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Our mate needs us. Rise!
Cazar’s eyes snapped open, a deep growl reverberating in his chest. He was still in the doorway, legs sprawled out on the front stoop while his upper half was lying just past the entryway. The sun was still shining brightly overhead; it seemed only a few minutes at most had gone by.
Where was Evie?
He sat up swiftly, a hand going to his sternum to check his injuries. He could almost feel the blade cutting into his skin repeatedly as Evie’s scream of fear echoed around in his head.
Cazar took a quick, mental inventory of his ailments as he glanced around, hoping to spot his mate. He no longer felt dizzy, weak or in pain. In fact, he felt stronger than he had in days. He clutched his hand to his chest; his shirt was wet and warm, silver blood staining his palm, though he couldn’t detect any wounds.
“What’s happened? What the hell are you doing here?” he snapped at Toroq. He’d never really left, the manipulative bastard. Though at that moment, every inch of Cazar’s being was relieved the parasite was still with him.
You died, but I cannot. Therefore,youdid not.
“What?” He’d died?
No time. UP! It took far too long to climb to the surface of your consciousness than I had hoped. Our mate is in danger.
Jerking up in panic, Cazar looked around again. Evie was nowhere in sight, but a trail of red blood droplets were scattered all over the ground, leading down the hallway and further into the building.
Inhaling deeply, Cazar’s gut tightened as he scented the metallic odor of his mate’s blood.
“Evie,” Cazar breathed, dread causing a tight ball of fear to form in his gut.
I can no longer take over your form without your consent. Allow me to do so, and we will eliminate the threat.
Without another thought, Cazar yielded to the creature.
Immediately, he felt his body growing, skin shifting to a shiny black, antlers sprouting from atop his head, and his fingers curving into claws. His vision dimmed to the familiar gray. He let out a deep breath as they became one being.
It felt so similar to before, only now Cazar felt more in control of himself in this form; Toroq was less of an intruder and more a guiding presence in his mind.
The lab! I can hear them.
Cazar sprinted in the opposite direction of Evie’s blood trail, listening to Toroq’s instruction. As he neared the lab, he picked up on the soft, hostile murmur of his mate’s voice and the male that had wounded him.
Killedhim.
“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” Evie screamed, her voice growing louder as he neared his destination. Reacting to the pain and rage in her tone, Cazar roared. Instantly, he barreled into the sealed door to his lab.
It budged slightly but it didn’t give way. His shoulder slammed into the heavy metal again, and it groaned under the force of his weight, the noise of bending metal growing more intense until it gave way, the door flying into the bright room and crashing against the far wall with a resounding thud.
The lab was empty, but her scream pierced his heart, carrying from just beyond the nearby wall. On the other side was his bedroom, separated by one-way glass. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see through from this side. But he didn’t need to. His senses were so advanced, he could pinpoint the heavy breathing in the room followed by her grunt of pain as something slammed into her flesh.
“If you won’t be with me, Evie, then you won’t be with anyone!” the male shouted.
Cazar raced forward, ground shaking with his footfalls, matching the force of his own fury. Leaping straight at the glass, it shattered upon impact, splintering into thousands of shards.
He caught sight of the male’s back, Evie curled up in a protective ball on the floor at her assailant’s feet. The scent of her blood and fear was so much stronger, so much more potent, that his vision flickered from gray to red. Toroq leaped forward in Cazar’s mind, their resolve blending together until, in that moment, they were truly one.
Roaring, the sound deafening, they reached for the male, claws breaking human skin. Grabbing his dangling arm, they ripped it the rest of the way off, barely giving the human time to scream before they swung it at him, hitting him in the face with his own hand.
The male flew several feet, hitting the wall nearest the bed. Drywall gave way, a small bit of dust puffing up as the male collapsed to the ground in a heap.
“Toroq?” Evie asked hoarsely, her expression morphing from fear to shock as they whipped their head toward her. “Caz? Is Caz–” Her voice broke, her red and puffy eyes swelling with tears.
The sight nearly broke him, but then they noticed the knife sticking out from her shoulder, blood flowing in rivulets down her front. A pitiful groan drew their attention back to the male as he attempted to rise to his feet.
We will eat his head,Toroq hissed in his mind, leaping for the male. Cazar might find disgust in the action later, but for now, he agreed wholeheartedly.
