's what she had to believe. She moved around and continued forward.
"No!" He grabbed her arm.
She looked at him, pleading for understanding. "I have to do it, Lucas. And you have to let me."
"Burnett and Holiday won't allow this," he seethed.
"Burnett doesn't believe they would hurt me," she insisted, feeling a cool breeze brush her skin. And she knew she wasn't alone. Her father was here. She prayed he approved of what she was doing.
"He believes there could be risks to doing it, he told me that himself. He told me he hid your grandmother's body because of it."
"There's risk in everything, Lucas." She touched his stomach. "In learning how to fight. In not learning how to fight. I'm doing the right thing. I know it."* * * "We didn't contact her," the male voice came from Holiday's office. "She contacted us."
Kylie and Lucas walked inside the office. Lucas remained furious. She could tell from his posture, his silence, but he didn't try to stop her. She knew he sensed how serious she was.
"Kylie wouldn't have done that. She wouldn't even know how to get in touch with you," Holiday demanded.
Kylie stopped at Holiday's door. "I called my mom and got his number. Told her I needed to talk with him about something I was doing for Holiday." Kylie met the camp leader's worried eyes. Burnett stood beside her, his eyes showing signs of anger. She just hoped it wasn't targeted toward her.
Holiday shook her head. "I refuse to let this happen."
Kylie moved all the way inside, followed by Lucas. She looked at Burnett, hoping she would find an ally in him. "From the very beginning, Burnett said that they wouldn't intentionally harm me."
Holiday stood up. "He also admitted there could be risks, which was why he ... agreed that you didn't need to do it."
"She's right," Burnett said. "I don't want to chance-"
"The risks are practically nonexistent," the gray-haired FRU agent spoke up. "It's what we've been telling you from the beginning. But you refused to listen."
Kylie ignored the agent and spoke to Holiday. "It's my quest. You yourself said that it was a good quest."
"But I didn't mean you should put your life in jeopardy."
"It's not in jeopardy," the FRU agent said again.
"Then why couldn't a regular doctor perform the tests?" Holiday asked, her tone sounding like an angry parent. No doubt she was going to make a good one.