Page 22 of Bound to the Bounty Hunter

“Razorclaws!” Samira cried, her voice tight with fear.

I pushed her behind me, drawing my weapon in one fluid motion. The creatures fanned out, surrounding us with practiced efficiency. Predators, then. Smart ones.

“What are they?” I growled, tracking the nearest beast with my blaster.

“Kervantian razorclaws,” Samira answered, her breath hot against my ear. “Apex predators. Hunt in packs.”

Thrilling.

I charged forward just as the lead razorclaw leapt, its mandibles spread wide, dripping with a viscous black fluid that glistened in the shadows. I sidestepped just in time, its jaws snapping shut with a sickening clack. My blaster came up instinctively, and I fired point-blank into its underbelly. Thecreature let out an ear-splitting shriek, its body writhing in agony as it collapsed in a twitching, convulsing heap.

Before I could even catch my breath, two more razorclaws hurtled toward me from opposite sides, their barbed limbs slicing through the air. I pivoted and slammed my boot into one’s armored thorax, sending it careening backward to crash against a tree trunk with a sharp crack. The other lunged low, and its serrated claws ripped across my arm, leaving a hot, burning trail of blood. Pain flared, but it only fueled my anger. I bared my fangs, my own growl mingling with the shrieks of the beasts. They had picked the wrong prey.

Fueled by adrenaline, I moved with brutal precision, each shot landing with deadly accuracy. My reflexes allowed me to dance between their slashing claws and snapping mandibles, always a split second ahead. One claw missed my throat by inches, but I ducked, sending a round directly through the creature’s skull. It dropped, its body spasming before going still.

Then, a piercing scream from behind stabbed through the chaos, freezing my blood. I whirled around to see Samira, her back pressed to a tree, eyes wide with terror as a razorclaw inched closer, drooling venom from its gaping maw. Rage ignited inside me, fierce and primal. In three powerful strides, I crossed the distance, seized the creature by its hind legs, and with a roar, swung it like a weapon. Its chitinous body smashed into the ground with a sickening crunch, then again, and again, until it lay lifeless, its shattered shell leaking dark fluid across the forest floor.

The remaining razorclaws hesitated, their antennae twitching as they sensed the sudden shift in power. Then, one by one, they skittered back into the underbrush, vanishing into the shadows. I stood there, chest heaving, muscles coiled and ready for more, but the only sounds now were our ragged breathing and the slow return of the jungle’s subdued whispers.

I turned to Samira, every protective instinct still thrumming through me. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, eyes wide. I moved closer, needing to be sure. My hands ghosted over her arms, her sides, checking for injury. The gentleness of my touch was at odds with the violence of moments before, but I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know she was safe.

“I’m okay,” Samira whispered. “Really.”

I looked up, suddenly aware of how close we were. Her face was inches from mine, her breath warm on my skin. My gaze dropped to her lips, parted slightly. The urge to descend on her, to claim her mouth with mine, was almost overwhelming.

For a heartbeat, I thought she might lean in. But then reality came crashing back. I jerked away, my professional mask slamming back into place.

“We should move,” I said gruffly, already gathering our scattered supplies. “In case there are more.”

I felt Samira’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze. The rush of combat faded, leaving me uncertain and off-balance. These feelings, this... connection... it was dangerous. A distraction we couldn’t afford.

But as we set off again, Samira close behind me, the memory of her in my arms persisted. The way she’d looked at me. And the terrifying realization of how far I’d go to keep her safe.

SAMIRA

We walked for another hour, pushing through thick underbrush and dodging the occasional carnivorous plant. The heat was oppressive, and my clothes stuck to my skin. I was about to suggest a short break when Arkon suddenly stopped.

“What is it?” I asked, coming up beside him.

Then I saw it. A massive ravine stretched out before us, so wide I couldn’t see the other side through the mist rising from its depths. My jaw dropped.

“That’s... not on any of the maps,” I stammered.

Arkon frowned. “I didn’t see it when I landed. The canopy must have obscured it from above.”

I peered over the edge, my stomach lurching at the sheer drop. “It’s far too wide to jump across, even for you.”

“Agreed,” Arkon said. “We’ll need to find another way.”

I chewed my lip, my mind racing. “What if we built a bridge? There are some sturdy vines around here. We could weave them together...”

Arkon shook his head. “It would take too long, and we don’t have the tools.”

“Okay, what about... using those giant leaves over there as a sort of hang glider? The updrafts from the ravine might carry us across.”

“Too risky,” Arkon replied. “One wrong gust and we’d plummet.”

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