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  Reluctantly, he turned his head to look down at her. “Yes?”

  “I…I’m sorry.” She was as pale as paper but there was a determined look in her eyes. In fact, she looked the same way she had just before she’d forced herself to kiss him.

  “Sorry for what?” Sylvan made an effort to soften his voice. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, Sophia.”

  “Yes, I do,” she said stubbornly. “I shouldn’t have…shouldn’t have jumped away like that. I don’t know why, uh, what happened but I know you were just trying to, er, comfort me.”

  The look on her beautiful face was both fearful and pleading. For some reason it made Sylvan feel as though she’d reached into his chest and was holding his heart in her soft little hand. “Sophia…” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to push back the tension headache that was pulsing in his temples. “I don’t know why it happened either. I don’t know why my fangs have suddenly come out twice in the past—”

  “Three times,” she said faintly.

  “What?” He opened his eyes and stared at her.

  “You…they came out in the sacred grove, too. When you were, um, rescuing me from that priestess.”

  Sylvan nearly groaned. This is not good. The fact that his fangs were coming out in response to his lust for her was one thing. But to know that they were also coming out when his protective instincts were aroused was something else again. I’m acting like we’re already mated and I have to protect her! What in the seven hells is wrong with me?

  “I’m sorry,” he said at last, not knowing what else to say. “I beg your forgiveness if I frightened you.”

  “It’s all right.” But the look on her face said it wasn’t. “Uh…maybe we should just get back to Earth. If…if you still don’t mind taking me?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to make some excuse and find her another pilot. Preferably one who was already happily mated and wouldn’t exude the heady pheromone-laden mist he was currently putting out like a steam bath. But he had offered to see her home and accepted Baird’s charge for her safety. A Kindred did not make idle promises—if he gave her over to someone else’s care now, he would be guilty of the worst kind of unfaithfulness. Besides, just the thought of her in close proximity to another male, even one who was mated and would have no interest in her, made Sylvan feel enraged. Mine, he thought before he could stop himself. Damn it, she’s mine!

  His fangs ached and so did his cock.

  Oh, I’m in trouble here, he thought as he concentrated on keeping his fangs from growing—Gods, it was painful to hold them back. So much trouble. But it couldn’t be helped—he would just have to take her back to Earth as quickly as possible and then try never to see her again.

  “Sylvan?” she said hesitantly and he realized she was still waiting for an answer.

  “Don’t worry,” he said heavily. “I’ll take you. But if you think you smell something good again, just ignore it. All right?”

  “What?” She frowned at him, clearly puzzled.

  “Nothing.” Sylvan shook his head, feeling slightly relieved. He had explained to her about a male Kindred’s mating scent before—back when they had spoken during Baird and Olivia’s claiming period. Either she had forgotten the conversation or she still hadn’t connected it to what had happened—or almost happened—between them in the transport tube. Of that, Sylvan was immeasurably glad. It was bad enough that his fangs were coming out with no warning—he didn’t want to have to explain why his mating scent had been activated as well. Especially since he had no explanation to give. “Let’s just get you home,” he said, planting his hand against the side of the craft. “And then I think both of us should try to forget any of this ever happened.”

  For a moment she looked hurt but then she nodded. “All right, fine with me.”

  Sylvan sighed inwardly. The tone of her voice and the grim set of her shapely lips told him he had offended her somehow. But he didn’t have the time or inclination to find out why or how. He had to get her back as quickly as possible and get away from her sweet scent and soft, curvy body.

  The smart metal the craft was made of molded to his palm and then a door appeared on the side of the shuttle. Sylvan swung open the hatch and gestured for Sophia to climb inside. When she was safely belted in, he got in himself and started the hydrogen-scoop engine. He waited until the last moment to pull the door shut, but when the oxygen grid klaxon sounded he had no choice. Sighing, he pulled it closed and the smart metal molded closed around them as the shuttle lifted into the air. Goddess help us, here we go.

  He just hoped the trip back to her home would be a short and uneventful one.

  * * * * *

  Sophie was getting more and more frustrated. First he holds me and pets my hair and acts like he actually cares—I mean, it was almost like we were having a little moment there. Not that I wanted to have a moment with him, but still it was sort of…nice. And then I look up and see his freaking fangs have gone crazy. Okay, so that was awkward, but give me a break—I was scared. Anybody would have been. He’s six and a half feet tall and built like a pro wrestler, the fangs are pretty much the icing on the cake. But still, he was acting so sweet before and now he says we should forget anything ever happened. What’s his problem, anyway?

  It wasn’t like she wanted anything to happen with the huge warrior—she and Sylvan had been at odds since the moment Olivia had been dragged against her will from their apartment to her claiming ceremony with Baird. Of course, Baird hadn’t been available during their claiming period, so Sophie had taken her anger and frustration out on Sylvan. Every time they talked, it ended badly.

  But despite their differences, the way he’d stroked her hair and held her after she was so shaken from the tube ride had been so…gentle. No one looking at his muscular frame and ice blue eyes would have guessed Sylvan had that kind of tenderness in him. And he smelled so good.

  Sophie stopped herself right there. Where are you going with this? Please tell me you’re not actually having feelings for him because how stupid would that be? After all, he’s made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t like you.

  It wasn’t that she cared for him in any kind of romantic way, she told herself. In fact, at the moment she was pretty damn pissed off at the big warrior. But there was no denying he was attractive—or would have been if it wasn’t for the scary dental daggers he was packing. Being with Sylvan was like stroking a cat and suddenly finding it had turned into a tiger in your lap. A saber tooth tiger.

  Her mind churned on and she fumed silently as the doors of the docking bay irised open and the shuttle rose out into the blackness of space. To their right she saw the gray, pocked face of the moon which the Kindred mother ship was orbiting. Far above them was what looked like a blue ball swirled with white.

  The Earth. Who would have ever guessed that I would see it from this perspective? She’d made the trip to visit Olivia before but she’d been too nervous to really relax and enjoy the scenery. This time she wasn’t a bit concerned about the flight—it was the pilot who was making her feel tense. She kept her eyes on the Earth, slowly growing closer in their viewscreen, mainly so she wouldn’t have to look at Sylvan.

  Apparently he felt that he had to make small talk to entertain her because she heard him clear his throat. “You have a lovely home world,” he said stiffly.

  “Uh, thank you.” Sophie glanced at him quickly out of the corner of her eye but he was staring straight ahead, paying attention to the complicated looking control panel. “It looks so small from here,” she said. “So…insignificant.”

  “Everyone thinks that when they first see their home world from space.” He sounded a little more calm—maybe piloting relaxed him. “The universe is so vast and you realize for the first time that your entire planet is a single grain of sand on the ocean floor.”

  “Did you think that?” Sophie looked at him more directly. “The first time you saw your home world—Tranq Prime—from a s