Kicking Ashe Read Online Free PDF

soft sound of her breathing, the pump of her heart. His turn to reverse the grip. His fingers closed around her wrist once more, his fingers long enough to easily circle it. Her skin felt no different than theirs, except that it was soft like his mother’s. And it did not affect him like a mother. If he looked away, he could believe she was like them. Not that he could look away.
    The strange green of her irises, the flecks of gold that seemed to shift and pulse puzzled him—the pupils widened, masking all but a rim of green and gold. Her pulse kicked against his fingers, the curve fading from her lips, leaving a half pout behind. Her scent and his cycled between them, as if wrapping them in a—
    Eamon coughed once and then again, louder the second time. Shan dropped her wrist as if burned, stepping away from her alien enticement. She almost looked hurt and then her lashes slid down. When they lifted her gaze was cool, a bit wary. He had a sense she’d retreated further than his step back. She turned away, directing a false smile at Cadir and Eamon.
    “So, tell me about these Zelk things. You said they’re reptilian? Do they have four legs or what?”
    Both seemed eager to give her information, though they looked to him first for permission as they resumed their hike toward the camp.
    “They have the form of humans—”
    “They are bipedal,” Eamon put in.
    “—but their skin appears to be thick and scaly, like a reptile.”
    “Appears?”
    “They self destruct rather than allow themselves to be captured and studied,” Eamon said.
    “They fight fiercely.” Cadir had good reason to assert this, as he’d barely escaped his last contact with them.
    “That’s not a shock,” Ashe said. “Survival is a huge motivator.”
    It was not the only motivator, though the knowledge that the Zelk were chameleons was a closely guarded secret. Shan knew because he was one of few who had engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a Zelk patrol and lived to talk about it. The Authority had decided to suppress the information to prevent the populace from panicking. Shan did not agree, but he knew better than to do so openly.
    “Are you—” Cadir stopped, flushing.
    “Am I—” She prompted with a slight smile.
    “Really Garradian?” His flush deepened.
    She stopped and held her wrist out his direction. Cadir jerked back, almost losing his balance.
    Ashe half stepped forward to steady him. Shan grabbed her arm and jerked her back.
    “It is forbidden for him to touch you.”
    “And I’m supposed to know that how?” She turned from Shan. “I’m so sorry, Cadir.”
    He looked shaken, but managed a grin.
    She rounded on Shan. “Would you really have killed him when it wasn’t his fault?”
    “How did you know—”
    “I have eyes, even if my nose isn’t three parts bloodhound.”
    “It is our law.”
    She seemed about to say something, but stopped. “Why can you touch me and not die?”
    He hesitated, but could see no reason not to admit, “I took responsibility for you.”
    “He is your protector,” Eamon added.
    Her gaze turned assessing, flicking up, then down his length. “My hero.”
    He knew, he did not know how, that this was a question, though she did not phrase it as one. “While you are on this planet, in our camp, you are under my protection.” He could not promise more than this.
    “I see.” Her voice chilled, her gaze, too. “I would imagine your people would be quite excited at the chance to…study a real, live alien. Be quite a coup for you.”
    Anger flared, sharp and hot. He clenched his teeth on a denial.
    “He would not!” Cadir sounded shocked.
    “He would not follow his orders?” Her cool tone contrasted with the heat of her gaze boring into his.
    That silenced Cadir. Eamon shifted with unease.
    “I hope they’ll sedate before vivisection.”
    His hand curled into fists.
    “But perhaps, they’ll want to see how I deal with pain.” She spoke as if it were someone else under