Page 53 of Battle Fluke

“They made us.” Hudson turned on Cryoc, fingers wrapping instantly around his neck. She didn’t squeeze, but it took everything in her to focus. “They’ll reap what they sow. So unlessyou want a matching bruise, take down the camp. It’s time to head home.”

“Yes, Hudson.” Cryoc growled as she let him go with a push of her hand. He didn’t fight the momentum of her thrust. He simply let himself float away, his eyes pinned on hers.

She turned and headed to the area she knew Cryoc had kept for her.

He’d always been loyal. He’d only pushed as far as he needed, and before now, she’d never once wrapped her hand around his throat. She had thought it would be impossible for him to ever cause such a need.

But had he caused it?

As she settled in the sand at her relatively secluded spot, sounds of the men floated to her. She couldn’t hear the words, but the tones were low and muted. There was no casual jostling with each other, and the flow of water being pushed by their moving flukes and fins held no thrill or excitement.

She felt none either.

Cryoc hadn’t been wrong—those mechanical monsters were like nothing their water had seen before. They were deadly and dangerous, and the humans who controlled them even more so. But that didn’t mean she was wrong. They could take down Talon and then join up with Reine. Join up with Honour and Kyree.

But would she be allowed to join with them ever again? Not just for the war. Did she want to?

No, she couldn’t want that. Not more than the revenge she’d been working her entire life to get. Not more than the revenge she promised her men.

But they’d all stared at her. Fear was in their eyes, but it wasn’t fear for her. Fear for those things. She’d been able to take them down. But only with Honour by her side. It’d been easier than she could have imagined. Honour read her body withoutwords, had predicted her moves just as easily as she could predict Honour’s own next strike. They had to be safe. Honour would keep Kyree safe until she got back. Wouldn’t she?

Got back?

No. She shook her head.

“Shit,” Hudson muttered into the silence around her. Silence? When had her men stopped moving, talking quietly to themselves? How had she missed the end of the pack down?

“The camp’s ready, Hudson.” Cryoc stood stiff at the entrance to her space. He’d never had to collect her before. She’d always been there, ready for them to move out instantly.

She looked up, and his eyes widened before quickly shifting away.

“What?” she snapped, shocked to hear the hitch in her own voice.

“Hudson.” What the hell was that in his voice? Pity? Sympathy?

“What?” She growled out and was rewarded as he flinched slightly.

“You’re crying.”

“I’m not…” Her words trailed off as she lifted one hand to the water in front of her. Warm. A touch of her fingers to her tongue. “Fuck.”

“What happened?”

“What do you mean?” She bit back.

This time Cryoc didn’t flinch. Instead, he moved into her space and stopped within reach of her grip once more. Was he stupid? Well, let him be stupid and see what it gets him.

“Things have changed,” he stated.

“Nothing’s changed.”

“It has. It doesn’t mean we don’t all still want the Talon taken down. But we’re more than just a group of thugs.”

“Huh.” Hudson scoffed. “Since when?”

“Since you made us more.”

The words stopped the next retort from Hudson’s mouth.

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