Page 53 of A Monster’s Future

A rough hand suddenly grabbed me by the hair, jerking me back. I swore as my phone was yanked from my hands. All five were still fighting Grtirr… three now, two were already down, so who the hell was this?

“If I want something done, I have to do it myself every goddamn time,” a male voice grumbled.

The man squeezed my phone in his bare hands so hard it crumbled into pieces. Oh shit. This had Exotech bionic enhancement written all over it.

The man spun me around to face him. He was big, at least a good foot taller than me, his body built for war. The metal plate in his skull was sleek and polished to a gleam. His robotic eye almost seemed to glow under the forest canopy. But despite the bionic enhancements, he didn’t look crude like Igor or any of the Exotech soldiers I’d seen. In fact, this man wore his enhancements like accessories; they made him look more powerful and elevated his already too-perfect features.

And by too perfect, I meant calculated by a formula and delivered under a scalpel type of perfection: sharp cheekbones and jawline, perfect symmetry, a face carved from science. Even the faint scar along his jawline looked intentional, like he’d had it added for effect. He looked ageless too, like I wasn’t sure if he was in his twenties or his fifties. Despite being in the middle of the woods, he was sporting a white lab coat.

I squinted at the garment. Forget that. It might look like a lab coat in style, but it was made of white leather.

“Outsmarted by one reporter and her pet demon. I really should pick my henchmen better.”

Henchmen? This must be Dr. Kim. He’d really leaned into the evil scientist look.

He shoved me, and I tumbled into another set of arms as hard as steel. I looked up, heart pounding into the emotionless face of an Exotech super soldier. How had they gotten through the Kadrixans’ monitoring system? He had to have some new technology we didn’t know about.

“Follow me, hold her, and do not engage.”

Dr. Kim’s gaze locked onto Grtirr like a predator spotting prey. Grtirr had just knocked Victor out, and now he’d disarmed Hannah, his claws careful as he held her at arm’s length. He was being too damn nice, if you asked me. She thrashed, snarling, but he didn’t retaliate and instead just kept her at bay, waiting for her to tire herself out.

Then he saw us. His golden eyes flicked first toward Dr. Kim, then to me, and immediately something dark and dangerous passed over his face. It made him look truly like the demon so many humans thought he was. The look gave me chills in the best of ways, but I couldn’t help but notice the copious amount of red that stained his white shirt. I wanted to believe that that was someone else’s blood, but I also knew he’d been hit by some of those shots.

These Kadrixan warriors were supposed to be ridiculously tough, but they weren’t invincible. Worry had my gut tied in knots.

“Ah, so I finally get to test my strength against one of your kind.” Dr. Kim sounded much too calm for a situation like this. “Too bad you’re already injured. This will be too easy.”

Dr. Kim lunged. Grtirr barely had time to shove Hannah aside before the doctor was on him. His fists were a blur, each strike precise. Grtirr blocked the first hit, but the second landed on his ribs, sending him stumbling back.

Whatever enhancement drugs this man had pumped into his veins had turned him into something more than human, and it showed in every way. He was faster and stronger. Grtirr’s claws flashed as he blocked and dodged, but the doctor was always a step ahead.

When Dr. Kim’s fist connected with the trunk of a tree, the impact sent cracks spiderwebbing all the way up. Large pieces of bark rained down, but the doctor didn’t even flinch. Did he even feel it?

Grtirr lunged, his claws slashing in a vicious arc, but Dr. Kim twisted away, his movements almost liquid.

The doctor’s lips curled into a smirk. "Is that all you’ve got, demon? I expected more from a Kadrixan."

Grtirr didn’t answer. He struck again, and this time his claws tore through the white leather of the coat, and blood spurted out. The doctor just tore the ruined garment away, revealing a tank top beneath. That was when I saw the flash of metal beneath his skin. His flesh rippled, knitting itself back together before my eyes, sealing the wound as if it had never been there.

My stomach twisted. What the hell was he? Definitely not human anymore.

Dr. Kim retaliated in a storm of strikes and punches. Grtirr blocked, dodged, and countered better than any unaltered human ever could, but Kim was always half a step ahead. And having already been injured, it was clear that Grtirr was slowing down.

Dr. Kim feinted left, then grabbed Grtirr by the arm, twisting. I wanted to throw up at the sickening crunch that echoed through the forest. Then he drove his fist straight into Grtirr’s chest. The impact sent him crashing into a boulder, his body slamming against the rock with a thunderous crack. He hit the ground hard, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

No!

The doctor stepped forward, his boot pressing down on Grtirr’s throat. “Pathetic,” he sneered. “I expected so much more. Let’s return to the shuttle. You too.” He gestured to Hannah, who was kneeling beside Victor’s unconscious body, her face streaked with tears.

Then rough hands grabbed me from behind, yanking me back. I thrashed, kicking, screaming, but it was like fighting with a brick wall. The image of my mate’s body sprawled across the bloodstained ground, unmoving, was seared into my mind as they dragged me away.

Chapter 28: Julie

I gawked at Dr. Noble’s head, which was suspended inside a clear dome, her expression filled with nothing but disdain as she glared back at me. I couldn’t believe it. The bitch who’d kidnapped Dana was still alive—at least, what was left of her.

Dr. Kim had somehow managed to smuggle a whole-ass shuttle past the Kadrixans’ protective shield system, using some new cloaking technology we’d never encountered before. But despite knowing that the shuttle was right there, I still couldn’t see it. The only reason why I knew it existed was because when Dr. Kim had gone inside to bring Dr. Noble out, a door had slid open at the edge of the field, and I’d caught a glimpse of the inside of the shuttle.

Dr. Noble, who was still beautiful despite not having a body, had demanded to be placed on a flat rock in the shade so she could enjoy the great outdoors without sun damage. Her dome had wheels, and she’d rolled herself to the perfect spot.