Page 92 of Wolf Queen Ruin
“We need a change of plan,” Damien said, his voice cutting through my fog.
“M’kay,” I muttered, unable to fight my heavy eyelids.“Whatever you say.”
I had the vaguest sense of him laying me on a patch of soft leaves, then the steady drone of his voice as he spoke into the satellite phone.
“…extraction point coordinates… wounded companion… 50,000 extra balboas if you can get here in twenty minutes.”
When he finished the call, his thumb traced the line of my cheekbone in a gesture that seemed almost subconscious, as if he couldn’t help touching me.
Sometime later, he picked me up again and set off, his stride unwavering despite having already carried me for miles.
Our energy levels truly had switched from our trek to the Wolf Queen Crypt.Was that by design?Were the Queen’s magical wards somehow affecting me now instead of Damien?
Several minutes later, the sound of a helicopter jarred me awake.I didn’t even remember falling asleep again.
“Those are the good guys coming for us?”I asked, grabbing for my pack.
Nodding, Damien gazed down at my face and grinned, his pace unchanging.“We’re finally getting out of here.”
The jungle canopy had thinned, allowing glimpses of sky, and more importantly, making helicopter access possible.
“We’re almost there,” Damien said.“The clearing should be just beyond that rise.”
Sure enough, as we crested a small hill, a natural clearing opened before us, not large, but good enough for a skilled pilot to manage a rescue pickup.Damien set me down carefully against a fallen log before retrieving the satellite phone to confirm our position.
“The helicopter is five minutes out.”Damien returned to crouch beside me and gingerly touched my ankle through my sock, his blue eyes meeting mine with a warmth that siphoned into my heart.“How are you holding up?”
“Ready to check into a five-star hotel with room service and a hot tub the size of Texas.”I summoned a weak smile.“Think Dr.Felix can arrange that along with his magical medical care?”
“I’ll make the arrangements personally,” he said, with such certainty that I realized he wasn’t joking.“After Dr.Felix gives you the all-clear.”
I waved that idea off.“The Shadow Fang first.My comfort can wait.”
A contrary growl rose from the back of his throat.“Your health first, Luna.The Shadow Fang can wait.”
Even as he said it though, a shadow flickered behind his eyes.
The thump of helicopter rotors drifted across the clearing.Salvation approached at 150 knots.
Then it appeared above the tree line, a sleek black craft bearing no identifying markings, exactly what you’d want for a clandestine artifact extraction.As it descended toward the clearing, throwing up a whirlwind of leaves and dirt, Damien curved his body over mine, shielding me from the debris storm with his broader frame.
Even though I’d cringed away at the idea of a partner, Damien had quickly morphed into an excellent one.Then he’d switched to an expert lover who could make my body sing with a single touch.Then he’d eased into the role of protector when he carried me through miles of hostile jungle and now stood shielding me from helicopter downwash.Our “temporary alliance of convenience” was evolving into something more complex than either of us had anticipated.
Right now, I couldn’t complain.
“Ready?”Damien asked loudly as the helicopter settled onto the ground, its side door sliding open.
He bent toward me, his posture stating that he wouldn’t listen to any arguments about carrying me the final distance.
I grinned up at him as he picked me up and held me close.Settling my hand on his jaw, I brushed my thumb over his bottom lip, reveling in the tremble that worked its way through him at my touch and the twin flames that sparked in his eyes.
“Lead the way, Mr.Renaissance.”
Chapter twenty-nine
Luna
Afterhoursofpoking,prodding, and various scans that left my ankle tingling, Dr.Felix had finally departed, leaving me blissfully alone.
