What have I done?
My mind flies back to the moment I shut myself off from Ren. It was just my emotions, right?
The footsteps get louder. They’re disorganized and erratic, not the steadfast strides I’ve come to expect from the Illusians.
That’s not Ren.
Panicking out of guilt for what I might’ve done and fear of whomever is approaching, I rip the bond open wide, giving Ren full access to my mind. A red-hot haze of anger and blood-lust barrels through the connection, pitching me backward. My vision blurs, and mind-shattering pain explodes across my scalp as my head smacks into the ground. It’s like his emotions are pouring in, filling me up, and there’s nowhere for them to go. But they keep pushing and shoving their way in, until like a balloon, I’m ready to pop. In a last-ditch effort to swim to the surface of the raging pool drowning my mind, I try and force my mind shut like before and fail. Miserably.
I can feel someone tugging on my wrists, but I can’t bring myself to open my eyes. Vomit burns my throat. “Grab her, move her behind us,” I hear from beside me and feel another hard yank on my arms.
“Why is she not responding?” a meek voice asks from somewhere to my right.
“I do not know, but we must protect her. Someone is coming.”
“Hurry, grab something, anything.” The females behind me scramble around. The footsteps grow closer, and the hand on my wrist tightens as the footfalls come to a stop not far from us.
“Well, well…what do we have here?”
Chapter Thirty-One
Ren
A layer of blood sprays the walls as I shake my head to clear my eyes. Filth. Everywhere. Cold steel pierces my shoulder. I clench, using the hard bands of muscle to cement it in place. A Xuvurian male yanks at it, trying to withdraw the blade. Panic rises in his eyes. So weak. So undeserving of life.
I shift like lightning, pulling him against my chest. The bitter scent of fear stings my nostrils, and he squirms. Grabbing the hilt, I ram the blade through my arm, piercing his rib cage. He gags and sputters as its edge slices through his lung. Then his heart. I rip out the blade and discard his crumpled form on the ground. On to the next one.
The universe will bleed for what it has taken from me.
A skinny blue male turns to flee. Death is inescapable. Prowling forward, I withdraw the twin blades at my side and jab him in the chest. The flesh tears, splitting him in two. Must have more. More blood. More death. Anything to sate the hole burning in my chest.
My mate. The fires of my rage flare. Taken. She has been stolen from me. Movement catches my eye. Ragar. Fighting alongside another. Ari. They are engaging the males attempting to flee the back exit. Spineless fools retreating like pussies. Ragar loves to give chase.
A familiar scent crosses my nose. Low to the ground, where the air is still fresh, it lingers. The vile stench of the pricer, Yrawl. Rage spools to life.
Jumping to my feet, I withdraw the long blade at my back and prowl forward. Cowered in a corner, his shriveled gray body hunched over, he tries to remain unnoticed. Excitement pulses and weaves its way through my veins.
Light explodes all around me. The ache in my chest fills and overflows. Fear. Pain. Worry. A deep guttural roar tears through my throat. My mate. She lives. She hurts. She needs me.
My blades cut down anything that separates us. Slashing, slicing, tearing through anything in my path. Unable to process. Unable to think. On all fours I bound toward her. Left. Right. Straight. There. Her scent is strong. Its sweetness calls to me, demanding I answer.
Jayla
I’m wedged between two bodies and a wall, propped up only by their strength. The blinding pain behind my eyes continues to grow stronger. Stealing my ability to think. To move. To function at all. Ren’s mind is lost to violence and pain. Anger and rage. I can feel him searching for me. Running toward me at full speed. I try to scream at him, tell him I’m here, but his gifts silence me, drowning me in the raging storm brewing in his mind. Seconds. I just have to bear it for a few more seconds, and he’ll realize what he’s doing and stop. Please, God don’t let my brain be mush by then.
The mind-crushing pressure wanes slightly as I’m shoved further back against the cold metal of the wall. The Illusian females are shielding me—from whom, or what, I don’t know. But if they could just stay like this and not move, my head might not explode.
