Taming a Healer: 3 (Galactic Lust) Read Online Free PDF Page B

until they arrive?” she finally asked.
    “Not too long, I’m sure.”
    A sudden change in her posture caused him to become acutely
aware of every small gesture she worked to hide. Anxiety hastened her breath
and made her fingers tremble. Her eyes widened, pupils dilated and chin
trembled slightly.
    “What’s troubling you, healer?”
    “Nothing.”
    “I know differently. I’ve had years of practice reading
behavior since you last tried to hide something from me.”
     
    Sadie wanted to scream. The single thread holding her
together had been pulled so tight, she’d soon snap. With most of her people
dead, she sat between two hunters and would probably need to remain with them
for days.
    A noise from the mouth of the cave drew their attention. She
dropped the bowl, ran over to a large rock and dove behind it to retrieve a
sword. No sooner did she have it in her hand when she saw a streak of black
dart toward the opening. Both she and Nolan reacted quickly and quietly. Still,
Gabriel should’ve woken. He hadn’t. He lay unmoving beneath layers of blankets
next to the fire.
    She ran to take a defensive spot between him and the only
entrance to their temporary sanctuary. Drawing the heavy blade over her
shoulder, she poised herself for battle. Just because she hated Gabriel, didn’t
mean she’d allow a malicitor to rip him to shreds. Could the beasts have
grown tolerant to the heat?
    Her muscles knotted as she waited. A slight breeze rustled
the hair next to her ear before a warm hand slid over her mouth.
    “Be calm,” Gabriel whispered so quietly it took her a moment
to understand his words.
    He pulled the heavy sword from her hands, released her and
stepped in front of her. With his body as a barrier, she felt the sudden lack
of heat from the fire. A shudder swept over her and in that instant, she
focused on Gabriel’s naked back. Dearest Ayasha! What’d happened to the man? Black, blue and yellow streaked his skin as well as angry, red swollen spots.
    The strain of muscles in his back and arms suddenly relaxed
as the tip of the sword sank into the sand by his foot. He leaned heavily
against the weapon as Nolan sauntered close with something in his hand. Gabriel
turned to face her as Nolan held out a dark morsel of fur. “Perhaps you’ll
share your spilled meal with him.”
    She accepted the freezing wolfen pup and cuddled him close.
He nuzzled and whimpered until he slipped between the flaps of her dress. He
squirmed for a minute before settling directly above where her heart quickly
beat. “Do you think his matron searches for him?”
    Nolan glanced at Gabriel before saying, “There’s movement
beyond the cave. I’ll watch for a while to see if something doesn’t venture out
into the eve light.” He focused on her and his expression softened. “He’s
orphaned and has been for some time. No wolfen matron will charge in here to
reclaim her pup.”
    As he strode away, she said quietly, “I wasn’t concerned for
my safety.” She merely didn’t want the matron of the pup to worry about her
young.
    “Obviously not,” Gabriel said. His voice rumbled in a deep
monotone. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. The downturn of his
lips resembled a frown. She knew she’d displeased him.
    He’d grown taller or gained mass since she’d last stood
beside him. She contemplated stepping back. That’d been her thought until she
visually scanned him again. He’d received grave injuries yet roused himself to
come to her defense.
    “Why didn’t you wake me?” The stern tone allowed her to
understand he’d issued a reprimand.
    “It hadn’t occurred to me.”
    With the dance of flames a few feet beyond, she couldn’t
maintain eye contact. The eerie glow of his silver irises made him appear
similar to some creature, not a man.
    Silence stretched as she tried to ignore his scrutiny.
Whenever she’d been in his presence, he’d displayed nothing less than a
persistent fascination while intently