Arian’s eyes were liquid fire, for once making Harlow feel a little afraid, but she didn’t stop.
Until a chorus of roars lit up the scorched morning sky. Arian dug his paws into the earth, sending hunks of dirt and grass spraying. Harlow whirled, catching sight of nearly twenty blrochni she didn’t recognize—until she caught sight of Olivia’s pale fur and even paler eyes.
Her heart flipped, and something like guilt crashed into her. She’d betrayed them. They looked from Arian to her, seemingly unsure of what to do. Finally, they all took off in a sprint, charging for the army that was suddenly too close. Harlow watched as Prody, Kaimon, Olivia, and Josirus tore through the soldiers with ease, ignoring the pulses of light that tore through their own bodies.
Finally Arian snapped out of his stupor and charged Harlow. She folded the air, creating a shield that he crashed into only a second after she’d managed to form it. He crumpled to the ground, dazed.
“Where is your master?” Harlow demanded, but Arian couldn’t answer in beast form. “How quickly you go from wanting to fuck me, to wanting to kill me. Life is strange.”
He staggered to his feet, glaring at her. A gash near the base of his horns seeped blood that matted his dark fur, as though the blow nearly snapped the horn off.
“Not only did you fail to find me in time, but you killed my parents. What about my sister? Is she dead too?” Harlow spat. “Death is all you’re good at.”
He snarled—preparing to lunge again—but she threw up another shield. She wasn’t done saying everything she needed to say.
“And you didn’t even wait a year before you went crawling to that nasty alien bitch whom you hated more than anyone else in existence. Including your brother.” She was goading him, she knew. What she’d said wasn’t fair, but she was beyond caring.
He paced back and forth, eyes scanning the barrier she’d placed, and soon it began to wane. Before she could fashion another, a growl tore from him and he sprung for her.
Her scream was cut off when his massive body knocked into her, pinning her to the ground. Her armor creaked at the shoulders, caving in under the force. Arian’s jaws parted and showed every gleaming white tooth that could tear her to pieces.
But it was the inferno of rage in his eyes that told her that was exactly what he planned to do. He lifted a paw, preparing to strike across her face. Magic swelled in her chest.
But a blur of white crashed into Arian’s dark form, knocking him sideways just in time.
ARIAN
Olivia glared daggers at him, and not for the first time he cursed the collar around his neck. He couldn’t communicate through their mental link and changing into a man was too risky in the heat of battle.
Harlow scrambled up, palms raised in defense.
His packmate sat back and Olivia’s form shifted, getting smaller. Suddenly the petite woman, naked as the day she was born, stood in front of him and Harlow.
“What the hell is your problem, man?” Olivia shouted. Whirling on Harlow, she jabbed an accusing finger in her direction. “And why do you reek of a new mating bond that doesn’t belong to Arian?”
Harlow’s fierce expression melted. “I’m so glad to see you too, Olivia,” she said softly. The sound was nearly consumed by the din around them.
Olivia put a hand on her hip, not caring that she was nude. “Ex-fucking-splain.”
Harlow opened her mouth to do just that, but too much information seemed to come out at once, so it sounded like, “Oricus drained my blood. And I had no memory of anything. Anyway, I was tricked. But I had to save everyone, so here I am.” She huffed, and Arian tried not to find her pathetic excuses endearing. She wasn’t his anymore. “Listen, be careful of the Couguay—their bite can kill you, and it’s really freaking painful. Onoliza’s blood might be the cure though. I can’t find the bitch to get any.”
Olivia took it all in stride, nodding. “Oh, don’t worry, we plan to make her bleed.” Turning to face him, she started forward. “Come here, let me get that damn necklace off you.”
The instinct to protect it—to protect the Empress—roiled in his blood. He snarled, his ears flattening against his head.
She cocked a brow. “Don’t give me sass. It’s blocking our mental link, I can feel it.”
