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How could she calmly defend her actions when everything within her wanted to
scream that it was none of their damn business who she fucked? They would forbid her
to interact with Grayson on any level at minimum, transfer her or dishonorably
discharge her at worst.
And that was only their likely reaction to her touching him. If they had proof of
what transpired in the cabin, the consequences would be much worse.
Taking a moment to calm her expression and check her uniform, she opened the
door to the common hallway and headed for the administrative wing. Each apartment
in the complex was identical, small and functional. Opposite the door she had used was
a door leading directly outside, allowing occupants to come and go with the feeling of
privacy. Continual surveillance and well-placed guards rendered true privacy nearly
nonexistent.
Sasha was ushered into the general s office as soon as she arrived. Not a good
sign at all. Hidaka blanked his comm screen and motioned toward the chair in front of
his desk. At ease, Major. Have a seat.
At ease? Was he kidding? Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she lowered
herself into the chair.
Were you and Corporal Rushdie the only members of your team to have direct
contact with the injured leopard?
Aubrey Ross Untamed Hunger 49
Yes, sir. The response sent an unexpected tingle down her spine. The last time
she d spoken those words she d been chained to Grayson s bed.
Darman wants to check everyone for some bizarre virus. Thinks it might be
responsible for the rise in violent outbursts. He leaned back in his chair and smiled.
You re not feeling violent are you, Major?
No, sir, just frustrated by our lack of progress. Maybe the director s discovery
will be the break we ve been waiting for.
We can always hope.
Do I need to notify Corporal Rushdie?
The general shook his head. He s already there.
Will that be all?
That s up to Darman. You re off the roster until he clears you. Dismissed. She
made it to the door before he stopped her. Sasha, if I find out you went off solo again,
I ll kick your ass myself. I know the cats trust you, but that relationship won t help
anyone if you re dead.
Yes, sir.
Did you learn anything useful?
Not yet.
Keep me in the loop.
Of course, sir. She closed the door to his office weak with relief. She d dodged
a bullet. Hell, she d dodged a barrage of bullets and lived to tell the tale.
Sasha s hands were still shaking when she arrived at the medical complex.
Adrenaline was a pain in the ass when it wasn t really needed.
The medical complex was located on the far side of the military compound so
morphs were able to slip in and out of the infirmary with minimal contact with their
keepers. Sasha had always hated the label, but now it felt even more offensive. She
didn t want to be a keeper, a repressor, a soldier so blinded by duty she was no longer
able to think for herself.
Aubrey Ross Untamed Hunger 50
Slipping off her helmet, she tucked it under her arm and entered the medical
complex. Her nose wrinkled at the antiseptic smell as she hurried toward Darman s
office. It was empty and she smiled. She didn t know why she d bothered. Darman
lived in the laboratory when he wasn t overseeing the medical staff. He was never in his
office.
She found him in the lab, studying a complex diagram of something she didn t
recognize. Dressed in the dark blue uniform worn by medical personnel, he looked
remarkably hale and hearty for someone in his eighties. His hair was snow white and
all the styling in the world couldn t tame its determination to curl. With bright blue
eyes and a well-trimmed goatee, he had always struck her as a little bit rakish. She
tapped on the doorframe, drawing his attention.
Ah, Major Young, he greeted and deactivated the diagram, let s go to exam
room three and I ll explain what s going on.
Is Eric still here? What about the trauma team? Were any of them infected?
He chuckled at her impatience and motioned her along. You re in no imminent
danger. I just want to make sure this doesn t spread.
Accepting the explanation until she had more information, she hurried along at
his side.
Exam room three was at the end of a short hall, oddly removed from the hub of
activity. Was the possibility of contagion more serious than he was letting on?
She didn t have time to analyze the clues any further. Darman opened the door
and stepped into the room after her. The director closed and locked the door, making
Sasha feel decidedly uncomfortable.
I m sorry for the deception, but we could think of no other way to free up your
schedule for the next few days.
Who the fuck is we and why does my schedule need to be free?
Such language. Grayson stepped out from behind the dressing screen and
grinned at her.
Aubrey Ross Untamed Hunger 51
What the hell is going on? Why would Director Darman help Grayson? She
wasn t even sure what Grayson was trying to do. Had all this been set in motion so he
could see her again? That seemed unlikely. Is there even a virus?
No, but it s vital that everyone else believe there is, Grayson said.
I would like to examine you and run some tests, but it has nothing to do with a
rogue virus, Darman explained.
What does it have to do with, and why is he here? She motioned toward
Grayson, unsure how to deal with his presence. She was thrilled to see him, had nearly
thrown herself into his arms when he stepped out from behind the screen. But if their
indiscretion was still a secret, she had no intention of blowing it now.
Darman smiled, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. Grayson is my grandson
and his happiness means more to me than anything.
Her jaw dropped. She couldn t help it. Did Hidaka know about this? Shame
washed over her in the wake of her astonishment. Why had the general been her first
concern? That was so disloyal to Grayson.
It s not some deep, dark secret, Darman assured her with an enigmatic smile.
We don t go out of our way to make sure everyone knows, but we ve never denied the
connection.
All right, even if you are his grandfather, why am I really here?
You ve triggered& a biological instinct in Grayson that he shouldn t be feeling
for a human.
Mating fever? She looked at Grayson directly. Is that what happened last
night? Why you sent me away so suddenly?
To fully understand this, you re going to need a crash course in morph
biology, Darman said. Hop up on the table so I can check your vital signs.
Grayson sank into one of the two chairs as she slipped off her rifle s harness. She
handed the weapon to him along with her helmet and sat on the edge of the exam table.
A screen inset in the wall behind her activated automatically, displaying her vital signs
for the director.
Aubrey Ross Untamed Hunger 52
Humans are taught that having sex with a morph is dangerous, that their semen
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