“Leave now. And we will let you live.” The smooth melody of Linara’s voice is right in front of me. I should have guessed she’d be the one to help keep me from sight.
“Jol,” a rough male voice yells, “grab the bags—I found ‘em all rounded up pretty like for us. Ripe for the pickin’.”
Linara links her arm with the female beside her, pushing back against me harder.
“That’s far enough, male. Any closer and I’ll rip off your dick.” I’d laugh if I wasn’t about to die. Even as a crumpled heap on the floor, Hana’s threat still rings true. Her ferocity knows no bounds.
The male chuckles. “Oh, I don’t know. Might be fun, I like my pussy to put up a fight.” A second male voice laughs at the remark. The loud clang of chains hitting the floor reverberates through the room.
“Now, be good girls and slip these on.”
“Enough. Leave now,” Linara warns.
“Oh, I don’t think so, sweet thing. You’re all comin’ with me. And I’ve got special plans for you.”
The dull scrape of metal on metal forces me to open my eyes. Ren. The rhythmic pounding grows louder, closer, and the buzz of my connection with Ren, more intense. The two wiry-looking red-skinned males crane their heads at the sound.
A chorus of gasps echo through the Illusian females as Ren tears into the room, sliding across the metal flooring before launching toward us. My eyes clamp shut as the power of the rage surging through him peaks. The sounds of flesh tearing and ripping fill my ears, but I can’t manage to open my eyes. His emotions still pour freely into the bond like a broken dam, and it’s too much.
The bodies holding me in place dive out of the way, and my stomach pitches as I fall. But I don’t hit the floor. A familiar warmth surrounds me.
“Ren.” His name escapes my lips on a whisper, and I gaze up at him through hooded eyes. He’s wild. Covered in blood. The depth of need and want swirling around in his black orbs cements me in place. I can’t look away. There’s no one but him.
“Mine,” he says, his voice raw and broken. The scruff of his jaw scrapes against the side of my neck as he nuzzles me, breathing in my scent.
Hands. Hot and possessive, touching every curve, covering every inch. A slight burn stings my cheeks as he grabs my face and shoves his mouth onto mine. Our bond swells with emotion, and the anger and hate from before morphs into unadulterated need. Need for me, need for us, and my need for him.
He claws at my hair, curling his fingers through the partially burnt strands, pressing my face harder against his. Pain radiates up my leg as something hits my ankle, and Ren rips himself away from me. Eyes wild, he looks me over, scanning me for injuries.
“My ankle is the worst. I’m all right. We’re all right, Ren.” His eyes cut to mine, and he numbs my pain with his gift. My lips part to thank him, but he lunges forward, once again covering my mouth with his. He reaches down, securing a grip on my ass, then jerks me into his lap and stands. The hard edge of the wall cuts into my spine as he lifts, then presses me against it. My legs wrap around his waist, and he grinds against me, continuing to plunge his tongue in my mouth.
“Ahem.” Linara clears her throat. The reality of our situation and company crash down, and I pull away. Ren grunts in protest, seeking my mouth.
“That is quite enough, Ren.” His shoulders tense at her words.
Oh, shit. Linara just called him by his first name. No one, except me, is allowed to do that. I squeeze his shoulder, trying to recapture his attention, but he slowly slides my body down his until my ass is back on the floor and then he locks onto her gaze.
Th
e other females back away, and Linara squares her shoulders, putting her proud features on display. Even battered, she looks regal. On second thought, why am I not pissed she’s so informal with him. The memory of her words from earlier sink into my chest and leave me off kilter. She spoke of him so fondly and so casually, and now she calls him Ren?
Jealousy spikes through me. Ren steps toward Linara as she holds out her hand, palm down, fingers curled in like a queen waiting on her subjects. I suppress a snort. Who does this girl think she is?
My mouth falls open in outrage as Ren drops to his knees and presses a kiss to her hand.
“Asha. It is good to see you.”
