Page 6 of Sy

Banic’s warning rang clear in Sy’s memory. The feral leader had threatened to personally hunt down any feral who caused trouble for their human guests, his words explicit and brutal. But with Banic away searching for the still-missing human women who had crash-landed on the planet with Raalt’s mate, the responsibility of keeping peace fell heavily on Sy’s shoulders.

His gaze drifted back to Ashley as she crouched beside the scanner array, her movements precise and confident. The intelligence in his blood stirred again, stronger this time, but it didn’t say anything. That was the thing. It only spoke rarely and generally only to impart knowledge. His gaze cut across to Tor, working on the opposite side of the site. His younger cousin’s Rage presence wasn’t so amenable. Half the time he wasn’t sure which was in control, Tor or the legion creature who rode in his blood.

The wind picked up, carrying the scent of wet earth and machinery as the temporary fencing rattled ominously. It wasn’t there to keep the ferals out—if they wanted in, nothing would stop them—but more to signal to the humans that they shouldn’t stray.

He pushed away from the railing to investigate the loose panel, glad for the excuse to move. His boots crunched on the gritty surface underfoot as he began his perimeter check. Water had pooled in several places around the equipment crates,reflecting the clouded sky above. Several areas were going to need drainage later before they became a problem.

The visiting ferals had settled into a crouch at the edge of the clearing, still watching. He favored them with a look as he passed, letting them know he’d seen them. Knew they were there. But as long as they stayed there, they weren’t going to have a problem.

Ashley’s voice rang out across the site clearly as she directed the placement of support beams. He forced his attention back to his patrol. He had a job to do, and it didn’t include watching a human female like she was the sun, moon, and stars combined.

No. The perimeter needed checking, and the camp needed securing, as much as he could. That was what mattered. Not the way she handled herself with quiet confidence or how the symbiote responded to her presence.

He had a job to do. Everything else was irrelevant.

3

Ashley shifted her hold on the transport vehicle’s metal side as it lurched up the steep road toward the garrison. The evening air had turned crisp and sharp, her nostrils flaring with the scent of rain-soaked vegetation all around them. Portable lamps strung between posts at the side of the dirt track cast pools of light across her companions in the truck as it swayed.

She was at the front, just behind the cab with Lila tucked in next to her, but she couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting to the back. The big alien, Sy, stood at the back of the open-topped truck like a sentinel, with his head constantly moving as he scanned the darkening landscape. The muscles in his shoulders were taut under his shirt, as though he was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

As though aware of her watching, he turned and looked right at her. She yanked her gaze away quickly and sank lower in her seat. Why she was watching him, she had no idea. He didn’t even like her. He’d made that perfectly clear yesterday. But she couldn’t stop. He always seemed to be in the corner of her eye, which was more comforting than she wanted it to be.

The new ferals turning up earlier had rattled her nerves a little. Or rather, the way Sy and the others had gone on alert watching them had. She bit her lip. What if he’d been right yesterday, and the situation here was more dangerous than she’d thought?

The transport vehicle jolted over another bump, and she gripped the railing tighter. Below them, the cliff face dropped away into darkness, the rocks barely visible in the failing light. One wrong move, one slip of the massive treaded wheels, and they’d all tumble to their deaths. No wonder the aliens hadn’t attempted this journey last night during the storm. It would have been suicide.

“Mom?” Lila looked down the mountain with none of the same fear that rolled through Ashley. “How much further?”

“Not long now, honey.” She wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders, noting how cold she felt. “See those lights up ahead? That’s the garrison.”

As they drew closer, the building’s imposing silhouette took shape against the darkening sky. High walls of grey stone rose before them, topped with what looked like guard towers at regular intervals. Harsh floodlights illuminated the perimeter, casting long shadows across the surrounding steep hillside.

“It looks like a prison,” Lila whispered, pressing closer to her side.

Her throat tightened as she looked at the fortress-like structure. Yeah, it really did. The place had all the warmth and welcome of a maximum-security facility. But she smiled and gave Lila’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’m sure it’s much nicer inside.”

The transport rumbled through the main gate, passing under a heavy archway that yawed above them… like a predator’s maw ready to swallow them whole. The sound of the engine echoed off stone walls as they pulled into a courtyard, finally stopping beside stone steps leading up to huge double doors.

It appeared they had arrived.

Sy jumped down from his position at the back of the truck, moving with a fluid grace she found fascinating.

“Everyone inside,” he called out, his voice carrying. “Meal service starts in twenty minutes.”

As they were at the front of the truck, Lila and Ashley were the last in the group filing into the light and warmth. She tried not to flinch as the massive doors clanged shut behind them. But she couldn’t bite back her gasp as the main hall opened up before them, the ceiling disappearing into the shadows above. More lamps created islands of light, illuminating long tables and rows of benches that filled the space.

“Please, everyone, find somewhere to sit,” Sy called out in his rough voice. “There’s space for everyone.”

The hall buzzed with quiet conversation as the work teams, human and alien alike, found seats. The mixture of voices created an odd harmony that bounced off the stone walls.

She found them a space halfway down the table to the left and settled onto the wooden bench, her muscles protesting after the long day. Lila slid in beside her, immediately stuffing her music buds in her ears. Adult conversation bored her to tears.

“Those foundation scans were fascinating,” Michelle Trevor, one of the senior engineers, said as she spread out a tablet on the table. “Look at these mineral deposits we found. If we adjust the footings here and here, we could save weeks of excavation time.”

Ashley leaned forward, studying the glowing diagrams. “Good catch. Mark those coordinates for tomorrow’s team. We’ll need to?—”

A loud tapping sound drew everyone’s attention to the front of the hall. A massive Izaean stood there, his presence commanding immediate silence.

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