Page 45 of On a Rogue Planet
“Mal-in.” He managed to get her name out.
His human hand slipped a little under the strain, bringing those vicious canines inches from his eyes.
Mal scrambled to her feet,racing over to where Xander was wrestling the cat.
A bio-mechanical cat. It was so incredible. If they weren’t fighting for their lives, she would have liked to study it.
She rushed up and shoved her laser cutter into the cat’s side.
It let out a mechanical screech. Hot, red blood sprayed out, covering Mal. Her stomach lurched.
Ugh.She ignored the blood, twisting the laser cutter. Here, the cat seemed like a regular, living creature. She felt the laser cut through flesh and bone, and for a second, she felt intense sorrow for killing it.
Until it reared back in an attempt to protect itself. Its giant jaws snapped at her.
Mal fell back on her ass with a cry.
Xander punched out with his mechanical arm. His fist slammed hard into the cat’s head, knocking the creature off its feet.
It was clearly dazed, shaking its head. Mal scrambled back toward it.
She reached her arm into the gash she’d opened up. She was in the creature’s chest cavity. Her hand touched its pulsing heart—its metallic heart.
She cut through it with her laser.
The cat dropped to the ground like a starship with no engines.
She yanked her gore-covered arm back and sank to her knees.Safe. Stars, when she’d seen that thing trying to take Xander’s head off… The cyborg might drive her crazy but she quite liked his head where it was.
Xander moved up close behind her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
“Thank you for saving me. Again.” His breath puffed across the side of her neck.
“I’ll add it to your bill,” she said.
Leaning down, he brushed his mouth against her ear.
She stiffened. “What are?—?”
“You are a distraction, Malin. But you’re the most pleasant distraction I’ve ever experienced.”
She paused, staring straight ahead. Something inside her trembled. “Xander…”
He nipped the shell of her ear. “I’ve never been distracted by anything or anyone before. Only you.”
Her forehead dropped. “Jesus, you twist me up.”
His hands pressed to her waist for a second, then he moved back. “Let’s keep moving.”
She let him help her up. She snatched a discarded shirt off one of the couches and did the best she could to wipe the blood off her hand and arm.
Then they moved through the next doorway.
Xander came to a sudden halt, and Mal slammed into his back. Righting herself, she stepped up beside him.
Stars, no.Her mind went blank. Then fury rushed into her belly like molten fire.
