Soul of Eon (Eon Warriors #8) - Anna Hackett Page 0,8
she did it. She just felt warmth in her belly, and the need to be connected to him. She cupped his face, leaned forward, and pressed her mouth to his.
He made a deep, raw sound, his arm snaking around her.
Her lips parted, and his tongue slid against hers.
Oh, boy. She kissed him deeper and moaned into his mouth.
He dragged her into his lap and she straddled him. He tasted like heaven.
She slid her hands into his thick, gray-streaked hair. It felt like silk. More. In Thane’s arms, she was just a woman who needed a man.
He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her deeply. A hot, possessive caress.
Then suddenly, he lifted his head and broke the kiss.
Kaira sucked in air, fighting to get her brain firing.
“We’re descending,” he said.
Oh, shit. She’d been so lost in him that she hadn’t even noticed.
Where the hell were they?
“Be ready for anything,” he said.
She nodded. Time to get her unruly hormones under control.
The shuttle landed, and Thane pulled her up to stand.
It wasn’t long before the door to their cell opened. Two soldiers stood in the doorway.
One prodded her and Thane out the door.
With one Kantos in front of them, and one behind, they were shuffled through a short corridor and toward the back of the shuttle. A large door was open.
They were shoved outside.
Kaira blinked at the bright light. Two huge suns—one yellow and one red—dominated the sky.
Thane stayed close to her.
Ahead of them lay a deep valley. The ground was rocky—a dark, black rock with a silver shine to it. In the distance, dramatic, spiky slabs of rock cut into the sky.
They stood on a flat area where the Kantos shuttle had landed. There was no vegetation, but in the distance, she saw pockets of thick, jungle-like greenery.
What was this planet?
An elite stood with a group of other soldiers, and turned to face them.
Welcome to Crolla.
The name didn’t mean anything to her. Thane’s face didn’t change, so it seemed he didn’t know of it either.
This is a Kantos proving planet. You’re deep in Kantos space.
Her belly tightened.
The elite’s eyes glowed. This is where we train our young soldiers.
Okay, that didn’t sound great.
If our juveniles survive Crolla, they are assigned to battlecruisers.
Survive. Kaira glanced at the terrain. What horrors were hiding out there?
It was decided that instead of executing you, we would give our juveniles a chance to hone their skills hunting an Eon warrior and a Terran.
Kaira pressed her lips together. Great. They got to be prey for baby Kantos.
I do not believe you will survive, Terran and Eon. If the juveniles don’t kill you, the wildlife will. I will grant you a few small things. The elite nodded.
A solider shoved a small water bottle at Kaira.
It will only prolong your suffering.
Then several soldiers surrounded them, eyes glowing. One moved forward and quickly slapped the antidote on Thane’s helian band.
I wouldn’t want to make your death too quick.
With that, the elite flowed back toward the shuttle.
Asshole. Kaira glared.
A soldier prodded them. She jerked, ready to attack, but Thane grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
Somewhere in the distance, a creature roared.
She tensed.
“Let’s go,” Thane said.
She followed him and they broke into a run.
Now it was a race for survival.
“So, this is just one big planet filled with things that want to kill you,” Kaira said.
Thane turned his head. “I’m guessing that’s an accurate summary.”
They were jogging down a rocky slope. He’d shortened his stride a little, but despite her small size, Kaira was easily keeping pace with him.
“It reminds me of our Hunter planets,” he said.
“I’ve read about those. Synthetic planets where you Eon warriors go to kill a bunch of genetically engineered creatures.”
“Where we go to test our skills.”
She snorted. “Sure. Doesn’t matter what planet males are from, the desire to fight lives on.”
His lips twitched. “Hunter planets also change biomes. The landscape changes every few hours.”
Kaira groaned. “I hope to hell this planet doesn’t do the same.”
“As far as I know, the Kantos don’t have that technology.”
They both scanned the inhospitable terrain.
“No, but they can breed nasty things,” Kaira said.
He could see more pockets of vegetation dotted across the rocky landscape. Each pocket looked different—some with more jungle trees and tangled vines. Others thickets of blackened trees with bare limbs.
“We need a plan,” she said.
He admired Kaira’s straightforward approach and intelligence. He scanned the ground again.
“See that larger, rocky outcrop in the distance?” He pointed to a tall, tower-like, rock structure. The horizon was hazy in the distance,