Page 6 of Doom

“Let’s go,”I telepathically told my brothers and Stran.

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched him nudge Red with his snout then take a few steps towards us before pausing and looking at her again. She immediately understood he wanted her to follow and complied. Rolling up into a ball, he circled twice around her before coming towards me. My Red laughed, both amused and confused by his behavior. Her laughter had a clear, musical quality that made one want to smile, too. She didn’t realize that Stran had claimed her for both of us with his circling movements. The frown on my brothers’ faces told me it hadn’t gone unnoticed. I couldn’t help the smug smile that stretched my lips when a few of them glared at me.

Looking at the scanner on my armband, I hesitated between three hotspots of Kryptids. If my Red weren’t with us, I wouldn’t have hesitated to go to the largest one. However, while I didn’t doubt my brothers’ and my ability to wreak havoc among the bugs, and Stran’s ability to decimate any who would dare threaten my female, the thought of my Red in harm’s way had both my hearts constricting painfully in my chest.

“Let’s go south,”I said through mind-speak.

“South?” Legion asked out loud, looking at me as if I’d grown a second head.

“It’s less dangerous for the human,” I said, annoyed by my defensive tone.

Chaos turned to look at us. “She should remain in one of the houses while we go clean up that bigger nest. The Kryptids won’t come back to this area for a single human.”

“Negative,” I countered. “While most of the local population has fled, many were stranded here, as she was. Most likely, they’ve all been injected and carried off to a Swamp. It’s probably in this area. We need to find and eliminate it. We may still be able to save the humans.”

“My scanner doesn’t pick up anything, either bugs or a large concentration of humans,” Chaos argued.

“Neither does mine,” Legion said. “But Doom’s reasoning has merit. They must have some dampening field camouflaging them. By the time we discovered this newest Breeding Swamp it would already be too late.”

“Excuse me,” Red said timidly.

We all turned to look at her. She swallowed hard, and her pale aqua eyes widened with a sliver of fright. The freckles covering her pretty face seemed to stand out even more as her milky-white skin grew a shade lighter. It had to be intimidating to have eleven of us in our battle form staring at her.

“What is it, Red?” I asked in a gentle voice.

“Victoria. My name is Victoria,” she said, rubbing the side of her nose nervously. “I … hmmm …” She cleared her throat, seeming mightily uncomfortable. “Well, seeing how you’re all kinds of kicking ass and said you were here to save humans, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind moving towards the Sacred Heart Hospital? It’s just a couple of blocks north from here.”

Chaos snorted, and I glared at him. At least, he spared me any smart-ass comments.

“The Kryptids have tons of humans that they injected with that thing all piled up on big platforms. They got my partner about twenty minutes ago, and …”

What the fuck does she mean by partner?

Her voice trailed off, and she took a hesitant step back, clasping her hands in front of her. The way she eyed me warily, I realized my anger at her words must have shown.

“Control yourself, my brother,”Legion mind-spoke to me.

To my shame, I’d not only displayed my displeasure—sense of betrayal even—on my face, I’d psychically broadcast it loud enough for my brothers to frown at me.

“We were going to avoid that area to keep you safe. But, of course, we can help you save your mate,” Chaos said.

“My mate? Andy?” Victoria exclaimed as if Chaos had said something ludicrous. “Oh no, he’s not my partnerthatway. He’s my partner at work. We’re both medical doctors. And I’ve been way too busy to date anyone, what with the long hours and … Oh gosh, I’m babbling,” she said, pressing her palms to her reddening cheeks.

She was unbearably cute … And delightfully single. I wanted to thump my chest, shout ‘mine’ and then haul her away from here.

“It’s okay, Red … Victoria. Stay out of sight with Stran. We will free your partner,” I said with a stupid grin on my face.

“You’re so pathetic,”Rage said, rolling hiseyes at me.

“Bite me. She’s my soulmate.”

“Whoa, someone is getting ahead of himself,”Chaos retorted.“We’re all attracted to her stunning aura.”

“But my fangs are aching, and my mating glands are swelling. Are yours?”I challenged.

All ten of my brothers turned sharply to look at me, their mouths gaping.

“Your mating glands have awakened?”Legion asked, disbelieving.

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