Dawn Endeavor 1: Fallon's Flame by Marie Harte (book recommendations website TXT) 📕

wasn't yet totally comfortable without clothes on, but the others tried to make her feel less awkward. For the most part, they didn't look at her.

She experienced twinges of self-awareness when she'd catch one of the men staring at her naked form, but otherwise the group moved through the jungle without incident.

The wildness inside Olivia thrived in the hot, humid atmosphere. No laws, no people. Just animals, plants, and her pack.

“Not pack, teammates,” she muttered, trying to find a way to keep that burgeoning, other awareness, from penetrating.

“What's that?” Jesse asked. He loped right next to her and hugged her to him, bringing with him that delicious scent that turned her on like a switch. They slowed, and she huddled into the security of his larger frame. He made her feel so safe, so protected and cared for.

Almost…loved.

God, if this kept up, she'd convince herself it really was love. Nothing like danger to increase the air of intimacy between them. Even knowing the warmth Jesse continually projected toward her couldn't be real, she snuggled closer.

Jules growled, “Not now, you two. We have some distance to close. About a day's worth.

Good work getting Gatito to open up to you, Olivia.”

How Jules knew north when surrounded by huge-ass trees and green as far as the eye could see, Olivia had no idea. But she had no problems following his direction. He radiated leadership and surety. They might as well have been walking through hell; she'd wade through the flames if he said so.

His approval soothed her because it made Jesse happy. Except the need to make Jesse happy should have irked her.

To add to her emotional dilemma concerning the man, his smothering overprotectiveness didn't feel all that bad anymore. Neither did his desire to see to her every need. Man, I could so get used to this.

He kissed her before putting some space between them, not bothering to hide his thick erection. His excitement made her feel both better and worse.

She sensed his feelings, and she knew that Jesse liked seeing her in this stronger form. Her perceived power eased his anxiety.

Unfortunately hers grew.

Olivia felt more than powerful; she felt deadly. That small voice ever growing inside her could and would kill if pressed. She had no doubt that her new instinctive needs would soon triumph over rational thought. And the imagined loss of control bothered the hell out of her.

What if while stroking Jesse's cheek during a passionate encounter, she accidentally clawed his face? What if she hurt one of her friends while trying to help them? And what if, when encountering the enemy, she killed someone?

It was all well and good to wish the enemy gone, but to take a life? This wasn't a game, and Olivia was way out of her league.

I'm an intelligence instructor, a linguist at best, but not a Special Forces expert! Oh wait.

That's right. I'm not even that anymore. Now I'm Circ. The pleasure at that thought further unnerved her, because it was, and it wasn't, her own.

The animalistic sentience inside her continued to grow. Her beast didn't like being ignored, especially when she felt as if she belonged out here, her presence clearly visible for the entire world to see.

She stroked her large forearms, bemused at the golden brown flesh there. And so tough.

Olivia dragged a sharp, one-inch nail, as strong as steel, down her skin, expecting to see blood.

Instead her skin deflected the piercing. Upon closer inspection, she swore she saw subtle lines like tiny scales fitted together to make a strong, armored suit of skin.

“It gets easier the more you wear it,” Gunnar rasped right next to her, and she jumped.

For such a large male, he moved with astonishing silence.

So close, his scent overwhelmed her. Familiar, but not…right. She instinctively opened her mouth and tasted him on the air. A hint of cedar, but not the mint she wanted. Stepping away from him, she followed in Jesse's footsteps.

Gunnar chuckled. “Fallon, man, she's into you, big-time.” She turned to glare at the hulking Circ.

“Easy, princess. I just think it's funny the way you keep trying to stay away from him. But you can't help yourself. Circ genes, baby. They trump everything human about you.”

“Whatever.” She licked a large fang, wondering how funny he'd think her if she bit him.

As if he could read her mind, he took a step back and said to Kisho, “Damn, I think she's just as mean as Fallon. Talk about a perfect pair.”

Kisho didn't respond, frozen in place.

Everyone stopped.

“What—” she started.

Jules shook his head. “Hayashi?”

“They're scattering like mice. Everyone's gone. All is lost, except for one box he forgot.

One small cardboard box containing tomorrow's answers.” Kisho's hollow voice and blank expression unnerved her. Her beast didn't like it, and she would have moved away from him if Jesse hadn't latched onto her arms and held her fast.

“Easy. He's seeing what we need to know,” he murmured.

“There's one vial they left behind, though. Not the box, what Dr. Nunes invented to destroy London's new project. He's afraid Montaña will kill him and his daughter if he refuses to help the big boss. But I can't”—Kisho cocked his head, as if trying to hear more—“I can't understand.

The language barrier won't give. Not this time.”

Not this time?

“Gunshots. The girl. Blood all over her silky black hair. Such a waste, now Nunes won't cooperate. Have to kill him too…” He choked on a cry and stopped speaking, his breathing loud in the sudden silence.

Olivia could only imagine what he'd seen.

Kisho blinked, and life returned to his face. “What happened?” Jules grimaced. “We need to find that lab. Double-time now.” Kisho's expression darkened, and Olivia felt his regret as memory of his foresight slowly returned. “Right.”

The group took off running. The beast within Olivia roared to life. Her questions would have to keep, because she started losing herself in the physical exertions her beast demanded.

She ran through the jungle, through twilight, midnight, and into the dawn, and finally