I squat beside her, pull out an emergency clotting deep wound repair device and lift her shirt.
She shakes her head violently. “Please…don’t.”
“I have to, Esrynne. We cannot lose you.”
Her eyes shine with pain and hopelessness.
“I don’t want to lose you. Carnas might break my neck.”
She smiles weakly in disbelief. “That oaf?”
I nod slowly and ready the repair. “Deep breath.”
She pants in preparation, holds her breath, and nods.
I press the clot device into her wound.
Esrynne lets out a wretched cry of pain as veins rise in her neck. The bleeding immediately stops. Esrynne blacks out and falls limply against me.
I lay her down, give her a booster, curl up her body, and memorize her location for later. I keep hunting.
Every Neb I encounter must die.
It does not matter if they attack from a room I pass, fire at me from down the hall, or try to sneak up on me from behind. I am tired of them hurting the ones I love, of making our lives so short.
I am the alpha of the Aegeris pack. I forgot my place when I was in pain. Now my kind and our allied packs have suffered.
I wasn’t sure I belonged with them any more. If I couldn’t protect one Shifter, the one that mattered most to me, how could I protect my entire team, let alone our world?
But now, I am rage and vengeance and claws and teeth. It’s long past time I make up for my selfishness.
Marne slumps sideways in a doorway down the hall. “Azrim.”
I hustle to his position and find Rorsar out cold on the floor, a massive contusion to the side of his head.
“His breathing is shallow.” Marne has a bloodied arm and a scorch mark on his leg from a tactical flare gun.
“What happened?”
“They knew we were coming. I don’t know how.”
“Someone let Rhysan go from our old pack. And one of Tessi’s scavenger rivals ratted her out. Where is Ignus?”
“They took him.”
I have an idea of where.
I hand Marne a booster for Rorsar and a chemical cold pack. “I’ll be back.”
I snatch up a rifle and fresh ammo from a downed Neb soldier and make my way below, to the same area where we found Zorin.
The room glows blue just like his and Tessi’s did, and the Nebs inside work around a familiar clear chamber inside.
Through a hull window in the corridor, I notice Isonian ships pulling back from Mindoran space. They’re losing the battle with the Neb fighters. There are just too many of them. Then I see Kren firing at them from the other warship. He is quickly evening the score.
I don’t have time to think things through with Ignus’ life on the line. I step inside and fire on every hulking Myndrous and Neb soldier I see. I clear the room faster than I anticipate.
They weren’t expecting me.
