Free Lacey's Luhpynes [Beyond the Veil 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) by Honor James

think that they might have with me as well but who was the other team that he was talking about?”
    “Later,” he said under his breath steering her by the elbow toward an elevator. Getting her inside, he punched the button to take them up two floors. “Not in the building,” he murmured for her ears only. His eyes on hers he lifted them to where the camera was and then looked to her once more. “Some things can’t be spoken of in all places with all people.”
    Lacey nodded and understood immediately. “Later I will take you up on that,” she told him smoothly and exited the elevator as soon as it came to a stop. Moving swiftly toward the weapons locker, a massive room filled with weapons and protective gear, she called over her shoulder, “I will check in with medical after I have the weapons you think I will need for this little party.”
    “Damned straight you will,” he muttered on her heels. “Had I not been a little more worried about you being perforated I would have protected your head when we had to make a dive.” Zhubin moved in closer and touched her cheek, “I am sorry I wasn’t more careful with you, Lacey.”
    “It’s all good,” she assured him and shook her head. “You have told me time and again that I have a hard head, just proved it when I simply bounced instead of being smashed.” She waited until they were in the room and began pulling down weapons. She couldn’t let him be close, not here where so many were watching. Turning back to him however, she heard herself saying, “Would they separate us if they knew?”
    “Not that,” he said, putting the large bulky weapon back on the wall. Tugging her along, he paused and passed her body armor that would mould to her shape. “Put that on under your clothing, and this.” He handed her the bottoms to the piece. “Go and get that on while I pull you weapons that will actually work. And if they knew, which they probably do, they could try to separate us. But a Luhpyne is at his most dangerous at two points, the first being the mating dance and the second during his mate’s pregnancy. We’re brutal on the best of days, but catch us during that time and you’re asking for death.”
    “But we aren’t at the dance yet,” she spoke softly. “We won’t be until after I’ve spoken to Ansell, right?” Reaching out, she touched her hand to his arm, her finger running over the marking that was hidden under the golden cuff and watched him carefully.
    “I’m not your typical Luhpyne, Lacey, never have been, never will be,” was all the answer he gave to her. Turning her, he bum-rushed her into the changing room, passed her the undergarments and shut the door. “Change,” he ordered before there was another sound.
    “Oh, bossy.” Lacey snorted. “I will change only because I know that I need the extra protection but seriously, mister, less bossy maybe?” Although if she were honest she really, really liked him being as bossy as he was being to her.
    He was standing there, arms crossed, when she came out. “Now we’ll outfit you for weapons,” he told her. “The right way. First, put this on.” He handed her a shoulder holster and then one for her waist that hooked at her thigh too. “Guns and blades.” He moved in then and started to fill the empty slots up before kneeling and strapping another blade and smaller gun to her ankle and calf. “You’re proficient with them all, so that’s why they were picked. Plus they are slightly smaller which means any Luhpyne or Vhampire is going to have a bitch of a time turning them on you to use, so don’t get all affronted at the size.”
    “I’m not worried at all about the size, as long as they are deadly. That’s what I’m looking for. Size doesn’t matter, how you use it does.” She then groaned. “Good lord, I can’t believe that I just used that line. Shoot me now please,” she muttered and shoved another weapon at her back holster. “All right, any more for