The Marine's Queen Read Online Free PDF Page A

on her haunches. The other smaller boarks piled into her, creating a large, hairy heap of the bear-like creatures.
    “ Fash-cursed beasts,” Vin muttered. He swatted the lead female across the head. “Get up.”
    “ Spirit Father, protect us,” Grace prayed, wrapping her arms tight around Glory.
    “ What are they?” Callie stood behind Joe, breathing on his neck.
    Joe stepped away, turning to make sure everyone had reached the plateau. Night would descend in less than an hour.
    Acacia gaped at the stunned boarks. “They’re magnificent.”
    Roz bent to check on the child. The little girl moved out of her mother’s embrace and flung her thin arms around the marine. Roz hugged her back! He actually touched Glory for no reason!
    Vin broke into Joe’s shocked confusion. “Sir, we need to make camp.”
    Grateful to the distraction from the unbelievable sight, Joe started giving orders. “Roz, start digging. Vin, secure the boarks. Tar, feed the women.”
    Joe joined Roz preparing the bed pits. If they had more time they could have used the shelter of the rocks to set up a real camp before the temperature dropped. Yalo took up Vin’s shovel and joined them in digging. She glared at Joe and dared him to protest. He didn’t dare.
    The women and children used some of the pool water to bath. The sun had warmed it, but in the morning it would have a layer of ice.
    “ I thought we should use the same sleeping arrangements as last night,” Callie said as she walked over to him.
    Joe gave a short nod of agreement, resisting the urge to salute but earning a frown from her anyway. Didn’t she want his agreement?
    He and Tar checked the boarks one last time, making sure they’d calmed down. Then they joined Roz and Vin at the pool. They washed out their clothing and spread it on the hot rocks. The material would dry in minutes. They used sand to scrub off the grime of four days in the desert and rinsed with handfuls of the precious water.
    The warm liquid did nothing to cool off Joe’s body. The night stretched long in front of him. “Roz?”
    “ Yes, sir?”
    They slowly pulled their clothing back on, the scent of sun-heated fabric pleasant and familiar. “Why did you touch the little girl like that?”
    “ It comforted her.” Roz shrugged his shoulders and avoided Joe’s gaze. He stared at the ties on his pants as if it took all his concentration to fasten them.
    “ What did it feel like?” Vin asked after a moment of silence.
    Roz finally looked at them. “It made me feel … warm … not like with a woman … but all satisfied like I’d … I can’t say exactly.”
    “ Remember these are civilians,” Joe warned them. “They’re under our protection. We should not think of them in any other way.”
    “ Sorry, sir.” Roz snapped a salute.
    Joe helped Vin cover up Tar and Acacia. The round, little scientist began quizzing the marine about the boarks before Tar even sealed the sack. Roz sealed his bed as they approached but not before Joe saw the child wrap her arms around the marine’s neck. Joe sighed and threw sand on top of the sack.
    “ Your turn, sir,” Vin said.
    Joe slipped into his bed, sealing it against the sand and cold. Callie squirmed to make room for him, and his body noticed.
    How was he to reprimand Roz when his thoughts wandered to things more dangerous than comforting a child?
    * * * *
    “ We’ll spend a day here,” Joe announced as they dined on the same dried fruit as before. “The boarks need to learn your scent so they’ll carry you.”
    Callie stared at the shaggy, white beasts lounging on the far side of the pool. Their shoulders stood taller than her head. Their thick legs ended in paws as large as two dinner plates. She couldn’t forget the curved fangs the boarks had shown during their terrifying charge on the previous day. “We ride them?”
    “ Yes.” Joe walked away after giving his answer.
    “ He doesn’t bore you with details, does he?” Riba smiled and shook