sense dwelling on it. “Anyway, where are we hiding? Is this a cave?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
“In a way. It’s a hollow in the side of a tree—down at the base. Nothing in here is poisonous but I’m afraid before we get going again, I’ll have to sting you to give you some immunity to the plants we’re going to be walking through.”
“You really have to?” Penny asked. She had a vague memory of something intensely painful that had to do with his sting, and though it might just be a dream, it still made her uneasy.
“I’ll try to make it good for you.” V’rex’s deep voice sounded unhappy. “I’m not sure what the problem was before. Maybe something to do with the plants you were exposed to. Could be their poisons reacted with my lust-honey somehow.”
“Okay.” Penny nodded. “Uh, do we have to go right now? And are we heading for the NeverBreeders’ launching pad?”
“That’s where we’re headed,” V’rex confirmed. “But not yet—it’s the middle of the night. I don’t know how many animals can survive in this kind of poisonous environment, but it stands to reason there have to be some and this is when the predators will be out. The safest time to get moving is probably at dawn.”
“All right.” Penny sighed and shifted on the spongy stuff she was sitting on, which seemed to be moss. “I guess I’ll try to get some more sleep then. I still ache all over.”
“Probably aftereffects of the poison,” V’rex told her. “Go on back to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll keep watch.”
“Okay.” Penny sighed and snuggled down in the darkness but the moss she was lying on felt damp and cold. She was grateful it wasn’t poisonous, but it was still pretty uncomfortable. She shivered convulsively and put her arms around herself.
“Problems?” V’rex asked in the darkness.
“I’m just so cold.” Penny shivered again. She wished she could ask the big Hybrid to put his arms around her and keep her warm, but she felt shy about asking.
There’s no Spice in the air here, a little voice in her head reminded her. Whatever attraction he had to you is probably going to dissipate pretty soon…if it’s not already gone.
Turning over on her other side, she tried again to get comfortable, wrapping her arms around herself and pulling her knees up to her chin.
“C’mere, sweetheart.” V’rex’s voice was a low rumble in her ear and then she was being pulled up close to his big body, so that his broad chest was pressed against her back.
“Thanks.” Gratefully, she snuggled against him. Maybe the Spice wasn’t completely out of his system yet or maybe he was just being nice but either way, it felt good to be close to him again. His big body put out heat like a furnace and despite a desperate day of running through the jungle, he smelled wonderful.
“Welcome,” he rumbled. “Better now, little girl?”
“Better,” Penny whispered and her eyes at last drifted closed as sleep took her.
Eighty
Penny awoke to a big hand shaking her and a voice murmuring in her ear that it was time to get up.
“Huh? What?” At first Penny thought they were still in the Compound and she was going to be late to her job in the bakery. Then she remembered the events of the day before and woke up more fully.
It was lighter in their little cave now—a gray, pre-dawn radiance filtered in through the tall grasses that blocked the entrance. And she didn’t ache so much either, though she was still pretty stiff.
Probably all that exertion you did yesterday, whispered a snarky little voice in her head. I wonder how many calories you burn chopping off a guy’s dick, huh? Bet there’s no listing for that on your Calorie Tracker app!
Penny pushed the thought away and sat up, looking around.
“Is there anything to drink?” Her mouth felt terribly dry.
“Afraid not, sweetheart,” V’rex said apologetically. “If we can find some water, I can purify it for you with my lust-honey, but there’s none around here—at least none that I can find.”
“Okay.” She sighed. “I guess the best thing we can do is get to the NeverBreeders’ launching pad and steal a ship as soon as possible, huh?”
“Got it in one.” The big Hybrid nodded. “And since we don’t know how far that is, we’d better get going.” He hesitated for a moment, staring at her intently. “You, uh, ready to let me sting you again?”
“I guess so.” Though she felt a