Harlow narrowed her eyes at the band. With a snap of her fingers, ice wrapped around it, stinging his skin. It screeched, filling his ears until all there was was pain. Every nerve ending felt like it might rupture. Like the very fabric of his being was being torn in two.
Distantly he heard a woman screaming. He collapsed, rolling to quell the agony singing like a siren pulling a ship toward the rocks. His head bashed against the ground over and over. A whining sound played on repeat in his mind, yet his vocal cords were on fire.
End it. Just fucking end it, he begged the universe.
“What’s happening?” a familiar voice screamed.
His claws tore at his arms, ripping through flesh to try to ease the pressure building beneath his skin.
“I’m almost there!”
Nooooo! It was Onoliza’s voice that invaded his head, and she was furious.
The sound of a gunshot ricocheted through his eardrums. He howled. He shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. Just as swiftly as the tide of pain came in, it rolled away, pulling with it the fire and anguish.
Panting, Arian opened his eyes, lifting his head weakly. The collar around his neck fell away in several pieces, and his strength returned like a shot of adrenaline.
He collapsed to the ground, shifting into man. After catching his breath when the wounds on his arms had mostly healed, he got to his feet.
“Thanks,” he said tersely, avoiding Harlow’s gaze, though he saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. “We can’t stay out in the open like this, we’ll get shot.”
“Find Onoliza and corner her. I’ll take care of the army,” Harlow said.
He whipped his head in her direction, his lip curling. “I don’t take orders from you,” he spat.
Olivia looked between them with wide eyes.
Harlow flashed him a saccharine smile and purred. “I just freed you, fuckface. The least you can do after murdering my parents and lying to me for twenty-five years is shut the fuck up and do what I told you to do.”
“What?” Olivia barked, her glare swiveling to Arian.
“Later,” he snarled. The beast took over, strengthening his body and opening the mental link.
Everyone to me, he commanded.
A flurry of responses bombarded his mind, making him gasp.
Dom, you’re back? Altair was the last to speak and the only one Arian answered.
Yes, now get away from the troops. Miss Marks is going to deal with the army.
The sixteen of his men raced up the hill toward him, leaving Oricus to fend for himself, but Arian didn’t care.
After a moment, his brother’s wounded body turned toward her as if she’d called to him. Oricus loped away while she deflected their laser blasts. Once he was a safe distance away, her hands filled with fire and sent two balls of it arcing through the air. But instead of burning away once it hit the ground, it blazed to life in the grass, crackling high and spreading wide, blocking the army. They tried to run around it but the fire spread, darting around the troops and circling them in.
Arian stepped toward her to lash out at her for murdering so many, but the fire didn’t touch them—it simply penned them in.
Arian’s jaw worked side to side, and Oricus met his stare. There was violence in his eyes for Arian standing so close to his brother’s mate. She’d been mine not so long ago.
He crushed the flare of jealousy before it grew too big, turning to lead his pack elsewhere. To find the bitch that had trapped him.
A horn blew. Everyone whirled toward the sound, but it didn’t really seem to have an origin. From behind a line of smoking ships, a massive creature stomped close, shaking
the ground. Arian heard its ragged breaths, smelled the animal scent tinged with oil. It made his nostrils burn.
The first glimpse of it showed gleaming silver. Arian heard a myriad of confused thoughts through the pack’s bond. It wasn’t until golden fur came into view and a roar so brutal and heinous sounded that Arian’s legs went weak.
It walked upright like a T. Rex, dwarfing nearly every aircraft in the area. Most of its hind legs were covered in shining metal, but above its knee joint were patches of fur. Golden fur. Steam huffed from its nostrils and one side of its face was constructed entirely from metal.
A pale green eye, along with one whirring mechanical eye in cerulean blue, landed on Arian. The sight punched the air straight out of his lungs.
Is that…Elentis?
Oh my god, what happened to him?
Arian, what’s going on?
