Page 31 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

Gabby’s stomach filled up with dancing elephants as she was held captive by the heat in his eyes and something more. She didn’t want to examine what that something more was. She couldn’t deal with it. Not while they were trying to save an island and not be killed themselves. Maybe not ever.

Zuri grinned “That’s great, lover boy. Just remember that when you’re tempted to show off.”

Miles snorted and Liam shot him a look. Miles smiled wider. “She’s totally right. There’s nothing more we like to do than to show off for our women.”

“Women?” Josie asked her mate.

“Mmm-mmm-mm,” Gabby hummed. “You might want to grab a shovel, Miles. Go on and start digging that grave.”

“What?” Miles asked, his voice rising up an octave as he looked between them.

“You said women,” Liam offered. “Plural.”

“Shi—” Miles began but Josie cut him off.

She growled at him. “Language.”

“Josie,” her mate practically whined. “You know what I meant. I wasn’t saying my women. I was saying men in general and each of their women. I like to impress you and only you.”

Josie glanced at Gabby and winked. When she looked back at her mate, her face went blank. “Actions speak louder than words, mate. Guess we will see when we get to work, won’t we?”

Liam leaned over to Gabby, “She’s messing with him, isn’t she?”

Gabby nodded. “And it’s hilarious.”

He shook his head. “You chicks are killers, babe. Grabbing a man by his balls and dragging them around just for fun.”

“If it’s so bad, why do you keep coming back? Why does Miles stay with Josie?”

“Don’t say it, man,” Miles said quickly, but Liam was already speaking.

“Because of the other things you ladies can do with our—”

Gabby realized what he was going to say and slapped a hand over his mouth.

“By the goddess,” Professor Frost muttered.

“I realize he’s … well … him, and that gets hard to deal with,” Zuri said with a smirk. “But according to Elias, he’s quite powerful, so try not to push him into the volcano. We might need him later.”

“I’ll give it my best,” Gabby said. Before she could pull her hand away, Liam ran his tongue across it. Gabby’s eyes narrowed. “Nope. Changed my mind.” She huffed as she yanked her hand back. “Don’t assign us to work together. If you do, make sure we are nowhere near the top, or his ass is going in.”

“Why did Terrick put them in a group together?” Professor King asked Professor Frost. Despite the cargo pants and shirt he wore, he didn’t look like a warrior. Gabby figured he probably wore suits because he held himself like a regal, uppity businessman. Not like a man ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.

“It’s necessary,” Frost answered, though she didn’t elaborate.

Gabby wanted to shake her professor and scream like a four-year-old, but she didn’t want to look like a child. Especially not in front of Liam. Nope, not Liam. I totallymeant not in front of Zuri, she said as she mentally kicked herself.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Josie piped in. “It feels like Mauna Loa is getting irritated just listening to us.”

“Agreed,” Frost said. “Some of us will work in pairs and some alone. Though this may change. It depends on what it takes to keep the volcano from causing damage.”

“What about the other volcanoes?” Gabby asked.

“Pray to the goddess that they don’t decide to join the party,” Zuri said. “But if they do, we have to do our best to minimize the damage they might do.”

Gabby nodded and took a deep breath. She focused on Professor Frost, who spoke again.

“Zuri will work at the base of the mountain. She’s going to shape a deep crater to catch the flowing lava. Miles and Josie will pull water up from the earth while Professor King uses the cold air to cool the water further so when Gabby, Liam, and I direct the lava that escapes down the mountain, it will be trapped in the crater and cool quickly.”

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