Page 16 of Akur

But there were no Tasqals in sight. Just their lackeys—Hedgeruds. About seven of them. All armed, ready to attack.

Beneath him, the female twisted, rising on the back of her arms before laughter bubbled from her throat. “Looks like some Ninja Turtles shit.”

He could feel when the Hedgeruds’ focus shifted from him to her. Feel their hungry gazes. It made his nefre pulse, sending awareness skittering across his spine, and he crouched lower, some part of him wanting to hide the vulnerable female from their searching eyes.

“Mm,” she tilted her head, looking up at him. “You’re warm, but tut tut tut.” She waggled a digit at him. “You’re not getting into my pants so easily, big guy.”

Another giggle bubbled from her throat the moment his brow tightened at her words. The pain shooting through his entire frame was nothing compared to his confusion.

Qrak. This human was going to be the death of him. The nickname “big guy” made him pause, though, his mind flashing to their first chaotic meeting just turns ago. When he’d grabbed her from her lodging, intent on getting her to that bunker. Before that gravity beam had caught them. He still remembered how she’d decked him—right before using that same term of endearment. He wasn’t entirely convinced it was a compliment. She had a tendency to combine violence with casual familiarity.

“What are you waiting for?! Get the filthy rebel!”

He didn’t know which of the Hedgeruds uttered the command. Didn’t care. There was no time to think. Praying his legs worked, he put all his energy into them as he rolled off the shuttle with the female pressed to his side. The landing was rough. He almost planted on his face, but he fought for balance, dragging her up with him. Three Hedgeruds circled them, crouching low. The bloodlust in their gazes evident.

They wanted to see him bleed.

Ha. The feeling was mutual.

Staking his sword into the ground, he reached up and flung the helmet from his head, spitting out a mouthful of lifeblood that had risen in his throat.

“Ooh,” Kon-stahns’ voice took on a deeper note as she looked up at him. “You know, for an alien dude with green skin, you’re not half bad.”

“I am not green.” He tried not to consider what her tone meant. Despite the trouble surrounding them, it sent a bolt ofsomethingstraight to his groin. She was out of her mind.

“After this, you owe me a favor,” he growled, reaching for his blade once more. He’d have to fight one-handed. No big deal. He could fight these fools with his eyes closed.

“Strange way to ask for a blowjob, but alright.” Kon-stahns giggled, her shoulders heaving in an easy shrug.

“Awhat?” His gaze barely shifted to her before a roar came from his left. Twisting with her in his arms, he let out a roar of his own even as his body protested the strain. Come on.Regenerate. Years of training kicked in anyway, his muscles moving from pure memory as his blade spun in his grasp, cutting down the Hedgerud that had charged.

Kon-stahns giggled. “Better take it. It’s your one free pass.”

Akur pushed her words from his mind because nothing she was saying was making sense. Flexing his arm, he brought his blade up again as one part of his enemy fell one way, and the other half went in the opposite direction.

“Just like old times,” he rumbled, watching the blood run down the blade as movement in his periphery made him turn. Clutching the female tight around her midsection, he ducked, swinging her as he did, the momentum of her body bringing him down low.

“Whee!”

The blade that had tried to slice him in two skimmed just over his nose. His gaze locked with the Hedgerud that had attacked, a moment passing between them as he thrust his own weapon upward.

“That must hurt. Hope you didn’t want younglings.”

Blood gushed through the Hedgerud’s open maw.

Kon-stahns giggled, waggling a digit at the Hedgerud as he fell to his knees. She didn’t even seem to care about the lifeblood that splattered her. “Naughty! No babies for you!”

He could hardly catch a breath before another attacked. Two more fell as he clutched the female to himself and ran—more like stumbled—away from the damaged shuttle and death at their back.

Find somewhere to hide. Have to find somewhere safe.

Wherever he looked, more and more Hedgeruds were appearing. Some kind of alert must have been sent out, and they were all converging on this single location. Qrak!

“Filthy rebel!” It was a roar as the Hedgerud charged. His body felt like it was going to lock up again, but he couldn’t let it. Spinning, he swung Kon-stahns out of the Hedgerud’s path, one arm still gripping her and the other flipping the blade in his grasp before he buried it to the hilt into the charging Hedgerud. This one stopped in his tracks, but it was too late. His momentum already impaled him on the weapon. Slitted yellow eyes met his own as the Hedgerud choked on his own internal fluids.

“Surprised?” Akur couldn’t help but taunt, even as his own body staggered with the effort to keep the female at his side while bracing against the sudden deadweight of the Hedgerud on his blade. “I had these specially made to pierce right through Hedgerud armor.”

With a kick, he dislodged the vermin before he lifted the female and headed toward the nearest building. He needed to get them some cover and walls, even those made by his enemies, would provide some defense. He needed to get her to safety. He needed to not fail—

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