Page 51 of Primal Vow

"Hey, you're the one that chose me. That's on you."

Taryn couldn't help himself. He reached out and pulled Rhys in for a swift embrace, relishing the feel of the smaller man against his side. Rhys was warm and solid, a living presence at Taryn's side.

Despite the danger that they were about to face, despite the weight of Taryn's fears, there was a lightness in his chest, a thrill that he could feel to his very bones.

His instincts purred, happy to have his mate by his side.

There wasn't time for Taryn to argue — or to do any of the other things that his instincts urged for. With a grim nod, he accepted that Rhys was going to be at his side.

"Let's go."

The tunnel was a massive thing, its walls big enough to fit a squad of full-grown Borraq walking side by side. Despite its size, the air in it was stale, the scent of stone and stale water filling Taryn's senses.

But there was something else in the air, too. The further they followed the humans' trail, the heavier the atmosphere became, thick with the anticipation of violence.

Taryn led the way, moving silently despite his size. Rhys followed close behind, his steps nearly as quiet. Taryn had trained for countless hours to move unseen, to be a predator that could approach his prey without them ever knowing. Rhys had no such training, but there was something in the set of his shoulders, the focus in his eyes, that spoke of a man who was ready to face down any danger — even if it was to save his enemies!

Taryn had truly never known a human like him.

They soon closed in on the sound of voices. The humans were gathered around the explosive canisters, their heads bent over them as they worked.

It was now long past the time for negotiation.

It was time for Taryn to take his prey.

With a snarl, Taryn lunged at the nearest human, his blade flashing in the dim light. The human only had time for a single wide-eyed stare before the point of Taryn's blade was buried in his chest. Borraq blades were made for Vasz's thick-skinned predators, and they made short work of thin human hide.

The humans staggered back, shocked. Good — Taryn had to keep them away from those damn canisters.

He had to take them all down. If a single one of them managed to trigger their explosives…

They humans were well-trained. It only took an instant before their shock turned into fury. The humans reached for their weapons, snatching them up. "You traitorous scum!" one of them spat, leveling a gun at Rhys.

Taryn moved with the fluid grace of a born warrior, his blade an extension of his body as he engaged the humans. The clash of steel on steel rang out in the tunnel, the metallic clamor echoing off the stone walls.

He had to keep them away from the explosives. If they were able to get to their detonators… Taryn knew that these humans wouldn't hesitate.

Not even if it meant they'd go down with the city too.

This had been a one-way trip from the start, after all.

Taryn's heart pounded in his chest, not from exertion but from the thrill of battle. This was what he had been born for — to protect his people, his home, at any cost. The humans were a threat to everything he held dear, and he would not allow them to succeed.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Rhys grappling with one of the humans, the human's greater size and weight proving a challenge. But Rhys was tenacious, dodging the human's wild swings with agility born of desperation. When an opening presented itself, he struck with underhanded efficiency, the stuff that streetfights were made of, driving a fist into his opponent's kidneys in a savage little punch.

The human grunted, doubling over, and Rhys didn't even pause, lunging for another human. Taryn felt a surge of pride at Rhys's feral violence, his mate proving himself a formidable ally even against superior odds.

Spinning on his heel, Taryn parried a wild slash from another human's knife, the jarring impact traveling up his arm. He could feel the human's fear, could smell the sour tang of adrenaline on the air. These humans were outmatched, but they fought with the desperation of cornered animals.

They had one task in mind: detonating those explosives.

And Taryn was the only thing standing between them and their goal.

But there were other ways to trigger an explosion than with a detonator. On the other side of the room, one of them struggled for their gun, their eyes locked on the explosives.

Taryn's heart seized. "Rhys!" he shouted, his voice ringing with urgency.

Rhys followed Taryn's gaze, and understood immediately. He launched himself at the human just before they could raise their gun. They collided in a tangle of limbs, grappling for control of the weapon as they crashed to the ground.

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