Driok hisses under his breath, his head close to the door. His tail lashes behind him, very nearly knocking against the racking itself. Then he goes completely still.
“Wait here.” He wrenches the door open, slams it shut, and I hear a high-pitched squeal which is suddenly, unpleasantly cut off with a deep gurgle.
I take a step towards the door and hesitate, pulling the pistol from my pocket and getting ready to fire. The door springs open, and I aim.
“My spitfire,” Driok growls. “I’d prefer not to have to grow back a limb, if you don’t mind lowering your weapon.”
He has lost the cloak, and there is a smear of what looks like ink on his chest.
“What happened?”
“I have caught the creature following us. He won’t be doing it again,” Driok says. “Now, we’re running out of time. We have to get to the Overseer.”
He reaches for my hand, and before I know it, I’m stepping over the remains of something which was whole once, bile rising in my throat.
This is no mere whim for Driok. This is serious, and now I’m far more involved than I ever thought I would be.
It isbrilliant.
DRIOK
Whilst having my mate by my side makes my heart beat harder, it is also a concern. It would be more of a concern if she wasn’t with me as it would appear I can’t imagine her being out of my sight. She is my all.
And she is armed. My cock hasn’t quite let me forget this little fact. Or the way it nearly exploded from my pouch the moment she handled the pulsar pistol with competence.
Maggie is my mate. There could be no one else.
We continue through the passages up into the main dome and encounter no further hostiles, despite having to dispose of the Madar following us.
No threat to my mate can go unpunished.
We reach the final door, and I hold Maggie back as I extract my pulsar rifle and the psi-grenades before tossing the bag away.
“Are you ready?” I ask her.
“I thought this overseer was helping you?”
“Sort of, but he might need some persuading.”
Maggie takes out her pulsar pistol and primes it. I hold back a groan.
“I’m good at persuasion,” she says with a grin.
My little mate is not afraid. Of course she is not afraid. She is ready. She is mine.
“Stay behind me. Only shoot if I say so,” I say to her.
“I’m going to shoot when I want, Driok,” she says, baring her little white teeth.
“Good.” I give her a smile which is probably more fang than I intended but then I’m not actually in control of my body anymore.
Save as to dealing with any threats to her.
I place my comm device next to the locking mechanism on the door and activate the override nanos. The door opens, and I step through, my body, if not controllable, certainly a shield to my mate. Which is helpful as several pulsar bolts sear past me, and I use my rifle to deflect several more.
“Overseer!” I bellow. “Lord Driok of Vorostor, member of the High Bask and Sarkarnii descendant of the great General Draxx,” I announce. “I am here to claim what you promised me.”
I let rip with a volley of pulsar bolts.