A trembling started in his paws, working up his legs until all of him shook. Shutting out the others, he attempted to project into his brother’s mind. Elentis, buddy, are you in there? Can you hear me?
He didn’t wear a collar like Arian had, but something was blocking him from communicating with his brother.
A shrill tittering laughter erupted from behind the beast, though he remained motionless, scanning Harlow and the others. Arian was almost certain his gaze had lingered on Oricus, but he couldn’t be sure.
Onoliza strode around the monster she’d turned Elentis into, smiling like a cat who’d just spied a flightless baby bird. “What do you think of your brother’s upgrade?” she asked. “I’d planned to do the same for you once I worked out all the kinks. Not only is he immortal, but now his body is practically indestructible. But of course, he’s completely and utterly under my control.”
Arian’s stomach churned. He didn’t even want to imagine the torture his brother had suffered. It was all his fault. He’d sent his brother alone to deal with Oricus and he’d ended up on the bottom of the Okeah Sea, only to be rescued and bitten by the Couguay. And now this.
Harlow took a daring step forward, drawing the Empress’s attention to her instead. “I think we’ve all had enough of your cruelty.” A blast of pure, bright magic shot from her chest.
The hideous creature at Onoliza’s side stepped in front of her, absorbing the magic with nothing more than a grunt.
Harlow gasped. Remorse contorted her face.
Onoliza smirked. “Crush them.”
Elentis charged forward with a roar that shook the ground, his heavy footsteps adding to it.
Try not to hurt him. We just need to find a way to knock him unconscious, Arian told the pack. They sent their agreement before sprinting into action.
“Arian,” Harlow called.
He turned, his lip curling and exposing his fangs.
She pursed her lips. “Help me,” she whispered.
With Onoliza, Oricus’s raspy voice filled his mind. The unwelcome intrusion brought a snarl to Arian’s lips. We need to end her if we are going to have any chance of helping Elentis.
Don’t act like you fucking care, Arian shot back. You’re the one that dropped him into the sea to drown for eternity.
I knew you’d come for him. I had to protect my mate. You’d have done the same.
He snapped his teeth in Oricus’s direction. I never would have stolen your mate from you to begin with!
No, Oricus agreed. You’d have just ripped her throat out. Because that’s exactly what you did.
“Stop arguing, you two, and help me,” Harlow hissed. She sent another blast of magic toward the Empress, who veered out of the way when Elentis tried to intercept it.
Arian cursed to himself, then replied to Oricus, I’m going to bait her. Get ready.
He didn’t wait for his brother’s reply before charging toward the Empress, darting around blasts of ice.
Elentis’s massive body was thankfully slow given the extra weight of mechanics and size. When Arian easily dove out of the way each time his brother tried to stomp on him, he saw the monster’s frustration. His brother’s body quivered before sucking in a gusty breath.
Arian paused only a moment, but when the beast’s jaws opened wide, he shot out of the way. A blast of ice spewed from his mouth, covering the crystalline frost.
Shit, he thought.
Onoliza cackled with glee when massive metal wings extended from the metal column covering his spine.
The bitch made him into a fucking metal dragon, Olivia stated with disbelief.
The wings began to flap, and Arian watched in shock as his brother lifted into the air. Elentis shrieked an unholy sound, then the creature dove for him.
Now, he told Oricus.
Harlow let a stream of magic erupt from her chest. A second pillar of light came from the other side—from Rex, he guessed. Onoliza screamed as the force of pure magic pinned her arms to her sides.
Oricus barreled around the side and leapt over Onoliza, her head disappearing between his jaws.
He ripped it clean off.
HARLOW
The monstrosity that was now Elentis shrieked in pain, crashing to the ground, and tearing the earth like a tiller. She darted forward, ripping off a scale from her armor and fashioning it into a tube. The frosty liquid running from the Empress’s open neck filled it. Though Harlow tried not to look, her stomach violently revolted at the sight.
