Free Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt Page A

For Earth’s sake, you left poor Shen behind.”
    He winced. “I expect he’ll be safe.”
    “He has a mate and a child, doesn’t he?”
    “Yes, for their sake, I made a choice. If the FFP thinks he’s only an employee they’ll leave him alone.”
    “Then who is he?”
    Bramford gave her a hard look then stared out the window. He seemed more upset about Shen’s future than his own. Or more likely, he’d lost some secret advantage by leaving his aide behind. Bramford couldn’t fool her; he was simply a more powerful, and yes, even exciting, version of the selfish man Eden loathed.
    “Well, I’m grateful you saved us,” her father said.
    Eden glared at him. Didn’t he understand why Bramford had taken them along? He didn’t care about them any more than he cared for Shen. If he hoped to restore his human form, he desperately needed her father’s help.
    But what if her father failed? Then what would the wild beast do to them?

 
    E DEN GRIPPED the armrests of her seat as Bramford’s fleeing aircraft zigzagged through the air. A pursuing military aircraft shot laser fire at them, nipping at their heels. The blinding white flashes and blazing firestorm lit the dark night. Bramford’s vehicle lacked firepower but was nimble and fast.
    Beside Eden, her father squeezed her hand. To comfort her, she supposed. She caught him grimacing, a hand clamped over his leg. Fresh blood oozed onto the white coat.
    For the first time in her life, she wished there was a God. But that idea had disappeared in The Meltdown.
    Bramford sat across from her, his powerful body dominating the small space like a mountain cramped in a cave. Holo-Images played in the small cabin, showing the deadly battle in progress. He studied them as he issued a steady stream of orders to the pilot.
    “One o’clock, now three o’clock,” he said in a firm, raspy voice.
    Once more, the strange mix of contradictions in him puzzled Eden. His cat-like features pulsed with energy, like a jaguar stalking its prey. And yet, unmistakable human intelligence burned in the icy green eyes.
    A laser blast crackled against a window and sent the vehicle into a sickening slip. Eden let out a shrill scream.
    “Quiet,” Bramford said, flicking his gaze at her.
    In the split second his attention had turned, a second, more powerful blast hit them. The aircraft lurched out of control, spinning in a downward spiral.
    Blessed Mother Earth
.
    “Six o’clock!” Bramford said.
    They continued to corkscrew down towards the inferno and their probable death. Had Bramford lost his mind, after all? Eden wondered. Her stomach climbed up into her throat and she fought the urge to scream again. Must not distract him, she thought, followed by the startling realization that her life was in his beastly hands.
    For as long as Eden could remember death had lingered in the shadows. Now that it knocked on her door, she realized, what a waste. She’d barely lived.
    Bramford’s thunderous voice shook the small cabin as the burning earth drew near. “Twelve o’clock, now!”
    Their sharp reversal sent them flying past the enemy fighter. A loud explosion followed as it shot into the flames.
    Eden collapsed, trembling.
My dear, your oxy level is near depletion. You need immediate help
. For once
they
were so right.
    “We’re clear,” Bramford said, never betraying any emotion.
    “For Earth’s sake, you could have killed us!” she said.
    “Be calm, Daught,” her father said.
    Bramford leveled his steely gaze at her. “Give me his lab coat.”
    Eden hesitated, uncomprehending.
    He dipped his head towards her father’s leg. “A tourniquet.”
    “Oh.”
    Again, this mysterious creature was one step ahead of her and her father. Was he a man trapped inside a beastly form, or a beast with a human mind? Eden suspected even he might not know the answer.
    She gingerly slipped the coat off of her father. Bramford snatched it from her with an impatient huff. He used sharp teeth—teeth