Page 127 of Riv's Sanctuary

She imagined how his hands had felt against her scalp, how he’d touched her gently by the lips...she imagined what it must feel like if he touched her in other ways...

She knew what this was. It was that human trait of wanting what you could not have.

That's what this was.

Turning, she clenched her thighs together and closed her eyes.

Her clit ached for her fingers and the longer she ignored it the more intense the need became.

Fuck.

Turning to lie on her back, Lauren stared up into the roof.

She couldn’t believe she was about to do this.

* * *

His sat phone pinged in his pocket.

What now?

Sliding the device out, he frowned at it before he realized who it was.

"Sohut?"

"Riv," his brother sounded breathless. "I phekked up badly, brother."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something I have to deal with. I don't know when I'll be coming back to the Sanctuary."

"Something like what?"

"Remember that exotic animal I’m here to catch?"

"Yes..."

"She’s not an animal."

"She?"

There was momentary silence as he waited for his brother to continue.

"She, brother. She. The same species as Larn."

“You mean La-rehn?”

"La-rehn. Yes.” Sohut’s voice lowered to almost a whisper. “Well, I helped capture one of her kind and..." his brother paused "...I phekked up, brother. I think I'm going to have to do something stupid."

Riv’s eyes narrowed.

Sohut’s definition of “stupid” was the same as that of “dangerous.”

"Explain."

"No time. I—"

The call clicked off and Riv stared at the device.