When it spilled over onto her fingers, it froze the skin so quickly she hissed, before yanking the tube away. The material reshaped under her magic, into a large pill, enclosing the possible antidote for Couguay venom.
Harlow repeated the action twice more. Checking over her shoulder, she found Arian murmuring in a low voice to Elentis, stroking the beast’s face while the rest of his pack stood behind him.
Oricus knelt beside her, covering her cold, shaking hands with his own to help capture enough blood to fill the final tube. His lips pressed to the space behind her ear. Her throat tightened—she felt Arian’s eyes on them. Which meant Oricus had too, and still made a show of proving that she was his.
Harlow stood abruptly, calling fire to her fingertips to thaw the frostbite that was already healing.
“Is she really dead?” she asked. “That seemed far too easy.”
Oricus nodded. “Well, she’s temporarily dead. She would heal if we let her. There is only one way that I know of to make it so she can’t regenerate.”
Going down on one knee, Oricus shot his hand out, crunching through bone and squelching through flesh. Harlow couldn’t stop herself from retching, looking back only when something soft hit wet grass.
A shriveled blue heart.
Oricus’s hand dove back in, his face screwed up in pain. He pulled out a second heart, letting it drop to the ground as well. A third time he pushed through the open chest cavity, retrieving a final heart and allowing it to thump wetly on top of the others. “In her servitude she once told me in confidence that she could never truly die, but the way to prevent full regeneration was to separate her hearts.”
“Why would she tell you that?” Arian snapped.
Oricus flashed him a cold smile. “Because there were once two beings like her. Her one true love’s three hearts were torn from his body and cast into unknown galaxies. She used to believe she’d hear them beating and be able to find them. But no matter how many galaxies she visited, no matter how many planets she conquered, she couldn’t hear her lover’s beating hearts. And with them being separated, he never regenerated like he was supposed to.”
Rex, who’d remained hidden in the shadows, walked to Harlow’s side. The others stayed back. What were they doing?
“But if she gave you that information then she’d have known she’d given you the key to killing her too,” Olivia protested, arms folded over her chest. When Oricus glanced in her direction, Kaimon stepped in front of her, blocking her nude form in a possessive way that made Harlow smile.
“I served her for many years, allowing her to b
elieve I’d been broken. She was not as careful as you would think. Most of the time, she was lonely, but I think a part of her hoped I would end it. Maybe then, she’d get to be with her lover, Dulphëur,” Oricus answered, rising to his feet.
Harlow used her magic to fashion plain black pants from the material left on the corpses not far from them. Kaimon shot her a grateful smile, even though most of Arian’s clan was stark naked—himself being the only exception. An illusion since that was his forte.
“Let’s hurry up and get rid of these then,” Rex said, grimacing as he bent down to pluck a heart from the ground. He held it out like the slimy organ it was.
Arian rose and crossed the distance to swipe a second off the ground. Harlow was reaching for the third when a voice cut through the deafening silence.
“We will hide the third.”
“Thayer,” Rex said, eyeing the man with bone showing through patches of missing skin.
His dark eyes swept over the gathering before falling back to the third and final heart.
So this is what the Couguay actually look like, Harlow thought. If not for the gruesome parts, he might be considered handsome with his olive skin and dark hair.
Oricus made a low, rumbling sound at that thought, and she smirked.
The other Couguay came down the hill—at least fifty of them—herded by the rest of her mates, and a sigh of relief made her shoulders sag. Some of them were children, and they appeared mostly whole, as though the skin erosion happened over time.
“We will return to our planet and I will find a place for this heart where no one will ever discover it. You have my word,” Thayer said with a bow of his head.
Oricus narrowed his eyes. “Take leave of any ship, but be warned: if I find any of your kind on my planet or any other you’re not meant to be on, it will mean war.”
The Couguay dipped his head again before taking his heart and leading his people toward the nearest ship, her mates ensuring they all boarded it.
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