Page 93 of Wrapped in Their Arms

The shuttle’s control panel stretched across the curved console at the front of the cockpit.Thelayout was strange, but not incomprehensible.Rowsof pulsing glyphs blinked in alien script and a few analog dials and switches were mixed in with the holographic controls.Awide viewscreen ran the width of the panel—cracked slightly in the upper right corner.

In the center of the panel, bold and unapologetic, sat a single oversized red button with theTrolloxglyph for "home" carved into its surface.

Burn narrowed his eyes.

Well, hello there.

He knew what that was—ahoming return—a typical drunkard's fail-safe.Pressthe button, and no matter where you were in the universe, the shuttle would autopilot itself back to the source of the signal—in this case, this house.

Thune's lair.

It was lazy, but effective.Ifthey couldflip the signal, maybe evenjamit, they might be able to reverse-engineer the direction and fly the hell away from here instead.Orif not, he could still pilot it into space where they could call theMotherShip.

Ifthey found the key.

Burn grunted and went back to work, opening compartments, feeling along the inside edges of the seats, even pulling out the filthy rug in the cargo hold.Nothing.Nota single fucking thing.

Where the fuck do you keep your key, you triple-faced bastard?

He thought about theTrollox—big and stupid but also sly.Someonelike that probably carried the key on him.Eitherthat or he kept it close enough to protect.Inhis bedroom, maybe?Ona chain around one of his throats?

Gods, if it’s under his pillowIswearI’llslit all three of his fucking necks in his sleep and take it,Burnthought to himself.

But the main thing was, it wasn’t here.

Burn exhaled, closing the cargo bay and stepping out of the shuttle.Theair in the bay was thick with heat and stink, clinging to his skin.Sweatrolled down his spine, making his trousers stick to him uncomfortably.

They were still too tight in the crotch, rubbing every time he crouched.Thefabric didn’t stretch enough for aKindredhis size.Headjusted himself with a muttered curse.

Another fucking thing to fix.

His mind flickered back, unbidden, to the night before.Noellespread out like a goddess in heat, her soft body trembling beneath his mouth.Thetaste of her still lingered on his tongue—salt and sweetness and somethingmore, something that made everything they’d done together so much more meaningful.

He andBrighthadn’t just pleasured her—they’dhealedher.Madeher whole.

I want to do it again.

The thought came unbidden, fierce and raw.

Gods,Iwant to taste her again.Iwant to be inside her.Iwant to make her come so hard she forgets her own name!

But most of all, he wanted to share her withBright.

Burn scrubbed a hand over his face.

Stop it.Getyour fucking head on straight—you don’t have time for fantasies.

They weren’t out of danger yet—not by a long shot.Andthey wouldn’t be until they got the fuck away from here.

He looked back at the shuttle.

They were so close.Ifthey couldjustfind the key, they had a chance.Areal chance to leave this hellhole, takeNoellewith them, and get to safety.

He just had to be patient.

Burn exhaled again, slow and controlled, then turned and stalked back toward the main house.

They would find that key.Itwasn’t here, but it had to be somewhere.Theywouldn’t stop looking until they found it.