Page 95 of Rebirth

But I can’t. How can I tell her that as the moments tick by, all I can hear is the blood rushing in her veins and the sound is slowly driving a thirst in me I wish I never had.

“I…”

“She cannot hear the Gryken,” He’rox says, an arm snaking around me. “She can hear something else. She can hear you.”

I swallow hard.

Is this what he’s been fighting all along? Even now? This is the call that’s been at the back of his mind all this time? To consume. To devour. And yet still, he never tried to hurt me?

“Your breaths,” He’rox continues. “Your lifeblood. She can hear it all. And it is telling her to take. To control.”

The horror of his words is even more terrifying because it is true.

I’m…turning into a monster, and as I glance up at He’rox, the irony isn’t lost on me. Now more than ever, I want to tear this corruption from my veins.

“There must be something you can do,” Fer’ro’s blades disappear as he takes a step forward. “Brother.” The utterance is obviously an olive branch. An apology for their fears. Their assumptions.

“Can you control it?” Adira asks.

I shake my head. I’m not sure. I want to say yes…but every moment that passes, my senses tune in to new things. I can even feel the air shift in the room as she steps forward.

“Fuck,” Adira whispers. “Okay. Listen. We’re not going to let it take you. We’ll find a way.” Her gaze meets He’rox’s over my head and I assume he jerks his chin in affirmation.

“And you, brother,” Fer’ro’s gaze slips over He’rox. His ba’clan wave as if ready to spike once more but he manages to keep them down. “Your fears were incorrect.” His gaze flies to the tentacles waving at He’rox’s back. “You are in control.”

“I am…not.” He’rox’s utterance makes Fer’ro’s ba’clan wave, and off to the side, Ga’Var clicks something in an alien tongue.

Fer’ro clicks back before San’ten joins in. From their snarls, fangs baring, I can tell the conversation is heated before He’rox growls. “I’m not leaving Soh’fee.”

“What?” I startle.

“She is mine. My ba’clan have claimed her. I have claimed her. I will not leave until she has turned me away.”

I blink at him, shaking my head. “I won’t…”

His gaze locks with mine before he continues. “There is one final experiment I can conduct. But for its success…something must be sacrificed.”

A tense silence follows, before Fer’ro snarls. “We sacrifice nothing,” he steps forward. “This time, not even yourself.”

“I am afraid, brother,” He’rox says, “that there is no choice.”

My mouth falls open and I’m about to protest when a fifth Vullan rushes into the room.

Fi’rox, Deja’s mate, skids to a halt, taking us all in before his gaze snaps and holds on to He’rox. His ba’clan react immediately, spiking all along his skin.

“A group approaches. Several humans. All carrying weapons,” he growls, voice impossibly deep. “No response to the scouting drone.” His gaze flicks to me before going to Fer’ro. “They shot it down.”

“Hostile,” Fer’ro says.

“Oh fuck,” Adira mutters. “Alright, come on girls, let’s go—”

“No!” I step out of He’rox’s grasp. “You can’t go out there. Warn the others in the camp. Get them to safety. Those humans approaching are…”

“Corrupted,” Mina says, eyes widening, and for the first time I realize something that should be obvious from the first meeting we all had together.

Mina is not like the others.

Mina is different too.

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