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I closed my eyes as we climbed, trying to prevent the vertigo from making me vomit. Then he dumped me none to gently to the ground of what I recognized as the sixth floor even through the pain in my head.

Would losing consciousness make this easier? I gave myself over to it, but my stubborn brain wouldn’t shut off. Yutu slunk toward me, again on all fours in a very unnatural way.

I forced my body into motion and crab walked backward until I hit the wall. If this was it, I wasn’t going down without a fight.

He sprang toward me, and I kicked out, connecting with the side of his head. He howled in pain as I scrambled to my feet and prepared to run, but he caught me by the wrist and swung me around, throwing me onto my back and knocking the wind from my lungs.

The world spun as Yutu straddled me and lifted my hand to his mouth. The vision he’d shown me came back in full clarity and I scratched at his puckered gray skin and wriggled beneath his massive form, attempting to throw him off. But he held tight. I opened my mouth in preparation to scream when the tip of the first tooth sank into the meat of my hand below my thumb. Blinded with pain, I could neither move nor make a sound as he bit deeper, slowly. He stopped as I saw the tip come through the other side of my own palm.

My venom prevents my prey from moving or calling for help, but you’ll feel every tiny bit. And don’t worry, if you black out, I’ll wake you again. You deserve no less for striking me.

Internally, I continued to struggle against him, but it was no use. He’d already injected his venom in my body, the one that Yang had said caused the blood not to clot. With any luck, he’d bleed me to death before he realized it because as he plunged more teeth into my wrist and forearm, the pain became unbearable.

A bright-blue light cut through the air and hit Yutu in the side of the face. He yanked his teeth from my arm, which flopped uselessly to my side as a warm, wet sensation settled over the wounds. I couldn’t turn my head like Yutu had, but he climbed off me and scuttled away down the corridor.

Austin’s face came into view moments later as he leaned over me, checking my pulse and turning my head. I managed a small grunt, which was the biggest relief I’d ever felt because it meant the venom wasn’t long-acting.

When he lifted my injured hand, I nearly fainted. It was covered in blood and had multiple puncture wounds where the monster had skewered me with his teeth. If he hadn’t been playing with his food, as he put it, I’d have already lost the arm, possibly more.

“You’re alive,” Austin said as he lifted me into his arms. My head drooped backward over his elbow. I desperately wanted to be able to stand on my own two feet, or at least tell him to go do what he could to save Ila.

I kept trying as he made it through the door to his room and lay me on the couch. He disappeared from view, and the sounds of furniture being dragged filled the silence. He reappeared shortly after with a hydropod and poured the water over my injuries before wrapping them carefully in bandages.

What I finally managed to say was, “Should’veshothimtotheroof.” By some miracle, he understood because he smiled.

“All I could think of was getting him away from you,” he said, brushing back my hair.

“Venom freezes victim,” I punched out carefully. My tongue felt like a nearly useless piece of rubber in my mouth.

Austin nodded. “It’s wearing off. That’s good.”

“Ila—”

“I called for Nicole to come back for her. Jackson and Carter are outside already with Yang on shielded hovercots. We’re barricaded in the room for now.”

I relaxed back into the couch, sore from fighting so hard to move and communicate.

“I’m going to take advantage of this situation you know,” Austin said with a smirk.

Hopefully, glaring daggers communicated what I thought of that.

“I mean I’m going to talk to you, and you have to listen,” he corrected.

Fine. I gave him permission in my head, so I’d at least feel like I had a choice.

Austin lifted my legs, sat on the sofa, and dropped my feet in his lap.

“You were right,” he said.

Good start, I thought.

“I keep trying to take charge, but nobody elected me.” He looked up at the ceiling then back at me. “It’s my defense mechanism, I guess. It’s the way I know to protect myself, and it works really well. I know this because I’m still alive. But it sucks when it comes to trying to protect those I love.”

He stopped and watched me as the word sunk in. I guessed it did exist, just like cryptids. But I’d be damned if I sought them out anymore. I felt the smile spread across my face, but I didn’t try to interrupt.

“I wasn’t listening to my own advice,” he continued. “I’m supposed to live in the now, here in this moment, because it’s all we really have. But when I had these feelings for you, they made me want to protect you and keep you with me forever.”

His blush was adorable as he played with the fingers on my good hand. Sensation crept into my limbs as he spoke, letting me know the venom was wearing off. But I didn’t move. I didn’t want to interrupt him. “I stopped thinking about the now—the actual moment with you—and instead I thought of securing the future. So I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m going to respect and trust you to make your own decisions because I love you, and because I know that’s the only way to guarantee more possible nows with you.”