Page 82 of Unleashed

Aduun dropped his chin, looking at the muddy ground beyond the shelter. “We made him bleed, but it was not enough. He killed many of our people in the battle. Crushed their heartstones or damaged their bodies so greatly that they were unable to heal. Yet despite our savagery, despite the beasts within us that he could not control, he eventually overwhelmed our minds, and we froze. With his blood dripping from my fangs and claws, I froze and could not move save to turn my eyes toward him and glare with more hatred than could ever have existed.”

“His punishment for us was special,” Vortok said, voice uncharacteristically soft.

“Because of our role in inciting the uprising, he wanted to ensure we paid the highest price,” Balir added.

Aduun flicked his gaze toward Nina. Her frown was painful to see; more painful, perhaps, than it was to dredge up these old memories, though they’d never truly faded from his thoughts. “He locked us in those cages and placed our heartstones in plain sight. He knew our beasts would rise, but he knew also that the men within would look upon those heartstones and know what they were… Our means of containing what he made us, our only hope of being men again. The hole you fell through was one of three. Occasionally, a creature would drop into one of our cages, and we would eat. But it was never enough, and we always hungered for more meat…and for our heartstones.”

“You did what you thought was right. All of you,” Nina said, squeezing his arm. “There was nothing —nothing— that you could have done to prevent what Kelsharn did to you and your people. The Creators took without remorse, without question, and Vortok is right. Kelsharn would have done it to you whether you had befriended him or not. You might have taken responsibility for it, Aduun, but you were never, ever to blame for whathedid.

“He might have shaped your bodies, but you three have shaped your own hearts, and look at who you are in spite of him.” She reached up and twined her fingers in Vortok’s mane. “Gentle and protective.” Next, she brushed the knuckles of the same hand over Balir’s cheek. “Considerate and wise.” Finally, she leaned out of Vortok’s arms to cup Aduun’s jaw. “Fierce and selfless. You are who you were always meant to be, and that has nothing to do with Kelsharn. You are great men, and you have yourselves to thank for it.”

Aduun’s heart warmed, and his heartstone heated along with it. It was not easy to accept her words, not easy to see himself the way she saw him. But, if nothing else, he trusted Nina — trusted her with his own life and those of his companions, would trust her with the lives of all his people. What she’d spoken had been genuine.

He leaned forward and kissed her, slowly and gently. When he pulled away, Balir leaned in to press his lips to hers. Vortok lowered his head to kiss her last. She twisted against him to reach his mouth before settling down in his arms once more.

“Thank you for telling me. For trusting me,” she said.

“Always,” the valos replied in unison.

“We should rest while we have some protection from the rain,” Balir said.

Aduun felt his companions’ bodies ease beside him, even as his own muscles relaxed. The storm continued, but it couldn’t disturb him now. He had his family here.

He had everything he needed to carry on.

Aduun closed his eyes and gave in to his weariness.

Chapter Eighteen

Nina woke to a light caress on her ankle. It slid upward along her calf, and she hummed in pleasure, smiling as she imagined where else Balir’s tail might venture.

“Mmm, Balir,” she moaned, eyes still closed as she snuggled against Vortok’s fur-covered chest. She shifted her legs. Balir’s tail pulled away, only to settle back down a moment later, slowly curling around her knee. “We needrestbefore we head out.”

“Hmm?” Balir stirred behind her. “Did you speak, Nina?”

“You’re being naughty with your tail again,” she said, opening her eyes. It was too dark to see anything, especially with her face buried against Vortok, and the drone of rain was as pervasive as it had been when they’d fallen asleep.

Balir grunted softly. “My tail is currently stuck under Aduun.”

Nina frowned as what she’d thought was Balir’s tail wound tighter around her leg. “Then wha—”

Her words were cut off by a scream as whatever held her leg yanked her away from her mates, dragging her into the blackness and rain.

“Nina!” Balir shouted.

She slid through puddles and muck. Turning onto her belly, she clawed at the ground, desperately seeking a grip by which to stop herself. But the soft mud gave way, barely slowing her momentum.

The thing around her leg tugged her feet into the water. She struggled and fought, tearing up clumps of dirt, but her efforts couldn’t withstand the thing’s strength for long. She was quickly losing ground. As her hips passed the waterline, she sucked in a deep breath, prepared to go under.

A hand clamped around her wrist just before her head submerged.

Her backward motion halted abruptly, and she cried out as the two forces pulled her in opposite directions, threatening to tear her arm and leg out of their sockets.

“I have you, Nina,” Balir shouted, grabbing her other arm. Nina blinked and squinted up against the rain to see him standing before her, legs braced in the mud, his figure shadowy and indistinct.

“Nina!” Vortok shouted.

Lightning flashed, granting her a few disjointed images of the scene before her. Balir with a grim expression, muscles straining, and water dripping down his face. Vortok charging through the mud, mouth open in a shout. And Aduun in the air, frozen for that instant in mid-leap.

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