Free Primal Heat 4 by A. C. Arthur

the black SUVs they’d arrived in. Some parked in the garage, some on National Harbor Boulevard, and others on Waterfront Street. They were coming from all directions, taking up residence at the locations that had been outlined to them by their team leaders. X and a team of five guards headed into the resort, moving to the lower level where the IT department and all the control boards for the hotel were located. They were equipped with laptops and com links, focused on taking full control of the hotel’s power supply if need be, and intercepting any outgoing or incoming communications about tonight’s event and the sale of the hybrids.
    There were teams assigned to the roof of the resort, guards monitoring every stairwell and every bank of elevators on each floor. They blended in with the guests in the lobby, the resort restaurants, lobby bar, and penthouse club. Outside they stood at each corner, near each exit of the resort, and the parking garage. Rome had ordered full coverage and they were going to provide it.
    At six forty-five when all teams had verified their positions via com link, Rome, Nick, Eli, Ezra, Nivea, and Caprise made their way to the Potomac Ballroom. The official conference activities would begin tomorrow, but defense industry guests had already begun to assemble for this ticketed event.
    They spread out, each taking corners of the room, walking around, looking at and scenting the guests that filled the room. Most of them were either in full military regalia or fatigues. Even the foreign dignitaries wore their dress military gear so that the room seemed to be filled with pompous, overdressed, aging men who were on the hunt for the next best killing machine. The thought alone made Nivea angry. Sure, she believed in defense. Wasn’t that what she was currently doing, dressed in a business suit and heels when she’d much rather have on her guard’s uniform? But these men were specifically looking for weapons of mass destruction. That wasn’t about defense, it was about killing, period. And she couldn’t stand it.
    “I’ll be right over here,” Eli said, using the private station on the e-band they both wore.
    She tried not to frown because she knew it was taking a lot out of him to watch her go into battle. Last night he’d shared with her the dreams he’d had recently, as well as his guilt over the females in his life dying because of him. Of course she’d told him he was being silly on all accounts, but deep inside she recognized his fear. She too had carried fear for her sisters in the last few years. No matter how many times her therapist had told her that the abuse was not her fault and whatever Richard chose to do to anyone else was not her responsibility to stop. She’d felt different and so she’d done what she considered necessary to prevent that from happening. As such, she would not disregard Eli’s feelings, nor would she judge him for them.
    “I’ll be in this area,” she replied, looking over to make sure they made eye contact.
    He nodded and Nivea smiled. Eli was wearing his shades again but they didn’t bother her so much now because she knew what his eyes looked like. She’d stared into them for so long last night, when he came inside of her, when he’d roared in pleasure, and when he’d simply looked at her as if this was the first time he’d ever truly seen her. She knew the changes in color and the moods that brought it on. She cherished that knowledge, loved that he’d shared so much with her, including the fact that he’d fallen in love with her.
    That had been the best.
    The lights grew dim and Nivea instantly registered that her best memories were over. It was showtime.
    “The doors are locked,” she heard through the com link.
    It was Ezra speaking and since all the guests were seated she could see all the way across the room to where she and the other shifters had come in. He was standing near the doors. Rome was closer to the podium at the front of the