Kind of a chilling thought, isn’t it? One day, I’m sure we’ll either create or discover other forms of life and when we do, you can bet our government will get involved. Could be a good thing, could be a bad thing. In Her Wild Protector, it’s a little of both. Enjoy this excerpt and thanks for joining me at Book Brew today!
Dr. Freeman looked harmless enough. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, of medium height and build. He had a pleasant but totally unexceptional face. If she’d seen him on the street, she would never guess he worked for a secret organization. Was he a Metamorph, too? He’d unpacked his bag on the dining room table and was chatting with Marshall when she came in. He shook her hand as Marshall introduced them.
“What are you going to do to me, Dr. Freeman?” Tara peered at the paraphernalia spread across the table.
“Call me Ned.”
“What can I get you to drink?” Marshall asked her.
“It depends. Do you have sharp needles or electroshock planned?”
“No, no, I just want to run a few preliminary tests today. I don’t have my instruments here to do a complete panel,” Ned said. “Have a seat.”
His calm demeanor put Tara at ease.
“Then I’ll have water,” Tara said. Marshall brought them all glasses then went back to his laptop on the kitchen counter.
“Tell me what happened to you, Tara,” Dr. Freeman said, pushing her bangs out of the way and lightly palpating the bump on her forehead.
Tara related the story of adjusting the volume on her television set, feeling an electrical shock, then falling and hitting her head.
“Why were you in such a hurry to adjust the volume?” he asked as he shone a light in her eyes and ears. “Why didn’t you just turn off the television and wait until you had batteries?”
A blush rose to her cheeks. “The neighbors were making noise. I wanted to drown it out.”
“Noise? What kind of noise?” he asked, pressing a stethoscope to her chest. “Cough, please.”
She did. “Just”¦noise.” She sneaked a glance at Marshall. He looked up from his laptop, amusement shining in his eyes and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Damn, he was hot when he smiled. That half grin stirred her heart. She couldn’t imagine what a full-on burst of pleasantness from him would do to her. He’d shown her moments of kindness and she’d even seen a spark of humor. A fun-loving guy lurked inside him, buried somewhere behind his walls, she was certain.
Ned moved a piece of equipment closer to her and attached electrodes to her temples and her wrists.
“I suppose you know it’s a bad idea to use a screwdriver on an electrical appliance when it’s plugged in.” He turned on the machine, and Tara leaned over to look at the screen.
“Just relax. We’re almost done.”
Tara sighed. Despite the stress of the day, she did feel reasonably relaxed. The sliding glass doors in the living room were open, letting in the ocean air. The sound of the waves lapping at the shore in a rhythmic pattern calmed her nerves better than any tranquilizer.
Marshall came from the kitchen area and stood behind her. She could feel his body heat on her skin, almost as though he’d caressed her.
“What would you like for dinner?” he asked.
“Are you cooking?”
“No, Emma and Craig Henderson, our caretakers, do that. We don’t have an unlimited menu, but we’ll try to find something you like.”
“Hmm, your body temperature is rising. Are you feeling all right?” Ned asked.
Tara bit her lip, and sneaked another glance at Marshall, his mouth once again twisted in a grin of amusement. He moved back to his spot at the counter.
“There, that’s more like it. It must have just been a random spike. You’re too young for hot flashes.”
“So what is going on with me?” she asked as he peeled off the pads.
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Naomi Bellina
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