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I claw at his hand, desperate to pry his fingers from my throat. Can't... breathe. Darkness creeps around the edges of my vision, threatening to consume me. I gasp out choked breaths, knowing the longer I keep him focused on me means more time for my mate to escape.
My vision narrows, my head throbs. Suddenly, the yellow-maned male rushes in, dagger raised high and aimed at Gruxt's uninjured side. But his attack is thwarted as Gruxt's free hand easily slaps him away. He flies through the air, slamming into a tree trunk with a sickening thud.
The force of the yellow-maned male's attack jars me loose from the beast’s death strangle, and I crumple to the ground at his feet. I gasp, my chest burning with the desperate need for air. My blurred vision grows dark around the edges, threatening to consume me. But I can't give in to unconsciousness, not now. My mate... she's still in danger.
Gruxt pulls hard at the air. Abruptly, he turns and sprints in the direction of the underground lab. He's caught the scent of the females!
I shove to my feet as the yellow-maned male pushes up from the base of the tree. We exchange pained expressions, his body trembling, likely from the pain, but there's a fire in his eyes that tells me he won't back down.
As we run to catch Gruxt, I can't help but wonder why the yellow-maned male moved the females from the crashed ship to the lab. It makes no sense; it only adds to the danger they're in.
We close in on the altered male and the sunken steps to the lab come into view. I see my mate huddled together with the spiral-maned female, out in the open and vulnerable.
I reach deep, forcing my legs to move faster in hopes I can reach her in time just as Rooke appears out of nowhere, launching himself feet first into the beast's belly. The impact stops Gruxt in his tracks but sends the pirate ricocheting backward. Rooke lands hard, cradling his shin in pain. Gruxt is unfazed, taking off with terrifying speed.
I push harder and every muscle screams in protest, but there's no time for pain. My mate is at risk, and nothing will stop me from reaching her. A growl rises up my throat. My instincts take over, my body moving with a primal urge born of desperation.
We chase after Gruxt, our limbs heavy and uncoordinated. Rooke limps alongside us, his expression one of stubborn determination.
What if we don't make it in time? What if my mate is harmed because of my failure? The thought is unbearable, fueling my resolve to run faster, push harder.
"Fuck!" the yellow-maned male curses, his eyes darting between the underground stairwell and the altered male's rapidly approaching form. "They aren’t even inside yet."
"No, you don’t!" Rooke lunges, the points of his horns leading the way. The tough-scaled armor of the altered male's back is unscathed, yet the impact slows him down, giving me and the yellow-maned male time to catch up.
As we close in, the altered male whirls around, orange eyes blazing with fury. His tail whips out, narrowly missing Rooke, who ducks just in time. The yellow-maned male isn't so lucky, the scaled appendage knocking him sideways. He crashes into the underbrush, disappearing within the heavy foliage of the forest.
I leap onto the altered male's back, my arm hooking around his thick neck as I cling to him with all my strength. The weight of my body knocks him off-balance, his arms flail wildly as he struggles to regain his footing. I can feel the tremble beneath his thick scales, the labored rhythm of his breaths.
With one final surge of strength, I tighten my grip and haul the altered male backward, forcing him to stumble.
Rooke lunges, his fangs finding purchase in the altered male's calf muscle. The beast roars in fury. My grip on his throat tightens as he thrashes, attempting to shake us off. Rooke hangs on for dear life, his body whipping back and forth with every violent movement.
"Everybody run!" the yellow-maned male cries, having successfully attached a confinement collar around Gruxt's biceps. He activates the key, the colors rapidly cycling until reaching the countdown of flashing red.
With every ounce of strength left in me, I release the altered male from my chokehold and dive-roll to the ground, scrambling for cover behind the massive trunk of a lone clava tree. My heart pounds in my ears, my breaths ragged gasps as adrenaline courses through my veins.
I spot my mate cowering with the other females near the sunken stairwell. The fear in her eyes slices through me like a knife, and I push off the tree and race toward her. I push hard, fighting to bridge the distance between us.
The altered male's roars grow more frenzied, the countdown on the collar drawing to a close. An eternity seems to pass in the span of a heartbeat, even the moon holding its breath as we wait for the inevitable.
The violent eruption of energy is nearly blinding in its intensity. The ground trembles beneath my feet. The roar of the explosion, a cacophony of destruction.
The blast from the confinement collar knocks my mate to the ground. She remains unmoving and panic surges through me. Without thinking, I lunge forward and snatch her up. My feet racing across the ground as if they have a mind of their own, carrying us both deep into the forest.
I stop for a brief moment to assess her injuries and grab my pack I stashed under a shrub. It's a relief to find she's still alive and breathing; however, she’s unconscious. I pull free the medical cuff and calibrate it to her slight weight, then clamp it on her forearm.
With the warmth of her tiny frame cradled close to my chest, I long to take a moment and admire the petite beauty in my arms. The clattering of footsteps reaches my ears, a warning I'm being tracked. Without another thought, I sprint through the forest with my mate in my arms.
My hideout high in the trees is the safest place for her, not the underground lab where the females were being led by the yellow-maned Ziarian. An idiotic move to hide the females where those creatures were bred and one might still remain.
Holding my female close, I take off at a full sprint. I easily fall back on my military training, keeping my strides fast and light so not to be heard. I weave a path through the thick vegetation to confuse and evade my pursuers.
The forest is alive with the sound of chirping birds and buzzing insects. The relentless sun beats down through the trees. Strands of vines and gnarled branches reach out for me, but I'm agile enough to duck and dodge them.
My breath comes in ragged bursts as I run for what feels like hours. My muscles ache and my throat is dry. But I won't stop. Not until I know I've put enough distance between me and Rooke and the spiral-maned female who follows.
I keep close to the raging waters of the Zune River. Make the pirate think he's tracking me. The rainy season will soon be upon us, and the water will mask my female's scent. I'll lure him closer to my hideout, snare him one of my many traps.