What. The. Hell.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jayla
I’m going to be sick. Or I’m going to stab him. Or her. Or the next person I see if someone doesn’t tell me what the fuck is going on. Anger prickles my skin, and I begin to tremble. This day has really, really sucked.
Unable to look away, I stare at the two of them. Linara tips her chin, signaling Ren to his feet. Softly, he touches the bruises on her face and stiffens at the sight of her busted lip.
“They were harsh with you.” Her eyes slide to mine as she swats his hand away from her face.
“I do not wish to be coddled, Ren.”
Is she implying I do? Wait, or is she trying to be nice? I hate trying to speak female.
Ren rises, then allows his gaze to linger for a moment longer before turning back to me. My annoyance flares at how comfortable he is so close to her. He barely looks at another female without asking permission first, but he’s going to kiss her fucking hand?
I wave at him with a scowl on my face. “Hey. Remember me? Your mate? Care to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Ren opens his mouth to respond, but I hold up a hand, silencing him. “You know what, I don’t care. Kiss whomever you want.” I don’t mean that. I so don’t mean that. “Let’s just get out of here.”
Heat floods my cheeks, and not even pinching the bridge of my nose hard enough to bring tears to my eyes distracts me. I’m being ridiculous. We almost died. The air has cleared slightly but still, we’ve all inhaled a ton of smoke. There are more important things going on than my jealousy. The Mageran’s clinging to life, and I’m sure there are more douchebags running around here trying to steal the females who escaped the pens.
People are still fighting for their lives. I need to get over myself. This drama can wait.
Ren prowls toward me, and I cross my arms like a shield. His lips curl into an amused half-smile.
Does he want me to punch him in the face?
“Skara…” The gravel in his voice threatens to break my resolve to be angry.
“No. Not now. Not after that.” He moves to run a finger along my jaw, and I shake him off.
“You are mistaken.” Ren leans in to press his lips to mine and wraps me in a tight embrace.
“About what?” I jerk away, avoiding his kiss. He turns my face toward him with his nose and captures my mouth. His breath tickles and the warmth of his lips on mine almost make me forget what I just saw. Almost.
“There is only you. Asha Linara is my Life Giver.”
“What?” I half sputter and cough. “What do you mean she’s your Life Giver? She looks barely older than me!”
“Yes. I apologize, my Aciana. I failed to mention our females do not age like many other species. We have rituals in place to protect those who foster our future generations.”
A loud thud draws my attention toward the hall. The clang of swords slamming together echoes down the narrow passageway. The fighting is getting closer. We need to get everyone out. Not to mention, this is an incredibly old station. The blast doors are designed to seal and smother a fire, but one hole, one breach of the surrounding walls, and it could spread.
“You can explain that later. Let’s get them back to the ship.” Ren nods, then starts to gather me in his arms. “Her.” I gesture toward Hana. “She needs to be carried. I can hobble.”
Linara steps forward. “I would be honored to carry the Mageran. She assisted in our escape.”
“That will not be necessary.” Ren’s eyes cloud over for a split second, then refocus. Anger infuses the bond once again, and I shudder, reminded of my recent pain. Gripping his shirt, I yank his face down to mine.
“Calm down. You nearly melted my brain with that shit earlier. What’s wrong?”
“Grulians. Sol has much to answer for.” Ren scoops me into his arms and stomps forward.
The last thing I see before turning the corner is Linara hoisting Hana into her arms and the other females supporting each other in a group. Not surprisingly, the Jurl is long gone. I guess he managed to sneak out before Ren could murder him. Or he ended up in the pile of dead unrecognizable mush on the floor. I’m really hoping for the first. He saved my life.
“He lives. I saw his actions when you opened the bond. I allowed him to leave. And before you ask, yes. The Mageran female can come with us. She will need medical care, and I owe her a boon for helping you escape.”
The room spins as Ren flips me around and shoves me behind him. I peek under his arm and gag. The room is painted in gore. Mangled bodies are thrown everywhere, some still holding the drinks in their hands. No matter how many times I see it, the sight of Ren’s destruction—the true horror of what he is capable of—terrifies me.
