“Good girl,” he heardSevcall softly from above.“Comeon, you can make it.”
Cassie muttered somethingRavikcouldn’t hear, but from her tone it was probably sarcastic.
Despite himself, he felt one corner of his mouth tugging up into a smile.Onegood thing he remembered from his time in the fog was being absolutely certain the curvyMatureElitewas his mate.Hehad loved her instantly—and he wanted her still.
The only problem was, he was pretty sure thatSevfelt the same.
He put one hand on the ladder and glanced back over his shoulder.Thefirst wave ofInfectedhad reached the broken fencing.Theywere snarling now, the wet clicking sounds becoming louder and more frantic as they saw prey above them.Oneof them hurled itself against the fence and tore through a gap, slicing its chest open on jagged metal without even noticing.
“Hurry,” he growled.
“Iamhurrying,”Cassiesnapped from above him.“Mylegs are shorter than yours andIrecently got hit in the head by a pair of battling alpha idiots.”
Ravik flinched.
She must have heard the change in his breathing because her voice softened slightly.
“I’m sorry.Thatwas mean.”
“No,” he said, watching the firstInfectedbreak fully through the fence.“Itwas true.”
There was a pause above him.
Then she said,
“Just don’t do it again.”
“I won’t,”Ravikpromised and he meant it.Goddesshelp him, he meant it more than he knew how to say.Whateverhad happened between him andSev, fists weren’t the answer.
The firstInfectedreached the base of the tower just asCassiemade it to the platform.Sevgrabbed her wrist and hauled her up the last few feet, then pulled her onto the metal grate beside him.
Ravik stayed on the ladder and swung his shock blade one-handed as the creature leapt for his boot.Theblade took it across the mouth and black blood sprayed over the ladder as the thing dropped, shrieking.Anothercame behind it, andRavikkicked it in the face hard enough to snap its head back.Heclimbed one rung higher, then another, keeping his body between theInfectedbelow andCassieabove.
“Ravik!”Sevshouted.“Getup here!”
“Working on it,”Ravikgrowled.
The ladder shook as threeInfectedthrew themselves against the base.Thewhole tower groaned—metal vibrating under his hands.Cassiecried out above him, and the sound cut through him like a blade as his protective instincts surged.
She’s my mate—Ihave to protect her!
It didn’t matter that it wasn’t true—shefeltlike his mate.Andthe fact that she felt likeSev’smate too—which was deeply confusing— didn’t diminishRavik’sneed to keep her safe.
He climbed faster.
AnInfectedwith torn gray-green scales managed to scramble up three rungs beforeRavikslammed his boot down on its fingers.Bonescracked and it fell backward into the others, knocking them into a snapping, screaming tangle.
Ravik reached the platform and rolled over the edge just as another body hit the ladder below.Sevgrabbed his arm to help pull him up.
For one second, their hands locked and their eyes held.
The touch sent a jolt straight through him.
Not pleasure exactly, he thought—not like that fucking mating biteSevhad given him, and not likeCassie’smouth or the forbidden memory ofSev’sshaft pressed against his.Butthe contact still carried something.
Though his friend’s fingers he felt familiarity…earned trust…the memory of battlefields and med bays andSev’shands hauling him out of danger a hundred times before this.Allthe good things he’d come to associate with his best friend.
Until he betrayed me.Andmade me betray myself.
