Page 92 of Victoria's Discovery

Her surprise lasted only a second before she sprang into action.

She made a beeline for the small group ofTuullimierians—a species she’d learned evolved from prey animals—knowing if she didn’t help them, they’d panic and scatter.

“It’s okay, everyone,” she reassured, doing her best to keep her voice calm, her smile gentle and soothing. “You’re all safe.” Making eye contact with the leader of the group, a young but remarkably level-headed female by the name of Misheria, Victoria asked, “You remember the drills? You know where to go?”

“Y–yes, Vee.” Misheria’s soft yellow feathers were puffed up and quivering in fear, but at Victoria’s encouraging nod, she chirped sharply—the equivalent of a human setting their shoulders—smoothed out her feathers and faced her people. “Quiet as adreliir, swift as avralcur, hmm?”

With a nervous, but purposeful, nod back at Victoria, she ushered her people to the elevators.

That taken care of, she turned to help someone else only to find Thegan, Thorn, and Vi’kail all sprinting right for her, armed to the teeth.

“No,” she announced flatly, cutting them off before they could speak.

Three fearsome frowns met her statement. Thorn growled wordlessly, but she didn’t take exception to it.

“You’re not going to drag me away and stuff me in a closet somewhere, okay?”

Thegan blinked and exchanged a look with Vi’kail. “How did you—”

Smiling wryly, she arched a brow. “Y’all aren’t always hard to read, ya know.”

“Come, little flower. We need to get you—”

“No,” she repeated, gently pushing his hand away from where he’d been reaching for her arm. “I appreciate y’all wanting to protect me, but I have a job to do, and it doesn’t include hiding.” Before they could argue or, more likely, snatch her up and throw her over their shoulder, which Thorn looked like he was about to do, she narrowed her eyes in warning and kept going, voice brooking no argument. “If you want to stay with me, that’s fine. Hell, I’d love that. But wearegoing to stay. Got it?”

Thegan looked like he wanted to either kiss her or shake the hell out of her. Bending, he cupped her cheeks, his gaze heated but his expression worried. “I am incredibly aroused by this new fierceness, but does it have to happen now, my Vee?”

Caught off guard, she laughed even as her cheeks warmed. “Yes. It does.”

His eyes narrowed to slits and a growl slid past his lips, but when she didn’t take it back, he blew out a hard breath. “Fine. But if warriors begin streaming in here, I will throw you over my shoulder whether you like it or no.”

“Deal.”

* * *

Victoriaand the guys worked together to make sure everyone knew what to do and where to go, reassuring them that everything would be okay, that they had it well in hand, and not to worry.

By the time the sentries came through the front doors with the intruder in tow, the lobby was empty of everyone except Aria, her mates and Generals, and a handful of her most trusted gladiators.

“Just one? You checked for scouts and spies nearby?” Aria asked, voice calm, her gaze steady though Victoria expected nothing less.

“Yes, Vhraress,” aDhal’grorgladiator named Vaiz’ak rumbled.

Victoria cringed a little, knowing Aria didn’t love that name, and peeked at her in time to catch her quiet sigh. But the being huddling between the huge bodies of the sentries had a different reaction to hearing it. They gasped and perked up.

The ratty brown hood of the cloak they were wearing fell back when they straightened, revealing a beautiful, androgynous, pale lavender face patterned with bright yellow scales and dominated by large, uptilted, almond-shaped, moss green eyes. He or she was stunning, and it took a second to see past their beauty to realize their face was covered in a latticework of thin scars.

“Oh my gosh… ” she whispered, heart squeezing.

Voice a quiet, hesitant rasp, they repeated, “Vhraress?”

Aria stepped forward. Victoria tried not to be jealous that her mates didn’t try to hold her back or crowd her. Everyone knew she could handle herself whereas Victoria was… struggling in combat.

“How do you know that name?”

The person visibly swallowed and hunched in on themselves despite Aria’s tone being even and calm. “Everyone knows your name.”

Victoria caught the slight stiffening of Aria’s shoulders. “And what else does everyone know?”

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