A familiar mess of blond hair streaks across the room and my breath hitches.
Where the hell did she come from?
The pain in my ankle fades as adrenaline courses through me. My best friend. Here. How? Leandra and Ari are surrounded on all sides by six gnarly looking tattooed males writhing on the ground. A sense of deju vu hits me.
Where have I seen those tattoos before?
Leandra’s panting. “Damn, it’s good to see you guys. We just got here, and these assholes came out of nowhere.” Her tight smile flattens as she searches the room, unable to find what she’s looking for. Or whom.
Ragar.
I try to edge around Ren, but he holds me back. “Hey, move. They’re all subdued. Let me go hug my friend.” A death glare from Ren elicits several groans from the males. Knowing him, he just doubled whatever he was making them feel to ensure my safety. I kiss him on the cheek for the sweet, albeit violent, gesture.
Limping over to Leandra on unsteady feet, I dodge the flailing bodies on the floor.
“Holy crap, I’ve missed you,” she says.
“Me too. Thanks for not saying bye, you dick. I’ve been so damn worried about you.”
A light glaze of tears settles in the corner of her eyes. “Yeah, I know. It was pretty crappy of me. I just…”
“I know. I’ll make you feel like shit later, but right now…how about explaining what the hell you’re doing here,” I say, squeezing her again.
She lifts her head from my shoulder. “We got word of the auction at the last minute and rushed to stop it, but we were a little late. Your man and R—” she swallows hard, almost as if his name is too painful to say, “your man’s already killed everyone.” Using her sleeve as a tissue, she swipes it across her face, hiding her tears. “Whoa, who’s that?”
The loose waves of Linara’s hair bounce as she carries Hana through the group of Illusians. Ari jumps from the circle at the sight of her and runs to relieve her of the female in her arms. It seems she has that effect on all Illusian males. Not just mine.
“Long story short? That’s Ren’s mom.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me?”
Ari walks in front of Linara, kicking the dead bodies out of the way to clear her path. I snort at the ridiculousness.
“Nope.”
A short, plump, tattooed female comes barreling toward us, and I brace myself for the impact of her body. She’s shaped like a bowling ball. This isn’t going to feel good. Leandra jumps in front of me but falls to the side as the female veers toward the wriggling bodies on the floor and stops to take off her sho
es.
“You stupid worthless piece of shit! You think I wouldn’t follow you? Storming in here to this place… You gamble away my ship on your boys’ trip to Xalta, then try to steal it back like a coward!” She continues to berate him, slapping him over and over with one of her shoes. “I tell you to earn me another and you come here to pilfer from these people! Can you not see they have been through hell? Why in all the universes did I marry such an ignorant loaf?” She straightens. “Who’s doing this to them?”
I jerk my thumb toward Ren.
“Let him up.” She points to the male she’s been assaulting. “Only him. I want to hear what he has to say for himself.” Ren doesn’t budge.
“Do it. This should be good.”
Ren stalks over and grabs the weapons off the floor, then places his body in front of Leandra and me.
Wiping the black dreads off his face, the tattooed Grulian rolls to his back. He pales at the sight of his wife. “Anju, I can explain…”
She starts wailing on him again, this time with both shoes, alternating arms. “How dare you tell me to vacation on Hati so you could pull this shit! I told you to dismantle that tracker and let it go. To suffer the consequences of your foolish habit and the dishonor it brings. You thought you could lie and trick me into going away without arising suspicion. You have not offered me a vacation in twenty lunar cycles! Do not play me for a fool, Zaru!”
“I didn’t. I swear. I know how much you loved that ship. Yes, I stole Gatrra’s freighter and followed the ship here, but I just wanted to—”
She sneers. “You just wanted to what? Redeem your manhood? I have been without my Kronebot for days! I forgave you, and still you lie to me!”
“The robot? That’s what you’re pissed about? What about me, Anju?”
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