15

Joy had a hard time opening her eyes. Her tongue seemed swollen and it was tough to wake. She tried to roll but a big hand pressed against her chest to hold her in place. She was able to finally shove away the haze and peer up at a dim light above her. A fuzzy shape blocked it suddenly. She blinked and stared into dark, beautiful eyes.

She’d survived being shot by Douglas. The professional side of her wondered what had happened to him but she wasn’t naïve enough to question Moon about his fate. It had been a miracle she’d talked a Species out of killing someone who’d attacked with deadly intent. It only showed how much New Species had acclimated since their release. They’d learned to quash their tempers while using reason instead of acting on pure impulse.

“Joy,” Moon rasped. “You will be fine. They said the bullet passed through your arm but you lost a lot of blood. It missed the bone.” His voice turned gruff.