Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice by Robynn Sheahan

and scooped her off the bed.
    Erynn laughed quietly as he sidestepped
through the door and into the quarters next to hers.
    He set her gently on the bed. “I will be
right back.” He disappeared into the washroom.
    She was still on the edge of the bed when he
came out wearing warm, baggy sleeping pants and turned off the
light.
    He slipped onto the bed behind her and
propped himself up on his elbow. “Light, dim,” he called softly,
and a globe above the head of the bunk glowed with a faint
radiance.
    Erynn turned her face to him. His bare chest
radiated heat, muscles bunching under his smooth skin. “I thought
you wanted to sleep.” She reached out and ran her fingers against
the silky texture of him.
    He smiled and patted the bed with the flat of
his hand. “I do.”
    She snuggled in next to him, still wrapped in
the blanket, her head rested on her hand, elbow bent. She frowned.
“Do you want…” She bit her lower lip. “I mean…don’t you—”
    He put a finger against her lips, tracing
their outline. “When the time is right, we will both know.” He
rolled to his back, reached a powerful arm around her, and pulled
her against him. “Light, out.” The room went dark. “There is no
hurry, Erynn. I do desire you, very much. I want to have that
special bond between us, but I can wait.” He chuckled. “As I told
Cale once, my experience with women before you never included love.
I want you to understand that what we have is…true. The real
thing.” His breathing became soft and slow.
    A peaceful sleep surrounded them—his, and
hers. Erynn floated in Jaer’s arms, and he was safely wrapped in
hers. Breathing in time with him, their heartbeats were in harmony,
as one. His heat was hers and her warmth his. Their two souls
combined, joined. Where one stopped and the other began was
impossible to determine.
     
     
    Erynn sat up, pulling out of Jaer’s sleeping
embrace, and screamed, “Noooo!” She leapt out of bed, tripped over
the desk chair, and hit the wall next to the door with a crash.
    Jaer was there, catching her as she rebounded
off the hard stone surface. She slid to the floor cradled in his
arms. His voice shook. “Erynn, what is wrong? Lights!” he
shouted.
    His face swam out of focus. The salty,
coppery taste of blood contacted her tongue. She frowned, trying to
force clarity. Concentrate ! her mind shrieked.
    There was something. Something important.
I need to remember. To warn Jaer .
    The fog in her brain cleared, and she
struggled to stand. “It’s happening again. An attack. The Shifter
is back.”
    Jaer picked her up and laid her on the bunk.
“Stay down. You are injured.”
    She sat up and wiped at her nose. Blood
covered the tips of her fingers. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
    Jaer pushed on her forehead, forcing her back
down. He tapped his computer. “Contact all teams. Sweep the
tunnels. Check for intruders.” He rushed to the washroom and
returned, slipping into his tunic. Jaer held a moist cloth in one
hand. He pressed the cool compress to Erynn’s nose and lip.
    She took the cloth, held it tight to staunch
the bleeding, and sat up again, tucking her legs under her.
    “Do you know where?” Pulling pants over his
sleepwear, Jaer reached for boots.
    “There are large crates stacked along one
wall.” She squeezed her eyes shut, took in a deep breath, let it
out slowly, and stared up at Jaer. “Not in the tunnels. It’s the
back of the transport bay.”
    Jaer stepped to the computer and tapped.
“Aven, take a team to the transport bay. I will meet you
there.”
    Erynn climbed off the bed still holding the
bloody cloth tight to her lip. The stone floor was cold under her
bare feet. “I’ll get dressed, go with you.”
    Jaer spun to her. “You are staying here.” He
took her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. He guided her
back to the bed, helping her to sit. “Maybe Zach should take you to
the Medical Unit.” He was out the door and gone before she