Page 291 of Evil Hearts

Ryxin’s lip curled briefly, his ears flicking back in annoyance. “I’ll handle Sylas in the morning. There’s no need to wake him over this.” He shifted his weight, his claws tapping lightlyagainst the floor. “Until I have more answers, this matter stays between us.”

The healer seemed to consider this as his tail flicked absently. “What about the other four? They’re in marginally better shape than this one.”

Ryxin didn’t hesitate. “Heal them, keep them subdued. Place them in the luxury guest apartments and give them what they need. Lock the doors if necessary, and post guards if you think they’re a threat. I’ll decide what to do with them after I’ve had time to think.”

Yarx tilted his head then bowed slightly, exposing his neck in a gesture of respect. “It will be done, my prince. I’ll ensure your command is followed.”

Straightening again, Yarx reached into his medpack and pulled out a small container etched with glowing runes. He held it out to Ryxin, the soft light of the markings reflecting in the room’s ambient glow. “This is healing salve infused with Lux Tears. Apply it to her shallow wounds. It’ll heal her faster and prevent scarring.”

“Thank you,” he said, accepting the container with gratitude. He turned back toward the nest, his focus already shifting to the unconscious female as an unexpected wave of exhaustion swept over him.

“If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed.”

Yarx hesitated for only a moment then nodded once more and gathered his medscanner. Without another word, he strode out of the room, leaving Ryxin alone with the unconscious female.

The chamber fell into silence save for the faint crackling of the Lux Tear heater’s embers and the rhythmic sound of her shallow breaths. Ryxin sat on the edge of the nest, his massive frame dwarfing her fragile form. He opened the container of salve, the faint scent of herbs and Lux Tears wafting up as he dipped his fingers into the cool, gel-like substance.

Carefully, almost reverently, he began to apply the salve to the bruises and scratches marring her bare skin. Every touch, every faint sigh of breath that escaped her lips, sent a strange pull through him.

What was she, this enemy who had stumbled into his world? And why did he feel like keeping her alive was more than just an obligation?

Chapter Three

Ari

Heat cocooned Ari,seeping into her skin, an inferno so consuming it felt almost otherworldly. It was a startling contrast to the icy daggers she remembered cutting through her last time she’d been conscious enough to know what was going on around her—had that been real? Or was this?

Her body didn’t ache the same way, no more stabbing cold clawing into her muscles. The thought made her press her lips together, unwilling to break whatever fragile thread kept her suspended in warmth.

She didn’t want to open her eyes—if she did, what would she find?

Her mind stumbled over fragments of memory, jagged and painful. The cruise ship—her attempt at starting over, at escaping the mess of her past life—attacked. Ferocious aliens had attacked the luxury vessel, causing chaos to explode around her.

She shivered despite the warmth. She remembered fighting—clawing, kicking—to reach an escape pod. The doors had hissed closed just as the ship behind her erupted into a blinding inferno, swallowing lives and screams in one final explosion.

She would’ve died if she hadn’t fought so hard.

But then there was the forest, wasn’t there? Frost biting into her as she dangled upside down, cradled in monstrous, furry arms. A pack of massive, otherworldly wolves shadowing her captor. Her stomach twisted. A wolf den. That had to be it. She was prey, tucked neatly into some alien predator’s nest.

Something soft and warm brushed against her leg, startling her. It moved, threading itself slowly between her thighs—a thick, furry tail that radiated heat. Her breath caught, her fingers twitching reflexively against the thick furred hides beneath her.

The inferno shifted, and a low rumble vibrated against her back, deep and soothing like a distant growl. Two strong, fur-covered arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer as something—soft and heavy, like a head—rested atop her own.

Her chest heaved with shallow breaths, her heart pounding. She had to look. Had to know.

Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a vast room cloaked in shadows. Faint blue lights flickered along the walls, casting an otherworldly glow over the smooth, stone-like surfaces. Nearby, a smokeless flame danced in a basin, its light shifting like bubbly blue mixed drinks.

Ari’s stomach sank as she craned her neck downward. The arms encircling her were black-furred and massive, the same ones she remembered from the forest. She sucked in a sharp breath.

Her new reality slammed hard: she was naked, entangled with a wolf-man in a nest of fur and warmth.

“What the fuck?”

The wolfman chuckled, the sound deep and rumbly, vibrating through the nest and into her bones. “You want to mate?” His voice was dark, threaded with amusement, and entirely too confident.

“No!” Ari shook her head hard, knocking his heavy head off her own as she squirmed in his hold. Her heart raced as she clawedat his arms, trying to pry herself free. “This has to be some dream. Just some... insane nightmare.”

The wolfman released her with a low, throaty laugh. She sat up quickly, clutching the furs around her chest as he stretched languidly beside her, like a predator toying with his prey. “Does this look like a dream to you?” he asked, his sharp cyan eyes gleaming in the room’s dim light.

---