Shepard X part3
The High-Risk Pickup Onboard the Kodiak Shuttle The silence in the cramped Kodiak cabin, moments after the breach, was suffocating. Commander Susan Shepard dropped into the seat directly across from her sister, Admiral Svetlana Shepard. The adrenaline that had fueled her relentless assault was rapidly receding, leaving behind a leaden exhaustion and a tremor that ran deep through her newly reinforced frame. She pressed her hands hard against the thigh plates of her N7 fatigues, concentrating on the cold, solid metal to prevent her hands from shaking uncontrollably. Ashley, acutely aware of the dangerous tension radiating from Susan, moved instantly. She slid onto the bench seat beside her partner and gently took Susan’s stiff right hand in hers. Ashley’s thumb moved soothingly over the smooth knuckles, a silent counterpoint to the terrifying memory of the claws that had just erupted there. Leaning in, she pressed a warm, grounding kiss to the side of Susan's neck, the simple, int...
