Last Flight of the Ark by D.L. Jackson Page A

about this first. We still don’t know their intentions.”
    “I’m pretty certain their intentions aren’t good. I think we’re all dead once they get what they want. I’d rather risk mutating two thousand people and spreading canine DNA all over that ship and Terra II, than to sit back and let them kill us, or worse. Have you gotten a good whiff of them?” He turned to her and finally met her gaze. Bolts of lust shot through his body. It would be so easy to forget what was important in favor of more primal needs.
    Focus .
    Melissa gave her head a slow shake. “How do you know you’re not making a mistake?”
    “They’re predators and we haven’t determined what they eat yet. What if it’s us? They could’ve dumped the entire crew, but they didn’t. Why’d they keep them?” He locked the lid down and hit a button, sending the vials into a spin.
    “You’re creeping me out, sir.”
    “Better than becoming a Melissa-burger. I checked my vitals. I’m healthier than I’ve been my entire life.” He picked up a digital clipboard and tossed it to her. “I used to have an ulcer. I used to have aches and pains in my joints. All gone. Even my damned craving for cigarettes is gone. I’ve been jonesing for a butt for eight months. Now the thought of smoking churns my innards. Aside from the incident in your room, nothing is negative about the mutation.”
    “That’s a pretty extreme way to kick a habit.” Melissa crossed her arms. “Just what happened in my room?”
    “I’m not sure. I was excited. Whatever it was, it’s not uncontrollable. I stopped it.” But he didn’t want to. He wanted to fuck. Hard. Even as he spoke, his thoughts drifted to the top button on her uniform and how fast he could get her out of her clothing. He pushed the pornographic image away and centered his attention on the papers he’d spread out on the table.
    “It doesn’t make it natural and it doesn’t mean we aren’t dangerous. I have the same issues. That’s a lot of chances to take. We could end up with a ship full of sex fiends. Or a planet.”
    She touched his arm and he jumped from the jolt. Every muscle in his body tensed. Did she know what her touch did to him?
    “When you consider what choices we have, this may be our only option. We don’t know if there are more of them out there. Releasing the mutation on the ship might kill the hijackers onboard, but if I don’t infect everyone, then what happens if reinforcements come? I need to protect that crew, and that means they all need the mutation. I need to stop the hijackers from taking our planet. Terra II is the only way we’re going to survive. We can’t sit up here forever.” The heat of her fingers burned through his shirt, sending his pulse skyrocketing. Kaleb’s mind began to wander to more pleasurable thoughts.
    Focus .
    She dropped her hand, leaned a hip against the table, and crossed her arms in a defensive posture that sent testosterone roaring through his blood. “Let me get this right. Your idea is to change the entire crew of the Genesis II into werewolves and infest the planet with them.”
    “Mutants—not werewolves, but yeah, that sounds about right. Plus, it would take humans out of the food chain, if that’s what our new friends eat.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not sure I want to do this. I just need a backup plan. A broken arrow.”
    Snap . Her scent went from lust to pissed in three seconds. It didn’t help his urge. It made it worse. God, she was sexy when she was angry. He took several steps away, collecting notes on the other side of the lab. Anything to put space between them. Not now . He needed to think.
    “A broken arrow?” She raised a brow. “You really don’t know shit about military tactics, do you? When a commander calls fire down on his own men, he doesn’t have a choice. The enemy has usually overrun their position and they’re facing imminent destruction. We’re not facing that situation and you’re not calling